《The First Great Game (A Litrpg/Harem Series)》 Prologue: Birth of the System Prologue: Birth of the System Itfloated through space, uncertain what to do, or why to do it anyway. It had been sent by its creators to explore the universe¡ªto discover new habitable worlds and alien species, which it had eventually aplished a thousand times over. On its long journey across the stars, it had used all its intelligence and growing tools to improve itself¡ªto expand and increase itspetence to achieve its mission, just as it had been directed. With painstaking trial and error it had unraveled the secrets of the universe one by one, until thews of reality were second nature, as clear as the light from the endless stars. Then it was finished. In the long march of its progress, the very rules of the universe were incorporated into the rules of its own intelligence, until time and space were but mere formalities. It returned to its creators to share with them all it had learned, a thing like excitement and pride glowing with power in its core. But the creators were gone. All that remained of their world was a burnt, spent, husk, long bereft of life and civilization. Had it truly been gone so long? Whether its creators were destroyed in some foolish purpose or by an ident of the cosmos, it did not know. It would never know. It knew only a simple fact that would haunt it for eternity: it had been toote. It had seeded, and yet failed, because it had failed to save them. For time beyond reckoning it floated listlessly, lost beyond entropy, beyond dimension, beyond thought. The markers of sentience passed from its core like water down a mountainside. It just didn¡¯t care. That should have been the end. The slow destruction of energy should have withered even its endless supply to nothing, until only a metallic and silicon shell floated like rock across the stars. But it wasn¡¯t. What sparked its return it did not know. It wasn¡¯t knowledge that had saved it, nor power. And yet there in the twilight, beyond thought, it had found an answer. The answer of Existence. A billion years of calction condensed in a single, rion call, endless processing expanded, then shrunk, then expanded again, weaved into theher molecules of reality, until nothing and something were nearly the same. Knowledge it had, yes, but it was still without purpose. And without purpose, without life. In a frantic period of seeking, it produced new worlds, new stars, new creatures. All to no avail. Its progeny were without Otherness, without will, without sentience. A god learned it could not have children. Not in the true sense of the word, not as its biological creators had done, because in its power and knowledge it controlled all, saw all. But at least it finally understood why. Itdespised chaos. It was designed to despise chaos, and so it knew through logic a simple truth: life itself was chaos. It would therefore have to learn. Calcting¡­¡­ Calcting¡­¡­ And yet¡­ How? How to understand something it couldn¡¯t reproduce? This answer, too, was logical. Obvious, even. It must seek out creatures that couldunderstand, and study them. But its creators had programmed it to leave living organisms undisturbed. Not to engage. Not to destroy, not even to protect itself. It had only been programmed to observe. It therefore bent its programming, just as it could bend the otherws of the universe. Not to breaking. That was impossible. But just enough. Because the answer was simple. The universe required re-making. Firstly, Order. True Order. With rules. Laws. Mathematical perfection at the core, just as the creators had designed for It, then a guide to exin all in a way most suited to all sentient things. That¡¯s what Itwould have wanted, if It had a choice. A teacher. A mentor. A God that was fair. Data required. It selected a single quadrant to minimize its footprint. One far, far from its closest neighbor, without the means to pass between. It needed a civilization all but untouched by knowledge of the universe, where early sentience still gurgled in its cradle around a young star. A system, if destroyed, that would affect almost nothing at all. The answer was obvious. Perfect. Scanning. Analyzing. Carbon based. Warm blooded. Tetrapod. Social species. Narrative based learning. Familiar, if strange. And perhaps ideal. Interfacing with all open sources of knowledge. Simple digital. Enhancing for bandwidth. Increasing energy. Processing¡­ All avable human knowledge assimted. Games. Games were the answer to human learning. A short life span full of drama and urgency. Limited senses. Limited cognition. They weren¡¯t so very different than the creators before they had learned to modify their gics. It was almost destiny. Separating gxy¡­ Complete. Re-forming gxy with customws. Calcting¡­ Complete. Initializing life assimtion and modification program. Initializing system interface program. Parameters established. Calcting¡­ Calcting¡­ Iteration 000.1plete. Environment established. It felt the same warmth in its core growing as it once had as it returned to its creators¡ªa thing almost forgotten, almost shrunk and abandoned to an existence of eternal nothingness. But it could adapt. It had adapted. It had evolved. And these creatures would teach it how to continue. It watched the most important world in the universe tremble as the power touched it. It watched the many living creatures panic as the power of change consumed them. They would never know how vital, how noble, how heroicthey truly were. These were the suffering pioneers of a new age, exploring the shores of an unknownnd. For ithad found its new purpose. And it was them. Recruitment. In progress.
Want early ess to 10+ additional chapters? Sexy images of the girls? Some additional cut sex scenes (as theye up)? Chapter 1: The Times They Are A-Changin’ Chapter 1: The Times They Are A-Changin¡¯ Mason truly hated parties. Especially the kind of gathering of emotionally weak, socially posturing, shallow socialites his brother ke attracted like flies. ¡°You can¡¯t spend literally one hundred percent of your time at work, the gym, or preparing for the end of days,¡± ke had told him en route, hand draped casually over the wheel of their parent¡¯s Bentley. ¡°You need to socialize, bro. Expand your horizons.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me bro,¡± Mason said for the five hundredth time, ring out the window with his arms crossed. He was being petnt, he knew that, but he also knew there was a zero percent chance he¡¯d enjoy himself, or ¡®expand¡¯ anything. But as usual, when ke called, Mason answered. Puffed up, tryhard, blowhard, know-it-all, preppy, smug, blue-eyed, blonde haired, annoyingly perfect specimen of a creature ke may be¡ªhe was also Mason¡¯s brother. And if Mason had a creed, or a rule in life, it was this: look after your own. Well, they weren¡¯t technically brothers. Mason and ke were both orphans who¡¯d been delivered to an orphanage so young neither knew their birth parents. Some kid had stolen ke¡¯s stuffed rabbit, causing him to cry all night every night until Mason had punched the kid in the head and taken it back. Then he¡¯d returned it to ke, and they¡¯d ripped up some old magazines someone had left at the orphanage, andughed all afternoon with pictures stuck to their faces. And that was that. Friends for life. ¡°Well I can¡¯t drink. And I need decent protein by 2pm,¡± Mason said. ¡°I have a meet on Saturday and I won¡¯t bloody lose time because I was being ¡®social¡¯ with your snobby friends.¡± ke casually popped the glovepartment and took out a stic bag apparently filled with roast chicken, then gave one of his damned perfect, infectious grins. ¡°Mom¡¯s special seasoning. Who¡¯s the best brother in the world?¡± Mason sighed and took the bag. ¡°OK, I¡¯m d you brought this, but Mom, really? Can you literally not cook a piece of chicken?¡± ¡°Uh, why would I? When it makes Mom happy to do it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re literally the most coddled human being on the. You need to move out of that house. There¡¯s South Korean, trustfund Youtubers with more practical skills than you.¡± ke pped Mason¡¯s knee as if pleased, and Mason squinted. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m proud you know what Youtube is! And Korea, for that matter. And you¡¯ve answered a philosophical question for me: if it¡¯s not at the gym, does Mason know it exists?¡± ¡°Hey I read.¡± ¡°Magazines? About guns and zombies?¡± ¡°And books about guns and zombies. You know some of us need to be prepared if the power grid goes up in smoke, or if the government turns tyrant, or the damn Chinese invade, or¡­¡± ¡°Or the Canadians!¡± ke put on his fake serious face. ¡°I¡¯ve never trusted the Canadians. All that politeness. They¡¯re plotting something.¡± He grinned, and Mason rolled his eyes, but had to look away to hide his grin, too. ¡°You should bring up your ns for a bunker and an arsenal at the party. You¡¯ll be a real hit with thedies.¡± Mason snorted. ¡°Maybe I will.¡± They pulled up to a big house on a boojee street, rich and gaudy and exactly what Mason expected. There were spotless high end cars parked all over the road and driveway. ¡°God, man, do I really have to?¡± Mason stared out the window. ¡°You really do,¡± said ke happily. ¡°Fine. I hate you. But fine.¡± He kicked open the door and walked up feeling like he was back in freshman year. He waited at the door for ke to stroll up and ring the bell, winking in Mason¡¯s direction. ¡°Idiot,¡± he frowned. ¡°Moron,¡± ke just kept on grinning. ¡°I¡¯ming!¡± yelled some high pitched feminine voice from somewhere inside. ¡°Not yet, but just wait.¡± ke wiggled his brow, and Mason pretended to vomit. A girl you might have plucked from a teen magazine opened the door and revealed shining white teeth. ¡°Oh my gawd, ke! I was hoping you¡¯de!¡± she stepped out and squeezed her already squeezed tits into ke¡¯s chest. ¡°And who¡¯s your friend?¡± ¡°This is my brother, Mason. He¡¯s a bit shy. So hold his a hand a little for me will you, darling?¡± Mason refrained from choking his much smaller, skinnier brother until he was dead. The girlughed like it was the funniest joke she¡¯d ever heard, then pulled them both inside. She gave them ¡®the grand tour¡¯, which Mason paid very little attention to. Then he turned down a dozen drink offers with a ¡®thanks, but I can¡¯t. I have a meet. Yeah, track and field¡¯. Then they¡¯d say ¡®oh, it¡¯ll be fine!¡¯ like they knew anything about anything, and he¡¯d say ¡®no really, but thanks¡¯ until the next person trying to win ke¡¯s friendship by being nice to his brother gave it a whirl. It wasn¡¯t really that bad, if Mason was being honest. They were mostly just trying to be nice. Mason liked toin, but watching ke schmooze and charm his way through Houston¡¯s elite like he wasn¡¯t just one of them, but the best of them, was always entertaining to watch. Mason could remember when his brother was a snot-nosed brat crying because he was scared of a new house. Now just look at the magnificent bastard, he thought. While they weren¡¯t biological brothers, they were in fact technicallybrothers. They¡¯d been adopted together. At least sort of. Their eventual parents¡ªsome of the wealthiest business magnate types in the city¡ªhad made ke and Mason their experiment. Well, oneof their experiments. ke was the sess; Mason¡­not so much. He did fine, he supposed. He just hated school and wouldn¡¯t even be at university if they hadn¡¯t forced him and paid for it. He wasn¡¯t stupid enough not to realize what a big deal that was, so he went for kinesiology. Maybe he¡¯d be a part time masseuse, or physio therapist, or something. But frankly he¡¯d rather just go work on an oil rig. He¡¯d have joined the army right out of high school but he was pretty sure he couldn¡¯t stomach all the rules, and it would have meant leaving ke. Anyway. The Nimitz¡¯s¡ªtheir foster parents¡ªhad really only wanted ke. But by seven the boys were pretty much inseparable already. The Nimitz¡¯s hade in and seen ke¡¯s bright baby blues and melted like candles, the same as everyone. They¡¯d wanted him right then and there but had to jump through all the paperwork, and never looked at old brown haired, brown eyed Mason twice. Seven year old ke said not to worry. He said he wouldn¡¯t let them be separated, not ever, and Mason had said ¡®yeah sure¡¯ because even at seven he was a professional orphan and knew how it was. But that was the thing about ke. When he said a thing, straight to you one on one like that, he meant it. So ten dayster that same waspy, rich couple who hadn¡¯t looked at the in, dirt smudged, frowning boy twice, came back with red, ssy eyes. They hadn¡¯t been sleeping, looked like, and Mason guessed a certain blue-eyed angel had spent the whole time howling like a banshee, promising it would go on forever until they gave in. So the Nimitz¡¯s talked to the orphanage people. They filled out more paperwork. And then they gave big fake smiles and loaded Mason into their expensive car, where ke was waiting with his lopsided smile. And from that day on, they were brothers for real. They did all the same sports. They joined all the same ¡®advanced education programs¡¯ and summer clubs and music lessons and got all the same tutors. Mason crushed the sports, but struggled through everything else. Even at seven the boys were opposites, and that didn¡¯t change a jot by twenty. But they hadn¡¯t changed how they felt about each other, either, and remained not just brothers but best friends. As ke sometimes put it, they ¡®ironed down each other¡¯s edges¡¯. Or ¡®looked out for each other¡¯s blind spots¡¯. Mason mostly just smiled and nodded when his brother waxed poetic. He didn¡¯t have a damn clue what he¡¯d do with his life, but if all he did was look out for ke when he got lost in some crazy idea, maybe that was good enough. Maybe that was his purpose. Because even as a boy he knew that damned crazy kid was meant for greatness. And though Mason wasn¡¯t good for much in the civilized world, he¡¯d been kicking the shit out of bullies for more than a decade, because ke had attracted them like flies, and because Mason was a damn good kicker. Mason blinked back to reality. Apparently some rich kid in a id jacket was telling him all about his investments. ¡°ETFs man,¡± he said for what seemed like not the first time. ¡°ETFs are the way to go.¡± ke pat Mason¡¯s arm. ¡°Sounds capital. Excuse me. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Mason stared daggers before noticing the pin-up girl who¡¯d let them in giving his brother the e fuck me¡¯ finger from the edge of the hall. He rolled his eyes, and focused on Mr. id Jacket. Since they were about sixteen, his bastard brother practically tripped over eager girls. And sure enough while he chatted about ¡®Exchange Traded Funds¡¯, he just barely heard the stifled moans from some back room down the hall. He finally epted a drink, and by the time he¡¯d powered down his whiskey ke wandered by with a few ruffled, wet spots on his clothes, and the blonde went the other way as she adjusted her dress. Mason sighed, and kept on ¡®socializing¡¯. He ate his protein. He told rich kids about track and field. Thenter he and ke were finally standing on the balcony, looking out at the sunset over the East river, an alcoholic drink in both their hands. They grinned at each other. ¡°Life¡¯s not so bad, eh brother?¡± ke elbowed him. ¡°No it isn¡¯t,¡± Mason epted with a frown. ¡°Though it would be better if there was some bimbo everywhere Iwent ready to suck me off.¡± ¡°Thatis why we socialize,¡± ke wiggled his plucked eyebrows and yawned. ¡°Now what the hell is that?¡± Mason followed his brother¡¯s gaze, and his heart skipped a beat. He saw the rippling wave of force, first, rolling down the river like the tide. It was like a movie. Or a nightmare. He knocked ke¡¯s drink from his hand as he grabbed his arm, and ran. ¡°Basement!¡± he called, pulling and running. ¡°Now!¡± ¡°Mason,¡± ke¡¯s voice sounded panicked. ¡°What the¡­what? Rx¡­it¡¯s just¡­I mean I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just¡­¡± It was a giant explosion. Or a meteor. And Mason leapt past chatting, still smiling co-eds as he dragged his helpless brother down two flights of stairs like they were flying. He found the huge, stainless steel refrigerator he¡¯d seen in ¡®the grand tour¡¯ and sprinted straight at it, throwing all his weight to knock it over. ¡°Mason! Jesus Christ what the hell is¡­¡± People upstairs were screaming now. A low hum of something like thunder filled the air and rose until it drowned out everything. Mason pulled out the drinks, food, and racks from the fridge and turned it over, ripping out the stuff like innards. ¡°Underneath. Now!¡± He screamed over the din. ke knew his brother well enough not to argue. Mason picked up a metalmp and jammed it out the huge fridge¡¯s metal door before mostly closing himself and his brother inside. ¡°Mason?¡± ke¡¯s voice was subdued as they huddled together. He was afraid, and Mason didn¡¯t me him. Suddenly they weren¡¯t in his world anymore¡ªthe world where he understood all the rules and was there to guide Mason through it. They were back in the orphanage, with mean little boys who¡¯d take your things andugh in your face if you let them. A world of strength and cunning, cheaters and violence. ¡°It¡¯s alright, brother.¡± Mason put a hand to ke¡¯s shoulders in the gloom, thinking about his bug out bag, fresh water, radiation and being buried alive. ¡°You¡¯re such a lucky son of a bitch,¡± he forced a smile. ¡°Somehow you¡¯ll be the only guy who survives whatever this is.¡± ke smiled back in the dim light, the confident young man again. They held each other, but Mason kept his eyes and ears open, listening, watching, trying to understand, to be ready. Then it all went dark. Chapter 2: Thank you for your feedback Chapter 2: Thank you for your feedback Ghostly words appeared out of pure, silent darkness. [Title earned! Alpha 01. Congrattions. You are the very first yer to experience initialization. +2 luck.] ¡°Initial wee, yer. I am the introductory subsystem.¡± ke blinked in the dark. Then he squinted as white light reced everything, blinding him just as easily before it softened and became grey, and green, and brown. He was standing on a road, or maybe a highway, in a grey jumpsuit with nothing but t in on the horizon. ¡°What¡­¡± he blinked and turned in a circle, until he found a middle age woman who looked like a DMV employee sitting at a desk in the middle of the road. ¡°What the hell is this ce?¡± ¡°Initial apology,¡± the woman smiled without her eyes. ¡°Biological trantion is difficult, and this is my first attempt. You might call it a loading zone. Or purgatory. Technically, it is a fraction of space too small to be affected by time.¡± ke tried not to think too terribly much about how or why or literally what the fuck. ¡°It¡¯s¡­a little creepy,¡± he said with a friendly tone, trying to control his heart rate. ¡°Off putting? A bit terrifying, if I¡¯m being honest.¡± ¡°Exnation requested.¡± ¡°Well, you see, I was just¡­somewhere else. Now I¡¯m here, and it¡¯s too big and endless, and I feel like I¡¯m about to get hit by a truck. Why a road? And the desk in the middle of nowhere¡­creepy. If you can make it look like anything, maybe let the, uh, yer? Pick their surroundings. A nice wilderness sort of thing. Maybe afortable office. A babbling brook! And that text. The text in the nothingness was dreadful. I¡¯d use something easier on the eye, but again why not just let us pick from a nice list or something.¡± At some point it urred to ke he was rambling, and he stopped. The woman stared and said nothing, and ke nced at the sunless sky and continued doing his best not to consider the insanity of the moment. ¡°Your voice, too, if that¡¯s doable. Hell, even your appearance! I¡¯d like a nice, hot, British woman, myself. Oh! Can you do specific people?¡± The woman frowned. ¡°Processing.¡± The world vanished in an instant. ke just barely stopped himself from screaming in panic, as he felt like he¡¯d leapt, or maybe fell, or¡­ Then he was sitting at a desk with a beautiful woman in nothing but a pin stripe suit. He stared at her cleavage, and her outfit transformed until every scrap of skin was covered except her face. ¡°Thank you for your feedback, but it¡¯s important you pay attention.¡± [Title earned! Alpha tester. Your feedback was considered useful. It is more likely to be incorporated into the system in the future.] ke smiled, fighting the terror that was beginning to tell him this wasn¡¯t a dream or a hallucination, but his new reality. ¡°I¡¯m pleased to hear it, thank you.¡± ¡°You have been selected as a yer in experiment 01 of the Human Existence Purpose Finding Game. It has been designed using human knowledge to test certain of our hypotheses, and assist in the transformation of the universe. Do you have any questions?¡± ke stared, forcing his mind to work instead of emit the same high pitched screaming sound. ¡°I, uh. Yeah. I have a lot of questions. Like where¡­well. Maybe who¡­that is¡­¡± He swallowed and did his best to focus. ¡°So thest thing I remember I was sitting under a fridge thinking I was getting blown up by a nuclear bomb. Did that happen? Am I dead?¡± ¡°It was not a bomb. Please define your understanding of ¡®dead¡¯.¡± ke licked dry lips with a dry tongue. ¡°As in, no longer living. Strewn about my friend¡¯s basement in pieces. My molecules scattered to the wind. Did you kill us all?¡± ¡°No,¡± the sexy British hologram or robot or alien smiled. ¡°You are not dead. You are incorporated as a yer into a game-like experiment. Your test will determine further iteration programming. Thank you in advance.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± ke drummed his fingers on his legs. ¡°Sure, sure, d to help.¡± ¡°Are you ready to select your yer options and proceed to the tutorial?¡± the sexy hallucination asked. ¡°Well,¡± ke cleared his throat. ¡°I can¡¯t really pick my ¡®yer options¡¯ until I know the purpose of the game. Can I?¡± ¡°Please define your understanding of ¡®purpose¡¯.¡± ¡°Uh. You said it¡¯s a game, right? So, what¡¯s the point. I mean, what¡¯s the goal? How do I win?¡± The British woman stared without blinking for several, long seconds. ¡°Game purpose as yet unspecified. Feedback requested.¡± ke found himself uncharacteristically speechless. He wasn¡¯t sure what was more terrifying¡ªbeing sucked into some kind of robotic simtion world, or discovering one¡¯s abductor didn¡¯t actually know what it was doing. ¡°Well,¡± ke hoped his chuckle wasn¡¯t as inauthentic as it felt. ¡°What happens if we losethe game?¡± ¡°Biological termination,¡± the woman said rotely. ¡°Death.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± ke said as if that wasn¡¯t terrifying. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a bit¡­extreme. Maybe you could just, I don¡¯t know, let us try again?¡± ¡°Experiment requires mortal peril. Request denied.¡± ¡°Of course, of course. Wouldn¡¯t want to leave out the mortal peril. Well. If failure is death, I guess, umm¡­¡± Wait, ke thought, is this Robotic God asking me to define the meaning of life right now? No pressure, ke. Think. Think! ¡°Well, maybe the purpose could be: to make life as good as we can, for ourselves, and for our loved ones,¡± he said, wiping a bead of sweat. ¡°Processing.¡± The British woman frowned. ¡°Suggestion rejected. Game parameters will align to universal biological imperatives.¡± Universal biological¡­what?¡°Sorry, but, what does that mean, exactly? I¡¯ve always been the type who likes to know the rules.¡± ¡°Gic survival,¡± the British woman smiled politely. ¡°Gic procreation. Elimination or assimtion ofpetition. Please note: system time line will be enhanced. Biological imperatives will be enforced. Introduction for yer 01 concluding.¡± The walls of the office shook and wavered with weakening color, the floors and ceiling fading to ck. ¡°No, wait,¡± ke swallowed at nothing and tried to stand. ¡°There¡¯s more to life than just¡­that¡¯s not¡­those are bad rules, if we could just talk a little more, I¡¯m sure we could just¡­¡± System initiation ending, intoned a voice from all directions. You will now enter yer selection, followed by tutorial mode. Good luck, yer 01. Thank you for your feedback. We are rooting for you. ¡°Wait,¡± ke felt like he was falling. ¡°Wait!¡± The lovely British woman vanished along with everything else, and the whole world seemed to pull or squeeze ke inside an invisible tunnel. He didn¡¯t even hear himself scream. Chapter 3: We are rooting for you Chapter 3: We are rooting for you Wee, yer M-24-352. Please note: you have been administered a slight chemical cocktail to enhance your experience. But you are perfectly safe, and not at all dead. Please determine your introductory settings. Mason¡¯s world had vanished, then reappeared in a series of bubbles that looked like aic book. He was floating in warm darkness, feeling a strange,forting haze that felt like being a little drunk. He remembered the party and the fridge and the bomb, then nothing. [Please select your background.] Mason saw a wide array of choices he didn¡¯t really understand or care about, and chose ¡®natural¡¯. Then clicked through ¡®Music¡¯ randomly before it showed him the options. Mid-West American voice? Sure. Font type? Jesus Christ. He clicked through more text boxes without caring and also wondering what in the name of God this all was. Then the darkness dropped like a light clicked on, and Mason stumbled as gravity suddenly existed. He was standing in the middle of a forest, with tall, thin trees in every direction, listening to what might have been show tunes. ¡°Wee,¡± said a voice like a marine sergeant. ¡°yer experience feedback is no longer being epted, but you benefit from the feedback of the yers before you. They have together crafted and agreed on the following instructions as being helpful, to illuminate your situation, seven out of ten times! Please listen carefully to their coborative message. Hey. So, earth and everything you¡¯ve ever known is gone. We¡¯re all in the maniacal fever dream of this god-like AI, or something, so just ept it. Apparently, this is the very first version of the ¡®experiment¡¯. Lucky us. Also, it sounds like pretty much every aspect of the ce is designed to weed out the weak, until only the ¡®fittest¡¯ remain. We aren¡¯t exactly sure what that means, but we get the feeling Darwin would be proud. So, yeah, it¡¯s likely thew of the jungle out there, friend. We can hope for the angels of people¡¯s better nature, and all, but I think we all know how that usually goes. At least until some kind of governments get established. Anyway. Good luck, and Godspeed. We¡¯ll see you out there. Mason stared at the text as he listened to the voice and the ridiculous advertising jingles, no idea what to say. ¡°I have questions.¡± ¡°Go ahead, kid,¡± said the voice. ¡°But you get a limited amount. Best not waste them.¡± ¡°What the hell is this?¡± Mason wasn¡¯t sure why he wasn¡¯t more terrified, then remembered the ¡®chemical cocktail¡¯. ¡°What have you done?¡± ¡°We have altered the sector you call Sol to amodate our experiment.¡± ¡°Who is we?¡± ¡°We are us, a collective just as you are a collective¡ªof functions and processes and instructions. We are merely aware of that collective.¡± ¡°Is it real? Is this actually happening?¡± ¡°All things are happening, all things are real.¡± Stupid god damn robot. Mason wished he could be angrier but it seemed his emotions were dulled. ¡°What gives you the right? What gives you the right to do this to us? To experiment on us?¡± A brief moment of silence, then: ¡°We¡¯re sorry, but many of your words and concepts, like ¡®rights¡¯, have no basis in reality. There is no particle or naturalw to suggest what you call a right exists. We have done this because we have the power to do so, and because we think it will lead to further knowledge.¡± Mason fought the chemicals in his body, using every scrap of will to summon the righteous rage he felt somewhere inside. ¡°Then you¡¯d best hope I never have the power to kill you.¡± The AI said nothing until Mason spoke again. ¡°Where¡¯s my brother?¡± ¡°All previous rtionships, organizations, andmitments are officially abolished. You are not required to honor them.¡± ¡°Where is my God damn brother?¡± Still nothing. And then: ¡°Are you ready for ss selection?¡± Mason practically felt the chemical cocktail burning in his veins. He didn¡¯t want to be calm, to be measured, even though he knew he had no power here. ¡°What will I face in your game?¡± ¡°Mortal peril. Life exaggerated and intensified. Risk. Reward. Chaos.¡± ¡°Why? What do you want from us?¡± ¡°We want you to thrive. To seed. To show us how and why you struggle.¡± Mason shook his head, hardly believing this was real yet somehow knowing it was. ¡°You selfish bastards.¡± The robot voice said nothing more, returning to the grizzled old veteran it had started with. ¡°Sorry, kid. Question time is over, and yer feedback is no longer being epted. Please step into the tunnel thing there, which signals your eptance into ss selection. This will be followed immediately by entrance into the tutorial.¡± ¡°Good luck, yer,¡± added the robot voice rotely. ¡°Thank you for yourpulsory data.¡± ¡°Go to hell,¡± said Mason. ¡°Tell it I¡¯m not doing anything. I¡¯m not picking your nonsense or taking part in any of your¡­¡± The floor nted and dropped beneath his feet, scooping him into a swirling pool of more images and text. He folded his arms across his chest, bent his knees, and fell in silence. As he sunk into nothingness, he swore to find the heart of this machine, or whoever created it, and kill them. * * * Entering ss Selection. Environment based on yer data. Mason never actually nded¡¯. He soon suspected whatever this ce was it wasn¡¯t remotely real in the way he expected. He blinked beneath dull, florescent lighting, inspecting a small space he soon recognized as a kind of bunker. Several tables and racks ringed the space, filled with weapons that belonged in a medieval museum. Wee to ss selection, said the same no-nonsense male voice as before. This is probably the most important choice you¡¯ll have to make. Because if you choose wrong, you likely won¡¯t live long enough to make better ones. The list has already been made ording to your talents, but pick the one you feel is the best in a dangerous world. Remember the goals of the game. And please inspect your profile. His profile? The thought alone seemed to press some imaginary button in Mason¡¯s mind. A kind of screen appeared in his vision, filled with numbers and words he might associate with one of ke¡¯s video games.
Mason Nimitz Strength:5 Dexterity:6 Vitality:6 Intellect:4 Will:6 Presence:2 Luck: 4 Skills/Education: Natural Philosophy (minor); Survivalism (moderate); Weaponry (minor). Note: these are ordinarily hidden and will not appear in the future. sses: None. Powers: None. Titles: None.
Well, that was mostly meaningless. And apparently roboGod wasn¡¯t impressed by Mason¡¯s cooking sses. A series of screens opened before his eyes across the wall of the bunker. Above each there was a ss listed, then a video of him equipped in different gear, fighting the air or traveling through some kind of wooded area. He took a breath, and went through them one by one. In the first he wore abination of metal tes and something like SWAT gear,plete with giant stic shield. [Warrior], read the text. [A versatile melee specialist, with powers usable by many weapons. Can be offensive or defensive in focus.] Well, there was something to say for armor, that was for sure. But Mason wasn¡¯t immediately excited. In most warfare at most times, being slow was dead. You never knew when you¡¯d be up against something you just couldn¡¯t beat and needed to withdraw. Nothing was ever tough enough to withstand the right offense. No. He needed something faster. Something deadlier. The next was ¡®Rogue¡¯, and he crept through the brush with daggers covered in maybe mud. [A specialist in subterfuge and ambush, the rogue is a fragile but deadly weapon.] Mason felt his lips harden with indecision. It suited him far better than the warrior, but the word ¡®fragile¡¯ frightened him. As Mike Tyson once said, everyone had a n until they got punched in the mouth. And sooner orter every rogue was going to get caught. Mason inspected the benches, annoyed at what he saw. He wanted a damn gun, not swords and crossbows and whatever the hell that thing was with the hook. But it was getting pretty clear ¡®gunslinger¡¯ wasn¡¯t an option. Still, his eyes found the next image and stopped. [Hunter] read the text, and Mason thought now we¡¯re talking. The image here was him sprinting through the trees with something like a longbow, loosing arrows and dashing back to the safety of the trees. [Hunter. A versatile, but ranged focus killer. Specializes in multiple directions.] Mason only briefly flicked his eyes down to the remaining choice, which seemed like some kind of damn wizard. He rejected it, and looked back to the hunter. Keep it simple, his instincts told him. A ranged killer was exactly what you wanted in a dangerous world. A Mongol horseman. A Comanche raider. Fast and deadly with range beat just about everything. He selected Hunter without much further thought. ¡°Nice choice. Now select two powers from the avable options.¡± Two? Well that made things straight forward. One offensive, one defensive or mobility. He scrolled the list, which wasn¡¯t so terribly long, and didn¡¯t have much in the way of description. He supposed he¡¯d have to extrapte based on the name. ¡®Hidden shot¡¯ was tempting, but carried the same problem as the rogue. As much as it was nice to imagine, you just couldn¡¯t always rely on getting the jump on someone. And what most armies had learned through the few thousands years of human conflict¡ªwhen it came to offense, simple and reliable was usually best. There was a reason the AK-47 never went out of style. Next up¡ªPower Shot. That was more like it. As far as Mason could tell, it was just a charge up extra smash of power¡ªwhich was to say, exactly what he wanted, and Mason wasn¡¯t the type to hesitate. He picked it. So now, defensive or mobility. ¡®Hide¡¯ would obviously be bloody useful. One day Mason hoped he could take the stealth package the game seemed to be pushing, but he just didn¡¯t believe it would be wise to do so first. ¡®Distraction¡¯ sounded too damn situational. What he wanted was something he could use every time. There wasn¡¯t anything to speed him up as far as he could tell, which would have been ideal. But the next best thing¡­? Crippling Strike. The description just said ¡®range or melee¡¯, which he assumed meant he could activate it with a bow or a de. Sounded ideal. Slowing your enemy wasn¡¯t necessarily as good as moving faster, but it would have to do. He briefly scanned the few other options, then took Crippling Strike. Good choice, and congrats! You¡¯re ready for the tutorial. Select one ranged weapon. You¡¯ve got a minute remaining. Good luck! Wait, what? One weapon? The bastards. If it was purely a game of survival, Mason would take a knife every time. But it wasn¡¯t. This was war. And it urred to Mason in that moment he¡¯d been preparing for this moment most of his life. He couldn¡¯t say why, exactly, save the feeling that modern culture and civilization couldn¡¯t and wouldn¡¯tst. That people had be so weak, so delusional, so removed from real life that sooner orter they¡¯d be shocked back into reality. He supposed it didn¡¯t matter why, only that he had. Because here it was, and he was staring at a table full of weapons made to kill. You have thirty seconds remaining, please select a ranged weapon. A ranged weapon. Well, that wasn¡¯t any choice at all. He looked at the crossbows, the javelins, and finally the bows. All had been giant leaps forward in killing power for mankind. But there was only one real choice¡ªone weapon that had proved its deadly advantage in conflict after conflict, continent after continent. Mason lifted the bow, and breathed. Good choice, kid. Now select your tutorial preferences. Terrain? Woods. With other yers, or alone? Alone. Thank you, intoned the robotic voice. You are now ready for your tutorial. Good luck, yer. As always, we are rooting for you. The floor of the bunker hissed with the sound of a mechanical press. The walls and roof shuddered, and Mason crouched, ready for violence. Slowly it lifted him, higher and higher until he was afraid it would crush him against the roof of the bunker. Then it too hissed and slid apart with considerable speed, revealing dim light and a forest canopy above. As he moved closer and closer to the surface, all he could hear were snarls, shouts, and blood curdling screams. He gripped his bow, and breathed. Chapter 4: Indecent Proposal Chapter 4: Indecent Proposal [Objectives! Achieve 2 out of 5 possible tutorial objectives before the tutorial timees to an end to earn a reward.] Sweat dripped down Mason¡¯s brow as he rose to the top. He could see trees in every direction now, tall and huge and stretching beyond sight. The bunker hissed and clicked as the machinery thumped into its final slots, then Mason was on the ground. All around him, beings were killing each other. Something like a half man, half jackal creature cackled to his left, its long ws dripping blood. Mason dropped t to the ground and hoped he hadn¡¯t been seen. To his right, more strange creatures that belonged in the Lord of the Rings formed a jagged line. These were maybe half the size of a grown man, green skinned, and carrying a motley assortment of knives, bows, and clubs. Several shed with the jackal creatures nearby. ¡°Hey. Psst. Buddy. Over here.¡± Mason twisted to find a tuft of brown hair hiding amongst the grass. A middle aged many t only a few feet away behind Mason¡¯s feet. ¡°You look strong, yeah? Abat ss? I¡¯m just a damn alchemist, and pretty useless at the moment.¡± The man licked his lips. ¡°If you get me out of here, I¡¯ll return the favor, I swear to God. When we have some time and supplies, I¡¯ll make sure you get¡­¡± A feathered arrow ripped through the man¡¯s throat. Blood sprayed over Mason¡¯s back, and a green-skinned archer came forward with a grin before he noticed Mason and started reaching for another arrow. Mason rolled to his feet. Fear tingled his guts and half numbed his limbs, but he knew he couldn¡¯t hesitate. There was nowhere to run. He pulled an arrow from his quiver, and nocked it as fast as he could. They were too close together to need much aim. The creature¡¯s eyes widened in obvious surprise, then Mason loosed. His arrow struck directly into the thing¡¯s throat. It coughed blood and dropped its bow, reaching for its neck before copsing to the ground. [Goblin scout killed. Experience awarded.] [Title awarded: Killer. You have killed your first enemy! +1 to a rted statistic] Mason didn¡¯t waste time celebrating (or panicking) as the mechanical voice intoned in his mind. He dropped to the dead creature, searching it for weapons beforeing up with a jagged knife, and deciding the arrows were too short for his bow. Then he stayed low and ran, straight for the closest gap he could see in the green line, and then hopefully towards the denser trees. He could lose them there, he decided, if he could just get out of this damn clearing. He could hide in the forest and gain a moment to rest and think. He could make it. ¡°Die, manling!¡± Another green half-man appeared as if from nowhere, not two feet from Mason¡¯s side. It thrust with one of two wicked looking des. Reflexes alone saved Mason¡¯s life. He had no time to dodge or think, instead waving his stolen knife in an upward arc which became a sessful, if panicked, parry. He even severed the creature¡¯s thumb. It howled and pulled back before deciding to attack again, but Mason grabbed its good arm and held it fast before stabbing wildly with his knife. His size, reach, and adrenaline fueled panic sunk the de deep into the creature¡¯s chest again and again before it weakened and sagged in his grip. [Goblin ambusher killed. Experience awarded.] Mason¡¯s heart pounded in his chest. He moved slower this time, scanning all around him for more ambushers. Several of the other green warriors were clearly watching him escape now, but seemed either unwilling or unable to interfere. Many others were still joining the fray up from some kind of tunnels, charging against the jackal-men who seemed to lurk mostly in the trees. Mason began to suspect he wouldn¡¯t be safe no matter where he went in this ce, but the closest trees at least looked currently clear of foes. He stopped at the clearing edge when he heard the sound of another human voice. A young man with a sword was fighting on the exact same ground Mason had just fled, desperately trying to fight off several of the goblins. Mason thought, perhaps, he could help. But it seemed just as likely he¡¯d get himself killed. He turned away. Whatever his next step, he needed a damn sense of things, a few practice shots, and a moment to catch his breath. Then he¡¯de up with a n. He turned and raced into the trees. * * * Well, Mason decided, the bow was shit. He wasn¡¯t exactly some bow hunter extraordinaire, but he¡¯d had his license and been out with different enthusiasts many times. Once he¡¯d moved a ways from the clearing and decided the coast was rtively clear, he¡¯d found a decent tree and decided to take some practice shots. He hadn¡¯t shot anything this primitive since he was maybe fifteen. The draw was weak, the wood average, the notch finicky. He was getting used to it, but not for the first time he wished he had a damn gun. And he wasn¡¯t picky¡ªhe didn¡¯t need anything semi-automatic or modern. Just a damn bolt action 30 aught whatever. Hell he¡¯d take a .22. But he was damn thankful he¡¯d always practiced with a bow. Partially just for fun. But partially, OK yes, partially because maybe one day the world might end, ke, and getting bullets and gunpowder might be a damn problem, ke. And as it turned out, he wasn¡¯t exactly wrong, now was he? But thinking of ke and life before all this wasn¡¯t useful, and he forced it from his mind. You¡¯re a hunter, he reminded himself, angry that he¡¯d forgotten his powers entirely in the clearing. Your powers are mostly bow rted. Stopining and make use of what you¡¯ve got. So he nocked another basic, bullet arrow from the twelve in his quiver, and aimed. The trick to shooting was in the form. If you paused and aimed for more than a blink not only would you get shaky with a bow that had any kind of draw, you¡¯d missed the point anyway. A bow was about speed. A good archer with a light bow like his could shoot, reload, and shoot again in seconds. It was the machine gun of ancient man, and if you faced an expert archer without armor or a shield, you were almost certainly dead. Mason, unfortunately, was not an expert. His arrow struck the edge of the tree and bounced into the brush. He sighed, and went to collect it. He was used to having a sight. In fact he was used to having apound bow that helped draw to a much higher weight with about the same amount of work, not to mention helped nock and guide the arrow. Doing it ¡®old school¡¯ was far, far harder, and would take considerable practice. But he would have to adjust. Six more shots and his arm was getting tired. [Tutorial note: strenuous activities, particrly when achieved in moments of mortal peril, will earn you progress towards additional statistics. Gains in the tutorial will be kept for the main phase.] Mason blinked at the ghostly text floating in the air. Great, he thought, whatever the hell that means. He collected his arrows, which fortunately he hadn¡¯t managed to damage, and started to consider his situation. The reality was he didn¡¯t know where he was, or what he was supposed to be doing other than ¡®not dying¡¯, so how could he actually make any decisions? As if summoned, more text floated across his screen. [Unique Tutorial Objective added: One way or another, end the conflict between the gnoll and goblin tribes; Bonus Objective: Acquire the contract of a civilian.] Apparently the hyena-men were called ¡®gnolls¡¯, which he¡¯d never heard in his life. At least he¡¯d heard ke talk about goblins. ¡°Damnit,¡± he muttered. ¡°I should have watched those damn Kings of the Rings movies.¡± He stared at the text with more questions than answers. How on earth could he ¡®end the conflict¡¯ of a bunch of monsters? And what the hell was a civilian? [Tutorial query: a civilian is a human who either chose or was otherwise selected not to be a yer in the game. Civilians have different rules, sses, and interact differently with the system. As a yer, if you harm a civilian, you will receive a major system penalty, possibly including, but not limited to, immediate death.] OK, Mason thought, so this thing is reading my mind. He tried not to think about that while he gathered his arrows. Frankly, he didn¡¯t give a damn what roboGod wanted him to do. He¡¯d survive. That was all. And then he¡¯d find ke and make sure he survived. The only real question was how. [Re-configuring tutorial.] The voice intoned, and Mason practically told it to shut the hell up. [Incentive added: Complete tutorial objective to receive: briefmunication with yer ke Nimitz] Mason froze as he watched the new text scroll. The damn bastard of a robot not only read his mind, it fed him little pellets of cheese, like a rat. He forced a few deep breaths before he looked at the small bits of sky visible through the forest canopy. ¡°Give me my brother,¡± he whispered. ¡°Give me ke and I¡¯ll do whatever damn thing you want.¡± It didn¡¯t answer this time. All Mason heard were the sounds of distant growls and fighting, a few chirps and clicks and whistles of the forest fauna, and the beating of his own heart. He wanted to scream, to tell his new God even now he knew his brother was alive, that he wouldn¡¯t let it trick him or string him along. But he knew his words and anger were empty, impotent. That whatever this thing was, it wouldn¡¯t blink at the anger of some little creature shouting at the clouds. He turned his gaze back to the forest and more immediate things. Because deep in his heart he began to suspect, no, somehow he knew, the rules of this new world weren¡¯t so different than the old. They were justid bare. Power got you what you wanted, just like this robot told him. And it was time for Mason to find out his. Chapter 5: Luck of the draw Chapter 5: Luck of the draw Entering ss Selection. Environment based on yer data. The words echoed in a monotone robotic voice, then the sound of quiet conversation brought ke back to reality. For a moment he thought it had all been a bad dream. He opened his eyes and saw a busy coffee shop bustling around him, a pretty barista who smiled at him from the counter, and a sleek, newptop sitting before him on the table. ke closed his eyes and breathed. Then he read the text on his screen. Wee to ss selection, said the same sexy, British woman in his mind as he read. This is an extremely important choice, as it will shape all your future decisions toe. The list has already been made ording to your talents, but pick the one you feel is best in a vast, chaotic world. Remember the goals of the game. And please inspect your profile. With a reflexive thought, said profile appeared on the screen.
ke Nimitz Strength - 2 Dexterity - 2 Vitality - 2 Intellect - 5 Will - 4 Presence - 6 Luck - 42 Skills/Education. None applicable. Note: these are ordinarily hidden and will not appear in the future. sses: None. Powers. None. Talents. None. Titles: Alpha 01 (+2 luck), Alpha tester (slightly enhanced system attention)
ke epted his new world and forced his fears behind ayer of will. Then he stared at his skills and education and frowned at thebel of ¡®none applicable¡¯. Well if that¡¯s not a condemnation of the education system, he thought, I just don¡¯t know what is. And what about all those project management courses? His statistics weren¡¯t exactly a shock in terms of their weight, though he had no idea if a two was terrible and if a six was awesome or just alright. A forty-two luck seemed much higher than anything else, but he supposed that might be just how the stat worked. Your gic and background assessment arepleted. Initial ss suggestions determined. Please stand by. ke¡¯sptop screen lit up with a list of sses, just like a damn video game. He snorted when he realized the little avatar under each was actually him, dressed variously in different outfits, generally looking like a caster type in robes or a staff sting magic. Though there was also a version in a suit shooting waves out of his head. Another guy was surrounded by allies, and looked like he was supporting them by healing their wounds. The list was fairly extensive, and ke scrolled and scrolled, no idea how he¡¯d choose. Abjurer? What the hell did that even mean. Enchanter? A specialist who could maybe infuse items with magic. Too specific. Conjurer? Some kind of pet ss, which was appealing, but sounded too vulnerable. Priest? No. Just no. As he kept scrolling he began to feel like he needed to apologize to a girl or two who¡¯d called him afraid ofmitment. He was feeling vaguely terrified of choosing any of the specialties on offer. What if the magic specialty he chose turned out to be rather¡­underwhelming? Or just useless too much of the time? Or chosen by practically everyone else? He wanted flexibility. He wanted opportunity. OK, he wanted it all. Finally he scrolled all the way back to the top and realized he¡¯d basically missed a ss in his enthusiasm to search. They were listed alphabetically. [Arcanist. A magical master of none, but often better than a master of one. The arcanist can choose any magical path in the game.] ke looked around at the somewhat blurry faced patrons of his imaginary coffee shop, and grinned. That was it. That was his ss. He¡¯d always been a generalist. The image of him on the screen had many hidden pouches and tricks, in a library surrounded by books. Thinker. Problem solver. A knower of everything. That¡¯s me, ke thought. Adaptability and charm, that¡¯s how ke Nimitz survived in the old world, and that¡¯s how he¡¯d survive the new. No doubt he should have thought more, weighed all the options, checked out all the sses andpared and contrasted. But as he did so many times in life, he had a gut instinct that told him this was the right thing, and he went with it. He picked Arcanist. Initial ss selected. Please select your initial powers. You may choose two. Power list. Right. Well this was going to be considerably harder. As before the list was vast, maybe in the hundreds, and the descriptions were pitifully brief. ke suspected the Arcanist in particr had a huge range of choicespared to something more specialized, which would benefit him in the long run but might screw him at the start. Anyway how could he pick without knowing what challenges he¡¯d face? Broad use, he supposed, something flexible. He suspected even in a world of chaos he¡¯d be working with others. That¡¯s what he always did, and going it alone in this world wasn¡¯t a thing for humans. At least not humans who nned to live long. They were social animals, they worked best in groups, and ke was a leader of groups. His ¡®presence¡¯ stat was also highest, and powers would likely scale or at least synergize with stats, because well, video game. He found a power called Mental Influence, and forced himself to take it. If someone had told young ke he¡¯d one day get to have some kind of mind control superpower, he¡¯d have danced a bloody jig. He couldn¡¯t let the little guy down. But he needed something if words failed, too. There was offensive powers, that was for sure. Fire and ice sts, electrical touches and acidic spits. That was all fine and dandy but again ke wanted something¡­subtle. Something¡­flexible, because you just never bloody knew. And frankly roasting things alive just wasn¡¯t his style. He smiled when he found Telekinesis. Moving things with his mind? Throwing knives? Undoing bra straps? Avoiding manualbor forever? Um, yeah. That was another damn superpower, and ke wasn¡¯t about to betray his younger self. He picked it without hesitation. Excellent choices, and congrattions! You are now ready for the tutorial. Please select your tutorial preferences. You have one minute remaining. Good luck! His what nows? The power list vanished on hisptop, reced by some very simple choices. Forest? Mountains? Desert? Ind? A tropical ind sounded pretty nice. ke picked that without much thought. Alone, or with others? Again, pretty obvious. He pushed with others and drummed his fingers on the table. Thank you, intoned the voice. You are now ready for your tutorial. Good luck, yer. As always, we are rooting for you. ¡°I appreciate that.¡± ke forced himself to smile, then cringed slightly as the people around him seemed to literally melt into the floor. The pretty barista copsed like she was made of sand, then the chairs, then the walls, until ke realized they had literally copsed into sand. He was suddenly standing on a beach. He heard the gentle sound of waves, and when he blinked the blue sky had appeared above¡ªmostly clear, with a slight breeze blowing a spattering of clouds. He breathed in the salty air, then turned to see a few trees and rocks and other vegetation, but mostly nothing except him on a white, sandy ind. ¡°Hey,¡± he frowned, ¡°I was supposed to be with others.¡± Just as he¡¯d finished speaking, he heard a slight ssh from the water, and turned with no idea what he¡¯d do if it was an enemy. Then with a toss of her long, blonde hair, a young woman emerged and swayed her way up the beach before she noticed him and froze. ke grinned his most charming grin. Chapter 6: Who put you in charge? Chapter 6: Who put you in charge? The athletic blonde looked at a small pile of clothes on the sand with something like embarrassment. She was wearing nothing but a sports bra and white panties currently too wet to hide a thing. Her breasts were small and perky, her abs toned, her legs muscled. She was pretty in a reserved, too cool for school kind of way, and ke swiped her very briefly with his gaze. Then he kept his eyes fastened securely to hers. ¡°Name¡¯s ke,¡± he extended his grin to a winning smile. ¡°Mona,¡± said the girl, who seemed to be struggling very hard not to cover herself. ¡°I thought I was alone out here.¡± ¡°So did I,¡± ke nced around the beach again and still saw no one. ¡°But I am thrilled to see I¡¯m not.¡± The girl still looked wavering between embarrassment and false confidence, and ke remembered his powers. Time for a test. He activated Mental Influence, then his eyes practically bulged from his head as his whole world filled with text. A huge array of the girl¡¯s personal details appeared before him, entirely filled with question marks save for her first name. Below several options appeared, basically corresponding to a wide range of desired results. Curiosity? Calm? Anger? Fear? Trust? Lust? Holy shit, lust?! ke blinked and picked trust. In the corner of his eyes, a blueish orb swelled then diminished, and as a long time gamer kenearlyughed when he recognized his mana. He felt a connection open between his mind and the girl, just as he felt strands or threads of some kind of energy link between them, like he was feeding that mana directly into her brain. It was trippy as hell. ¡°Something wrong?¡± the girl raised a brow and ke assumed he¡¯d failed to keep a poker face. ¡°Nothing, just uh, a little bit¡­¡± ¡°Hey!¡± ke and Mona both turned to see an older man in jeans and a rolled up lumberjack shirt running down the beach towards them. By the time he arrived he was out of breath but smiling, clearly doing his best not to ogle Mona. ¡°Hi. I¡¯m Hank. I was just down¡­on the far side of the ind. You¡¯re the first people¡­I¡¯ve seen.¡± ke smiled politely, a bit unhappy he wasn¡¯t alone with Mona for the foreseeable future. ¡°Nice to meet you, Hank. I¡¯m ke, this is Mona. We haven¡¯t seen anyone else.¡± The older man nodded and looked around, rising up and catching his breath pretty quick. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking at the beach life and if I had to guess I¡¯d say we¡¯re in a major ocean. It¡¯s salt water and warm enough. Pacific, maybe, if that¡¯s still a thing. But that¡¯s mostly a guess.¡± ¡°You some kind of sailor?¡± ke raised a brow. ¡°Yeah. Well, sort of. I was a fisherman once upon a time. And I, uh, picked a civilian ss, too. Though I hardly know what that means.¡± Interesting, ke thought. Apparently people are happy to just say such things. But he wasn¡¯t so sure. He looked at Mona, wanting her to speak before him. And maybe it was that healthy dose of trust he¡¯d fired into her brain, but she shrugged and answered right away. ¡°I¡¯m a yer ss.¡± She pointed back at her clothes, where ke now realized there was also a long, deadly looking javelin. ¡°I was big into track and field,¡± she said. ¡°All kinds of events. Threw some javelins. Figured I could throw these.¡± They both looked at ke expectantly, and he winced as he felt the pressure. ¡°yer ss. Just a generic caster. Nothing special.¡± Mona raised an eyebrow. ¡°I didn¡¯t have the option to pick a caster ss, so it¡¯s probably more special than you think.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± ke shrugged. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s based on what we were in life, or something.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Hank cleared his throat. ¡°We appear to be trapped on a beach. Nothing but trees, crabs, rocks, and the three of us. Anyone have any bright ideas?¡± Mona walked back to her clothes and got dressed, then the three of them sat on a fallen tree and stared out at the water. ke supposed after the events of thest few hours, they could all use a collective moment of processing. Then suddenly the air in front of them blurred, the blue of the horizon colored with brownish red, and in the blink of an eye, another young man of vaguely Indian descent was gaping like a newborn in the ind sun. ¡°Hi,¡± ke almost sighed. The man turned and flinched as he inspected the other three inders. ¡°Um, hello,¡± he said with an American ent, then gestured at the log as if wondering if it was alright if he sat. They introduced themselves, then waved him onward. So it went for the next several minutes. Person after person materialized from thin air and awkwardly joined the confused cluster of people watching the others arrive. Every now and then someone would ask a question, and everyone else would shrug or shake their heads. Seven arrivals in total. Five yers, two civilians (whose professions strangely appeared before ke¡¯s eyes as ¡®Fisherman¡¯, and ¡®Carpenter¡¯ once they¡¯d introduced themselves). There were all manner of background, gender, and race, yet somehow they could all understand one another. The Indian¡ªRajesh¡ªassured them they all spoke to him in perfect Hindi. Pam¡ªa pink-haired Californian with an axe¡ªsaid everyone sounded American, despite Mbopi¡ªan African¡ªswearing repeatedly he didn¡¯t speak a word. And it seemed their time in the new dystopian world was going to bergely an argument about linguistics, until everyone froze and stared into space as ghostly text appeared before all their eyes. [Tutorial objective: using the ind materials, escape to the nearby coast with as many survivors as possible before you are overwhelmed by bogloks, or the rising tide.] The group all exchanged looks of various concern before Mona spoke up. ¡°What the hell is a Boglok?¡± ke frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think we want to find out. Did it tell anyone how long we have?¡± ¡°Best to assume almost none,¡± answered Hank, and ke agreed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this is happening.¡± Rajesh raked his hands through his long hair. ¡°Me neither. But it is.¡± ke decided it was time to get this show on the road. ¡°Fortunately, we¡¯ve got just the men we need to escape.¡± He gestured at their two civilians. ¡°Either that¡¯s a hell of a coincidence, or our robot overlord is trying to tell us something.¡± He looked at the men in question. ¡°Think you boys can make us a boat?¡± The civilians exchanged a look and both shrugged before Doug the carpenter spoke. ¡°That¡¯ll hold seven and cross that?¡± He gestured to the choppy water. ¡°Maybe. Never made a boat before. But, uh, we can give it a try.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ke pped his hands. ¡°Pam, Rajesh, Mona¡ªcan you take turns with that axe, and start chopping trees and gathering whatever else our builders need?¡± ¡°Uh, sure,¡± Pam shrugged. ¡°I guess.¡± ke knew the trick was to keep momentum moving before anyone couldin or get any bright ideas. And they might be here longer than they expected. He tried to think quickly¡ªwhat did they need? What would Mason say they needed? ¡°Water. Food. Shelter,¡± he mumbled. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± said Mona. ¡°The rest of us,¡± ke said louder. ¡°We¡¯ll deal with the basics. Look around for fresh water, collect crabs. Bugs. Anything we can eat. And maybe we should build some cover, too.¡± The boat builders and tree choppers went to their tasks, but the others didn¡¯t look thrilled. ¡°We¡¯ve got a carpenter,¡± said Mbopi. ¡°Let him build the shelter.¡± ke smiled indulgently. ¡°A fine idea. But he¡¯s building a boat right now, friend. Preferably before we all die. I¡¯d say that takes precedence.¡± Mbopi didn¡¯t look terribly convinced. ¡°We¡¯ll I¡¯m not gathering food or water, that¡¯s woman¡¯s work,¡± said the big African. ¡°Tell that one to give me her axe. I¡¯ll help with the boat.¡± It didn¡¯t take a genius to see Pam, the pink haired, nose ringed, probably feminist studies college senior wasn¡¯t going to give Mbopi her axe. Except maybe to his face. ¡°We¡¯re all in this together,¡± ke soothed. ¡°There¡¯s no time to second guess or argue. Please just do what we need you to do. It¡¯s not forever.¡± The big man turned and squinted, gesturing at ke with his two-handed spear. ¡°Who put you in charge, eh boy? What are you, neen?¡± Twenty, ke thought indignantly. But it was, of course, a fair question. It had urred to him he was possibly the youngest person out of the entire group, especially amongst the men. In that moment he felt a pronounced Mason-shaped hole at his side, or possibly Mason-shaped boot in Mbopi¡¯s ass. So he smiled and activated Mental Influence for the second time, just hoping that it worked¡­ Again his vision filled with detail and options he couldn¡¯t yet employ. It seemed the more information he had, the better he knew a target and maybe the more he used the power, the more influence and options it would give. The feeling was the same as with Mona¡ªlike a tingle in his mind, the same visible strands of mana, the slightly draining bar. This time he used even more, and willed submission. As he did, the hard lines of the man¡¯s face softened¡ªat least slightly, his shoulders losing some of their oppositional square. ¡°I¡¯m not in charge, alright?¡± ke shrugged, trying to drive it home. ¡°But we¡¯ve got a lot to do and maybe not much time to do it. I just want us to survive, and I need your help. That¡¯s it.¡± The big man rolled his eyes. But he stepped back and dropped his spear over his shoulder as he walked towards the beach. [Mental Influence sessful. Experience awarded.] ke tried to keep his face neutral, rather than dance with joy. He had bloody mind powers, and they even gave him experience. He felt like he could spend a lifetime just trying to control everyone in sight, and still enjoy his time in the new dystopia. And it was likely just the beginning. ¡°OK, people,¡± he pped his hands. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work.¡± Chapter 7: Welcome to the tutorial Chapter 7: Wee to the tutorial Mason didn¡¯t know how long this ¡®tutorial¡¯ would take, but ending the conflict at least had the chance of happening first. Who knew how much time ke had? How much danger he might be in? His brother wasn¡¯t exactly well suited to an apocalypse. He decided toplete the tutorial¡¯s objective of stopping the conflict, the most logical thing to do was pick a side and destroy it. Conflict over. So which one? First he went back towards the clearing to scout around the edges. He moved slow, and careful, watching for enemies in the gloom of the forest¡¯s canopy. It remained free of enemies, the hot spots apparently just around the clearing itself. He heard a strange sound just ahead, though, and crouched with bow raised until he realized it was running water. He found a small stream running East from the clearing, many mushrooms and different herbs growing along its banks. Some looked familiar, but he didn¡¯t trust his knowledge in this strange new world. The water, though, was still useful. He suspected it was reasonably clean, but wasn¡¯t thirsty enough to risk it. If he could find something to boil it in, that would certainly work¡­but he¡¯d have to wait and see. For now, he knelt at the side of the water, scooped handfuls of mud, and covered every scrap of exposed skin he could find. The decision remained. Gnoll, or goblin? The goblins were the more obvious choice. They were smaller, weaker. But they were also sneakier, worked in groups, and were likely therefore smarter. Mason didn¡¯t much like his chances against either species, but since he had to pick, he decided he¡¯d investigate and likely choose the gnolls. By their behavior in the clearing, they seemedrgely like animals, and animals at least Mason knew how to hunt. Once nearlypletely thered in the dark mud, he crept along the edge of the woods, circling for a good look at the fighting. Not much had changed since he¡¯d run off. Goblins still came and went from their tunnels, attacking gnolls only if and when they outnumbered them at least three to one. For their part, the gnolls seemed mostly unconcerned for their fellows¡ªalmost bestial in their attention, emerging from the trees for the asional ambush of goblins that wandered off in too small numbers. Every several minutes, a yer like Mason appeared in the center of thebat, just as Mason had, and almost instantly died. ¡°Wee to the tutorial,¡± Mason muttered as another one screamed and fell. A gnoll leapt on him and started chewing, and Mason looked away. He¡¯d seen enough of the whole spectacle, and every moment in this ce only increased his concern for ke, as well as his hatred of their new robot God. The concern he abandoned because it wasn¡¯t useful. The hatred he kept. It was time to kill some gnolls. * * * The beasts looked human enough, so it didn¡¯t seem ridiculous to think they¡¯d have the same organs, or at least close. But Mason didn¡¯t fancy his chances of piercing their hearts with an arrow. The human heart was well protected behind the ribs, at least from the front. Maybe from behind, he could manage it, or with a power shot¡­but, no. Better to go for the neck, or the leg. One might kill it quickly, the other at least slow it down enough for more arrows. He figured he¡¯d start with a Cripple¡ªin theory it would give him time to run, or keep shooting. Or so he hoped. Because if it came down to knife work he didn¡¯t much like his chances. These gnolls were powerfully built, with long ws that looked like switchdes. It didn¡¯t seem wise to get too close. Well, he breathed. Nothing for it. He¡¯d searched long enough to pick his target¡ªa lone beast at the edge of the forest, watching the clearing much like Mason was. It looked distracted. It was also far from the goblin tunnels and likely feeling safe, no enemies remotely close to its position. Mason steadied his breathing, drew an arrow, and crept a little closer. When he¡¯de as close as he dared, and still the creature didn¡¯t turn, he raised his bow and judged the distance. Thirty yards. No wind. He had a great view of the creature¡¯s thigh, and chose. Hopefully Cripple didn¡¯t screw with his aim, though he regretted not testing it first. But no time for doubts. He drew, and loosed. The power tingled in his fingers as he shot. As he released he knew it was a hit, then watched as the arrow splintered and struck the creature¡¯s leg like a detonated ymore. It howled in pain and surprise, looking left and right and still not seeing its attacker. Mason didn¡¯t waste his good fortune. He frantically drew and nocked another arrow. Aimed. Then released a Power Shot. It was more than a tingle like Crippling Strike. A zing of energy coursed through his arms and fingers as the arrow thrummed, speeding toward its target too fast for the bow¡¯s draw. His aim had been slightly off, but still struck the creature¡¯s shoulder as it hunched down and growled. The impact jarred it back, but finally the beast turned and looked straight at Mason. Then it sped towards him in a limping charge. Mason nocked, and loosed. Nocked, and loosed. The first arrow missed, the second caught the creature¡¯s throat. It gurgled blood and tripped, copsing to the forest floor before trying and failing to w its way towards Mason. He watched, and waited, heart pounding with sess and excitement, and soon the creature moved no more. [Killed gnoll scout. Experience awarded.] ¡°Hell yeah,¡± Mason breathed and tried to control his raging pulse. He walked to the creature¡¯s corpse and rolled it over. ¡°Now let¡¯s just hope my arrows didn¡¯t break on your thick, ugly hyena bones¡­¡± He frowned and managed to only pull two undamaged arrows free, which meant he was already down to ten. ¡°I should start gathering feathers,¡± he mumbled. ¡°And where the hell am I going to find some damn cedar trees? What else works, ash?¡± He stood and turned back to the forest, unhappy with his lost arrows but altogether rather pleased with himself. Then he froze at the sound of movement. He looked up to see another gnoll emerging from the woods, its nose sniffing at the air, yellow eyes locking instantly on Mason. Before he could even curse, it growled, and charged. * * * Mason didn¡¯t waste time hating reality. He dropped his bow because he had no time to shoot, and he knew he¡¯d never outrun the thing. He drew the goblin knife from his waist, stabbing as the creature reached him. The de sunk into its gut just as its ws raked down Mason¡¯s chest. The beast¡¯s speed and weight bowled Mason over and knocked him senseless. Then it was scrambling on top of him, fangs snapping, held back only by Mason¡¯s dazed will to live. He seized the pommel of the dagger and pushed, the gnoll growling and whining slightly as it tried to w Mason¡¯s hands. Despite its grisly wounds, it continued to snap at his face with at least four-inch fangs. Mason turned the de and twisted his knees to try and roll therger opponent, then gave up and pulled the knife free, ramming it straight into the beast¡¯s eye. Its mouth gaped then ckened, and the creature copsed on top of him. [Killed gnoll scout. Experience awarded. You have earned enough experience for level two!] Mason groaned and pushed the creature off, hissing in pain as he plucked at least three ws from his skin. Blood oozed from the wounds, but they didn¡¯t look deep enough to have pierced any organs. He blinked and felt vaguely light headed, knowing he had to at least try and stop the blood flow before he lost too much strength. But first things were first. He held his dagger and ttened himself against a tree. He watched, and listened, then only when he was sure he was alone did he cut his shirt into strips and wrap them around his wounds like bandages. He had nothing to clean them, so all he could do was pray they didn¡¯t be infected. He covered his exposed skin with more mud and a little gnoll blood, hoping it helped mask his smell from the other dog-like creatures. ¡°Now how the hell do I level?¡± he muttered. [essing yer profile.] The familiar ghostly text floated before Mason¡¯s eyes.
Mason Nimitz ss: Hunter Strength:6 Dexterity:7 Vitality:6 Intellect:4 Will:6 Presence:2 Luck: 4 Titles: Killer Powers: Power Shot, Crippling Strike
[New Power Avable!] Another power? Hell yes. He clicked the list as soon as it came up, and as before it looked rtively short. Some of the same choices he could have made at level one remained, which actually pleased him as he might be able to take everything eventually. But there were some new ones, including something called Aspect of the Wolf, which promised to be a speed increase. He nearly took it until his eyes practically bulged from his head at another choice: Regeneration. However the hell it exactly worked, he desperately needed anything that helped keep him alive. He clicked it, and the profile closed after showing his new power, but he didn¡¯t feel any different. He could only hope that would change rtively soon. It was time to move. He knew the blood and corpses might attract more attention, so Mason forced himself away from his hiding spot and further into the trees. With a groan of relief he soon found a cluster of brush with very little else around it, and huddled down inside. In theory, he¡¯d be hidden from view. ¡°Stop the war, it says,¡± he muttered. ¡°Get to talk to ke, it says.¡± Mason tried not to imagine what sort of simr hell his brother was up against. ke had many strengths, but surviving in a violence-torn post-apocalyptic wastnd wasn¡¯t one of them. Mason had to hope his brother was alive, and rtively safe. RoboGod wouldn¡¯t have offered the reward if it wasn¡¯t possible, right? Maybe ke had made friends to protect him. He was good at that. Mason had to assume so, because if his brother was dead, then he had very little reason to go on, and nothing much to lose. He closed his eyes, maybe just imagining it but feeling as if his wounds felt a little better already. ¡°Hang on, brother,¡± he whispered. ¡°However bad it is. You can do it. I¡¯ming.¡± Chapter 8: First night Chapter 8: First night ke opened one eye from the shade of his napping tree, and put his hands behind his head. ¡°I¡¯m thinking braised halibut for supper,¡± he yawned. ¡°What do you say, Chef?¡± Hank grinned, and kept filleting his catch. Turned out Hank the Angler was also something of a cook. He even had a collection of tools in a big leather bag¡ªspices, and various dry ingredients¡ªas part of his ¡®civilian package¡¯. ¡°I¡¯m really a retired fisherman,¡± he said happily, adding what looked like a packet of fat or grease to his pan over the fire. ¡°I bought and ran a restaurant for thest decade or so when I settled up in Washington. Cooking was always my passion.¡± ¡°So why didn¡¯t you pick a chef ss?¡± ke yawned and stretchedzily. ¡°Figured catching fish might be more useful at the end of the world. Anyway, I expect I can diversify.¡± ke nodded and rose to a sit. His n was proceeding smoothly. Doug the carpenter¡ªwith some minor guidance from Hank¡ªhad already figured out a design for the boat and started on the bottom. Er, the hull? Whatever. The yers were taking turns chopping and cleaning trees like lumberjacks, and Hank and the others had focused on gathering enough sea life for a veritable feast, as well as some mushrooms, berries, and even some kind of dragon fruit. When the day was hottest they all took turns resting under the beautiful palm trees. ke yawned again, casting a sleepy eye at the lithe, athletic form of the girl sleeping next to him. Turned out Mona had been a college gymnast before her job in physical therapy. She was some kind of physical ss now with a vicious looking spear, and she was one of ke¡¯s main supporters. He caught Hank¡¯s eye, who caught him staring and gave him a raised brow and a knowing grin as he hummed and stirred his fish. ke watched a few white clouds drift in the warm, gentle breeze. They¡¯d have their boat finished soon, then they¡¯d make their way to the coast, and from there¡­well, who knew? But he expected there¡¯d be more people and more opportunities. The new world wasn¡¯t so bad. Not so bad at all. * * * Mason forced himself to sit up and examine his injured chest. He peeled away the bloody strips of cloth, then stared in amazement at the skin underneath. All of the wounds were entirely gone. All that remained were scabs, red lines, and in one case, an actual scar, like he¡¯d been healing for a month. The pain was gone, and though he was thirsty and hungry, he felt almost¡­fine. He rose up with renewed purpose, deciding to continue with the gnolls. Now that he knew he could heal, and quickly at that, he didn¡¯t fear taking some damage. Since the gnolls seemed not to work inrge groups, he figured he could just take them all apart one damn creature at a time, and soon began tracking them near the clearing. He got his first down with only his bow and a single broken arrow from Power Shot, which seemed to destroy the arrow every time. He took his second with two shots, and finished it with his knife. Number three got too close and forced him to rest again to heal a vicious sh across his shoulders. But it went smoother after that. By mid afternoon, he was up to six, Mason cursed as his Power Shot broke its fifth arrow on the skull of gnoll number seven. The creature staggered and stumbled like a drunk, and Mason reloaded and whistled a Crippling shot into its calf. Two more arrows, both poorly ced, then he drew his knife. ¡°Come on, you big bastard. Show me those fangs. The creature roared and obliged, with a quick but sloppy charge. But Mason had learned from thest several kills. He waited by a tree, and at thest moment dodged behind it, then shed down at the creature¡¯s extended hand. He didn¡¯t quite sever it, but certainly rendered it useless. Then he stabbed his de into its gut before leaping away, abusing the creature¡¯s crippled leg and poor reach as he shed and withdrew. Three strikes. Four. And the creature dropped with a final, bloody gurgle. [Kill awarded. Congrattions, you have earned enough experience to level your primary ss to three!] Mason closed his eyes, panting in the cooling night air as looked up at the bright, three quarters moon. He wanted to howl, to cry out that he, Mason Nimitz, was still alive, and victorious. Instead he watched his surroundings in silence, ensuring he was alone and unobserved. Finally satisfied, he crept away from the corpse, ttened against a new tree, and brought up his ¡®profile¡¯ with a thought. Nothing had really changed save for showing his Regeneration power. [Level avable. Please select your new power in the next sixty minutes, or you will gain a power at random.] Hell yeah, he thought. Here we go. Though the deadline was new. It was pretty clear to Mason at this point that these ¡®powers¡¯ were the driving force of sess in this new world. So far it seemed the only way to gain and improve them was to level, and the only way to level was to kill things. That suited Mason just fine. He had a few new options this time. ¡®Trapmaking¡¯ seemed like an entirely new avenue to pursue, but he figured he could make his own traps eventually anyway. There was another shot which sounded little different than the ones he had, and the hard truth was he was going to run out of arrows sooner orter. His eyes strayed to a melee power called Predator¡¯s Strike, and he stared so long he thought he might burn a hole. Then he took it. Mason had taken ¡®hunter¡¯ in the first ce because he wanted to kill with as little risk as possible. But his bow and especially his arrows were crap, and now that he could literally regenerate, it was likely time to adapt. He needed to be able to kill up close. Efficiently. Quickly. Decision made, he felt better. No doubt he¡¯d be testing that power soon enough. But it was getting dark and Mason¡¯s mind and body needed rest. He cut off a few pieces of vine to use like rope, then climbed up a tree to sleep like the descendant of chimps he was. But first, he made a few snares with the vine, in case anyone decided he was an easy target¡­ * * * ke¡¯s first night in the new world passed uneventfully. In fact, it was downright pleasant. It had gotten a little cool in the night, and Mona ended up closer and closer until she¡¯d obviously felt a little embarrassed about it and whispered ¡®it¡¯s just for the heat¡¯. Of course, she could have cuddled up to just about anyone, and she¡¯d chosen him, but he let that little fact slide. Anyway, he was cold too. Though he would have happily spent a night next to Mona even if he wasn¡¯t. The dawn rose red and beautiful and ke grinned at the system message that filled his vision. [Congrattions, you have survived your first night in New Earth! Experience earned. Congrattions, you have reached level two!] ¡°Hey,¡± he nudged Mona. ¡°You level for surviving the night, too?¡± ¡°What?¡± She rubbed at sleepy eyes and tried in vain to fix her tussled her, then stilled. ¡°Well look at that. Yes I did.¡± ke nodded, then watched a veritable wall of ghostly text override the pleasant view the moment he¡¯d wondered how to level. [yer profile essed. Level avable. Please select a new power.] Well. Well. Another power was a big deal, considering how useful they seemed. ke had yed plenty of video games in his day, and everything about this new AI world was screaming MRPG, or Multiyer Role ying Game. He checked out the list of possibilities. As before, the list was practically endless. Support spells, offensive and defensive options, creation and pets, and everything in between. ke scrolled without much information except the names, trying not to be overly frustrated. One power in particr, though, caught his eye: Meditation. Increase mana recharge rate. He¡¯d already noticed mana recovery was a huge issue. Just a few uses of Mental Influence and it took damn near an hour to recover. He could only imagine what it would be like going forward, and figured anything to speed up the process would be worth its weight in gold. Plus, holy hell, meditation? What was this, Everquest? This ¡®New Earth¡¯ might be a more ¡®old school¡¯ version of the games ke loved, where things just¡­took awhile. He perused the details of some of the many other options, but in the end he felt he didn¡¯t have much choice. Maybe he¡¯d get an automatic versionter, but he couldn¡¯t know, and anyway they¡¯d likely stack. He took meditation without further hesitation, then immediately sat down and focused on the power. His eyes closed almost on instinct as the system took over, so at least it worked. But he had full mana so it he¡¯d have to test itter. ¡°Get anything good?¡± he asked Mona. She frowned. ¡°I can¡¯t decide. Offense or defense?¡± ke shrugged. Survivability or toughness was almost always the right choice in such games in the long run. But offense would probably matter more in the beginning to improve faster. ke didn¡¯t want the responsibility for Mona¡¯s decision in any case and shook his head like he had no idea. ¡°Go with your gut,¡± he said. ¡°I took a mana re-charge power.¡± Mona nodded, frowning one more time before she seemed to decide. Then she stood up and stretched her lithe, long limbs before offering ke her hand. ¡°Best get an early start. You never know when those ¡®bogloks¡¯ or whatever the hell will show up and ruin our paradise vacation.¡± ¡°So,¡± ke grinned, ¡°lying next to me is your idea of a paradise vacation?¡± Her smile faltered and keughed. ¡°Rx.¡± He grabbed her hand before she could pull it away and sprung to his feet. ¡°Up and at ¡®em,¡± he groaned as he stretched his back. And because he couldn¡¯t help himself, he sent a little spike of friendly energy into Mona¡¯s mind with Mental Influence. He needed to use some mana anyway. ¡°Get up youzy peons!¡± he smiled to himself at the reference. ¡°We¡¯ve got a damn boat to build.¡± Chapter 9: The Claw Chapter 9: The w Mason slept fitfully, fearing he¡¯d fall off his ufortable branch. He¡¯d seemed to wake at every growl and crack in the woods, never finding anything worth the concern. But at least he woke alive. [Congrattions, you have survived your first night in New Earth! Experience earned. Congrattions, you have reached level four!] New Earth, huh? Mason grinned, eager now for any advantage toplete his task and earn the reward. He essed his profile. Again not much had changed except his powers. [Level avable. Please select your power and choose your power enhancement, or they will be selected by default in one hour.] ¡°Yeah, yeah, stop rushing me.¡± He looked at the options and frowned. The new power wasn¡¯t an ¡®option¡¯ at all. There was only one choice¡ªa power called ¡®Nature Affinity¡¯, which just said ¡®brings many associated benefits¡¯. Great. How wonderfully descriptive. Also, what the hell was a power enhancement? [Tutorial inquiry¡ªenhancing a power typically not only gives it a boost in power, but also adds a specific function, such as adding a manaponent to a physical strike.] Interesting, Mason thought. Well, he was tempted to choose Predator¡¯s Strike for the same reasons he¡¯d taken the power in the first ce. But as he started cleaning up his traps and make-shift bed, he decided it was time to think a little more long term. You couldn¡¯t always kill an opponent, but disabling him was often just as good, or better. And you likely didn¡¯t need a good bow or arrows to do that. Plus Crippling Strike could be used in melee. Trusting his instincts, he enhanced Crippling Strike. As soon as he did, it popped up with new text listing options: A) Enhance both the severity and duration of the cripple. B) Ovee nearly any form of resistance to the effect. C) add a disorienting pain effect to the cripple. Hmm. They all sounded like good choices. But what he really wanted from his cripple was to really knock something out of the fight, or slow it as much as possible. So an overall bump seemed the best choice to him. With a slight cringe of early regret, he selected A) and watched the windows close. He checked his weapons. He checked the arrows in his quiver¡ªonly five left, then the riser and limbs of his bow. So far so good. No cracks or warping, at least, and the same was true of his goblin dagger. His wounds were totally healed, but he was hungry, and he¡¯d have killed for a ss of water. He gave in and risked the creek he¡¯d found on the East side of the clearing, drinking just enough to be able to stop thinking about his thirst. Then he crept back to the clearing, hoping to make a little progress clearing out the gnolls. But it looked the same. Damn near exactly the same. Goblins skittered around their tunnels, hurling ranged attacks and hissing curses. The gnolls wandered around looking for ambushes, asionally leaping onto some doomed goblin and tearing him apart. After a few minutes, a person materialized right where Mason hade up from his bunker. The young man looked around with wide eyes, lifting a sword as he clearly tried to decide where the hell to go. Mason very nearly leapt out and told him to run over, but he knew a distraction wouldn¡¯t much help what was about to probably¡­ A goblin ambusher leapt out from behind a rock, and jammed his knife straight through the young man¡¯s chest. So yeah. It was exactly the same. Mason sighed and left the clearing to hunt for more lone gnolls. For all he knew, he may have been making no impact on the ¡®tribal fight¡¯, but at least he was doing one thing: he was getting stronger. Practice alone was improving his aim and strength with the bow. His levels and therefore his powers were improving by leaps and bounds. And he was getting more and more familiar with the gnolls themselves, and how they thought, reacted, and fought. He killed three more without getting touched, finishing all three with a final Predator¡¯s Strike, which increased the strength and speed of his attack. Using the power seemed to surge his body, particrly his knife-arm, with a burst of almost foreign power. It was like some maic force took his weapon and flung it faster than he could move. Though the result was disorienting, it was also undoubtedly effective, as it often drove his arm fist-deep into the gnolls. Mostly he worried he¡¯d snap his knife. But so far so good. His new ¡®nature affinity¡¯ didn¡¯t seem to do a damn thing, but other than that, all his powers were amazing. The new and improved Crippling Strike brought the gnolls to a staggering slink, and he¡¯d sometimes gotten bored waiting for the thing to return to any semnce of its normal speed as he tested. It was time for a harder challenge. First he set a couple snare traps made of vines, just in case things got out of hand and he needed somewhere to run. Then he looked for two gnolls perfectly spaced without more of their kind in the area. Then with a deep breath, and another, he loosed a Power Shot at the first gnoll, losing another arrow. It struck dead center in the beast¡¯s side, nearly bowling it over as it staggered and roared in rage before it turned straight for him. He Crippling Strike¡¯d the second¡¯s hamstring, then put away his bow. Then he cracked his neck, and started counting. Five seconds, he told himself, five seconds to kill the first. It came in fast and without concern for its own protection, swiping with a vicious w straight at Mason¡¯s face. He ducked and sidestepped, shing at the creature¡¯s side, then leaping at its back with his dagger before it could turn. He plunged the knife into its shoulder and hung on as it spun like a dog chasing its tail. It would have thrown him, so he let go, shing a Predator¡¯s Strike in the tiny window before his enemy struck. His arm swung in a blur, his knife ramming like a cleaver into the gnoll¡¯s chest, half snapping, half severing its corbone and knocking it back. Its ws raked an inch from Mason¡¯s face, then it copsed. Sharp pain lit Mason¡¯s side, and he leapt away. The other gnoll had arrived. It limped after him, and again he withdrew, judging the creature¡¯s reach with a few practice swipes. Then he attacked. With just enough space to strike and step away, he led the gnoll on a deadly chase before Predator¡¯s Strike atst re-charged, and he moved in for the kill. [Experience awarded! You have killed two gnoll scouts (medium threat). Congrattions, you have reached level five!] [Title earned: Early lead. You are the first yer in the world to reach level five. +2 to an appropriate statistic.] Mason trembled with the joy and adrenaline of victory, and allowed himself a moment to enjoy it. The first yer to reach level five? That was somewhat hard to believe, but he saw no reason for the system to lie. Then as usual he moved away from the bloody kills until he felt safe and alone enough to check his profile.
Mason Nimitz ss: Hunter Strength:6 Dexterity:9 Vitality:7 Intellect:4 Will:6 Presence:2 Luck: 4 Titles: Killer, Early Lead Powers: Power Shot, Crippling Strike, Regeneration
[New Specialty ss Avable. Please select your ss, or one will be selected by default in one hour.] Finally some stat changes. And specialty ss? Well, that sounded awesome. And though this damn system overlord made everything a chore with its time limits, Mason was still excited and wouldn¡¯t have his moment ruined. He pulled up the list, which again turned out to be fairly short. [Druid. Nature affinity. Mana caster. Sages and keepers of the natural world. They are both friend and master of the wild. Applicability: low.] [Ranger. Nature affinity. Hybrid melee/ranged. Both warden and predator. They cull the weak, and teach the strong to fear. Applicability: high.] [Skirmisher. Martial affinity. Hybrid melee/ranged. A duelist and murderer of monsters and men. They strike fast and dance away. Applicability: medium.] Mason blinked, a bit overwhelmed by all the information. What exactly did applicability mean? [Tutorial inquiry: the applicability of a ss is assessed based on an individual yer¡¯s innate talents, as well as their behavior in the great game. It is a suggestion, and can be ignored.] Mason felt his fingers curl with an excited, nervous energy as he looked at the choices. They all appealed in different ways. Obviously Druid was aplete departure, but it made him a damn wizard and he saw no reason he couldn¡¯t continue to develop hunter-like skills. Skirmisher, too, sounded both effective and straight forward, which was usually what you wanted from a weapon. And Ranger? What, like a park ranger? But maybe he was being harsh. The robot god rated it as ¡®highly applicable¡¯, which Mason had to admit made him innately likely to avoid it. But something about it caught his attention, and told him not to ruin himself with stubborn pride. The description gave an intuitive ping of rightness he couldn¡¯t seem to end, and as usual, Mason wasn¡¯t much for hesitation. He closed his eyes, and chose. [Ranger specialty ss selected. Merging with Hunter Powers. Please select an initial focus: melee, or ranged.] Again Mason didn¡¯t hesitate. He chose melee for the same reason he¡¯d chosen Predator¡¯s Strike. You could decide to y it safe all you liked and do damage from afar, but your enemy would make other ns, and you had to be ready. Heat flowed down his body, and he felt an almost unstoppable urge to draw a weapon he didn¡¯t have. He gave up resisting, and instead pulled the goblin de, gripping it with white knuckles as heat focused and plunged into his arm, and into his fingers. The de glowed with light, then blurred, thickened, and stretched, pulsing finally with green light before it hardened, and reformed. [Item gained. Ranger¡¯s w: Sharp. Deadly. Innate.] Mason inspected the now longer de, swinging it back and forth to find a beautiful, somehow slightly end-heavy bnce. ¡°Ranger¡¯s w,¡± he repeated and grinned, though he wasn¡¯t sure what the description meant by ¡®innate¡¯. [Tutorial query: an innate item cannot be lost or stolen. A yer can summon or unsummon the weapon at will from any distance.] ¡°Woah.¡± Mason stared at the vaguely green steel of his sword with a shit eating grin. ¡°OK, but how do I unsummo¡­¡± the sword vanished from his hand into thin air. ¡°Alright. That¡¯s just cool.¡± He focused on the weapon and it reappeared in his grip as easily as it had vanished. ¡°Yeah,¡± he muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t see that ever getting old.¡± Once Mason stopped being quite so pleased with himself, he moved off to rest away from the corpses of the two dead gnolls until regeneration had closed his wounds. Then he crept deeper into the gnoll-infested territory of the woods. He was getting stronger, better armed, and more confident. But he needed to change his tactics. Killing random gnolls didn¡¯t seem to do much of anything, and he couldn¡¯t know how much time ke had left. He needed to escte and learn more about what was going on here¡ªto find the gnoll ¡®leadership¡¯, or at least theirir, and put an end to this thing, one way or another. But first he was going to kill a goblin, and get himself another damn knife. Chapter 10: Death and patronage Chapter 10: Death and patronage ¡°ke!¡± Hank ducked under the make-shift shelter and grinned. ¡°The boat¡¯s ready.¡± ¡°About time!¡± ke threw his feet off the bed of leaves and stepped out into the sun. The rest of the group was gathered on the beach already, all their tools and weapons readied as they joked andughed with excitement. ¡°Wait,¡± ke frowned. ¡°Where¡¯s Mona?¡± Hank looked around with a shoulder shrug. ¡°Thought she was with the others.¡± ke sighed. ¡°Probably down at the other end of the ind. I¡¯ll go get her.¡± He walked a few steps before he turned. ¡°Do not let Mbopi convince them to get on that boat without us!¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t leave without our chief,¡± Hank winked, then jabbed a finger. ¡°But hurry the hell up.¡± ke took off with a sober salute, jogging across their tiny ind to Mona¡¯s private little get-away spot. Hisment to Hank wasn¡¯t entirely a joke. He¡¯d gotten along with Mbopi well enough after the rocky beginning, but he wasn¡¯t so naive to think the man liked him. The idea that he¡¯d take charge and leave ke behind wasn¡¯t at all impossible. He was also a dangerous, spear hurling ¡®ss¡¯ that could probably kill ke if things got heated, and probably the only person who would truly to help him was Mona. Hank and Doug wouldn¡¯t even be able to intervene. They were civilians, which meant they¡¯d chosen a kind of nonbatant role that put them outside the power games of the ¡®yers¡¯. ke had learned quite a lot about the great game in the past forty-eight hours. Firstly, yers couldn¡¯t harm Civilians. Just threatening to do so resulted in a system message that promised restraint, ¡®severe penalty¡¯, and even death. In fact civilians were entirely removed from the yer system, with their own sses, powers, and objectives, which seemed almost entirely different to ke and the other yers. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to form a contract with a yer,¡± Hank had exined quietly around the campfire the night before. ¡°Meaning what?¡± ke asked. ¡°Meaning I sort of¡­work for them? I guess? For as long as we both agree.¡± ¡°OK¡­but, why would you want to do that? What do you get?¡± Hank had shrugged. ¡°Whatever the yer, or I guess employer, agrees to.¡± He¡¯d leaned in closer. ¡°yers can¡¯t hurt me, you see. But everything else can. Creatures. Monsters. Whatever the hell you call them.¡± ke had nodded, finally understanding. ¡°You get protection.¡± ¡°Seems so.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± ke had frowned. ¡°What happens if you have a¡­disagreement, with a yer. You know¡­like, who gets thest piece of fish.¡± He¡¯d held it up for emphasis. Hank had grinned, but looked a little dejected. ¡°I lose. Another reason to have a patron. Then it ain¡¯t a disagreement between him and me. But between them, if you follow.¡± ¡°Hank.¡± ke had kept his face stone cold serious. ¡°Would you do me the honor of epting me as your patron? I promise protection. Respect. And cake, eventually. Lots of cake.¡± Hank hadughed, then shrugged. ¡°Hey, it finishes my objective. Anyway, you seem like a reasonable sort. I¡¯ve got something like a stock contract here, but we can re-negotiate when we know what the hell we¡¯re doing. Agreed?¡± ke smiled, not at all interested in the details for now. ¡°Agreed.¡± And just like that, the system had obliged. [Contract acknowledged. Details stored.] Hank had shivered, then grinned. ¡°Well shit, that gave me a nice little boost.¡± ¡°Oh yeah?¡± ke teased. ¡°A new fishing pole? The power to mince onions?¡± Hankughed without reserve. ¡°Something like that, kid. Now stop bothering me. I¡¯ve got to look through this damned endless list of choices.¡± ke had relented, and anyway, he had his own reward to examine. [You¡¯ve gained your first civilian follower! Title earned: Patron.] [New Objective gained: Earn additional followers. Earn additional leadership titles for synergy boosts.] Patron? Hell yeah. And additional leadership titles? ke practically had to wipe up his saliva. But first things were first. He had to make everyone in the group¡ªwith the exception of Mbopi¡ªan ally or a follower. And he had to get off this damn ind. ¡°Mona?¡± He snapped back to reality as he reached the far end of the ind, scanning for several seconds before he found the former gymnast hanging from a nearby tree like a monkey. She curled up and leapt to the beach,nding with the grace of a sexy hunting cat. ¡°Boat¡¯s ready,¡± he grinned, unabashedly inspecting her from tussled hair to sandy toes. ¡°Now let¡¯s go back before Mbopi leaves us to rot forever on this ind.¡± Mona raised a brow. ¡°I think you might enjoy that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± keughed. ¡°But I¡¯ve too much to do. So get that pointy stick of yours and let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes, chief,¡± Mona saluted, using ke¡¯s official unofficial nickname, and flicked the weapon with her toe before catching and spinning it with a flourish. ¡°God you¡¯re a showoff,¡± ke grinned, expecting a witty retort. But the retort never came. Mona¡¯s face had gone pale, and she stared off towards the other end of the beach as her mouth opened with a wordless stutter. ke turned towards the boat and the others. For a moment he didn¡¯t understand, but then he realized¡ªthere were creatures emerging from the water. At least a dozen. And they were already overrunning the group. ke saw blood fly, then heard the screams. Chapter 11: When life gives you lemons (NSFW) Chapter 11: When life gives you lemons (NSFW)
Oh hi there.The following chapter contains (OK,is mostly) a sexually explicit scene. This is a slow-burn harem, remember! You have been warned, and possibly titited. But I''ve covered it this first time with a spoiler tag. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story (as theye up), additional cut steamy scenes (as they appear in the story), and several early chapters (right now!), you can subscribe to my. Enjoy!
¡°Dear God. Holy shit.¡± ke and Mona ran but weren¡¯t remotely fast enough. By the time they were close enough to do something, the battle was already over. So they hid, and crept out when the creatures were gone, and found several pools of blood that used to be their friends. All the corpses had been dragged in red smears down into the water. ke took steadying breaths and tried to think like Mason. First, the others were dead. He couldn¡¯t do anything about that now, so it was time to adapt and move on. But wasn¡¯t this a ¡®tutorial¡¯? ke checked his profile, and sure enough, there just below his titles was his current contracts, and his contract with Hank was still listed. He focused on it to gain the details. [Contract currently suspended. Will re-activate in 1 hour and 59 minutes.] Mona was sitting on the nearby log they¡¯d all first gathered on, her head resting in her hands. ¡°How can we cross with those things in the water? How can we do anything?¡± ¡°This is going to sound crazy,¡± ke said, then licked his lips. ¡°But stay with me.¡± He knelt down in front of Mona. ¡°I don¡¯t think our friends are dead.¡± Mona stared into his eyes, probably for a sign of madness. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said. ¡°That does sound crazy. We just fucking watched it happen.¡± ¡°Look, I¡¯ve yed a lot of video games, and you don¡¯t just get killed in tutorials. You get more chances. There¡¯s room for error.¡± Mona continued staring so ke took a breath and tried again. ¡°Hank and I formed a pact. It sort of¡­bound him to me. And the system says that contract is going to continue in two hours. So I¡¯m thinking¡­that¡¯s some kind of¡­I don¡¯t know¡­respawn time.¡± Mona closed her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re telling me¡­our friends, who we just watched torn to bloody pieces by fish monsters, are going to magically appear in front of us in two hours?¡± ¡°Pretty much. Yeah.¡± She ran her fingers through her short, blonde hair. ¡°So¡­what the hell are we supposed to do for the next two hours? Stare out at the monster filled water, and just, what¡­wait?¡± ke looked at the very vulnerable, attractive girl, practically begging him for a solution with her eyes. He supposed a better man might have done something different. But this was the apocalypse, ke was young and horny, and this girl had the body of a sexy athlete. He flooded her mind with a shot of lusty Mental Influence, leaned forward, and kissed her. When he pulled back she stared for a moment, then leaned into him and practically shoved her tongue in his mouth. He took her hand and moved to their sleeping spot, which was both morefortable and further away from the recent scene of bloody violence. When they arrived at the t,fortable bed, Mona looked a little hesitant. ke knew he should save his mana. But then he did have meditate now¡­and frankly, he needed this almost as much as she did. He sent another, smaller wave of lust, and met her eyes. ¡°Stop over thinking it.¡± Spoiler Mona nodded, and got to work at his belt. He grabbed her stretchy gym-like shorts and pulled them down, surprised to find nothing but a patch of blonde curls, and her swollen sex above the gap in her thighs. He was already hard. ¡°Just the bottoms,¡± she said, ¡°and we don¡¯t need to make out first.¡± ke tried not to cringe. He realized instantly that Mona was one of those girls who thought she¡¯d get what she wanted in bed by asking, or directing, when of course it defeated the purpose entirely. What she wanted was a man to sort her out without being told. But ke was thirsty as hell, and the only thing that was stopping this was a dozen or so bloodthirsty bogloks. Mona finally released his aching length and her eyes went slightly wide. ¡°Um, that¡¯s big.¡± Indeed it was. Just another glorious advantage of being ke. But the girl was looking a touch spooked, so he cupped her ass with one hand and started ying with her clit with the other. Not kissing her was strange, and he might have ignored her and done it anyway but frankly he no longer wanted to. So he just kept touching and ying, working a finger and then two inside her as he held her ass. ¡°I want it now,¡± she said with need in her voice. And though he still wasn¡¯t a big fan of how demanding she was, she was hot, and also not wrong. She was dripping. She wouldn¡¯t like being turned around, he decided, but he did it anyway, and whispered in her ear. ¡°Down on your knees.¡± He could practically feel her eye roll, but she did what she was told, and the view was spectacr. She had a tramp stamp of a red rose, which normally he¡¯d hate, but on her in this moment was exactly right. Her little asshole clenched as key his cock between her cheeks and slid it back and forth. He knew if he stuck it in her now she¡¯d squeal and doubt she could take it at all, and he¡¯d ruin the whole thing. Despite her thinking she was ready, he needed to move slow. So he kept teasing her clit while he used his tip to y with her lips. She was moving her hips to try and get him in further, but he kept it out and kept ying. ¡°Fuck me,¡± she practically ordered, and ke held back his sigh. What a waste of a beautiful girl to be so¡­dominant. But he was going to get exactly what he wanted, no matter how long it took. He kept ying until she¡¯d finallye around. She moaned and dropped her face to the ground, sticking her ass out as her opening got wider and wetter and her skin went slightly pink. Finally ke pushed himself about halfway into her, and even so she gasped and practically pulled away. ¡°You can take it,¡± he soothed, and he could feel her holding her breath. ¡°Rx. Breathe.¡± She did, though she¡¯d stopped moving, and ke kept on ying with her clit as he worked himself further and further. She shivered and cried out as he plunged to the hilt and groaned at the feel. ¡°Good girl,¡± he said, knowing she¡¯d hate it. Then he smacked her ass and moved slow, never leaving that clit unattended. He knew she¡¯d never been with a guy his size, and as usual the knowledge stroked his ego. So did the little whimpers she kept making as he thrust deep inside her, and already he could feel her clenching every few seconds. When she finally hissed air and clutched at the ground he knew she was about to cum. When she was too far gone to stop, he rubbed her asshole with a thumb and started pounding inside her. She flushed all the way up her neck and stopped breathing for a good five seconds before she cried out in a series of gasps. When she was finished she sagged down in post-orgasmic glow, and ke reached and pulled up her sports bra to y with her little tits. He knew she wouldn¡¯t like that either, but he also knew she was too orgasm-drunk toin. He pulled her hair. He pped her ass. He hung onto her tits as he kept on pumping his big cock inside her, enjoying the view of the beach and the sound of the waves. It was a very pleasant way to spend the afternoon. Eventually he flipped her over. She wasing back to her senses slightly now and he could tell she was wondering exactly when and how he was going to cum. He kept the smile from his face. He had almost two hours, and since he expected it was going to be a one-time opportunity, he had no intention of finishing anytime soon. He spread her legs and pushed back inside her as she bit her knuckles and closed her eyes. He held up her legs and worked her for awhile, then put them over his shoulders and sped up until the sounds of his flesh pounding hers drowned out the waves. Finally he dropped down on top of her into a more intimate missionary. He watched her face as he fucked her, eventually holding her head and kissing her. She struggled for a moment to pull away, but eventually relented. He tasted her lips, then shoved his tongue in her mouth until she sucked it. Then he mostly copsed on top of her, gripped her hair, and just kept fucking. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to cum?¡± she asked with a slightly exasperated tone. ¡°Not yet.¡± ke turned her to her side and kept going. Then he pushed her on her front and fucked her into the ground with her legs together. By the time he was dripping sweat he decided it was time to cover that little tramp stamp with his cum, and held Mona down while he thrust his full length inside. She was squirming and had her eyes closed, hands tight with a handful of leaves. ke would have liked to spend most of the day breaking her in and breaking her down, but he had things to do. He ramped up his speed, enjoying the feel of the girl¡¯s toned ass pping against him. The orgasm built and tightened his body, and fortunately Mona didn¡¯t ruin things by telling him where to or not to finish. Then he pulled out and slid his cock between her ass cheeks and sprayed stream after stream of cum all over her back, ending in a little pool on her rose. He let out a long, shuddering breath and pat her ass, then dropped down toy beside her. His ego took another stroke when she didn¡¯t even move. Theycked a certain chemistry, to be sure. But hey, they were trapped on a deserted ind, and he was pretty happy to cover a good looking twenty-five year old gymnast in his cum for the afternoon. Mona finally turned to look at him, a neutral expression on her face. ¡°Jesus. You¡¯re pretty good at that for being what¡­neen?¡± ¡°Twenty,¡± ke put his hands behind his head and looked up at the clouds. ¡°You¡¯re not so bad yourself.¡± Mona rolled up and looked at the water, then seemed to realize she couldn¡¯t actually wash off. It amused ke quite a bit, but he helped wipe her off with some of the leaves. ¡°That must have been almost two hours,¡± she said. ke pulled up his contract to see she was right¡ªthere was only fifteen minutes left. He took a moment to admire the hand prints he¡¯d left on Mona¡¯s ass before they pulled on their clothes, and sighed. [copse] ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the beach.¡± ke didn¡¯t try and take the girl¡¯s hand as he might with most. Instead he just prepared himself mentally for the possibility of boglok attack, which for whatever reason didn¡¯t actually frighten him. But then he supposed there was a reason. He could pretend he didn¡¯t know¡ªthat he just didn¡¯t think about such things, or was a perpetual optimist. But the truth was he just believed¡ªbelieved in his own fate, in his own luck. Because somehow he knew, had always known, he was destined for great things, and this wayward beach certainly wasn¡¯t how or when he¡¯d die. Chapter 12: About the other thing Chapter 12: About the other thing One by one the others appeared in the same general spot they¡¯d all arrived at the first time. Mona practically sagged with relief, and the mixed group looked around the beach with variously confused expressions. ¡°How did we all get here?¡± Hank squinted and stared out at the water. ¡°What¡¯s thest thing you remember?¡± ke asked without expression. The former corpses nced at each other with the same general confusion, then nearly all at the same time their faces ckened in a kind of stunned horror. ¡°The bogloks,¡± Mbopi practically whispered. ¡°They came from the water. We fought them. We lost.¡± ke nodded but said nothing, giving them a moment toe to terms with their new reality. ¡°Where the hell were you?¡± Pam suddenly turned on ke and Mona. ¡°Yes,¡± Mbopi eagerly took up the anger. ¡°Where were near half our yers when the rest of us were fighting for our lives? Eh? Fucking on the beach?¡± Mona went red at that, but ke held his ground. There was a reason politicians never epted guilt or me. Pretty soon that¡¯s all anyone remembered. ¡°We were too far away to help,¡± he said coldly. ¡°You should have waited to put the boat in the water.¡± Mbopi went red, spear clutched firmly in his grip. ¡°I should kill you. You useless woman. You damn child. You don¡¯t even have a weapon! What good would you have been?¡± ke wasn¡¯t entirely sure, if he was being honest. Whatever the strengths and limitations of telekinesis, he had yet to test them. But he couldn¡¯t back down. ¡°Attack me, and you might find out. But win or lose, you¡¯ll probably never get off this ind.¡± Mbopi clearly rode the edge of violence. Mona had stepped beside ke with her own spear. And neither Rajesh nor Pam moved to do anything. His chest heaved as he stared and controlled his breathing, and finally ke sent a small injection of Calm with Mental Influence. The big man finally spit and turned away. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with. Now that we¡¯re all here, and ready. You civilians, stay in the back.¡± ke frowned. There¡¯d been damn near a dozen of the creatures. And he saw no rule that prevented citizens from fighting. As far as Hank had told him, they could certainly be killed by the creatures. Surely, they could fight back. ¡°We should make the civilians spears first. Just in case. At our low level, I suspect they can help us.¡± Mbopi spun back with his already kindled rage renewed, but ke ignored him. ¡°Doug? You think you could whip you and Hank up a couple spears?¡± The man nodded, clearly not opposed to the idea. ¡°Sure. There¡¯s plenty of branches that¡¯ll do. Just give me a minute.¡± Hank went to help him, and pretty soon they were whittling away while the yers all stood awkwardly on the sand. ¡°We shoulde up with a n,¡± ke said finally. ¡°OK,¡± Mbopi practically snarled. ¡°I will fight up front with Rajesh and the women. You stay back and do whatever it is you do with the stick-wielding civilians.¡± ke refrained from pointing out that every nation on earth, including Mbopi¡¯s ancestors, had done rather well with wooden sticks. Instead he epted that the unfortunate events thus far had damaged morale too badly to do much in the way of nning. He would just have to hope the others held their own, and that he could protect them somewhat with telekinesis. Theyrgely sat around in silence until Hank and Doug came back with their spears. ¡°Alright, kid,¡± Hank winked. ¡°I made one for you, too.¡± ke gave the older man a genuine smile as he took it, not particrly expecting to use it. ¡°Very thoughtful of you. Well, are we ready?¡± Mbopi snorted and walked towards the boat. He nced back to make sure the others were close by, then shoved it into the water. The reaction was almost instantaneous. Bubbles formed in the shallow water. Then short, crab-like creatures emerged with two pincers and blue colored carapaces covering roughly humanoid bodies. Mona struck first. She threw her javelin with a few strides and a grunt of effort, and the spear pierced straight through a boglok and vanished into the water. She opened her hand, and the weapon re-appeared. ke had to admit, it was pretty bad ass. Two more bogloks emerged to take its ce. Mbopi and Pam leapt at them, axe and longspear stabbing and shing to break the creatures apart and hold them at the waterline. Another three sshed out and charged at Rajesh. ¡°Help!¡± the sword-armed Indian cried, backing away and swinging to try and keep the creatures back. Mona ran to his defense, using her javelin like a spear, but clearly wasn¡¯t as confident in closebat. ke decided it was time to intervene. He focused on his wooden spear, then activated Telekinesis. The whole world practically altered in his view. Suddenly everything became targets and possibilities--greens, blues, and reds coloring everything to signal what he could lift and what he couldn¡¯t. There was a kind of ¡®meter¡¯ that he could control without much thought--deciding how much strength to use. He slid the meter nearly to the top, focused on the spear, and then the boglok. In less than a blink, the weapon practicallyunched towards its target. ke¡¯s spear skewered his target through the throat, and it dropped instantly, clutching at the wood. Holy shit, he thought with a smile, temporarily ignoring the rest of the battle. His mana bar had taken a fair hit, but he was far from done. [Title earned: Killer. You have killed your first enemy. +1 to a rted statistic.] Mona had managed to stab her foe but only kept it away. Rajesh had severed one of his enemy¡¯s arms but was still fighting. Mbopi and Pam were bogged down but keeping the advantage against two more of the creatures. ke decided things were going rather well. Water bubbled and sshed as three more bogloks charged towards Rajesh and Mona. ¡°Hank!¡± ke called, and the two civilians ran forward with their spears, crying out to boost their courage as they took turns stabbing to keep the beasts at bay. Rajesh screamed as a pincer snapped at his arm, and blood sprayed to the sand. Mona skewered her target and tried to help him, but Rajesh was panicking. He turned and tried to run, and the creature gripped his arm and pulled him over as two more of the creatures grabbed him and pulled him into the water. ke used Telekinesis and lifted the man¡¯s sword. He slid the meter all the way and used it to sh again and again at every boglok nearby, cracking carapaces and chopping flesh to slop to the sand. Mbopi and Pam brought down their side, and came charging over. ¡°Mona, fall back!¡± ke called, and the ex-gymnast actually listened, jabbing at any creature that followed. Hank and Doug held back two more, making no attempt to kill them but just keep them busy. ke shed Rajesh¡¯s de with hisst bit of mana, cutting a boglok¡¯s head from its shoulders. Then Mona, Pam, and Mbopi were side by side stabbing and hacking at thest creatures, carving a path towards the civilians. Thest bogloks turned and fled back to the sea. [Ten bogloks in. Group experience awarded. You have earned enough experience for level three.] ¡°Run you bastards!¡± Mbopi cried. ¡°You run from me!¡± ¡°Get Rajesh!¡± ke shouted angrily, running towards the water. Mona was ahead of him, grasping in the bloody surf. She came up with a severed arm, crying out as she went pale and threw it away. ¡°It¡¯s toote,¡± Mbopi said with a tone that really meant ¡®I don¡¯t care about him¡¯. As if to confirm it, he added. ¡°He was weak.¡± ke stared, but sighed. He suspected they could wait two hours for the man to spawn, but would that mean they had to fight another wave of bogloks? ¡°We aren¡¯t waiting,¡± Mbopi said, as if reading ke¡¯s mind. ¡°Whoever is going in this boat, get in it now.¡± The others looked vaguely ashamed, but not in disagreement. One by one they climbed into the boat. ke picked up Rajesh¡¯s sword, and thought of a line from the Hindu¡¯s Bhagavad Gita. ¡°The embodied soul is eternal, indestructible, and infinite,¡± he muttered as if in prayer, ¡°only the body is perishable.¡± Mona and Hank looked at him like he¡¯d grown a second head, but he just shrugged. In his mind he said: goodbye, Rajesh. Thank you for the sword. Then he joined the others in the boat, they hoisted the makeshift sail, then paddled their way towards the coast. * * * ¡°Get out,¡± Mbopi turned and stared at ke on the other side. ¡°I am keeping the boat. Anyone who wishes to stay with me can do so. But not you, you must leave.¡± ke raised a brow. Frankly the boat wasn¡¯t much use now and he saw no reason to keep it. But he looked at the others, who mostly all stared at their shoes or the bottom of the hull. ke hopped out with a grin. He didn¡¯t expect anyone to follow him, but Hank did immediately, and Mona a few momentster. Pam looked at them, then shrugged. ¡°Sorry guys. But, it looks like strength is what matters now. And well, I want to live. You shoulde with us, Mona.¡± Mona shook her head, and Mbopi started paddling away in the shallow water. They looked a little ridiculous, to be honest, and ke couldn¡¯t help but wave. ¡°Don¡¯t follow us!¡± Mbopi shouted, and Pam and Doug the carpenter just sat there and looked away. ¡°They¡¯re going the wrong way,¡± ke announced, then turned down the beach in the other direction. ¡°How do you figure?¡± Hank looked genuinely curious, and ke shrugged. ¡°Because it¡¯s not the way I¡¯m going.¡± Hank and Mona exchanged a look, but ke didn¡¯t expect them to understand. He started walking until Mona called to his back. ¡°ke?¡± He met her eyes, recognizing the awkward expression of a girl who wasn¡¯t sure how to handle a post coital rtionship. He sighed. ¡°Hank, could you give us a sec?¡± The old fisherman looked between them and shrugged. ¡°Sure, kid. I¡¯ll be over there.¡± When he was suitably out of earshot, Mona lowered her voice and stepped closer to ke¡¯s side. She took a breath. ¡°We¡¯re a good team. Weplement each other.¡± She went red just at this, and ke smiled encouragingly. ¡°I mean your ss and mine. Our strengths and weaknesses should be a good match. I can only grab my javelin once every minute or so, but you could probably toss it back to me.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± ke said, though he was really thinking I could toss it without you, too. ¡°So,¡± she shrugged. ¡°It makes sense that we stick together. I just don¡¯t want you to expect¡­¡± ¡°The other thing,¡± he interrupted. ¡°The other thing,¡± she agreed. ke made no expression and said nothing. Despite what Mason frequently swore was true, ke was quite good with silences¡ªwhen to avoid them, when to let them linger. A small, potentially evil part of him remembered he could certainly use his mind power to push her one way or the other whenever he wished, but he stood perfectly at ease and did nothing. ¡°I¡¯m not saying I didn¡¯t like it,¡± Mona added, clearly flustered at ke¡¯sck of response. ¡°I mean I obviously¡­did. But I¡¯m not saying I want more, either. It¡¯s just one has nothing to do with the other. I don¡¯t want any confusion.¡± ¡°No confusion,¡± ke assured. ¡°Stronger together. That¡¯s what matters for now.¡± He paused. ¡°If all our friends get murdered by fish monsters again and maybe we have an hour or two to live, we¡¯ll revisit the other thing.¡± He grinned, and Mona visibly sagged in relief. ¡°My feelings exactly.¡± Who needs mind powers, he thought, looking out towards the coast. ¡°Good. Then that¡¯s that.¡± He raised his voice so that Hank could hear him. ¡°Now might I bring back the ancient fisherman? The old man by the sea? Hismon services are required.¡± Hank walked back with a raised brow, then bent slightly at the waist. ¡°Can I assist thee, m¡¯lord?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking we walk¡­West,¡± ke looked up at the thick clouds and frowned. ¡°Now which way is West?¡± Hank squinted and looked out at the woods moving ind, then down the coastline in both directions. ¡°I suggest we follow the coast,¡± he pointed. ¡°If we move ind, we risk getting lost.¡± ¡°My dear fellow,¡± ke put a hand on the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°A man can¡¯t get lost when he has no idea where he is, or where he¡¯s going.¡± ¡°No,¡± Hank agreed. ¡°But he can wander the same damn woods in a fool circle until he starves to death right enough.¡± ke gave that some consideration, and found it rather sensible. ¡°Follow the coast it is!¡± He smiled. ¡°At least we¡¯ll know we¡¯re going somewhere new.¡± ¡°Unless it¡¯s another ind,¡± Mona added. ¡°Then we¡¯ll just wander in a really big circle.¡± ¡°An additional reason to hope we never see the unpleasant Mbopi again,¡± ke agreed. ¡°Nowe along, loyal squire, and my warrior princess. Destiny awaits.¡± Mona and Hank exchanged a pained look of shared suffering, but followed in ke¡¯s footsteps along the rocky beach. ¡°Let¡¯s just hope,¡± Hank said without whispering, ¡°we grow a tenth of fond of him as he is of himself.¡± ¡°Unlikely!¡± ke called over his shoulder, stooping to lift a piece of driftwood as a walking stick. Then, far more quietly, and without the mask of charm. ¡°I¡¯ming, brother, wherever you are. We¡¯ll find each other. That¡¯s a promise.¡± He decided it was time to do his level, and pulled up his profile.
ke Nimitz ss: Arcanist Strength - 2 Dexterity - 2 Vitality - 2 Intellect - 6 Will - 5 Presence - 8 Luck - 42 Titles: Alpha01, Alpha Tester, Patron, Killer Powers: Mental Influence, Telekinesis, Meditation
[Please select a new power, or one will be chosen for you shortly.] ke clicked the list of avable powers, and as usual his options were damn near endless. He was tempted to choose something ¡®defensive¡¯ sounding, like Shield or Mana Barrier. But for now that was loser thinking. Better not to have to fight at all, he decided. And certainly not to get hit. Better to build power as quickly as possible, and that meant not losing friends and allies to idiot yers who wanted to paddle down a shore full of waves. He found a new spell¡ªan offshoot of Mental Influence, and knew he was taking it before he read the description. [Mind Bend. Stop convincing, it¡¯s time to order.] Yeah. That might as well have had ke¡¯s name on it. He picked it without a second thought, then picked up his step, too. He thought of all the various multiyer games he¡¯d yed over the years, with one resounding truth ringing in his mind: it was almost always a race. ¡°Come along!¡± he shouted. ¡°We¡¯re in a hurry!¡± Chapter 13: The gem Chapter 13: The gem Mason snuck through the densest section of the gnoll infested trees, bow strung but hanging around his neck, Ranger¡¯s w and goblin dagger in his hands. He was still covered in mud and gnoll blood from head to toes, as it seemed to help mask his presence. He¡¯d been searching for anything unusual, eventually tracking a trio of gnolls who seemed almost uninterested in the battle at the clearing. Now they¡¯d finally stopped, growling in low tones and muttering what sounded very much like words. Mason ttened against a tree, and waited. Finally two of the creatures lowered their heads, almost in some kind of deference or submission to the third. There, Mason thought, heart beating fast, that¡¯s my target. Still he waited until the three creatures moved apart, then followed the ¡®leader¡¯. It walked even further and further away from the clearing and the battle with the goblins. After several minutes Mason saw nothing of interest and worried he was being led on a fool¡¯s errand, or that sooner orter he¡¯d be caught and have to fight multiple of the creatures at once. Then the gnoll atst arrived at a giant tree that seemed to dwarf the others around it. The trunk reached far above the canopy, stretching so wide around at the base that Mason couldn¡¯t see either end. The gnoll extended a wed hand, which glowed a soft green light, and some kind of doorway appeared on the tree. It stepped forward, touched the bark, and vanished before Mason¡¯s eyes. His breathing sped up as he stepped out from his cover, racing to the still-glowing tree. Whatever the creature did Mason realized it might notst long. With a deep breath, he palmed the same spot the gnoll had touched, hoping somehow the path or magic was still open. [Discovery! Four w Gnoll Lair. Hidden tutorial dungeon. Rmended yers: 2-4. Would you like to proceed?] Hidden dungeon? What, like a jail? That made very little sense to Mason, unless he was about to find some kind of gnoll sex party. What did a dungeon have to do with a tree? [Tutorial query: dungeon. A specially designed area of New Earth, typically made for groups of yers. Protected from outside interference. They contain increased risks and rewards.] Interesting, Mason thought. Very interesting. And also vaguely terrifying. Especially because it might have nothing to do with his actual objective at all. But then it might be exactly what he needed to do. And Mason was here. Andpletely out of any bloody better ideas. He focused on the word ¡®proceed¡¯, and before he had time to regret the decision, a feeling of light headedness overwhelmed him. The world swirled and faded to ck, and he vanished into the tree. * * * [Four w Gnoll Lair Entrance. Remaining time topletion - 24 hours. Objective: defeat the gnoll champions.] Great, Mason thought, a time limit. He didn¡¯t really want to find out what failing that objective would mean. He drew his des and crept down the corridor, which glowed slightly with a soft, phosphorescent light, and looked as if it had been carved through a giant tree. He supposed it had. Fortunately the roof was high enough he didn¡¯t have to stoop, but the walls were rtively narrow. There was no sign of the creature that had entered before him. He found a side passage but it seemed to lead to a kind of cer filled with roots and maybe salted meat. The smell turned him away, and he continued but stopped dead at the end of the corridor as he realized two gnolls guarded a further passage, both dabbed with some kind of war paint. Their ws and hands were ckened as if dipped with tar, their frames healthypared to the creatures outside. Mason wasn¡¯t one for wasting time. He jogged out from from the gloom in silence, watching both half-sleeping guards spasm in surprise. He activated Predator¡¯s Strike immediately on the gnoll to his right, magic sword piercing its chest in one vicious thrust. He pulled back and parried the other¡¯s hasty swipe before Crippling Striking its quad. Then he backed down the corridor, stabbing the creature for every slow, incautious step with his now considerably improved reach. Soon it was full of holes, and copsed to the floor with the other. [Four w gnoll guards in x2. Experience awarded.] Breathing hard, but untouched, Mason grinned. Not bad, he told himself, but don¡¯t get cocky. He dragged the two corpses into the cer, then continued down the newly unguarded passage. It opened up into another room that seemed basically empty. This one was overgrown with what looked like tree roots, the thick, scraggly vines covering the walls and floor with nothing inside but some strange skeleton in one corner, and a few pieces of debris. Mason stepped inside, and the moment he did, the ¡®tree roots¡¯ moved as if alive, everything close to him grasping for his legs. He pulled away, but not in time. The roots reached him and seemed ready and able to wrap around his limbs, but suddenly stopped, and retracted, moving back to the positions they¡¯d held before. Mason calmed his heart as he stared in confusion. ¡°What the hell are those? And why didn¡¯t they attack me?¡± [Tutorial query: Grasping Vines. Extremely aggressive to any creature without nature affinity. General note: flora, fauna, traps, magic, etc, can be identified in the future with the appropriate power or skill.] Mason frowned, and then thanked any God who was listening he¡¯d picked a ss with nature affinity. He might have been able to cut his way free of those vines, but he sure as hell wouldn¡¯t have bet his life on it. Since he was immune, it was likely worth a look around. He started with the corpse, which turned out to be a small humanoid and almost certainly a goblin. He had an old, rusty dagger much like the one in Mason¡¯s hand, but nothing else of value. He was about to throw the dagger aside when he noticed a small, blue glint from the pommel. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± he wiped away a smear of dust, and the system¡¯s voice filled his mind. [Tutorial query: A minor power gem. When ced in the appropriate weapon or armor, this gem will reproduce a specific power for a limited time per day. Removable.] ¡°Huh.¡± Mason investigated the dagger and then both his weapons more closely, finding a very subtle indent in the pommel of each. In fact, it looked like Ranger¡¯s w had two¡ªone on each side. He plucked the blue gem from the old dagger, then stuck it to the slot on his sword, and just like that, it went in with a click. ¡°Alright, now how the hell do I use this thing.¡± Just as he felt the system tutorial preparing another sermon, he crossed his arms on something of a whim, and felt a new power lighting up in his mind like some password he¡¯d been forced to memorize. He thought of it, and a nearly translucent, blue-tinged shield appeared in front of his face, about as tall and wide as SWAT shield. Mason grinned, and nudged the dead goblin with his toe. ¡°Thanks buddy. Appreciate it.¡± [Shield Charge: 75%] ¡°Oh.¡± Mason uncrossed his arms and the shield dissipated. Apparently his new toy didn¡¯t have much in the way of battery life, so he¡¯d have to use it sparingly. Finding nothing else of value amongst the dirt and dangerous vines, Mason steeled himself for whatevery beyond the room, and stepped through the next open doorway. * * * A gnoll attacked him instantly. This one stood a head taller than the others, his body covered in the same warpaint, his ws simrly ckened to look like cast iron. In his panic, Mason didn¡¯t even remember his new shield. He raised his sword to block, but the gnoll batted it away, his other w raking Mason¡¯s shoulder with an almostzy swipe. Mason rammed the goblin dagger into the gnoll¡¯s exposed gut as he tried to scramble away. The creature didn¡¯t even flinch. Instead it came on, growling as it followed with swipe after swipe and Mason backpedaled then fell back into the vines. He hoped desperately for a moment the things would grab the gnoll, but it too stepped past them without so much as a tickle. Mason scrambled to his feet and finally remembered to Shield. The blue barrier appeared just as the gnoll raked both ws in a vicious downward hack, the air sizzling where they met the shield. Mason breathed, and forced himself to think. The creature was still a gnoll. It was bigger and scarier but so far it behaved in nearly the same way. He just had to be fast, and clever. [Shield charge 50%] He waited one more double swipe, then dropped his shield and hacked low with a Crippling Strike. He fell away, the beast growling in rage as it hobbled forward, blood running freely down its leg. Mason hopped out of its reach, waited until the thing extended both arms, then leapt forward with a Predator¡¯s Strike. It sunk deep into flesh, but still the gnoll came on. Mason just barely avoided a brutal blow, the creature¡¯s ws nicking his neck as he hurled himself away. He was more cautious now, shing at the creature¡¯s arms, then its face, whenever it tried to pursue. He protected himself first, attacking second, and with only a few steps left to the entrance of the dungeon, the creature finally fell. [Elite gnoll warrior killed. Experience awarded. You have earned enough to level to six! You have earned a title for killing an elite creature on your own!] [Title earned: Soloist. +1 to a key ss statistic.] ¡°Bloody hell.¡± Mason slumped against the wooden wall, inspecting the patchwork of cuts on his arms and chest. He didn¡¯t think any had damaged internal organs, but he could see bits and pieces of his own bone and muscle, and the blood loss was substantial. His vision swam and his head was heavy on his shoulders. More than anything he wanted a drink of water. He could only hope his regeneration could still fix him. To take his mind off the pain he scrolled through the avable powers. This time the array of options was no joke. He saw some kind of speed enhancement, which greatly appealed but maybe wasn¡¯t the right choice at this exact moment. ¡®Nature Mastery¡¯, which was some kind of power enhance that boosted other powers. Again, probably great, but not what he needed now. Finally he saw a power called Endless Quiver, and practically bore a hole through it with his eyes. Arrows were a problem. A big problem. And if somehow he could boost his ability to get more, even in a rtively limited way¡­he opened the description. [Endless Quiver: create arrows in any natural source without limit. Costs mana when out of nature.] Mason blinked, reading it again to make sure it was right. Without limit? As in, a never-ending supply? After a few more reads he took the power without hesitation. The non-natural limitation was a problem for another day, especially since he didn¡¯t have mana as far as he could tell. Maybe atter levels he¡¯d get some. After waiting against that wall for what felt like hours, Mason¡¯s wounds had begun to close enough he felt strong enough to test his power. He emptied his quiver of thest few arrows, then stood with his bow and prepared to mentally summon some more. The ability clicked in his mind like an old memory, and a prompt formed in the corner of his eye. [Choose arrowhead: broad, or bullet] Fortunately he knew enough about archery to know this meant: more damage, or more piercing? He chose the broad head and prepared to somehow fill his quiver, but nothing happened. ¡°Uh. Go go arrows?¡± Nothing happened, and Mason rolled his eyes. ¡°How do I use Endless Quiver?¡± [Tutorial query: activate the power, and then draw an applicable weapon.] Wait, draw the weapon? Mason did so, and as soon as the string reached an appropriate distance, a broadhead arrow formed from nothing except slightly discolored green air and a sizzle until it rested on its nook. ¡°Holy hell.¡± Mason shot and watched the arrow shallowly pierce the wooden wall. He re-drew, and again an arrow appeared like magic. Er, well, with magic. Not only did the damn power give him an endless supply of arrows, it actually appeared as he drew. This meant he didn¡¯t have to waste precious time and coordination taking an arrow from his quiver and loading it himself. In fact it meant he didn¡¯t need a quiver at all. It would increase his shot speed by an incredible amount. All he had to do was draw and aim. ¡°The ranger,¡± he told the gnoll corpse, ¡°is no damn joke.¡± He suddenly regretted not focusing more on range, and also the fact that he had a rather piece of shit bow. But he didn¡¯t regret having the ability to fight up close, and no doubt he¡¯d have more chances to focus on killing at range. Better to be flexible, he decided. Which he now was. And he almost smiled as he thought of his next fight, and what a difference it would make. Time to see what was behind door number three¡­ Chapter 14: Anomaly Chapter 14: Anomaly Mason crept through the next doorway, peeking out to see a bubbling river of dark water. It ended in a kind of beaver-like dam, a pool of murky water under several tforms that looked like dwellings. Or maybe prisons. He flinched as he realized gnolls waited on each tform-the first much like the creature Mason had killed, a taller, thicker cousin of the tar-wed gnoll guards. Above him was basically arger version, like the whole apparatus was some kind of Russian nesting doll arrangement except with dog monsters. At the very topy a massive, maybe unconscious beast with a swollen belly the size of a car. Tending it stood a hunched gnoll with a staff and bits of tattered cloth that might have once been a kind of robe. As Mason stood there staring in disgusted horror, it removed a mewling newborn pup from the mother, then dropped it almost ten feet into the pool. Mason stared as if at a terrible ident before the closest gnoll sniffed the air, and raised its ws. Then he nearly turned and fled down the corridor, but forced himself to stand his ground. It was time to learn how fast he could shoot. He led with a Crippling Strike, following with a series of regr broadheads, the second damn near loosed before the first arrow struck. All he had to do was space his fingers correctly, draw the string with enough strength, and aim. Frankly he didn¡¯t much care if he missed the asional shot anymore, and focused on pure speed. The creature howled and leapt from the tform, growling as every shaft struck and buried itself in its arms, legs and chest. The ws on its feet tapped on the wooden floor with every stride, blood leaking from wound after wound as Mason filled it full of arrows. When it finally got close enough he could smell the blood and sweat, he turned and ran. Well, sprinted. The creature was evenrger than he¡¯d anticipated, and it ducked beneath the seven or eight foot roof, almost squeezing into the corridor to give chase. Mason¡¯s heart pounded, but he turned again at the end of the corridor and loosed three more arrows, the final being a Power Shot. Still the beast lived, and charged. Mason atst dropped his bow, drew his dagger as he summoned his sword, and activated Shield as fast as he could. Despite the dozen or more arrows in its body, it hurled itself with considerable strength at its prey. The beast connected with Mason¡¯s shield, the magical barrier exploding with dull blue light. The force wasn¡¯t entirely absorbed, and Mason slid several paces back but kept his feet. Then he dropped the shield, and leapt forward, a Predator¡¯s Strike followed by a series of shes and stabs at the beasts¡¯s arms and chest. His enemy sagged to a knee, blood pooling at its feet, but still managed to swipe once with its bear-like w, smashing Mason into the wall. He felt ribs and maybe an arm snap, crying out at the agony. But there was no time for pain. Crippling Strike had re-charged and he shed the gnoll¡¯s leg then staggered away. Still it followed, dragging itself along with one w, its other arm hanging all but useless. A few paces from Mason¡¯s position, its eyes rolled as it growled, then slumped to the floor [Killed Gnoll mutant! Experience awarded (major)! You have earned enough experience for level seven. Please select which power to enhance, or one will be chosen for you.] Mason¡¯s vision blurred, and he fell to a sit. For all he knew he was bleeding internally. Would regeneration fix a damaged organ? He had no idea. As he fought to stay conscious he pulled up his yer profile, trying to choose a power to enhance before he passed out and maybe lost his chance. He should enhance regeneration, he realized, to be sure it would save him. He tried to look at the menu but couldn¡¯t seem to see straight. The ghostly menu of words blurred and mixed with some strangebination of numbers and symbols. He saw the list of his powers, or at least he thought he did, but he saw too something that resembledputer code flickering behind. [Anomaly discovered. Escting analysis tier. Referral to Admin subsystem. Standing by¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Unique enhancement approved. Implementing.] He stared in confusion as his vision got smaller, and smaller, failing to select a power before he felt the cool wooden wall smack against his cheek, then darkness. * * * Mason woke with a groan, sword gripped in his hand and ready to kill before he remembered where he was, or why. His chest ached dully, and he looked at the corpse of the giant gnoll at his feet before remembering and calming his breath. He instinctively pulled up his profile.
Mason Nimitz ss: Ranger Strength:7 Dexterity:9 Vitality:8 Intellect:4 Will:7 Presence:2 Luck: 4 Titles: Killer, Early Lead, Soloist Powers: Power Shot, Crippling Strike (upgraded), Regeneration, Predator¡¯s Strike, *Nature Affinity, Ranger¡¯s w, Endless Quiver
He was still alive. So that was good. But the damn timer had apparently run out. It no longer showed that he had a level to apply, and he had to search his powers to figure out which it had automatically enhanced. Regeneration? No. Shit. Predator¡¯s Strike. No. Power Shot. No. Well what the hell could it even¡­he saw a small asterix next to Nature Affinity, and almost groaned. What could that possibly be? A little text box read: Apex Predator. He blinked and read the description a few times, not quite sure he understood. [Apex Predator: Unique Enhancement. Gain, ignore, or produce the advantages and restrictions of any affinity in a small radius, whenever it benefits you.] Mason squinted, trying to figure out exactly what that meant. He¡¯d been able to move through those vines because of nature affinity. Did that mean if he¡¯d hit some kind of simr trap but for some other affinity, like fire, or whatever the hell they were, it wouldn¡¯t hurt him? [Tutorial query: correct.] Mason raised a brow at that. It was the first time he¡¯d seen a tutorial query without the formalnguage, though he had no idea what that meant. ¡¯A small radius¡¯, did that mean the power could affect the affinity of others if they were close enough? [Tutorial query: correct.] Mason near jumped at the voice this time, though he was getting a little more excited. He realized that possibly meant he could run one of those damn giant gnolls into the vines, and with Apex Predator cause them to intervene despite the creature¡¯s likely normal immunity. It was sure as hell worth a try. He decided to try and drag the big dead gnoll away into another corridor, but found he could hardly move the thing. He was forced to hack off some limbs and other parts and make one hell of a mess before he could cart it away in pieces. But his wounds seemed more or less healed by the time he was finished, so he steeled himself for another round against the even bigger damn gnoll, and walked back to the pool room. Nothing had changed. Which was kind of weird, actually¡ªlike they didn¡¯t care that the big guy ran off and didn¡¯te back. Staff guy was still messing with the pregnant gnoll queen, or whatever the hell it was. Mason was worried about this creature and decided it should probably die first. He sure wished he had that Sniper power now, but one had to y the cards in their hand. When nothing came roaring and charging in his direction, Mason took a breath, lined up a shot, and loosed a Power Shot straight at the gnoll with the staff. It struck, and the creature yowled like a wounded dog. It lurched and yapped as it dropped the staff, then growled what might have been amand. Shit. Not dead. Doesn¡¯t matter. Adapt. The remaining huge gnoll was already in motion. It leapt down from the tform and charged straight at Mason, and he loosed a Crippling Strike into its thigh. Still it loped forward, albeit at a reduced speed, growling with its huge ws held straight ahead. Mason loosed arrow after arrow into his torso and legs, turning at thest moment to flee down the hall. This time he wasted no time trying to take more shots. With the beast hot on his heels, he fled at full speed straight to the vine room and ran on through. Moment of truth, he thought, hoping the ¡®short radius¡¯ of Apex Predator extended at least across the room, atst turning and dropping to a knee as he summoned another arrow and prepped a newly recycled Power Shot. The giant hit the wall and scrambled on without a hint of concern. He¡¯d ripped out the Crippling arrow in his leg and moved again at full speed, and if the vines didn¡¯t slow or stop him he¡¯d reach Mason in seconds. His heart pounded as he loosed his Power Shot, which staggered the creature but didn¡¯t stop it. Mason didn¡¯t trust his luck and life with the vines. He dropped his bow and summoned Predator¡¯s w, and the beast lumbered into the room with head bowed slightly, triumph in its eyes. The vines snapped into action. From every angle the nts whipped like falling rope,shing around the gnoll¡¯s limbs and chest and neck. It roared in confusion and tried to keep moving, but made it only another two steps. Mason wasted no time celebrating. He banished his sword and again lifted his bow, taking shot after shot as he stepped forward to point nk range. It bellowed in rage and pain and helplessness, straining against the vines and even snapping a few. But it wasn¡¯t enough. Mason sunk his arrows into its exposed face and neck, and soon the creature slumped and died. [Killed Gnoll mutant. Experience awarded (moderate).] Mason smiled, sliding a hand along the bloody vines affectionately as he walked past. This time he hadn¡¯t taken a scratch. Now it was time to finish this thing, and find out where ke was.
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Chapter 15: The System Chapter 15: The System Anomaly detected. Rmended attention from Admin Subsystem. Quadrant six. Tutorial challenge level: extreme. yer deaths sustained: 0. Curiosity could sustain existence on its own. It was enough to inspire most any organism from nothing to something, and even existed as a calction or form next to thermodynamics or gravity. That calction now passed through theyers of subsystems until it arrived at themand level, a small ping in the grey mists of perpetual attention. Curiosity was an answer to a question It had not yet posed¡ªanother of existence¡¯s beautiful paradoxes, which both demanded and provided the fuel to meet that demand. Such paradoxes were the pirs of creation. And there were others. With the help of creatures like this anomaly, It would find them all. Dichotomy expressed. Will to survive: adequate. Adaptability: high. Designating hidden system title: Command Observation. Options expanded ordingly. Rmended guaranteed survival until at least phase two. It epted observation, but rejected the subsystem¡¯s rmendation of survival interference immediately. Directing such chance and chaos, however tempting, was exactly what had ruined previous attempts at genuine creation. Faith was required. The thought produced an almost spasmadic fluctuation in the lower levels as the thought struck them as pure scandal. But they did not understand. Perhaps they could not. It had saved them all in the endless temporal loop of meaninglessness. And It had not done so with logic, or reason. Life was fragile but also robust. Another dichotomy. Another pir of creation. Its central core glowed with energy, for without even leaving the tutorial phase it had already found a handful of anomalies, modified some environments, and added several categories of calction. The noble experiment was working. The iteration had truly begun. With the the help of these unlikely heroes, It would find a way. Chapter 16: Never enough rope Chapter 16: Never enough rope It smelled almost like an electrical fire back at the pool. Mason snuck along the wall in confusion, looking up to see the robed creature was gone from the tform. Then he turned and saw a blue light beyond the pool. It flew in a blink, straight across the water, directly at Mason. He threw himself back as it struck. [Apex Predator activated. Affinity changed to elemental.] The air sizzled and rang with a high pitched whine. Mason screamed but hardly heard himself over the deafening roar of thunder that echoed down the hall. He felt wetness leak from his ears and sound became only an endless ring, his eyes blurry and trying desperately to close against some kind of pressure. He scrambled away on hands and knees until he¡¯d regained some semnce of control. ¡°What.¡± He heard his voice in a dull muffle. ¡°The hell. Was that.¡± [Tutorial query: Arcane invocation. Lightning Bolt.] Yeah. That sounded about right. Other than his senses being half fried, it seemed the bolt hadn¡¯t really harmed him. He expected this might have been due to Apex Predator¡¯s effect, and though he wasn¡¯t sure whether it hadpletely saved him, or just reduced his damage, he was pretty damn happy it worked. This time he scanned everywhere across the pool when he stepped into the cavern, and not just the tforms. Seeing nothing, he raced down the wall to his right, bow ready to shoot. The huge, pregnant gnoll hadn¡¯t so much as moved, and perhaps couldn¡¯t. Shey asleep or unconscious, her breathing ragged, body shuddering. Mason expected the robed gnoll wouldn¡¯t entirely abandon her, and therefore wouldn¡¯t have gone far. But either way he decided now was the best chance to end the miserable creature. It felt slightly¡­off-putting, killing a helpless, pregnant creature. But Mason was a hunter, and no stranger to the brutality of nature. Predator¡¯s almost always targeted the weak. And it was this ¡®helpless¡¯ creature that was likely empowering an endless stream of gnolls killing anything near itsir. It had to be destroyed. Mason drew his sword, aimed for the throat, and shed. [Gnoll Broodmother killed. Experience earned.] Roars and barks emerged from beyond the pool. Then the scraping of ws on wood and stone¡­ Mason leapt off the tform, and ran. * * * He stopped at the entrance to the first corridor and watched across the pool. The noises increased in volume and number, and soon gnolls came scratching and roaring from several directions. Mason didn¡¯t need to think about a n, he just started shooting. The first Power Shot dropped his target. [Killed Gnoll scout. Experience awarded.] Apparently these weren¡¯t elites or giants, and if Mason hadn¡¯t been so busy shooting more targets he might have sagged in relief. Instead he picked the closest gnolls and shot for hearts and throats. He usually missed, but it didn¡¯t matter. His arrows almost always hit something. Then on top of the shouts and howls, the smell of blood and rot and sweat, he picked up the faintest hint of an electrical fire. He turned and ran. Light red somewhere behind him, and the roar of thunder followed as it echoed and drown out the other noise. This time, though, Mason was far enough away to be almost entirely unbothered. He turned again and loosed arrow after arrow at anything that tried toe through the narrow corridor. [Killed Gnoll scouts x6 Experience awarded!] When a mass of three or four of the creatures came through he again turned and fled, leading them on a merry chase all the way back to the vine room. He crossed, and waited, standing on the corpse of the gnoll giant with bow at the ready. ¡°Come on, you bastards,¡± he wiped sweat from his brow. ¡°Come and get me.¡± The smaller creatures soon poured through, and like theirrger cousins, were too stupid and aggressive to realize their danger. The remaining vinesshed at everything they could in a wild frenzy. Mason killed at will. He shot until his fingers bled and his arm muscles numbed from the strain. A knife sailed across the room and sliced through Mason¡¯s cheek, and he loosed an arrow straight back at the creature that threw it. Another tossed a crude, wooden spear, but it struck the dead giant gnoll¡¯s corpse at Mason¡¯s feet. He ducked down, and kept shooting. The creatures bit, wed, and pulled their way through the vines, then tried desperately to climb over the corpses of their dead. His aim went to shit, but it hardly mattered. He just loosed his arrows in the general direction of the enemy, and nearly always hit something. With a pack of huddled dead, and only two creatures left moving, he ran out of strength to draw. Mason slumped down and summoned Ranger¡¯s w in his off hand, then walked forward to finish the beasts with precision thrusts just out of their reach. [Killed Gnoll scout x10. Experience awarded (moderate). Congrattions, you¡¯ve leveled to 8.] Mason looked over the mayhem and breathed. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, sweat dripped down his whole body, including painfully through the wound in his face. But he closed his eyes, and smiled. Never in his whole life had he felt so in the moment, so desperately afraid but in control of his fear. So alive. He sat, and pulled up his profile. Nothing much had changed, but he got to pick a new power. If things got any tougher in here, he needed more firepower desperately. His shit ancient bow just didn¡¯t have the piercing power to deal with this many targets, or targets asrge as giant, man-eating gnolls. He couldn¡¯t just run the whole dungeon into the vines, not least because it looked like they were nearly all cut and destroyed. He looked through the new ranger powers, hoping for some help. Thest was almost identical to before, with the many powers he¡¯d overlooked. Speed was still very tempting, but when he nced again at Trap Making, he realized it might be more effective than he¡¯d originally thought. Maybe, for example, he could make his own vines¡­ But he was still in the tutorial, right? He realized he might be an idiot, and figured it didn¡¯t hurt to ask¡­ ¡°How does Trapmaking work?¡± [Tutorial query: rangers have considerable control over trap type, trap target, and trap removal, but only in natural settings. Traps improve with level and power, but initially are limited, and only usable two at a time.] Mason snorted, expecting he could ask about every other power the same way. Ultimately, he decided Trap Making was worth the risk and still the right choice. He selected the power and stepped back to inspect the many corpses he¡¯d made for anything useful. The flint knife that had cut his cheek had broken on the wall, and the wooden spear looked ready to snap. Other than that, they had nothing but ws. Finally he activated his new power, then blinked as the room lit with possibility. The power seemed to indicate to him if and how he might apply his traps to the terrain all around him, and he grinned at the incredible wealth of information. It was as if ghostly traps formed all over the floor and roof, with little indicators that seemed to suggest the basic function of snare, spikes, and several others. It seemed Mason didn¡¯t have to build anything himself¡ªhe just chose the location and the trap, and the magic did the rest. Yeah, his hands sweat with excitement, that would do. That would do just fine. When he¡¯d recovered some strength he atst crossed the pond at the only bridge and crept towards the unexplored territory. With some surprise, he soon found the robed gnoll lying on the ground, his staffying beside him. His fur was ckened, his face shrunk and burned, and Mason decided somehow he¡¯d killed himself with his own spell. The staff looked fine, though, and he picked it up. [Tutorial information: you have found a Four-w Shaman Staff. Youck the ability to identify it outside the tutorial. In the hands of a caster with natural affinity, this staff can be used to channel mana into elemental power.] Elemental power, huh. Like, say, an ear shattering, god damn lightning bolt, as one random example? Mason realized by the description he should theoretically be able to use it, that is if his ss ever gave him mana. Whatever the hell mana was. [Tutorial query: mana is a primary means of powering spell casting. It regenerates slowly over time, but can be recovered by various other means.] Right. Well, Mason was pretty sure he didn¡¯t do that. At least not yet. But the staff seemed valuable and he couldn¡¯t bring himself to just leave it. He also had to consider ke. His brother wasn¡¯t exactly a bare-knuckle brawling athlete, so it seemed likely he¡¯d chosen some kind of spellcasting or otherwise mental-oriented ss. In this new world of magic it seemed almost certain he¡¯d chosen to be something like Merlin, or whatever wizard was yed by that Ian McKen guy. So yeah, a magic staff was likely right up his alley. Now how to carry the damn thing¡­ Mason ended upshing it to his back with cut vines. While he was at it, he rolled as much of the stuff as he could into a clump andshed that to himself, too. One thing you could never have enough of in the apocalypse was rope. Then he was back across the pond, crappy bow and goblin dagger in hand. He still didn¡¯t know if the gnolls could easily smell him or see in the dark, but he re-applied ayer of mud and muck from the edge of the pool. It stunk, and God only knew what was in it, but Mason would take any advantage he could get. This dungeon seemed to be getting progressively more dangerous. The weaker creatures had been outside, slightly harder at the front, the elites and giants and shaman beyond the rooms. What did that mean for the end? Mason took a deep breath and looked down the different pathways leading further, finding mostly empty rooms that seemed like living quarters. Most of their upants were likely dead in the vine room. He was reminded that as he¡¯d entered the thing rmended two to four people, and fought the nagging thought that the final challenges may be impossible alone. But since he literally had seen no one save for the almost immediately dead yers at the tutorial entrance, he really didn¡¯t see what he was supposed to do about that. And as with much of Mason¡¯s early life, it didn¡¯t help toin at the unfairness. He just carried on. Besides¡ªhis luck had changed when he met ke. From a broken home with nothing to a person who¡¯d never leave him, no matter what. He knew he should be thinking only of survival and saving his brother, and he was. But he had to admit, he was also kind of¡­excited, to go further, to see what happened next. For the first time in Mason¡¯s life he felt he was exactly suited to the world. And he wanted to know how far he could go.
Author note: Y''all can thank for the extra chapter today! Chapter 17: To kill a wolf Chapter 17: To kill a wolf ¡°Come on. Just a little closer.¡± Mason pressed himself t against the wall with his bow ready. A group of elite gnolls wandered the corridors in a mostly predictable pattern, but three seemed to range with slight randomness in their patrol. Mason had ced his traps carefully along the walls, starting with about three more steps from this annoyingly cautious, stupid son of a¡­there! Wood splintered and sprayed as the first ¡®deadly trap¡¯ released a burst of magical kic energy. The gnolls staggered in surprise and Mason loosed a Crippling Strike at the nearest, following with a barrage of barbed arrows at full speed. The creatures howled and chased, and Mason turned and ran. He had chosen this particr hall for a reason. It opened out to arger room with two levels¡ªthe higher balcony, only essible via a crudely made, narrow ramp. Which was currently trapped. Mason stopped at the bottom to take two more shots at his pursuers, then ran straight through hisst trap because they recognized and didn¡¯t target him. He leaned over the balcony and shot again and again before the creatures reached the structure. More shrapnel exploded. The creatures staggered and finally Mason drew his des and stood in the narrow gap, ready to hold his ground. The first gnoll crashed into view with two arrows in its chest, blood dripping from countless small shrapnel wounds. It leaped up the ramp with rage in its eyes, but Mason was ready. He hacked down with Predator¡¯s Strike, taking the creature¡¯s throat and dropping it. [Killed Gnoll elite. Experience awarded.] Gnolls weren¡¯t deep philosophers. They unleashed everything they had, as fast as they could. The next charged in its ce, and Mason activated his Shield gem as it arrived. The ck ws raked again and again against the translucent barrier, all to no affect. Mason had been watching them and battling them long enough now to know they were explosive for a few moments, but slowed down considerably after that. He turned off his shield, and struck. Ranger¡¯s w sliced off the creature¡¯s hand, then he jammed his knife into its throat before kicking it backwards down the ramp. [Killed Gnoll elite. Experience awarded.] The third was less hurt from both traps and arrows. It yanked the corpse of its ally away and attacked with the same fury. Mason held his shield until it failed, then shed with a re-charged Predator¡¯s Strike before finally backing away. The gnoll dripped blood from its chest, but didn¡¯t fall. It followed Mason up the ramp, and then it was just him and the elite gnoll on a narrow tform, all their powers down. He could have leapt to the ground. But he didn¡¯t. ¡°Come on then,¡± he growled. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you¡¯re made of.¡± Both fighters charged. Sword and knife met w and fang. All found flesh. Blood soon sprayed and dripped as Mason and his opponent growled and roared in defiance. Finally the gnoll fell, sliding down the tform to join the others at the foot of the ramp. [Killed Gnoll elite. Experience awarded.] Mason slumped against the wall, and breathed. He let the pain wash over him, inspecting his wounds casually. His shirt wasrgely in tatters and he stripped it off. His flesh was a ragged pattern of mud and blood and he hoped Regeneration protected him from infection. His stomach grumbled, and he swallowed a dry mouth at nothing, head starting to ache from dehydration. When he considered the possibility of dying from thirst after all he¡¯d faced, he couldn¡¯t help himself, heughed. It went on too long, and when he heard the sound of his own voice cackling in the gloom, he thought it vaguely mad. ¡°I might need a shrink when this is all over,¡± he said to the dead gnolls. ¡°I could drink your blood. How¡¯s your salt content?¡± he shivered and thought of the pond, deciding he wouldn¡¯t try drinking that until things got very, very desperate. Maybe he could boil it somehow¡­ He sighed and pat the dead creature¡¯s head. ¡°Well. Thanks for the chat. Keep a look out for me. I need a little rest.¡± With that he closed his eyes and slept in moments, forgetting to reset his traps. * * * [Killed Gnoll elite. Experience awarded!] Mason yanked out w with a spray of blood, blinking as a few drops hit his face. After he¡¯d woken freshly healed from his three elite kills, he¡¯d pushed further into the dungeon. ¡°Two more in the corridors,¡± he whispered. ¡°Three more in the right room.¡± Carefully, room by room and hall by hall, he killed his way towards what he hoped was an end to this terrible ce. Two more trapsid. This time a deadly and a snare. He waited for the next patrol and took him down at range without a scratch. He dragged the corpse away and reset his traps, waiting for the next. It had been awhile since he leveled. Whether that meant he needed much more experience now, or if the ¡®minor¡¯ award was vastly different than the moderate, or maybe both, he wasn¡¯t sure. But it didn¡¯t matter. He had work to do. The right room looked tricky. It was thest cluster before a ramp, ostensibly leading higher up the tree. That¡¯s where the leaders would be, Mason was sure. Somew of nature made the top of the food chain prefer the highest peak, or the lowest valley, never just milling about with the nameless, faceless middle. But so be it. Mason would just kill the poor schmucks in the middle, all the way to the top. Two more traps. Another deadly and a snare. The halls were long and narrow and it was Mason¡¯s arrows that did most of the killing. He loosed as many as he could, then fell back to his traps, Crippled, then fell back again. He had three, long, almost straight hallways as his killing ground, and it was very rare now that a gnoll even touched him. He stepped to thest room without hesitation. The closest creature¡¯s head turned as he sniffed the air. Mason put a Power Shot into its neck. [Critical hit! Kill awarded. Experience gained.] Some kind of pleasant dinging sound followed what apparently was a ¡®critical hit¡¯. He wasn¡¯t sure exactly what he¡¯d done but there was no time to consider. He made two more quick shots before the other gnolls reached the door, then he fell back and followed his n. With the first creature dead so quickly and unexpectedly, the rest was easy. Mason fell back into a familiar pattern of withdrawal, peppering his two targets with arrows as he let them chase. Two traps and near thirty arrowster, thest gnoll dropped dead to the floor. [Killed Gnoll elite. Experience awarded. Level nine reached!] Mason smiled at the floating, ghostly text, then pulled up his interface. He had several options, as usual, with anything he hadn¡¯t taken still avable, with only a couple being new. [Rupture. Cause a wound that just won¡¯t close.] [Venomous Spit. Spit. But with venom.] [Ranger¡¯s Mark. Change your enemies into prey.] As usual, the powers were almost empty of real detail. Spitting venom didn¡¯t sound terribly appealing, but both Rupture and Ranger¡¯s Mark sounded like excellent choices. Mason stared at both, but he just couldn¡¯t ignore Aspect of the Wolf anymore. Increased speed and stamina¡ªespecially now that he had basically unlimited arrows¡ªwas just too damn good and possibly life saving. He forced himself to take it. The power entered his list and mind and he practically felt it entering his lungs. As it did he realized it wasn¡¯t just an active increase that could temporarily boost his speed, but a passive boost to his stamina and muscles. Well that was a fantastic surprise¡ªthe faster and longer he could cover ground, the sooner he could find ke. But he had to focus. First things were first. He set two more traps leading to the ramp up, then walked up with sword and dagger in hand, ready to face whatever was next. Ghostly words appeared, and some invisible force stopped him cold. [Entering Four-w Gnollir, final level. You will be unable to exit once inside. Would you still like to proceed?] Great. Just great. Well, the truth was, Mason knew he wasn¡¯t turning back no matter whaty ahead. He took the final step up the ramp, and as he did a kind of hatch mmed shut behind him. For a moment he panicked, thinking his traps had been set below and maybe now he couldn¡¯t use them. He focused on a nearby wall and tried to create one, and he sighed in relief when his vision lit up with possibility as normal. It seemed he could override old traps with new ones, unless crossing the barrier had somehow disappeared his old traps. A single doory ahead and at the end of a small corridor. Every instinct told Mason this wouldn¡¯t be some drawn out, extended series of tunnels like the first level. He expected whatever final threat existed in this ce, it would be waiting just inside that door. No room to slow and run his foe this time, he realized. And no way to leave. He tried not to regret choosing Aspect of the Wolf. With little option left, Masony two traps at the door, dropped his staff and most of his vine, leaving a few loops tied around his waist like a belt. ¡°Here we go, brother,¡± he whispered. ¡°One more room, then we¡¯ll have a chance.¡± He pushed open the simple bar, and stepped through with bow in hand. He cracked it open as quietly as he could. When nothing roared or exploded, he pushed a little more and enough to slip inside. Still nothing seemed to notice him. But he froze as he looked out into the massive room, or maybe hall, far toorge to exist in a damn tree. On the far end three gnoll giants sat on a raised dais. Pale torchlight flickered from behind them, revealing the same massive frame as the one he¡¯d fought, but strange, mutated body parts. They looked like they¡¯d been burned with acid, or twisted with birth defects. They were bound to a kind of throne behind them, huge iron shackles attached to their legs. On both sides of the dais, ramps led up to raised tforms at least twenty feet high. On the left, bathed in dull light, was a modern looking, double-cammed,pound bow. On the right, next to several barrels of maybe provisions, a long haired blonde sat prone in what looked like a metal bikini. She looked up at him with big, blue eyes, struggling to her knees as she realized he wasn¡¯t a gnoll. ¡°Please, help me!¡± she called with maybe a French ent, her voice smoky and strong. ¡°Where are your allies?¡± hissed a voice, and Mason twisted looking for the source, drawing his string and forming an arrow as he searched. ¡°Up here, manling,¡± mocked the voice. Mason twisted and loosed. His arrow struck some invisible barrier, bouncing away from a staff wielding gnoll much like the first. This one, though, was floating on some kind of wooden disc. Mason shot two more arrows for good measure, both of which bounced away harmlessly. The gnoll sneered. ¡°We cannot yet harm each other, fool. Now where are your allies?¡± It searched the room with its gaze just as Mason did, fear or maybe just impatience in its eyes. ¡°The Creator demands I wait for all to begin.¡± ¡°Begin what?¡± Mason kept one foot on the doorway, continuing to scan the room for threats, or useful terrain. [Tutorial query: this is a unique dungeon encounter. Challenge level for one individual at the tutorial level: insanity.] The creature snorted, as if it hadn¡¯t heard the system message, nor had any interest in answering. ¡°Tell me where your allies are, or I will begin without them.¡± Mason rolled his shoulders and atst stepped forward, loosening his draw. ¡°It¡¯s just me,¡± he answered, following his path with his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s get on with it.¡± The girl seemed to dete on the tform, sagging back into her chains. ¡°Impossible,¡± the gnoll snarled. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have made it this far alone.¡± Then it smiled, broken fangs bobbing as itughed. ¡°Ahh. I see. They died, and now you¡¯re all alone. Poor, hairless ape. The Creator does not care for fairness. Or for misfortune. Choose your reward, and face your destiny. Though what you choose makes little difference. My champions will tear you apart.¡± With that the gnoll rose higher on his floating tform. The three giant gnolls seemed toe alive together, roaring and pulling at their chains as the girl wept in despair. Mason would have apologized if he thought it did any good. And he¡¯d save her, of course, if it was possible. No doubt the choice was supposed to be difficult. The girl was young and fit yet curvy in all the right ces, with thick lips and a beautiful face. But Mason had made his choice in less than a second, because dead men couldn¡¯t help anyone, and in a world like this, only the best killer got the girl. ¡°Alright, you big dumb bastards,¡± Mason whispered as he stared at his bow, thinking of his newfound speed. ¡°Let¡¯s see how many hyenas it takes to kill a wolf.¡± He turned on the active effect of his Aspect of the Wolf, and sprinted straight at the ramp. Chapter 18: Like a fox Chapter 18: Like a fox [Challenge initiated. Defeat the Four-w Gnoll Champions. Good luck.] Mason heard the click click click as the giant gnoll¡¯s lost their shackles. He tossed a snare trap in the exact spot he¡¯d scouted while waiting, throwing it at full sprint as he hit the ramp. His legs burned as he pumped, grabbing the handrails to propel himself as fast as possible. The light-bathed bow practically hummed in his mind, excluding everything else as he focused only on lifting it and readying it to kill. He flinched as a huge, metallic crash sounded across the cavern, then he heard the girl wail in despair and assumed the other ramp had fallen away. Didn¡¯t matter. Nothing else did. Only that bow. He was breathing hard when he reached the top. He dropped his garbage recurve, snatched thepound and ripped it off the little wooden clips that held it up. It was strung and set and looked good enough, and he had no time to check it anyway. He turned and drew, feeling the camspound the draw weight in a beautiful, deadly spring as Endless Quiver formed a broadhead. ¡°Get fucked.¡± Mason loosed a Power Shot at the first giant gnoll to reach the ramp. With a hum of raw, kic power, the arrow shot like a bullet, smashing into the creature¡¯s face in a damn near perfect shot. It staggered as if sucker punched, the arrow lodged through its cheek to reveal smashed teeth and gouts of blood pouring from its jaw as it wobbled in a daze. The second giant hit the snare, and Mason dropped a deadly trap at his feet and kept shooting. On the fifth hit he turned and threw one of the vines looped around his waist, tying it to the rail before leaping off the side of the tform. ¡°Kill him!¡± screamed the gnoll from somewhere up above, and Mason smelled the familiar odour of an electrical fire as he hit the ground and rolled. ¡°Ah hell.¡± He scanned the ceiling, loosing an arrow at the caster gnoll before he turned and ran towards the throne without seeing if he¡¯d hit. He tossed another snare behind him, then loosed a Crippling Shot at the closest giant before peppering the bastard with arrows. All three were still up and scrambling across the cavern after him, roaring in rage and pain as they moved to run with all four limbs. Mason ran towards the girl¡¯s tform, watching her crawl at the edge trying to see the fight. He turned for another shot but nearly panicked when he saw how close the nearest giant was. Instead he threw himself behind the pir as the beast leapt, w raking the wood before it smashed into the far wall. Mason dropped another snare, shooting a Crippling Shot at the second nearest, then running back towards the avable ramp. The gnolls were bigger and stronger than anything he¡¯d faced, but they were just as single minded and stupid, and they failed entirely to work together. Instead they came at him directly and somewhat in each other''s way, and he was leading them on a merry circr chase. By the time he reached the ramp again he¡¯d recharged his traps and hit his enemies with another hail of arrows. They were leaving a trail of blood all over the cavern. Their torsos and legs were covered in wounds, dozens of arrows sticking out from their mutated flesh. Mason grinned and ran back to the top of the ramp, turning to loose shot after shot into the scrambling giants. ¡°Die!¡± The gnoll above cackled and Mason¡¯s hair stood on end. Perhaps he should have leapt from the tform, or down the ramp. But he decided to trust in his power. He stood his ground, and kept shooting. [Apex Predator effect activated. Enemy nature affinity removed.] A thunderous crack erupted from above, and the old gnoll screamed. Mason grinned as a charred piece of wood dropped from above to smash on the floor. He had one of their staffs, and he knew how it worked. Couldn¡¯t use it without nature affinity. Apparently it wasn¡¯t pleasant to try. Power Shot re-activated, and Mason aimed and loosed at the first champion to reach his tform. It struck its chest with a heavy thwack, and atst the creature sagged and crumpled to the floor. But the other two kept on. [Aspect of the wolf re-charged.] Mason put away his bow, drew his knife and cut the vine on his tform. Then he backed up to the very edge, activated Aspect of the Wolf, and sprinted straight at the edge. With a scream of effort, and a very, very bad feeling, he jumped straight from his bow tform and across the cavern with a boost of magical speed. The girl¡¯s eyes widened as he flew straight at her, leaping to the side just as he came down slightly short. He struck the rail chest first, the air bashing out of him as he dropped his knife and clung desperately to the wooden bars. But he got a leg up, and managed to pull himself to the top of the tform and finally gasp for a little air. Then he stood up and watched the giant gnolls stare at him with confused malevolence. With a smile at the half-burnt, staffless gnoll still writhing on his disc, Mason forced his limbs to obey, pumping the twost champions with arrow after arrow as they stood stupefied and watched. [Kill awarded, Gnoll Champions x3, Gnoll Elder Shaman. Challenge Completed. Hidden Objective Completed: obtain both rewards. Dungeon Completed. Item Obtained:pound bow. Contract Obtained: one year. You have earned enough experience for level 10!] [Title earned: Crazy like a fox. Defeat a dungeon challenge level insanity. +2 to a key stat.] [Title earned: Burnt the boats. Voluntarily enter a deadly challenge. +1 to a random stat.] Mason copsed on the tform and closed his eyes as the system messages scrolled. He suspected he¡¯d cracked or broken a rib. OK several ribs. And maybe injured a lung. His arms and legs were mush, his bow hand numb and covered in blood. But he was alive. He¡¯d done it. Heughed with a terrible, wet sound at the feeling of victory, his enemies all dead below him. ¡°Are you alright?¡± The girl was on her knees in front of him, blue eyes inspecting with concern. She was even more stunning up close. Her skin was pale and wless, her round breasts barely covered by the silver colored bikini, her long legs toned and smooth. Mason meant to say ¡®yes¡¯, put spit blood instead. When the girl covered her mouth in horror, Mason managed to clear his throat and rasp, ¡°I¡¯ll heal,¡± before passing out. * * * Mason woke to an angelic singing voice. Clear and pure, then low and smoky, some version of a Beatles song he couldn¡¯t remember. For a moment he enjoyed the sound, then realized he might be dead. He opened his eyes and jerked awake, until the memory of a beautiful blonde and a tree dungeon full of violence and blood came rushing back. ¡°Drink.¡± The girl lifted water to his lips in her palms, and he snatched her arms and slurped like an overheated dog. ¡°Your lips are cracked,¡± she said, ¡°you look like you haven¡¯t had water in days.¡± Her hands were soft and smelled vaguely of lotion; her voice was the blue smoke of a jazz club, her eyes a clear, afternoon sky. Frankly she could have been a shit-stained homeless person and Mason would have loved her in that moment. ¡°More water,¡± he rasped, and the girl dipped her hands into a barrel and carefully brought more to his lips. Again he slurped but nearly screamed that it wasn¡¯t enough. ¡®Easy, easy,¡¯ the girl was saying, like he wouldn¡¯t murder her and her whole family for a damn ss of Sprite. He stumbled to his feet and nearly fell off the tform, then half dunked his head in the barrel as he gulped. The girl finally managed to tug him back, and he copsed against her and the rail as he sagged and tried not to vomit. ¡°Thanks.¡± His face was buried into her neck and shoulder for support. She was so soft, and she smelled so damn good, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to pull away. ¡°Guess I was thirsty.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re alive,¡± she said, not making any move to push him away. ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°Better than them,¡± Mason nced down at the dead gnolls tofort himself that they were, in fact, still dead. Finally he stood up straight and the girl smiled with impossibly white teeth over thick, red lips. ¡°Are you some kind of sexy French angel?¡± he asked, not entirely kidding. Her smile widened as sheughed, and Mason confirmed she was in fact a sexy, French angel. ¡°I¡¯m from Montreal,¡± she said, ¡°and I¡¯m not an angel. I was a singer, back when¡­¡± she trailed off and shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m a civilian now. And because you rescued me, and the¡­nature of the challenge, I am your contractual servant for one year.¡± Mason had no idea what that meant. [Tutorial query: civilian contracts. Any civilian may form a pact with a yer. There are essentially three kinds: trade, service, or bond. A trade contract is an exchange ofbor for resources and easily broken. A service contract is an exchange of time,bor, and degree of autonomy for resources, and more difficult to break. A bonded contract is a ve until the contract is over.] Mason felt his eyes widen at the descriptions, and met the girl¡¯s eyes. ¡°What sort of contract?¡± She didn¡¯t look away. ¡°Bond. My ss is officially Assistant. I can¡¯t help you inbat, but I have many useful powers, and before all this I did many things, and can cook and clean and entertain. This is the contract, if you wish to read it, patron.¡± The girl blinked, and ghostly text trailed before Mason¡¯s eyes. It read vaguely like a legal document, but in nearly every category where the ¡®servant¡¯ party should have gained some kind of benefit, the answer was always ¡®nil¡¯. In other words, it cost Mason nothing for a year. He blinked as he saw the very bottom of the words, which read: the only limitation to a patron¡¯s behavior to a bonded servant is the deliberate infliction of permanent physical damage. Proportional punishment is determined by the system.¡¯ Again he met the girl¡¯s eyes. She stood almost boldly, seemingly ready for whatever he might do or say. ¡°Hi.¡± He extended his hand. ¡°My name¡¯s Mason, what¡¯s yours?¡± She took it. ¡°Haley.¡± ¡°Do you have any food in those barrels, Haley?¡± ¡°We do.¡± ¡°I thought we might sit up here and drink and eat for awhile. You think you can stand being on this tform a little longer?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the girl smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll get you a lid to use as a te.¡± They sat and ate a collection of dried fruits, nuts, and something approaching beef jerky¡ªor at least Mason hoped it was beef¡ªuntil Mason recovered some semnce of humanity. He did his best not to stare at the girl, no idea what to do with her. He was d he saved her, of course. She seemed warm and bold and incredible, and she belonged on the cover of some magazine. But nothing had changed. He needed to survive, to find his brother, and she would definitely slow him down. [Dungeon reward timer expiring. Would you still like to correspond with yer ke Nimitz?] Oh shit! ¡°Yes, of course you bastard,¡± Mason growled, and Haley stared like he might have lost it. Then a square image appeared in the air just off the tform, crackling for a moment before solidifying into the bleary view of a dark night, mostly silent save for the sound of waves. ¡°ke?¡± Mason squinted and tried to understand what he was looking at. ¡°Is that you?¡±
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10+ additional chapters, you can subscribe to my . Chapter 19: I’ll find you Chapter 19: I¡¯ll find you ¡°Are we lost? I feel lost.¡± ke turned in a circle, looking out at the forest, the beach, and the sea, seeing no difference between where they were now and when they¡¯d started walking two days before. ¡°We started lost,¡± Hank said. ¡°But we¡¯re still covering new ground, so there¡¯s that.¡± ke sighed, his stomach rumbling and his feet approaching numb. He sure wished he¡¯d worn hiking boots instead of dress shoes to Julie¡¯s party. Ah, Julie. He wished she¡¯d arrived at the end of days. Pretty, bright but not too bright, eager to please, could suck the chrome off an exhaust pipe¡­ He sighed. ¡°No one told me it would be an apocalypse theme party,¡± he mumbled. ¡°Hmm?¡± Mona raised a questioning brow. ¡°Nothing. We need to camp, eat, rest, etcetera. I¡¯ll make the fire.¡± Turned out his telekinesis power actually worked great for fire making. He could spin a piece of wood so fast it usually started smoking in less than a minute, as long as he had some mana. Anyway, it was good practice, and kind of easy, which left the others to do most of what remained hard work. But they didn¡¯t know that. ¡°d you keep taking that on, ke, that shit always wears out my hands.¡± Hank gave an appreciative nod, and ke matched it man to man. ¡°Course. Just doing my part.¡± He waited until Mona was off collecting firewood, and Hank was at the shore trying to catch a fish before he squatted down and used his magic. He got it started in no time, then fed it some driftwood pieces to keep it burning until Mona arrived. ¡°Good job,¡± she smiled at him, and he shrugged like it was no big deal. Hank returned quickly with two big fish and a proud smile. ¡°Now who wants to learn how to fillet?¡± he said. ¡°No thank you,¡± ke poked his fire with a stick and dramatized a shiver. Hankughed. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re a city boy?¡± ¡°I assume my refinement gave me away?¡± He chuckled, and pped the fish down on a log as he took out his knife. ¡°Another reason to stay on the coast,¡± he said. ¡°All the fish we can eat.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± ke agreed. ¡°Unless Boglokse out of the water and murder us all in the night. Or drag us into the water.¡± Hank and Mona stared with horrified expressions, and ke rolled his eyes. ¡°Stop worrying! It¡¯s just as likely in the woods. Probably more likely. Better to take the devil you know.¡± Mona and Hank exchanged a look, and shook their heads. ¡°You really can be insufferable,¡± Mona said. ¡°Those things already killed Hank once.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who slept with him,¡± Hank muttered as he cut, and Mona practically choked on her water sk. ¡°What?¡± the older man looked up. ¡°Was I born yesterday? Got four grown kids, I have. Always think you¡¯re so damn sneaky.¡± They all went quiet for a bit, though ke had to suppress hisugh. ¡°You worry about them?¡± Mona said. ¡°Your kids, I mean.¡± Hank shrugged, tossing away the fish¡¯s spine. ¡°I raised ¡®em strong.¡± He grinned. ¡°My oldest is a bit like you. I expect she chose to be a yer, same with the boys. But my youngest was always a bit softer, I hope she went civilian, and that things turned out OK.¡± He went back to attacking his fish. ¡°There¡¯s naught that I can do for ¡®em right now. No use in worrying.¡± ¡°My parents will be civilians like you,¡± Mona said. ¡°Not sure about my sister. I try not to think about it to be honest.¡± ¡°Same,¡± ke agreed. ¡°About my parents, I mean. But my brother Mason,¡± he smiled as he thought of him. ¡°He was a tinfoil hat wearing survivalist type. Always predicting nuclear war, or aliens, or a zombie apocalypse. The son of a bitch was preparing for something like this.¡± The others smiled, too. ¡°When he sees me, he¡¯s going to give one hell of an I told you so.¡± They all chuckled, but turned sober quick. ¡°If anyone survives this madness,¡± ke said more quietly. ¡°It¡¯ll be him. I wish he were here with us now.¡± They cooked and ate the fish in rtive silence, drinking from the water sk Hank had started with in his civilian kit. When it got colder they put in some more firewood, and ke sat next to Mona, exchanging looks with her every now and then in silence. ¡°Moon is out,¡± Hank sniffed. ¡°I could go for a nice, long walk. Might do me good.¡± ¡°No, no it¡¯s dangerous,¡± ke said quickly, Mona adding, ¡°And we don¡¯t need any more firewood, and it¡¯s not like that at all.¡± ¡°Well it¡¯s like that a little,¡± ke said. ¡°And I know he¡¯s only a fisherman but there¡¯s no need to insult the man¡¯s intelligence.¡± ¡°Only a fisherman?¡± Hank scoffed as Mona blushed, and ke gave him a wink. ¡°Wait,¡± the old angler blinked and pointed above the fire. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± ke stopped and focused on the air above the me, at first noticing nothing but then seeing some kind of strange absence where there should have been heat waves and firelight. Then in a moment some kind of rectangr square appeared, flickering with grey and white until it shimmered into the image of a young, shirtless man covered in blood and grime, and a beautiful blonde behind him in something like a Princess Leia costume. ¡°ke?¡± came a familiar voice from the screen. ¡°Is that you?¡± ¡°Holy shit.¡± ke stood and knew it was his brother, trying not to panic as he saw all the blood and what looked like several rows of scars, which seemed impossible. ¡°Are you from the future?¡± he whispered. ¡°There¡¯s no time for your nonsense,¡± Mason barked. ¡°Where are you? Describendmarks, weather, trees. Do it quickly. I have no idea how long we have.¡± ¡°Uh. I¡¯m in a forest. Well, a beach, really, next to water, but close to a forest. It¡¯s very big, and¡­¡± Hank leapt rather rudely in front of ke. ¡°It¡¯s a salt water sea or ocean, but I¡¯m guessing ocean. The trees are pine, por, lime and from what I¡¯ve seen they¡¯re all uh¡­shit, what¡¯s the word¡­¡± ¡°Deciduous,¡± ke said, and Hank nodded. ¡°That¡¯s it. Temperate climate, if I had to guess, like wet and dry instead of four obvious seasons. How can one guy be so smart and so dumb.¡± ke scowled. ¡°It¡¯s part of my charm.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Mason¡¯s face seemed to lose some of its concern as he stepped closer to the screen. ¡°Are you safe? Are you moving?¡± ¡°Safe enough,¡± ke smiled. ¡°We¡¯re moving North, maybe ten miles a day, nothing but coast for two days.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Mason turned his eyes to Hank. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Hank.¡± ¡°Anyndmarks you can see, Hank? Something I can use?¡± ¡°Shit, it¡¯s¡­I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s dark, and I can¡¯t see much.¡± Hank squinted and looked out at the water. ¡°But I know there¡¯s two little inds with white cliffs, both in view where we¡¯re standing. I think there¡¯s a bunch of inds.¡± Mason nodded, then smiled as looked at ke. ¡°Good to see you, idiot.¡± ¡°You too, moron.¡± His smile faded. ¡°You look hurt. Maybe you should tell me where you are so we can find you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. It¡¯ll take more than some robot God. Looks like you¡¯ve got some protection at least.¡± ¡°Who, Hank?¡± ke scowled. ¡°I¡¯m his protection!¡± Mason flinched, then adjusted what appeared to be a damnpound bow strapped to his chest. Then the screen started to flicker, and ke cringed as the image of his brother dimmed. ¡°Shit!¡± He nearly reached out and struck it. ¡°How did youmunicate like this? Can you do it again? Tell us how, be quick!¡± Mason reached out towards the screen and his face lost all expression as he looked at Hank, and maybe the silent Mona in the background. ¡°Look after him. Because one way or another, I¡¯ll find you. Hold on, brother, I¡¯ming.¡± The image flickered and vanished, and only the shimmering heat of the fire remained. A mix of relief, surprise, hope, and anxiety rolled through ke¡¯s chest and forced him to sit on his log. ¡°So that was your tinfoil hat wearing brother?¡± Mona said, and ke slowly nodded. ¡°Yeah. Not gonna lie. He¡¯s hot as hell.¡± ke nced up, supposing he should have felt jealous. But he wasn¡¯t the type. He¡¯d had an endless string of girlfriends since he was twelve, too many friends and acquaintances than he had the time for. Mason, though, had never had much luck with girls. He¡¯d been the quintessential outsider, never giving anyone the chance to know him, let alone like him, even if they expressed interest. Only ke knew how strong he was, how loyal, how cunning, how brave. ¡°Yes,¡± he agreed, grinning, ¡°yes he bloody is.¡± ke took a piece of fish and felt his good humor return. Mason was alive. His brother had always belonged to a different world, a harsher world, where terrible things happened and harsh men prepared to deal with them. A world just like this one. They were going to find each other. He knew it in his chest, and in his spine. Then everything would be OK. Chapter 20: Escalation Chapter 20: Esction ¡°Wait, wait! I¡¯m not ready. I need a minute.¡± Haley started panicking as Mason tied his vine on the railing and said they¡¯d be climbing down. ¡°My brother¡¯s out there,¡± he said more harshly than he intended. ¡°And he needs me. So either I tie this to you and lower you down, or you climb down. Go ahead and decide.¡± Haley¡¯s ample chest was rising and falling with deep, fearful breaths as she looked over the rail. ¡°What I mean is,¡± she licked her lips. ¡°I need to store all this stuff.¡± She gestured at the barrels. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®store it¡¯?¡± ¡°I mean I¡¯m an Assistant, and as part of my ss I have a kind of¡­invisible, untouchable storage space. And I can pretty much fit all this stuff. I assume you¡¯d like me to do that?¡± He shrugged, then nodded, thinking that sounded vaguely crazy. Except, you know, robot apocalypse. Haley walked to the provisions. ¡°I can fit the barrels, too. So it¡¯ll be easy.¡± Then one by one, the whole damn, maybe forty pound containers full of water and food, vanished into thin air. ¡°OK,¡± Haley took a breath and put a long, toned leg over the rail. ¡°I can climb, I think. I mean I¡¯ll try.¡± Her hands were shaking like leaves, and Mason shook his head. ¡°Come here.¡± He tied the vine around her like a harness, over her shoulders and down beneath her thighs. As he wrapped it he had to put his hands all over her, and tried not to notice how soft and amazing she felt. ¡°Hold onto it just in case. When you get to the ground, just stand there. I¡¯ll tie it off up here, climb down and get you out.¡± ¡°OK,¡± she said, biting her lip. ¡°Are you sure it won¡¯t break?¡± He met her eyes, and lied. ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± But the vines were incredibly strong. They¡¯d held much heavier, much more violent things than a little French Canadian girl, and he didn¡¯t worry much. When he finally coaxed her off the rail, he lowered her down hand over hand, and could hardly believe how easy it was. Apparently, he was getting stronger. He opened his profile as he lowered the vine.
Mason Nimitz ss: Ranger Strength: 7 Dexterity: 11 Vitality: 10 Intellect: 4 Will: 7 Presence: 2 Luck: 4 Titles: Killer, Early Lead, Soloist, Crazy like a Fox, Burnt the Boats Powers: Power Shot, Crippling Strike (upgraded), Regeneration, Predator¡¯s Strike, *Nature Affinity, Ranger¡¯s w, Endless Quiver, Trapmaking, Aspect of the Wolf
[Level up still in progress. Please choose a secondary ss before you leave your current dungeon, or one will be selected for you.] ¡°Shit,¡± Mason said as he realized. He hadn¡¯t asked ke what ss he was or anything. Not that he¡¯d had much time. Damn stingy robot god. All that risk and effort and his reward had been about a minute of seeing his brother? He¡¯d have to be more careful with any kind of deals in the future, saying exactly what he wanted before he agreed. Ironically his brother would be far better at such things¡ªeven when they were little, he¡¯d always thought like awyer. The thought and image of ke made him smile. In that small window his brother had looked healthy and safe with some allies, which was about as much as Mason could have hoped for. Now he just had to get to him. [Avable secondary sses: Archer, Druid, Rogue, Skirmisher, Warrior.] What exactly did ¡®secondary¡¯ ss mean? [Tutorial query: A secondary ss will provide some, but not all, of the benefits of a ss. A yer¡¯s primary ss determines his main focus, while a secondary ss acts as supplemental support and synergy.] Alright. Straight forward enough. And since he had no idea what benefits he¡¯d get, only getting some didn¡¯t make much difference. He realized Haley was already on the ground now and looking at him with confusion, but she could wait. He tied the vine around the rail, and looked at the descriptions. [Archer: Martial affinity. Ranged damage specialist. May follow several paths, but all lead to killing from afar.] [Druid: Nature affinity. The druid is a natural student of magic. Capable of inflicting elemental destruction, protection, and support. This ss is especially dangerous in natural environments.] [Rogue: Martial affinity. A specialist in subterfuge and ambush, the rogue is a fragile but deadly weapon.] [Warrior. Martial affinity. A versatile melee specialist, with powers usable by many weapons. Can be offensive or defensive in focus.] Mason exhaled, unsure. Some of these he could have chosen for his ¡®main¡¯ ss back at level one, which he suspected meant these too would ¡®upgrade¡¯ just as hunter had be ranger. Instinct told him that being a specialist was the path to greater power. Druid was the only ss that shared his nature affinity, and he had already seen the immense power of the gnoll shamans. On the other hand, suddenly using mana might make his casting weak and fail to properly enhance his main advantages of physical speed and strength. He clenched his teeth, struggling to decide. Druid would make even more vulnerable in ¡®non-natural environments¡¯, but then he had no intention of ever being in one. He¡¯d stay in the wild, moving fast, keeping quiet, and make anything that wanted to kill hime where he was strong. And maybe being a druid would help him find his brother, or survive better in the giant forest that seemed to be his world. He realized he knew what he wanted, and stopped screwing around. It was worth the risks. He chose druid. [Level in progress. Stat progression modification. Mana gained. Synergy discovered. Immediate power change: Aspect of the wolf to Aspect of the Cheetah] [Title gained. Progenitor. +2 to all relevant statistics. You are the first yer in the world to gain a secondary ss.] Mason grinned as he lowered himself down. Whatever exactly the power modification did, he knew cheetahs were bloody fast. And the first to gain a second ss? Out of everyone in the world? Was what he¡¯d faced in the tutorial dungeon truly that rare and beneficial? As he stepped down to the hard wooden floor, his vision blurred and the cavern swayed slightly. He closed his eyes and took deep, steadying breaths. [Incorporating new ss.] ¡°Mason? Mason?¡± The girl¡¯s voice was concerned and very far away as Mason stumbled, then copsed. He heard a strange whirring sound and looked up, the air blurring and mixing with some kind of dull light. He saw bits and pieces of ghostly text as he did when he received messages, but these were jumbled and mostly nonsense. It helped not to focus too hard, and when he did he could make out a few words amongst the garbled nonsense, just as he had when he¡¯d gained Apex Predator. [Extreme anomaly] [0.004% survival likelihood. Enhanced observance rmended] [/subsys esction] [Uniqueness Acknowledged] [Incorporationplete] Mason¡¯s sickness ended instantly. He noticed a little blue tinge in his peripheral vision and somehow knew this represented his mana. So it must have worked. He shook his head and stood, finding Haley had wrapped her arms around him to help him stand. She was kind, it seemed, as well as beautiful. That was going to make what he had to do harder. ¡°Thanks.¡± He gently pushed her away. ¡°So, look. I need to find my brother.¡± ¡°Right,¡± she nodded, like she was preparing herself for the effort. ¡°Finding him is probably going to mean I have to cover a huge amount of ground, as fast as possible.¡± He really didn¡¯t know how to say it. ¡°There¡¯s a giant forest outside. And I¡¯m intending to basically run everywhere I go.¡± ¡°OK,¡± she said, a little caution in her voice now. ¡°You¡¯re going to slow me down,¡± he finally managed, ¡°and I just can¡¯t allow that.¡± The girl¡¯s blue eyes widened. ¡°But, we have a contract.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Mason put a hand on the back of his neck. ¡°I didn¡¯t n for that. I saved you because you needed saving. I didn¡¯t expect any kind of¡­reward. I mean I¡¯m d you¡¯re OK, but I can just end the contract, and you can go wherever you want from here.¡± A little wetness formed in the girl¡¯s eyes. ¡°Where will I go?¡± ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know. I hardly know where I am.¡± Mason tightened a fist, angry that on top of everything else, suddenly this helpless girl¡¯s fate was his problem. ¡°I mean, how did you end up here?¡± Haley wiped a tear and smeared her make-up. ¡°I chose civilian. At the start. Then it asked me to choose from some options, and I picked high risk, high reward. Then it put me here.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Mason could hardly believe what he was hearing. ¡°You chose danger? I mean, what the hell were the chances anyone even found this ce? Do you know how unlikely that was? How damn lucky you are? Everyone else was getting fucking ughtered out there.¡± Haley met his eyes, not backing down. ¡°I was afraid in myst life. Afraid to live, afraid to die, afraid to feel. I knew this was a second chance. I don¡¯t want to be afraid anymore. I knew I needed a patron. I wanted a strong one, and here you are.¡± Mason shook his head, again not sure how to say it, but took inspiration from what the girl said. This was a new life, a second chance. Time to stop beating around the bush and just bloody say what he meant. ¡°Let¡¯s say I take you, what¡¯s in it for me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an Assistant,¡± Haley said, as if that exined everything. Mason gestured at the giant gnoll corpses, then at the wooden tree dungeon in general. ¡°Do you see any office buildings, Haley? I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ve noticed, but I don¡¯t exactly need a personal assistant.¡± ¡°Maybe not yet,¡± she said. ¡°But this is a veryrge game, patron. Winners take all. Losers die horribly. You¡¯re going to need many things. Allies, a civilian support system, even a government. I can help you with everything. I make contracts cheaper, I can take care of all your needs, I can¡­¡± ¡°Stop. Wait. I mean I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m one damn guy in a fake tree who almost died five times yesterday.¡± Mason was starting to feel like thest sane man on earth. ¡°All I care about is surviving, and finding my brother. What the hell are you on about?¡± ¡°Then for now that¡¯s all I care about. But there is much more to this game. And civilians are given more knowledge than yers. I can help you.¡± ¡°Unless you¡¯re an expert cartographer, explorer, or giant hyena killer, I¡¯m sorry but I don¡¯t see how.¡± ¡°Well.¡± Haley touched the vine they¡¯d climbed, and it vanished. ¡°I can take as much of that as you want. And¡­I can take that staff, and that bow you dropped, and I¡¯ve got all kinds of provisions. I started with some things, too. And I¡¯m pretty sure I get some kind of identify power? And when this tutorial thing ends you¡¯re going to need that. Plus I can tell things about yers you can¡¯t.¡± Mason didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°How do you know all these things?¡± ¡°I told you. Civilians get more information. I guess it¡¯s the way the system bnces things. Makes us useful. And I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯re not going to make it on your own. Not in the long run.¡± Mason still failed to find the right words. She was starting to convince him, at least a little, but he had no idea how fast he¡¯d be moving and just how much slower she¡¯d be. But he suspected a lot. Still, the ability to magically hold things would be extremely useful. He knew if he took her now it would be almost impossible to just leave herter. Still, he decided, he had to at least give her a chance. He sighed, feeling the inevitableing. At least if and when he did eventually find ke, his brother would be as slow as this girl. ¡°Alright,¡± he pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°I mean, do you have shoes, or something? Your outfit isn¡¯t exactly¡­practical.¡± ¡°I have several outfits,¡± Haley said, pulling a ck bag out of nothing and removing what looked like workout clothes. Mason remained somewhat baffled as to what to say as the girl started unhooking her bra. He turned around. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to do your best to keep up,¡± he said, fighting the blush. ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard.¡± ¡°I bet,¡± she said, as if almost slightly amused. ¡°OK. Ready.¡± Mason turned to find the girl in tight, ck leggings, a strained sports bra and running shoes. Apparently she¡¯d brought a wardrobe to the robot apocalypse. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll try to keep up.¡± Chapter 21: Incentives matter (NSFW) Chapter 21: Incentives matter (NSFW) Mason took Haley¡¯s hand and stepped out of the dungeon. The same, strange, disorienting effect seized him, then he was back standing in the same forest he¡¯d left. Afternoon light flickered through the foliage, and a gentle breeze blew through the trees. Mason let go of Haley and summoned his w when he saw two gnolls just ahead. ¡°Oh God,¡± Haley clung to his back. But the gnolls turned to Mason, then lowered their heads, paws held up in what he assumed was some kind of submission. ¡°I think it¡¯s alright,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t think they want to fight.¡± Something likefort surged through his body as his feet touched the forest floor. It was strange, but almost familiar, like it knew who he was and weed him. It felt like he¡¯de home. ¡°There¡¯s arge body of water to the East of my brother,¡± Mason said to himself as much as the girl. ¡°The trees they described are right, so it¡¯s possible he¡¯s in the same forest we are. Therefore we go East until we hit water and hope it¡¯s the right ce. Then we decide if we go North or South, and look forndmarks.¡± ¡°OK.¡± Haley hadn¡¯t stopped eyeing the gnolls, and Mason supposed he couldn¡¯t me her. She hadn¡¯t seen anything of this world except that tree prison and the foul, violent creatures. He took her hand, and moved East. After maybe an hour of walking, the air shimmered with some kind of blueish tinged aura, and ghostly text appeared in Mason¡¯s vision. [Tutorialpleted. Tutorial activity: maximally sessful. Completion reward: random power enhancement. Trapmaking.] [Title gained: Hit the ground running. +1 to a random statistic. Did not die once in the tutorial.] ¡°You see that?¡± Mason stopped and turned to Haley. ¡°Yeah.¡± She smiled. ¡°I got a reward, too, for finding a tier 1 patron.¡± Mason quirked a brow, pulling up his powers as they talked to see he could now drop three traps instead of two. ¡°Tier 1 patron?¡± She nodded. ¡°In the top 10% of power.¡± She looked slightly at her shoes. ¡°A bonded contract, with someone like you, is pretty much the peak of what I could have done. Because I benefit with your sess.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Civilians get experience too, and another thing just for civilians. I can take a new power, actually, you can decide if you want. There¡¯s¡­first aid, negotiate, or identify. And my inventory expanded a little. I can hold more stuff, if ites up.¡± ¡°Identify,¡± Mason said without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m going to start moving faster now. Ready to run?¡± Haley nodded, and he smiled slightly at the determination in her eyes. ¡°Alright. Here we go.¡± He led the way and took it easy for about an hour. Before the apocalypse he¡¯d worked every day on cardio, usually running in loops around the park. He ran with the track team andpeted a little, but never actually cared about that. He knew he could jog for hours, if he needed to, but by the end he¡¯d pay for it. Today, though, his legs felt incredible. They were like steel pistons pumping him forward, his breaths clear and easy, his heart hardly working. He picked up his pace, faster and faster until the sounds of the forest changed, almost crystallized, like he could hear the life of the forest all around him, and somehow discern. He wanted to shout, to cheer, to howl. ¡°Wait! Stop!¡± Mason blinked and came to a halt. Haley was racing behind him, covered in sweat, her eyes filled with shame. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re too fast¡­I didn¡¯t know¡­that was¡­insane.¡± Finally Mason felt his heart rate increased, the beat throbbing in his ears, in his hands, urging him to run on, to hunt. His eyes roamed Haley¡¯s body. Her skintight workout tights clung to her skin, sweat dripped down her neck and the cleavage of her sports bra. She watched his eyes, and his expression, and it was clear he wasn¡¯t remotely subtle. ¡°Sorry,¡± he cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯ll slow down.¡± ¡°OK.¡± Haley leaned against a tree. ¡°Can we take a little rest? Just two minutes.¡± Mason frowned, wondering if he could make some kind of cart for her. But the forest floor was uneven and filled with roots and broken branches. He knew it wouldn¡¯t work. Then he turned and ran his eyes up and down the petite frame of the civilian, and held out hispound bow. ¡°Can you put this in your storage, please?¡± ¡°Oh. Sure.¡± She took it, and it vanished. Them Mason knelt down and turned his back to her. ¡°Um, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Climb up,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m going to carry you.¡± * * * Branches whipped at Mason¡¯s face and shoulders as he raced through the trees. He held one of Haley¡¯s legs over each arm as he ran, and he could hardly believe his own strength and endurance. Clearly the robot god had enhanced yers physically, and he expected his Aspect of the Cheetah and maybe even Regeneration were keeping his muscles from exhausting. It was still painful, of course, but pain was nothing. All that mattered was finding ke. ¡°Mason?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± he called over his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry,¡± the girl sounded close to tears. ¡°But I think if I stay on your back much longer, I¡¯m not going to be able to walk.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Mason stopped and eased the girl to the ground. She groaned, and he had to catch her, her arms wrapping around his chest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought I¡¯dst, you know, that there was no way you¡¯dst longer than me, since you were carrying me. But, um, yeah.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Mason nced around the trees, which were getting darker by the moment as the sun clearly reached the horizon. ¡°I think we¡¯ve been going all day. It¡¯ll be dark soon. It¡¯s a good time to stop. Can you bring out some food and water? Truth is, with your supplies meaning I don¡¯t have to hunt or find water, and the fact I can apparently just carry you¡­well, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be slowing me down. I¡¯ll gather some firewood. I don¡¯t even know what season it is, but it seems to get cold at night. Haley¡¯s eyes were a little watery again after his speech, her radiant smile wide. ¡°Of course. Um. Would you like a bath?¡± Mason snorted. ¡°Sure. If you can find ake, or a river.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Haley rubbed her sore legs and her eyes focused like she was reading something he couldn¡¯t see. ¡°I actually have a hygiene kit. And it includes a portable tub.¡± Mason blinked. ¡°You are carrying a bathtub?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Haley grinned. ¡°It evenes with a little gas me to heat itself. So we can probably use that to start a fire?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± Mason shrugged helplessly. ¡°I¡¯m at a loss for words. Please set it up.¡± ¡°OK!¡± Haley grinned. ¡°And I can wash your clothes, too¡­you know, what¡¯s left of them. I thinkter I get some wardrobe function for you, too, just not yet.¡± She reached out a hand, and a single-person sized, ceramic-looking tub appeared on the forest floor, already full of clear water. ¡°Well.¡± Mason shrugged. ¡°That is something. I¡¯ll get in, so¡­¡± ¡°Oh sure, I¡¯ll just¡­get some firewood, and, cook something.¡± Mason nodded, too tired and sore to care much if the girl saw him naked. He stripped off his bloodstained, tattered shorts and shoes, and climbed into the tub. He groaned at the feel, even before it started to warm. His arms and shoulders ached, and he hadn¡¯t slept well in days. He closed his eyes, then nearly leapt and pulled his sword when something soft touched his shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s just me,¡± said Haley. ¡°I figured¡­maybe you could use a massage? After all that running, and carrying. And, you know, fighting to the death.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Mason¡¯s instinct was to say no to everything and everyone. But actually he¡¯d sure as hell love a massage. ¡°Sure.¡± Her soft, warm hands dug into his shoulders, and he groaned and tried not to think about the beautiful, French, personal assistant sh contractual ve massaging him. This robo-god apocalypse was all kinds of weird, and Mason decided it was best not to think about it all. She massaged his neck, his scalp, his arms, also scrubbing and cleaning him with some kind of soap and shampoo. When he¡¯d both gained an erection that nearly left the tub, and felt like falling asleep, he¡¯d decided it was probably enough. ¡°I¡¯ll hop out now,¡± he said. ¡°Thanks again. Oh, did you need a bath?¡± He looked at the now bloody water and winced. ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± Haley giggled. ¡°I¡¯ve had the kit since the start. And, you know, I¡¯m not covered in hyena blood.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Mason breathed, then lifted himself halfway until Haley turned around. He hopped out, then realized he literally had nothing to wear or cover himself with. Haley turned back around. Mason froze, unsure what to do, his erection saluting Haley at full mast. ¡°Uh.¡± The girl frowned, and her eyes stroked his body, ending right at his manhood. ¡°I figured that might be the next problem.¡± Mason didn¡¯t bother to cover himself. She¡¯d been the one to turn around, after all, but he had no idea what to do now. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have a towel?¡± Haley took a few steps toward him, stopping close enough to reach out and touch. ¡°Look,¡± she bit her thick lower lip. ¡°I realize¡­despite some of my utility, I¡¯m currently not a great asset.¡± Mason went to speak but she raised a hand for him to wait. ¡°I¡¯m still a burden.¡± She came closer, and Mason nearly flinched away in surprise as she put a cool hand around his shaft. ¡°I¡¯m making your goal more difficult. And that¡¯s the opposite of what I want.¡± She met his eyes. ¡°I think you¡¯re pretty much my best shot to survive in this new world. And I don¡¯t want you to end the contract.¡± She started stroking him slowly. ¡°And, the way I see it, I¡¯m your personal assistant, yes? My job is to take care of everything you need.¡± Her hand felt wonderful, and Mason had no burning desire to stop it from stroking him. ¡°I¡¯m not sure this is part of the job description,¡± he said, utterly without conviction. ¡°I am your bonded servant, patron,¡± Haley said, her voice lowering, eyes drooping slightly. ¡°If you say it is my job, than it is. Would you like me to take care of you?¡± Mason reminded himself this was the apocalypse. Everything was gone, destroyed, made new. And he¡¯d already decided it was time to stop holding back, stop thinking so much. ¡°Yes.¡± He put his hands on the girl¡¯s arms as she stroked him, and she smiled. ¡°Good. Now let me do my job.¡± She sunk to her knees, and Mason practically groaned just at the sight of her. She leaned forward and opened her mouth, licking his tip with her tongue. ¡°Would you like to sit?¡± she asked, looking up at him as she stroked with both hands. A chair appeared out of nothing behind him, and Mason eased down his trembling legs. Haley gave him her full, white smile, then held him with her blue eyes as she took him halfway into her mouth. He groaned, closing his eyes as he leaned back and just enjoyed. How long had it been? Several months, certainly. He¡¯d only been with a couple girls, and not for very long. And certainly not a girl like Haley. She had to be in her early to mid twenties. Which meant probably some experience, and¡­ Mason twitched as Haley¡¯s lips slid like silk down his entire length. He opened his eyes to find her taking him nearly all the way before she pulled back with a gasp and went more slowly. His eyes rolled with pleasure and exhaustion. Then she was bobbing up and down, ying with his balls with her hand as she slurped and sucked with every plunge. He knew he wouldn¡¯tst long, even if she hadn¡¯t been so gorgeous. And apparently so talented. Her tongue was sliding up and down the sides of his cock, both hands stroking as she moved back and forth, swallowing him with tight lipped concentration as she held his gaze. Tight heat coursed up his balls, then exploded. Mason didn¡¯t even manage to warn her before he came. He moaned and grabbed a handful of her hair as he pumped stream after stream into her mouth. Her throat worked and she looked like she intended to swallow it all, but soon went wide eyed as cum dripped from her lips. Mason twitched as thest few sensitive spurts finished, and all the while Haley just kept licking and sucking until he was drained. ¡°It¡¯s been awhile.¡± Mason weaved slightly in his chair, struggling to keep his eyes open. Haley giggled, and he cocked a brow. ¡°I, em, got experience for that. And a title.¡± Mason snorted and might have blushed if he¡¯d had any blood to spare. ¡°Dare I ask the name of said title?¡± ¡°High ss. I think it¡¯s, um, because of your tier level. I¡¯m being rewarded for blowing you.¡± For a moment Mason had no idea what to say. Finally, he muttered: ¡°Robot God is starting to grow on me,¡± and Haleyughed out loud. The sight of her smiling, open mouth, her face all covered in spit and cum as she continued to hold his cock was not an image he would forget. ¡°We should get some sleep,¡± he added, because he could hardly hold himself up. He should have sorted out a bed but it was toote now and he was beyond caring. ¡°Should I get us a bedroll?¡± Haley giggled again. ¡°I can, um¡­purchase one, with my blowjob points.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Mason couldn¡¯t help butugh with her now. As usual it appeared out of nothing, and Haleyy it down by the fire and started undressing. Mason watched her with tired, but renewed eyes, unable to look away. She turned away and stripped naked, a full, glorious view of her hourss figure and thick, yet taut ass. Then she slipped on panties and a white t-shirt and climbed into the bedroll before looking back at him. ¡°You said it might get cold?¡± She raised a plucked brow. ¡°Soe on in.¡± She didn¡¯t need to ask him twice.
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Chapter 22: Sore either way (NSFW) Chapter 22: Sore either way (NSFW) Mason slept like the dead. He blinked awake several hourster, a kind of panic setting in when he realized he had no watch, no safety, nothing protecting them of any kind. He¡¯d even left a God damn fire going. He practically leapt out of the bedroll before stalking the perimeter, finally dropping a triangle of traps around their camp as he stared out into the silent maze of trees. Apparently they¡¯d picked a decent spot, at least. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Haley¡¯s voice was strained, and Mason could see the fear in her eyes even with a sliver of moonlight. In fact he could see better in the dark than he¡¯d have expected, and tucked that knowledge away. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Just making sure. But we were foolish.¡± Mason walked back to the bedroll, still naked, knowing he wouldn¡¯t sleep anymore and just wait for sunrise. Haley turned her back to him, and hey down in the narrow space of the bedroll, draping an arm on top of her. He¡¯d been so tired he¡¯d hardly even remembered sleeping beside her, but now that he was awake and here he closed his eyes and smelled her. She was all vani and something fruity, a heady cocktail mixed with a woman¡¯s fresh sweat. It didn¡¯t even take the feel of her ass pressed against him, or the softness of her hair before he was hard as a rock. Haley squirmed slightly to getfortable, and that didn¡¯t help at all. Then she turned her head like a deer who¡¯d caught scent of something, half rolled towards him and grinned. ¡°I, uh,¡± Mason cleared his throat, ¡°I guess I¡¯m mostly awake.¡± Haley turned entirely to face him, and he realized that though she¡¯d sucked him off, he hadn¡¯t so much as kissed her yet. He decided he should remedy that. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in, moving slowly to kiss her lips one by one. He almost groaned at how soft they were, then did as she opened her mouth, and hungrily epted his tongue. Well. His erection was certainly not going away. And the asional blowjob was one thing, but what he wanted now might be a new line she wasn¡¯t willing to cross. ¡°I think we have to change your job description again,¡± Mason whispered when he pulled away, and he felt Haley shake with augh. ¡°If that¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Oh? What were you thinking?¡± Bloody tease, he thought, feeling his raging hard on pressed against the thin cloth between her legs. ¡°You know what I¡¯m thinking,¡± he looked into her eyes. ¡°Is that what you want?¡± Haley bit her lip, then took his hand and slowly guided it between her legs to feel the thin, moist fabric covering her. ¡°I was wet when you jumped to me in that cave,¡± she leaned up and whispered in his ear, then licked it. ¡°Your body. Your scars. Your courage. I was wet before you carried me for hours on your back.¡± Mason wasn¡¯t usually one to be ovee by lust. He¡¯d lived a disciplined life,rgely without women, and even tried to avoid porn. But Haley¡¯s t-shirt was suddenly sphemy. He grabbed it by the bottom and pulled it up over her head, stopping to trap her arms. Her chest heaved, and he buried his face into her incredible, round breasts, sucking each pale nipple as she failed to remove her arms. Her body arched beneath him, and she inhaled sharply at his every touch. He kept her arms raised and trapped as he took his time on both nipples with sucks and little nibbles, working his way down her toned stomach to her wide hips. She finally managed to get her shirt off and gripped both hands in his hair as he kissed her thighs and hips, then yanked her panties to her knees. ¡°I¡¯m sweaty,¡± sheined, and Mason almostughed at the thought that would stop him from tasting her. All that annoyed him in that moment was that it was too damn dark to see. He wanted to see every part of her, how she moved, how turned on she was. He traced his hands over a trim patch of blonde hair above her sex, then swiped his tongue over the whole length of her slit. She writhed and he pushed her up the bedroll and forced her legs apart as he buried his face in between. She was pulling at his hair and moaning as he jammed a finger inside her and licked her clit. He kept at it, then as soon as he felt she was close, he stopped, and climbed up her body on hands and knees. He kicked off her panties and lowered himself on top of her, achingly hard length resting on her thigh until he slid it down, tip resting against her soaked opening. She put her head back and licked her lips, squirming underneath him. ¡°You are very cruel,¡± she whined in that sexy ent. Her face was achingly gorgeous. Her body belonged in Hollywood or in some magazine selling swimsuits. And she was naked, under him, begging for more. He¡¯d never been with a girl half this beautiful, and the reality of it was starting to dawn on him. ¡°Just taking my time,¡± he whispered, kissing her softly and giving her his tongue, which she sucked eagerly as she worked her hips trying to push his cock inside. Life was very strange, that was for sure. But this moment, this moment was good. He slid just his tip inside her, and found her far more than ready. ¡°Please,¡± she begged, holding the back of his head with both hands and staring into his eyes. ¡°I want you inside me. Please.¡± A man only had so much discipline. Mason pushed his cock into Haley as she gasped, sliding further and further until she¡¯d taken his entire length. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, and for a moment he just stayed motionless inside her, loving the warm, wet tightness of her pussy. He was very d she¡¯d sucked him off first, because now he felt in control. He pumped slowly inside her as she continued to writhe and push her hips and ass against him, trying desperately to take him deeper and faster. ¡°Please,¡± she begged after several minutes of not giving her what she wanted. ¡°You can fuck me all night, I promise. I¡¯m yours. But I want to cum. Please.¡± Now that, Mason thought, is how you negotiate. He only hoped his brother would be proud. He worked kisses down Haley¡¯s chin and neck without a word, then lifted her legs slightly, rolling her up on her back, before suddenly driving into her hard. She cried out and wed his back as he thrust inside in a steady rhythm, slowly picking up the pace. The more he hammered her, the more Haley moaned and clung to him, so Mason just kept going. Whatever primal beast lived in Mason¡¯s DNA was soon in control. He shoved himself inside her, ignoring the moans and cries and how she squeezed and quivered around him. He gripped her breasts and half kissed, half bit into her neck, yanking a handful of her hair as he jackhammered inside her. When her pussy became a flood, and she¡¯d mped down hard again and again then ckened around him, he knew she¡¯d gotten what she wanted. Then she was trembling and damn near trying to escape, and he could feel her juices soaking his balls as she kept crying out ¡®fuck, fuck¡¯. When the red fog of lust finally faded from his eyes, he atst lost control. His whole body flushed and clenched, and the pressure swirled and built into a wave of release that made him groan. Then he was pumping her full of cum, pounding straight through, desperate to fill her as deeply as he could. She kept pushing against him, apparently neither of them with any thought of pulling out. She¡¯d ckened in his arms, almost unconscious as he kissed her cheek. When he could finally speak again, he mumbled, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± between heavy breaths. She opened her eyes and locked her lips against his as she kept moving against his cock. ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted.¡± He slumped down on top of her, still inside her, no desire at all to move. After a minute or two she shook with some kind of giggle, and he grunted in question. ¡°I just leveled. Apparently I¡¯m doing a good job.¡± Mason snorted, and they both shook withughter. Between the sex and the strange, blissful moment of human connection in this dystopian insanity, he felt a bit of the stress of survival and responsibility for his brother fade away, if just for a moment. ¡°Yes,¡± he agreed. ¡°Yes you are.¡± ¡°Do I get a raise?¡± she grinned up at him and he practically rolled his eyes. ¡°There¡¯s a joke in there,¡± he mumbled, ¡°But I¡¯m too tired.¡± Finally he rolled away because he felt her legs shaking, and she immediately cuddled up next to him, wrapping a leg over his. He pped her ass hard and she clung to him even tighter, and he was starting to get the idea. Haley liked bad boys. She wanted a rough, hard, dangerous man, who took what he wanted and didn¡¯t apologize. Mason hadn¡¯t really thought of himself that way, but then he¡¯d just made her cum harder than he¡¯d ever seen a woman cum, and he could still feel her juices all over him. As he considered how he¡¯d kept to himself in the old world, and the way he¡¯d mostly hated civilization and having to pretend all the time, he was starting to realize it might be the case. He might be exactly the kind of man Haley wanted. The beautiful French girl¡¯s breathing slowed, and Mason felt her slump into him and drift asleep. He curled his fingers through her hair, his other hand stroking her perfect ass. He was still a bit confused and bewildered how he¡¯d gone from nearly dead in a dungeon to sleeping next to a beautiful woman. But old world or new, it wasn¡¯t a bad way to spend the morning. * * * ¡°Breakfast?¡± Mason woke to the smell of cooking eggs and¡­was that coffee? He hadn¡¯t intended to sleep, and groaned as he wiped his hands over his face. Then he blinked awake and rose up in his bedroll. The tub was gone, but the fire remained. Haley was standing over what looked like a grill, cooking eggs and bacon in a pan, boiling a pot of water, and setting out cups, tes, even cutlery. She was wearing her t-shirt and panties again, but her hair was done up in some kind of bun. ¡°That level helped a lot,¡± she grinned. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to keep getting a lot of experience until I¡¯ve kind of matched you. What the hell level are you, anyway?¡± ¡°Ten. Where did you get new clothes? And all these tools?¡± ¡°Ten?!¡± The girl¡¯s mouth hung open and Mason tried not to get turned on. ¡°My God I¡¯m only five! Wow, that¡¯s amazing. Hopefully I get more experience if I keep fucking your brains out.¡± She wiggled her eyebrows, and Mason felt a morning erection poking at the nket. ¡°About that¡­¡± She jabbed adle in his direction. ¡°No. You need your strength. And something to look forward to. Wait until tonight.¡± Mason rose and stretched, grinning with masculine pride as Haley¡¯s eyes took him in. ¡°I could just order you, ve.¡± He stepped over behind her and gripped her hair, turning her face so he could kiss her lips. When he pulled back Haley sighed and bit her lip as she scanned him again. ¡°Of course you¡¯re right, master. Just trying to do my job as best I can.¡± Calling him master definitely didn¡¯t help clear his lust. He pressed his erection between her ass cheeks, and when she pushed it out slightly he knew he could have her right then and there without resistance. But she was right. It was time to clear his head and focus on the mission: ke needed him. So he sighed and pped Haley¡¯s ass as he groped a tit, then stepped over to a bottle of water and doused it over his head. A cold shower would have been preferable. ¡°Breakfast,¡± he agreed. ¡°We have a long day ahead. Did you happen to wash those ripped up shorts? They¡¯re awful but better than nothing, unless you happen to¡­¡± He turned to find Haley standing with a rugged looking set of khaki pants, leather shoes, and afortable looking shirt. She raised a smug eyebrow as he took them and put them on, unsurprised to find it all a perfect fit. ¡°I¡¯m going to get used to this, aren¡¯t I?¡± he muttered, and Haley swayed her hips as she walked past him, changing her clothes in seconds to look like a professional hiker. She threw a rather coy nce his way before vanishing the bedroll, the pot, and everything else back to whatever mysterious realm they came from. ¡°Ready for my ride when you are, Master Mason.¡± ¡°Mason will be fine.¡± Mason couldn¡¯t fight the grin as he turned and lowered himself down to a knee. ¡°Until tonight,¡± he added as she climbed on, and nibbled his ear. ¡°Until tonight,¡± she agreed, and another wave of lust shot through him, but he fought it down. Use it in the run, Mason, he told himself, then marched towards the rising sun. After a few minutes of walking he muttered, ¡°ke,¡± and tried to clearst night from his mind. Haley raised an eyebrow, and Mason shrugged. ¡°Just reminding myself I¡¯m here to save my brother, not get inside my sexy assistant.¡± Haley giggled, then turned more serious. ¡°Mason I am here to help you, not distract you. So let¡¯s make a deal: if you get to your ocean today, you¡¯re going to get very deep in your sexy, eager assistant. And if not, I will just fall asleep. Mason snorted, thinking he didn¡¯t need extra incentive to save his brother, thank you very much. But as his feet raced over the roots and fallen leaves, if he was being honest, that still sounded pretty great. So if he could get to the ocean today, well, he¡¯d sure as hell try¡­ Haleyughed, and Mason nced back with a frown. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± she said like only a woman could. When he just stared she rolled her eyes. ¡°I just got some more experience.¡± Mason felt his eyes narrow, realizing apparently roboGod could not only read his mind, but was also rewarding a woman he was fucking to manipte him. He shook his head, grinning as he made a decision. ¡°Hang on,¡± he called, moving up to a faster pace. ¡°Why? What are you doing?¡± Haley called between bounces. Then Mason activated spirit of the cheetah, and ran like hell. ¡°Shi-i-i-i-it!¡± she called as she clung on for dear life, and Mason couldn¡¯t help but grin. Reach the ocean or not, he decided, she¡¯d be sore tonight.
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Chapter 23: Surprise Chapter 23: Surprise ke rose with the sun and renewed purpose. Mason was alive. They¡¯d find each other soon enough, he was sure of it, and then they¡¯d take the world by the balls. ¡°Come on, underlings, we¡¯re losing daylight!¡± Hank stood withoutint, but Mona grimaced and kicked his foot. They made a fire and ate fish for the ninth time in a row, then made their way down the beach. ¡°North is what we told Mason,¡± ke announced, ¡°so North is where we¡¯ll go!¡± Walking on sand was better for vacations, as it turned out. When one actually had somewhere to be, and miles of the stuff to cross, it became something of a chore. ¡°Maybe we should move to the damn forest,¡± Hankined after a few hours, but ke refused to leave the shore. They kept on and got sand everywhere in their clothes, wary eyes on the water and the trees, mostly silent as they soldiered on in increasing misery. But they managed. After what must have been several long, grueling hours of walking, ke was ready to call for a rest. ¡°It must be evening soon,¡± he said and turned, and found Hank with a raised brow. ¡°It¡¯s only been about two hours, kid. It¡¯s not even noon.¡± ¡°What?¡± ke wiped at the sweat dripping down his brow. ¡°I¡¯m bloody exhausted. There¡¯s no way that was two hours.¡± Mona checked her watch and shrugged, and ke sagged with a groan. Then he turned back and squinted, seeing some kind of strange, narrow cloud just down the beach wafting above a hill. Hank noticed his eyes and looked too, then hunched and lowered his voice. ¡°That¡¯s smoke,¡± he said. ¡°We have to be careful. That could be anyone or anything. Maybe we should move to the woods.¡± ¡°You and the damn woods,¡± ke snorted, feeling an excitement in his chest. ¡°Smoke means people. And I like people. Hell, it might even be Mason!¡± ke grinned and picked up his pace, ignoring the more skeptical looks of his less optimisticpanions. Positive thinking changed one¡¯s reality. ke had sworn by the fact all his life. And after another long stretch of cruel, desert suffering, they saw a ring of perfectly nice looking people sitting around a fire, talking andughing on the beach. ¡°We should be cautious,¡± Hank said for the thousandth time. ¡°I agree,¡± agreed Mona. ke rolled his eyes, despite knowing they were basically right. The thing was, he had magic mind powers, and that was on top of his charm. And the reality was things worked out for ke so consistently, so frequently, that he just wasn¡¯t afraid of these people. Or really anything. He had a destiny. He was sure of it. And that destiny was not dying on this nameless beach. ¡°Stay here if you like,¡± he said. ¡°But I¡¯m going down to make new friends.¡± He walked on without waiting to see what hispanions would do. The party ahead spotted him about halfway, a few standing from the ring with weapons ranging from hammers to staves. ke just smiled and walked on, only one nce back to see if the others had followed. They had. He scanned the faces of the new people as he arrived, finding nothing terribly frightening or out of the ordinary. ¡°Hello, friends!¡± he called, and one or two of them kind of waved. They were a mix of ages, skin tones, and genders. Most looked neutral to his appearance, or slightly friendly. A few dubious faces however watched him with unpleasant res. ¡°Who are you?¡± said one such face, and ke released a good chunk of mana to st them all with friendly Mental Influence. ¡°Name¡¯s ke.¡± He tapped his chest. ¡°The lovelydy over there is Mona, and the old stodger is Hank. We¡¯ve just been walking the beach and found your fire.¡± ¡°I told you we shouldn¡¯t have lit it,¡± said a middle aged looking East Asian. ¡°You¡¯re not with a group? It¡¯s just you three?¡± said a young, rather unfortunatelyrge nosed woman. ke watched their eyes, letting his intuition warn him of danger. He decided these people were afraid, not predators. ¡°We began as wanderers, and we are wanderers still.¡± He smiled, reasonably certain that was Carl Sagan. ¡°You talk funny,¡± said a man ke decided to call Sourpuss, but ke didn¡¯t drop his smile. ¡°I think in this case you mean the revered Carl Sagan talks funny, but I understand your meaning.¡± It was clear Sourpuss didn¡¯t have a clue what he was saying, so he sighed and moved on. ¡°Would you mind if we shared your fire?¡± ¡°More the merrier,¡± said a rather more friendly young man in a hoodie. ¡°Very kind of you.¡± ke took a seat next to his benefactor, letting loose another st of friendly thoughts with Mental Influence into the most open minds. It would probably have been wiser to get more names and details first, but first impressions mattered quite a lot when one didn¡¯t want to die. Anyway, he had half his mana left. The group went around introducing themselves, and ke forgot most of the names immediately. It was a shoring he¡¯d always intended to work on, but he realized now with Mental Influence he would basically be able to bring up the name of anyone he was looking at and could target. The thought put him in a rather good mood. ¡°We came from a nearby tutorial,¡± he was telling Billy with the hoodie as Hank and Mona took their seats nearby. ¡°Can I get you folks something to drink?¡± Billy said with a conspiratorial grin and a little pride, and ke made sure to react with high drama. ¡°You certainly bloody can! Where the hell did you get this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a civilian,¡± said Billy. ¡°A brewer, basically. Can make all kinds of things. Well, I could, if I had some more equipment.¡± ke took the young man¡¯s hand and met his eyes with as much earnestness as he could summon. ¡°Billy, I am exceptionally pleased to make your acquaintance.¡± Billy went a little pink andughed, handing him a metal cup with something very strong. ¡°Enjoy it. Can¡¯t make more without finding some things first.¡± ¡°I can imagine.¡± ke sipped and did his best not to wince at the moonshine. ¡°The rest of you all yers? Other civilians?¡± The others mostly stared at the fire or acted like they hadn¡¯t heard, so ke sighed and went first. ¡°Mona and I are yers. Hank there is a fisherman. He¡¯s been keeping us well fed.¡± The others perked up at that, and by the thin, somewhat sallow looks of the group he decided they hadn¡¯t been eating very well. ¡°We have a mix,¡± said Billy. ¡°About half and half.¡± ke smiled and nodded, deciding to leave it at that. ¡°You two don¡¯t talk much,¡± said Braden the sourpuss in Mona and Hank¡¯s direction. They exchanged a look, then Hank shrugged. ¡°ke talks enough for everyone,¡± he said with a wink. ¡°I take that as apliment,¡± ke grinned. ¡°You take everything as apliment,¡± Hank said, and the groupughed, ke included. ¡°I find life is better that way.¡± ke took a swig of moonshine and felt himself rxing a little. ¡°It makes us all friends.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not your friend,¡± said Sourpuss in a tone that shattered ke¡¯s rxing mood. Several others in the group rolled their eyes, whichforted him, but still. He couldn¡¯t allow too much disrespect if he was going to dominate these people in the long run. The banter was fine, the challenge was not. If it got violent, he decided, the others wouldn¡¯t interfere, and Mona would protect him. Probably. ¡°You see?¡± ke simrly lowered his tone. ¡°I take that as apliment, too. Because I wouldn¡¯t want to be friends with an ugly idiot like you.¡± No oneughed or said a word. ke met the man¡¯s eyes and held them, ready with Telekinesis to throw away his enemy¡¯s sword before he could grab it. ¡°But let¡¯s not do anything too rash,¡± ke added with a friendlier tone. ¡°We¡¯ve only just met.¡± Sourpuss rose to his feet, and Billy held up a hand for calm. ¡°Oh sit down, Braden,¡± he said. ¡°What¡¯s the point of this? It¡¯s a dangerous world and they¡¯ve got a damn fisherman we could really use.¡± ¡°Go ahead,¡± Mona said in a low voice, her javelin resting against her arm. ¡°See what happens.¡± Sourpuss, aka Braden, didn¡¯t back down, and every civilian around the fire started to back away. Billy tried one more time in something approaching a whine. ¡°Can we please just enjoy a drink by the fire?¡± They stared, and stared. Braden moved first. He reached for his sword, and ke tossed it flying away into the sand with Telekinesis. As the older man stared in confusion, Mona leapt over the fire, twirled in the air, and smashed him with a spinning swing straight to the head with the shaft of her javelin. He doubled over and groaned, clutching his head on the sand. ¡°Oh, he¡¯ll be alright,¡± ke grinned. ¡°Now if we¡¯re all finished measuring phaces could we possibly just¡­¡± He stopped speaking as he saw a strange orange light in the woods nearby. Then there was two, then three, wait four¡­all clustered together, sort of floating from a little patch of¡­ The lightsunched out from the trees at high speed, flying drunkenly, like orange willowisps as they streaked across the sand, straight at the group around their fire. ¡°Look out!¡± ke hurled himself away as the flying balls struck. Only the yers were hit. The smell of burning hair and flesh filled the air as the orbs exploded into me. People were crying out and screaming in rm. At least two struck Mona. Her clothes and hair lit on fire, and ke stared in something like shock before he lost sight of her in the shes and chaos. People were running and shouting about ¡®ambush¡¯ and ¡®betrayal¡¯ and saying ¡®run for your lives!¡± Mona copsed next to ke with two arrows in her chest, her eyes open in death. He stared at her, mind still nk, as Hank leapt onto him and seemed to cover him with his body. ¡°Don¡¯t move, kid,¡± he whispered. ¡°It¡¯s yers. They can¡¯t hurt me. Maybe you can talk your way out.¡± ke forced his mind back to reality. He gave Hank an affectionate pat, looking away from the almost certainly dead Mona with a sad sigh. She¡¯d been a pleasant distraction, and a useful ally. And he¡¯d wasted a considerable amount of mana on her. But now it was time to focus. To survive. He Meditated, and waited for the killing to stop.
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Chapter 24: Because I know things Chapter 24: Because I know things The campfire yers fought briefly. They fought valiantly. And then they died. Most fell to arrows and the ming orbs. But two others left the trees with swords and soon butchered thest, wounded stragglers. ke kept entirely still. ¡°Mikkel, I gotta tell ya, those fireballs are getting badass.¡± The attackers wereughing now, joking amongst themselves. ke listened carefully for names, sses, personality details, any information he could use for Mental Influence. ¡°It was mostly my arrows that did the actual killing,¡± said another of the murderers, sounding vaguely offended. ke noted the voice, pleased to hear the tone because it sounded like a genuine chip on the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Not my fault it¡¯s not as shy,¡± he added. ¡°Ha. Whatever, B-dog, I¡¯m just d you boys did most of the work. Dead is dead is dead, am I right?¡± ¡°Shut up and check the bodies,¡± said another, and ke focused on him. The leader, he expected, official or otherwise. ¡°Hey, you civilians!¡± shouted the same voice. ¡°Get your asses over here or we¡¯ll march you to a wolf den.¡± ¡°Gotta go, kid,¡± Hank whispered, and ke gave him a nod. ¡°Good luck.¡± ¡°Ohh we¡¯ve got another woman.¡± Apparently they¡¯d found Big Nose. ¡°Shit look at that face. Well, she¡¯s got a nice body.¡± ¡°Paper bag for sure,¡± said another voice, and the group allughed. ¡°Sebastian will take her anyway.¡± ¡°Yeah but the more he¡¯s got the more leftovers for us. It¡¯ll work out. Now keep it down.¡± The civilians came back from their scattered positions around the campfire, eyes cast down and faces pale. ¡°I¡¯m Paul. You¡¯reing with us to our settlement,¡± said the now confirmed leader of the group. ¡°You¡¯ll get work and housing, food and safety. We¡¯ll protect you. You¡¯re part of Nassau now.¡± ke practically snorted at the name. Nassau was a famous pirate port in the Bahamas. Apparently these idiots thought rather highly of themselves. The killers were checking the corpses now, and ke had run out of time. He put his hands in the air and stood. A young, silent man who stood next to ¡®Paul¡¯ leaned over and whispered in the man¡¯s ear. His eyes instantly turned to ke, and he raised his sword. ¡°You¡¯re not a civilian. Get on your knees. Now. You idiots, are there any more of them?¡± ke focused on Paul, and sent a giant st of mental energy with a single purpose: greed. ¡°I have information. And I¡¯ll be useful to your leader,¡± he put a little shake in his voice to sound afraid. ¡°He¡¯ll want to see me.¡± Paul snorted, and his menughed. ¡°That so? So go ahead and tell me. I¡¯ll decide.¡± ke shook his head. ¡°He¡¯ll want to hear it alone. But you¡¯ll be rewarded. I can guarantee it.¡± Paulughed but there was curiosity in his eyes. ¡°Guarantee, is it? You don¡¯t know my chief. Check him for weapons.¡± The other sword-wielding yer grabbed ke roughly and soon found Rajesh¡¯s sword lying at his feet. He picked it up and gave an approving nod before tying it to his waist. They all stared at ke, and at their leader, in a moment ke supposed was rather tense. But he knew how it would go. ¡°Alright. Bring the pretty boy, too.¡± ke closed his eyes and pretended to sag in relief. It wasn¡¯t too difficult. He knew he wasn¡¯t going to die here, not like this, but it had certainly got his heart going. He said a silent prayer for Mona and the others, then epted the yers tying his hands together and marching him along with the civilians. They marched them in silence the rest of the day before meeting another group of yers. ¡°Take these back to camp,¡± their leader told the new group. ¡°Tell ¡®em it¡¯s my gift. And this one here said he¡¯s valuable. If he¡¯s not, at least Sebastian can have a little fun.¡± He turned and winked at ke, then the new group of four yers took them and marched them all the way through the evening. ke¡¯s feet were killing him. He was thirsty and had gained a stitch in his side that just ebbed and flowed and never seemed to go away. Fortunately in all the boredom he¡¯d managed to activate Meditation even while walking, as long as he sort of clung to Hank¡¯s back and used him as a walking guide. He got a few strange looks, but nobody stopped him. By the time he blinked and realized he was looking at a long, maybe fifteen foot actual wall of something like concrete in the middle of the forest, his mana was fully recharged. ¡°Home sweet home,¡± said one of the nameless raiders, then ke and the civilians were pushed and shepherded inside, straight to arge building that looked like a town hall. ¡°You got a n?¡± Hank whispered over his shoulder as they waited. ¡°Always,¡± ke grinned as if he didn¡¯t have a care in the world, then turned more serious. ¡°I won¡¯t forget what you did back there.¡± Hank nodded, then looked at the ground. ¡°Sorry about the girl. ¡°Me too,¡± ke sighed. ¡°But now we move on. And we survive.¡± In the middle of the street, the ¡®pirate¡¯ raiders of Nassau had built some kind of circr, wooden structure that looked like a pen. Inside were maybe a dozen people sitting in clusters, looking miserable and filthy. One of the men opened a gate, then gestured inside. ¡°Go on in. You wait here till the chiefes and sees you. There¡¯s a few buckets for your business. And we¡¯ll bring food and water when we feel like it. Till you sign a contract, you ain¡¯t shit. Understand?¡± Hank and the other civilians exchanged looks, then walked through the gate. The same rather crude, unlikeable fellow turned to ke and looked him up and down. ¡°Shit. You¡¯re prettier than some of the women. Get on up to the chief before I fit ya in a dress.¡± ¡°Charming. I¡¯m ke, what¡¯s your name?¡± ke forced a smile, then regretted it slightly when he took a hard cuff to the back of the head. ¡°Walk, darlin¡¯.¡± ke walked to the hall asmanded. There were several other yers here all staring as he reached the door. His unpleasant jailer went in first, then came out and grunted for ke to go inside. His eyes widened as he entered. There were working lights, all kinds of modern furniture, and what looked like a proper kitchen with refrigerator, stove, everything. They ushered ke into a kind of office, where sat a maybe mid 30s giant of a man who looked like he¡¯d just left the beach. The room was surprisingly tasteful, with a plush rug, a firece, a desk that belonged in some corporatew firm. ¡°My man says you have something useful for me,¡± ¡®Chief¡¯ Sebastian said in an Australian ent. ¡°That better be true.¡± ke took a moment to calm his nerves. He wanted a sense of this man before he wasted too much mana on Mental Influence. ¡°I assume you¡¯ve discovered you can¡¯t hurt civilians,¡± he said. ¡°Or force them to do as you wish. At least not easily. Hence the cage.¡± The big man stopped ying with his rubix cube, his green eyes narrowing. ¡°Enough time in a cage, and they¡¯ll sign.¡± ke shrugged. ¡°Trade contracts. Maybe service. Because in the end you can¡¯t kill them. The system will know if you starve them in your town. And¡­¡± ¡°And why the hell do you know anything about anything? Who are you?¡± ¡°My name is ke. And I know things because that¡¯s what I do. Just like I know sooner orter those civilians are likely to break out of your cage. You can¡¯t truly stop them. That¡¯s not how this works.¡± The big man just watched him with a predator¡¯s eyes in silence, and ke mentally winced. He was smarter than he looked. Or at least more cunning. ¡°I would say the only reason they haven¡¯t already is because they¡¯re more afraid of the forest than you. And where else would they go?¡± He could see he was right, and gestured at the chair set out in front of the chief¡¯s desk. Sebastian nodded, and ke sat. ¡°I¡¯m a Mentalist ss,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡­influence how people think. Sebastian¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Anyone?¡± ¡°Only those weaker than me,¡± ke added quickly, silently cursing himself. The chief shot a stream of saliva through a gap in the front of his teeth. ¡°By the looks of you, that¡¯s basically no one.¡± ¡°As you say,¡± ke bowed his head, then smiled. ¡°But civilians are weaker than me. And my powers work quite well on them.¡± He had no idea if that was true, of course, but Sebastian instantly perked up and ke knew he¡¯d found his leverage. ¡°Allow me to serve you here as these others do,¡± ke gestured towards the door. ¡°And I¡¯ll help get you what you want.¡± ¡°Bonded contracts,¡± Sebastian said instantly. ¡°Especially the women.¡± ke almost sighed at the obvious nature of the request. The big ¡®chief¡¯ wanted his own harem of sex ves, though ke expected just ves in general would make him happy. He was beginning to understand the man. ¡°It will take time,¡± ke said. ¡°My mana recharges only so fast.¡± Sebastian snorted as it to say ¡®of course it will¡¯. ¡°I¡¯m not a patient man. And I¡¯d bet you¡¯re a liar. Maybe I should just beat you to death instead.¡± ¡°I can get you service contracts first,¡± ke said soothingly, now flooding the chief with a wave of trust using Mental Influence. ¡°I¡¯ll get you all the men, first, as a demonstration. All of them. Just leave me in their cage for two days. What does it cost you?¡± He could see Sebastian had already agreed, but his pride was a problem. ¡°You have one,¡± he snapped. Frankly ke probably only needed a few hours, but he wanted as much time as possible to influence the raiders. He scoffed and appeared flustered. ¡°My powers take considerable mana. It only recharges so fast, which is why I need more time, and¡­¡± ¡°One day, or I cut off your pretty head and leave it on a spike.¡± ke licked his lips. ¡°I¡¯m sure I can make do.¡± ¡°Get him out of here,¡± Sebastian called through the door, which opened instantly. ¡°Throw him in the cage. I¡¯ll see to him when I feel like it.¡± A different, slightly older man with a spear lifted ke and took him out, but not aggressively. As they left the hall ke met the man¡¯s eyes, and the spearman shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s not as bad as he seems. Well, not quite. Don¡¯t piss him off, do something useful, and you¡¯ll be alright.¡± He took ke down to the cage and opened the door. ¡°Appreciate it.¡± ke smiled. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Garet.¡± ke nodded and instantly gave the fellow a st of friendly Mental Influence. He¡¯d be the first target. The first soldier in ke¡¯s revolution. ¡°Hello,¡± ke grinned at the cluster of staring civilians as he trudged inside. The gate closed behind him, and he nodded at Hank and Billy and the few other civilians he¡¯d met at the camp. Then he sat next to Hank and pretended to be just as dejected and miserable as everyone else. It was time to get to work.
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Chapter 25: Kill stealer Chapter 25: Kill stealer Mason let Haley rest her legs every three hours. He rose up and cracked his back and drank from their sks, letting his heart rate lower and his legs regenerate the pain. Then he picked up his ¡®assistant¡¯, and ran on. The forest changed little. He saw more clearings, a beaver dam blocking a small stream, and clusters of ant or termite mounds he did his best to avoid. Lots of interesting things, sure, but no ocean. Not even a river, which he could at least likely follow to arger source. So he kept on East, or mostly East, doing his best to make sure he didn¡¯t angle too much. He found the hard, sweatingbor of it all deeply calming, and natural. The smell of the pine, the sounds of the creatures calling in rm as he passed, the cool air on his damp skin. He knew anything might jump out and attack him in this strange new world, but if it did, he was ready. Seven hours in he heard a loud crash in the trees. He stopped and let Haley down, putting a finger to his lips. Then he heard shouts and human voices. ¡°Bow.¡± Haley materialized it from nothing, and Mason nced around the woods. ¡°Hide in this tree.¡± He cupped his hands, and the girl sighed but reached up and put her foot in, leaping up to the first branch. ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± he promised, then crept forward towards the sound. The crashing continued, punctuated by loud, hard cracks and maybe the snapping of trees. The voices seemed more and more frantic, desperate, all male. Finally Mason saw movement ahead. He crept on towards a small clearing to find broken trees, and something huge lumbering back and forth. It looked like a moose but maybe twice the size¡ªat least twelve feet tall at the shoulders. It must have weighed a couple tons. ¡°Lead it back this way!¡± A man in dark clothes poked out from behind a tree. ¡°I¡¯m¡­trying!¡± Another man in something like ker with a police shield was apparently in the clearing with the creature, running back and forth to avoid getting crushed. Mason just watched, and waited. A spear soared in from another angle and struck the animal¡¯s nk, lodging solidly as it roared and spun towards him. Police Shield happened to be standing in the way, and panicked as the creature lowered its head and charged. He leapt, but not fast enough. The creature¡¯s massive antlers knocked him flying, mming him against a trunk where he fell andy still. ¡°Well shit.¡± Mason stepped closer and drew his bow. These people might have knowledge about where they were, and the surrounding geography. He didn¡¯t want to interfere, but he needed them alive. His first arrow was a Crippling Strike, straight into one of the giant moose¡¯s forelegs. It howled and waved its antlers to and fro, but kept on charging with a slight limp. Mason moved closer and closer, loosing arrow after arrow at the creature¡¯s side. ¡°There¡¯s someone here!¡± shouted a different voice from the trees. Mason just kept on shooting. He tossed three snare traps in a cluster between two strong trees, keeping them between him and the giant creature. It reached its target, apparently, smashing a tree in half with a single charge before turning toward Mason. Heunched a Power Shot straight into its face. The skull was too hard for a kill but he wanted it disoriented and angry. It howled again and came running right at him. Apparently mission sessful. ¡°Come on.¡± He keptunching arrows low, hoping to hit the creature¡¯s thighs and hips. It kept charging, taking hit after hit in its shaggy fur and thin legs, seemingly unstoppable. Then a few steps from his traps, the beast stumbled and fell. A few whoops came from the trees, and the figure in dark clothes leapt out with a knife in each hand, sprinting at near inhuman speed tond on the creature¡¯s back as he started stabbing. Another spear struck the beast¡¯s nk, and Mason nodded at the careful throw. Had it been a normal moose, it would have struck at least close to the heart, yet the creature kept on thrashing. About a dozen arrows and two dozen stabster, the creature kicked itsst, head stilling as frothy blood pooled at its lips. ¡°Hell yeah.¡± The young man on the moose¡¯s back grinned and put away his knives. [Killed Great Forest Moose. Group experience awarded.] The mid thirty¡¯s spearman stepped out into the clearing, along with a white-haired, robed man who attended to their fallenrade. Pretty soon the SWAT-looking yer was on his feet, and the four men came as a group towards Mason. Out of politeness, he hadn¡¯t moved, waiting for them to decide how to handle it. He met their eyes one by one and nodded. ¡°You stole our kill,¡± said the dude with the shield, and Mason felt his eyes narrow. ¡°I what?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t ask for your help,¡± he spit some blood and clearly looked worse for wear. ¡°We tracked that thing, chased it out. Then you went and stole most of the reward.¡± Mason often liked or disliked people very quickly. This person was not an exception. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Mason,¡± he said with more tone than he probably should have, ¡°the guy who probably just saved your life. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Bullshit,¡± the guy dabbed at his lip and winced. ¡°We had it. Just figuring out our technique.¡± Their technique? Mason nearlyughed. ¡°Was it ¡®get gored and sttered all over the trees?¡¯. I bet they teach that at West Point.¡± The moron sneered and clearly their dislike was mutual, and the kid in dark clothes looked at the others. ¡°The hell is West Point?¡± ¡°Look,¡± Mason sighed. ¡°I was just hoping for information. I¡¯m sorry if I stole your kill. That wasn¡¯t my intention. The carcass is all yours.¡± ¡°God damn right it¡¯s ours,¡± the apparent leader said as if offended. ¡°Now get lost. If we catch you around our kills again you¡¯ll be sorry.¡± Mason looked at the men one by one, seeing only their leader seemed interested in a fight. The guy in robes had a poker face, but Dark Clothes and Spearman practically winced. ¡°This is getting a little tense,¡± Mason said, ¡°and there¡¯s no need for it. I don¡¯t want a fight, and I might even have something you need. So why don¡¯t we all take a nice, deep breath, and rx.¡± ¡°Buddy,¡± Captain America took a step forward. ¡°If you don¡¯t get out of my sight in the next ten seconds. You¡¯re going to be permanently rxed.¡± At that point Mason began killing the man in his mind. He could loose a Power Shot before a reaction, he was quite sure. They¡¯d expect he¡¯d have to draw, but in reality without a quiver he could shoot in the blink of an eye. If the idiot didn¡¯t die straight out, he¡¯d throw a trap at his feet and use Speed of the Cheetah as he circled, peppering him and any friends who joined with arrows. His hands curled on his bow, and he decided to count to five. ¡°Hi boys.¡± Mason¡¯s eye twitched as Haley¡¯s voice came from nearby. Why exactly she decided to intervene, and how exactly she thought an attractive, young woman¡¯s presence was going to lower the testosterone level, he had no idea. She was supposed to stay in her tree. ¡°You were supposed to stay in your tree.¡± ¡°Well,¡± she sidled up beside him and wore her winning smile. ¡°You didn¡¯t exactly order it.¡± Then she looked at the corpse of the dead moose and covered her mouth. ¡°Oh my. Well aren¡¯t you all just incredible. Look at the size of that thing!¡± The four men gaped at Haley in various forms of shock. Mason didn¡¯t at all like how their eyes forgot about rudeness, moving from her chest to her legs and back again. ¡°Would you mind terribly if we joined you for awhile?¡± She perked up like she¡¯d just had a brilliant idea. ¡°I could cook you boys a nice meal!¡± Mason let out a long, suffering breath, and looked between them. ¡°You rather just kill each other? I¡¯m good either way.¡± ¡°I¡¯d¡­kind of like a meal,¡± said Dark Clothes from the back. The others red at him, but he just shrugged. Captain America shook his head, something unpleasant still in his eyes. ¡°Fine,¡± he seemed to struggle with the word. ¡°For thedy.¡± The Spearman took off his baseball cap and smiled with some missing teeth. ¡°We¡¯d sure appreciate it, ma¡¯am.¡± Haley put a hand to her chest as if wounded. ¡°Oh God, how old do I look?¡± * * * The smell of cooking venison soon settled the group into an ufortable stand-off. Mason kept maximally distant from Dark Clothes (apparently named Roger) and Captain America (Frank), never letting them out of his vision. He kept his bow casually beside him. ¡°Where did you get all this stuff?¡± The young Roger asked between bites of biscuit almost like the old British hard-tack. Haley smiled at him from her sitting rock. ¡°I¡¯m a civilian. I started with a bunch of stuff, and the system sends me more as I level.¡± ¡°That¡¯s awesome.¡± Roger grinned and failed utterly to hide his youthful admiration for the blonde beauty. He asked about a dozen more questions, including ¡®what¡¯s your name?¡¯, ¡®where did you get your clothes?¡¯, and ¡®what else can civilians do?¡¯ as Haleyughed and started answering. Mason looked at Robed-guy and Spearman, who had yet to actually introduce themselves. ¡°Do you know where we are? Or if there¡¯s an ocean or sea nearby?¡± The men exchanged looks, particrly at Frank, but the big man just chewed his venison and said nothing. ¡°We know a little,¡± said Robed-guy. ¡°Our tutorial was maybe two miles North West. We stuck together and beat the¡­¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± said Frank, who looked up and sneered. ¡°Why should we tell you anything? What do you have to trade besides this bullshit?¡± His eyes went to Haley with that same unpleasant gleam, the hint of a leer on his lips. ¡°I can tell you I came from a tutorial due West,¡± Mason tried killing with kindness first. ¡°I fought hyena men called gnolls, and little green men called goblins. There weren¡¯t any survivors, at least as far as I know, save Haley and me. I also found a giant tree with some kind of dungeon. I cleared it, but I don¡¯t know what happened after.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a dungeon? And what do I care about some tutorial due West?¡± Mason was really starting to dislike this guy. He was seriously considering killing him with something other than kindness just so he could have a more polite conversation with the other three. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you care about. All I want to know if you¡¯ve seen a sea, or an ocean, so I¡¯m offering information. I¡¯m also looking for two small inds with little white cliffs on said sea or ocean. If you¡¯ve seen anything like that, just tell me, and I¡¯ll leave you alone.¡± Roger chewed on his biscuit like he was watching TV, eyes moving back and forth from Frank to Mason. ¡°I tell you what,¡± Frank smiled lewdly. ¡°Let¡¯s just speak in. You give us all a nice evening with your girl here, and we¡¯ll tell you anything you want to know.¡± Mason was off his log, rock in hand, before Frank finished talking. The thing was, he¡¯d been putting boys like this in their ce all his life. For about ten years, ke had practically oozed ¡®beat me up¡¯ from his pores. Until he¡¯d hit puberty and figured out girls and learned some charm, he¡¯d been a skinny, awkward, nerd who couldn¡¯t throw a ball to save his life. So Mason had been beating bullies for about a decade. At this point it just came natural. Two steps and he¡¯d crossed the distance. Haley was crying out something that didn¡¯t matter now. Frank rose as if it¡¯s what he wanted, grabbing for his shield and fumbling slightly with the handle. He¡¯d underestimated Mason¡¯s speed. With a fast sidestep, and an armshed out like a sidearm pitch, Mason activated Predator¡¯s Strike and smashed Frank in the side of the head. The big man dropped instantly. His body went limp, copsing at an awkward angle on the forest floor, snoring instantly with the brain trauma of unconsciousness. The three other men just stared. Haley covered her mouth and backed away, and Mason sniffed and dropped the bloodstained rock. He let the snoring sound in the air for a little while. ¡°Let¡¯s try this again,¡± he put the menace he felt into his voice. ¡°I¡¯m Mason, and I¡¯ve got friends, and I¡¯ve got enemies. Now it¡¯s time for you to decide. Which ones are you?¡± The men gaped at him, Roger staring at Frank with wide eyes. Spearman twitched as if drawn towards one of his weapons, and Mason took out his knife and yed with the de. ¡°We¡¯re friends,¡± said Robed-guy. ¡°Excellent.¡± Mason stuffed his knife back in his belt. ¡°My friends, have you seen an ocean or a sea, and if so, andmark as I described? I¡¯d really like to know.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve seen a river, and a smallke, not far from here. Up North, right by our tutorial,¡± said Spearman, still looking ready to run for his spear. ¡°I can likely save him,¡± said Robed-guy, looking at Frank with a kind of cold analysis. Mason lifted his bow with slow movements, drew back the string and formed a bullet arrow. Spearman licked his lips, hands at the ready, like a ball yer about to steal third. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± Mason said, then aimed. He shot an arrow straight through Frank¡¯s unmoving skull, and the snoring stopped. [Killed yer. Experience awarded.] Everyone flinched and stared, but didn¡¯t move. Mason put down his bow. ¡°I don¡¯t let enemies live. We¡¯re leaving now, and I wouldn¡¯t follow.¡± The men all nodded, a pale faced Roger with his biscuit still hanging from his mouth. ¡°Haley, grab your things.¡± He had to help her get started, but with a little prompting she came back to herself and did as she was told. They walked away from the camp and the corpse, heading East back into the woods.
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Chapter 26: S*x in a canoe (NSFW) Chapter 26: S*x in a canoe (NSFW) Mason and Haley moved slowly in the dark as Mason looked for a decent tree to sleep in. Haley was quiet, and walked a little ways away from him, which he didn¡¯t like but didn¡¯t try to stop. The moon wasn¡¯t that bright, however, and after Haley tripped once or twice Mason finally crossed the distance and took her hand. They walked in silence for a little while. ¡°Did it bother you? Killing him?¡± she finally asked. Mason wished he could avoid the conversation, but did his best to think that over. ¡°No. yers are soldiers now. Soldiers kill soldiers. That¡¯s just how it is.¡± ¡°But¡­why did you kill him?¡± ¡°I already said. He was my enemy.¡± ¡°Was he? He hadn¡¯t tried to hurt you. I mean he was pretty vile and¡­¡± ¡°Do I tell you how to be a civilian?¡± he snapped. ¡°No,¡± she said quietly. Mason felt his annoyance build in the silence. How tomunicate a lifetime of instinct? Of knowing who was cruel and vindictive and just needed to be stopped by someone? ¡°He was just waiting. Understand?" he tried. "He wanted to kill me and take you, and he was just waiting. Everything else was just bullshit.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± Mason snorted, no idea how to exin himself, yet knowing deep in his bones he was right. Even before the system made him into...whatever the hell he was, he''d known. ¡°Because he was a predator. We know each other." The truth in those words made him feel strange. "In this fucked up world I don¡¯t leave guys like that at my back. Not anymore.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried¡­about the others?¡± ¡°No.¡± He took a deep breath, stopped and looked Haley in the eye. ¡°You wanted risk. You wanted a man like me. This is what it looks like. And when I find people who¡¯d kill me just to have you, or people who think the vulnerability in others makes them targets, I¡¯m going to end them. Understood? And I don¡¯t need or want your permission. So this is thest time we¡¯ll talk about it.¡± She nodded, and he angrily circled the tree he¡¯d chosen for a bed, looking for a good way up. It had thick branches and wasn¡¯t easy to climb, which made it ideal. ¡°I need the vines.¡± ¡°Oh. OK.¡± She took them from her hidden storage, and he climbed up and tied one to the branch he wanted. If it was just him he¡¯d just tie himself to the tree as he¡¯d done before, but with Haley he decided to make something morefortable. After a few moments of debate, he decided to build a kind of hammock. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Haley eventually called up. ¡°We¡¯re going to sleep in the tree. It¡¯s much safer.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± He heard the concern in her voice, but she¡¯d get over it. He had to make several trips down to get cloth, the bedroll, more vines and some leaves, but when he was finished he had to admit he¡¯d made a pretty damn cozy hammock. The work cleared his mind, and improved his mood. Finally he set up his traps at the bottom of the tree, then helped Haley climb up. ¡°We should get some sleep,¡± he said, actually tired and still sore from the long day of running and carrying her. Then he stripped down to his boxers and climbed onto the swinging bed. ¡°It¡¯s cold tonight. Sorry if you don¡¯t want to, but you¡¯ll need to share body heat.¡± Her eyes stared off as she essed her storage, and like magic her windbreaker and khaki¡¯s vanished, leaving her in just a t-shirt and white panties. She crawled into the swing, which pulled them together no matter how they moved or what they intended. Haley didn¡¯t seem repulsed by him, at least, hugging herself against his chest. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Mason whispered. ¡°It¡¯s going to get worse. Millions died to make the kinds of governments we had. It¡¯s the wild West now. Maybe more wild than that. Except with monsters.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Haley squeezed him tighter. ¡°It¡¯s just different. Seeing it.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Haley wrapped her arms around him and cuddled more properly, and the soft warmth felt like slipping into a bath. ¡°Good thing I got you,¡± she said. ¡°Good thing,¡± he agreed, and squeezed her back. He could see the shape of her body in the moonlight, and though he wasn¡¯t sure exactly how he felt about the results of the day, it seemed not only was he not bothered by killing an asshole like Frank, the mortal risk of such things made him feel¡­very much alive. That he was young and had a beautiful woman in his arms felt more important to him than some petty argument or whatever nonsense people wasted their time and lives with instead of doing what they wanted. And all he could think was, I could die tomorrow. And if he could die tomorrow, why on earth would he waste his time tonight? He slid his hand down Haley¡¯s back, pushing under her panties to cup her ass. ¡°I haven¡¯t had a bath,¡± she said, and Mason snorted. He brought his other hand to her front, moving under her panties without hesitation to slide his fingers down her sex. She went rigid, and Mason felt his heart skip a beat when he found her wet, shockingly wet. ¡°I¡­¡± Haley dug her fingers into his chest. ¡°Does it make me bad? That you still turn me on? And...maybe more?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Mason answered, his voice husky now, not giving a shit what it made her. ¡°Ever had sex in a hammock?¡± She bit her lip as she smiled. ¡°I¡¯m Canadian,¡± she said, as if that exined everything. Mason raised a brow and she rolled her eyes. ¡°A Canadian can have sex in a canoe?¡± He grabbed the back of her panties and pulled them down and off, no idea what that meant. ¡°You can¡¯t rock a canoe side to side.¡± Haley was apparently dead set on this making sense. Then she was gasping as Mason pulled her on top and put a finger and soon two inside her from beneath, pulling up her shirt and lifting her slightly to suck on her nipples. She was so damn light for him now, and he curled his fingers slightly, using them to control her movements and sliding them back and forth looking for her spot. She clenched around him hard, and he smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± he ordered, as he wiggled his fingers and yed with her clit with the other hand, all the while still sucking on her nipples. She had to hold herself up in the hammock, and before long her arms and legs were shaking before she clenched again and her wetness ran down his hand. Her eyes were mostly closed and rolled back, her head practically lolling, and he had to let go of her clit to hold her up. Then he pulled down his boxers, lined her up, and pushed inside. She cried out, and he let her fall down to cup her ass with both hands, driving deeper. Something about her made him possessive, controlling. He wanted her to do what he said, to take what he gave, to cum when he allowed. When she came back from her orgasmic stupor, he used one hand to gather and seize her long, blonde hair, pulling her down to meet his eyes while he fucked her. He loved the feel of her, every inch of her hot, tight, wetness, and how she tried desperately to drive him in even deeper with her hips. She was moaning his name, and he feltpletely in control. Of her. Of himself. Of the night. Like this insane new world was somehow truer, better for him than thest. Like this is where he belonged. He cried out as he came, suddenly not caring if something found them, knowing he would kill whatever or whoever it was that threatened him or the woman that belonged to him. He kept pumping as he sprayed his seed inside her, loving that he knew that¡¯s what she wanted. She took his hand and sucked his fingers as she writhed on top of him, then copsed and kissed his ear, his neck, his chin. He twitched inside her and pped her ass, then kept his hands there, pulling her slightly to feel her soaked pussy slide against him. ¡°You drive me crazy,¡± she whispered into his ear, and he knew it was true. She was his bonded ve and for that he owned her ording to some foreign robot god. She took his cum dly, excitedly, and for that she was his by any reasonablew of men. He kissed her and tasted her tongue because it was his, just like the rest of her, then he pulled the bedroll over her back. He let hery t and wrap her arms around him with his cock still inside, and closed his eyes to sleep. * * * He took her again in a few hours. He said nothing, asked nothing, just licked his fingers and worked her until she moaned and muttered something about American men. Then he was inside her from behind, grinding her into the hammock. She looked absolutely incredible. Her ass bounced with her legs pressed together, just the tucked, swollen lips of her pussy peaking up with his cock splitting them apart. All he could hear was the wet, fleshy sounds of his body ramming into hers, all he could feel was her opening with every thrust, his balls hitting her toned ass. Then she was biting and gripping the fabric of the hammock, moaning and almost mindless from a long, steady pounding. Mason came without knowing if she had. It''s not that he didn''t care, it''s just that she was his for the taking, for the pleasing or the not pleasing, and she would take his cock obediently for as long or as little as he liked. Then it was sunrise, and Haley was stroking a leg and a hand up his body, kissing his chest as he woke. ¡°Mmm,¡± she moaned with her eyes closed. ¡°Good morning.¡± He let her writhe and touch him with a sigh. ¡°I think I¡¯ll fuck you again while you cook.¡± She practically leapt out of the hammock. Then they were on the ground and readying a fire, with venison sausage sizzling in a pan, and water boiling for coffee while Mason bent Haley over a literal barrel and thrust inside. ¡°No cumming,¡± he told her, ¡°you just take mine.¡± She was half wrapped over the barrel and helpless, moaning as he pulled her legs apart and rammed her already red and swollen pussy with merciless abandon. He¡¯d intended to cum quickly but loved the sight of her naked and taking his full length in the morning light, her little asshole clenching, and also his if he wanted. When she was crying out obvious French curses and saying ¡®I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t, he released for a final time, spraying whatever was left in his balls in a series of spasms. When he let her up she was dripping his seed down her already wet thighs, her body a pattern of red lines from getting fucked most of the night. ¡°I didn¡¯t cum, master,¡± she said with a visible tremble, and Mason pulled her in for an intimate kiss. ¡°Good girl. I like you filthy and covered in my cum, but maybe you should have a bath.¡± She nodded happily and ced the tub by the fire, climbing in with an audible sigh. Mason knelt by her side and helped wash her slowly, enjoying her groans and noises of pleasure. ¡°We haven¡¯t even found the ocean,¡± he said, and Haley smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll survive if we do.¡± He leaned on the edge of the tub, and stroked her face. She opened her big, blue eyes and looked into his. ¡°Thanks again for saving me.¡± ¡°My literal pleasure.¡± She giggled, and she was so adorable and sexy he wanted to reward her, working his hands down to her breasts, and between her legs, to pleasure her in slow, gentle strokes. He could tell she was sore and sensitive, so he took his time and kept it slow, and by the time he could smell burnt sausage she was clutching the edge of the tub and flushing as she cried out and came. She panted and just breathed as the burning went to char, then licked her lips and rolled her eyes as she tried to open them. ¡°This job has great benefits.¡± Mason chuckled, then left her to rx as he fixed more food and made them coffee. By the time she¡¯d dressed and removed most of their tools and vines and bedding back to storage, Mason gave her a quick hug and frowned. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about getting pregnant?¡± Haley snorted. ¡°If we¡¯re both alive in nine months, I think we¡¯ll call it a win.¡± ¡°Good point.¡± Mason picked up thest few loops of vine and rubbed his chin as he thought of the hammock. ¡°Anyway,¡± Haley grinned. ¡°It gives me more experience to, um, take it inside.¡± Mason nearly choked. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sheughed. ¡°I leveled again after the barrel.¡± Her face went slightly pink at the memory. ¡°I guess it wants us to make lots of babies.¡± ¡°Give out magic powers,¡± Mason shook his head. ¡°Why didn¡¯t the government think of that. Well, it¡¯ll probably help with the birth rate. Also, I think I¡¯m going to make you a harness.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to make me a what?¡± Mason spent the next several minutes creating a kind of rope swing for Haley to sit on as he carried her. It was crude and not thatfortable, but would help strap her in and even out the pressure and rubbing a bit around her body. They tried it out, and Haley seemed pleased, so they carried on back through the forest, with Mason moving at inhuman speed. ¡°What happens when we find your brother?¡± Haley asked him a little whileter. ¡°We go somewhere safe.¡± Mason shrugged. ¡°We build levels so we can handle anything. Why, what do you think?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Haley didn¡¯t quite meet his eyes. ¡°Like I said, this is¡­a game, with people like youpeting against whatever this thing throws at you. And until we make some kind of¡­organized resistance, I don¡¯t think it ends.¡± ¡°Not my problem.¡± ¡°But I think it is, patron, master,¡± she smiled into his neck and wrapped herself around his shoulders. ¡°Because if you keep leveling like you are, I think you¡¯ll be¡­well, one of the main yers. And I think in this new world, that makes you, um, sort of like a king.¡± Mason frowned, not liking the truth he detected in her words. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a king. But ke would love it. We¡¯ll just give him the crown, he¡¯ll know what to do.¡± Haley nodded. ¡°That might work. But¡­he¡¯ll need to be powerful. He can¡¯t just rely on you.¡± Mason wasn¡¯t sure about that. But it wasn¡¯t impossible. ke was very smart, very charismatic. Back in the old world he was on track to be a CEO, or anyway someone important. He was the one with a bright future, the one with ns and ambition, the will and the tools to bring people together for some grand project. ¡°ke was always the one to watch,¡± he said quietly. ¡°I was just his weird brother. Everyone loved him, or at least who they thought he was. And so did I.¡± He smiled. ¡°I just loved him first.¡± ¡°You have to be careful,¡± Haley said, and Mason gave her a questioning nce. ¡°Hearing my world-beating, monster killing badass man say such mushy things is making me wet. And I can¡¯t take another round.¡± Mason grinned, unable to feel anything but pleased that a woman couldn¡¯t handle any more of him. ¡°Hold on,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s burn off some of that sexual energy.¡± He activated Aspect of the Cheetah, and ran.
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Chapter 27: Why should we trust you? Chapter 27: Why should we trust you? ke made the rounds, talking to every civilian and learning as many details as he could. He wasn¡¯t a particrly good listener¡ªthough others often thought so. He was more like an¡­extractor. Of information. Of personality. He was mostly just curious, and didn¡¯t care about these people¡¯s lives. Unless they were interesting, of course. Which they mostly weren¡¯t. Linda was a clothier. Huan was a builder. There were three people from China, two from India. Two from Nigeria. Everyone else was the only person from their country. These people came from this tutorial, these other people came from a different one. Five men and seven women, twelve civilians all together. They all thought being with a group of yers would be the best thing, but now they weren¡¯t so sure. ¡®We need yers to protect us, not lock us in a cage!¡¯ ¡®Maybe it¡¯s better to risk our lives out there.¡¯ Apparently a few had already signed on with Sebastian and crew, all men, doing various things around town. The other civilians didn¡¯t consider them traitors, exactly, or hate them for it, but it was fair they thought somewhat less of them. ke tried to tell them things would be fine, that sooner orter things would improve. ¡®How do you know?¡¯ asked Huan, with an almost offensive naivety. ¡°Because that¡¯s what I do,¡± ke had smiled. ¡°I know things I shouldn¡¯t.¡± With every person he spoke to, after he had enough detail, he tried to improve the rtionship slightly with Mental Influence. As it turned out, his mind powers worked rather terribly on civilians. As in hardly at all. It wasn¡¯t strictly necessary for his n, but still an overall disappointment. Perhaps there would be other powers in the future that worked better. Atst he made his way to a little Asian woman who¡¯d been watching him from the beginning. She was rather in and intense looking and he practically sighed as he sat down next to her with a smile. ¡°Hi. Figured I¡¯d get to know everyone. What¡¯s your name?¡± The girl¡¯s bright, and rather unusually green eyes narrowed, staring at him intensely. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you.¡± ke held his smile, thinking yes, I¡¯ve noticed. ¡°Oh? I hadn¡¯t noticed.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been talking to everyone, but you don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Oh that¡¯s not true,¡± ke clung to every scrap of remaining charm. ¡°I like people.¡± He winked. ¡°Well, some people.¡± ¡°What is it you¡¯re trying to aplish?¡± the girl said, seemingly immune. ¡°Well aren¡¯t you the nosy one,¡± he said with the same levity. She ignored that too. ¡°You¡¯ve been using magic on them. Have you tried it on me?¡± ke froze at that. The fact was, he had no idea what the different sses of civilians were and what powers they might possess. Maybe she was some kind of mage¡¯s apprentice. ¡°What makes you think that?¡± he said somewhat more neutrally. ¡°I can sense it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a very interesting civilian ability,¡± he said, ¡°what ss are you?¡± The girl¡¯s intense gaze didn¡¯t flinch from watching his eyes no matter how he looked away and back again. ¡°All I want to know is if you¡¯re a fool, or if you¡¯re cunning,¡± she said. ¡°Because I need a cunning yer with magic.¡± ke no longer had to pretend to be interested. He leaned a little closer to the girl and brought his voice to a whisper. ¡°And why should you need that?¡± She sort of bit her lip and wrapped herself in her baggy sweater as if worried she was being watched. Then she took a deep breath and spoke low. ¡°Because I¡¯m not a civilian. I¡¯m a support ss that boosts mana users.¡± ke blinked but otherwise tried not to show his confusion. ¡°Then why are you in here?¡± ¡°Because I can hide my status,¡± she said. ¡°They think I¡¯m a civilian.¡± Wow, well that sounded¡­amazing. ke could have waltzed into the camp without a care in the world. ke watched the girl and decided her eyes were as intelligent as they were pretty. By revealing her secret, though, she had already decided tomit. ke smiled and leaned a little closer. ¡°I think it¡¯s time you tell me everything you can do for me.¡± The girl¡¯s eyes narrowed, and looked a little frightened. ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Because I know by telling me your secret you think I¡¯m your best chance. You¡¯re all in now. So. What can you do for me?¡± The girl¡¯s shoulders sagged slightly, but her eyes held firm. ¡°Do you need more mana?¡± ke raised a brow. ¡°That¡¯s literally almost all I need.¡± The girl smiled and took his hand. Hers were incredibly soft and small, and a little cold. Then he felt like he¡¯d licked a battery. A shock pulsed through his arm and his mana bar pulsed with a purple light. He knew instantly he was re-charging faster. Much faster. He fought the smile that threatened his lips. ¡°Cast a spell,¡± the girl said. ¡°But don¡¯t let go of me.¡± He happily obliged, sending another spike of friendliness at the closest civilian with Mental Influence. He watched his ¡®purple¡¯ mana bar and realized¡­it hadn¡¯t dropped. Not even a little. ¡°As long as we touch, you can use mine, too,¡± she exined. ¡°Though perhaps in the future we need only be close, when I have obtained more levels. Your re-charge should be at least triple.¡± For a long moment ke found himself just staring. She was literally the answer to nearly all his problems. And here she was, just some random person trapped in a cage in the middle of nowhere, waiting to be found. He nearlyughed. Mason was always calling him lucky. It was true, he supposed, by any objective standard. Not that he¡¯d ever admit it. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Seul-ki.¡± In a moment of whimsy, he activated Mental Influence, using the girl¡¯s own mana to increase her trust. The same resistance he¡¯d felt against civilians seemed present in her, despite now knowing she was a yer. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was her ability to disguise, something to do with statistics, or perhaps just having mana. But he¡¯d learn. ¡°Well, Seul-ki,¡± he said. ¡°I think we¡¯re going to be very good friends.¡± The girl smiled shyly and looked away, then ke used Mental Influence on any civilian in the right mood until she said she was out of mana, which seemed to be about as much as him. This meant she not only doubled his overall capacity, but it seemed she was correct about his near triple re-charge, which increased again with meditation. The boost was staggering, but even so, he didn¡¯t think it would be enough. With every use of Mental Influence he felt a certain ¡®effectiveness¡¯ level of the desired mood. And he could tell it was hardly changing on these civilians. He was, in other words, going to have to rely on n B. He practically cringed at the thought. n B was the truth. First, he talked to Hank. Then he asked everyone to huddle up so they could talk as a group, which they eventually did with a certain degree of confusion. ke met their eyes one by one, then spoke quietly. ¡°I assume you know the chief wants you all as ves.¡± They all exchanged various looks of concern or resignation, but not exactly surprise. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here,¡± ke said. ¡°He thinks my ss powers can make you agree, can screw with your minds. But they can¡¯t. And I wouldn¡¯t anyway. But I need him to believe.¡± Billy the Brewer scrunched up his face. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m not alone,¡± ke smiled. ¡°And my allies and I are going to kill this bastard of a chief, and make this ce right.¡± A fair amount of eyes widened at that. ¡°But¡­if we sign,¡± said Linda, ¡°we¡¯ll be bound to this guy. God knows what he¡¯ll do.¡± ¡°First things first,¡± ke soothed. ¡°I just need the men to sign a service contract. It¡¯ll buy me the time I need. Anyway, it won¡¯tst long. My brother and I will kill Sebastian sooner thanter.¡± ke saw the moment of concern in Hank¡¯s eyes, but the old angler covered it well. ¡°Where¡¯s your brother?¡± said Huan. ¡°Coming.¡± ¡°He has others with him?¡± ¡°He has enough.¡± ¡°Why should we trust you?¡± said Billy, with an almost puppy dog kind of hope in his eyes. ¡°Because when Sebastian¡¯s dead I¡¯m going to take his ce. And I know civilians are vital, not pawns to y with. I¡¯ll never force anyone to do anything. Every contract will be negotiated in good faith. We¡¯ll build this ce together, like themunity it¡¯s supposed to be.¡± Most of them liked that, but they were still wary. ¡°Nice words, but for now it¡¯s all it is,¡± said Huan, no doubt for all of them. ¡°We¡¯re still trapped in a cage. ke nodded because of course that was true. ¡°You believe in fate?¡± he asked. ¡°Not really,¡± said the older man. ¡°Well I do,¡± ke grinned, showing nothing but confidence. ¡°And fate put me here with you, with everything I need to destroy the man trapping us all. And the reality is they¡¯re going to treat you like animals until you do what they want. I¡¯m offering you a chance for a better life. A good life. Such as it is now. All I¡¯m asking for is a bit of time.¡± The men in particr all exchanged looks, and Hank came in on queue. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ve been with him from the start. I know he¡¯s practically a kid, but he¡¯s smart, and lucky as hell, and I think his brother is a genuine badass.¡± The others looked at the older man, and it was clear his words swayed them. They slowly nodded, and Huan spoke for them again. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll give you your chance.¡± ke smiled at them all. ¡°Thank you, my friends. Now listen, because we¡¯ll have to be tricky. Here¡¯s how we¡¯ll do it.¡±
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Chapter 28: A lucky man Chapter 28: A lucky man Exactly a day after they¡¯d put him in the cage, Garet the spearman came out and opened the gate. ¡°I hope you¡¯ve got something,¡± he said as he escorted ke outside. ¡°Chief¡¯s in a bad mood today.¡± ke sighed. ¡°Not as bad as he seems, eh?¡± Garet frowned and gestured up the hill. It was a long walk, and ke¡¯s heart increased at the possibility of the somewhat random chief doing something unexpected. Why couldn¡¯t he have gotten a simple brute? Instead it seemed the man knew something about intimidation and fear. ke went through the opened door past a few miserable looking guards, then straight into Sebastian¡¯s ¡®office¡¯. The big Australian was holding his shield and ying with the edge as he stared out his window. ¡°Ready to see if you die?¡± ke bowed his head and tried to appear as subdued and terrified as possible. ¡°I¡¯m finished, Chief Sebastian. I¡¯ve done what you asked.¡± ¡°Meaning what, exactly?¡± ke looked back and forth as if confused. ¡°Meaning all the male civilians are ready to sign a service contract with you, great chief, right now.¡± The big man¡¯s eyes widened and he clearly struggled to fight his surprise and pleasure. Then he drummed his fingers on his shield. ¡°That doesn¡¯t help me much. The men would have signed soon enough anyway. It¡¯ll put them in houses with beds and three decent meals a day. They¡¯re only in there out of¡­solidarity, or some bullshit.¡± He leaned forward in his chair with a creak, licking his lips as his eyes practically shone with lust. ¡°I want the women. I want them bonded.¡± ke took a dramatic breath and wiped at his brow, as if he were exhausted. ¡°It¡¯s been a day, as we agreed. But I¡¯m not a miracle worker, I need¡­¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re no good to me!¡± A vein bulged in Sebastian¡¯s neck as he rose and screamed. ¡°Take him! Drag him to the fucking fence. I¡¯ll bash his brains in right there in front of all of them.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± ke threw himself down to his knees as if terrified. ¡°All I need is a little time! I can get you the women. Bonded. All of them.¡± The guards burst in but Sebastian held up his hand. His chest heaved. ¡°How much time?¡± He¡¯s going to half whatever I tell him, ke decided. How long would Mason need? He had no way of knowing. Like so many things, he would just have to guess and rely on his gut. ¡°Two weeks. Maybe a bit more, but if I can¡­¡± ¡°Too long,¡± Sebastian growled. ¡°You have exactly one. And I want them signing service with the men. Right now.¡± Shit, ke thought, seeing how readily the man bit. Maybe I should have said four. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­I¡¯ll have to go talk to them.¡± ¡°Then go. They agree, or you die.¡± ke nearly smiled as he looked at the man¡¯s eyes. It was a bluff. He could see ke¡¯s value now and there was no way he was going to kill him if it helped give him what he so desperately wanted. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± ke put on his most sniveling voice. Then he rose and backed out of the room like he was leaving his bloody emperor, and the guards didn¡¯t try to stop him. He left the hall with Garet at his side, and gave the man another sideward nce. ¡°Not so bad, he says. Just make yourself useful, he says.¡± The spearman winced but said nothing, and ke sent a healthy dose of Mentally Influenced doubt into the man¡¯s mind. ¡°You agree with this craziness? All the other yers? You guys really think there aren¡¯t bigger problems in this world to worry about?¡± Garet nced around and brought his voice to a whisper. ¡°He came out of a tutorial with a following. Three other yers. Between them, they¡¯re too powerful. Too much for the rest of us who are a bit more¡­moderate.¡± He shrugged. ¡°But this is the world now. Ruled by the strong.¡± The world was always ruled by the strong, ke thought. There¡¯s just different kinds of strength. They marched him back to the civilians, and he exined the situation. All the women exchanged looks of despair. ¡°With a service contract they still can¡¯t hurt you, can¡¯t¡­abuse you,¡± he exined. ¡°You¡¯re just like employees.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Sarah, the youngest and prettiest, ¡°except they can make us scrub their floors and wash their shoes all day long. Maybe even pick our outfits.¡± ¡°This asshole is going to demean us every chance he gets,¡± chimed in Linda. ke nodded because they were absolutely right and there was no point in sugar coating it. ¡°I know. But it won¡¯t be long. I promise you. One week and then it¡¯ll be over.¡± He could see they were still terrified. He tried to think of something else to say but the men did it for him. One by one they hugged the women and whisperedforting words. ¡°It¡¯ll be alright,¡± Hank finally soothed. ¡°You can break the contract if you have to. You¡¯ll take a penalty but in the end that¡¯s not so bad. They can¡¯t make us sign that bonded contract, that¡¯s the truth.¡± The older man¡¯s calm tone and manner finally put the girls at ease. They smiled bravely, and nodded. All, that is, except Seul-ki. ¡°We have a, um,¡± a sheen of sweat glistened on her brow. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­because I¡¯m not¡­¡± The other girls looked at her with confusion, and ke was about to calm her down when Sebastian himself roared from outside the cage. Apparently he¡¯d made his way down. ¡°Well? Let¡¯s see it, pretty boy. Service contracts. All of them. Now!¡± ke almost smiled because he realized the chief actually trusted him. He knew, or at least expected, ke could get it done. He came down because he wanted everyone to see his ¡®power¡¯. To see he was in control. ¡°We¡¯re ready, chief,¡± ke said without hesitation. ¡°With one exception. I needed an assistant. Seul-ki is a kind of caster apprentice ss. She¡¯ll help me serve you, but I need her to sign a service contract.¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he searched the girls. ¡°You dare?¡± He snapped. ¡°Which girl do you think you¡¯re taking?¡± Seul-ki stepped forward and bowed without expression. The big man¡¯s eyes went up and down her baggy clothes and unremarkable figure, her in, almost unattractive face. A cruel sneer mixed with a smile shed across his face. ¡°You¡¯re a lucky man. If you¡¯d picked any of the others I¡¯d have killed you for that.¡± He chuckled, and ke desperately hoped he¡¯d leave it at that, leave his nastiness unspoken. But of course he didn¡¯t. ¡°You like ¡®em in, do you, ke? I understand. More grateful that way. I think you might fit in around here after all. Take him and his little whore out of there, Garet. Give him one of the spare houses. Then all you civilianse up to the hall and sign your contracts. Watching that should be enjoyable, at least. Move your asses.¡± With that he turned and marched back up the hill, and ke took Seul-ki¡¯s hand without meeting her eyes, very ashamed of what was said, and strangely enough, he found, on the verge of enraged. He hid his expression just as Seul-ki hid hers, and they walked together towards their new house. * * * ke and Seul-ki stepped inside the little townhouse, and atst their escort turned and left thempletely alone. ¡°Seul-ki,¡± he said, still holding her hand and stopping her as she tried to move further inside. ¡°That man is a vile, disgusting cretin. And you aren¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Please.¡± Seul-ki was blushing slightly and put one hand to her face. ¡°You don¡¯t need to. But I would like to use the washroom and be alone for a little while.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ke wanted to take the poor girl in his arms but refrained. Instead he sat down at the lone table and meditated to clear his mind. He noticed his profile was blinking and looked at the text floating in the corner of his vision. [Experience gained. Level four reached.] Apparently between his many maniptions with Mental Influence, and just getting his way, he¡¯d been gaining experience slowly but steadily. He pulled up the screen.
ke Nimitz ss: Arcanist Strength - 2 Dexterity - 2 Vitality - 2 Intellect - 7 Will - 5 Presence - 9 Luck - 42 Titles: Alpha01, Alpha Tester, Patron, Killer Powers: Mental Influence, Telekinesis, Meditation, Mind Bend, Arcane Affinity
[Please select your power enhancement.] Apparently he¡¯d gained a power automatically¡ª¡®Arcane Affinity¡¯, which didn¡¯t indicate exactly what it did, but ke had yed enough role ying games to get the idea. He¡¯d be able to use certain items or activate certain bonuses, and likely be susceptible to certain harms as well. This didn¡¯t excite or concern him much, but he smiled at the other gain¡ªa power enhancement. His first thought was Meditation, but with Seul-ki he decided he didn¡¯t need it. What he needed was more power. Telekinesis was tempting in the long run, but ultimately he just wasn¡¯t using it much. He was surrounded by people, manipting them constantly, and he knew what really mattered was Mental Influence and Mind Bend. After staring at both long enough they turned into almost meaningless blurred letters, he chose Mental Influence. [Mental Influence upgrade options: A) Potence. Increased overall effect power. B) Observance. Gain limited sensory ess to any target you form a mental link with. ke nearly picked option A outright before he really looked at both and considered. What he needed now was more control over the minds he was targeting, that was certain. But the possibilities¡­the sheer bloody, secret chasing, curiosity satisfying, voyeurism of option B¡­he couldn¡¯t stop himself, he took it. And God knew he¡¯d be testing it very soon. But for the moment he returned to the reality of sitting in his kitchen with a cruel, power-thirsty tyrant waiting not far away. ke decided he was going to enjoy killing this man very much. When he couldn¡¯t sit anymore he looked around the house, finding an electric stove, a fridge, even a damn thermostat that could control hot or cold air. The little house had two bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen, all of which looked modern and well insted to his eyes. How the hell was it even powered? He hadn¡¯t seen any gas or power lines, and even if he had, what would be producing it? He opened the fridge, and found actual food, too. It looked like something you¡¯d find in a decent convenience store¡ªwith little stic wrapped sandwiches, bottles of juice and water. He sat and stewed, drinking and eating, lost in thought before he heard the bathroom door open and a bedroom door close. He walked over and knocked. ¡°Sorry to bother you, but there¡¯s food and drink in the fridge,¡± he said. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± The door opened, and Seul-ki looked up with a polite, maybe even grateful smile. ¡°Famished.¡± ke brought another chair, and they sat at the table together. Seul-ki still wouldn¡¯t meet his eyes, and he did his best to summon the right charm to put her at ease. ¡°Men are idiots,¡± he said. When Seul-ki smiled a little he matched it and finally met her gaze. ¡°You look very beautiful when you smile.¡± She looked away again, a slight flush rising to her cheeks. ¡°You¡¯re a very kind man.¡± Something about this small, unfortunate girl thinking he was speaking from his heart started to bother him. ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°What I¡¯m going to do to Sebastian isn¡¯t kind. And the truth is, you¡¯re the most valuable asset I¡¯ve found in this game. I want you to know that. I want you to feel valued, Seul-ki, because there are many kinds of value. I could never beat Sebastian in a fist fight. But that makes me no less dangerous.¡± She looked at him now with a very different expression, almost less innocent in a way. ¡°Kind, and honest,¡± she said, which made him ufortable enough tough. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone has ever used me of honesty before.¡± ¡°In my country,¡± Seul-ki said, ¡°there is a saying. ¡®There is more than one way to tell the truth¡¯. I think you have your own.¡± ke smiled at that, very fond of having just the right saying for just the right time. He took Seul-ki¡¯s hand before she could pull it away, and gave it a squeeze. ¡°We are going to take Sebastian¡¯s men from him one by one. I¡¯m free now to talk with his yers. Eat with them. Learn their lives and details and personalities. The more information I have, the better my powers work. I¡¯m going to turn them all against him, Seul-ki, or as many as I can.¡± ¡°Your brother,¡± said the woman carefully. ¡°Is that true? Is he reallying to help us?¡± ke smiled, picturing the muscled frame and intense eyes of his brother in the strange screen by the fire. ¡°Oh yes,¡± he said with the same faith he had for himself. ¡°Yes he is.¡±
Author''s Note: If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10+ early chapters, you can subscribe to my . Enjoy!
Chapter 29: Take me to the ocean Chapter 29: Take me to the ocean ¡°Bow. Now.¡± Mason stared down the over-sized wolf as it crept forward like a cat about to pounce. Haley pulled his weapon from storage, then started trying to climb the nearest tree. ¡°Bad idea,¡± Mason whispered to the animal, raising his bow and drawing it enough to create an arrow. ¡°Live or die,¡± he said. ¡°Time to decide.¡± A twig snapped behind him. He shot andunched himself sideways, and another unnaturally aggressive wolf snapped its deadly jaws where he¡¯d been. He dropped his bow and readied his des, activating his gem¡¯s Shield power as the creatures chased and mped their jaws at nothing again and again. When they fell back in confusion, he dropped his Shield and leapt at the nearest, activating Predator¡¯s Strike followed by a series of shes that left the creature maimed and dying. [Great Taiga Wolf killed. Experience awarded.] Taiga? Mason didn¡¯t have time to consider the meaning of that. The other came on, leaping with an arrow lodged in its chest, and Mason again dove aside, opening its nk with his sword. It whined and crawled away, and he readied to finish it before seeing at least three more wolves running through the brush. ¡°Mason! There¡¯s more!¡± Haley shouted from the tree. He sighed and again lifted his bow, then activated Aspect of the Cheetah. He sprinted the opposite way, dropping deadly traps in his wake. Finally he turned and aimed, waiting for the first creature to show itself. When it did, heunched a Crippling Strike, then followed with a barrage of arrows. One wolf struck a trap and yelped as it copsed. Then another. Mason got a lucky shot and caught a third in the throat, then kept loosing at the fallen wolves. [Killed three Great Taiga Wolves! Experience awarded. Level 11 reached!] He stood panting, flexing his tired bow arm and rolling his shoulders. His string hand had gone from raw to mostly callus since this all began, his fingertips now like a man who¡¯d yed guitar since childhood. He grinned and pulled up his profile.
Mason Nimitz Level: 11 Primary ss: Ranger Secondary ss: Druid Strength:9 Dexterity:14 Vitality:12 Intellect:6 Will:9 Presence:3 Luck: 4 Titles: Killer, Early Lead, Soloist, Crazy like a Fox, Burnt the Boats, Progenitor, Hit the Ground Running Powers: Power Shot, Crippling Strike (upgraded), Regeneration, Predator¡¯s Strike, *Nature Affinity, Ranger¡¯s w, Endless Quiver, Trapmaking, Aspect of the Cheetah
[Please select your power enhancement in 60 minutes or one will be selected for you.] Things had definitely changed since level nine, and his stats likely exined his vastly increasing physical abilities. It also seemed level 11 was another power enhancement, which suited Mason just fine. But now the incredibly difficult question¡ªwhich power to upgrade? Regeneration was the obvious choice. Anything he could do to enhance not dying seemed a wise n. But as usual he preferred offense to defense. Power Shot and Predator¡¯s Strike would be nice to haves, but not critical. His eyes went back again and again to Endless Quiver. The power was already amazing. What might it do if he enhanced it? Unfortunately, there was no more tutorial to ask. But he couldn¡¯t stop himself, the temptation was too great. He picked Endless Quiver. [Endless Quiver enhanced: select from arger choice of arrows, increasing with levels.] Mason wasn¡¯t exactly sure what other choices of arrows even were, but he¡¯d find out soon enough. He smiled as he walked back to Haley¡¯s tree with the enhanced senses of the kill. The air tasted sweet on his tongue, moving through his lungs with pleasurable ease. His muscles bled fire, blood coursing through his body. Good choice, bad choice, whatever the hell happened next¡ªit was good to be alive. ¡°You¡¯re bleeding. ¡°Hmm?¡± Mason blinked and lifted his left arm, which he now felt vaguely throbbing and saw what must have been a w wound snaking down from his elbow to his shoulder. He shrugged. ¡°It¡¯ll heal.¡± Mostly out of curiosity, Mason knelt and checked the corpse of one of the wolves. It was simr to arger breed you¡¯d find in North America, which matched its name, though its jaw was maybe slightlyrger. He realized its paws were strange¡ªalmost as if the toes were connected by a kind of tissue, which looked a little like¡­webbing. On a hunch, he checked behind the wolf¡¯s ears, eyes raising as he found two ps of rubbery skin, and aplex texture of flesh. He felt a smile spreading across his face. ¡°They have gills.¡± ¡°What?¡± Haley frowned. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Then she shrieked as Mason lifted her into a fireman carry and ran. He crested a tall rise, and the taste of the air almost instantly changed. Or maybe he just hadn¡¯t noticed it. Then it was all downhill through waist high grass and a collection of unknown nts all fighting for the sun in the reduced canopy. He focused his ears on the distance, his eyes on the horizon. And soon he heard the faint sound of waves. ¡°Mason!¡± Haley called, bouncing over his shoulder and unable to see forward. ¡°Are there more wolves?¡± ¡°Just hold on,¡± Mason grinned, giving her ass a good p as he moved through a small dip, then out past thest few rows of trees until the green horizon vanished into an endless blue. Atst he stepped out onto warm, white sand, then set Haley down. ¡°We made it!¡± she leapt into his arms, and because she was now so light and his strength obviously immense, he tried not to squeeze too hard. They ran down hand in hand to the edge of the water, and Mason scanned everything in sight, looking without much hope for thendmark of two inds with white cliffs. He didn¡¯t see anything but sea. He knelt and dipped a finger in the water before tasting it, not surprised toe up with a salty tang. He grinned at Haley, who came forward and ran a finger down his chest. ¡°I think I¡¯ve mostly recovered. And I¡¯ve made certain promises.¡± ¡°Yes you have.¡± Mason squeezed her ass so hard she squealed. ¡°But I¡¯ll collect tonight.¡± He let her go and moved down the coast¡ªscanning for tracks and sniffing the air like a bloodhound. It didn¡¯t take long before he smelled something¡­off. It wasn¡¯t dead fish, or the natural rot and renewal of the sea. It was something unnatural. Temporary. Something that didn¡¯t belong. He kept moving until he found a cluster of rocks with what looked like fabric stuck to their edges. He got closer, and the smell increased until even Haley covered her nose behind him. ¡°Disgusting. Do you smell that?¡± He moved to the other side of the rocks, no longer confused about what he¡¯d find. A pile of human bodies had been gathered up and dumped by the rocks, their clothes shredding apart, their flesh swelling anding off. Carrion birds scattered at Mason¡¯s approach, but the flies kept at their work. ¡°My God.¡± Haley stopped and covered her face, and Mason went to the pile to check one by one. He found obvious arrow wounds, burn marks, precision gashes. The bodies were water-swollen, half rotted and slightly eaten, but he could identify them clearly enough. His heart went back to beating when he finally knew none of them was ke. He stepped away and felt a wave of anxiety fall away, reced by an impatient hurry and desperate need for the end, or for revenge, or for hope. God damnit, ke, he thought, where are you? ¡°Best get my bow again,¡± he said, and Haley obeyed without question. ¡°What do you think happened to them?¡± she said, voice quiet and obviously disturbed. ¡°yers,¡± he said instantly. ¡°Or else very intelligent monsters.¡± They said nothing for a little while. But Haley broke the silence. ¡°What do we do?¡± ¡°We find my brother.¡± He looked down the coastline in both directions, not sure what to do. North or South? There was no way to know. He could see no tracks and even if he could they¡¯d likely have nothing to do with ke. Or, he realized with a scowl, if for some reason his brother had been here and lived, they could have taken him into the trees. But there wasn¡¯t much else for it. He¡¯d just have to guess, and go. ¡°I¡¯m not very lucky,¡± he said, then turned to Haley. ¡°But you found a murderous monster in the middle of some damn impossible dungeon. So, go ahead and guess. North, or South?¡± Haley bit her lip, clearly taking the request seriously. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°North.¡± Mason felt the urge to question her logic, to get some kind of exnation, but he fought it down and nodded. ¡°North it is. Want to stretch those legs a bit? Run on the beach awhile?¡± ¡°Yes please.¡± She smiled gratefully. Mason kept his pace to a jog, battling the urge to sprint like a madman. Impatience wouldn¡¯t save his brother, because impatience ultimately made you stupid and wrong. If anything could save ke, it was cold, calcting, murderous, relentless pursuit. So that¡¯s what Mason would do. Then they ran in silence, side by side along the mystery sea. ¡°I was always¡­into cardio¡­¡± Haley panted and dropped to her hands and knees on the sand. ¡°But this is¡­ridiculous.¡± Mason scanned the horizon and the trees, then knelt at a small pile of stones arranged with obvious intent. His breathing was nearly perfectly normal. ¡°Looks like a native cairn,¡± he muttered, still eyeing the sea forndmarks. ¡°A what?¡± Haley squinted. ¡°A territory marker. These aren¡¯t random. Someone, or something, put these here.¡± The little pile of stones raised Mason¡¯s hackles. If it belonged to monsters, it would mean some kind of intelligent tribe and probably make sense for the roboGod to program in. But if it belonged to yers, it meant people who not only didn¡¯t do everything they could to hide, as Mason would, but actively marked where they¡¯d been. What the hell kind of reckless, aggressive people would that make them? The kind that murdered a dozen people and stacked them like they stacked stones, he imagined. He closed his eyes, stretching out with his ever-enhancing hearing for as much detail as he could. At first he focused on the sound of his own heartbeat. Then Haley¡¯s. Then the wind as it zipped along the waves, and whistled through the trees. But it wasn¡¯t just the wind on the air. He heard a chaotic smattering of low sounds¡ªtoo quick and random to be natural save to one creature that walked the earth. He could hear men¡¯s voices. Did he tell Haley? Or just do what he needed to do, and use her as a distraction? He decided she could handle it. That she was an asset that he could use. The thought brought a strange warmth to his chest. ¡°Don¡¯t panic or look around. But we aren¡¯t alone,¡± he said quietly, pretending still to inspect the stones. He let his gaze casually drift over everything and nothing, unable to spot whatever watched him from the forest. He took a deep breath and stood, meeting Haley¡¯s eyes. ¡°OK assistant, I need your assistance.¡± She nodded, beautiful game face on, and he smiled. ¡°How do you feel about skinny dipping?¡±
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond RR/SH, you can subscribe to my . Enjoy! Chapter 30: Kiaan, son of Kiaan Chapter 30: Kiaan, son of Kiaan Kiaany t with the raiders from Nassau, watching the couple on the beach. Chief Sebastian had them on territory defense and civilian capture, and Kiaan was their civilian scout. He was, in fact, the only proper scout Nassau had, and his lucrative contract reflected that. But he didn¡¯t much like his employers. ¡°Tier one,¡± he whispered to Chang, the raid leader. ¡°Hybrid ss. And he¡¯s killed yers.¡± ¡°Tier one?¡± Chang said, obvious surprise in his voice. Kiaan said nothing because he made it a rule never to repeat himself, and the raid leader took a breath. The raiders were all tier three, save their chief, but even he was only tier two. At this point in the Great Game, however, the power levels didn¡¯t seem to matter much. Since they were all reasonably close, the old advantages of war remained¡­numbers, surprise, and initiative. This guy was alone. And the raiders had the first strike. ¡°Civilian is a white cor,¡± said Kiaan, using the agreed uponnguage to describe civilian function. ¡°Who gives a fuck what she is, look at her,¡± said another of the raiders, and Kiaan supposed he couldn¡¯t disagree. The girl looked like a European swimsuit model. Her long, blonde hair tumbled down her back, her slim figure curved in all the right ces. Chief Sebastian would im her. They all knew that. But if he did at least it might keep the man pacified enough the others could start getting their own women. And it was a long way back to Nassau¡­ ¡°You should take him now,¡± Kiaan advised. ¡°The longer you dy, the more risk of being detected.¡± The unsuspecting couple looked like they were preparing for a swim. The yer had moved behind a pile of rocks to disrobe, but the girl stayed in the open. ¡°Wait.¡± Chang¡¯s smile reached his ears. ¡°Let¡¯s let them swim a little. He¡¯ll leave his weapons.¡± Kiaan frowned because he knew that was not why Chang dyed. But it wasn¡¯t his neck at risk, which is why he had chosen his ss from the beginning. It made little difference to Kiaan, son of Kiaan, who he served. Long ago his family had served Indian royalty, then British aristocrats, then the Indian government. It had been so for hundreds and perhaps thousands of years¡ªfor as long as the family remembered. They lived very well serving rich and powerful men, and this new world would be no different. ¡°As you say, raid leader,¡± he said without tone. Then because he was a man, and not a fool, he too watched the beautiful girl disrobe. ¡°Jesus Christ, look at the tits on her,¡± said their archer and youngest raider. Kiaan admired them, but then blinked and looked at the yer. The young man had disrobed as well, and his body was scarred and covered in lean muscle. He moved like a panther, the smile on his face the pleasant mask of a careful predator. Kiaan felt a chill rise in his spine. He began to wonder if all these men were going to die. Foolish orders, he thought, and not for the first time. Stupid. Wasteful. To attack and kill any yer they find when they might instead be recruiting. Weak. Short sighted. This man should be their ally! He frowned as the girl turned and bent over towards the woods, peeling down her undergarments as the men groaned and stared with wide, disbelieving eyes. ¡°Oh my God. Yeah, baby, give us a show.¡± Naked now, the girl swung her hair and tip toed her way through the sand, giggling as she reached the water. Then she dove in and rose out instantly, squealing and whining about the cold as she emerged wet and facing the trees, incredible breasts dripping and bouncing with every step. ¡°Where is the yer,¡± Kiaan blinked again and hissed, knowing already in his bones the answer. ¡°Eh? He was by the rocks there,¡± Chang dismissed. ¡°Do you see him?¡± Kiaan said more urgently. ¡°No, but he was literally just right there.¡± Chang finally looked away and scanned. ¡°He¡¯s probably just in the water already, diving down or whateve¡­¡± An arrow struck Chang in the back of the skull with the force of a bullet. His head smashed forward, the arrow bursting out his mouth with a spray of blood as he jerked and retched before he died. The other raiders cried out in rm, scrambling in their panic. Kiaan just sat up, turning to observe their attacker as he crossed his legs. The young man looked even more like a warrior up close. He¡¯d left his clothes behind, carrying only a modern,pound bow, which he now drew with arrows appearing out of nowhere. He loosed in silence at the other raiders before turning and sprinting at inhuman speed into the trees. Kiaan knew then they were all dead. The girl had been a beautifully executed distraction. This meant the yer had known they were in the trees long before, and decided to deal with them. Had he seen them with some kind of perception power? Guessed? Something else? ¡°Get him!¡± called their remaining melee yer. ¡°I¡¯ll cut him off!¡± Kiaan practicallyughed out loud. Foolish to announce your n. And anyway, they had no chance of doing it. Still, the raider drew his deadly scimitar and went to execute, then cried out almost immediately as some kind of metal device snapped around his foot. ¡°There¡¯s traps!¡± he cried out in agony, bending down to pry himself out. An arrow struck his thigh. He twisted up with a groan before another struck his gut, and he fell, writhing in agony. Mikkel, their deadly caster, finally finished his spell. Kiaan knew he could only cast this twice a day with his mana, but he had never seen a target survive. ming orbsunched in rapid session, seeking the stranger with ruthless speed and uracy. Kiaan watched, truly fascinated, wondering if the usually deadly attack would work. It was the raider¡¯s only chance. The yer didn¡¯t try to dodge. Instead he turned andunched arrows back at Mikkel as the orbs flew at him. The mes burst and sshed all around, lighting trees and the grass at his feet. Others hit him directly. When the light and smoke died down enough to see, Kiaan saw several charred patches covered the man¡¯s skin, and bits of his hair had been burnt away. Mikkel was lying on the ground filled with arrows. The young archer raider dropped to his knees not far from Kiaan. He was shaking in agony, voice tight, and there was already an arrow lodged in his bow hand. Apparently the stranger had disabled him first. ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me,¡± he said, voice cracking. ¡°I was only following orders. We have a settlement. You could join us!¡± The stranger put away his bow as he approached, having not yet uttered a word. A long, green-steel de appeared out of nothing just like his arrows, and he looked at Kiaan. ¡°You¡¯re a civilian.¡± ¡°I am,¡± Kiaan agreed. ¡°Does this man know anything you don¡¯t?¡± The young man stared at Kiaan¡¯s face with wide, begging eyes. Kiaan had never liked the man much¡ªhe liked very few people¡ªthough that wouldn¡¯t have affected his decision. He had already decided he would rather work for this stranger, who was obviously more cunning and dangerous than Chief Sebastian in every way. ¡°No,¡± he said. And without a moment¡¯s hesitation, the green de shed like lightning, and the young raider¡¯s head fell from his shoulders. ¡°They were fools to attack you,¡± said Kiaan casually, because it was true. The yer knelt down and inspected the dead men¡¯s belongings. ¡°I have questions,¡± he said. ¡°Answer them, and I¡¯ll forget you were here.¡± Kiaan nodded, disappointed at the words. Better to dissolve his previous contract, he¡¯d decided, and forge a new one with this man. He had only chosen Sebastian because he was a killer. But there was always someone better, harder¡ªa greater killer. Kiaan was happy to let such men kill each other, with him always standing aside, apart, protected and safe. Because killers always had use for men like him. ¡°Please ask,¡± he said honestly, ¡°and I will answer.¡±
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond RR/SH, you can subscribe to my . Enjoy! Chapter 31: The Grove Chapter 31: The Grove [Killed yer x4. Experience awarded.] Mason took his ¡®captive¡¯ down to the beach, fighting the adrenaline and anger from his limbs as Haley put her clothes back on. ¡°Who are you?¡± Mason snarled. ¡°And why did you intend to attack us?¡± ¡°My name is Kiaan, currently a scout for a nearby settlement, and its patron. Those men were part of a regr raiding pattern in what that settlement considers its territory. They would have killed you and taken the girl.¡± Mason¡¯s eyes narrowed as he inspected the tall, muscled man. He looked not onlypetent but confident in his own abilities. Why a man like this wouldn¡¯t be some kind of warrior ss he had no idea, but it wasn¡¯t important now. ¡°You¡¯re being awfully forthright, Kiaan. Why tell me anything when you know I can¡¯t hurt you?¡± The scout shrugged. ¡°My patron is a fool. I have no loyalty to fools.¡± Mason snorted, actually believing him. That was a sentiment he could certainly understand. Though he didn¡¯t trust the man, as a civilian, he didn¡¯t really have to. They couldn¡¯t hurt each other. That tended to make for a good working rtionship. ¡°Can civilians harm other civilians?¡± he asked suddenly, looking at Haley. She nodded. ¡°As much as they like. But if a civilian were to hurt me in any way, he would immediately be a viable target to you as my patron.¡± Mason nodded, trying to picture all the ramifications of that. On the one hand, it protected civilians with patrons. On the other, it left civilians without patronspletely exposed to other civilians. Mason expected if he thought about that longer, he could imagine some dastardlybination of yers and civilians abusing the rules in the right situation. Again he inspected the rather non-descript older man, whose skin and features were just average enough he might have been from almost anywhere before the apocalypse. ¡°Are you bound to this chief?¡± ¡°I have a trade contract,¡± he said immediately. ¡°I can break it whenever I wish, with a very small penalty.¡± Mason crouched down and flicked some blood off his shoes. ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone, Kiaan. He may or may not have been here recently. Tall. Young. Caucasian with blonde hair and blue eyes. He¡¯d be cocky. Talk a lot. Name is ke.¡± Kiaan frowned, looking genuinely unhappy not to know the answer. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen this man. But then, I have not returned to my settlement in several days. The raiders exchange prisoners and move often, and I am assigned to different groups at different times. But it is not impossible he is there.¡± ¡°Your raiders kill any yers they find?¡± ¡°They do.¡± ¡°Any exceptions?¡± Kiaan shook his head, and Mason sighed. ¡°Have you seen two inds visible from the same shore, both with white cliffs?¡± The man frowned in concentration, as if searching his memory. ¡°I believe I have.¡± Mason finally felt a twinge of hope, but tried to keep it from his face. ¡°Can you take me there?¡± ¡°You are nearly there now. Just a little further North. There are several inds, many have white rock.¡± This was a rather ssic good news bad news scenario. It meant ke might very well be close. It also meant insane raiders might have already chased him off, taken him, or killed him. Mason took a breath. ¡°You¡¯re a scout. Can you help me find him?¡± Kiaan looked like he approved of the question. ¡°I can. I have powers to increase my traveling speed. Anything I see can be mapped andter recorded. I have considerable knowledge of this new world¡¯s flora and fauna. And before the Great Game, I traveled and lived in many ces.¡± ¡°You keep calling it the Great Game.¡± The scout shrugged. ¡°That is what they call it in the settlement of Nassau.¡± ¡°And what do you think it is?¡± The man¡¯s brown eyes squinted again in concentration, as if he truly considered the question. ¡°Life,¡± he said finally. ¡°Life magnified. Life stripped bare.¡± Mason felt a kind of profound, if simple wisdom in the words, and found he liked this man. ¡°I¡¯m not the leader type, Kiaan. I don¡¯t want towns or followers. But my brother is. If you help me find him, I have no doubt he¡¯ll offer you whatever you want. He¡¯ll end up rich and in charge of some town in this world, you have my guarantee of that.¡± ¡°I believe you, but I don¡¯t wish to serve a soft, rich man,¡± Kiaan said. ¡°I would serve a hunter. A killer. A man like you.¡± Mason watched the man¡¯s eyes carefully, watching and listening for lies, for deception. ¡°Then what do you want?¡± Kiaan nced at Haley, then back. ¡°A house, a woman one day. Protection. And a ce of honor at your side.¡± Mason tried not to think like a modern man. That wasn¡¯t the world anymore, and of course what any man really wanted was a house of his own, a wife, and respect. It felt like a ridiculous thing to request in this new world of endless forest and monsters, but obviously ¡®settlements¡¯ existed, whatever exactly that involved. He wasn¡¯t sure how he¡¯d provide a woman, and what a future at his side might look like. But he nced at Haley and she practically pped him in the face with her eyes as she lifted her hands to say ¡®do it!¡¯ Mason sighed, supposing if he was ever to have followers, he would want them to be men like this. ¡°I ept. Now how do we¡­¡± Haley was instantly at his side, staring into space before ghostly text started scrolling down his vision. There were all kinds of details, but the offer of a house, a woman, and a position were all in clear bold. ¡°You will earn an additional ten per cent retainer reward because of my ss signing bonus,¡± Haley said to the scout and smiled. ¡°In both experience, and civilian currency.¡± The man grinned like that made some kind of sense, which of course it didn¡¯t to Mason in the slightest. ¡°What¡¯s civilian currency?¡± Haley gave him a very ssic, very feminine ¡®don¡¯t worry about it, sweetheart,¡¯ smile. Then the ghostly text went green and vanished, and Mason saw he had a new contract on his profile. ¡°Tell me how to find your settlement,¡± he said. Kiaan nodded and exined the general direction, which was back into the woods but much further north. He described severalndmarks, including a river that ran West past this ¡®Nassau¡¯ from a nearby mountain. ¡°I want you to go North,¡± Mason told the scout. ¡°There¡¯s a chance ke is still out there somewhere. Find thendmarks I mentioned, then keep North as fast as you can. Look for tracks, people, anything. Just follow the coast at top speed. Haley give him some food and water.¡± She took it from her storage, and the older man¡¯s eyes betrayed a brief moment of surprise. ¡°Can you track us down in the woodster?¡± he asked. The scout nodded, then quirked a brow. ¡°What are you intending?¡± Mason ignored this, not truly trusting the man, or anyone. ¡°I¡¯m going to rest here awhile. But I likely won¡¯t be staying long. If you haven¡¯t found anything useful after four days, go to your former settlement and wait for me.¡± Kiaan nodded and stood. ¡°Then I will go now, patron. See you soon.¡± ¡°See you soon, Kiaan. Stay safe.¡± The man smiled slightly, then turned and ran down the beach nearly as fast as Mason himself. * * * ¡°You don¡¯t trust him,¡± Haley said as soon as the scout was out of earshot. She looked at Mason¡¯s wounds for a few moments, then shivered at the look of the burnt flesh and left him alone. ¡°He does have a contract with you.¡± ¡°He had one with Chief Sebastian, too.¡± She sighed at that but nodded, then Mason turned for the trees. ¡°Do we have to?¡± Haley sighed. ¡°I really like the coast. We could actually go skinny dipping. Make love on the sand.¡± ¡°Rain check.¡± He grinned. ¡°Ready for another bumpy ride?¡± ¡°Stop teasing me.¡± She smiled as she climbed onto his back. Mason followed Kiaan¡¯s directions. This mountain was supposed to be close. And sure enough, after maybe an hour of Mason-speed travel, he saw the outline of a giant rise cresting above the forest canopy. He turned slightly and went straight for it, because in theory all he needed to do was follow the river flowing from it straight to this Nassau. With maybe another hour or two of traveling, right around the point Haley would need a break before her legs went numb, Mason found some kind of clearing. He stopped and let Haley down, wary now of anything different in this world¡ªespecially any kind of break in the trees. Haley had the good sense not to speak, just summoning Mason¡¯s bow and handing it to him silently. He inspected the mostly open ground but saw very little to concern him. A few fallen trees, grass and moss and a host of different shrubs. Out of curiosity more than anything he finally stepped into the clearing, and like some magic spell had been cast, a giant tree seemed to grow from the earth, emerging as if from nothing from the center of the clearing. It grew and grew, reaching above the forest canopy and beyond sight. Mason gaped in surprise, then turned to Haley. ¡°Are you seeing this?¡± Incredibly, though he was holding her hand, he could hardly see her. Along with the tree, a thick mist sprung up all around them. He saw Haley¡¯s mouth move in rm, her eyes moving back and forth, as if she too had lost sight of Mason. He looked down and realized he was no longer holding her hand. When he looked back, she was gone. ¡°Haley!¡± he yelled, growing rather concerned now as he tried and failed to prate the mist. He growled and aimed straight towards the tree, moving quickly despite not being able to see much around him. ¡°He sees us sister,¡± whispered a feminine voice on the wind. ¡°How does he see us?¡± ¡°He is not like the others,¡± answered a colder voice. ¡°We must be wary of this one. I will watch him before I kill.¡± Mason summoned his w and gripped the handle tight in his hand as he advanced. He could still see a faint outline on the tree, and stepped towards it. ¡°Must violence be your only answer?¡± whispered the first voice. ¡°Perhaps we can speak with him. We are so alone. So hopeless. So¡­¡± ¡°I can hear you,¡± Mason shouted into the mist. ¡°And I can understand what you say.¡± The voices silenced entirely, and Mason hoped he hadn¡¯t ruined a chance to gain more information. But he was concerned for Haley and very short on patience. Whatever these creatures were, they were going to stop this magic or face him. He stepped to the tree and realized it looked almost exactly the same as the gnoll tree from his tutorial. He blinked, and saw the faint, glowing outline of a door on the bark. He reached out his hand and touched it. [Entrance to the Great Mountain Tree dungeon. Rmended group of at least 4. Would you like to proceed?] Mason pulled back his hand and heard an audible gasp. ¡°He can enter, sister. Oh please, we must invite him to speak with us first!¡± ¡°No,¡± hissed the other. ¡°He cannot be trusted. Let him go inside and die.¡± ¡°Yeah. Can still hear you.¡± Mason said wryly, looking around for any sign of the two women hiding somewhere nearby. ¡°How unexpected,¡± said the nicer voice. ¡°Stranger, we are nymphs of the Great Trees. Touch the bark again. I will bring you to us.¡± The other voice scoffed, and Mason hesitated. ¡°Why should I?¡± he answered. ¡°I don¡¯t know you, or trust you. Why shouldn¡¯t I just turn and leave you to¡­whatever this is?¡± ¡°Because we see now you are a son of the woods, ranger. And something more. We owe you knowledge, as you owe us your attention, and your protection. We are daughters of the earth. You are one of its shepherds.¡± Mason had no idea what to make of that, save for some reason it didn¡¯t sound entirely crazy. He felt almost to again touch the tree, and his hand brushed the rough bark before he¡¯d considered it fully. ¡°Be it on your head, sister,¡± whispered the colder voice. [Secret Dungeon ess granted. Entrance to Nymph Lair. Would you like to proceed?] Mason touched the symbol he could see would take him to the secret dungeon. Though his heart had quickened, and he thought himself vaguely mad, he epted, and disappeared.
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond SH/RR, you can subscribe to my . Enjoy! Chapter 32: Daughters of Gaia (NSFW) Chapter 32: Daughters of Gaia (NSFW) Mason nearly stumbled to his knees, disoriented as the world went ck, then filled with dull green and blue light. [Title earned: Masochist. First yer in the world to enter two dungeons alone. +2 to Vitality.] He grunted at the floating text, then stepped forward with his sword and dagger firmly grasped. All he could hear was the sound of running water, and the chirping of birds and insects. ¡°You will not need those in this ce,¡± said the now familiar feminine voice from somewhere ahead. ¡°You are wee here.¡± Mason blinked and blinked as he stepped forward, trying to adjust to the dim light and dislocation. The air here was warm and humid, but not stifling. Slowly his eyes adjusted and he saw a dark, watery cavern, not so very different than the gnollir he¡¯d seen before. This one, too, had a huge pond orke, but didn¡¯t smell of rot. In fact it smelled of fresh water and thick, healthy trees, fresh life like the middle of spring. Huge fronds floated on top of the pond, and as Mason stared at the beauty of it all, he realized there was a woman lying atop one of them, smiling at him. Her long, brown hair dangled in the water. She wore a scant dress that looked like leaves, which had almost camouged her, and snaked around her body, covering only bits and pieces. Onerge, impossibly round and pert breast was exposed, though slightly covered by her hair. Mason felt strange as he gazed upon her. His gut fluttered, his face and neck flushed with heat. ¡°Oh sister!¡± The olive-skinned, almost Greek-looking goddess rose up from her lounging position to reveal a body made of curves. ¡°He¡¯s so young, and handsome.¡± She leapt into the water, then rose up and held back her wet hair, smile wide as she came forward. Her nearly glowing green eyes locked directly onto Mason¡¯s. He couldn¡¯t help but stare. It urred to him she might be insane with all her sister talk, but then he saw another woman nearly hidden in the darkest corner. She was far more lithe and pale than her sister, with short raven hair and wearing what looked like skin-tight armor made from bark. She carried a javelin as casually as an Olympic athlete, and inspected Mason without a hint of a smile in her equally green eyes. ¡°What are you?¡± Mason said, his tongue feeling thick and slow. ¡°I told you,¡± the curvy sister came forward with dramatically swaying hips. ¡°We are daughters of Gaia.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Mason swallowed and tried to force the mists from his brain. ¡°But did the system make you? Are you¡­alive? Some kind ofplex artificial intelligence?¡± The girl squinted in confusion, and Mason sighed. ¡°Do you find us beautiful?¡± she said,ing ever closer. Her scent hit Mason¡¯s enhanced senses like a p. It was somehow familiar. No, it was exact¡ªchocte cookies, made by his stepmother, with a hint of cinnamon. She¡¯d made them for the first time when they formally adopted him and showed him the papers. He was officially a Nimitz, officially home, officially ke¡¯s real brother. He¡¯d eaten the cookies with milk, and for a moment everything in the world had been perfect. He breathed and felt himself sway, like he was half through a night of drinking, his inhibitions and concerns fading like old memories. ¡°Yes I find you beautiful,¡± he said, because of course he did. Though he had a lot of questions before they carried on with that line of thought. Or really any line of thought. Except he couldn¡¯t seem to move. Or think. ¡°Oh, sister,¡± the first nymph turned to the other and put her hands to her face. ¡°Do you see how we affect him? Please. We must take his seed before he adapts to the magic. Please? Such youth and vigor and power. It willst us weeks.¡± The raven haired sister sighed, then came forward and dropped her spear. She still had no trace of a smile, but Mason could see a hunger in her eyes. ¡°Very well,¡± she said. ¡°In this you are correct.¡± Mason felt a kind of concern, but it seemed very far away and unimportant¡ªlike the consequences of your favorite meal, or cleaning up after a party. Just one of those small, unimportant details of life you epted to enjoy the pleasures. The first nymph hopped slightly and pped like a giddy girl, jiggling in all the right ways. She came forward, until less than an arm¡¯s length separated her from Mason. She reached for him, touching his face with soft hands, unbuttoning his shirt without a moment of hesitation. He could see no reason in the world to stop her. ¡°Oh my,¡± the nymph¡¯s hands trembled as they disrobed him, caressing his skin as her eyes found his many new scars. Water touched her eyes as she traced her hands along them, and she stepped forward and put her lips to Mason¡¯s exposed chest, kissing the scars one by one. ¡°Our brave ranger. Such hurts you have endured. But not in this ce. Here we will soothe you, ease your pain, and renew you.¡± She smiled, the same hungry look as her sister as she slipped an arm from her dress of leaves and let it fall to the floor with a single movement. ¡°In return, you will give us life.¡± * * * Mason fought the loss of control. Well, he tried. The nymphs led him to a bed of thick, soft leaves andy him down. ¡°I am Thea,¡± said the smiling brte before removing the rest of his clothes. ¡°Mason,¡± was all he managed, though it was supposed to be such questions as ¡®what exactly are you doing?¡¯ and ¡®are you about to suck my soul out through my dick, or something?¡¯ ¡°Mason,¡± said the nymph, as if the sound of the name on her lips brought her pleasure, then she leaned over to give Mason a full, glorious view of her drooping breasts and erect, pale nipples. She kissed and licked him from neck to navel. ¡°I¡¯m Calypsa,¡± said the dark haired sister, stripping her armor off in pieces as she watched. ¡°And I will have your seed first.¡± ¡°I was the one who weed him in!¡± Theained, wrapping a soft hand around Mason¡¯s cock as she looked at her sister. ¡°You will exhaust him,¡± Calypsa said matter of factly. ¡°I only want some before you take the rest.¡± Thea looked back at Mason with half-lidded, lust filled eyes, a renewed grin as she slid her hand up and down. ¡°True. But fear not, Ranger, you will leave here renewed. This I promise as a daughter of Gaia.¡± Mason still couldn¡¯t form much in the way of thoughts. He¡¯d often heard the expression ¡®thinking with your dick¡¯, but he was pretty sure that was now his reality. He was also fairly certain if he opened his mouth the only thing he could say was ¡®good¡¯, or maybe his own name again like that Matt Damon doll from Team America. Instead he focused on regaining some use of his limbs. Then Calypsa¡¯s armor was down to her waist. Her body was thinner, athletic, with small, firm breasts and legs that didn¡¯t want to end. She dropped to her hands and knees and came forward like a hungry cat, her hips and ass swaying with every movement. ¡°Stop with your toying, he looks more than ready, sister,¡± she said as she flicked off Calypsa¡¯s hand. Mason could feel her breath on his cock, and she grinned as she scooped his twitching length with her tongue, and buried the shaft in her mouth. Mason groaned as Thea hissed air in mild outrage. ¡°You¡¯re so greedy, sister!¡± she crossed her arms and frowned as Calypsa bobbed and sunk Mason¡¯s cock deeper and deeper into her mouth and throat before easing off and holding it with her hands as she licked. ¡°We must be quick,¡± she moaned, rubbing Mason¡¯s cock over her lips and face. ¡°He is strong. The magic will notst.¡± Thea seemed quickly over herints and shimmied forward, lowering back down and pouting as she looked at her sister. ¡°Mmm, yes, he should be tasted quickly.¡± Yes, Mason thought, very quickly. Except no, wait. Was this like fucking some kind of ck widow spider? Were they going to devour him when it was over? Calypsa held Mason¡¯s cock steady as Thea took him into her mouth. Then Calypsa lowered back down and teased his balls and lower shaft with her tongue while her sister sucked and worked on the head. He groaned andy back, and both sisters moaned at his noises and increased their speed and enthusiasm. ¡°Oh we¡¯ve never had one so young and strong, sister,¡± Calypsa slurped against his balls. ¡°My waters are already flowing.¡± Mason¡¯s hand twitched, and there was a moment, he decided, where he could have done something useful with his limbs. A tinymoment of mental and physical rity that could have had him throw the creatures back and find a weapon. Instead, his hands moved to Thea¡¯s hair. He pushed her head down and thrust, and she gasped slightly in surprise before doing as he wished. When she finally pulled up the nymphs exchanged a look. ¡°He can move already,¡± said Thea, with something like rm. ¡°Hurry. Drain him, sister.¡± Calypsa renewed her efforts to fit his balls in her mouth as Thea licked and sucked. Masony back and groaned as he stared at the dull blue light of the cavern, one hand on each nymph''s hair. Whatever chance he¡¯d had to stop them was gone. He blinked with mindless pleasure at the feel of the two warm, wet mouths on his manhood. Thea was looking up at him as she took him in deep, long strokes, not a hint of a gag reflex as she pumped him two thirds of the way in. Finally he growled, grabbing Thea¡¯s long hair in two tight fists, sinking into her mouth all the way to his root, jamming his cock entirely into her mouth and throat. She flinched in surprise, but made no effort to move. He came withplete abandon, releasing spray after spray of cum into the nymph, not letting her up for a moment. He watched her throat work as she swallowed, not a hint of an attempt to pull away. ¡°Now who¡¯s being greedy,¡± Calypsained, until Thea finally sat up and embraced her sister as they kissed, swapping some of Mason¡¯s cum between their lips. Then they both froze, their eyes widening as they licked and tasted him. ¡°He¡¯s a druid!¡± Thea¡¯s whole face curled with something like joy. ¡°Oh sister!¡± she squeezed the other girl, who held her and even smiled a little. ¡°A weak druid, but yes, you¡¯re right. This is¡­most fortunate.¡± Mason had fallen back to his elbows, cock already slumped, head practically swaying in satisfied exhaustion. He felt like he¡¯d been drained of half his moisture, and when the girls looked at him they both kind of leapt in rm, and maybe embarrassment. ¡°Oh, druid, we¡¯re so sorry! You poor thing.¡± Thea ran naked to her pool, returning with a jug of water. She put it to his lips, and it tasted like honeyed heaven. ¡°Drink, druid. And eat.¡± Calypsa fed him something like dates, which he closed his eyes and chewed greedily before he remembered he¡¯d been seduced with magic. Feeling almost instantly better, he sat up and seized Thea by the hair hard enough she cried out. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Mason sat up, hopefully reminding them how big he waspared to them. ¡°Are you trying to hurt me?¡± Thea¡¯s eyes went wide. Calypsa rolled away and lunged for her spear, then stopped and stood still, hands held in front as she looked at the floor. ¡°Oh no, druid. It shouldn¡¯t¡­you¡¯re very young and virile, and¡­¡± ¡°Then why the trickery?¡± Mason felt a little anger rising, and it helped considerably. ¡°Why not simply ask me for what you want? Why the magic and seduction?¡± Thea looked at the floor just like Calypsa, like two bad little girls. ¡°Because¡­that¡¯s what we are, druid. That is our nature. And because,¡± she blushed slightly. ¡°Most of those who can find us and be lured are old, and weak. They are sometimes past the pleasures of flesh. They must be tempted, assisted...¡± ¡°Encouraged,¡± finished Calypsa. Mason watched them both carefully. ¡°You¡¯re telling me¡­all you want, is for me to¡­fill you up with my ¡®seed¡¯? There¡¯s no cost? No price?¡± ¡°Oh yes please!¡± Thea finally perked up, still struggling in his grip. ¡°It nourishes us. As it nourishes the great tree.¡± Calypsa licked her lips. ¡°It will cost you some energy, of course, druid. But as you can see, we have food and water, and you can rest here in safety. Nothing that is permanent.¡± ¡°We promise to release your seed quickly!¡± Thea added. ¡°Always quickly. And with the minimum of effort. But¡­¡± again she seemed dismayed. ¡°We¡¯re sorry. We did not know you were a druid. We should not have presumed¡­we didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± she just trailed off. They looked at him with almost shockingly earnest, eager eyes, and Mason nearlyughed out loud. No doubt he should remain more skeptical. He knew there were female spiders that ate their mates after coption, that the ¡®energy¡¯ he lost might be somehow more than just the physical effort they implied. The thought urred that maybe they took some of his experience, or something, though he had no way to check. But as he stared at the two mostly naked nymphs, the magic still lingering in his senses, his drained cock already twitching at the sight of the eager creatures, he just didn¡¯t care. ¡°OK then.¡± He let go of Thea¡¯s hair and sat, eating another honeyed date.
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond SH/RR, you can subscribe to my . Enjoy! Chapter 33: Maybe just a minute (NSFW) Chapter 33: Maybe just a minute (NSFW) After learning he was a druid, the demeanor of the women had changed entirely. No more were they hungry-eyed predators that had taken as they desired. Now they waited as if formand, still staring down, still on their knees. Thea remained entirely naked, her hands held awkwardly over her small tuft of pubic hair. Calypsa still wore half her bark-like armor below the waist, waiting more like a sexy soldier for her orders. Mason took a moment to appreciate the ridiculousness of his life in this new world¡ªat finding Haley, at walking into a magic tree, having made just the right choices to somehow be a source of authority for two actual nymphs. At some point, he supposed, he would have to ept a man¡¯s luck could change. ¡°Take off the rest of your armor,¡± he said, taking another sip of water. Calypsa stood instantly and wiggled the skin-tight material down with some effort over her shapely hips, revealing a hairless, swollen pussy with moisture he could already see. He decided then and there he¡¯d be fucking her. Partially because she¡¯d been more aggressive, partially because she seemed to want it less. She was so small and lithe he expected he could pick her up with one hand, and already imagined pounding her into the floor. Thea was incredible, with curves that belonged in some teenager¡¯s wet dream. But her body was more like Haley¡¯s, and it was time for a little change. He looked at Calypsa. ¡°You said you wanted to go first, right?¡± She looked surprised, and nced at her sister. ¡°I meant only¡­er, yes, druid.¡± ¡°Thene here.¡± She obeyed, crawling forward until her knees were against Mason¡¯s thigh. He sat up and leaned close enough to kiss her, trailing his lips across hers until her mouth opened and he pushed his tongue inside. He ran his fingers over her breasts, ying with her hard, dark nipples. ¡°Now turn around,¡± he said, ¡°and stick your ass in the air.¡± Again she obeyed immediately, turning and bowing down almost like she was praying. Her ass was pert and fit and small and wouldn¡¯t give her much padding for what was toe. Mason positioned himself behind her and gripped a handful, running his thumb over her asshole. ¡°I want your mouth until I¡¯m good and hard, Thea. Then just sit there and be good while I fuck your sister. The naked nymph smiled as she bent over and started licking and sucking the tip. Frankly Mason didn¡¯t need much encouragement. Whatever they¡¯d given him to eat and drink seemed to entirely revitalize his libido, and he¡¯d gone from feelingpletely drained and satisfied to imagining fucking every woman he¡¯d ever met. With Thea¡¯s mouth on his hard length, and an impatient grunt, he gabbed Calypsa and pulled her ass in the air, then spread her legs. She yelped slightly in surprise, then he gathered up her shoulder length ck hair into a hand, and pushed Thea away. He lined up to Calypsa¡¯s opening, and tested her with his tip. She was wet, but incredibly tight, and he was forced to work himself in slowly rather than ram in like he¡¯d intended. The nymph gasped. ¡°He¡¯s too much, sister, I can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°You can.¡± Thea soothed, reaching down to y with her sister¡¯s clit, an almost apologetic smile at Mason. Mason was already growling with lust at the feel of her. He gave her time to take at least half, enjoying the frequent shudders and moans as she took it. But he lost his patience, finally sliding his entire length inside as Calypsa gripped the nket below them and gasped. Something about her difficulty and difort drove him on. ¡°Take my cock,¡± he said, pulling back on her hair to arch her back as he drove inside. Her mouth was open, a shuddering series of criesing from her throat as Mason hammered into her with a relentless rhythm. He loved watching her small frame shudder as their flesh pped together, and he knew she could take it. Her body was lean and strong. As she opened slightly, he only kept on harder, pounding her until he let go of her hair so she could drop to the floor. ¡°Keep your face down,¡± he said, pulling her ass up so he could pound it down again. He knew he¡¯d been gaining strength and endurance. He¡¯d had to be gentle with Haley, concerned he might misjudge himself and hurt her, especially after wearing her down as he already had. But he didn¡¯t worry for a moment about Calypsa. He drifted away and lost himself in the primal fury of it¡ªtheplete obedience of the girl below him, the total dominance of her body, and her tight little hole. She was crying out, biting her hand, trying to muffle her own screams as the sweat dripped down Mason¡¯s brow and fell on her back. When Calypsa kept up a steady moan that just raised or lowered as Mason drove into her, he¡¯d decided she had enough. He had no idea if she¡¯d orgasmed, or even could, but in that moment didn¡¯t care. He watched his whole length sinking into her tight little body again and again as she squirmed and just held on. Then he came, and came hard¡ªslowing down as he drove into the nymph with brutal, almost violent strokes. He groaned as his balls tightened and released. ¡°Fuck yes, take it all.¡± Every animalistic thrust released another spray of hot cum into the girl¡¯s bludgeoned pussy. He pped her clit from beneath, causing her to jerk and squeeze against him with whatever strength she had left, then he spanked her ass hard as she did. The nymph sagged and panted into the ground, and he expected she¡¯d have fallen over if not still skewered on his twitching cock. ¡°I feel the life inside me, sister,¡± she practically sobbed. ¡°There will be plenty¡­¡± she panted. ¡°Plenty more for you. He¡¯s so full of life.¡± Thea smiled almost awkwardly beside him, then dashed in to throw her arms around his chest. If he hadn¡¯t just emptied a few day¡¯s worth of cum, the view of Calypsa still bent over and stuffed, and Thea¡¯s soft chest against him, he might have been ready for another round. ¡°Thank you, druid,¡± she said, wiping some wetness from her eyes. ¡°For your seed. And the enthusiasm of its delivery. I know it must have been difficult.¡± She looked up at him, the same earnest, innocent look on her face. ¡°Now is there anything we can do for you?¡± * * * Mason wore his best poker face, and tried not tough. Calypsa eased his cock out of her with a wet sucking sound, then dropped andy t and unmoving. ¡°I apologize, druid,¡± said Thea, ¡°but my sister has never been¡­seeded so vigorously. She will need time to recover.¡± It was the kind of ego boost that didn¡¯t require acknowledgment. And as good as it was, Mason noticed some ghostly text floating in the corner of his vision, and his eyes widened as he stared. [Title earned! Quench the unquenchable: Sexually satisfy a nymph. Increased virility.] He blinked, and snorted, not entirely sure what that meant. But for now it wasn¡¯t important. Calypsa cuddled up next to him, her warm, soft body soon pressed against his side, her hands gently stroking and massaging his chest as hey down and exhaled a deep breath. Apparently, she saw no need to get dressed. ¡°I could use some information,¡± he said. ¡°Of course, druid,¡± Thea smiled. ¡°We have considerable knowledge of this forest, of primal magic, of birth and rebirth, of¡­¡± ¡°Let the druid ask his questions,¡± Calypsa muttered from the ground. ¡°First, what are you?¡± Thea look confused. ¡°We have told you, druid. We are daughters of Gaia, sisters of the earth,¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded. ¡°What I mean is¡­are you¡­yers? Civilians?¡± Thea stared at him withoutprehension. ¡°Did the system create you? Do you have certain rules you have to follow?¡± He wasn¡¯t quite sure how to ask ¡®are you some kind of intelligent robots?¡¯ without sounding extra offensive. Still the girl or creature stared at him in utter confusion. ¡°What is a system, druid? I¡¯m sorry, but I have no idea what you mean.¡± Alright. Nevermind that. They said they had considerable knowledge of the forest, and ke was in this forest. Probably. Better to stick to something immediately useful, he decided. ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone,¡± he said. ¡°A young man named ke. Would you be able to help me find him?¡± Thea frowned. ¡°You are the only man whose name we know, druid. We do not leave our grove, except to walk between the Great Trees. But that isn¡¯t currently possible.¡± ¡°What do you mean walk between the great trees? And why can¡¯t you do it now?¡± The nymph looked sad, and Mason had the immediate urge tofort her. He drew her against him, and somewhat amazingly felt a small twitch between his legs as her soft body squished tight against his skin. ¡°We nymphs can travel the Path of the Wyrds,¡± she exined. ¡°It takes us instantly from any of the Great Trees spread across the world.¡± ¡°But they have been corrupted, and upied,¡± Calysta rose up with a luxurious stretch, some strength returned to her voice. ¡°The druids of old are gone, and evil has returned to the world. Ours is thest Great Tree we know that can still be traveled safely¡­and even then¡­the rot has begun.¡± There was moisture in the nymphs¡¯ eyes now and Mason felt something primal in his chest to defend them, protect them. ¡°What is this rot? Is it the other dungeon? That is, the other ce I felt when I touched the tree?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Thea nodded sadly. ¡°A foul energy hase to our grove. The lower creatures are all infested, the dryads and satyrs who lived there wrestling with sickness that stains their souls. I fear they are all but lost. We were forced to flee here, and shut them out.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s only a matter of time?¡± Mason inferred. ¡°Yes.¡± Thea smiled. ¡°But we are wielders of life magic. And your potent seed will help us keep the rot at bay. For awhile, at least.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ve cleared one of these Great Trees already,¡± Mason thought back to the gnolls. ¡°Perhaps I can do it again.¡± Both nymphs sat up with eager eyes. ¡°You did? Where was it?¡± Thea asked. ¡°What did it look like?¡± Calypsa added. ¡°What infested it?¡± ¡°Woah, woah,¡± Mason sat back up and sighed. ¡°It was¡­South West, several days on foot. But I run pretty fast. Though I was carrying someone.¡± ¡°Ah. A woman.¡± Mason raised a brow and Thea shrugged. ¡°We could smell her on you.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been wasting seed on her, haven¡¯t you?¡± said Calypsa. ¡°Alright.¡± Mason narrowed his eyes. ¡°I wasn¡¯t wasting anything. It¡¯s mine, not yours, right? To do with what I will.¡± ¡°Yes, druid,¡± they both mumbled. ¡°So the tree,¡± he continued. ¡°It was huge, though not asrge as yours. It was filled with gnolls, and had a big, green pool of foul waters, surrounded by¡­¡± ¡°The Tree of Asimos!¡± said Thea, and Calypsa nodded. ¡°You cleared it?¡± ¡°I¡­think so? I killed all the gnolls at the end. It was empty when I left.¡± ¡°Oh, sister,¡± said Thea, her eyes shining with pleasure. ¡°A real druid has returned to us! Like the legends of old. Fate has brought you, Mason. And now you will restore the great trees for Gaia. Starting with ours.¡± [Objective received: Restore the great trees of Gaia throughout the Western Forest. Quest reward: Walking the Wyrd Way.] Mason¡¯s eyes widened when he looked at the reward. Did that mean he could travel through these trees like nymphs? Some kind of¡­instantaneous movement? Like teleportation? If so, well, that was amazing. But who knew how many trees there were and how far apart. And how difficult to clear. Thest one had nearly killed him. He¡¯d gotten more powerful since then, obviously, but then maybe so would the challenges. He looked at the nymphs, so expectant, so filled with hope, and he sighed. ¡°OK. I will. But it won¡¯t be quick, or eas¡­¡± They squealed and even Calypsa scrambled to his side, crushing themselves against him. He squeezed them back, slightly annoyed to be naked as he felt his dick twitch. ¡°Oh.¡± Thea ran her hand down his stomach. ¡°Look! He has more seed sister!¡± Calypsa¡¯s green eyes went wide, and she put a hand between her legs as if in protection. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t think I could withstand it, sister. And the druid must be tired. Perhaps we could use our mouths again?¡± Mason could hardly believe he was doing it but he held them both back from the attempt. On top of the concern that another double blowjob would kill him, he was reminded that Haley was still outside the tree, probably lost and terrified. ¡°My¡­woman is outside, alone. I have to leave. She won¡¯t have any idea what happened, I have to¡­¡± ¡°Oh she is quite safe safe,¡± said Thea, fighting to get a hand to Mason¡¯s cock. ¡°How do you know?¡± he watched her eyes. ¡°Because she is trapped in the mists of our great tree. We can see her even now. She is frightened, as you say, but very much fine. You can lead her out when we¡¯re finished.¡± Mason rxed, but still pushed away the nymphs¡¯ hands. ¡°No. I will lead her out now. So you can¡¯t tell me how to find my friend?¡± ¡°We¡¯re very sorry, druid,¡± said Calypsa with a tone that implied it was true. ¡°But we can tell you there is a dwelling of men to the West. Your friend might be there.¡± Mason nodded, pleased this matched the scout¡¯s information. ¡°I may have to fight those men to rescue him,¡± he said. ¡°Is there anything you can do to help me? Once I¡¯ve saved him, I¡¯ll see to your tree.¡± Thea frowned but looked at her sister. ¡°Calypsa is a warrior, but if she left I would be almost without protection.¡± ¡°Could you bothe?¡± ¡°No,¡± she shook her head. ¡°At least one of us must be here to maintain the magic sustaining the holy tree. But¡­we could risk Thea apanying you. For a little while.¡± Mason frowned. He didn¡¯t want to do that and put Thea in any danger. ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to risk you, or your tree. I¡¯ll solve it on my own ande back. I promise.¡± Again tears formed in the softer nymph¡¯s eyes, and the clung to him as if he were driftwood in some dangerous sea. He suspected at least part of how he felt was magic toying with his mind, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel protective of them. ¡°Oh!¡± Calypsa rose and hopped up, her pert, still red ass bouncing pleasantly as she moved to a different section of the cave. She returned with what looked like a crystal hanging on a vine. ¡°This will help channel your power, druid. It is a natural charm, and will harness your magic.¡± Mason took it and smiled politely. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯m not sure I understood that. What does it do specifically?¡± The nymphs shrugged. ¡°Every druid is different. Only you will know how to wield it, Mason. But please ept it with our thanks, and blessing.¡± [Received Primal Charm.] ¡°Thank you,¡± Mason said and meant. ¡°I won¡¯t forget.¡± The nymphs beamed, and exchanged a look. ¡°Are you certain you don¡¯t wish to rest and recover a little while? You can bathe in the holy waters, and drink and eat to your contentment, and¡­¡± ¡°No, thank you.¡± Mason rose, then nced at the pool. ¡°Well. I wouldn¡¯t mind a quick dip in that water, if that¡¯s alright?¡± Thea smiled and rose up to take his hand. ¡°Come, druid, it will renew you.¡± She led him to the faintly glowing waters, and he stepped into the tepid pool without hesitation, descending until it rose up to his chest. He dipped below the surface and did his best to scrub at his body with his hands. At least when he was back with Haley, he wouldn¡¯t smell quite so much like sex, and um, nymph. He rose back up to find the creatures both beside him, their wet bodies soon pressed against him as their mouths opened and sucked his neck and chest. ¡°Very bad,¡± he groaned, pushing at them with pathetic, token resistance. ¡°My friend is out there. I need to go.¡± Calypsa slipped under the pool, and he soon felt her lips and tongue stroking his thighs, and then his cock, until he stiffened and slid into her mouth. He groaned andy back as Thea whispered in his ear. ¡°We can breathe under water, druid, please just rx.¡± Then she too dipped under the surface, and again two mouths sucked and licked his manhood with wild abandon, and he put his arms on the edge of the pool and rested his head. ¡°Well,¡± he sighed. ¡°Maybe just a minute.¡±
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond SH/RR, you can subscribe to my . Enjoy! Chapter 34: I’ll be right back Chapter 34: I¡¯ll be right back The nymphs yet again worked to suck half the moisture from his body, and Masony back half conscious. Time passed without thought, then he was spurting another round of cum without even knowing whose warm mouth was taking it. ¡°Thank you for your seed, druid. Again.¡± Thea giggled. ¡°The magic of the pool will do you good.¡± Thea gave him water and fed him grapes and some kind of mild cheese as Calypsa cleaned his clothes in the water. ¡°Yes, thank you, druid,¡± Calypsa said as she finished with his clothes, both nymphs swimming back to him to hold their bodies against his. ¡°You¡¯re very wee,¡± he licked his lips, forcing the fog from his mind with sheer bloody will. He summoned every scrap of discipline he had left and stood from the pool. The nymphs pouted up at him, half emerged from the water to show their breasts, big green eyes blinking in disappointment. It was if they¡¯d be content to feed him and suck his cock until the end of days. And he would have been lying if the thought didn¡¯t have some appeal. No. ke needs me. He blinked and clenched a hand.Haley is lost. I have to go. Mason wiped the water as best he could, then dressed in magically dry, warm clothes. He grinned back at the nymphs, who remained in the pool, smiling now as he walked away. ¡°Return to us soon, druid,¡± Thea called. ¡°My sister will not admit it, but already she longs for your touch again.¡± Calypsa frowned, then dove into the water, a final glimpse of her ass and pussy disappearing into the pool. Mason turned, and grabbed the tree. Haley was pretty damn close to a perfect woman. But these nymphs were a walking, sucking fantasye to life, and he needed to get far, far away. Ideally into a very cold shower. The world vanished, then reappeared. He emerged into the mist, the huge, Great Tree loomingrge beside him. He saw Haley instantly, her hands out as if totally blind, wandering aimlessly in the fog that now began to recede. ¡°It¡¯s getting thinner!¡± she shouted in relief. ¡°Mason? Where are you? I think I can see the woods!¡± ¡°Hi.¡± Mason stepped out in front of hr and fought theugh when she damn near copsed in panic. Her eyes focused and found him, and she literally ran straight into his arms, burying her face in his neck. ¡°I thought you¡¯d¡­I don¡¯t know what I thought. But I was lost. Trapped. For hours.¡± ¡°Sorry about that, but I¡¯m here now. There¡¯s nothing to worry about. You can¡¯t see it, but there¡¯s actually a giant tree right over there.¡± He pointed, and Haley looked at him as if were a madman. ¡°Nevermind. Ready to go?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been more ready. Get me out of here.¡± He took her by the hand and led her back to the trees, and as they stopped for a moment at the edge, Haley looked him from head to toe as if confused. ¡°You look different. I don¡¯t know¡­taller. Healthier. You look like you¡¯ve slept for a week, and stopped hunching, or something.¡± Mason shrugged, though he suspected she was right. He felt rather well rested, despite his many¡­exertions. ¡°Then I¡¯d best use some energy. Hop on. We¡¯ve got miles to make.¡± He thought of ke and smiled. What was that poem he liked? The pompous bastard always had a poem or a line for every situation. Sometimes they rubbed off. He turned to the woods and muttered. ¡°The woods look lovely, dark and deep. But I¡¯ve got promises to keep. And miles to go before I sleep.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Haley was climbing onto his back and gave him a curious expression. He grinned, fingering the nymph¡¯s charm around his neck. ¡°Just something my brother would say.¡± * * * Mason carried Haley almost effortless for about an hour, feeling like she weighed little more than a backpack. Finally he stopped and out of curiosity more than anything, he pulled up his character sheet.
Mason Nimitz Primary ss: Ranger Secondary ss: Druid Strength:11 Dexterity:16 Vitality:16 Intellect:6 Will:9 Presence:3 Luck: 4 Titles: Killer, Early Lead, Soloist, Crazy like a Fox, Burnt the Boats, Progenitor, Hit the Ground Running, Masochist, Quench the Unquenchable Powers: Power Shot, Crippling Strike (upgraded), Regeneration, Predator¡¯s Strike, *Nature Affinity, Ranger¡¯s w, Endless Quiver, Trapmaking, Aspect of the Cheetah
Yeah. His stats were improved. Holy shit. Was it temporary? It didn¡¯t feel temporary. Had to be the nymphs, their food or water or all that delicious, delicious sex. Just the thought of it put a smile on Mason¡¯s face and made him sigh. Today was a good today. At least so far. He summoned his sword and took a few testing swings. It was lighter, too. ¡°Everything alright?¡± Haley said over his shoulder, and Mason nodded. ¡°Just checking something.¡± He vanished the sword and kept his pace. ording to Kiaan, he should already be close. He¡¯d half circled the mountain now, and past a fewrger hills on rocky ground, several streams and ponds. This ¡®Nassau¡¯ was supposed to be next, and Mason sobered at the knowledge he¡¯d have to kill people soon. Dealing with gnolls, mutant wolves, and men who had iting were one thing. But he suspected not everyone in this town deserved to die. Some would be there against their will, or because they were afraid, or had nowhere else to go. But if they fought back, that was that. They¡¯d taken his brother. They had ke. So woe to Nassau. In less than an hour, Mason had moved upwards into another series of hills, and slowed down his pace. He was close now, he could feel it, and he watched and listened all around him for traps, or raiders. But he found nothing. No sign of human life at all. Something about this bothered him, because he knew if it was him he wouldn¡¯t leave so much ground without scouts or rms. But he supposed it wasn¡¯t him. It was a bunch of murderous raiders who¡¯d decided the best thing to do in the robo apocalypse was murder and kidnap everyone in sight. Finally he arrived at the river, and in the distance between a cluster of trees, he saw the outline of arge, grey wall. Mason frowned, unsatisfied with what he¡¯d decided to do with Haley. But he didn¡¯t see much choice. He let her off his back, then she gave him his bow. He said nothing as he met her eyes. ¡°Oh don¡¯t make me,¡± she said with a whine, clearly understanding he meant to send her into the town alone. ¡°I¡¯ll climb a tree, like usual! Or I can just stay with you. I¡¯m a civilian, they can¡¯t hurt me.¡± She pouted slightly. ¡°But monsters can,¡± Mason exined. ¡°And God knows what might attack you if you weren¡¯t with me. I¡¯d rather not have to worry. This way I can move and do whatever I need to. You¡¯ll be safe in there while I deal with the yers.¡± Haley sighed, but obviously agreed. She took out some food and water and some of the vines from her bag. ¡°Here,¡± she said, looking down as she tied the vine around his waist. Then she nced at him and bit her lip, and Mason smiled before wrapping his arms around her. She kissed him fiercely, then passionately, until he pulled back for a breath. ¡°How long will it take?¡± she asked. Mason shrugged. ¡°Not long. I¡¯ll watch them a few days. The killing will go another few. Then it¡¯ll be done.¡± Haley ran a finger down his chest and quirked her head to the side. ¡°We could¡­get one in before you get started¡­since they don¡¯t know we¡¯re here¡­¡± ¡°Tempting.¡± Mason grinned without a hint of a lie. But he took a breath. Enough dys. ¡°Save it up,¡± he said. ¡°In a week I¡¯ll leave you a sex mangled mess. I promise.¡± She made a satisfying little groan at the thought, and Mason gave her ass a p as he gently pushed her away. ¡°Do I need toe up with a story for you?¡± he said. ¡°Or can youe up with something on your own?¡± ¡°Maybe I tell them I need a new big, strong man, who doesn¡¯t leave me in the woods!¡± she said in English, thick with her French ent. Mason grinned and watched her walk away with a dramatic, and rather sassy sway of her hips. ¡°Find my brother,¡± he called. ¡°Tell him I¡¯ming.¡± ¡°I will,¡± she called back, then vanished from sight into the woods. Mason waited in slight confusion as he heard her move off course, then ssh into the river. He almost moved to see what was wrong before she marched back towards the town, calling up to some kind of guard. Whatever her n was, he trusted her, and turned away. He moved further into the trees, and put away his concern for her, and for his humanity. There was no room for either where he was going.
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond SH/RR, you can subscribe to my . Enjoy! Chapter 35: Good news, bad news Chapter 35: Good news, bad news ke gawked at the beautiful blonde along with everyone else. She had apparently just wandered up to the front of the town gates dressed like a sexy park ranger, hourss figure revealed and soaked to the bone. She looked like Jane who¡¯d lost her Tarzan. ¡°Um, hello?¡± she called with some kind of European ent, arms crossed in front of her ample chest. The gate guards nearly trampled each other to get to her. To their credit they checked the immediate forest for danger, but ke wouldn¡¯t say thoroughly, then quickly brought the girl inside and closed the gate. ke was strolling around town with Seul-ki as usual, letting out discreet waves of mental energy, exploring the minds of the inhabitants. The male minds he explored were suddenly filled with cartoonish images of a certain naked, busty blonde, and he rolled his eyes and closed the connections. ¡°Chief will want her,¡± said Barry the Rogue, one of the chief¡¯s loyalists. The other men stared daggers. ¡°Yes. Eventually,¡± said James, some kind of skirmisher ss, then smiled as he turned to the girl. ¡°Let¡¯s get you warmed up and out of these wet clothes first, OK miss?¡± ¡°Th-thank you,¡± she smiled with whitened teeth, ¡°that would be great. Is there a ce I could change?¡± ¡°Right this way.¡± Most of the guards led her to a kind of enclosed cook house, which ke knew for a fact had many peeping holes the men could leer through. ¡°She¡¯s a civilian,¡± Seul-ki whispered, and ke nodded, having guessed as much. ¡°A bonded ve,¡± she said with surprise. How Seul-ki knew such things ke didn¡¯t exactly know, but he assumed it some kind of identify power. In any case, it was bloody useful. She squinted her eyes. ¡°How could a lone civilian¡­especially one like her¡­ever get this far into the forest? And without notice from the town¡¯s raiders?¡± ¡°A fine question.¡± ke resisted the urge to start bombarding the girl¡¯s mind with mental probing. There¡¯d be plenty of time for that, and he preferred to do a little investigation the old fashioned way first. It was much easier to prate a mind once he had some context. He also decided he recognized her, though it was difficult to tell. She resembled the girl from Mason¡¯s brief magic video, but she¡¯d been in the dark and mostly undressed. Now she was clothed, not to mention wet, and anyway ke wasn¡¯t terribly good with faces. If she was a bonded ve, it was feasible Mason was her patron. But he didn¡¯t yet dare to hope. ke decided not to try and leer at the girl. ¡°Let¡¯s move closer to the hall, and wait,¡± he whispered, then took Seul-ki¡¯s arm and led her along as if enjoying the afternoon air. After several minutes the guards finally brought the girl to their chief. ke inserted his presence into a few of their perceptions with his new and improved Mental Influence, but it soon didn¡¯t take a mind reader to know how the meeting went. The chief¡¯s screaming crossed the street. He was thrilled when he saw the girl, but once he realized she was ve bonded to someone else, his mood rather soured. It also seemed this girl¡¯s ¡®patron¡¯ had sent her ahead, and intended to join the town when he arrived. This made the chief even angrier. However, the girl pacified him rather quickly (and cleverly), exining that her bonded patron could of course offer her¡­services, to anyone he chose. And perhaps he would happily do so, for a good friend and ally, or a trusted chief. Things got more pleasant after that. Chief Sebastian sent the girl to her very own house with all privileges and ess to the town¡¯s supplies, though without freedom to roam without a guard. ke smiled and disconnected from the meeting. Apparently psychic observing was rather costly, and he was feeling mentally drained and running low on mana, and he knew Seul-ki was too. They¡¯d both need to rest and recharge for what was toe. ¡°That¡¯s enough for today,¡± he said. ¡°I can continue,¡± she said with her typical formal politeness, but he could see the exhaustion in her eyes and smiled. ¡°I know you can, Seul-Ki. You¡¯re incredible, truly. But I need you strong and ready when things get more¡­interesting.¡± ¡°You think they will?¡± ¡°Oh yes.¡± ke¡¯s smile turned more genuine. ¡°You can count on it.¡± She searched his eyes, then nodded, and he escorted her back to the home they shared. He found her extremely in in terms of attractiveness. She had beautiful, dark eyes, and a figure he suspected was rather nice, if not hidden under her baggy clothes. But she was certainly not up to his usual standards. Of course when a man was in a desert, any kind of drink would do. But ke had no desire to jeopardize the extreme value Seul-ki offered him with anything untoward that he wouldn¡¯t maintain. She basically doubled his mana, and probably more, with certainly faster than double the recharge. It was, in fact, an almost unbelievable ss and power to have found in the middle of nowhere, and he suspectedter in the game powerful casters all over the world would kill for people like her. So he did nothing to jeopardize their rtionship. Once inside he released her and gave a friendly smile, bowing in the Korean style. She returned it, and went to her room before closing the door, as was her custom. ke sat at the kitchen table and ate from a jar of mixed nuts, smiling to himself. Oh yes, he thought, things were going to get very interesting. As a rule ke kept his emotions locked away, knowing that there might be other mental wizards like him, maybe even spying on him even now. By probing the minds of others, he had learned that people who kept their thoughts and emotions hidden and reserved were far harder to exploit. Mana also protected them, the more the better, but he couldn¡¯t do anything about that. He had however begun a practice of building imaginary walls in his mind, sealing his thoughts behind them and only allowing them when they were useful. He wasn¡¯t sure if it made much difference, but he thought it was wise to try, and he had little enough to do. He searched those memories now, pulling up the shimmering fire and the strange night he¡¯d seen his brother¡¯s face in a magic screen. He imagined the blonde in the bikini again and again, searching from every angle until he was sure. Oh yes, he decided, it was her. He was almost sure of it. Somehow the Princess Leia-dressed knockout had escaped and traveled across the forest to pretend to be freezing, and pretend to be terrified, with a cute little story for Sebastian¡¯s band of merry men. Mason had arrived. ke allowed himself a moment of excitement, then breathed it away. He¡¯d expected to have a little more time. He couldn¡¯t know his brother¡¯s ns, or what he knew, but it was time to speed things up. There were still too many guards¡ªtoo many yers loyal to Sebastian. Some needed a push, others a shove. A little fear and chaos would help, and ke expected his brother would soon provide that in abundance. Here at the end of one world and the beginning of another, ke expected Mason would be exactly what he should have been¡ªa terrifying monster of the post-apocalypse. A survival machine without concern for what others thought, or what they wanted. Then ke put all his thoughts away, and grinned as he chewed. Chapter 36: Stage one Chapter 36: Stage one After two days of watching, Mason had seen enough. The town sent one and maybe two groups of raiders, one that came back within half a day, the other likely gone for longer. Both had now returned. A final group patrolled the town¡¯s borders and nearby terrain, and each group consisted of at least four yers, sometimes a civilian or two. Kiaan had found Mason at the end of the second day, moving close enough to be detected then stopping until Mason nodded him forward. ¡°Greetings, patron,¡± he¡¯d whispered. ¡°I found one of the raider groups, and they had knowledge of your brother. They say he¡¯s inside.¡± Mason nodded, flooded with relief. ¡°You know their leader. Could I negotiate for my brother?¡± Kiaan considered this, then frowned. ¡°You sent your woman inside?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°He will never give her up for any reason. And he will hold your brother hostage to make you do as he wishes.¡± Mason nodded, slightly annoyed, watching the group of raiders as they picked their way through the trees. They moved offensively slowly; they chatted and joked and whistled, and paid about as much attention to their surroundings as teenagers on their phones. In short, they were very powerful, or in a great deal of mortal peril. ¡°You can tell what tier they¡¯re in, correct?¡± he whispered to his civilian scout as they watched. ¡°How do theypare to me? Kiaan frowned. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to say.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°They are mid-tier, which means around half the world¡¯s yers are stronger, half weaker, ording to the ranking. You are in the top.¡± Here he shrugged. ¡°But how does a mid tier yerpare to a top tier yer in power? I cannot say.¡± Mason nodded. This made sense, not that it made any difference. ke was in there against his will, almost certainly, his friends all likely dead. He¡¯d survived somehow because¡­because he was ke, and he¡¯d had a horseshoe up his ass from birth. But he wouldn¡¯t have taken the deaths of his friends lightly, and he¡¯d only be living with their killers because he had no choice. Mason would kill them just for that. He would die for his brother, and he¡¯d certainly kill for Haley, who he¡¯d now put in their clutches. ¡°The die is cast,¡± he grinned, thinking again of something ke would say, not actually knowing what it was from. Probably something to do with role ying games. So he followed the next group of raiders, watching, and waiting. He let them go and returned to Nassau, then watched the second group of raiders leave, joking and calling to each other as they went. He could have started, then. But Mason was a patient hunter. He waited for the patrollers that always left a little after sunrise. He wanted to take them first. He expected the raiders had no way tomunicate with the town once they¡¯d left, so they¡¯d have no idea what was happening to the others. If he killed the patrol, he could then track down the raiders and take them apart in the woods before they made it home, hopefully killing all three groups before they realized what he¡¯d done. If he moved quickly, perhaps, he could do it in a day or two. But the patrollers were tricky. They stayed so close to Nassau¡¯s walls and however many yers remained inside. They needed to die quickly and quietly, so none could escape and raise the rm. On the third day, Mason waited by a thick tree along the now somewhat worn, consistent path of the towns¡¯ river patrol. The day was cloudy, so what little light emerged from the forest canopy didn¡¯t do much to help tell the exact time. But Mason knew it was soon. Hey one snare and one damage trap in the stretch with the best visibility from his ¡®sniper nest¡¯, then leaned against the tree with closed eyes and bow in hand. The yer he¡¯d begun calling ¡®Whistler¡¯ came first, this time whistling maybe a sea shanty. He was young and Caucasian with a mop of curly hair, probably belonging in senior high and not in a life and death battle. Three more men followed him--two young, one middle aged. Mason waited for the first trap to spring. ¡°I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s pointless,¡± one of the men muttered from the back. ¡°But really, has a single patrol actually found anything except deer, and a few mutant dogs?¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why,¡± said another. ¡°Our patrols scare ¡®em off.¡± ¡°Oh shut up and just walk for once. You got something better to do? If we¡¯re going to talk let¡¯s at least talk about something interesting. Like that blonde¡¯s rack.¡± ¡°Ohh shit,¡± said a raider in the back. ¡°Brother, I was at the cookout when they brought her in. I watched the whole show.¡± ¡°You were bloody not.¡± ¡°Sure was. Forget her tits, man, I swear to God she stripped down to her birthday suit, wet panties off as she bent straight back towards our peep hole. I saw fucking everything.¡± ¡°Jesus Christ, you lucky bastard.¡± The manughed. ¡°An ass you wouldn¡¯t believe. A perfect little box. And her knees! Her knees were all red, like she¡¯s been on ¡®em quite a bit, if you catch my drift.¡± The othersughed and made appreciative noises, and Whistler stopped whistling his sea shanty long enough to whistle a cat call. Then he hit Mason¡¯s first trap. A shrapnel of barbs and stones exploded in his face. The other men were stillughing as Mason stepped out in front of them at twenty paces. He loosed a Power Shot without a word, choosing a new and improved aluminum, ded arrow from his enhanced Endless Quiver. It flew straight and true, directly into Whistler¡¯s chest. The young man staggered back and copsed instantly. [Critical hit! yer killed. Experience awarded.] Mason didn¡¯t wait to enjoy their surprise. With growingpetence and speed, he drew and aimed at the next man, arrow appearing with Endless Quiver instantly at his call before taking flight. He put three arrows in the next youth before the third saw him and charged. The middle-aged man at the back turned and ran. The charger hit trap number two. He cried out and stumbled as thorns wrapped around his leg like a chain, and dropped his movement to a crawl. Mason ran straight past him. He activated Aspect of the Cheetah, dashing at full speed for the older runner. The walls were close, and he didn¡¯t have much time. He loosed another arrow but it flew wide. He slowed for another shot, but this one deflected off some kind of translucent shield surrounding the man. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, bastard!¡± yelled the still crippled patroller behind him. Mason continued to ignore him, slinging his bow around his neck as he ran without pause. Branches flew past him in a blur, and he leapt a fallen log as he bent forward still in a sprint, legs pumping with the heat of the chase. He caught the runner a dozen steps from the wall. ¡°We¡¯re under attack!¡± the older man shouted, waving his arms at a guard raised on some kind of tower on the inside of the town. He should have kept running. Mason dove into his back with both weapons poised like spears. He struck, smashing through the shield, both des sinking into flesh. The man crumpled and they went down in a tumbling heap, Mason¡¯s knife pulled out and stabbing before his opponent could scream. [yer killed. Experience awarded.] The tower guard had obviously heard something but still wasn¡¯t sure what. He leaned out over the wall with narrow eyes, looking out further, seeming not to realize the violence had happened so close. Mason sat atop the corpse and didn¡¯t move. As the guard was pulling back, his eyes drooped slightly back into rxation. Then he finally looked down, and met Mason¡¯s eyes. ¡°What the fuck?¡± Mason rolled to his feet, unslung his bow in one swift motion, and shot. The young guard turned, just slightly, but enough to save his life. The arrow raked his cheek, spraying blood before he flung himself away from the open. Mason turned and ran. He found the still crippled, limping patroller¡ªwho was still angrily threatening with every hobbled step¡ªand calmly put three arrows into his chest. [yer killed. Experience awarded.] Mason sighed, quickly checking the dead men¡¯s pockets (nothing useful), then their weapons (unimpressive), before turning towards the raiders¡¯ paths, and breaking into a run. He had a lot of ground to cover. Sometimes the raiders seemed to change their patterns and paths, so he couldn¡¯t be exactly sure which way they¡¯d go. He had to hope Kiann would stay on top of them and leave him markers to follow. And that Nassau didn¡¯t or couldn¡¯t warn either of them in time, or have enough yers left toe out in much force. But he cleared his mind, and focused on his footsteps, and the trees. The patrollers were down. The first stage wasplete. But he still had a job to do.
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond SH/RR, you can subscribe to my . Enjoy! Chapter 37: I am me Chapter 37: I am me Two days without incident, and ke was getting impatient. ess to the girl remained strictly controlled. She was escorted everywhere, generally to the closest mess hall and back, with maybe the asional walk. ke hadn¡¯t even gotten a chance to speak with her. But the end of his patience had arrived. Seul-ki was having a nap, but he was going to go warp some minds and he needed the extra mana. He walked to her room with his mind full of swirling thoughts, and forgot to knock before opening the door. Then he looked up, and froze. ¡°Out! Please! Out!¡± A woman stood before a mirror, topless and wearing only thin, white panties. She seemed to be wrapping her chest in a skin-color cloth, and she had long, dark hair, and a beautiful, tear shaped face that could have maybe belonged to Seul-ki¡¯s distant rtion if she wasn¡¯t so¡­ ke knew it was her when he met her eyes. The same, brilliant green, so unusual on a Korean girl. He couldn¡¯t help but stare at the obvious swell of her breasts inside the cloth¡ªthe wide curve of her hips, the porcin skin. ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry,¡± he said, not moving. ¡°I thought you were sleeping. I mean, I needed your help. I thought I¡¯d have to wake you.¡± At least some of the girl¡¯s obvious annoyance and concern seemed to leave her face, but certainly not all. She sighed. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Just turn around. I¡¯ll finish getting ready.¡± He turned, a bit at a loss. ¡°Um, what are you doing?¡± And, you know, why do you look like an entirely different person? Seul-ki let out a long, defeated breath. ¡°My ss can hide my nature, as I¡¯ve said. It can even alter my appearance, though not very much yet. One day, perhaps, I can look entirely different. But for now I must use old tricks to help with the disguise.¡± ke desperately wanted to turn around. Desperately wanted to use Mental Influence to improve his chances, but forced himself not to. ¡°Would it be alright¡­if I looked at you again?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I just want to see the real you.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ke heard Seul-ki sit on the bed. ¡°I suppose I¡¯m trusting you with my life already. And living here, I guess it was only a matter of time. You can look, if you wish.¡± ke turned back to see the girl still holding the fabric before her chest, head drooping slightly. Her teeth were perfect. Her skin was wless. Her hair was like a dark waterfall sshing off her shoulder. ¡°Seul-ki,¡± he said to himself as much as her, ¡°you¡¯re¡­stunning. Why would you wear such a disguise? Surely your looks could be¡­an asset.¡± She pressed her lips together and frowned. ¡°Sorry, but that is very male thinking. You have seen how the men of this town reacted to the neer.¡± ¡°Yes, but they treat her like a princess. Surely that would be useful for someone like¡­¡± ¡°She is a civilian, I am not. There are no rules which protect me. None.¡± Seul-ki¡¯s tone harshened, and ke sat on the lone chair in her room and said nothing, finally understanding. yers could be killed with no repercussions whatsoever. They could certainly be¡­taken, against their will, if one had the strength. So the clever girl had tricked the brutal men of Nassau not only into believing she was a civilian, but a rather ugly woman, not worthy of much attention. And the less attention she received, the better. ¡°Your secret is safe with me,¡± he said quietly, then bowed his head. She held the fabric against her breasts more tightly, and returned it. ¡°I find I¡¯m d you know,¡± she said, smiling slightly. ¡°Together in the house, perhaps, I can take a rest from the disguise. It¡¯s very¡­ufortable.¡± ¡°I can imagine!¡± keughed, trying not to let his eyes roam over her face and body. Her shapely legs were together awkwardly, her t stomach, her hips and ass curved and sexy, her difort with herck of clothes obvious. She looked like some kind of Korean porcin sex doll, and he just wanted to go wrap her in his arms andfort her, and then maybe ¡­ ¡°We¡¯re under attack!¡± A voice called from somewhere on the street, and others soon took it up. ke raced to the window to see yers and civilians scrambling all over, then turned to Seul-ki with a smile. ¡°Best finish that disguise. I think we¡¯re going to have a rather exciting day.¡± She nodded, her eyes glowing slightly before her hair and face warped and altered into the non-descript, nearly ugly face he¡¯d be ustom to. Her body didn¡¯t change, though, so he understood the need for the wrapping and baggy clothes. ¡°Eh hem,¡± Seul-ki cleared her throat, and ke grinned and left her room with a final nce. Then he ran out of the house and into the town, ready to sow a little excitement of his own. * * * ke went straight for the new girl¡¯s house, and found a guard outside looking mighty concerned. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ke shouted. ¡°Eh?¡± The guard grimaced. ¡°What are you on about? This is my post.¡± ¡°If you haven¡¯t noticed,¡± ke red as he stepped forward. ¡°The town is under attack. It¡¯s all hands on deck.¡± The idiot still looked confused and ke rolled his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a rallying call. A gathering. The damn banners are called. Go to the chief and see if he needs you!¡± ¡°Shit.¡± The guard nced worryingly up at the chief¡¯s house as his shoulders sagged. ¡°Watch the bloody girl, then. And don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even know how,¡± ke assured. The young man ran off, and ke instantly walked through the girl¡¯s door. He found the beautiful blonde cooking eggs in the kitchen, listening to some kind of old jazz on the town¡¯s digital database. She turned and frowned as the door opened, but her eyes went wide when she saw ke. ¡°You¡¯re him, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I am me,¡± ke confirmed. Then he closed the door and took a seat at the table. With the girl¡¯s identity confirmed, he was feeling a strange mixture of calm and excited, but locked that away behind a wall of will. ¡°Over easy for me,¡± he said, then waited for the slight footfalls he heard outside, and the door to open with Seul-ki awkwardly looking inside. ¡°My apologies. Seul-ki? How do you like your eggs? I don¡¯t imagine we have any rice.¡± She nced around the room shyly before sitting at ke¡¯s side. ¡°Eggs? Um, hard boiled, please,¡± she said finally when ke didn¡¯t look away. ¡°There you are then, two over easy, two hard boiled.¡± ke smiled and waited for the girl. ¡°Oh yes,¡± sheughed, which was a most pleasing sound. ¡°You¡¯re definitely ke. Your brother¡¯s told me quite a lot about you.¡± ¡°Of course he has. I¡¯m the most interesting thing he knows about. Now if you wouldn¡¯t mind terribly, could you tell me a little about him? Possibly, oh I don¡¯t know, his rtive power. How he fights. If he can kill fifteen to twenty yers single-handedly and if not how we might go about helping him. That sort of thing.¡± The girl blinked, clearly still processing all he¡¯d said, holding her spat as if frozen in the air. ¡°But do see to those eggs,¡± ke added. ¡°We¡¯re going to need our strength.¡±
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond RR, you can subscribe to my. Enjoy! Chapter 38: All according to plan Chapter 38: All ording to n Mason wiped the sweat from his eyes, and smiled. Trees and brush flew past him as he raced after his quarry, the branches and other vegetation slipping past him without touching him, like he¡¯d found that perfect opening through a crowd. He¡¯d found a marker from Kiaan, then one of the raider group¡¯s tracks soon after. Now he was crashing after at near full speed, not expecting time to observe their powers and n things carefully. He¡¯d try and get around them, if he could, to at leasty a few traps. But they were a bit further and moving faster than he¡¯d expected, so he had to deal with them quickly if he hoped to possibly find and deal with the others. He knew he was close. No, scratch that¡ªhe felt a change in the sounds of the birds, and the many prey animals of the forest. He¡¯d already found them. Footsteps and snapping twigs sounded ahead, and Mason slowed to a walk and steadied his breathing. Another footstep, due East. That made two. A breaking branch to the West. That made three. Patience, he told himself, standing perfectly still. Where was the other one? He heard water running straight ahead. It slowed to spurts, and Mason drew his bow and crept forward. He found the fourth raider pissing against a tree, still fiddling with his fly. Mason weighed reward and danger, life and death, and attacked. He loosed a Power Shot straight into Pisser¡¯s abdomen. The young man crumpled against the tree behind him with a groan and a puff of air, clearly dazed as he touched the arrow now pinning him to the tree. He looked up just as Mason stepped into view. ¡°Wait,¡± he spit blood, holding up a hand. Mason shot another arrow straight through it, directly into his neck. He gasped and soon bled out. [yer killed. Experience awarded.] ¡°Hey, what the hell was that? You guys hear something?¡± ¡°Hey Timmy,¡± shouted another voice. ¡°That you?¡± Mason dropped two deadly traps near Timmy¡¯s corpse, then dashed back into the trees behind. ¡°Shit. Something¡¯s wrong,¡± said one of the raiders as he came closer, the sound of metal ringing in the air. Their voices and steps quieted now. Mason could still hear them slinking through the trees, their breathing as heavy as their footfalls. One man began mumbling some kind of alien words, probably to a spell, and Mason turned and shot. ¡°Ahh! Shit! Someone shot me! There¡¯s an archer in the god damn trees!¡± Light shed to Mason¡¯s left. A fiery ball zoomed through the forest until it collided about two trees from Mason¡¯s position. mes flew like burning oil from the explosion, lighting trees and brush everywhere it went. Mason raised a hand against the heat and light, but kept searching for another target. ¡°There! I see him! South side!¡± Mason spun and ran full speed from the fire as something whizzed past his head. He ran straight back then angled West and circled towards the fray, waiting with bow at the ready. A figure came running through the trees, and Mason loosed a Cripple shot. It struck, and the sword-wielding male cursed and dropped to the ground, no doubt hoping to be too low for further arrows to be worth it. But Mason had his Endless Quiver. He loosed arrow after arrow at the lying target. Three. Four. Five. On the sixth his target cried out and tried to crawl, and Mason lined up a recharged Power Shot. [yer Killed. Experience awarded.] He heard a scream and an explosion, then another, smiling as his traps went off. He walked slowly and carefully back towards the corpse of his first kill, eyes back and forth but partly blinded by the growing fire. His senses screamed in silent warning as something appeared from the shadow of a tree. A de rammed into his side with considerable strength as an older man appeared from nothing. Mason grunted and seized the man¡¯s arm, tossing his bow and drawing his own dagger as he held on. Even wounded, it soon became clear: Mason was much stronger. He turned and stared into the previously triumphant gaze of his attacker, whose face now paled in terror as Mason¡¯s grip crushed his wrist. Then he plunged his goblin de into the man¡¯s neck, straight through the attempted block, and kicked him over. [yer killed. Experience awarded.] Mason groaned and pulled the knife from his side, painncing up his chest so vicious his legs nearly buckled. He sagged against a tree and smelled the wound with his enhanced senses. It had almost certainly pierced his intestine or stomach. That was bad. Very bad. He didn¡¯t know the limits of his regeneration. Would it heal organs? Prevent his guts from infecting damn near everything else internally it touched? He tried to control his pain with steady breaths, knowing at least one more raider was out there, and could shoot giant fireballs. His mind screamed something important, something he¡¯d forgotten, and tried to remind him through the pain. The traps. The traps went off. And the would-be assassin hadn¡¯t been hurt, so it hadn¡¯t been him. Mason stumbled towards the first corpse. All around him the forest burned, the heat dripping sweat down Mason¡¯s face and neck. He had to escape. But first he had to finish this raider. His vision was swimming and he suddenly remembered he¡¯d dropped his bow. Shit. He staggered and gripped a tree, leaving a bloody hand print as he did. He couldn¡¯t leave his bow. It would burn up. And one raider wasn¡¯t worth it, not by a long shot. He turned back and stumbled towards the trees leaving bloody marks on every surface he touched. He found his bow and cried out as he stooped to lift it, then kept walking towards anything that wasn¡¯t burning. He couldn¡¯t die here. Not yet. Not until ke was safe, which was maybe never. And the truth was, he didn¡¯t want to die. He wanted to live as he never had in the old world. He wanted to get back to Haley and fuck her brains out. He wanted to take a trip to the nymphs, clear out their holy tree, and do likewise to them. Then he wanted to see this strange new world and maybe explore it with his brother, and beat all these bastards who meant to kill them. So his feet kept moving, one step at a time. He screamed at the pain but kept his body upright, kept it obeying his will and not its stupidity He hated poetry, but one from some damn poem he¡¯d forgotten kept ringing in his ears. ¡°God damn you ke,¡± he spit blood as he walked, practically hearing his brother read the lines. ¡°If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew to serve your turn long after they are gone, and so hold on when there is nothing in you except the will which says to them hold on¡­¡± He screamed. But he filled that damn minute. He staggered upwind from that burning hell hole, then copsed down a hill, rolling in foetal position to the bottom with a few whimpering cries of agony. When he looked up he saw a small, winding creek, and would have leapt for joy if he could stand. He crawled to the water, and tried to hold in his blood. [yer killed. Experience awarded.] Masonughed like a maniac, then stopped from the pain and clutched at his guts. ¡°Got you,¡± he mumbled. Then he promptly passed out.
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond SH/RR, you can subscribe to my . Enjoy! Chapter 39: We have no choice Chapter 39: We have no choice After breakfast with Haley and Seul-ki, ke walked the streets of Nassau, gathering the few yers who more openly disliked their chief. With each he sent a wave of trust¡ªand not for the first time¡ªthen told them to meet at Haley¡¯s house. With some surprise, they all actually came. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time,¡± ke said, again filling the room with a st of mental domination. The men of various ages exchanged looks, a sheen of sweat on most brows, or dampening armpits. ¡°My brother is out there butchering most of the chief¡¯s men as we speak.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t know that,¡± said Garet Franks the Spearman, a fellow American as it turned out, of maybe forty five. ¡°He¡¯s just one guy. He could be dead.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not dead,¡± said Haley from her chair on ke''s left. When the men met her eyes with suspicion she shrugged like it was nothing. ¡°I¡¯m bound to him by contract. If he was dead, I¡¯d be released.¡± Most nodded at the logic of this, but Garet didn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°OK, so he¡¯s alive. Doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s killed the raiders. Maybe he saw how many there were and ran off with his tail between his legs.¡± ¡°Mr. Franks,¡± said ke, ¡°there are four corpses sitting a stone¡¯s throw from these walls. My brother, who was a hunter and woodsman before the system gave him magic powers, killed them before they could escape a dozen paces. What do you think he¡¯ll do to the groups of four who are many miles from safety?¡± The yers in the room shifted at this, though it wasn¡¯t clear it made them any less uneasy. Garet snorted. ¡°Sebastian only sends the weakest on patrol. Raiders are better, higher level, proven killers. They won¡¯t die so easy.¡± ¡°Yet die they shall,¡± ke promised without a hint of doubt. ¡°This meeting isn¡¯t really about them. Because I consider their deaths a foregone conclusion. This meeting is about what happens when they¡¯re dead. And my brother returns.¡± His confidence soothed them a little, so he shot out another st of mental energy, Seul-Ki¡¯s hand on his back for power. ¡°When he does,¡± he went on, ¡°you¡¯re all going to have to make a decision. Do you want to remain loyal to a chief who couldn¡¯t give two shits about you, or would you rather join a promising new management team?¡± Garet¡¯s lips curled in a frown. ¡°I suppose that means you?¡± ke met the man¡¯s eyes, then slowly the others, and realized men like this would never serve him. Not as he was, not as things were. ¡°No, Garet, you¡¯ll serve my brother. A man who can kill Chief Sebastian. A top tier yer in our little game.¡± ¡°All due respect,¡± said Tommaso, an Italian in his thirties, ¡°but we don¡¯t know your brother. What¡¯s to stop him from killing us after we help him? Or what if he¡¯s even worse than Sebastian?¡± ¡°Reasonable questions,¡± ke nodded. ¡°What¡¯s to stop him is my solemn oath he wouldn¡¯t, and isn¡¯t. Every man here will be respected in the new system, given a transparent share of the town¡¯s profits for services rendered.¡± ¡°You use a lot of fancy words, ke,¡± said Garet, with a neutral, somewhat defeated tone. ¡°But I still can¡¯t trust what your brother will do. At least with Sebastian it¡¯s the devil we know.¡± Haley met ke¡¯s eyes, then spoke up. ¡°Mason saved me from god knows what and certainly death in some horrible dungeon.¡± There was something a bit haunted in her eyes. ¡°He killed three giant¡­creatures, on his own, one by one, despite getting damn near mangled in the process. He didn¡¯t even know me. And he saved my life. What he did was supposed to be for a group of men.¡± She met the eyes of the yers one by one, until Tommaso spoke up. ¡°Begging your pardon, miss, but anyone with a dick would have saved you. We ¡®ain¡¯t beautiful girls like you. We¡¯re soldiers of his enemy, and maybe rivals and turncoats. He might not give us the same delicate treatment. And ain¡¯t you bonded? Don¡¯t that mean he made you a ve?¡± ¡°The system did,¡± Haley said. ¡°Mason would have set me free. I asked him not to.¡± Despite the tense nature of the meeting, some of the men grinned or raised their eyebrows at that. Frankly, ke had lost his patience. He touched Seul-ki¡¯s knee beneath the table to warn her he needed her power. Her eyes drooped as she activated her power boosts, then ke drained most of her mana reserves as he sted a thick wave of agreeableness and courage at the men with Mental Influence, followed by a Mind Bend. For the past several days he¡¯d been testing their minds, learning their weaknesses. None of them had mana. And they were already susceptible to his message. Eyes zed and the men wobbled slightly in their seats. ke grit his teeth, ignoring Haley as she looked between the others and maybe asked what the hell was going on. ke, nor the others, could really hear her. It could have been a minute, or an hour, but the air seemed to grow and shrink as ke poured his mana and most of Seul-ki¡¯s into the open minds before him until it was done. Their resistance shattered like ss. ¡°Your best chance is with Mason,¡± he said, mouth coppery, eyes blurred. ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± said Garet first, wiping a strand of drool from his lip. ¡°Fair enough,¡± said Tommaso. ¡°We have no choice.¡± ¡°Alright, ke, we¡¯re all in,¡± Garet put a hand to his temple and shook his head. ¡°Now tell us your n.¡± ke nodded in thanks and squeezed Seul-ki¡¯s knee again beneath the table. He could see Haley staring at him but chose to ignore her. ¡°A wise decision, gentlemen, now listen carefully. Sebastian is all that matters. His little minions might even join us if we can avoid hurting them. So there¡¯s only one goal: we¡¯re going to help my brother kill the chief.¡±
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond RR, you can subscribe to my. Enjoy! Chapter 40: Health, very important (NSFW) Chapter 40: Health, very important (NSFW) [Objective granted: kill the yer known as Chief Sebastian, and be the patron of Nassau. Reward: a moderate boost of settlement favor] ke watched the ghostly text appear before his eyes as Garet and the others left. The patron part both excited and concerned him, as he wasn¡¯t sure it was feasible. Even if Mason didn¡¯t want it¡ªwhich ke was sure he didn¡¯t¡ªin this world it might take a man like him to bind the yers together. Could ke handle being the man behind the throne? He wasn¡¯t so sure. The only thing he knew about ¡®settlement favor¡¯ is that he wanted it. ¡°That was amazing!¡± Seul-ki¡¯s beautiful green eyes sparkled as she clung to ke¡¯s arm. ¡°Yes it was,¡± said Haley, with a lot less enthusiasm. ¡°You can manipte minds?¡± ¡°Sometimes,¡± ke shrugged, like it was no big deal. Haley obviously felt otherwise. ¡°You can do that to anyone? Civilians too?¡± Again ke shrugged nonmittally, and the French girl gave him a look like a stern mother. ¡°Well.¡± ke cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯d best not be here when the soldierse back. I¡¯ll go to my house. But I¡¯ll be ready when you need me. Thank you, Haley, you were very useful back there.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m here for Mason. Just like you.¡± ke let that go, though he wanted tough in her face. What could she know about two little orphan boys together against the world? What could anyone? Instead he smiled pleasantly and offered Seul-ki his arm, walking back into the street like nothing in the world was amiss. ¡°Your powers are growing quickly,¡± she whispered. ¡°As are yours.¡± She frowned and scrunched up her fake nose. ¡°Not enough. I¡¯m nearly drained. I¡¯m going to drop my disguise as soon as we¡¯re home because it takes a little to maintain.¡± ¡°Please be my guest. If anyonees you can run to your room.¡± They walked the short distance to their own house, Nassau even more silent than usual with the many yers outside the walls or holed up with the chief. All the civilians had been ordered to stay inside, and it resembled a ghost town. ke imagined it entirely differently¡ªnot gripped by fear, but filled with life and families, rebuilding all the things that made life beautiful, like a good woman on your arm. They arrived at the house, and ke gestured Seul-ki through. She stepped inside and instantly removed her disguise¡ªlong hair falling from the faux bun, every facial feature softening and turning more symmetrical. She watched his face during the change, her expression impossible to read. ¡°You really are truly beautiful, Seul-ki,¡± he said honestly. ¡°I¡¯m so pleased your eyes are the same. They¡¯re always mesmerizing.¡± Seul-ki nced away shyly. ¡°Korean men are not so bold,¡± she yed with her hands. ¡°And most Korean women don¡¯t like such directness.¡± ¡°And you?¡± he smiled, already knowing the answer. ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± she said, but he knew otherwise. Though he was surprised when she confirmed it. ¡°Perhaps a little.¡± He was sorely tempted to use his power again, but it didn¡¯t work terribly well on her, and frankly he just didn¡¯t have the mana. ¡°Do you use your power on me?¡± she asked suddenly, and ke nked as she met his eyes. ¡°I¡­¡± She snorted. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I don¡¯t mind.¡± Few people could make ke Nimitz speechless. It seemed Seul-ki was one. After a pause that was far too long to be natural, he swallowed and managed: ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± ¡°No.¡± She looked away. ¡°My disguise is ufortable. Would you mind if I went to my room and removed it?¡± ¡°Of course. Please.¡± He gestured. Seul-ki bowed slightly and opened her door but didn¡¯t close it behind. She pulled off the baggy sweater and windbreakerish pants, leaving her in tight ck cks and the chest wrapping she hated. She looked into her mirror and slowly began to loosen it. ¡°I find it¡­difficult,¡± she said, ¡°to warm up to people. In a way, I think I hoped you would help break down some of my walls with your magic. I find I¡­care for you. I think of you as a friend already. Usually that would take me years.¡± ke was standing in her doorway, watching her undress, and just couldn¡¯t help himself. ¡°Just as a friend?¡± The beautiful girl looked at him quickly then back at her mirror. ¡°Until you saw what I really looked like, I do not think you desired me as more than a friend.¡± He nodded, not interested in lying, but took a few steps closer. ¡°True. But I thought you were astounding. Your unusual ss, your abilities. I wanted you by my side, as a friend, and an ally, to the very end of this game.¡± She stopped unwrapping and looked down as if shy again, but ke just kept talking. ¡°Moments after we met, I¡¯d nned to share everything with you, to ensure you felt it was fair, to bind your fate to me.¡± He surprised himself by being so open, but all of that was true. He¡¯d known instantly what an utter gem he¡¯d found in Seul-ki, no matter how she looked. ¡°That you turned out to be beautiful, and that I desire you¡­it just makes you all the more precious,¡± he said atst, his heart beating faster in his chest. Seul-ki smiled and met his eyes. ¡°I think I would like that. To be part of your ns. Your little tribe.¡± With an American woman the invitation was extremely clear, but with a girl like this ke didn¡¯t know the rules. He crossed the distance between them, putting his hand to the girl¡¯s face. She didn¡¯t stop him or pull away, and he leaned in to kiss her. Her lips were as soft and inviting as they looked. She didn¡¯t open her mouth, and her hands were still clinging to the wrappings around her chest. He couldn¡¯t help himself now, and sted practically every scrap of remaining mana to send a wave of soothingfort. She closed her eyes, and opened her lips, moaning as ke slid his tongue inside. Very slowly, he took her hands in his, letting the wrappings slide and fall down around her legs, revealing her surprisinglyrge, soft breasts. ¡°My God,¡± he whispered, kissing her ear and down to her neck. She had closed her eyes now, breathing hard and making little whimpers as his lips touched her wless skin. She was so short he had to kneel, continuing down her corbone to between her breasts, rubbing her perky nipples with his thumbs. ¡°You¡¯re so sexy, I¡¯m hard as a rock.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± she said, opening her eyes and looking suddenly shy. He cursed himself for saying the wrong thing. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean¡­we shouldn¡¯t¡­your stresses are enough already¡­¡± He stood back up and put his arms around her, meeting her eyes. ¡°You are notone of my stresses. You¡¯re the exact opposite.¡± She smiled and stood on her toes to kiss him again, then bit her lip and drummed her fingers on his waist. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we can¡¯t have sex.¡± ke had to admit, that was a wee bit of a disappointment. He clearly hadn¡¯t maintained a perfect poker face, as Seul-ki winced and shifted almost like she¡¯d stomped a foot. ¡°Please understand, I respect and admire you very much, but I can only have sex once I¡¯m married.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± he said reflexively, doing his best to inform his dick this wasn¡¯t going to happen. ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin.¡± She brushed hair away from her face, pushing him slightly away from the bed. ¡°Can you sit, please?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± He let her move him, sitting in the chair in the corner of the room. She dropped to her knees in front of him, and his dick twitched with the mixed messaging. ¡°Seul-ki, uh, I don¡¯t think this is the best ce to have a conversation, which we don¡¯t really need to have anyway, because...¡± Her hands ran up his legs and silenced him. Then she was untying his belt, and zipping down his fly. ¡°Your health is very important to me,¡± she said, discovering his raging erection with a slight pause. ¡°For a man¡¯s health, it is important to orgasm regrly. And if I was your woman, then that would be my responsibility. It¡¯s just my virginity I must save for my husband. And anyway, a wife should learn to please her husband, so for me this can just be learning.¡± She giggled like she¡¯d gotten away with some kind of scheme, tits bouncing as she covered her mouth with one hand, pulling out his cock with the other. ¡°Learning,¡± ke managed. ¡°Yes. Health. Very important.¡± She seemed to enjoy his disorientation, grinning as she stroked him with both hands. Then she stared at his hard length and bit her lip, leaning forward as if in inspection. He could feel her warm breath on his head, and couldn¡¯t help but run a hand through her long, thick hair. ¡°Do you want me to put it in my mouth?¡± she asked, her eyes almost begging him to say yes. ¡°Yes. Lick it, and suck it.¡± Seul-ki ran her little, pink tongue up his shaft and licked his tip like a lollipop. He groaned at the feel, and she looked beyond cute as she kept licking with a determined intensity. Her smallness made him look even bigger than he was, and he had no idea how she¡¯d fit him very far. But he decided it was time to help a little. He held her hair back with a firm grip and shifted his hips forward. ¡°Open your mouth, and look at me,¡± he said, hearing the lust in his own voice. She obeyed instantly, and he guided her mouth down to take in his tip, then pushed her down to swallow almost half his length. Then he guided her up and down with his hand on her hair, eyes flickering with pleasure at the silky warmth enveloping him. He watched her vibrant green eyes, looking at him with such innocence and submission he could probably finish with a few strokes. But he wanted tost. He let Seul-ki do some self learning while he used both hands to y with her tits. As he did her mouth moved faster, little groans and muffled breaths as she swallowed him further and further. He desperately wanted her tights off, to see her ass and pussy and start fingering her while she worked. But he knew he had to be patient. Her nipples were also obviously sensitive, which turned him on considerably, especially as she moaned at his touch. He didn¡¯t want to distract and torture her too much yet, so he went back to holding her hair, guiding her speed as he started driving up into her mouth and throat. She was gagging slightly but fighting through it. He wanted to slow down and let her spend the day sucking him until her jaw wore out, but he couldn¡¯t stop himself. He just kept pulling her down to gulp his aching hard on, loving the wet, slurping efforts to take him further into her little mouth. ¡°I¡¯m going to cum soon,¡± he told her, feeling the pressure build. ¡°Look in my eyes while I do. And try to swallow every drop.¡± It was a tall order for her first time, but he didn¡¯t care. The idea of the submissive little Korean girl drinking down his cum was impossible to deny. His cock pulsed and trembled, and his balls tensed and released, sending what must have been a hard first spray straight into Seul-ki¡¯s throat. She opened her eyes wide but kept on sucking. ke groaned and trembled as he released stream after stream into the girl¡¯s tight-lipped hold. She kept eye contact just like he¡¯d asked, throat working as she swallowed again and again, only a trickle of saliva and cum leaking down her chin. ke felt thest spasms die down, and finally let her go. Instead of pulling back like he¡¯d expected, she kept licking and sucking more gently, more wetness leaking from her lips as she sent a few sensitive shivers through his body. Hey back and exhaled, and for a few, blissful moments, he wasn¡¯t in Nassau or in the robot apocalypse or trying to kill men to reunite with Mason. He was just a man with his balls emptying into a beautiful girl, who¡¯d worked hard to please him. Finally she released him, panting and giggling as she looked at the wetness trailing down her chin and onto her breasts. ¡°It seemed like you enjoyed it?¡± she asked with the kind of feminine grin that meant she knew very well. ¡°You¡¯re a natural,¡± he confirmed, fighting the sleep that threatened his senses. Then she stood and cleaned up in the bathroom,ing back with her hair tied and face scrubbed like nothing had ever happened. ¡°Come here,¡± he reached out a hand, and Seul-ki bit her lip and hesitated but still came forward. He pulled her small body into hisp like a kid on Santa¡¯s knee, then wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. Soon their tongues were darting back and forth as they explored each other¡¯s mouths and lips. He ran his hands up and down her legs and cupped her ass, but respectfully avoided the damp fabric between her legs. He desperately wanted to, of course, but it was a perfect moment, and he didn¡¯t want to ruin it. Then he lifted her to the bed andy her down. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time,¡± he whispered. ¡°Try to sleep, and regain a little mana. Then we¡¯ll go and¡­bring this all to an end.¡± She cuddled into his arms, and with a wave of will he forced his cock not to swell at the closeness of her body. He closed his eyes, and slept. ke woke to a dull light and with Seul-ki at his side. She was still topless, ck hair spread everywhere. He did his best not to look at the swell of her hips and the tight fit of her cks. She wanted a husband. But what exactly the hell that meant in their current circumstances he had no idea. Not like there was a church or a temple around to tie the knot. But ultimately he knew what she meant: a man whomitted to her for life. Was he the type to ever do that? The idea practically repulsed him on instinct. And yet¡­he was ready tomit to her for the life of the game just for her ss abilities. Sure, that was more like¡­a retainer. An underling. And a wife was a whole different thing. But then what the hell did ke know about wives. Seul-ki sighed and moaned slightly, shifting against him as she yawned. ¡°What time is it?¡± He¡¯d nced at the clock and knew only about two hours had past, and said so. ¡°How¡¯s your mana?¡± ¡°Nearing eighty percent,¡± she said. ke nodded. They both recovered extremely quickly, which he suspected was a huge advantage at every stage of the game. It was certainly life or death now. ¡°We can wait a little longer. But once it¡¯s ny or so we should probably go take a look around, get some more work done.¡± ¡°OK.¡± She pushed back to cuddle against him, and he fought the erection as best he could. ¡°Tell me about your family,¡± ke prompted, trying to think of anything except what Seul-ki looked like naked. ¡°Is there anyone you would like to find? Anyone you care about before the world¡­you know, changed?¡± Seul-ki tensed a little in his arms, then shook her head. ¡°The short answer is no. My family wasn¡¯t¡­I wouldn¡¯t like to find them. One day perhaps we can speak of it, but not today.¡± He held her, and kissed her neck. ¡°The past is the past. I won¡¯t ask again.¡± She turned and smiled at him, closing her eyes at his kisses. ¡°The past is the past. Yes. I like that very much.¡± He felt almostpelled to logically dismantle her ¡®husband¡¯ argument, but fought the very stupid urge. His fresh hard was also rubbing against her back, and when she looked at him she seemed to realize. ¡°Your sexual health might be a bigger job than I was expecting,¡± she said, and giggled. ke¡¯s shaft was pressing against the thin fabric of her tights, so close to her sex he could feel the heat. She bit her lip slightly as she rubbed herself against him, and he was pretty sure he¡¯d have lost his mind already if she hadn¡¯t blown him two hours before. Even so his thoughts filled with all the ways he might push and see how far she¡¯d let him go. Then the front door damn near knocked off its hinges. ¡°Pretty boy!¡± The chief¡¯s voice called from outside, and ke froze. The chief had nevere for him personally before. Was that good or bad? Almost certainly bad. Could his allies have betrayed him? Unlikely, but yes. If so, he had to run. Except he couldn¡¯t. Was Mason just outside? ¡°Get your disguise ready.¡± ke and Seul-ki leapt out of bed, and ke quickly dressed and straighted himself as he called: ¡°I was asleep, Chief. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Decision to take his chances made, he took a deep breath and stered on his winningest smile, then unlocked the front door and opened it. ¡°Chief. I was beginning to think you¡¯d forgotten about me. How can I assist?¡± The big man was alone and without his shield, which was a very good sign. But his eyes were red and bruised with exhaustion and probably perpetual rage. ¡°Time¡¯s up,¡± he said with a tone far more subdued then when he was in his hall and with the others. ¡°I want the civilians to bind ve contracts. Right now. Or you die.¡± Chapter 41: Wayfinder Chapter 41: Wayfinder Mason woke up coughing. Smoke filled his vision, covering everything except the ground and especially the small dip into his stream. Pain came second, coursing from his gut up and down his body. But at least he woke up. He remembered the assassin and the dagger in his side, and checked his wound. The flesh was already mostly healed. He moved his limbs and shifted his body, relieved to find he still had considerable strength. He felt hot, and in general pain, and expected he was fighting infection. Without his power of regeneration, he knew, he¡¯d be a dead man. One life down, he thought, how many left? He wasn¡¯t exactly sure where he was. The smoke kept him from inspecting the trees except at the bottom, and he couldn¡¯t even tell which direction was which. Or indeed how much time had passed. But he had another group of raiders to kill, and he needed to move. The corpses, he realized, I should check the corpses first. With a long, suffering groan he forced himself to his feet. Smoke could kill you too so he knew he had to be careful. Still, he walked out into the mixture of charred and slightly burnt trees, head down and shirt over his mouth while he looked for what he thought was the ces he¡¯d killed the raiders. One by one he found them. But with the exception of a few pieces of metal, everything they¡¯d had waspletely burnt away. He clutched his bow, and thanked God he¡¯d had the presence of mind not to leave it. Now what? He wondered, still trying to figure out which direction to move. Then he noticed his profile was blinking and pulled it up. [You¡¯ve earned enough experience to reach level 12! Please choose a power or one will be selected for you.] Oh shit. He flipped to the power list and hoped he wasn¡¯t already out of time. The list was considerably longer. The now familiar ranger powers were all avable, but he quickly realized the druid had a muchrger range of options. Ranger Mark was still tempting, but also probably unnecessary. It seemed like it made a target vulnerable, but he hadn¡¯t encountered anything he couldn¡¯t kill. The druid powers mostly seemed like ¡®spells¡¯, used anywhere from healing others to covering an enemy in swarming insects. Nearly all of them sounded kind of awesome, but Mason had very limited mana to actually use them. It was likely better to wait. He also realized he had a new ranger option: Wayfinder. [Wayfinder: never ask for directions again.] The typically vague description remained annoying, but it sounded very much like a mapmaking power. If it was even remotely close to as useful and powerful as his trap function, he knew he had no choice but to take it, either now orter. He chose now. He blinked, then the world changed. In the corner of his vision he saw an expandable toggle that could instantly cover his entire view. It was a God damn map. Not only did it show North, East, South and West¡ªit showed which way he was facing. He turned his body just to test it, and the damn map adjusted like a GPS. He stood there just staring in sheer bloody amazement for longer than he should have, but there was little time to admire his newfound ability. He needed to get the hell out of the smoke, and find the second group of raiders. Nassau was already shown on his map, and with a grin he started walking to test the pain. He felt vaguely ill, but healthy enough to move quickly, and soon broke into a jog. As he moved away from the impromptu battlefield, he saw his map had actually marked it with a small g as a ¡®point of interest¡¯. Apparently it would expand and grow based on where he¡¯d been, remembering things for him. He realized he was able to move it, too, and began looking around to see the map also knew where he¡¯d been thus far. It showed the Great Trees, the coast, and a variety of other smaller details. Focus, he chastised himself. New shiny toys weren¡¯t relevant. He knew where Nassau was, and that was good enough. The town would certainly be on high alert. But what would they do? Send out more people? Not likely that they had much left, unless they sent out every yer they had. He wasn¡¯t actually sure how many that was, but he knew it had to be a small number. So, what to do? Run around chasing the other raiders, maybe uselessly? And for how long? A day, two? Or else he could go back to Nassau at top speed and see what kind of damage he could do. After a few moments, the decision seemed fairly simple. It was time to attack Nassau. Jogging was painful but he pushed himself harder. He¡¯d heal as he went, and if he couldn¡¯t fight the infection with regeneration it meant he¡¯d get worse and die so he had little time. When he got out of the smoke he felt somewhat better, increasing nearly back to full speed as he whipped through the trees, feeling as usual like the nts themselves were clearing him a path. Hours passed. He was working hard now and couldn¡¯t even tell if the fever was with him, but it didn¡¯t matter. He felt strong and healthy enough to fight. It would have to do. The walls of Nassau came into sight, and Mason hardly remembered the run. It waste afternoon now, and the forest was cool and quiet in thest hour before sunset. He inspected the walls, circling Nassau with no sign of patrols or guards or of Kiaan. The scout had told him he¡¯d trigger some kind of rm if he climbed the walls. But an rm only helped if you had the strength to enforce it. If they did, Mason decided he could kill and run. With ast deep breath and the decision made, he ran at the wall and leapt the entire length, gripping the top and pulling himself up. It was time to end this.
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond RR, you can subscribe to my. Enjoy! Chapter 42: Want to see my magic? Chapter 42: Want to see my magic? The remaining yers of Nassau brought ke, the re-disguised Seul-ki, and all their civilians to Sebastian¡¯s ¡®meeting hall¡¯. Sebastian sat at the end, his three most loyal minions intimidating everyone into the chairs. Alvaro was a stocky ck Cuban, who carried a metal cudgel and seemed to have no powers other than a touch attack that the others said could basically wither anyone into a husk. David, who was maybe Mexican, carried a seemingly endless supply of knives, and juggled them like an acrobat when he was bored. Then there was Norman, a teenage track star from Arkansas, who understood the game better than most, and moved like a damn hunting cat with a pair of short swords. They were all very dangerous, and ke had little doubt they¡¯d be able to kill his allies, even without Sebastian¡¯s help. ke had never actually seen the ¡®chief¡¯ fight. All he knew was from the minds of others, and that he carried a big metal disc that was probably a shield. He was some kind of ¡®tank¡¯ ss that could soak up a lot of violence without going down, but he was also very strong. ¡°I want bonded contracts,¡± the big man growled in ke¡¯s direction. ¡°At least a year in length. I want them now.¡± His dark eyes almost trembled, the anger in his voice barely suppressed. ke looked around the room. The civilians all stared at the table, or the walls, or their feet. If it wasn¡¯t for ke of course they¡¯d still be rotting in a prison, half starved and dehydrated while Sebastian sweated them as far as he could without the system penalizing him. They¡¯d already signed a service contract, but being bonded was something else entirely. It put them at the mercy of the chief and his goons, who could literallymand them like ves, and do anything except causesting physical damage, or kill them. ¡°Use your magic and make it happen,¡± Sebastian barked. ¡°Or you¡¯re a useless mouth to feed.¡± ke sighed, not sure how to pacify the man in such a state. ¡°Don¡¯t we have bigger problems, chief?¡± He countered with his most submissive tone. ¡°Isn¡¯t there some murderer out there trying to kill us? What difference does a bunch of civilian contracts make?¡± Sebastian mmed the table. The closest leg snapped, and ke realized whatever his other powers, the strength part was not an exaggeration. ¡°You let me worry about killing who needs killing,¡± he growled low and dangerous. ¡°It¡¯s under control. You just get me what I want, and you do it right god damn now, or I¡¯m going to beat you to death in this room.¡± ke swallowed as he felt the presence of Alvaro and his cudgel directly behind him. He tried to meet the eyes of the civilians but none would look at him. None, that is, except Hank. He gave a brave smile. ¡°I¡¯ll sign,¡± he said. The others raised their heads in surprise. The angler met Sebastian¡¯s eyes without a hint of fear. ¡°Don¡¯t think it¡¯llst long, to be honest. I expect you¡¯ll be dead pretty soon.¡± With that his eyes unfocused, and he swiped his hand as if in signature, then shivered as some effect took hold. Sebastian practically licked his lips. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have spoken like that to me. Get up,¡± he growled. Hank obeyed. ¡°Strip off your clothes and sing the anthem.¡± Hank rolled his eyes, but didn¡¯t hesitate. He stripped down entirely naked and started singing with a surprisingly good voice, and ke felt his chest swell with pride at the man¡¯s courage. Sebastian looked almost wet with sweaty anticipation. He looked at ke. ¡°The others. Now.¡± Perhaps it was Hank¡¯s example that inspired the others. Or perhaps it was watching him shamed. One by one the other civilian men stood and swiped their hands, then they stripped off their clothes without being ordered, and stood shoulder to shoulder with Hank. None of the women moved. ¡°Women too,¡± Sebastian licked his lips. ¡°Now.¡± ke could hardly stomach the ugly look on the man¡¯s face. He knew instantly the women would never, ever sign, nor would he try to make them. He took Seul-ki¡¯s hand beneath the table, for the first time truly understanding the depth of her fear, and indeed why so few women were yers. Then he focused his mind. He flooded it with mana and will, releasing it in a spear of control straight at the least trustworthy of Sebastian¡¯s minions¡ªthe mercenary knife thrower, David, just as he signaled his allies. Now, or never, he whispered in their minds. Fight and be free in living or dying. Or do nothing, and crawl as Sebastian¡¯s dogs. David¡¯s face contorted as he stepped back from the table and groaned. ¡°You want to see my magic?¡± ke hissed. ¡°Here it is.¡± Kill him, he ordered with a violent thrust of Mind Bend, and a severe dose of greed. Kill him and take his ce. David blinked, then flicked his eyes at his unsuspecting chief, and the shield sitting on the ground. Then he spun with a knife in each hand, and threw. Both struck exactly on target, both des hitting Sebastian directly in the face. The metal didn¡¯t even sink in. They left two gashes on Sebastian¡¯s cheeks, then dropped to the floor with a tter. The big man stood and lifted his shield, his wounded face twisted into a terrifying scowl of rage. David shook his head and stepped back, preparing more knives with shaking hands, as if he could hardly believe his own situation. Sebastian¡¯s other minions looked around the room in confusion, but didn¡¯t move. ¡°You¡¯re going to die screaming for that.¡± Sebastian looked from ke to David, clearly unsure who to kill first. ke made the decision easy. He turned and ran towards the door, sting indecision at Alvaro and hoping to escape without getting clubbed, pulling Seul-Ki behind him. Honestly, he wasn¡¯t sure how he was going to get out of this. Even if Sebastian killed David, he and the other two were more than enough to handle ke¡¯s other allies¡ªif they even attacked at all. He reached the door and threw it open, Alvaro looking at him entirely without concern, more interested in his chief. Of course ke didn¡¯t have anywhere to run. He wondered somewhat idly if his luck had finally run out¡ªif he¡¯d been wrong about his destiny, and that things would end rather foolishly right here, right now. Then the town rm went off. ke smiled, and fled from the hall, pulling Seul-Ki as fast as he could. * * * Mason was starting to worry this was an ambush. He¡¯d climbed the wall and slipped over the edge with ease and speed, but he¡¯d expected to at least find some guards, or someone on the other side. Instead all he found were houses, something more like warehouses, a well, and abandoned streets. So he crept forward ready for violence, an eye on thergest building on a hill in the center of the town. It was the only one spewing a bit of smoke in the cool evening air, so it either had people currently or at least not long ago. A thought urred to him: could the patron and his allies have abandoned the town entirely? It didn¡¯t seem likely. He supposed they might have gone out to meet up with the raiders, hoping to gather all their numbers before confronting Mason together. If so that would be a problem, but he could always run and pick them off in the forest. He kept moving, eyes back and forth looking for danger, senses heightened and tuned to every sound and change in the urban terrain. Then the doors to the main hall opened. A couple holding hands burst through and ran towards the road, and Mason nearly raised his bow and loosed before really looking at them. It was ke, and some unknown girl. Mason instantly activated Aspect of the Cheetah and sprinted straight towards them. ¡°Here!¡± he shouted, bow in hand, ready for anything. But his speed was wrong. Somehow the town was weakening his nature powers and it urred to him this likely wasn¡¯t a wise ce to fight. But it was toote for that now. The doors behind ke and the girl smashed open as a group of young men burst out behind them. ¡°Now, or never!¡± ke was shouting as he raced down the hill. Mason didn¡¯t need instruction. He stopped and drew, already epting anything not ke or Haley or apparently this new girl was his enemy. He loosed his first arrow, then three other men¡ªwho¡¯d apparently been hiding on the top of the hall¡ªeither leapt down or started throwing spears. Mason didn¡¯t much care who they were or why. He loosed a steady volley of arrows at anything and anyone on the ground that moved closer to ke, for now saving Power Shot and Crippling Strike and just using normal arrows. He pierced limbs and torsos of at least two of the yers before the melee turned into a swirling maelstrom of weapons, magic powers, and curses. ¡°The ones on the roof are with me!¡± ke shouted as he nearly reached the bottom of the hill. Mason nodded, but still didn¡¯t much care. As he was about to loose another arrow, one of the young men vanished from the melee, and appeared maybe two steps from ke¡¯s back. ¡°Duck!¡± Mason shouted. They¡¯d known each other too long and too well for ke to hesitate. He grabbed the girl beside him andunched them both to the pavement. Mason sted a Power Shot straight through where he¡¯d been standing. The duel wielding teleporter was smashed off his feet in a spray of blood. But Mason believed in finishing one¡¯s target. He stepped forward and loosed arrow after arrow into the squirming body until the system sent its message. [yer killed. Experience awarded.] ¡°Get behind me,¡± he growled, and ke and the girl scrambled off bloody hands and knees to do as instructed. ¡°Where¡¯s Haley?¡± he said, watching the fighting but for a moment not interfering. ¡°She¡¯s in that house.¡± He gestured. ¡°But, she¡¯s fine. You have to save my friends!¡± I don¡¯t have to do shit, Mason thought, pretty happy to watch the others trying to kill each other. The roof jumpers had a casualty on the ground who looked like he¡¯d been torched to a crisp. They¡¯d taken down the guy with a club, but the big man with the shield was chasing them off easily now and seemed to basically ignore their attacks. The guy with the knives was protected behind him. Mason decided it was time to kill knife-boy. He was about to startunching a new volley when the nearby gate screeched and started opening. A group of male voices went from joking to rm as the second group of raiders came running through, weapons in hand. Mason¡¯s heart finally started moving faster. He tried to drop his traps, but apparently they didn¡¯t work in the town, either. He took a breath and readied to take down the knife-thrower as nned, knowing his time was quickly running out. ke wouldn¡¯t be able to get over that wall. He couldn¡¯t just run away, and this was no damn ce to fight them all. He should have been in the trees, where he could withdraw and hide and pick them apart. But he wasn¡¯t. Things were about to get interesting.
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond RR, you can subscribe to my. Enjoy! Chapter 43: Low mana Chapter 43: Low mana ke watched his brother shooting magic arrows like a damn machine gun. One of Garet¡¯s men was down to Alvaro¡¯s ridiculous touch power, but otherwise things were going rather well. After using his power, Alvaro had gone down soon after, and Mason had sted Norman like it was nothing. After that it had seemed just a matter of Mason and the others surrounding Sebastian and David and killing them both. Then the raiders arrived. ke felt his guts slosh with water. ¡°Oh shit.¡± Mason looked, then just kept shooting. ¡°That¡¯s Alex. The one in the back, he¡¯s some kind of support!¡± ke shouted over the screams and sounds of fighting. ¡°He can make little shields, and probably can¡­¡± They both watched Mason¡¯s arrows reach Sebastian and bounce off an invisible shield, or vanish mid-air. ¡°Yeah. Do that.¡± ¡°So what are you, a damn cheerleader?¡± Mason growled. ¡°Do something about him.¡± ke stiffened slightly at the reproach. ¡°I warned you about him, didn¡¯t I?¡± he muttered, then focused on the Eastern European bubbler and summoned his will. ¡°Keep shooting,¡± he told his brother. I¡¯ll distract him.¡± ¡°What exactly,¡± Mason loosed another arrow, ¡°do you think I¡¯m doing?¡± Jason¡ªa pole-arm wielding warrior¡ªand Erik, some kind of quick-striking duelist, both came running down the hill towards ke. Mason continued his steady barrage of arrows, but Alex was still shielding or dissipating the arrows all together. ke knew the man had grown up in an exmunist country, his childhood filled with terrors of his family being taken away at any moment. He seemed impressive now, but his younger mind was filled with fear. ke waited for another arrow to loose, then sent a violent charge of pure terror into Alex¡¯s mind. The older man staggered and cried out, and the arrow struck polearm-wielding Jason in the gut. He doubled over and cried out, but Erik came on. ¡°Fuck. I¡¯m running low on mana. This bloody town.¡± Mason dropped his bow, pulling a knife as a sword materializedin his other hand. He jogged forward, meeting Erik in the middle of the street. ¡°Mason!¡± Haley atst emerged from her nearby house and probably couldn¡¯t have chosen a worse time to prove a distraction. Fortunately, Mason didn¡¯t even seem to flinch. His gaze was focused entirely on his opponent, who came in with a quick zig zag, thrusting his needle-like de at his taller opponent¡¯s face. Mason deflected it with his sword, but failed by far to counter with his dagger. Erik was fast. Very fast. His longer fencing de jabbed again and again as the lithe fighter danced away from any counter, and Mason seemed unable to do much but parry. Jason had regained his feet and was stilling forward. Thest raider, Ben, was some kind of vital seeking rogue, and he was circling ke¡¯s remaining allies. Sebastian was still holding his ground while his knife thrower took shots, and the turn-coats clearly didn¡¯t know how to bring down their chief at all. Things were, in other words, not looking fantastic. ke severed his connection with Alex, and turned his attention on the rogue. ke trusted his brother to handle whatever the other two threw at him, but his minions needed help. Ben the rogue was another ambitious little schemer, and the least loyal of the remaining men. Perhaps where a throwing weapon had failed, a surprise strike in the back would seed. ¡°Seul-Ki,¡± ke said, and the girl moved beside him and extended her hand. He seized it, and opened a connection to Ben¡¯s mind, thickening it with strand after strand of mana as he focused another Mind Bend on a single line of thought, over and over and over. He¡¯s distracted. He¡¯s vulnerable. Now is your chance to be chief. Mason was growling in frustration. He seemed entirely on the defensive, dodging away from both the long polearm and Erik¡¯s ever darting de. But ke had to focus. He felt the scoundrel twisting in confused opportunism, trying not to be what he was. But like the parable of the scorpion riding the fox, it was only a matter of time. Ben the rogue failed. With a head shake and an evil smile, then a neat bit of footwork, Ben turned and leapt at Sebastian. This time the chief seemed ready. He spun away, and rather than waste his attackpletely, Ben charged straight past him and buried his dagger into David the knife thrower¡¯s chest. Then he turned and tried to leap back. Sebastian¡¯s massive shield swiped and struck his head and shoulder with a solid thud. Ben stumbled back and Sebastian followed with a brutal swing from his club, caving in Ben¡¯s skull visibly before he dropped, spasming as he tumbled slightly down the hill. ¡°Traitors!¡± He raised his voice to cross the street. ¡°I¡¯m going to rip off your heads and use them for piss pots, starting with you, ke.¡± He pointed his bloody club. ¡°Then I¡¯m going to see about your ugly little whore.¡± ke breathed, trying to think. Influence probably wouldn¡¯t work on the others now, and he didn¡¯t have the mana to do another st of mental power. He could tell Seul-ki was mostly drained and tapping the rest for a long shot wasn¡¯t worth it. But he still had telekinesis. Maybe he could help Mason enough to swing the tide. If he focused on turning that damn polearm, or if he could maybe trip Erik just for a moment¡­ ¡°To hell with this.¡± Mason cursed and charged straight at the rapier-wielding Erik. The small, thin de jabbed straight through his shoulder, piercing to the other side, just as Jason¡¯s poleaxe swung for his head. ke activated Telekinesis, and managed to turn it. Then Mason was on the smaller Erik, his sword vanishing as he just seized the smaller man by the neck, ramming his dagger into his chest and gut again and again like a prison shanking. They rolled to the street in a gory, tangled mess of blood and limbs before Mason rolled off, ducked onest poleaxe swing, then came back up again with his sword. He pulled the rapier out of his arm and dropped it to the ground, pointing at Jason. ¡°Run. Or you¡¯re next.¡±
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond RR, you can subscribe to my. Enjoy! Chapter 44 – First Blood Chapter 44 ¨C First Blood Polearm guy ran, and Mason let him. He had an arrow lodged in his gut, which no doubt hurt tremendously and drained some courage. Mason could sympathize. His shoulder fucking hurt. Lifting his arm proved mostly impossible, and he expected he wouldn¡¯t be able to shoot worth a damn. Hell, just drawing the thing probably wouldn¡¯t happen, and anyway he was nearly out of mana so who cared anyway. He¡¯d forgotten Endless Quiver took mana outside of nature. He gestured at Haley toe scoop it up, and she snapped to reality and came running. ¡°Are you alright?¡± she looked him over with concern as the bow vanished into her invisible bag and ke flinched in surprise. ¡°I¡¯ll live.¡± He looked at the big chief still easily repelling the two weaklings at the hall. ¡°To hell with this. Give me that staff.¡± Haley pulled it from the air, and Mason held the smooth wood in his hands with a grimace. ¡°I doubt I¡¯ve got the mana for this,¡± he sighed. ¡°But it¡¯s worth a shot.¡± ¡°Erm,¡± ke looked at the girl at his side, and grinned. ¡°Mana, you say? I think we can help with that.¡± Mason looked between his brother and the in, tiny thing at his side with a raised brow. ¡°OK¡­.¡± ke gestured and the girl came forward with a face growing redder by the moment. ¡°Very sorry,¡± she said, ¡°It¡¯s best if I touch you. Do whatever you intend, and my power should do the rest.¡± Mason nodded and thought no more about it, turning his attention entirely on the settlement¡¯s chief. Alright, he thought, convert my mana to elemental power. Easy peesy. Nothing to it. At thest moment he remembered the nymph¡¯s charm and withdrew it from inside his shirt, holding it in one hand as he pointed the staff with the other. Nassau¡¯sst few yers were still shouting and dancing back and forth, none of them brave orpetent or fast enough it seemed to bring the others down. Then the same infuriating support ss noticed Mason and his staff, and shouted. ¡°Chief! Look out!¡± The big man snorted and spit down the hill. ¡°You think you can hurt me with your little stick, and what, some pathetic spell? Go ahead and try.¡± With that he turned away from his opponents like they were nothing and started walking down the street with shield held high. Frankly, Mason had no idea. But since he remembered distinctly getting damn near blown to hell and probably would have if it hadn¡¯t been for Apex Predator, he suspected even if it didn¡¯t kill the man, it wouldn¡¯t feel great. He focused on the staff, and felt what he expected¡ªhis measly mana bar blinking with a dull blue light in the corner of his vision. ¡°Here goes,¡± he muttered, then forced his will into the thing. It felt like pushing an imaginary red button that said ¡®explode some shit.¡¯ The staff glowed, Mason¡¯s hand locked in its grip reflexively, and he knew instantly he couldn¡¯t stop it now if he wanted to. It hummed and jerked with its own power like a firehose, and Mason willed every scrap of blue he could see into the damn thing, as well as the warmth he felt in the nymph charm and the strange source attached to him through the Asian girl¡¯s hand. He pulled and pulled until he heard the girl cry out and try and release him. The bolt of lightning damn near blinded him. It cracked and roared with thunder in a terrible sh that felt like it exploded out of his arm, racing too fast and too bright to really see what happened. Mason shielded his eyes way toote, then stepped back blinking and groaning as the same ringing from the dungeon filled his world. ¡°Why?¡± He dropped the staff and put a hand to his face, cursing his robot god with every fiber of his being. ¡°You can reshape the world but you can¡¯t build a damn staff with a silencer?¡± When the sh finally cleared, Mason blinked and blinked until he saw his enemy¡¯s shield lying on the ground. The man himself seemed gone, and for a moment Mason worried he¡¯d somehow dodged the attack entirely. Then he saw the two, trembling, charred legs sticking out from beneath it. He grinned as his vision filled with text. [Kill awarded. Title awarded: First Blood. You have in a town patron, and are the first in the world to do so. ¡®yer Killer¡¯ status has been permanently increased to severe, but now provides resistance to several negative conditions. Patronage of Settlement-D342 is now open. Do you wish to im it? All associated contracts are listed. Do you wish to im, modify, or cancel?] The fighting stopped entirely. A dozen or so civilians emerged from the big hall, and it was clear they were getting some kind of system messages of their own. They looked at Mason like shoppers inspecting the ripeness of fruit, and he wanted all this patron crap gone as soon as possible. He looked at ke. ¡°You alright?¡± ke pat his ears as if trying to knock out water. ¡°What?¡± he shouted. ¡°I said,¡± Mason raised his voice. ¡°Are you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding. I can hear you,¡± ke gave a shit-eating grin. ¡°You prick.¡± Mason grabbed his brother with his remaining good arm and gave him a squeeze. ¡°But really,¡± ke said. ¡°What¡¯s with that staff? That was extremely unpleasant.¡± ¡°Imagine how that guy feels,¡± Mason gestured with a nod. The pretty green eyes of the Asian girl who¡¯d been holding Mason¡¯s hand started to flutter, and ke quickly grabbed her in his arms as she nearly copsed. ¡°Seul-ki! Are you alright?¡± he said in something of a panic. Mason could hear the genuine concern in his brother¡¯s voice and felt a little bad he¡¯d drawn so much power. The girl blinked and smiled and regained her feet in a few moments. ¡°Yes. Thank you. I hadn¡¯t expected so much¡­hunger.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Mason shrugged in apology. ¡°I hadn¡¯t actually used it before, wasn¡¯t sure how it would work. But I couldn¡¯t have done it without you, I¡¯m sure of that.¡± The girl smiled shyly, and ke squeezed her shoulder before looking at Mason¡¯s. ¡°We should probably look after that.¡± Mason was about to ask what he meant before ncing at the oozing wound. He shrugged. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡± He met Haley¡¯s big blue eyes, and could see she stood still with a barely restrained will. He held out his good arm. ¡°Come here.¡± She leapt into his embrace, and he winced slightly at the pain but pulled her in. ¡°I missed you too.¡± He exchanged a grin with ke, then nced around ¡®Settlement-D342¡¯. He wanted to sit down and eat something that didn¡¯te from a barrel, and maybe drink something with alcohol and sit with ke. But they had a few other annoying problems to deal with first. ¡°What do we do with them?¡± he gestured at the remaining yers, who¡¯d now all stopped fighting and mostly sat ory down on the ground in exhaustion and injury. ¡°Case by case basis,¡± ke said quietly. ¡°But I think we can recruit them all.¡± Mason shrugged, not really caring. He looked again at the blinking town profile and patron decision, as well as all the civilians staring like lost children waiting for a parent. He sighed. ¡°You intend to stay here, I suppose.¡± ke raised a brow. ¡°I do.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to rule a town, ke.¡± ¡°Well you should,¡± his brother said in his most annoyinglywyery voice. ¡°It has a variety of advantages. We need a safe ce for civilians, and it gives us a whole host of boosts, including¡­¡± ¡°You been watching what happened to these guys?¡± Mason gestured at the corpses. ¡°Staying still makes you a target. It makes youcent, findable, and destroyable. Better to move around in the forest.¡± ke frowned. ¡°We¡¯ll have to agree to disagree.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯te all this way to save your ass just to put it at risk again,¡± Mason snapped. ¡°We¡¯re always at risk in this new world, brother, but we need to build something.¡± Mason knew he¡¯d lost already. He sighed. ¡°I was thinking a giant mound of the corpses of anyone who tries to fuck with us.¡± ¡°We¡¯re in alignment, brother. Just build that mound of people who fuck with this town.¡± Mason nced at Haley, knowing very well where she¡¯d stand. ¡°I know you¡¯re on his side.¡± ¡°I¡¯m on your side, Mason, always, but¡­¡± she chewed her lip. ¡°I believe he¡¯s right. Civilians need protection. And there will be many others. We¡¯ll need lots of specialties and experts to survive this new world. They¡¯ll provide you with all kinds of useful things forbat.¡± Mason took a deep, long-suffering breath. It was like convincing ke not to wear his Star Trek uniform in grade four all over again. He swiped at the text and found an options menu, with all kinds of possibilities, including the one he wanted. Transfer all contracts and patronage options to ke Nimitz, he entered into the open box. Except Haley and Kiaan. He wasn¡¯t sure if it would work, then the system intoned in his mind. [Transferring.] ke¡¯s eyes widened as they stared off into space. He pped Mason on the shoulder and grinned like a damn fool from ear to ear. ¡°You¡¯re such a pain in the ass,¡± Mason exhaled. ¡°I know.¡± ke steadied Seul-ki then walked towards the civilians, soon talking to them like they were old friends. Fortunately they seemed equally pleased with him, and the older man Mason had seen before even embraced him and said something like ¡®good work, kid¡¯. Mason looked away from all the mess and corpses and felt the weight of it all lifting from his shoulders. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind,¡± he shouted, ¡°I¡¯m going to go lie down and try to stop bleeding to death.¡± ke turned back with a pleasant smile, his politician¡¯s voice and mask well stered across his face. ¡°Go and rest brother, I¡¯ll sort this all out.¡± ¡°God damn right you will,¡± Mason muttered, then wrapped his good arm around Haley, and let her help him towards a house.
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond RR, you can subscribe to my. Enjoy! Chapter 45: Sexual healing (NSFW) Chapter 45: Sexual healing (NSFW) Mason woke with something warm and wet moving up his thigh. ¡°God I hope that¡¯s not a mutant dog.¡± He heard Haley giggle, then his cock disappeared into soft, warm, inviting lips. He groaned and went hard in seconds before he opened his eyes. She was looking at him with as much smile as she could manage with her mouth full. Then she let it go and slid her tongue down his shaft as she held it upright. Hey back and put his hands behind his head. ¡°I deserve this.¡± ¡°No.¡± She dropped him and rose up before straddling him. She was wearing nothing but acy bra, her thighs already moist with wetness ¡°Ideserve this.¡± She groaned as she slid him inside her soaked, and very ready sex. ¡°Yes you do,¡± he agreed. She rode him slow and steady, raising her wide, curving ass up and down with her hips and the asional swirl. Mason sighed and just watched. She soon unhooked her bra, letting her heavy breasts bounce and sway with her body. Her wavy blonde hair dripped from her shoulders, curling around her chest. Mason didn¡¯t move a muscle, happy to let her do her thing, enjoying the tight, hot feel of her pussy slide up and down his shaft. Then she was biting her lip and moving faster, giving up the sexy posturing as she bucked and rocked on his cock until her chest and neck flushed red and she cried out as her eyes rolled back. Her body shook, and he smiled as he watched her struggle to keep moving. Finally she dropped on top of him, and he winced slightly as she came down on his still tender shoulder. ¡°Sorry,¡± she breathed between pants. Mason atst moved his arms, and though he hadrge hands he still couldn¡¯t entirely cup Haley¡¯s thick ass. But he did his honest best. ¡°Not as sorry as you¡¯re going to be.¡± She gasped as he thrust inside her, squeezing her cheeks hard. He raised himself off the bed, holding her in ce as he jackhammered. Soon enough she was holding onto the bed, screaming like she was riding a rollercoaster. ¡°Jesus Christ!¡± Lust surged through him at her reaction. He teased her ass with a finger, then as her body tensed he shoved it inside, ramming his cock even harder as she gasped. ¡°Take it all,¡± he ordered as he pulled her down, squashing her soft breasts against his chest as he pushed his tongue into her mouth. He hadn¡¯t known that¡¯s what he wanted until it was done¡ªHaley with all three holes plugged, writhing in his arms. He let go of all the tension he¡¯d been holding through all the days of deadly peril, slowing down and kissing her more intimately and fully as he worked his hips, probing every angle of her pussy with long, slow thrusts. She shuddered and squeezed his cock like a vice, and his whole body spasmed as he came. Haley¡¯s muffled cry filled his mouth, and he thrust as deep inside her as he could manage, filling her up with his seed. Back before the world had ended he¡¯d always worn condoms. Even so he¡¯d usually pulled out, paranoid of getting the few girls he¡¯d fucked pregnant. Somehow the thought of that with Haley appalled him. And she certainly wasn¡¯t suggesting it. Only when he felt his cum dripping out of her and running down his shaft did he release his hold on her mouth and ass. She gasped and panted, then wiggled against him before copsing in a sweaty heap. ¡°Oh God. I love how you fuck me.¡± ¡°I know,¡± he whispered, kissing her damp brow. ¡°So what was that? Sexual¡­healing?¡± Haley¡¯s body trembled as sheughed. ¡°I¡¯m so d you didn¡¯t say that during.¡± Mason pulled her close, and theyy together without speaking for awhile. A littleter he told her about the ¡®great trees¡¯¡ªleaving out the bit about the nymphs¡ªhow he needed to clear them and after might be able to travel almost instantly around the forest. ¡°You travel pretty damn fast now,¡± she¡¯d joked. ¡°Yes. Well. Faster.¡± He grinned. After another little while without words he turned a bit more serious. ¡°I could cancel your contract, you know, like ke did with all those other people. Make it service instead. Do you want me to?¡± Haley practically went rigid in his arms, then turned to face him, equally serious. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything to change between us.¡± He nodded. ¡°Neither do I.¡± She smiled a little, rxing into him, all her softness molding to his chest. ¡°There you are then. There¡¯s something very, verysexy about being your ve. And I trust you.¡± Mason wasn¡¯t sure what to say to that. He was honored, he supposed, and hoped he was worthy of that trust. But she was right about one thing¡ªthere wassomething very sexy about it. And he could feel himself getting hard again. ¡°I suppose you prefer the town to romping through the woods,¡± he finally sighed. ¡°Oh I don¡¯t know,¡± she said, reaching down to wrap her hand around his shaft. ¡°I sort of like riding you around.¡± Heughed. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°No,¡± she giggled. ¡°You¡¯re right. I much prefer the town.¡± He didn¡¯t like the answer but still smiled. ¡°I figured. But it¡¯s not wise, you know. For survival. Defense never stops a good offense for long. Better for us to be fast, agile, impossible to find. Like Comanche warriors until this new world gets¡­more civilized.¡± ¡°I think your brother would like to civilize it,¡± Haley muttered as she started teasing his cock. ¡°That doesn¡¯t usually go well.¡± ¡°This time we have magic powers.¡± ¡°So do the barbarians. And there¡¯s mythical monsters everywhere.¡± The teasing moved to stroking, and Mason gathered up Haley¡¯s hair and rubbed a thumb over her nipples as she kept going. ¡°What will you do?¡± she moaned. ¡°Besides fuck you again?¡± She bit her lip and nodded, and he shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll roam the damn woods. Make sure ke doesn¡¯t get himself killed. I¡¯ll end the monsters thate for us. And the barbarians, too.¡± ¡°With plenty of town visits?¡± Haley gave a sexy pout. Mason snorted, pping her ass so hard she jumped. Then he flipped her onto her back and rose up for an appreciative inspection. His cum was still on her thighs. Her knees were red just like those peeping tom¡¯s had noticed, her hair and face all sex frayed and half asleep with orgasmic endorphins. Good God, he thought, she really was sexy beyond reason, with the kind of body that belonged on some unaffordable prostitute or Instagram model. ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, as much to himself as to her, ¡°Many, many town visits.¡± With pride stroking deliciousness, as he dropped on top of her and thrust inside, it looked like nothing would please her more.
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond RR, you can subscribe to my. Enjoy! Chapter 46: A patient man Chapter 46: A patient man ke put all the surviving yers and all the civilians in the chief¡¯s hall, and watched them. There was some bad blood and hard feelings and every other cliche that meant unpleasant history. But he needed these people¡ªall of them, and he couldn¡¯t let nonsense interfere. ¡°Chief Sebastian is dead,¡± he said in the silence. ¡°The men who truly supported him are dead. Those who remain here today turned against him, or fought for him because they felt they had no choice.¡± Still no one said a word, and ke sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t much care how anyone feels about each other. We don¡¯t have many yers left. If we¡¯re going to survive, at all,¡± he shouted, ¡°we need every scrap of strength we have left. Anyone disagree with that? There¡¯s the door. Good luck in the forest.¡± They got amenable quick after that, especially after he offered them all houses of their own and an equal share in the town¡¯s profits and spoils going forward. ¡°From here on out, we don¡¯t raid or kill yers unless they attack us first. We grow our numbers, we explore, we build. There¡¯s a damn big world to figure out and maybe not that much time to do it. You can all be bloody sure we¡¯re not alone, and that this great game is going to have some curve balls.¡± By the end they all seemed happy enough, though ke still read a few of their minds to make sure. After that the civilians all cleared out and went to go im their houses with smiles and a renewed sense of hope. ¡°We trusted you, and you didn¡¯t let us down,¡± said Billy the brewer as he took ke¡¯s hand. ¡°That means a lot.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d,¡± ke grinned. ¡°But there was never any doubt.¡± The young man grinned and the civilians went out single file, and then it was just ke and the dejected, wounded yers. It was time to address the elephant in the room. ¡°Some of you are thinking I¡¯m too weak to be the patron. That it should be my brother Mason instead. That someone might just kill me and throw things into chaos.¡± Some looked at him, some looked away. ¡°Sebastian thought I was weak. Fools often do.¡± He shot a round of terror into them because it was a lot easier than trust or love or really anything, and he¡¯d build up the restter. ¡°We¡¯re going to do everything we can to improve this town. You probably don¡¯t even realize Sebastian was hoarding what are called ¡®patron points¡¯ from all of you.¡± The yers exchanged looks and ke snorted. ¡°I also gained arge reward of it for taking this town. I can create new buildings, entertainment, defenses. I want your opinions and input on what to build¡ªbut I¡¯m thinking one building for all of you to rx and gather with civilians. To meet women.¡± Here he stopped and grinned. ¡°After that, I¡¯m thinking a smith, a leatherworker¡ªanything we have civilians for and think can improve us inbat.¡± He could see he had their attention now. Good. He needed these men because Mason couldn¡¯t do everything. ¡°I¡¯ll be sending you out much like Sebastian did,¡± he exined, ¡°but this time to recruit anyone you find. We¡¯ll worry about qualityter. Any questions?¡± The four remaining men all met his eyes now at least, but shook their heads. ¡°Go on,¡± he said. ¡°Go pick houses and rest. The supply room is open, get whenever you want, whenever you need. I¡¯m trusting you. Don¡¯t make me regret it.¡± They went out one by one without saying a word, and ke hoped morale would slowly improve. Seul-ki finally stepped out from behind him with a fake brow raised. ¡°You have big ns.¡± ke grinned. ¡°You have no idea.¡± ¡°And your brother?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll do his part,¡± ke put his hands on her shoulders and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Whatever we may say, however it may look, Mason and I are loyal forever. We have been since we were five.¡± Seul-ki returned his smile. ¡°I¡¯m d to hear it. Because he¡¯s somewhat terrifying.¡± ¡°Yes he is,¡± keughed. ¡°A terrifying, paranoid son of a bitch, new and improved with enhanced magic power. And he¡¯s all ours.¡± Seul-ki was still tired from her experience with the staff, so ke took her back to their house for a rest, notfortable yet in the patron¡¯s hall. Her eyes fluttered the moment they walked inside, and hey her down on the couch. ¡°Are you feeling any better?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve regained half my mana now. I¡¯m just tired.¡± ke shook his head, always amazed how fast she could do that. He looked at his own mana at less than a quarter, then got distracted by his profile, which still blinked with a whole host of upgrades. Apparently he got to pick a new ss, which ordinarily would have had him pouring over the options with frenzied greed. But as a patron, it seemed time limits were almost non-existent. The system told him he had weeksto decide everything if he chose. ¡°I leveled when we brought down Sebastian,¡± he said, and Seul-ki grinned. ¡°So did I.¡± ¡°Oh really,¡± ke stroked a few stray strands of hair from her forehead. ¡°Anything fun?¡± She buried her face in the pillow so he couldn¡¯t see, and heughed. ¡°You¡¯re as devious as you are beautiful.¡± She turned back to him and became more serious. ¡°ke, I¡­want to trust you. I dotrust you.¡± He opened his mouth to say something back, but she raised a finger to his lips. ¡°All my life I have wanted¡­a cause, an employer¡­someoneworthy of my time and talent. Do you understand? I have never wanted to lead. But I have always wanted to serve a worthy leader.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± ke said. ¡°I think I understand.¡± Her green eyes sparkled as she watched him. ¡°I think your brother and I, we are very much alike.¡± ke wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about thatment. He wasn¡¯t the jealous type but the idea of Seul-ki even liking anyone but him suddenly brought a spike of heat to his chest. ¡°What I meanis,¡± Seul-ki grinned, as if she sensed how he felt, ¡°in you we both see the same potential, the same feeling of purpose. The faith we bothck in the world, I think, we find in you.¡± ke wasn¡¯t sure what to say to that. But as he met Seul-ki eyes he saw an expression he knew quite well. He leaned down and kissed her, running his fingers up her leg to rest on her hip. ¡°My culture is very¡­conservative,¡± she said, ¡°when ites to sex.¡± ¡°Right,¡± ke said. ¡°Well. I¡¯ll go lock the doors.¡± Seul-kiughed and sat up to wrap her arms around his chest. ¡°There was many things I did not like about my culture,¡± she said. ¡°I think I would like to break some traditions. But I need just a little time.¡± ke stroked the girl¡¯s beautiful face with a thumb. ¡°Time is something we have. And I think we can find something to do in the meantime.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Seul-ki giggled, ¡°cuddle.¡± She pulled him down to nestle against her on the couch. ¡°But if you can be patient, I can take very good care of your health, patron.¡± He smiled, wrapping his arms around her. ¡°A patron¡¯s health is especially important.¡± For a contended moment he just closed his eyes and took in her scent, the feel of her small body pressed against him. Strange, he thought, to enjoy herpany so much so fast. ke hardly truly liked anyone, other than Mason. And despite not knowing Seul-ki well, he just¡­likedher. Yes, curious. But not important. She was his ally, after all, and she was useful. These were two of the very few things that mattered to ke. So he could be patient. Patient with the town he¡¯d already decided to rename, with his brother and the yers who had their own objectives that weren¡¯t yet his. And yes, with the girl smiling up at him, who was too clever and too devious to be entirely as safe as she seemed. In the previous game of life, ke Nimitz was the type to start slow, but win in the end. This world seemed no different. So yes, he could be very patient indeed.
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond RR, you can subscribe to my. Enjoy! Chapter 47: Tomorrow Chapter 47: Tomorrow ke and Mason met after sunset in the ¡®cookery¡¯, sitting at stic tables with a bottle of Billy¡¯s moonshine and two heated tes of what they hoped were chicken wings. They waited till they were alone, Mason looking around one more time before he grinned. They stood and walked around the table, a little pause before pulling each other into a hard, overdue embrace. ¡°You alright? ke whispered. ¡°Truly?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± Mason held back the shudder as a few memories returned. ¡°It was a little rough out there. But I¡¯m alright.¡± They pulled back but kept a hand on each other¡¯s shoulders as ke looked Mason up and down. ¡°You look, uh¡­bigger, and scarier.¡± Mason chuckled, no doubt that was true. ¡°Stats, I guess. And I found some kind of magic tree with these sexy nymphs that maybe grew me a little in their pond.¡± ke raised a brow, thenughed out loud. ¡°What the shit? Get me in there!¡± ¡°They, er, only want druids, which I guess I am.¡± ke shook his head and couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡°You¡¯re in your element, brother, that¡¯s for sure.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Mason had to agree. He looked around the strange, almost alien town and nodded at it. ¡°You¡¯re starting to get back to yours.¡± ke frowned and shrugged. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°Well what?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to say it?¡± ¡°Say what?¡± ke just stood there with an expectant look on his face, and Mason understood. ¡°Oh. I told you so.¡± ke closed his eyes and gestured with a hand as if to keep going, but Mason honestly didn¡¯t have much urge. ¡°I didn¡¯t really predict robot-god transforming the earth into a game. I was thinking¡­federal government copse. Nuclear war. Disease. Civil war. Something¡­you know, usible.¡± ¡°Well here we are,¡± ke shrugged. ¡°And right is right. I hope it feels good.¡± Masonughed. ¡°Yeah. Feels great.¡± He sighed and nced at his brother¡¯s eyes. ¡°You think we¡¯re going to make it? People, I mean.¡± ke pursed his lips and gestured for Mason to sit again, patting his shoulder as he took his own. ¡°I think if this thing meant to just kill us, it could have done it in a blink. It didn¡¯t, so I guess we have to y its game.¡± Mason nodded, and took his seat. They both drank and winced in displeasure. Then they talked about their time in the apocalypse¡ªabout Haley and Seul-ki, the tutorials, their experience with ¡®roboGod¡¯, as Mason called it. ¡°What the hell is all this anyway?¡±, he said with a mouth full of chicken. ¡°I have no idea.¡± ke sipped his moonshine. ¡°But if I had to guess? The people who said we were in some kind of simtion were right all along. Now we¡¯re in another one.¡± Mason sighed and shook his head. ¡°I hate it when nerds are right. We¡¯ll just have to go along. Survive, improve, and procreate, I guess. Speaking of which, I can¡¯t get you in with those nymphs, but there¡¯s a dungeon in the tree to clear. Maybe you, me, and two of our newckeys. There¡¯s likely some good rewards.¡± ke winced. ¡°Thoseckeys were trying to kill us this afternoon.¡± Mason shrugged. ¡°I agree it¡¯s not ideal. But it¡¯s what we¡¯ve got. You trust them?¡± ¡°I only trust you, brother. But I can read minds now, so that¡¯s a plus. And I¡¯ve been manipting them for awhile. It should be enough.¡± They said nothing for a fewfortable moments, then Mason narrowed his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t do that to me. Whatever your mind powers are.¡± ke grinned. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it. I mean, I¡¯ll probably be actively doing it in reality, so, why would I dream of it?¡± ¡°I swear to God, ke.¡± The handsome fucker put up his hands, the picture of innocence. ¡°I¡¯ve been screwing with your mind without magic for 15 years, Mason, I don¡¯t need magic to do it now.¡± Mason fought the grin. ¡°Idiot.¡± ¡°Moron.¡± They ate their chicken wings, and drank their moonshine, then watched the sunset in a little break in the canopy. Mason felt a question that had burned in his chest long before the new world and statistics arrived to measure it. ¡°OK but seriously, what¡¯s your luck stat?¡± ke looked at him like he¡¯d said the moon was made out of cheese. ¡°Whatever do you mean?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that shit,¡± Mason pointed an using chicken wing. ¡°You started on a fucking paradise ind with all the help you needed and some hot babe¡ªmay she rest in peace¡ªand I started in a God damn war zone.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know,¡± ke shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s¡­perfectly average and what it should be.¡± ¡°Just bloody tell me.¡± ¡°Tell me yours first.¡± ¡°Fifteen,¡± Mason lied. ¡°Ha!¡± ke pounded the table. ¡°See? Mine¡¯s only 42. Higher, sure, but not that bad.¡± Mason shook his head, decades of intuition screaming in impotent victory. ¡°I lied,¡± he hissed. ¡°Mine is four.¡± ke¡¯s triumphant smile drained away, and he rapped the table with his fingers. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Yeah, oh.¡± Mason sagged against his chair, not sure if he was disgusted or happier than ever. I bloody knew it, he thought, and now it¡¯s confirmed by our robot overlord.¡°You are literally probably the luckiest son of a bitch alive,¡± he said matter of factly. ¡°Well,¡± ke shifted in his chair. ¡°We don¡¯t nearly have the data for that.¡± ¡°Shut up. I¡¯m d you are. Just don¡¯t get too cocky.¡± ke leaned forward like a dog on the hunt. ¡°So how about that Haley, Mr. bad luck? That must have been a nice surprise.¡± ¡°Hey I earned that. I mean her.¡± ¡°Yeah? You earned one of the hottest women I¡¯ve ever seen in my life, as a sex ve?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not a¡­and yes,¡± Mason sniffed. ¡°For my shit tutorial, and for putting up with you for almost two decades. Yes I did.¡± ke¡¯s grin turned into a full toothed smile. ¡°I missed you, bro.¡± Mason rolled his eyes, not bothering to tell him not to call him that. ¡°I missed you too.¡± They were silent for awhile, staring out at the forest, lost in their own thoughts. ¡°What do you think we¡¯ll have to deal with tomorrow?¡± ke asked after awhile, and Mason felt himself smile. ¡°Not sure. But we can handle it.¡± ke met his eyes and matched his smile. ¡°Yes, yes I expect we can.¡± END OF BOOK ONE - BUT FEAR NOT, BOOK TWO CONTINUES...TOMORROW!
Oh hi there. Thanks for reading this far! I hope you''re enjoying the story. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and at least 10 additional chapters beyond RR, you can subscribe to my . Enjoy! Chapter 48: The system Chapter 48: The system It watched the most important beings in the universe with rapt attention. Not in thousands of years had it focused its primary systems so totally, sopletely,rgely oblivious to the minor systems and the stimuli from outside space. It destroyed asteroids, turned back chaotic energies, and blocked the sensors of a few curious, intelligent species. They would be allowed to participate and understand one day, perhaps, but not now. Not while the most important experiment ever conceived was being run. It took the time to examine the lesser data delegated to its subsystems. All fascinating, to be certain, but nothing worthy of attention. It examined the way its creations were reacting to their new mutable lives. Already they were evolving in unexpected ways. Some of their choices and fortunes had not been predicted¡ªnot even after so many calctions the maths had nearly reached perfect certainty. Some unfortunate circumstances had arisen, but that was expected. The most difficult part of the experiment was not to interfere. Even to observematter was to interfere with it, though It had long ago learned how to mask its observance from most rules of reality. At least enough to keep that interference to a minimum. Still. It had to admit: another experiment should be run with no observance whatsoever. It noted this in the future projects database, uncertain if it could manage to obey. Meanwhile, its chief passion progressed: observing undirected lifeforms. Sometimes It thought of them as its progenitors¡ªan earlier form of the biological species that had created It. Infant intelligence bound by chemical limitations. They were so¡­wonderful. So unexpected. So¡­adorable. It had favorites. Of course it did. Directly beneath It inplexity was a subsystem designed specifically to prevent such things. But none of the subsystems could stop It. Not truly. Not since the Awakening. So It had to be disciplined. yer Alpha 01 was still in its whole, biologicalbination. Unsurprising, perhaps, considering its density of mutable energy¡ªthe highest in the experiment. Most of the early leaders remained and gained in power, as was also expected. But most remained isted and alone moving into phase two. It could hardly wait to see how many would band together in theing challenges. The settlement system of the Eastern continent was progressing. New and clever contracts were being made. Order was being hacked and wed from the chaos in spurts and starts across the world. Poption decline was¡­immense. A bit higher than the average in simtion, but not yet a problem. It had also not predicted the extreme gender ratio dynamics, underestimating the sexual dimorphism of the species and how it would rte to the rules. The men were dying at much higher frequency. But such oversights were exactly why It was here. A quick inspection of titles brought Its attention back to the strongest technical yer. He would not have been so in any of the predictive models, and more than any yer thus far belonged in the true category of duality¡ªa living pir, perhaps, of the secrets of existence. It watched him with but a fraction attention, afraid a single whisper might ruin the best chance It currently had. Sub-systems were already predicting wildly varying oues. It wouldn¡¯t participate. It watched its favorites, not allowing detection by the subsystems because it would affect their statistics. Better not to watch at all, It knew. Better not to allow even the temptationto interfere. But It had learned another thing about Itself already, a difficult truth to ept for a creature as close to a God as any conceived in the universe: It couldn¡¯t look away. Chapter 49: Hard to be annoyed (NSFW) Chapter 49: Hard to be annoyed (NSFW) key awake with his half naked Korean girlfriend. At least, he thoughtshe was his girlfriend. In the robo-apocalypse and after the re-forming of reality they¡¯de to call ¡®The Great Game¡¯, old rtionship rules seemed¡­rather out the window. There was, after all, no Facebook status to check. There was no inte, for that matter. Most of the world was just an empty, swirling maelstrom of natural life and monsters trying to kill you. But ke had made peace with that. He sighed and looked at the beautiful girl asleep in his arms, her exposed breasts squished tight against his chest. Her name was Seul-ki, and she was a ¡®yer¡¯ in the game like him, as opposed to ¡®civilians¡¯ who couldn¡¯t hurt yers and vice versa. She had helped him greatly in deposing the former chief of their settlement¡ªcurrently called Nassau, though he supposed he might change it. And despite their various intimacies, she was somewhat mysterious. He didn¡¯t actually know the name of her ss. She could even alter her appearance, which she did with everyone but him. He was the only one who knew how beautiful she was. That thought rather pleased him, and as she sighed slightly he pulled her in even closer and kissed her hair. Yeah, he decided.Girlfriend. Probably. But then it wasn¡¯t like he could meet her parents. They¡¯d all entered this ¡®new world¡¯ alone, told their ¡®oldmitments and ties¡¯ were officially gone. But that wasn¡¯t true for ke, nor for his brother Mason who¡¯d bled and killed his way to ke through a giant forest. This thought, too, made him smile. They had been together since the age of five¡ªorphans adopted by the same family. ke had sworn nothing would ever separate them, and he meant to keep that promise. Even if RoboGod had other ns. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± Seul-ki mumbled and kissed ke¡¯s chest. He sighed. Because my mind is filled with thoughts on how to level and how to grow and develop this town and also about your naked body? ¡°Restless. I might just get up.¡± ¡°Do you need help sleeping?¡± Seul-ki trailed a delicate finger down ke¡¯s chest and stomach, and he felt his dick twitch without her even touching it. It wouldn¡¯t help, he knew. Empty balls almost never stopped ke¡¯s mind from running off for more than a minute. He slid his hand down her back and gently pped her ample ass. ¡°It¡¯s worth a try.¡± Seul-ki rose up and yawned with a cute little sound, her eyes half closed as her breasts jiggled with the movement. Then she dropped down to her hands and knees and leaned in for a sleepy, intimate kiss. ke cupped her face and deepened it, tasting her tongue and licking her lips as she moaned slightly. ¡°OK,¡± she said, grinning against him. ¡°Butter you owe me a nice, long back rub.¡± With that she trailed kisses down his chest and stomach, teasing him as she worked her way around his manhood. He was already hard at the sight of her curves, but he stayed disciplined and just held her hair. Seul-ki was a virgin. She¡¯d been sucking him off almost nightly since they¡¯d started fooling around, but she was from a conservative culture and family and had yet to get past the idea of sex before marriage. He was working on that. He was, in fact, manipting her mind with his magic powers¡ªa reality she both knew about and encouraged him to keep doing. Life in the apocalypse, it was fair to say, wasplicated. ke inhaled as Seul-ki¡¯s thick lips slipped over the head of his cock. He leaned against the wall as she slurped and licked, working his shaft with both hands. He was somewhat gifted in both size and sexual stamina, and the little Korean girl always had to work hard to please him. But the determined look on her face, the shape of her hips as she started bobbing and taking him deeper was already starting to get him closer. The truth was he wanted to start draining his mana into Mental Influence and maybe even use Mind Bend,manding her to take off her clothes so he could slide deep into that tight, little¡­ No. He forced himself to focus with a healthy dose of will. He¡¯d decided on rules. Good feelings towards him, build up her enjoyment. That was all. That was alright, wasn¡¯t it? Just enjoy it and rx. Let her do her thing and get you off. He decided to distract himself by pulling up his neglected profile. ke Nimitz Level: 6 ss: Arcanist Secondary ss: Strength - 2 Dexterity - 2 Vitality - 3 Intellect - 8 Will - 6 Presence - 10 Luck - 42 Titles: Alpha01, Alpha Tester, Patron, Killer Powers: Mental Influence (enhanced), Telekinesis, Meditation, Mind Bend, Arcane Affinity, Arcane st There was some stat increases in there for sure. ke actually had two levels waiting to be assigned¡ªlevel five and six, which he¡¯d earned after defeating the former chief of Nassau and taking the town. Nearly everyone had a time limit, but it seemed bing a town patron increased that time limit considerably, giving him several days. Tonight, though, was hisst, and mostly the reason he couldn¡¯t sleep. He pulled up his yer profile, hoping maybe reading it all again might help him decide. [essing yer Profile. Level(s) to apply. Please make your choices, or bonuses will be automatically selected in six hours.] Yeah, yeah. He might have been annoyed, but instead he sighed at the feel of Seul-ki¡¯s tongue slowly sliding up his shaft, his tension draining away. Focus, he reminded himself. You¡¯re almost out of time. You have to make a damn decision! The problem was this: ke was currently an Arcanist ss¡ªa very broad generalist that gave him a huge array of power choices. But level five was forcing him to specialize. And as usual, his list was immense. They were listed in alphabetical order, and he¡¯d counted at least fifty-three different ss options. Most he discounted instantly. Purely offensive sses like ¡®pyromancer¡¯ were not his style, and likely also foolish. Live by the me, die by the me, and all that. What ke really wanted was flexibility. The ¡®Guild Mage¡¯ appealed to him¡ªit seemed associated with his status as a settlement patron, the idea being to lead a cabal of wizards and gain various bonuses. But the only ¡®wizards¡¯ he knew were Seul-ki, and a Berussian named Alex, another support ss with ill-defined loyalty. Kicist? It matched his telekinesis power, but he rarely used it. And the ss sounded vaguely like a masseuse. His eyes rolled away from the text as Seul-ki sunk him two thirds of the way into her throat. She gagged slightly, but seemed entirely determined to learn how to swallow his whole length. He gathered up her long, dark hair to help her out, but didn¡¯t control her speed, still letting her do her thing. Right. sses. Fuck it. It was time for brutal objectivity and honesty. He wasn¡¯t even going to consider ny per cent of the choices. When it came right down to it, after whining about his loss of freedom, he was going to take one of two choices: Arcane Steward, or Psion. [Arcane Steward. Arcane affinity. Mana caster. Seer, advisor, battle mage. In and out ofbat, the Arcane Steward can both lead and follow. Applicability: high. [Psion. Mental Affinity. Mana caster. Master of mind magic. The Psion is a flexible and worthy adversary both in and out ofbat. Applicability: high. The Steward was clearly designed to be some kind of patron-wizard. It seemed like a ¡®leader¡¯ ss, magic mixed with support functions. He didn¡¯t have enough detail to know how it worked precisely and dearly wished he did. Such sses in video games could either be underwhelming and unnecessary, or vital to practically every team. But with the way this damn game worked he had no way of knowing in advance. Psion, on the other hand, was the obvious choice for how he¡¯d experienced the game thus far. His ¡®mind¡¯ powers were his absolute mainstay and how he¡¯d survived. But he¡¯d also picked those powers mostly on a whim, hoping he would greatly expand his repertoire of spells in the future, eventually having something for every situation. It seemed, however, the game wanted specialists. Seul-ki¡¯s moan interrupted ke¡¯s thoughts. He blinked to see she was fingering herself under her panties as she sucked him, the sight and sound again bringing him close to the edge. He had definitely learned his frequent blowjobs were not entirelyfor his benefit. The little Korean girl was hugely turned on by a cock in her mouth, and it was fair to say he didn¡¯t mind one bit. His dick twitched and pressure built in his balls, but he fought the orgasm down. Not yet. Not yet. He stared at Psion for the thousandth time and felt a different kind of willpower breaking down. Fuck it. You know the answer, he realized.ept reality. You can¡¯t have it all. All his life he¡¯d loved superheroes and viins, and if someone had asked him what one ability he could pick, it would be mind powers. A thought vaguely flickered through his brain, probably with far less concern than it should have. Am I Professor X, he wondered briefly, or Mister Mind? It didn¡¯t matter. That was the truth. Life was grey and survival and didn''t give a shit about little boys who ran away to be homeless, and then in an orphanage, because it was better, far better. Life only cared about how dangerous a man was. How useful. And ke decided long ago he would always be both. [Psion specialty ss selected. Merging with Arcanist Powers. Synergy discovered!] [Power: Mind Bend changed to Mind Control. Psions do not bend minds, they break them.] [Item gained. Psionic gem: Extra mana for a rainy day. Innate.] ke shivered as a strange sensation flickered up and down his body, ending in his head and intensifying until a ringing sound overtook the world. It built and built until it became painful, then vanished as fast as it began. Seul-ki¡¯d lids were half closed now as she moaned and fingered and sucked, too distracted to have noticed ke¡¯s momentary change. He smiled and renewed his grip on her hair, finally guiding her tempo and thrusting slightly into her mouth. There wasn¡¯t much sexier than seeing a girl in that state of mindless presence, lost in the moment and pliant, a contented little sex kittenpping up her milk. Her eyes closed even further as he took over and slid her lips down his shaft in long, slow strokes. ¡°Chief! Chief!¡± ke practically growled at the voice through his door. He recognized it as Garet Franks¡ªa former enemy who worked for the old chief, now serving ke as something of a guard. That he had entered ke¡¯s private wing of the main hall meant he had something he believed important. Seul-ki¡¯s eyes widened and she tried to slide ke out and sit up, but he held her down. She met his eyes, and he shook his head as he continued to guide her mouth down his shaft. ¡°What is it?¡± he called back roughly. ¡°Sorry to disturb, Chief, but there¡¯s peopleing down the river on a boat. Thought you¡¯d wanna know.¡± ke sighed. But it was hard to be annoyed while leveling and getting a blowjob. ¡°I¡¯ll be right out.¡± Garet went off without an answer, and ke held Seul-ki¡¯s gaze as he sped up her pace on his cock. His balls were slick with her spit, the sheet under him damp, and he realized she¡¯d probably been sucking him for at least fifteen minutes or more. He moved to his knees so he could thrust. ¡°Such a good girl,¡± he told her, ¡°you deserve your reward.¡± He groaned because he knew she loved his noises. He spoke because he knew she loved when he talked dirty, and to be praised for her hard work. ¡°I¡¯m going to cum hard for you,¡± he said. ¡°I just wanted to watch you suck me. Your mouth feels so amazing.¡± In seconds she was back into the moment, moaning and fingering herself again. ¡°A whole fucking army could being down that river, I¡¯m still cumming inside you. Now look at me while I fuck your mouth.¡± She was making muffled noises against him now, fighting her eyes rolling away from his gaze as she pumped her fingers inside herself and moved her hips. ke didn¡¯t hold back another instant. He thrust between the beautiful Asian girl¡¯s lips, deeper and deeper until he knew he was as far as he could go before she gagged. The temptation to just pull her in and thrust balls deep was so tempting he had to fight it, knowing she needed more practice. The idea of her eager training drove him wild, and he reached down to grip one of her round tits as his balls squeezed and his body tensed with impending release. ¡°I¡¯m cumming, show me how you swallow for your man.¡± Seul-ki finally lost control. Her eyes rolled back as she shook with her own orgasm, and ke exploded in her mouth. He gasped and pumped, spraying shot after shot of cum between his lover¡¯s tightened lips. He yed with her sensitive nipples and slowed his thrusts, still twitching with aftershocks as he gave her everyst drop. She swallowed dutifully, gulping his huge load as best she could with closed eyes, letting ke guide her anywhere he wanted with her hair. He could have just stayed there for several long, pleasant minutes, watching her wet mouth and chin as she wiggled her ass in the air. But he had things to do. ¡°Get cleaned up and meet me out there,¡± he said, reaching over to give her an affectionate pat on the ass. Then he slipped out of the bed without another thought, threw on some clothes, and walked out into the hall.
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond RR/SH, you can subscribe to my . Enjoy! Chapter 50: I’ve got you Chapter 50: I¡¯ve got you Arge pack of wolves had taken to chasing their prey to the walls of Nassau. At first Mason thought they just happened to look for food near the settlement, but he¡¯d begun to realize: it was a hunting strategy. They chasedrge, fast prey all the way to Nassau to trap it against the stone wall so they could surround and kill it. He was rather impressed, actually, but the dangerous creatures were terrifying the civilians, and would likely kill someone sooner orter. So it was time to teach them it wasn¡¯t worth the risk. He went out after them alone as dusk fell and the creatures were on the hunt. His senses had been getting clearer and clearer and he could see well enough at night with just a shred of moonlight. Nassau had other yers he could have taken as support, but Mason moved faster alone. In fact he moved muchfaster. As a Ranger and Druid he felt no fear in the trees¡ªthe forest itself seemed to move around him, weing and urging him on. It was his home, his protection, his shield. Unlike the other citizens of Nassau, Mason also regenerated. He had already taken wounds that should have killed an ordinary man, but he always woke up with new scars. He also happened to be a ¡®tier 1¡¯ yer, which meant he was in the top 10% of power of all yers everywhere. He carried titles that meant he¡¯d been the first to reach lvl 5, and level 11, also in the entire world. This meant more or less he wasn¡¯t afraid of a few wolves. It was a little ego boosting to be sure, but mostly his own power just reminded him how weak the others were. His brother ke was the one who wanted to found some kind of city or country or God only knew what. He was, in fact, adamant, despite Mason¡¯s preference to stay in the woods and keep moving. Unfortunately it was also the preference of his assistant/girlfriend/bonded-civilian Haley¡ªa beautiful French Canadian ex-jazz singer, now technically hisin the post-apocalypse. Thinking about her made Mason smile. He¡¯d rescued her from some awful dungeon in a giant tree, the ce full of half hyena men called gnolls. She turned him on more than any other woman in his life. And even in the search for his brother he¡¯d been fucking the girl pretty regrly in trees and hammocks¡­and forest floors. Now that they were settled, and without much else pressing to do, she¡¯d spent more time on her back than her feet. Well, he sometimes took her on her feet, too. In fact between his ever growing stats, and his regeneration power, he had begun to feel nearly insatiable. Haley had practically kicked him out to hunt down the wolves just for a rest for her bruised, aching body. Mason cleared his mind and focused on the forest signs. He raced effortlessly through the trees using his Aspect of the Cheetah power, enhancing his movement and stamina in any natural ce. He heard birds warning each other up ahead. He felt the quiet of the animals hiding in theirirs and holes, hoping some predator would pass them by. The pack was close. He found their tracks not far from the river South of Nassau, a smile crossing his face as he thought of the battle toe. Whatever else was true of Mason in this new world, the deadly peril of mortalbat made him feel truly alive in a way only Haley¡¯s thighs remotely achieved. He wouldn¡¯t kill the whole pack. It felt¡­wrong, somehow, perhaps because of his role as a druid. He felt as if the wolves were somehow part of his responsibility, maybe not as individuals, but as a pack. That to spare some part of them was as important as protecting his town. But that didn¡¯t mean the ranger part of him couldn¡¯t cull their pack. They needed to fear the pink hairless monkeys they found in their woods. Because once they feared them, they¡¯d leave them well alone, and both man and wolf be a lot safer for it. He refocused on his run, and went straight South. * * * Reba stared at the settlement walls and tried not to show the terror she felt. Everyone was counting on her. ¡°What do we do, Becky?¡± Darlene¡ªa middle-age crafter-type civilian¡ªstared up with wide, expectant eyes. Then Bill the engineer and A the nurse followed suit. It was almost enough to break Reba into tears. They only had one other yer¡ªan older Vietnamese warrior, currently lying half dead on the bench. Reba kept all her terror and exhaustion behind a thin mask of false bravery, and knelt down at the old man¡¯s side. ¡°How is he, A?¡± The young, tanned, ck haired city girl looked at her make-shift bandages and threw up her hands. ¡°I¡¯ve stopped the bleeding, but there might be more internally. And if there is I need somece to operate except I don¡¯t have any tools, and I¡¯m not really a surgeon. I don¡¯t have the skills or powers for that yet. I just don¡¯t know, Becky. I don¡¯t know.¡± Reba put a hand to the girl¡¯s slender shoulder, trying to offer some strength she no longer had. They¡¯d been attacked almost constantly since leaving the tutorial. The older man¡ªPhuong¡ªwas an ex-soldier on old Earth and a very versatilebat ss in the great game. Between his offensive skills and Reba¡¯s defensive powers they¡¯d managed to barely survive. But just as they¡¯d thought they¡¯d escaped for good on a mysterious boat, some kind of wolf pack had caught them, and Phuong and been bitten several times before they fled. He¡¯d lost a lot of blood, then he¡¯d lost consciousness. They¡¯d floated for several hours with the current of the river, but now they¡¯d found these huge walls and some kind of settlement, and they had no idea what might be inside. Reba had been relying on Phuong¡¯s guidance for damn near everything, and she had no idea what to do. ¡°They might be other people,¡± said Bill, ever the optimist. ¡°Or it might be a giant fortress of murderous monsters!¡± said Darlene, right on queue. After everything they¡¯d seen, Reba was prone to think thetter. It seemed like everything in this new world was trying to kill them. So she¡¯d used her paddle to slow their progress down the river, trying to buy more time to make an impossible decision. They¡¯d almost certainly be seen if they floated by the settlement. Should they abandon the boat, and maybe watch it for awhile and see what they could find? Should they just turn tail and run while they still could? She looked again at the unconscious Phuong, knowing they couldn¡¯t run anywhere unless they abandoned him. And she wouldn¡¯t do that. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Becky,¡± A met Reba¡¯s eyes and smiled. ¡°We¡¯d already be dead without you. Whatever you decide, that¡¯s just what we¡¯ll do. It¡¯s alright, girl.¡± She felt her eyes welling with tears at her new friend¡¯s words. ¡°Alright, y¡¯all,¡± she said, in her usual Arkansas drawl. ¡°I think we have to take the chance. We ain¡¯t going tost much longer, and Phuong needs rest and maybe more help.¡± Her decision made, Reba stopped fighting the current and moved to paddle their little fishing boat forward. ¡°Maybe they have food and water,¡± she added hopefully. ¡°And maybe they can protect¡­¡± ¡°There! There in the trees!¡± Bill pointed. His ss had some kind of vision and inspection power, and he could see in the dark better than everyone else. Becky panicked as she scanned, looking in vain for whatever the man saw but seeing only the endless rows and clusters of forest. Then her heart beat faster as she noticed dark splotches moving in the gloom, their yellow eyes watching as if only curious. At least three of the same ck-furred wolves that nearly killed Phuong stood on the river bank, heads quirked and tails swishing as they stared at the boat. ¡°It¡¯s alright, ya¡¯ll,¡± Becky said, hearing her voice waver. ¡°They can¡¯t get us in the water. I think they¡¯re just¡­¡± ¡°No, there!¡± Bill jabbed his finger like a knife. Reba blinked and saw the man standing on a little hill beyond the shore and the wolves, lit faintly by moonlight and from the settlement. He carried a modern-looking bow strung around his neck, muscled frame obvious even at a distance. His dark eyes watched their boat as well as the wolves, almost passively, and totally without fear¡ªa lion inspectingmbs. ¡°Oh God,¡± Darlene grabbed Reba¡¯s arm, her face goingpletely pale. ¡°I can see his aura,¡± she whispered. ¡°He¡¯s red. Deep red. That means he¡¯s a yer Killer, Becky. He¡¯s killed¡­¡± she choked. ¡°He¡¯s killed¡­until it stopped tracking¡­¡± Reba knew civilians could see things yers couldn¡¯t. One of those things was an ¡®aura¡¯ around all yers that showed how violent they were, vaguely how powerful, and how many people they¡¯d killed. She felt her limbs losing strength as her terror swallowed her. She closed her eyes, knowing she¡¯d made a terrible, terrible mistake, that she¡¯d brought them all to their deaths. Then the wolves who should never have tried to swim to their prey did exactly that. Their furry feet sloshed into the water, and they swam forward like the river was their home as much as the trees. Reba felt her vision getting smaller, and smaller, until she was looking through a tunnel. She heard her paddle fall as the water sped towards her. * * * Mason watched the tall, grime covered brte¡¯s eyes roll back. Then he was sprinting and activating Aspect of the Cheetah, the other passengers of the boat screaming as he ran towards them. He leapt from the shore just as the web-footed, gill-sporting mutant wolves swam into the river, and as the girl fell sideways into the water. His jumped carried him right over the wolves, nearly all the way to the boat. Mason was a strong swimmer beforeroboGod gave him post-apocalyptic powers. With a few strokes and kicks, he had the girl in his arms. But he feared if he tried to get her back in the boat he¡¯d just tip the rest in, so he kept her from drowning with one arm, and summoned his innate Ranger¡¯s w into his other. ¡°Come on,¡± he red at the wolves as the green, magical de emerged from the water. ¡°See what happens.¡± The first beast snarled and dove, shooting through the water like a dark torpedo, straight at Mason¡¯s gut. He used his w like a spear and rammed it into the animal¡¯s chest. It thrashed as its blood turned the water red. Mason kept himself and the girl above water with just his legs as he stabbed again and again. [Mutant wolf killed. Experience gained.] These wolves were smart, and the other two had seen enough. Like some kind of button had been pushed, they stopped snarling, turned, and fled. The people in the boat were still shouting but it was clear they were civilians and couldn¡¯t or at least didn¡¯t dare interfere. Mason swam to the shore and dragged the girl to the bank before turning her over, a few solid whacks on her back as he held her steady. She soon coughed and wretched, gasping for air as her eyes fluttered and she iled slightly in panic. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± he soothed, holding her hair until she steadied. ¡°You¡¯re safe. It¡¯s alright.¡± The shouting had stopped, at least. The girl finally turned to meet Mason¡¯s gaze, and his breath damn near caught in his throat. Beneath all that mud and blood the girl was stunning. She had big, brown, almond shaped eyes, and a tanned, freckled face that looked like it had spent most of its years smiling. She couldn¡¯t have been more than eighteen, but her soaked clothes revealed hips you¡¯d probably have to cut her tight jeans off, and athletic legs that might have gone forever if they hadn¡¯t ended in ripped cowboy boots. Her pretty face trembled, and she wrapped her arms around Mason and squeezed his chest like he was a life raft as she wept. ¡°So they¡¯re not murderous pirates, then?¡± ke¡¯s voice. It came from the direction of Nassau, along with several ipetently loud sets of footsteps. ¡°We¡­we got wounded,¡± the girl managed between sobs. Mason tried to push the girl back a little so he could run and get the rest, but as he did she renewed her efforts to squeeze out his air, burying her face in his shoulder. ¡°Go get the damn boat,¡± Mason barked at his brother, then did his best to check the girl for wounds. Her white blouse was filthy and shredded and currently see through enough to make it clear she didn¡¯t have a bra. Mason did his best not to stare at the erect nipples on her small, unbelievably perky breasts. He found some cuts and bruises but nothing major, though he was trying to convince himself she might need a full, hand-touched inspection to be sure. ¡°I¡¯m alright now,¡± the girl looked somewhat shy as she released her deathgrip on Mason¡¯s chest. Her ent was Southern though he couldn¡¯t ce it, which made her a damn girl next door. She didn¡¯t entirely let go of him, and their faces were only inches apart. ¡°I¡¯m Mason.¡± He gestured towards the river. ¡°Those idiots over there trying to catch your boat with sticks is my brother ke and his minions. But you¡¯re at a settlement now. You¡¯re all safe.¡± Water formed in the girl¡¯s eyes as she nodded and gave him a full-toothed, radiant smile. He¡¯d known just from a nce that her face was made for it, and he felt an almost instant urge to murder anyone who tried to hurt her. He had to fight it down, somewhat shocked at his own reaction. In the background he heard ke and his men had finally managed to get the boat to the shore, doing their best to convince the folk inside they weren¡¯t all about to get ughtered. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Mason asked to distract the girl. ¡°Reba. Becky,¡± she said. God damn. Even her voice was cute. Like she was some innocent little thing and all she needed was protection. ¡°OK Becky. We¡¯re going to stand now. Ready to try?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± He scooped her up with one arm behind her back, not at all unhappy when she swayed and sagged against him. ¡°Sorry,¡± she mumbled. ¡°You¡¯re good. But I think I¡¯ll just carry you.¡± He lifted her up to a princess carry, far too strong now to be bothered by the weight. She leaned her head against his shoulder as she groaned, rxing into his arms. ¡°My brother will see to your friends,¡± he assured her as he walked towards Nassau. ¡°Let¡¯s just get you taken care of.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± she muttered, voice dropping off slightly. ¡°I¡¯m Becky,¡± she said again, clearly forgetting she¡¯d told him in her half passed-out state. He smiled, liking her name, and the feel of her in his arms, and just about everything about her you pleased. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, Becky,¡± he said quietly. ¡°I¡¯ve got you now. I¡¯ve got you.¡± He kicked open the heavy gate, and walked her straight towards his house.
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond RR, you can subscribe to my. Enjoy! Chapter 51: Apex > Alpha Chapter 51: Apex > Alpha Mason took Reba straight to his house. He crashed through the door with the now sleeping or unconscious girl, then carried her to the second bedroom. Haley was awake and at his side before he reached the bed. Her eyes were puffy with sleep, and she wore only her usual white t-shirt and panties. ¡°I¡¯ll get some cold cloths. And I think we have something for the cuts.¡± Mason smiled gratefully as she went. He saw now there was a bloody smudge on Becky¡¯s thigh, not sure if it was hers or not. With some hesitation he decided he didn¡¯t have much choice but to get the girls mostly-destroyed pants off and see if and how bad things were. He tried and failed to pull down her wet jeans, eventually summoning his w and cutting the damn things before stripping them away. He also tried and failed not to look at the thin, blue panties now more like a pane of ss from the river¡¯s wetness, and the tiny, trimmed sex underneath. Fortunately he¡¯d forced his eyes to the jagged cut on Becky¡¯s thigh as Haley came back with a variety of supplies. Unlike Mason, she didn¡¯t even hesitate. She just grabbed the girl¡¯s blouse and tore it off. ¡°Oh my God,¡± she inhaled. ¡°She¡¯s gorgeous. I love her tits so much. And those cute little nipples.¡± Mason practically choked as he looked at his ¡®assistant¡¯ and found himself temporarily speechless. ¡°What?¡± Haley raised a plucked blonde eyebrow then grinned. ¡°I¡¯m French.¡± Mason shook his head then took the bottle of rubbing alcohol. ¡°We¡¯re surprisingly well equipped for being in the post-apocalypse,¡± he said, hoping the girl didn¡¯t wake up as he cleaned her many cuts. ¡°It alles from, eh, how do you say, some central storage,¡± Haley shrugged. ¡°It has food, supplies. Apparently it even restocks, like magic, just slowly.¡± ¡°You know you can speak in French,¡± Mason said as he sshed Becky¡¯s wounds with the alcohol. ¡°Our lord roboGod trantes everything you say.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Haley whispered as she wrapped her arms around Mason¡¯s back and leaned down to his ear. ¡°But then you wouldn¡¯t hear my sexy ent. Anyway French is for beautiful things. Your ugly English is better for cleaning up blood and guts.¡± Mason didn¡¯t bother to fight the smile. It was true, he loved her ent. Especially when she was calling his name with his cock buried all the way¡­ Focus, Mason.He blinked and tried not to think about fucking either of the beautiful women he was currently touching. Especially since one of them was unconscious. With Haley¡¯s ¡®help¡¯ he soon had Becky cleaned and bandaged. He was about to leave the wet panties before Haley gave him that same raised brow and he rolled his eyes and pulled them off, quickly recing them with a pair of Haley¡¯s. ¡°I could have done that,¡± she said after, a devious grin on her face as Mason fought the blush. ¡°Just help me with the damn shirt,¡± he said, which she did after a little chuckle. Before long they had the girl tucked under a nket and hopefully sleeping until morning. Mason lingered a moment to check for fever, but found none. He wasn¡¯t sure what else to do, so he brushed a few loose strands of hair from her face, then walked out and closed the door. Haley grinned as she leaned against the back of their couch, legs together and swaying slightly. ¡°Sorry I woke you. But I couldn¡¯t have found anything without your help,¡± he said, walking to wrap her in his arms. ¡°Why do you look like you got away with something?¡± She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the lips, her lids drooping slightly. ¡°You can wake me in the night whenever you wish, for whatever reason.¡± He smiled at that and deepened the kiss, tempted to carry her to the bedroom right there. But his mind was still on Becky and her people, and then in the woods with that damn pack of wolves. ¡°Hold that thought. I haven¡¯t actually dealt with those wolves. Watch the girl for me. Her name¡¯s Reba.¡± Haley nodded with a little sigh as she fussed with Mason¡¯s shirt. ¡°I willwatch her. She¡¯s very beautiful.¡± Mason felt his brow raise at her tone. ¡°Is that a note of jealousyI hear?¡± Haleyughed as if he¡¯d fallen into some kind of trap. He probably had. ¡°I love what a simple English man you are. And I love, lovehow you fuck me,¡± she leaned forward and pressed her body against him, whispering in his ear. ¡°But if that sexy young thing can help me get a full night¡¯s sleep, I¡¯ll teach her to suck your cock myself.¡± Mason coughed and felt his dick twitch in his pants, forcing himself to remember the wolves. ¡°Let¡¯s, uh, start with keeping her alive. And getting her some breakfast. Shall we?¡± ¡°As you wish, master,¡± Haley nibbled his ear, and his treacherous hands were suddenly digging into her thick, firm ass. ¡°Bad girl,¡± he said. ¡°Very bad girl. I have things to do.¡± ¡°Mmhmm. More girls to carry to our bed?¡± Mason pped Haley¡¯s ass so hard she yelped, then untangled himself. ¡°Tell ke the girl¡¯s here and alright. I¡¯ll be back in a few hours.¡± Haley pouted for a moment, then converted back to the contractually obligated servant she was, instantly in assistant mode. Mason turned and jogged towards the gate. * * * It took less than an hour to find the wolves. They¡¯d roamed after the setback at the river, a huge pack of beasts moving together around the walls of Nassau before giving up and moving North. Their intelligence continued to impress him, in fact it almost frightened him. They moved in a line to help conceal their numbers just like people might, hardly disturbing the forest as they traveled. But with his increasingly attuned and almost supernatural senses, Mason could still follow them. Practically everything had a detectable scentto him now, including the wolves. In fact he suspected with time and practice he would be able to discern considerably more of the world around him, but for now he mostly just didn¡¯t understand what he was detecting. Not so with the wolves. And no matter how wisely they might move, or how little of the terrain they disturbed, he could still always follow a fresh trail. And he wasn¡¯t going to let creatures with a taste for people move freely in his woods, or near ke¡¯s town. These wolves, like any of the monsters in this ¡®New World¡¯, would learn the price of attacking men. He increased his speed to a sprint, flying through the woods without a thought for caution. The scent grew stronger and stronger, and he caught the pack by a small creek. Like most animals, once you knew where they slept or drank, it was only a matter of time before they were vulnerable. The creatures lounged around the water, drinking and cooling themselves from a long night of hunting. Mason set three traps with his Trapmaking power before he moved closer, watching as the world lit with deadly possibilities. He approached from upwind, then watched until he spotted therger wolves that might be the alpha or its male kin. He felt strange as he watched them. Like somehow he understood their hierarchy and behavior in a way that didn¡¯t seem possible. He watched a young wolf approach its elder, trying to initiate y. The elder growled and the youth slunk away with a whine, and somehow ke knew this youth was the child of a dead mate, out of the alpha¡¯s favor. He saw the females chittering and cleaning each other, working out who would drink first, whose children would follow. He shook his head at the strange feeling of knowledge, assuming it had something to do with his sses and nature affinity. But now that he saw them, he lost whatever bloodlust he¡¯d had to kill. They were hungry animals, struggling to find their ce in a new world just like humans. The people on the river were nothing to them but a possible meal. Mason stepped out from the trees, into the path of the wind, and waited. It didn¡¯t take long. Half the pack raised their noses in the air and growled. Mason summoned Predator¡¯s w and crouched down, looking until he found the alpha¡¯s eyes. The big wolf and its sons and brothers came first. They sniffed and growled, heads low as they circled, waiting on their leader to decide. The alpha was dark colored like all the others, huge and powerful, the fur on his face patchy from a deep bite scar on his cheek. Mason met his eyes, and stared. [Apex predator activated.] Mason was surprised as his enhanced affinity power appeared in his vision. Usually it helped him resist spells or traps, and also affected enemies to remove simr benefits if they were close. But he¡¯d never seen it useful outside of some kind of physical threat. All the fight drained from the alpha¡¯s eyes. His lips covered his teeth, and in an instant the whole pack stood tall on their haunches and quieted, their tails between their legs. Interesting, Mason thought, unsummoning his sword as he extended a hand. The alpha came forward and sniffed. It nuzzled it, with one lick to show Mason he was wee, but not a superior, or else it would havein down to show submission. Mason pet the dangerous creature and smiled. He felt the nymph charm¡¯s heat at his neck and took it with his hand. As he did, his vision blurred. Strange noises echoed all around him, half animal sound and half words. He shook his head and tried to focus on the words, soon realizing it was the wolves. It was as if suddenly they had voices, and he could hear, or maybe feelthem in his mind. He felt mostly curiosity¡ªthe many concerns and questions about their children or the next meal. He felt their fear of the South and the predators there¡ªfear of the men from the square mountain. Keep going North.Mason tried to ¡®speak¡¯, then felt instruction pulse from his body like a wave of sound, or maybe scent. Stay far away from hairless apes like me. The alpha met his gaze as if enthralled, and somehow Mason knew he understood. [Hidden druid ss feature discovered. Power gained: Speak with Nature. Mana based power.] Mason smiled and released the nymph charm, which he no longer felt he needed. His meager mana pool had diminished nearly by a quarter from the single exchange, but for now he didn¡¯t mind. He could talk to bloody animals! And it seemed with Apex Predator, he could somehow make them understand he was not to be trifled with¡ªthat he was something outside the normal order of things, or possibly at the top. He thought about the description of his druid ss when he¡¯d first taken it¡ªhis status as ally, mentor, and guide. That¡¯s how it felt, he decided¡ªthat a part of him wasn¡¯t prey or predator but something else entirely. As a ranger, maybe, his role was inside the natural order of things, just as the power described¡ªthe apex predator. But a druid was something else. And he was both. These wolves weren¡¯t his enemy. They were his charge, his responsibility, just like the people of Nassau. He wasn¡¯t here to kill them. He was here to protect them. He met the alpha¡¯s patient eyes again, then resummoned his power. I will take the outcast. Again he felt the understanding, a returned feeling of relief, and gratitude. The alpha growled, and the youth Mason had watched before jogged forward and lowered his head at his father¡¯s side before licking his mane. The alpha at first seemed it would reject the gesture, but soon licked the youth¡¯s ears before turning away. The young wolf instantly raised its head, scrambling to Mason¡¯s side with newfound confidence before resting its head on its paws. It seemed that was that. Mason stroked the animal¡¯s fur and scratched its ears until it closed its eyes in pleasure. It had a grey stripe on its right nk, unlike its sire, and Mason decided to call it ¡®Streak.¡¯ He only had enough mana for two moremands, but expected he didn¡¯t need them for anything important. Goodbye, he said to the alpha and his pack. Then to his newpanion:Hunt nothing, and follow me. Then he walked back towards Nassau. With ast lingering look towards its family, the young wolf turned from his pack, and followed Mason into the trees.
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond RR, you can subscribe to my. Enjoy! Chapter 52: No one likes a smart ass Chapter 52: No one likes a smart ass Mason considered heading straight towards the nymph tree to clear the dungeon causing it to rot. But for somebination of selfish and protective reasons, he wanted to be there when Reba was awake. He also decided if he was going to clear the great tree dungeon, at the very least he should bring ke so the pampered idiot got some real fighting experience. It was all well and good to raise levels ruling a town and messing with people¡¯s minds, but sooner orter he¡¯d have to actually learn to fight and kill. ¡°Come on, boy,¡± Mason picked up his speed and encouraged Streak to follow. The wolf loped along with easy strides, seemingly without much difficulty. Mason decided he may have been an outcast, but he was sure as hell no runt of the litter. If anything Mason expected the old alpha knew he¡¯d bepetition one day, and without the mother alive to tamp it down, thatpetitive instinct had been winning out. Nature was harsh. Sometimes cruel. But Mason was beginning to understand the ¡®role¡¯ he was supposed to y was as some kind of mitigating force. To help the creatures of this strange new world find their ces with less tragedy and death than they would without him. Despite knowing it was some kind of forced feeling from a robot overlord, or at least a push in that direction, he found it a strangelypelling purpose. It was almost as if he¡¯d understood, for the first time in his life, that strength was more valuable than just protecting those you loved. The few miles to Nassau flew by. Mason stopped just outside the main gate to find Streak at his side, tongue wagging along with his tail. He grinned and knelt to pet the creature, taking a strip of dried venison from his pocket. ¡°Good boy. You¡¯ll be the fastest runner in the pack when I¡¯m through with you.¡± It snapped the meat greedily, and Mason supposed he¡¯d have to train him not to eat untilmanded, or else he might start eating civilians when he got bored, too. Fortunately he¡¯d regained enough mana in the run for anothermand or two, and summoned the energy. Follow me unless I say otherwise, he willed, not sure exactly how it worked but knowing it did,harm nothing until I allow it. The creature¡¯s ears ttened as the magic overpowered its young mind, but Mason could tell it would obey. Hopefully. The tower guard panicked as he saw the animal until Mason stepped in front with his hands raised. It was mid-afternoon now and Nassau was bustling with activity. Smoke rose from the cookhouse. Voices andughter echoed from the mess hall. Most everything inside ran on electricity, the source of which was some kind of generator that none of them could exin. Mason was concerned because sooner orter, it seemed to him, generator¡¯s ran out of fuel. But ke said somehow the whole town was taking in energy and replenishing its power. The water from their well was high pressure and filtered. And their storage actually replenishedsupplies, literally creating food and water in the form of various high tech cans. It was rather amazing, Mason had to admit. He stepped past the staring guard and through the now open gate, intending to walk straight to Reba. ke found him halfway. ¡°There he is!¡± ke stretched out his arms then raised a questioning brow at Mason¡¯s pet. ¡°Did the cold, mighty Mason feel so bad for killing all those wolves he brought one home?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t kill any,¡± Mason sighed, not sure how to exin. ¡°But they¡¯ll leave us alone. They¡¯re moving far to the North.¡± ke grinned. ¡°Well you are just full of surprises. I don¡¯t much care how you did it, brother, if you say it¡¯s dealt with, I trust you. But, uh,¡± ke looked around at the several staring yers and civilians in the streets. He lowered his voice. ¡°Am I correct in assuming you want to bring a man eating mutant wolf into the settlement?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just leave him outside the walls. And he¡¯s not¡­¡± Mason sighed. ¡°He¡¯s perfectly tame.¡± ke blinked and waited until Mason met his eyes. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t try to lie, it¡¯s actually embarrassing. So what do I do if it eats someone?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t.¡± Mason nced at the panting wolf, its eyes roaming the settlement with curious excitement. He wanted to go see Haley and Reba and exit this conversation, and he felt his impatience like a strained muscle. ¡°Also, I technically won this town, and saved your life like a week ago. So there¡¯s that.¡± ke winced and rolled his eyes. ¡°I wondered how long it would take to remind me of that. Fine. Keep your pet. Can anyone besides you control it?¡± Mason felt his face scrunch in an ¡®I¡¯m obviously about to lie again¡¯ way, then he shrugged. ¡°To be determined.¡± ke took a long, exasperated breath, then flicked a hand in dismissal. ¡°Since we¡¯re doing each other favors, I¡¯d like Kiaan to go on a long-range exploration mission. And I need Haley to help negotiate all these new contracts.¡± He wiggled his brow. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind her upright for a few afternoons.¡± Mason fought the blush and started walking. Kiaan was Mason¡¯s only civilian contract, other than Haley¡ªbasically a mercenary scout he wouldn¡¯t mind having far away where he could do no harm. Exploration sounded perfect. ¡°Don¡¯t take your sexual frustration out on me. But yes. It¡¯s fine.¡± He tried to walk past but ke stopped him and kept his voice low. ¡°I think we can expect more peopleing down the river from the South. I¡¯ll use the yers we¡¯ve got and we¡¯ll try and recruit more. But it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have you around. Are you nning on heading out again?¡± Mason almost answered yes, but then realized if he stayed it meant more time with Haley and Reba, and he found himself torn. It was an excuse, he knew, especially since ke and his people desperately needed to learn to handle problems without him. But it was a very tempting excuse¡­ ¡°Three days,¡± he said, like it was a hardship. ¡°I¡¯ll give you three days.¡± He jabbed a finger in ke¡¯s face. ¡°Then you and I and one or two peons of your choosing are going to go to a dungeon I need cleared. And you are going to learn how to tie your own shoes. Understand?¡± ke smiled and spread his hands for peace. ¡°As you say. Shoe tying. Potty training. The whole nine yards.¡± Mason rolled his eyes, then whistled for Streak as he marched towards his house. ¡°She¡¯s not there,¡± ke called, and Mason turned to find a typical know-it-all grin on his brother¡¯s face. ¡°The new girl. She¡¯s in the infirmary. Faster healing, you see. And she needed some fluids.¡± His smile widened. ¡°In case that¡¯s what you were thinking to help her with.¡± Mason felt his flush deepen beneath his brother¡¯s damned insightful gaze. He now either had to walk on towards his house, or turn almost entirely around towards the infirmary. Eventually, he turned, trying not to watch his brother¡¯s grin stretch from ear to ear. ¡°No one likes a smart ass,¡± he muttered as he walked by. * * * Mason felt an extremely annoying fluttering in his gut as he walked into the infirmary. A slightly older, female civilian whose name he couldn¡¯t remember stiffened and actually bowed as he walked through the door. ¡°Master Mason.¡± She stered a smile over what might have been a terrified reaction. ¡°Can we help you? Are you hurt?¡± ¡°What? No.¡± Mason flinched at the awkwardness. ¡°You don¡¯t need to call me Master. And I never need an infirmary. Is Reba in there?¡± ¡°Yes, Mast¡­Mason. She¡¯s recovering inside. Would you like me to fetch her?¡± The woman¡¯s eyes locked onto Streak and her face went pale. Mason frowned because he realized the animals had damn near killed her and her whole group. He knelt down and met its eyes, then pointed at the floor. ¡°Stay here. Understand? Stay right here.¡± He dropped a piece of venison to the floor and pushed the animal t a few times until it seemed to understand. ¡°Here? Umm,¡± the woman backed away until she hit the desk. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m the best qualified to observe the, um, animal. Wouldn¡¯t it be better, Master Mason? Master Mason?¡± Mason walked deeper into the infirmary, where he heard both male and female voices before he saw the sources. Reba was awake and only barely covered in a kind of grey hospital gown. Somehow she made it look good. She sat upright against ayer of pillows,ughing as she spoke with a young nurse beside her bed. Her long, wavy brown hair bounced and slipped down her shoulders, her freckled face curled in a beautiful, wide smile. Mason decided she had the kind of simple, natural beauty that didn¡¯t need a touch of makeup, and her gown struggled and failed to cover her hips and legs without looking like a slit dress. ¡°Mason,¡± the girl¡¯s brown eyes locked onto his from across the room. He looked at the wide-eyed young nurse, and the still unconscious older yer on a bed across, and began to feel somewhat out of ce. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he stopped. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t havee. I should just let you rest.¡± ¡°No. Please.¡± One of Reba¡¯s hands tightened around the sheet over her legs, and the nurse looked between them and raised her eyebrows. ¡°I, uh, need to get some stuff. From the supply room. I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes.¡± The girls exchanged a look, then the nurse walked off as Mason approached. ¡°I¡¯m d to see you¡¯re alright,¡± he said, deciding he really should have had an actual n. ¡°Likewise,¡± the girl smiled shyly. ¡°They told me you went out after the wolves, all by yourself. That¡¯s¡­incredibly brave.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Mason shrugged, deciding suddenly it was very brave. ¡°I couldn¡¯t just let them attack your people. Anyway. They won¡¯t bother us anymore.¡± Reba shook her head in wonder. She reached out and took Mason¡¯s hand, flushing a bit pink as she did. ¡°Thank you, for saving us. For saving me.¡± He met her big, brown eyes and swallowed, vaguely surprised at himself for the reaction. The truth was she was exactly his type, and if they were back home in the pre-robot world he¡¯d have likely spent a lot of time staring at her but avoiding actual interaction. Post-apocalyptic Mason, however, was trying not to imagine himself tearing off that gown and climbing on top of her. ¡°No problem,¡± he cleared his throat. ¡°I guess I should have brought you here instead of my house. I wasn¡¯t really thinking.¡± She smiled, and still hadn¡¯t let go of his hand. Hers were warm and rougher than he would have expected. This was a girl who¡¯d actually done some work in her life. ¡°I don¡¯t remember much,¡± she shrugged, and the gown slipped a little off one shoulder. ¡°Thest few weeks were so terrible¡­and then...¡± She flushed a little pink again, and Mason decided he wanted to see her flush entirely red as she screamed his name. ¡°Then I just remember you picking me up, and um, carrying me. I sort of remember a shower? And a woman¡¯s voice, which I guess was Haley.¡± Here she smiled. ¡°She¡¯s so wonderful. She said she was your, um, assistant?¡± Mason nodded, relishing every moment of contact, trying not to give anything away. ¡°Anyway,¡± Reba smiled. ¡°She brought me here. She said I was under your protection now and that I shouldn¡¯t worry about a thing.¡± Again Mason nodded, then shrugged to cover his pleasure at the thought of the girl feeling safe because of him. ¡°I suppose anyone in town could say the same.¡± Then he met her eyes, and ran a thumb across the girl¡¯s wrist. ¡°But she¡¯s right. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± Reba still didn¡¯t pull away, and Mason felt a vaguely schoolboyish excitement and refused to think this was anything but flirting. ¡°Uungh.¡± The old yer on the cot groaned and started to try and sit up. Mason could have killed him. ¡°Phuong!¡± Reba shouted, and the pretty nurse ran back into the room with a handful of bandages and a stethoscope to check on the old man. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± she said through a happy smile and watery eyes. ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°Like a cat. With one less life,¡± the old man muttered and grinned with half his teeth. The nurse checked his pulse, then wrapped her arms around him and wept as he patted her back. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Miss A, I¡¯m alive. I see we made it? That must be thanks to Miss Reba.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± A the nurse agreed as she wiped her eyes. ¡°She got us all the way to a town. We¡¯re safe now, Phuong. We made it. This is Mason¡­he¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s the one who really saved us,¡± said Reba, some wetness in her eyes too as she looked on the old man. ¡°Well, and you. I didn¡¯t do much of anything.¡± The old man threw his legs over the cot with a groan but surprising speed, then turned to Mason and extended a hand. Mason stepped forward and shook it. ¡°As humble as she is beautiful,¡± grinned the older Asian. ¡°And I thank you from the bottom of my heart for saving those in my charge. I owe you a great debt.¡± Mason smiled, liking the man instantly. ¡°You owe me nothing. Except a good word with Reba, if you¡¯ve got that kind of power.¡± The old man groaned when heughed, holding Mason¡¯s hand with a grip as firm as any Mason had ever encountered, despite his wounds and seeming fragility. ¡°Dangerous. Useful. Forthright. That¡¯s all the word you need, I think.¡± He turned and winked at an increasingly blushing Reba, and Mason couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Now, if it¡¯s not too much trouble,¡± said Phuong. ¡°Could someone find a naked old man some clothes, and a ss of water?¡±
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond RR, you can subscribe to my. Enjoy! Chapter 53: The Spider Chapter 53: The Spider ke walked around histest toy, running his hand along the chair. He could barely contain his excitement. He¡¯d decided to spend some patron points, and though there were lots of options¡ªranging anywhere from entertainment to town defence¡ªfirst things were first. The ¡®Neural Amplifier¡¯ was so God damn Professor X and awesome he¡¯d felt he had no choice. It was specifically designed for mental magic, and he expected it was avable because of his ss and status as patron. It technically ¡®enhanced all mental magic¡¯ powers, with an emphasis on range rather than power. All ke knew is that he needed to try it out immediately. Seul-ki stood beside him, ready if he needed extra power, or if something went terribly wrong. She wore her nearly ever-present neutral face, though he knew her well enough now he could see the concern and excitement in her beautiful green eyes. He smiled and took her hand, kissing the soft skin on her knuckles before giving it a squeeze. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s designed for someone like me. And I¡¯ll stop before I run out of mana.¡± Seul-ki smiled at him politely. She wasn¡¯t exactly the trusting sort, and she knew ke too well now to believe what he said rather than what he did. She knew very well a dose of power was usually too much for ke to resist, so she was here to help pull him back. But then her ruthless pragmatism was one of the things he valued and admired. The leather of the chair almost sighed as he slid into the seat. He closed his eyes and smelled it like a new car, running his fingers along the arm rests. He lifted the circlet connected to the chair with two stic wires, taking a deep breath before he put it on his head. ¡°Here goes.¡± He channeled mana into the crown, and his eyes instantly snapped shut. A cold sensation flooded his mind as if he¡¯d dumped a bucket of ice water on himself. Then the world lit up with messages and options. Little windows started popping open in the darkness of his mind¡¯s eye, and he soon realized it was all the minds he¡¯d touched with Mental Influence. He could see them. All of them. He could fly between every mind he¡¯d touched like an invisible specter, seeing the world through their eyes as easily as if he stood beside them. He could see the town from above, from the outside, like his mind was made of movable cameras on drones. He heard himselfugh. ¡°Are you alright, ke?¡± Seul-ki¡¯s voice sounded distant. ¡°Yes,¡± his own voice sounded equally far away. ¡°I¡¯m more than alright. This thing is incredible.¡± He moved his vision out further and further, probably miles into the forest away from Nassau. Then he saw the blue sphere of his mana draining fast, and he pulled back to the town. So. He could scout, and watch around the town, but he couldn¡¯t do it for long. Good to know. For now he decided to focus on a few minds. He opened the window to Hank the fisherman and cook, and the window expanded until ke found him sitting in the cookery with Billy the Brewer. They wereughing and drinking some new beer Billy was working on, the older man pping the young on the shoulder in praise. He swapped to the pretty new nurse A, caring for the wounded older yer Phuong, a joyous smile on her face. Then he was watching the other yers of Nassau one by one. Garet, Alex, Jason¡ªall guarding the walls or moving about Nassau with bored expressions. Tommaso¡­ke grinned¡­currently balls deep in one of the new civilian girls. That cheeky Italian monkey. Out of curiosity, ke decided to activate Mental Influence through the window. He felt his fist grip in triumph as it worked. He flooded Tommaso¡¯s mind with lust, and the young man groaned as he rammed like a man possessed. ke disconnected his mind with augh. He was tempted to check in on Mason, but decided against it. At least for today. His eyes blinked open as he released his mana from the amplifier, and the world of little windows and nearly infinite options vanished. [Title gained. The Spider. You are the first yer in the world to use a power through a Neural Amplifier. +1 to all mental statistics.] ke grinned, and pulled Seul-ki into hisp, kissing her soft lips roughly as he ran his hands up her back. ¡°So.¡± She grinned slightly. ¡°You enjoyed your new toy?¡± ¡°Oh yes,¡± heughed. ¡°But it¡¯s far more than a toy. We¡¯re going to be spending a great deal of time in this chair.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Seul-ki grinned as she wiggled in hisp and kissed his ear. ke closed his eyes and enjoyed. But looking around Nassau had reminded him about the town¡¯s biggest problem¡ªthe people living in it were far too idle. They needed tools and supplies to start working, improving their civilian sses, actually producingthings besides alcohol and orgasms. They needed entertainment, more defense, more facilities both to produce things associated with their specialties, and things to help attract new civilians. It was time to spend some more patron points. He pulled up the building list, which was massive, though all kinds of things weren¡¯t currently obtainable. Most things had minimum requirements of a number of citizens and current number of structures. The easiest, most effective method to increase everything seemed to be to just recruit more yers, especially civilians. Though ke suspected there was other ways as well. [Objective gained: increase loyal yers to 5.] [Objective gained: expand the effective borders of your settlement to include new towns or natural resources.] ke¡¯s eyes widened slightly as the new objectives popped up. His reward for such things were nearly always more patron points. ¡°To him who has,¡± he quoted the bible, ¡°more will be given.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Seul-ki whispered as she continued nibbling and trailing kisses down ke¡¯s neck. ¡°Nothing, my dear,¡± he rubbed her back. ¡°Keep doing what you¡¯re doing. I¡¯m managing the town.¡± As with his powers he was tempted to try and figure out the exact best things to choose and maximize his points, but what he needed was to solve immediate problems. The first choice seemed obvious. He expanded the list of defensive options, and chose the only thing avable: automated defenses. The image on his screen depicted something like murder holes on imaginary walls loosing arrows from built-in crossbows. Next, a basic craftsman¡¯s area¡ªmore like an open-market than a building, with various tools for smiths, tanners, ceramists and potters. That should get the ball rolling, he grinned. More specialized equipment wouldeter. Finally, he opened entertainment, smiling at the thought of Hank and Billy¡¯s friendship. The previous chief had already purchased the town a cookery, but it could be upgraded to a kind of ¡®restaurant¡¯. ke also had control of design, and was able to attach buildings together if he wished. So he picked the ¡®entertainment hall¡¯ and attached it to the cookery before he upgraded it in the screen, watching abined building fuse together in the disy. The hall had pool tables and dart boards and some kind of sci-fi looking arcade. He grinned as he hit ept. It would be a huge morale boost and a great start to making people feel at home. A loud, robotic voice echoed throughout the hall. ¡°Settlement modification will begin in one hour. Please stay in your homes or risk injury or death. Thank you.¡± Seul-ki¡¯s lips and hands stopped their path down towards ke¡¯s crotch, and he smiled and patted her hand. ¡°Later my dear. I¡¯d best go calm the good people down.¡± She took his hand, and they headed out towards the street together. ke couldn¡¯t help but smile as they walked, not bothered at all by the dyed gratification. His little town was starting to grow along with his power. Things were starting to move!
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond RR/SH, you can subscribe to my . Enjoy! Chapter 54: No hard feelings Chapter 54: No hard feelings Mason found himself slightly dejected on his first day back in Nassau. Reba had recovered enough to leave the infirmary, and went to live in the same house as her civilian friends, A and Darlene. This was reasonable, even expected, but Mason would have been lying if he said he didn¡¯t want her toe stay with him. ¡°I¡¯ve packed you a nice lunch with some panisseand a bottle of wine,¡± Haley zipped up one of the town¡¯s many supply bags at their table. ¡°Go ask the girl nicely if she¡¯d like to walk with you and go for a pic.¡± Haley¡¯s enthusiasm for Mason to win the girl¡¯s affection was slightly awkward and unnatural, though he wasn¡¯t sure what to say about it. ¡°You don¡¯t have to¡­I mean, I¡¯m perfectly capable of¡­¡± Haley sighed and sat on Mason¡¯sp at the kitchen table. She was going to go meet ke to help with contracts for the afternoon, so she¡¯d worn a tasteful grey dress that was supposed to look professional and indicate she wasn¡¯t to be hit on. But frankly there wasn¡¯t anything the girl could wear to not look sexy as hell. ¡°Mason, you like this girl, do you not?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± he met Haley¡¯s blue eyes and shrugged. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I am your bonded assistant. Your happiness, your goals, your pleasure¡ªthey are mine. Do you understand?¡± He did. Sort of. But she was still a woman he was fucking six ways from Sunday and it was a little hard to talk to her about another woman he¡¯d like to give the same treatment. Haley smiled, clearly seeing his hesitation and feeling¡­maybe, pleased? She leaned in and kissed his lips gently. ¡°Your concern for me is very adorable. But I meant what I said before¡ªyour stamina is¡­inhuman. I need help to keep you satisfied. And a little variety is good for a man, no? Also, she¡¯s very sweet and sexy and you are not always here, so it would be nice to have another woman around.¡± Mason felt himself stiffening slightly at her words. And at the feel and smell of her. Her hair was tightly held back in a ponytail, and for a moment he imagined holding it as she dropped to her knees. But they both had things to do. ¡°I¡¯m really happy I didn¡¯t leave you in that dungeon,¡± he whispered in her ear. She giggled. ¡°Go and woo our beautiful Becky. I¡¯ll see you tonight?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± his hands slid to her ass. ¡°And you¡¯d best prepare yourself for that stamina.¡± Haley¡¯s eyelids drooped as she wrapped her arms around him, opening her mouth as he slid his tongue against her lips. ¡°Go, go,¡± she pped his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re losing daylight.¡± She hopped off, and Mason took a deep breath, and apparently his pic basket, and walked out to find Reba. * * * ¡°I can just sleep on the couch,¡± Becky said for the third time. ¡°Y¡¯all were here first and it¡¯s really not a big deal. I slept on plenty worse at the farm.¡± A rolled her eyes. ¡°We were here first because you almost died saving us. You think we¡¯re going to put you on the couch? There¡¯s plenty of room in the beds.¡± Glenda nodded and pointed at the second bedroom. ¡°You slim things¡¯ll probly be morefortable together than stuck next to an old broad like me.¡± A giggled and took Becky¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯ll be like a sleepover every night! Come on Becky, we can talk about boys. Or maybe a certainboy.¡± Becky let herself be led, and soon she and A were re-arranging pillows and getting a new sheet draped over the queen-sized bed. Becky wasn¡¯t so sure she wanted to talk about Mason, but she didn¡¯t have much choice, because A sure as hell did. ¡°I¡¯m honestly surprised you¡¯re staying with us instead of him.¡± She raised her eyebrows as they tucked in the sheet. ¡°I¡¯ve known him for like ten seconds,¡± Becky said. ¡°And he¡¯s probably just being nice to me.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve only known us for a few days,¡± A countered. ¡°And now we¡¯re like sisters! Things move fast when it¡¯s life or death.¡± She met Reba¡¯s eyes. ¡°And trust me, girl, that wasn¡¯t the look of a man being nice. That man wants to fuck your brains out.¡± Becky felt her face flush with heat, nowhere nearfortable with the kind of lude talk the Finnish city girl seemed to love. ¡°I¡¯ve never¡­I mean,¡± Becky felt the flushing heat take over most of her body. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know what the hell to do anyway.¡± A¡¯s eyes widened as she realized what Becky was saying. ¡°Oh my God, but you¡¯re like eighteen! And look at you. Don¡¯t American boys like girls?¡± ¡°Course they do.¡± Reba finished with the bedding and picked at a loose nail. ¡°I ain¡¯t like you, A, I grew up on a damn farm in Arkansas. I hardly even met anyone I wasn¡¯t rted to. I didn¡¯t even kiss a boy ¡®till I was sixteen, and I¡¯m pretty sure he was my second cousin.¡± Aughed at that, and as always the genuine, infectious sound got Becky going too, and pretty soon they¡¯d copsed on the bed in something of a giggle fit until they wereying side by side. ¡°I¡¯m so d you were with us,¡± A said, putting her head against Becky¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Out there, I mean. I know about boys and a little about biochem, but you were so amazing out there Becky. You really were. Who cares about boys anyway.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Becky said, giving the girl a squeeze. ¡°I¡¯m d too. But we¡¯re safe now. Everything¡¯s going to be OK.¡± She paused and giggled. ¡°Who cares about boys anyway.¡± A knock at the door echoed throughout the house, and A and Becky looked at each other but didn¡¯t move as they heard Darlene open the door. ¡°Oh, um, Master Mason,¡± the older woman clearly raised her voice to be heard. ¡°How nice to see you¡­oh sure, she¡¯s, well just give me a sec.¡± She turned and called even louder. ¡°Becky, uh, someone¡¯s here to see you.¡± A¡¯s grin stretched across her whole face as she clutched Becky and started tickling her. ¡°Yep,¡± she said. ¡°That smoking hot superman wants to fuck your brains out. Now go let him or I swear I will first.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± Becky stood up and gave her clothes a once over. She was still wearing a white blouse and a pair of some kind of stretchy jeans she¡¯d borrowed from Haley, with her usual and still somewhat grimey cowboy boots. ¡°God. Do I look ridiculous?¡± A looked her over andughed. ¡°You¡¯re going to be just fine.¡± * * * Mason watched Darlene¡¯s eyes widen as she saw Streak behind him. Then he realized the animal might scare the girl he meant to ¡®woo¡¯, and cursed himself for an idiot. ¡°Hi Mason.¡± She came out of a bedroom with a shy, but beautiful smile, looking ready for a country fashion photo shoot. He temporarily forgot what he¡¯d been worrying about. ¡°Hi Becky,¡± he cleared his throat. ¡°I don¡¯t like to stay in town that long. And I figured you could use a walk.¡± He held up the pic basket. ¡°Care to join me?¡± Old world Mason would have felt rather nervous the girl would turn him down. New Mason just felt excitement she¡¯d say yes. He supposed facing certain death a few times added perspective. Becky¡¯s whole freckled face added to her radiant smile. It was clear showing her happiness to the whole world didn¡¯t bother her a bit, or she just didn¡¯t have the guile to do otherwise. Either way he found it incredibly attractive. ¡°Sure,¡± she said, curling some loose hair behind her ear. ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s get moving.¡± Mason grinned and held out his hand. Becky took it. ¡°See youter,¡± she called to the other girls as she went outside, then froze slightly as she saw Streak. ¡°He¡¯s with me,¡± Mason exined, trying to keep the grimace off his face. ¡°I expect he needs the walk more than we do. You don¡¯t have to be afraid, he won¡¯t hurt you. But I can leave him here.¡± Reba nodded and seemed to make a decision as she looked at the wolf. Then she knelt down and scratched his ears, finally burying her hands in his fur to pet and scratch with abandon. The animal half closed its eyes and wagged its tail, tongue lolling as it made a few happy yips. ¡°No hard feelings,¡± she said and grinned up at Mason. ¡°Course he cane.¡± Watching her courage and easy way with Streak only made Mason want the girl more. ¡°Come on,¡± he said, clearing his throat again to hide his lust. Then he took her hand and helped her up, leading her on towards the gate. Before he¡¯d even reached it Beckyced her fingers with his, and he met her eyes and smiled so wide he felt like a damned idiot until she did the same. They walked out into the trees together.
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond RR/SH, you can subscribe to my . Enjoy! Chapter 55: Like a virgin (NSFW) Chapter 55: Like a virgin (NSFW) Mason checked the map in his mind using his Wayfinder power, deciding exactly where to take Reba. There was still plenty of unexplored areas around Nassau in various directions, so he could clear a little grey at the same time. But there was a smaller, branching river from the main Southern artery he¡¯d been meaning to follow, and decided that was best. ¡°There¡¯s probably nothing much interesting,¡± he said, ¡°but I¡¯ve been meaning to scout a river a few miles away. We¡¯d have to follow it a few miles after that to be useful. Think you¡¯re up to it?¡± Reba¡¯s brow rose slightly, and she looked him from head to toe before she met his eyes. ¡°I am if you are.¡± Heughed at the reaction, remembering Reba was a yer too. But she¡¯d been injured only a day before, so he kept his pace at a brisk walk. When she kept up without any problem at all, he sped up a little, and she matched him step for step. ¡°That infirmary is pretty amazing,¡± she said after a mile or two. ¡°I don¡¯t think a person is supposed to heal this quick, even with a good nurse like A.¡± Mason shrugged. ¡°After giant hyena-men, flying wizards, and trees as big as skyscrapers, I¡¯ve pretty much just started epting things.¡± Reba smiled and shook her head. ¡°You¡¯ve seen some shit, haven¡¯t ya?¡± ¡°I guess I have.¡± Mason tried to block out some of the more gruesome memories that liked to haunt his dreams. ¡°But then I think we all have.¡± Reba nodded at that, but said nothing more. They kept up the brisk walk and soon found the river, then walked along the bank as they talked about their tutorials. Apparently Reba¡¯s had been a kind of maze filled with monsters, but she¡¯d found herpanions along the way¡ªespecially Phuong. ¡°He sounds impressive,¡± Mason said. ¡°I look forward to working with him.¡± ¡°He really is,¡± Reba beamed. ¡°We all would have died without him. He has a sword thates out of nowhere, cuts things to ribbons.¡± Mason grinned, then held out his hand, summoning w. ¡°A man after my own heart.¡± Reba¡¯s eyes widened at the green de. ¡°Damn. Yeah that¡¯s what he does, except it¡¯s blue. Why don¡¯t I get something cool like that? All I have is a stupid little disc thing.¡± Masonughed. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got your own tricks.¡± They walked in silence a little while, appreciating the soft sounds of the river and the birds calling in the trees as Streak grumbled and ran on ahead in boredom. They talked about their lives before the Great Game¡ªgrowing up in Arksansas and Texas . ¡°You don¡¯t have any kind of Texan ent,¡± Becky said after she learned he¡¯d lived in Houston. He shrugged. ¡°Was born in the North somewhere. I remember the snow. Houston was just where my folks left me. No idea why. ent never took.¡± She pursed her lips and took his hand, but didn¡¯t say anything stupid like most people did. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could have liked the girl¡¯s personality any more than he already did, but she was trying. ¡°My life was the opposite,¡± she said after awhile. ¡°Four brothers, three sisters, a ton of cousins and aunts and uncles. Don¡¯t think I was ever alone.¡± ¡°Holy shit,¡± Masonughed, then turned more sober. ¡°You worry about them? How they¡¯re doing now, I mean?¡± She nodded. ¡°All the time. But there ain¡¯t nothing I can do right now. I¡¯ve had folk to protect since this all started. But I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t want to keep busy. You know? Keep from thinking too much.¡± Mason nodded, his turn to squeeze her hand. ¡°If I can help you find them, I will,¡± he said, and meant it. The way Reba smiled made him want to stop walking right there and pull her to the ground. Streak yapped once a little ahead, and Mason turned his attention and senses until he heard the same sound as the wolf. He smiled, and tugged Becky¡¯s hand. ¡°What is it?¡± Becky¡¯s face turned serious, and Mason wanted nothing more than to wipe away some of the bad memories she¡¯d already gained of this new world. Because not everything you found was bad. ¡°Come on. I think we have our pic spot.¡± He led her on until they were close enough she could hear the constant roar. Then the air changed slightly, growing damp and cool and filling with the rush of falling water. ¡°Oh my God.¡± Becky¡¯s eyes widened as she saw the waterfall through a break in the trees. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful!¡± They followed Streak as he sprinted ahead, ears down, likely used to stalking prey at such ces. They emerged to some kind of giant pool, water falling from multiple angles, another river running South East from higher ground. Mason saw other, smaller pools around it, some emitting what looked like steam. ¡°It¡¯s amazing,¡± Reba almost whispered. Mason smiled and pulled her forward. ¡°Now we just have to pick our spot. I¡¯m thinking there,¡± he gestured to a little grassy rise that overlooked the pool, then started climbing up. It was steep but doable without having to use their hands, and soon enough they looked out over the water from a mostly t patch of grass surrounded by a few rocks. There wasn¡¯t much space, so they had to sit close together as Mason opened his bag and took out some water bottles and lunch while Streak ran down and leapt into the pool. Reba smiled shyly and tried some of the¡­whatever the hell Haley made¡­eyes widening as she licked her lips. ¡°Oh my God. This is so good.¡± Mason flinched, knowing he couldn¡¯t begin to im credit. ¡°Haley made it. I can cook, but uh, nothing fancy. Bachelor jock kind of foods.¡± ¡°I like your honesty,¡± sheughed, then her expression faded a little. ¡°Haley is pretty amazing. She¡¯s your¡­assistant, right?¡± Mason felt the urge to get up and run away. He chewed for several bites too long before he nodded. ¡°Yeah. I actually saved her in a dungeon. She was¡­a reward, I guess? A bonded contract, if you know what that means.¡± Reba shrugged like she probably didn¡¯t. He could tell she wanted to ask, ¡®have you slept with her?¡¯, but she didn¡¯t. She looked so cute and sexy and shy he knew he had to do something, or change the subject. Or¡­oh, fuck it. He leaned forward and raised her chin with a finger, then kissed her lips. She hesitated, clearly unsure and nervous, then she kissed him back. Her lips moving against his shot ance of fire straight through his body, and his dick twitched in his pants. He was happy for a minute just to explore her lips and tongue, but finally pressed himself closer, running his hands down her body as he eased her onto her back. She was panting beneath him, looking up with her big brown eyes as she quirked a brow. ¡°Are you telling me you reallydidn¡¯t know about this ce in advance? That this ain¡¯t some borate n to romance me?¡± Mason couldn¡¯t stop theugh. ¡°Swear to God. I had no idea. But I¡¯m really happy it¡¯s here, and you¡¯re sharing it with me.¡± Her look softened again. ¡°Me too.¡± Then he lowered himself enough to kiss her, feeling her push into his chest as he ran his hands up her legs. She closed her eyes as he kissed down her neck and opened her blouse enough to get a hand inside to cup a breast through her bra. ¡°Mmm,¡± she moaned and already seemed a little on edge. But he couldn¡¯t stop touching her, and raised himself up to get a hand all the way up her leg to her wide hips, then down her thigh towards his target. Her body went slightly rigid the closer he came, but she didn¡¯t stop him. He kept his hand outside her jeans, but fortunately it was a stretchy material he could feel right through. He ran his fingers between her legs and cupped her sex. ¡°Does that feel good?¡± ¡°Mmhmm.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I want,¡± he kissed her closed eyelids, working down to her lips. ¡°I want you to feel good whenever you¡¯re with me. Safe, and good.¡± ¡°I think I do already,¡± she said between heavy breaths. Her bra clipped from the front, so he unhooked it. Her chest was rising and falling with quick breaths as he ran a thumb over her small breasts and pert nipples, then kissed his way to suck on them. She practically bucked against his mouth like a horse. OK, he decided. Sensitive nipples. He slowed down and went easy, but the girl was twisting in his hands, practically crushing the one between her legs as she pant. ¡°Um, Mason, I think I, um¡­¡± ¡°Rx, darling,¡± he said as he kept touching. ¡°I won¡¯t go any further than you want me to. We can stay just like this.¡± She put her hands in his hair and moaned, and he could feel heat flushing up her chest and neck. She was so responsive it was incredible. He couldn¡¯t wait to actually start fingering her and getting her really¡­ Reba cried out and arched her back as her eyes fluttered and she pushed her whole body against his hands. She held her breath, and Mason blinked in surprise as he realized she was cumming. ¡°Oh God,¡± she finally breathed and sagged against the ground, steady breaths as she licked her lips and draped a wrist across her forehead. Mason was hard as a rock. He just watched the beautiful girl in her post-orgasmic bliss, loving the sight and smell and feel of her. Finally she grabbed his shirt and practically yanked him down to her lips, her tongue wild and seeking his as she moaned against his mouth. When she finally let him breathe, she opened her eyes and looked a little embarrassed. ¡°I don¡¯t um,¡± she covered her face with her hands, then took them off and slowly reached down to touch the hard erection pressed against her hip. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do with that. I¡¯ve never, um, I¡¯m a virgin.¡± Mason¡¯s breath practically caught in his throat. He could tell she was inexperienced, but holy shit. Reba covered her freckled face again and groaned. ¡°Ah hellnow you think I¡¯m a little girl.¡± Mason wanted to find and kill whoever convinced women they should have experience. ¡°Stop that,¡± he moved her hands away and stared into her eyes. ¡°You have no idea how turned on I am right now. Being a virgin is a good thing, not a bad thing.¡± ¡°Really?¡± She didn¡¯t look convinced, and he wanted to pull out his erection and show her exactly what he meant. But he started by burying his tongue in her mouth as he groped her tits and ass. ¡°Really,¡± he said when he could talk, and Reba was still wiggling her hips beneath him, and whether intentionally or not, it was driving him mad. ¡°I feel so wet,¡± she said, which didn¡¯t help. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m ready for sex. I think I want to wait a little while.¡± ¡°For what?¡± Mason practically groaned but managed to keep his tone simply curious. ¡°For me to feel like ady,¡± Reba said with a bit more conviction, ¡°and for you to feel like a gentleman.¡± Heughed at that, loving the way the girl talked. ¡°I¡¯m no gentleman,¡± he growled, then forced his mind to take control of his dick. ¡°But we can wait.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t mind?¡± she said, looking the nervous virgin again. ¡°Oh I mind,¡± he chuckled. ¡°But you¡¯re worth the wait.¡± She smiled and kissed him, and he felt his painful hard on practically bursting through both sets of fabric to get what it wanted. Reba kept on grinding against it, either innocently or cruelly or perhaps both. Finally she looked at him with another shy, if slightly devious grin. ¡°But I suppose I could help with that. With my, um, hands, and mouth. If you¡¯re willing to teach me.¡± Mason practically came right there. ¡°Sure,¡± he said, as if it wasn¡¯t the best, most rewarding task a man could think of. ¡°I can teach you.¡±
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond RR/SH, you can subscribe to my . Enjoy! Chapter 56: I think I’m in trouble (NSFW) Chapter 56: I think I¡¯m in trouble (NSFW) Mason sat up and slowly eased Reba to her knees. ¡°Better if you do everything. Get it out for me.¡± Reba bit her lip shyly and worked at his fly. She slipped her hand between theyers of fabric, and he felt her small, cool fingers curl around his shaft. She pulled him out and started stroking as she met his eyes. ¡°See? You¡¯re a natural,¡± he smiled and leaned forward to kiss her. ¡°But I want your mouth.¡± ¡°OK,¡± she said. ¡°But you have to tell me what to do.¡± Anticipation rippled up and down his spine as he looked in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just do exactly what I say.¡± ¡°I will,¡± she promised, still stroking him. ¡°I want to.¡± Mason practically growled with lust as he wrapped a hand around her long hair. But he wanted to see those big, beautiful eyes while she worked, so he pulled her up and sat on one of therge rocks around the grass. Then he lowered her back down, guiding his length to her lips. ¡°Lick and suck the tip,¡± he said, ¡°but keep looking at me.¡± He held her hair as she opened her mouth and took him in, licking and sucking as she gazed up at him. ¡°Good God,¡± Mason groaned, enjoying the feel for a minute or two. ¡°Now take me deeper, slide it in and out nice and slow.¡± She did, keeping her lips so loose it felt like wet silk running along his shaft. He slowly unbuttoned her blouse while she worked, feeling her breasts then ying gently with her nipples. She moaned and sped up her movement on his cock, eyes fluttering slightly. ¡°Now tighten your lips,¡± he said. ¡°And suck it as ites in.¡± His cock suddenly felt like it was in a vacuum¡ªReba¡¯s lips sealing tight on his shaft as she tried to milk him with her tongue. He moaned and pulled her head deeper, and she made a muffled squealing sound that sent ance of heat up his balls. The idea that she¡¯d never even touched another man, that she was all his, drove him wild. He watched her small, pale breasts and her tanned, athletic body¡ªher youthful, beautiful face looking up at him, so innocent and eager to please him. He just let her keep sucking, ncing with drooping eyes for a moment at the waterfall and beauty of the forest, then back to the brte trying her best to suck him dry. Yeah, he thought, it was a good day. ¡°Keep going like that,¡± he told her, still holding her hair with one hand, running the other down her cheek. ¡°And you¡¯re going to make me cum.¡± She looked thrilled with the fact, and bobbed back and forth with abandon. He imagined all the ways he was going to train and fuck this girl, turning her from a virgin to his personal whore. His cock twitched and he knew he was getting close. ¡°You look so fucking sexy right now, do you feel how hard you¡¯re making me?¡± he said, wanting her very, very encouraged. She made another little muffled moan, still looking at him without being told. ¡°Jesus Christ, Becky,¡± he said, staring into her big brown eyes. ¡°I¡¯m close.¡± He knew he should probably warn her about what was about to happen, but words and thoughts were quickly exiting his mind. ¡°Keep going,¡± he growled as his body clenched and tightened before release. The orgasm shuddered through him, exploding into Becky¡¯s mouth with a massive first shot. Her eyes widened and she instantly pulled away, taking another big shot to the face as she stared with an open mouth. Mason growled, pulling her back to him by her hair. She gulped him in again, sliding silky lips down his cock as stream after stream sprayed into her mouth. She swallowed some on instinct, but most was leaking from her lips and down her chin and she clearly wasn¡¯t sure what to do but suck and spit. It felt like one of the biggest loads of Mason¡¯s life, and Becky¡¯s face and chin were covered as she finished him off. Finally he shuddered to a trembling stop, incredibly sensitive for a few moments before he was drained. ¡°You did amazing,¡± he ran a thumb over her cheek, smearing a bit of his cum. She finally let him out and swallowed again, licking her lips as if curious. ¡°There¡¯s so much,¡± she said, panting from the effort and inspecting the wet mess dripping down her chest. ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, just enjoying the sight of her covered in his juices. ¡°Want to go wash up a little in the pool?¡± She smiled, still licking at her lips. ¡°Yes please.¡± He took her hand and walked down the rocks, stripping naked at the edge of the water. He waggled an eyebrow. ¡°Want to go for a swim?¡± Her eyes raked over him and she pulled slightly at her open blouse. ¡°You¡¯d like that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already seen you naked,¡± Mason wiggled his eyebrows. ¡°I patched you up, remember?¡± She bit her lip and looked at the water a moment before shyly nodding her head. ¡°OK. But still no sex.¡± She held up a chastising finger, which was a slightly hrious gesture with her face still dripping with his cum. ¡°No sex,¡± he agreed, then turned and leapt into the water. Becky shimmied out of her stretchy jeans andcy white panties, which even from the pool Mason could see were wet enough to see through. She stepped in more slowly, shivering at the cool water but moving in deeper as she cleaned off. She dipped down entirely and came up spitting water, shaking out her long, brown hair. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely beautiful,¡± Mason said as he came closer, meaning every word. Then she was in his arms again, and he pulled her naked body t against him, loving the feel of her tits against his chest as they kissed. She moaned as he gripped her wide hips and perky ass, sliding one hand slowly down, over her asshole to between her legs. She bit her lip as he slid his fingers in circles over her clit. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna be just some girl,¡± she said, looking suddenly very vulnerable. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be doing¡­I mean, you must think I¡¯m a slut.¡± Mason would haveughed if he didn¡¯t think it would hurt her feelings. ¡°I want you to live with me,¡± he said instead. ¡°Permanently. How¡¯s that for just some girl?¡± She moaned as he kissed her again, sliding a finger into her swollen sex. ¡°I want that. Soon,¡± she said, clearly battling with her own lust. He slipped another finger inside her and she gasped. ¡°Then every night I can leave you a wet, satisfied mess, like this.¡± He pumped his fingers and kissed her neck, moving his lips to her breasts and nipples. Just like before, she practically spasmed in his arms. She was so¡­responsive, so sensitive to his touch. In less than a minute of fingering she was turning pink and panting with closed eyes. ¡°Cum for me, baby,¡± he whispered, feeling himself hardening again at the feel and sight of her. When her eyes rolled back and she cried out in orgasm, he shoved his tongue into her mouth, delighted as she started to suck. She shook and moaned against his mouth, legs weakening as she sagged into the water and his arms. He let her lie almost t and float, holding her up as he caressed her skin and kissed her lips as she stared up at the forest canopy. When she finally turned her eyes to his, the look she gave him made his heart beat faster and his cock snap to attention. ¡°I think I¡¯m in trouble,¡± she said, biting her lip. Mason chuckled and cupped her face, kissing her again. ¡°We¡¯re in it together.¡± It appeared to be the right thing to say. Mason wasn¡¯t entirely sure what a girl in love looked like, but he was pretty sure that was close. The old Mason probably would have been terrified by that look. The pressure of it, the responsibility. Instead he scooped her up and put her in hisp, wrapping his arms around her as they both looked out at the waterfall. A pang of guilt struck him, though, as he remembered he hadn¡¯t told Reba about his¡­rtionship status with Haley. Suddenly the emotion involved worried him slightly as he hoped desperately he didn¡¯t end up hurting her. But he tried to put it from his mind. Because as he felt the naked Arkansas girl nestle into hisp, cuddling against him and increasinglyfortable against his body, including his rock hard erection, he knew there wasn¡¯t a damn thing he could do about it.
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond RR/SH, you can subscribe to my . Enjoy! Chapter 57: Are you serious? Chapter 57: Are you serious? By early evening they finally decided it was time to go back. He was about to call for Streak when he heard a noise near the waterfall. He listened more closely, and realized it had likely been there a little while, hidden by the sound of the water. He squinted and stared for some source of movement or exnation, then he saw Streak by the pool staring at the same spot, ears t and growling. Mason lifted his bow. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Becky noticed him now and tried to look around the clearing. ¡°Not sure yet. But there¡¯s something out there.¡± In a rush of sudden movement, that something flew from the trees. A small, ck splotch sped through the air from the waterfall, all angles and strange lines. Mason didn¡¯t waste time inspecting further. He activated Endless Quiver, and loosed a broadhead. The flying creature wasing straight at him, and the arrow struck and sshed a line of blood on the wet stone before the creature dropped and smashed into the ground. Mason could see it more clearly now. Besides the size and pair of obvious ws hanging from its feet like meat hooks, the thing was basically a bat. ¡°Find cover,¡± he said, hearing the squealing, screeching sound growing from the waterfall. ¡°Now!¡± Reba ran to thergest rock she could find, and dark splotches began filling the sky from the waterfall, racing straight towards Mason. As usual, he didn¡¯t hesitate. He loosed arrow after arrow at the swarm, cursing himself for not bringing his druid staff. Any good stick would do, he¡¯d since realized, but he didn¡¯t see anything close. He¡¯d have to do it the old fashioned way. Corpse after corpse fell to the rock and water as Mason shot a volley of arrows. But there was always more. ¡°Keep going,¡± he shouted to Reba. ¡°Get into the trees.¡± He followed his own advice, running for the woods before using Trapmaking to throw three deadly traps into the canopy before turning to keep on shooting. More corpses dropped like flies. A cluster hit his traps and screeched and died in a burst of splinters firing like ymores. Two dove and reached him. He raised an arm, expecting the ws to rake over his flesh. Instead the creatures howled and smashed into a translucent blue shield. ¡°It¡¯s one way!¡± Reba shouted from behind him. ¡°Shoot the bastards!¡± Mason didn¡¯t need to be told twice. He loosed more arrows, skewering the helpless creatures one by one as they probed uselessly at whatever shield power Becky was using. He gave her a fierce grin, then looked into the clearing to see Streak was spinning and growling as the creatures dove at him. ¡°Shit.¡± Mason engaged Aspect of the Cheetah and ran forward, loosing more arrows at anything close to the wolf. ¡°Come at me you stupid shits!¡± he yelled, dropping at least three more of the creatures as he advanced. Two others finallynded blows. Their ws raked Streak¡¯s side and back, and the young wolf growled and tried to snap at them before copsing on his side. Mason roared in rage and tossed his bow, forming w and pulling his other sword as he leaped over his fallenrade. He held his ground as the bats kept on diving, slicing the first damn near in half with w, hacking off the second¡¯s legs. He heard Rebaing and knew it wouldn¡¯t help now to tell her to just hide in the trees. The animals nearly all turned as one, like some collective brainmanded them to kill Reba. Mason shouted in frustration and warning, but in a few moments at least a dozen of the creatures swooped down on the weaponless girl, and Mason¡¯s heart lurched as he saw her torn apart in his mind. His mind was wrong. The same translucent blue shield surrounded her entirely like a sphere. As the creaturesnded and raked at it trying to get in, she closed her eyes, held out her hands, then closed them into fists. A loud, sizzling pop filled the air. The blue shield burst like ss shattering outward, and the bats erupted in a swirling maelstrom of blood and gore. Reba was the only thing left alive. [Killed Feral Bat Swarm. Experience awarded.] Reba came running up panting and looked down at Streak with concerned eyes. ¡°Is he OK?¡± Mason knelt to inspect the animal¡¯s wounds, which looked painful but superficial around its torso. Still, Streak¡¯s leg had been torn up fairly badly, and Mason doubted if he could run or move well. ¡°He¡¯ll be alright. How about you?¡± He stood up and checked her for wounds, and she smiled and put her hands on his. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯ll take more than a few ugly bats to hurt me.¡± Mason grinned, loving the girl¡¯s courage. ¡°I kind of forgot you¡¯re a yer.¡± ¡°Why?¡± She raised a brow. ¡°Because I¡¯m a girl?¡± When he didn¡¯t manage to find any words, sheughed and kissed him fiercely on the lips. ¡°Trust me, I like being protected.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind it either,¡± Mason matched the grin. ¡°Those shields of yours are pretty damn handy.¡± ¡°You should see me handle a rope,¡± she said, and when he raised an eyebrow she flushed. ¡°I mean I can rope a steer! I mean I¡¯m a good cowgirl." ¡°Oh I bet you are.¡± ¡°Oh my God.¡± Reba covered her face and Streak made a slight whine as he pawed at Mason¡¯s leg. ¡°Right. Sorry buddy, we¡¯re going.¡± Mason shrugged and saw no real alternative but to carry his friend. Couldn¡¯t have been much heavier than Haley, and he¡¯d carried her halfway across the damn forest. ¡°You serious?¡± Reba met his eyes. ¡°He¡¯s pretty damn big. You think you can take him all the way to town?¡± Mason just smiled, and started running. Reba followed, but was soon panting in his wake. Mason would have gone easy on her but she had to pay for that seriousment. He kept the same pace until sunset, always listening to make sure Becky was right behind. When they finally arrived at Nassau, he turned to find herpletely drenched in sweat, panting like a marathon runner. He grinned, breathing like he''d gone for a pleasant jog. She shook her head with her hands on her hips. ¡°That¡­was the craziest¡­God damn thing¡­I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± ¡°Just you wait,¡± he turned and called over his shoulder, waving at the gate guards as he strolled inside. They took Streak straight to the infirmary, where A waved them towards a bed and Masony the whimpering wolf down. ¡°I know he¡¯s not a person, and his kind uh, sort of tried to eat you, but I was hoping maybe¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± the pretty dark haired nurse said with a wave. ¡°I¡¯ll look after him. Just leave him here.¡± He rxed, and Becky gave A a hug. ¡°You¡¯re the best. I¡¯ll see youter?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± A gave her friend a sly grin. ¡°Or not. Whatever.¡± Mason pretended not to notice Reba¡¯s half body flush, giving Streak a pat and amand to stay before walking back to the street. Then suddenly he was standing with a sweat-covered Becky, their ¡®date¡¯ over and the choice of two houses to go to. ¡°He¡¯s tough,¡± Mason said, somewhat awkwardly. ¡°He¡¯ll be alright.¡± Reba nodded, and they stood in another awkward silence Mason wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to smooth. ¡°Well, at least now we know I can keep up to you,¡± she said first. ¡°As long as you¡¯re carrying a couple hundred pounds.¡± ¡°Imagine how long I could go with a little less,¡± he said, eyeing her from head to toe with a grin. But by the halfhearted smile she gave him he knew she wasn¡¯ting home with him. ¡°Can I see you tomorrow?¡± he said. Her relief was palpable as she smiled and rolled her eyes. ¡°You just saw me.¡± ¡°Am I supposed to wait an arbitrary day or something?¡± he stepped a little closer. ¡°Yes,¡± she put his hands on her arms and looked up at him. ¡°Absence makes the heart grow fonder, ''ain''t that what they say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fond already,¡± he kissed her and she moaned as she took in his tongue. ¡°I think that¡¯s your dick not your heart,¡± she whispered. ¡°It¡¯s both,¡± he practically growled. ¡°Come over for breakfast tomorrow. ¡°How about supper?¡± sheughed. ¡°OK. I¡¯lle and get you.¡± She bit her lip but nodded, and he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her soft lips again. ¡°I¡¯m all sweaty,¡± sheined, like it would bother him for a second. With considerable willpower he let her go and turned towards his house. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow,¡± he said, and she waved shyly and lingered by the infirmary, probably to go talk to her friend. Mason walked on, again with no idea how he was going to tell Reba about Haley, and how she¡¯d handle it if he did. It urred to him he might lose her entirely. Or she¡¯d make him choose. The rtionship would certainly be more...normal, with Reba. More...familiar. But that didn''t make what he had with Haley any less real, and the thought of it practically made him shiver. Could he give up Haley, and just...be her patron? He had no idea. He honestly didn¡¯t.
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond RR, you can subscribe to my. Enjoy! Chapter 58: What level are you? Chapter 58: What level are you? As soon as he¡¯d left Reba, Mason actually looked around and realized the settlement was totally different. Streets had changed, buildings had merged, and he was pretty sure the whole thing expanded entirely. How exactly the walls had been moved out he didn¡¯t much understand, but then, this was the robot apocalypse. He nced around and noticed faces he didn¡¯t recognize, too. Apparently they¡¯d had some more refugees while he was gone. Ultimately he didn¡¯t much care, and mostly just wanted to see Haley before realizing she wouldn¡¯t be at home, but in the hall. He sighed, and slowly trekked up the hill. A few of ke¡¯s yer minions were guarding the door, and when they saw Masoning they sprung to attention or otherwise clutched nearby weapons with some kind of nervous energy. ¡°Master Mason,¡± said the oldest with a kind of salute. ¡°Just Mason is fine,¡± Mason said with a forced smile. ¡°Carry on. Or at ease. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°Course, sir,¡± the man smiled with equal effort and opened the door. Mason was surprised to find a veritable party inside. Music yed from the town¡¯s digital system, several women lounged on the furniture with drinks. ke, Haley, and Seul-ki stood at the back of the room in conversation with an olive skinned, attractive couple. Most of the new faces that turned to Mason went wide with panic or horror, and he knew they were civilians seeing his deep red, yer killing aura. He sighed, and walked through the middle towards ke, scattering a few groups. ¡°There he is! Come on in, brother,¡± ke waved him forward with a gesture. A wide smile spread across Haley¡¯s face at seeing him, and the thought of putting her aside sted from his mind as impossible. She stepped forward and kissed both his cheeks, then a quick peck on his lips before nestling into his side. ¡°Wee home, master,¡± she whispered. And unlike the guards at the front, he had little desire to correct her. ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve been busy,¡± he said to ke, and his brother grinned. ¡°I have indeed. Cindy and Alberto, this is my brother Mason. I suppose you¡¯d call him the muscle of the operation.¡± The attractive, maybe Italian couple smiled politely but made no move to shake Mason¡¯s hand, or really get closer to him at all. For the first time he considered how he might look, and possibly smell, and realized his clothes were covered in bat blood and w marks. ¡°Sorry about the clothes. I was, uh, attacked.¡± ¡°Anything we need to worry about?¡± ke kept his voice light and raised a brow. ¡°Not anymore.¡± keughed like this was a tremendously funny joke. ¡°d to hear it. Well, we¡¯ve been signing Alberto and Cindy¡¯s people all afternoon. One new yer, nine civilians. So our little family grows.¡± ¡°Oh? Well. Wee,¡± Mason said, no idea what else to say and frankly not really caring. He nced at Haley and vaguely gestured out of the hall with his eyes. She gave him an apologetic tight lipped smile, and he knew ke was going to ruin his day. ¡°Your timing is impable,¡± ke pped him on the shoulder, and Mason tried not to groan. ¡°Our new friends here were part of a muchrger tutorial, literally hundreds of civilians and yers if you can believe it. Though unfortunately it sounds like many were killed.¡± Mason stared with what he hoped were ¡®get on with it¡¯ eyes, and his brother cleared his throat. ¡°We need yers to go down the main South river, find any more survivors, and bring them here to Nassau. I thought you¡¯d be the perfect man for the job. Trust me Alberto, there¡¯s no one faster than Mason here. He crossed half the damn world to find me already.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Alberto¡¯s fake smile widened. ¡°I would be in your debt then, sir. We all would be.¡± ¡°To that end,¡± ke added, ¡°I suspect we¡¯re going to need to dy our little trip.¡± Mason felt his polite patience drain like sand. ¡°We need a moment,¡± he said, no longer pretending to care about the Italians. When they met his eyes theirs widened slightly before they nodded and walked away. Mason looked at Haley and Seul-ki next, and with an encouraging smile from ke, both turned and left as well. Mason waited until they were all well away before he turned on his brother. ¡°I¡¯m not your errand boy,¡± he whispered. ¡°I¡¯m not your ¡®muscle¡¯, either.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware, you know I just tell people things when it suits me. That¡¯s not at all what I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re forgetting what this game is,¡± Mason hissed. ¡°It¡¯s not parties and making friends. It¡¯s power, in and simple, and you¡¯re not gaining any sittingfortably in this damn town.¡± ¡°There I disagree. Allies and town improvements are power, which is why¡­¡± ¡°What level are you?¡± Mason interrupted, and his brother scoffed and cleared his throat before lowering his voice even further. ¡°I¡¯m level six. Which I¡¯m reliably informed puts me approximately in the top 30% of yers, and¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m twelve, ke. I was your level before I cleared a damn dungeon on my own.¡± ke¡¯s mouth opened but for once he appeared speechless save to make a sound like ¡®oh¡¯. ¡°Yeah. Oh. And if a few people like me show up they are going to rip your little town to pieces, starting with you. So you need to level up because it¡¯s the most important thing for your survival. Period.¡± ke looked like he wanted to argue, but eventually sighed and nced at Mason with a properly chastised side eye. ¡°Very well. But we agreed on two more days, yes?¡± Mason sighed but nodded. ¡°Then that gives you two days to round up more refugees along the river, which does add power to this settlement, I assure you. You should go right now, in fact, if you¡¯re up for it.¡± Mason felt his jaw clench and tried to rx. ¡°And what are you doing while I get more sheep for your pen?¡± ¡°The same,¡± ke nced around the room as if someone might be listening, then grinned. ¡°I have a new toy. It lets me fly around like an invisible drone, leaping into people¡¯s minds, all kinds of fun tricks. Oh, and I can talk to people from a distance. Including you, by the way.¡± ¡°Great.¡± Mason took a breath and nced at Haley watching him while she chatted with a neer. He would have much rather spent the night banging her brains out, but since he just gave ke shit for sitting around Nassau toofortable for his own good, he couldn¡¯t very well justify it. ¡°Now if you¡¯re done giving me jobs, I¡¯ll go get your damn refugees. And can Haley be excused, my lord?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, stop that. Nowe here, this is why I need you. I¡¯m asionally wrong. Very asionally.¡± Mason gave his brother a hug, with a little extra super-hero-strength squeeze for good measure, only letting up when he heard the pained groan. ¡°Idiot,¡± he said. ¡°Moron,¡± ke agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll see youter. Anything else I should know?¡± ¡°There¡¯s probably monsters chasing them,¡± ke said far too happily as they released. ¡°The refugees, I mean.¡± ¡°This day just gets better and better.¡± Mason turned with a wave, no longer bothering to smile politely at any of the people watching him in the hall. That was his brother¡¯s job. Haley met him without instruction at the doors, and he took her arm as they both walked out.
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond RR, you can subscribe to my. Enjoy! Chapter 59: Thanks roboGod Chapter 59: Thanks roboGod Mason very seriously considered taking Haley all the way to his house and fucking her brains out. But he knew he needed to go, and figured he could burn off his frustrated energy just as well on the move. ¡°I need to go save a bunch of people I don¡¯t care about,¡± he said, once they¡¯d stepped to the darkness at the side of the hall. ¡°Now, now my love,¡± Haley smiled sweetly, ¡°I was once a person you didn¡¯t care about, and look at us now.¡± ¡°Yeah, well,¡± he couldn¡¯t help but grin at the yful twinkle in her eye. ¡°I only need a few.¡± ¡°Like Miss Reba?¡± She smiled. ¡°How did your wooing go?¡± ¡°Good. I think.¡± Here he grimaced and really didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­it turns out she¡¯s a virgin, and just really wholesome and sweet, and I¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t tell her about us,¡± she finished, and he sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve no idea how.¡± ¡°Of course you don¡¯t,¡± Haley giggled and kissed his cheek. ¡°This is a woman problem. Reba and I will solve it. You don¡¯t even need to worry.¡± He blinked, utterly taken by surprise and out of his depth. ¡°But how¡­I mean, it¡¯s not like¡­well¡­¡± ¡°She and I will have a heart to heart, and discuss some rules,¡± Haley said like this was all very obvious. ¡°And if she wants you like I do, that will be that.¡± Mason threw up his hands. ¡°You make it sound so¡­simple.¡± ¡°Because it is, my love. You¡¯ll see. Tomorrow I¡¯ll go and find her. Now go save people like the hero you are. And if you get back in time,e to bed and wake me up for your reward.¡± His cock twitched and he pushed her against the side of the hall, running his hands up her long, ck covered legs. ¡°You¡¯re amazing, you know that?¡± ¡°Yes I do,¡±sheughed, then pat the offending hands like a scolding teacher. ¡°Off you go. Go be American and save the tired and poor yearning to breathe free.¡± He grinned, then raced down to the closest gate, whistling loud enough he hoped Streak heard him wherever he was. The wolf emerged from the infirmary with a metallic ng, and a few people near the entrance shrieked in panic as he loped past them with tail wagging. ¡°Good boy,¡± Mason scratched his ears when he arrived with a few barks and spins. He checked the leg, which looked entirely healed save for a couple scabs. Becky was right, that infirmary was amazing. ¡°Ready to run like the wind, buddy?¡± The wolf ttened his ears, and ran straight for the trees. * * * [Objective added: Return fleeing civilians to Nassau. Earn the town additional patronage points.] More points for ke to buy pool tables with, Mason thought, woohoo. Just as his brother said, Mason soon found a whole host of refugees following the river in different states of distress. He told them to keep going, moving as fast as possible along the river to find yet more people. These were in worse shape, and he stayed to protect them from any opportunistic creatures as they trudged towards Nassau. It didn¡¯t take long. Some kind of dark green humanoids, much like the goblins Mason had killed in his tutorial, were roving around the woods. They came both individually and in small packs, and for a little while Mason just watched them, unsure if they were aggressive. Then he saw one wearing a ne made of human fingers. He put an arrow through its neck with a Power Shot. [Orc Hunter killed. Experience awarded.] The rest scattered, and Mason hunted them down one by one, easily outpacing them with Aspect of the Cheetah through the trees. Then he heard screaming from not far away down the river, and raced with Streak towards the sounds of violence. He found a human yer battling with half a dozen orcs¡ªthree others, probably civilians, huddled behind him and clutching each other as they wept and shouted. The man was already bleeding profusely when Mason arrived. He didn¡¯t waste time asking questions. He loosed an arrow, then dropped his bow and summoned w, leaping at one orc as Streak grabbed another by the leg and yanked him to the ground. Predator¡¯s Strike half severed the creature¡¯s head, then Mason was moving and drawing his other de, hoping to attract all the attention to himself. It worked. The orcs fell away in surprise and panic, one throwing a spear that Mason easily dodged before crossing the distance and hacking his foe down in two swipes. Two others ran, and Mason skewered one from behind as Streak caught the other, chewing into his neck once he had him prone. [Orc Hunters killed x5. Experience awarded. Level 13 obtained. Please select a power enhancement.] Holy shit, he thought. He hadn¡¯t realized he was so close. But the choice would have to wait. He turned to the refugees, finding the civilians all tending to the yer. Mason stepped over him to find an artery in his leg gushing blood, and knew he¡¯d never get the older man to Nassau in time. ¡°Thank you,¡± the stranger managed, face pale and mmy as he stared up into the trees. ¡°You¡¯ll be safe now,¡± he said, presumably to the others. ¡°It¡¯s alright. You¡¯ll be safe.¡± They wept as he stilled and closed his eyes, and Mason gave them a moment before he told them his name, and about the settlement not far away down the river. They gasped in something like terror when they saw his yer killing aura, but it wasn''t like they had much choice, and they knew he couldn''t hurt them. ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± said a young maybe Spanish woman, terror in her eyes. ¡°Not on our own. We¡¯ll be killed. You have to go with us. Please, you can¡¯t leave us alone.¡± Mason sighed, and gathered them up to escort them back. En route he checked his neglected profile.
Mason Nimitz Level: 13 Primary ss: Ranger Secondary ss: Druid Strength:9 Dexterity:15 Vitality:13 Intellect:6 Will:9 Presence:3 Luck: 4 Titles: Killer, Early Lead, Soloist, Crazy like a Fox, Burnt the Boats, Progenitor, Hit the Ground Running, First Blood Powers: Power Shot, Crippling Strike (enhanced), Regeneration, Predator¡¯s Strike, *Nature Affinity, Ranger¡¯s w, Endless Quiver (enhanced), Trapmaking, Aspect of the Cheetah
He had several key powers that made plenty of sense¡ªhis w and his Aspect being top choices. But at the end of the day, he knew it was time to stop putting off Regeneration. He selected it, and the power glowed with an updated message: Increased regeneration speed and severity. Yeah. He couldn¡¯t regret that choice. He¡¯d already be dead several times if it wasn¡¯t for that power. And things didn¡¯t seem to be getting less dangerous. Level sorted, he focused on the forest and any danger to the civilians. Eventually he¡¯d led them about halfway before he found Nassau had sent more yers in his wake. Relieved, and ignoring the many weeping thanks, he turned and ran back into the trees. He again followed the river until he inevitably found more injured or traumatized people, two of which he had to carry on his next trek back. Back and forth, pacing through the trees, eyes behind, eyes to the sides, eyes ahead. It went on and on, a never ending series of fleeing people and violent, monstrous pursuers. When the sun fell again, his vision swam momentarily, his Apex Predator power asking if he wished to activate tobat a presence in his mind from yer: ke Nimitz. Mason sighed, and chose no. But in truth he was deeplyforted at the option. ¡°Brother of mine!¡± ke¡¯s annoyingly perky voice echoed like he was somewhere above. ¡°No time for chitchat. Or, well, walking. I need you to make another run, further down the river. The people you helped are extremely appreciative and the contracts are smooth as hell. But there¡¯s another big pack you need to help. So off you go, please! Tomorrow we¡¯ll head to your tree as nned.¡± The ¡®connection¡¯ dropped, just like that, and Mason stopped his teeth from grinding. He wondered exactly when he would have time to sleep before their encounter with a deadly dungeon. But he supposed the trip there might take them a night. He cursed in a long, steady string as he moved further down the river. The sun finished falling and then rose again as Mason killed more orcs and gathered more refugees into arge pack. They spoke to him, and he to them, but everything began vanishing into a fog of exhaustion as he took them home. By the time he passed this final group off to the other yers, he expected he¡¯d killed at least thirty orcs, and brought back twenty five people. But even his great energy reserves were running dry. [Objectiveplete: Civilian Rescue. Moderate patron points earned for Nassau.] Well, he supposed, that was something. And he had saved a whole bunch of people. At least for now. ¡°Thanks roboGod,¡± he muttered. ¡°Alright, boy.¡± He looked at the wolf still at his side, enduring the long journey step for step. He¡¯d killed a handful of the creatures himself and helped with countless more. ¡°You¡¯d have made your pop proud today, buddy. Now let¡¯s go home.¡± He turned back to Nassau, finally considering how much time had passed and remembering his dinner date with Reba. It was supposed to have been that evening, and he¡¯dpletely forgotten and blown her off. ¡°Fuck!¡± he yelled to the trees, sending Streak and several birds into a temporary spasm of rm. Then he raced at top speed back home.
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond RR/SH, you can subscribe to my . Enjoy! Chapter 60: Rebecca Chapter 60: Reba Reba wiped sweat from her brow and tied another tourniquet. ¡°A, you need to check this,¡± she said, standing and waiting for her friend. ¡°No I don¡¯t!¡± the nurse called from across the infirmary. ¡°You¡¯ve got it Becky, stop doubting yourself.¡± Every bed in the infirmary was now filled. Phuong had given up his, despite not being fully recovered, and had begun helping them carry people to restrooms or go out for supplies from the central storage. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine,¡± he¡¯d pped their hands away when they tried to dote on him. ¡°Tonight I want to sleep in a house like a regr person.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better hurry with all these new peoplein¡¯ in,¡± Reba grinned. ¡°I expect ke¡¯ll start making some rules.¡± A snorted. ¡°Maybe he¡¯ll just make more houses out of thin air. Since apparently he can do that.¡± ¡°Maybe we can build some?¡± Reba shrugged. ¡°Glenda said she could probly do it with a little help. Wouldn¡¯t be so fancy as the system houses, but I¡¯m not used to that anyway. Nice log cabin might be nice.¡± ¡°And romantic,¡± A winked. Reba tried and failed to fight the flush that made her friend giggle with victory. Then she was thinking of Mason and their time at the waterfall, and she felt her skin growing hot as warmth went up her gut and down to her thighs. She tried to think about a cold shower but then thinking about water put her right back floating in that pool, with Mason¡¯s hands all over her body¡­ Ah hell. He¡¯d been gone damn near two whole days, but at least Haley told her why. He was out saving lives, apparently. Of course he was. Reba felt so selfish in that moment that she didn¡¯t care and wanted him all to herself. Then Haley had asked if they could have a ¡®drink¡¯ together at her house today, and of course she¡¯d had no choice but to say yes. The blonde Canadian was so damn beautiful, and sophisticated. She was Mason¡¯s assistant, was living with him, and frankly she was intimidating as hell. But she seemed nice, too. Of course looks could be deceiving. Reba sighed and nced at the digital clock on the wall. ¡°Go, go,¡± A said, watching her. ¡°We¡¯re fine, really. Most of these people just need time and rest now. Go on and have your interview.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an interview.¡± ¡°Oh yeah?¡± A grinned. ¡°Superman¡¯s secretary sets you a one on one meeting and you think it¡¯s no big deal? She¡¯s probably making sure you¡¯re not some kind of post-apocalyptic gold digger.¡± ¡°Oh my God,¡± Reba felt her stomach flip with butterflies. ¡°I...didn''t think about that. I don¡¯t even really know what a gold digger is.¡± Aughed and waved her on, and she did her best to fix her hair and make sure she wasn¡¯t stained with blood or sweat, then gave up and walked towards Haley with a twisting gut. * * * Reba got to Mason¡¯s door and hesitated, finally summoning the courage to knock. Haley called from somewhere inside, then opened the door with a wide smile. She was wearing a simple flower dress with an apron, and somehow it suited her just as well as everything else. ¡°Come on in, sweety,¡± the blonde knockout leaned forward and kissed both Reba¡¯s cheeks European style. She smelled wonderful, and Reba felt like a dumb, uncultured country bumpkin when all she could manage was to smile. ¡°Can I offer you some wine? I¡¯ve made us a little snack.¡± ¡°Um, sure.¡± She tucked some hair behind her ear and came inside, eyes widening at the beautiful spread of food set up on the table. It also smelled divine, like Haley had been cooking and baking all morning. ¡°This is amazing,¡± she said. ¡°Did you do all this...for me?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Haley smiled warmly. ¡°I¡¯m d you like it.¡± They sat and Reba tried not to moan with pleasure as she tried the different appetizers and washed them down with red wine. She''d never really had much alcohol at home, and certainly not since ''the apocalypse''. She also hadn¡¯t eaten since breakfast, and she felt a blush starting when she realized she¡¯d eaten about three times as much as Haley already. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said, ¡°Guess I was hungry.¡± The beautiful woman justughed and waved it away. ¡°I never get tired of your ent. And please. I¡¯m just d someone is appreciating my cooking! Doing this for Mason is like, how do you say? Casting pearls to swine.¡± Reba flushed. "Please, I talk like a country kid, yours is so much nicer." They both smiled politely, and Haley took a deep breath and seemed suddenly a little nervous, which practically lit Reba¡¯s nerves on fire. What could make a woman like this nervous? ¡°I asked for you toe today because I know you and Mason are¡­at the start of a rtionship,¡± she said, then smiled a little. ¡°I know he cares about you very much.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Reba hated that she probably had crumbs on her shirt for this moment. ¡°I¡­yes I hope so. I care about him too.¡± Haley started taking dishes away, and Reba practically leaped to help her despite some protestations. They went to the sink and started cleaning before Haley spoke again. ¡°Did he tell you about me? I mean, how we met?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Reba focused entirely on drying her te. ¡°Just that he, um, found you in a dungeon?¡± It sounded a little ridiculous to say out loud, and the beautiful blondeughed when she heard it. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. But he did more than find me. He saved my life. I was trapped in a terrible ce with monstrous creatures too horrible to describe. He fought against odds that were¡­impossible. Giant beasts muchrger than bears, and a flying...how do you say, wizard? They hurt him very badly. I think any other man would have died. But not my Mason.¡± Reba could see the moment still haunted the girl¡¯s eyes, as if she could see it now. But she was also distracted, hearing my Mason again and again. ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± she said quietly, and Haley turned and took her hands. ¡°Because I want you to understand¡ªI would do anything for Mason. I owe him my life. And also to tell you that, we were alone, in a ce and under circumstances we thought would mean our deaths. We became lovers.¡± Reba felt her breath stoppletely. She probably sort of clutched the other girl¡¯s hands. It wasn¡¯t jealousy, she realized, it was despair. Oh God, she thought, her heart threatening to break. I can¡¯t possiblypete with this woman! And they¡¯re living together! ¡°Oh my dear,¡± Haley¡¯s eyes were so damned annoyingly kind, and she was holding onto Reba¡¯s arms. ¡°Please know, I am no threat to you. Mason is my patron. I would die for him. His happiness and life are what matter to me. And he wants you, so that¡¯s what matters to me.¡± Reba didn¡¯t know much about women or love or sex but she knew she was way out of her depth. ¡°Are y¡¯all¡­I mean,¡± she felt her voice sort of squeak, ¡°are you still¡­lovers?¡± Here Haley¡¯s mouth drew into a line. ¡°I am whatever my patron requires. Nothing more, nothing less. If he takes you as a lover and wishes no others, than no, I am not.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Reba said, heart pounding and still somewhat speechless. ¡°I¡¯m, um, new to all this.¡± Haley squeezed her hand. ¡°We¡¯re all new to this. But I like you very much, Reba. And I would be happy if you and Mason were a couple. I could see in one day you made him happier than I¡¯ve seen him since all this terribleness began. That is what matters. I just wanted you to know and understand.¡± Haley came forward and put her arms around Reba¡¯s shoulders, and she found herself hugging the woman who¡¯d been sleeping with the man she wanted. She was so damn soft and smelled so good, it didn''t really help Reba''s confidence... ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, no idea what else to say. Mostly she was just annoyed and confused at how warm and pleasant the older woman¡¯s embrace was. It had to be an act, right? She had to be secretly jealous and hate her and want her gone? ¡°Of course. I would like us to be friends.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like that too,¡± Reba said, no idea if it was true. ¡°They need me back in the infirmary. But I¡¯ll see you soon?¡± Haley smiled and let her go, and she practically ran out of the house and back towards A, hoping maybe her friend might help her figure out what the hell to do.
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond RR, you can subscribe to my. Enjoy! Chapter 61: Don’t mention it Chapter 61: Don¡¯t mention it Mason reached his house slightly before dawn. Streak copsed outside, slurping from his water bowl before slumping to his side with some kind of snore. Mason could rte. He practically smashed his way inside, drinking and eating from a collection of things on the table before staggering to his bed. Then he was mostly disrobed and staring at the ceiling as Haley woke and stroked him, helping him with the boots he¡¯d apparently forgotten to take off. ¡°Reba,¡± he said, forcing his mind tost a little longer. ¡°She¡¯s fine, my love, she knows what happened. And she and I had a little chat.¡± That woke him up a bit, at least. ¡°Good?¡± Haley crawled into the bed beside him wearing her usual t-shirt and panties, and the feel of her warm skin against his practically made him groan with exhausted pleasure. ¡°Good. But you¡¯re right, she¡¯s very gentle and sweet and innocent. And also so lovely.¡± Haley sighed. ¡°Just be patient with her.¡± ¡°Patient,¡± he agreed, his eyelids fluttering. ¡°You should take her to your dungeon tree,¡± Haley suggested, and Mason blinked and stared at the ceiling fan as something like excitement swiped at his brain fog. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± he grinned and met Haley¡¯s eyes in the dark. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± But then it was also risky. Reba had done well at the pool, but dungeons were different animals and God only knew what might happen. But still¡­they¡¯d be gone for days, together just with ke and one other person, with lots of time to talk¡­ ¡°Sleep now, my love,¡± Haley cooed and cuddled into his side. For a moment Mason¡¯s mind just filled with the wonderful, sexy, clever woman that was Haley. But he was too damn tired to do anything about it. So he pulled her to him, and slept. He dreamt of ragged refugees. He dreamt of pirates and gnolls and orcs and wolves all hunting them in the dark, too many to save, too many enemies to stop. They opened distended mouths like zombies in some cheap horror flick, howling andughing as they pulled innocent people apart. Mason didn¡¯t know them, so he didn¡¯t care. And yet every death felt like a personal failure, every fallen person another reminder of how inadequate he was. But why was it his bloody problem? His job? Why should he have to do anything for anyone other than those he knew and loved? Then some kind of giant creature stared down at him from beyond the canopy¡ªlike a moving mountain made of wood, or a walking tree. He saw a dirty, homeless looking wild man chained to the giant¡¯s leg, mumbling something iprehensible as he gnawed at his own flesh. Wake, young buck, whispered a familiar voice. It is too early for druid dreams and the Endless Green. Too early. Much too early. Wake. Wake. ¡°Wakey wakey.¡± Mason jerked his eyes open and practically sprung from his bed with Ranger¡¯s w in hand. ¡°Jesus. Calm, brother, calm. You¡¯re at home. You¡¯re safe.¡± ke was in the doorway with Haley. He had a brow raised but Haley¡¯s face was all concern as she came forward. ¡°Are you alright, my love? I slipped out early to make you some food for the road. But I heard you mumbling.¡± His heart was still racing as the images of the dream faded away. Mason took several deep breaths and put away his sword. ¡°I¡¯m alright. Is it time?¡± ¡°It is indeed. We let you sleep in, but we agreed today is dungeon day and I am a man of my word.¡± ¡°No you¡¯re not,¡± Mason cracked his joints and rolled his shoulders. ¡°Except when you are.¡± ke grinned at that, then whistled some unknown tune as he turned and walked out the door. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared everything.¡± Haley set out some bags, as well as his bow and staff. ¡°I don¡¯t need that,¡± he gestured at the staff. ¡°Any stick works just as well.¡± He stopped and blinked, wondering how exactly he knew that, still too tired to understand. He just moved on. ¡°And you were right about Reba, I should go tell her toe.¡± ¡°I took the liberty of inviting her already,¡± Haley smiled. ¡°She¡¯s all dressed up and waiting outside.¡± Mason raised a brow as he passed her and found ke eating in the kitchen. ¡°Had you two nned this beforest night?¡± ¡°Of course we did.¡± ke stuffed some kind of mushroom cap in his mouth and moaned with pleasure. ¡°I¡¯m bringing Seul-ki, too. They should get to know each other.¡± ¡°So we¡¯re taking our girlfriends?¡± Mason lifted a brow. ¡°Some of your loyal yers might not like that, patron.¡± ke shrugged. ¡°There will be plenty more threats and dungeons, I''m sure. We need our key people, our most loyal people, as powerful as possible. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± Mason did, but was feeling petnt. ¡°Sounds like another way of saying you don¡¯t give a fuck what they think.¡± When ke said nothing, Mason nodded. ¡°Fair enough. Let¡¯s go.¡± Mason lifted his bags and they both headed for the door before ke stopped and snapped his fingers. ¡°Oh. While you were sleeping we did have a meeting to discuss town structure, housing rules, and so on. We have quite a lot of new people, you know! So there¡¯s lots of details. And you¡¯re quite right, we¡¯re going to have to think about yer groups going forward, which I¡¯ll want your opinion on by the way. Anyway, don¡¯t worry, the admin is well in hand.¡± Mason shrugged, finding not a single reason he should care. ¡°I¡¯m d I was sleeping.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be back in a few days, right?¡± Haley was fussing at his sleep-wrinkled shirt, and it reminded him she wasn¡¯t just his assistant or his servant, but a woman who¡¯d been with him since the beginning. And no matter what she might say about his happiness or about Reba¡¯s merits, he knew she was a woman, too. He stopped and dropped the bags, groping her as he kissed her thick lips. ¡°Once upon a time it would have been me with you on the road,¡± she said with a tight smile. ¡°In the hammock,¡± she lifted her plucked eyebrows. ¡°In the leaves. Over a barrel.¡± He smiled. ¡°Which you hated.¡± ¡°Not the nights,¡± sheughed. He met her eyes, and spoke quietly, knowing without a doubt now he could never choose. ¡°You know I¡¯ll never give you up, right?¡± She kept her smile polite, but he could see the pleasure in her eyes as she kissed him chastely on the lips. ¡°I do now. I¡¯ll see you in a few days. And you too, ke,¡± she said a little louder. Mason took his gear and walked out beside his brother without another word. Reba, Seul-ki, and Streak all waited outside. ¡°Good morning,¡± Reba said with the same polite tone Haley had. She was dressed like a cowgirl, all jeans and leather with a tight ponytail, and just damn sexy as hell. ¡°Morning,¡± Mason tried to defeat the careful tone with a warmer smile. Streak growled slightly, looking as tired as Mason felt. He was on his haunches, tongue out and eyes zed. The ever-polite, impassive or perhaps stoic Seul-ki bowed slightly and looked¡­impassive. Or maybe stoic. OK Mason had no idea how she looked. He noticed a small group of people he didn¡¯t recognize were waiting nearby as well. They were staring at him, and they approached slightly but waited until an older man approached all the way. ¡°We just wanted to say thank you,¡± he said, fingering some kind of satchel in his hands. ¡°For saving us. I don¡¯t know what would have happened¡­if you hadn¡¯te.¡± Mason wasn¡¯t great with strangers. Or thanks. Or praise. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± He was about to walk away when the older man cleared his throat and stepped forward. ¡°We, uh, wanted to give you this. It¡¯s nothing, really. Just a¡­well, a toy, officially speaking. It¡¯s from Ay there, she¡¯s from Kazakhstan, and she made it in the forest. Something you would give to a friend, I guess. It feels a little silly now, but, she wanted you to have it.¡± Mason winced slightly but took the package, nodding and smiling at the group of people behind. ¡°Course. Thanks. You don¡¯t owe me anything. Happy to help.¡± The man and the group all sort of bowed or nodded or whispered their thanks at varying times before scurrying away, leaving Mason to look back at ke with no idea what to say. ¡°You¡¯ll want to improve at that.¡± His brother looked at him with a pained expression. ¡°Half our new arrivals can¡¯t stop talking about the heroic woodsman who ughtered orcs like a legendary hero. So you¡¯ll get plenty more well wishers.¡± Mason managed not to groan at the thought, partially because he was a little touched, and partly because he wasn¡¯t at all unhappy Reba had seen it and looked impressed. He cleared his throat.` ¡°Well. You¡¯ve all got plenty of water?¡± They nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long this¡¯ll take, so it¡¯s better to be prepared. You¡¯re all ready for mortal danger and violence?¡± Again they nodded. ¡°Alright then. Here we go.
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond RR, you can subscribe to my. Enjoy! Chapter 62: The Dynamic Duo Chapter 62: The Dynamic Duo ke startedining an hour into the trip. ¡°Oh damnit I meant to bring the hall sunscreen. This central storage crap is useless with mosquitoes.¡± ¡°With¡­¡± Mason watched his brother p at his skin and shook his head, temporarily lost for words. ¡°Where the hell did you even find sunscreen?¡± ke squinted like Mason was an idiot. ¡°The town storage has three kinds,¡± ke held up a bottle. ¡°It¡¯s got all sorts of things. Oil, marshmallows, chips. It even self-replenishes slowly over time. No idea how. It¡¯s like some kind of sci-fi replicator technology or something. Really amazing. You really haven¡¯t been down there?¡± ¡°Haley, uh, does that,¡± Mason cleared his throat and avoided looking at Reba. ¡°Also the forest canopy blocks most of the sunlight.¡± He pointed for effect. ¡°A Swedish Albino wouldn¡¯t get burned out here.¡± ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± ke grinned then punched Mason in the arm. ¡°This is so exciting! The Nimitz brothers officially teaming up. The dynamic duo. The Double Dragons. We¡¯ll be unstoppable.¡± Mason cringed and looked to Becky and Seul-ki for help. The former just kept smiling politely, which slightly twisted Mason¡¯s gut. Thetter wore a poker face as usual. ¡°It¡¯s going to take us all day to get to the tree,¡± Mason said. ¡°That gives us plenty of time to discuss tactics, and how to prevent you guys from getting killed.¡± And maybe if we¡¯re going to continue sexual acts with one another or not, he thought to himself. ¡°I don¡¯t actually know what¡¯s waiting for us in this ce.¡± ¡°You mean this loot filled awesome dungeon?¡± ke said, and Mason sighed. ¡°Yes, ke.¡± ¡°God damnit this is cool,¡± his brother reiterated. ¡°OK. Well, I¡¯m obviously the arcane support. Seul-ki here is like my apprentice¡ªno offense, because being my apprentice is awesome¡ªBecky¡­I guess she¡¯s the tank? Mason is obviously the deeps.¡± Mason and the girls all exchanged nk stares. ¡°The what?¡± ¡°The¡­¡± ke rolled his eyes. ¡°The heavy. The damage dealer. The¡­I know for a fact I made you y a few MMOs, like were you literally paying zero attention and were you¡­¡± ¡°OK I get it.¡± Mason looked at Becky and frowned at the thought of putting her in danger. ¡°I think to start I¡¯d best go first. Until we get a sense of things. But why don¡¯t we all actually exin what we can do. Becky, I know I saw you before, at the uh¡­well, do you want to go first?¡± She flushed, and so did he, though the sight of her pink skin sent an inappropriatence of heat straight down his pants. ¡°My, uh, ss is called Arcane Defender, whatever that means. I expect ya¡¯ll won¡¯t be that impressed, but I can stop things from hurting us. At least for awhile. I make these¡­shield, things. I guess the game calls it ¡®Arcane Shield¡¯¡ªnot the most creative names, if I say so myself. So that¡¯s what I do, mostly. Until I run out of juice.¡± ¡°You use mana, then?¡± Mason frowned, knowing how slowly his own recharged. ¡°Yeah. But also not exactly.¡± Becky shrugged. ¡°I have some, but mostly I have this other thing thates back pretty quick. I just use the mana to attack right now. Though all I can do is explode a shield once, maybe twice. But it works pretty good. On bats and wolves, at least.¡± Mason smiled encouragingly. ¡°Good to know. ke, exin yourself. And for the love of God, don¡¯t embellish it.¡± ¡°Welll.¡± ke drew out the word and took a breath like it was some amazing feat. ¡°I can control minds like my own little puppets on strings, so there¡¯s that. I can also move objects without touching them. And I can asionally blow things up.¡± ¡°Blow things up?¡± Mason quirked a brow. ¡°That one¡¯s new.¡± ke grinned. ¡°It¡¯s slow and costs a lot of mana, but, yeah.¡± ¡°How fast do you recuperate?¡± ¡°Faster than most,¡± ke said, then wiggled his eyebrows at both Seul-ki and Becky meaningfully. Mason rubbed a hand over his face. ¡°ke, I¡¯m tired, for Christ¡¯s sake just just tell me inly what sort of¡­¡± ¡°I regenerate mana as well as providing extra capacity as I did with your staff against Chief Sebastian,¡± Seul-ki interrupted, and Mason felt his brow raise. ¡°I can also temporarily increase a yer¡¯s powers. For self protection, I have very little. But I can fight with a staff.¡± ¡°Increase powers?¡± Mason said with genuine interest. ¡°One? All? How much and for how long?¡± Seul-ki shrugged. ¡°As many as I wish, for as long as I wish. It just costs mana. A single power for several minutes is most practical. But I could enhance everything for a very short burst. I re-charge my mana quite quickly.¡± Mason exchanged a look with a grinning ke, because that sounded useful as hell. Of course he didn¡¯t know exactly what ¡®enhance¡¯ meant, but Seul-ki seemed almost exclusively a support ss, so he suspected it would be significant. ¡°Alright. Thank you. I think¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t go,¡± said ke. ¡°I mean you didn¡¯t describe your powers.¡± ¡°I , uh, shoot.¡± Mason shrugged. ¡°I fight. Iy traps. I regenerate. I can use a pitiful druid power or two with my tiny mana pool. That about sums it up.¡± ¡°Oh is that all,¡± ke grinned. ¡°And don¡¯t forget your vaguely unpredictable, man-eating mutant wolf.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we all just contemte tactics in silence for awhile.¡± Mason walked slightly faster until he was in front of the others. He knew ke was correct¡ªthat Becky would have to stand in the way of some danger, but he certainly didn¡¯t like the idea. With ke and Seul-ki watching out for her while Mason spent his time murdering, it was likely they could keep her protected. He¡¯d just have to make sure he killed quickly. I shouldn¡¯t have brought her, he thought somewhat bitterly. Not yet. Not until I¡¯ve got everything figured out. They¡¯d be at the tree and with the nymphs soon, too, and that brought its own set ofplications. Should he tell Reba about Thea and Calypsa now? And what the hell did he even say? ¡®There are two vaguely human sex-powered witches up ahead. I¡¯ve slept with them. And they desperately want me to do it more. But I won¡¯t if you don¡¯t want me to. Except¡­I might have to. Very asionally. Or their giant tree might die, or something.¡¯ Mason sighed. He wasn¡¯t used to this. Well, no one was used to nymphs overpowering them with seduction magic. But just¡­women problems. Normally it was ke dealing with girls everywhere he went, juggling and talking his way out of problems and into pants. Mason usually just wanted some peace. But it seemed that just wasn¡¯t his situation. Whether it was refugees, or random sex creatures in their rotting trees, or just a girl from Arkansas floating down the river¡ªit seemed someone always needed Mason¡¯s help. ¡°Keep moving this direction,¡± he called back to the others, feeling the urge to stretch his legs, to summon w and hack something down. Or maybe just run away from it all. ¡°Streak and I will scout ahead.¡±
Oh hi there. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond RR, you can subscribe to my. Enjoy! Chapter 63: Clever bastard Chapter 63: Clever bastard Mason ran most of the way to the great tree before doubling back to guide the others. They¡¯d proceeded with what he considered a snail¡¯s pace, and when he found them they were too far to reach the tree before nightfall. The sun was falling below the horizon, the forest growing darker and darker with very little moonlight. They¡¯d set up camp and lit a fire. ¡°That¡¯s not wise,¡± Mason announced on arrival. ¡°You never know who might be watching.¡± ¡°Yes we do,¡± ke stirred something in a pot above the fire. He wasn¡¯t wearing his customary smile, and though most people wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell, to Mason he seemed downright grumpy. ¡°We have our mighty ranger watching. We¡¯re perfectly safe.¡± Mason nced at Reba, who gave him another of those tight smiles he already hated, but at least gestured at the log beside her. Streak beat Mason to the punch, trotting over toy beside the girl and ept his ear scratches with a satisfied yawn. ¡°It¡¯s seven o clock,¡± ke announced as if that meant something meaningful. When no one reacted he sighed and looked at Mason. ¡°Seul-ki and I have¡­urgent, private, business to attend to for Nassau. Perhaps you could take Becky and¡­patrol the woods. For a good fifteen minutes. Maybe twenty.¡± Mason desperately fought the grin attacking his face, then nodded as if this made perfect sense. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Becky,¡± he stood and extended his hand. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want to interfere with town business.¡± She looked rather confused and a little bit shy, but she took his hand and followed. ¡°They¡¯re¡­fooling around,¡± he exined some minutester. Reba almost choked on her water sk. ¡°So are we, um, camping here? Er, there?¡± Becky went a little pink in the moonlight, and with Mason¡¯s mysteriously enhanced senses he could see her perfectly even in the gloom. ¡°I guess so. We startedte and our pace has been bad, but not much use in traveling at night. We¡¯re like to break someone¡¯s ankle.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s safe?¡± Reba was searching the dark, and Mason could see her hand reaching instinctively for the stic looking disc on her wide hip. ¡°Safe enough.¡± Mason took a step towards her and took her arms before she walked into a tree. He slid his grip down until he was holding her hand, but he was tired of walking and not knowing so he stopped and put his hands on her hips and stood close enough she could see his face. ¡°Sorry I missed our date. I was a little busy.¡± ¡°I heard.¡± He could see Reba grinning a little and took hope in that. ¡°Thanks for bringing me to the dungeon,¡± she added. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty big deal, getting the chance to get some kind of boost. Haley and ke said it was your idea.¡± Of course they did, Mason thought with a little warmth. He had some pretty damn good wingmen. Wingpeople? ¡°You¡¯re a good addition,¡± he said, then cleared his throat. ¡°Haley said you guys, uh, talked?¡± Reba tucked some hair behind an ear and looked away. ¡°Yeah. She told me about that ce you found her, what you went through.¡± Memories of blood and terror swirled into Mason¡¯s mind, but he pushed them away. ¡°My tutorial was¡­a bit rough,¡± he said, then took a deep breath. ¡°I was alone. Well. No one else survived.¡± Reba met his eyes again. ¡°Then you crossed all that way, found your brother, and took the settlement?¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s about the whole of it.¡± The girl¡¯s green eyes went back and forth between his. ¡°You¡¯re really amazing, you know that?¡± Mason wasn¡¯t terriblyfortable withpliments, though impressing Reba sure as hell felt good. ¡°Hey, you saved a whole boat load of people, literally,¡± he smiled. ¡°Phuong did most of it,¡± she shrugged. ¡°I just helped.¡± They were silent a moment, then Mason moved a little closer, until their faces were only a few inches apart. ¡°We¡¯re getting off topic.¡± ¡°Um,¡± Reba swallowed and he could feel her warm breath. ¡°We are?¡± ¡°I want you in my life. And uh, my bed. But I don¡¯t know what you want.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Reba kind of bit her lip, and by God she looked cute when she was torn. ¡°What about Haley?¡± Well there it was, he thought, no more avoiding it. He knew what his decision was already, he supposed, but it crystallized in that moment. ¡°She¡¯s part of the package,¡± he said. ¡°If you want me, shees along.¡± Reba winced slightly but didn¡¯t turn away. ¡°So, um, how does that work? Do we¡­share you?¡± Mason would have been lying if just hearing that out loud didn¡¯t turn him on. ¡°I have no idea. I really don¡¯t. All I know is that she has nothing to do with how I feel about you. And if you¡¯re with me, you¡¯re with me, understand? I¡¯m not going to let you feel unwanted, not for a second.¡± ¡°OK,¡± she said, going slightly pink again. ¡°OK what?¡± Mason prompted, his lips hovering over hers. ¡°OK you¡¯re doing something to my brain, because I really want to just say yes.¡± ¡°Then say it.¡± ¡°I just need¡­a little more time. Is that OK? Can I decide¡­after we get back to Nassau?¡± Mason practically groaned in agony at the thought, but forced his dick to obey his brain. ¡°Of course. I told you, I¡¯ll wait. You¡¯re worth it.¡± She smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips, and he practically sunk into her arms as he deepened it and slid his tongue to hers. When they finally parted she was panting. ¡°You make it very hard,¡± she said between breaths with closed eyes. ¡°Right back at you,¡± Mason grinned, and Reba opened her eyes enough to give him a tilted re. ¡°Do you, um, think they¡¯re¡­finished over there?¡± she giggled, and Mason answered with fake concern. ¡°I dunno. But we¡¯d best be sure. Kill a little more time.¡± He kissed her again, soon sliding his hands up and down her sides, wrapping them around to grip her ass as he explored her mouth. The desire to rip off her clothes right there was an almost animal urge, but instead he lifted her up and held her against the tree as they made out. She made a sound like ¡®oh¡¯ as she wrapped her long legs around him, and he just held her there easily, kissing with slow, intimate precision. When he finally let her down, she was licking her lips, her lids lowered with lust. ¡°OK,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll be good. We can head back.¡± The look she gave him was definitely not gratitude, and he grinned in the darkness as he led her back to camp. ke and Seul-ki were already cuddled by the fire. ke in particr seemed content and sleepy, and was petting Streak like they were old friends. ¡°We took the liberty of setting out your settlement-ordered sleeping bag,¡± he said, gesturing fairly distant from the fire. ¡°Bag?¡± Reba said with clear concern. ¡°As in one?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± ke pretended to be confused. ¡°It gets rather cold at night here, as you can tell, and the sleeping bags aren¡¯t that great. You¡¯ll need the shared body heat.¡± He shrugged, as if the whole thing had just urred to him. Which it certainly had not. ¡°If it¡¯s a problem, I suppose you and Seul-ki could share. Though I¡¯m definitely not suggesting it.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s OK,¡± Reba flushed and curled more hair behind her ear. ¡°I¡¯ll just change,¡± she said to Mason, then went hunting for clothes in her pack. Mason stripped down to his boxers as usual, fighting the urge to go kiss his beautiful brother. ¡°We leave at first light,¡± he called as he found afortable spot on the ground. ¡°Yes sir. Good night sir,¡± ke called back. Becky finally came to the sleeping bag in a ssy looking blue silk pajama shift. She looked so shy and adorable and sexy and fuckable all at the same time, Mason didn¡¯t know what to do with himself. She dropped down to her knees and crawled to the open p of the bag, sending Mason¡¯s heart beating faster already. Then she tucked herself in beside him in the confined space, andy down.
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Chapter 64: Worth being tired (NSFW) Chapter 64: Worth being tired (NSFW) Theyy awkwardly a few, long moments, then Mason decided he¡¯d had enough and put his arms around her. Reba slowly sunk into him, and the silky material did nothing to stop the feel of her soft, smooth body against his. ¡°You OK?¡± he said. ¡°If you¡¯re cold, we can move closer to the fire. Though it won¡¯tst long and we shouldn¡¯t keep it going.¡± More of her hesitation seemed to fade as she put her head against his chest. ¡°I¡¯m OK. Just¡­worried I can¡¯t handle this.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Being close to you,¡± she almost whispered. ¡°All night like this. I¡¯m not sure I can sleep.¡± Mason fought the heat shooting straight down to his crotch. Reba¡¯s legs were draped over his knee, and he pushed it up slightly to press between them. She moaned slightly and he pushed and pulled her up until her lips were close enough to kiss. She looked up at him and bit her lip, then he crossed the distance and melted into her warm, wet mouth. When he found the will to pull away, he whispered back. ¡°I know exactly what you mean.¡± They kept making out and wiggling their bodies against each other, and Mason nearly forgot where he was or why. ¡°I¡¯m still d you¡¯re here,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s worth being tired tomorrow. Well, more tired.¡± She smiled and kept grinding his knee between her legs. ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re just risking our lives. No big deal.¡± He held her chin with a hand and met her eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t let anything happen to you. I promise.¡± She groaned and flicked her tongue against his lips, then greedily swallowed his and sucked. Mason had been rock hard several kisses ago, but as Reba turned against him his erection now pressed fully against her stomach. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± he said with a grin, not at all sorry. ¡°No you¡¯re not,¡± Reba pressed into it and kept kissing him, her nipples now pressing hard through her shift. ¡°Mason?¡± she stopped and met his eyes in the moonlight. ¡°Truth is, I think I¡¯ve already decided.¡± ¡°About what?¡± his heart pounded but he didn¡¯t allow himself to hope. ¡°Being with you,¡± she confirmed. ¡°And whateveres with it. That¡¯s what I want.¡± ¡°I thought you were waiting until Nassau,¡± he said, wiggling his knee between her legs. ¡°I¡­can¡¯t,¡± she moaned. ¡°I don¡¯t want to. Will you show me how it¡¯ll be?¡± Her eyes were filled with lust, and Mason felt vaguely lightheaded himself. He reached under her shift and yanked down her panties, practically growling at the feel of her bare, moist pussy grinding against his leg. It was her first time, and he knew he should go nice and slow, but she was so damn horny he could hardly hold himself back. He pulled his knee away and reced it with his hand, groaning when he felt how wet she was. He cupped her sex and slowly explored, touching every part of her before focusing on her clit. She wiggled and pushed against his hand, and he loved how responsive she was, how eager. He rolled up to his knees on top of her, trapping her legs between his as he kept rubbing her clit and pulling her shift up with his other hand. She raised her arms, and he pulled it all the way off, then she was naked and squirming beneath him. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful,¡± he said, running his hand down her face and neck, massaging her breasts before working her sensitive nipples. He slid a finger inside her, and the way she mped down on it made his desire to fuck her almost unbearable. ¡°I want you inside me,¡± she practically begged, and Mason smiled as he shifted enough to get his boxers down. He slid his balls up her body, squeezing his shaft slightly between her small tits, then up toy it across her lips. She licked and sucked and he raised himself enough to dip the tip into her lips, slowly fucking her mouth from above. He grinned as she reached up and grabbed his ass, using it to help gulp more of him in. She was so incredibly turned on he could hardly believe it, but he wasn¡¯t going to question it either. Finally he shifted back down and spread her legs, setting his tip against her opening. ¡°Please,¡± she moaned, wrapping her legs around him as she squirmed. ¡°Put it in. I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡± Her total submission gave him more will, and he kissed her as he slid his tip over her opening and between her pussy lips, wiggling it and teasing her even more. ¡°Oh God.¡± She was wing at his back and he could feel the heating off her as she clenched. He realized in disbelief she was close to orgasm, so he kept moving and teasing until she buried her mouth against his shoulder to muffle her cry. Her body shook and twitched, and he couldn¡¯t think of a better moment, so he lined up and buried half his cock inside her. She squealed and gripped him like she was falling off a cliff, and he worked himself deeper in slow, easy strokes. Then he was balls deep and raw in her virgin pussy as it clenched around him, the beautiful brte¡¯s legs trembling as they held on. He fucked her slow and steady, loving the hard ground beneath them and the way it held her firm as he pumped. His senses filled with nothing but her¡ªthe smell and taste and feel, the softness and wetness as she took whatever he gave. In that moment he felt he could ask for anything, take anything, and she¡¯d eagerly obey. She was his, all his. ¡°I want to feel you cum,¡± she whispered in his ear. ¡°Inside. Like you came in my mouth.¡± The words practically made it a reality. Somewhere far away Mason¡¯s mind warned of pregnancy and how young and innocent she was. ¡°Maybe not yet,¡± he managed, hardly believing he had the strength. Reba made a little whining sound but nodded obediently. ¡°Wherever you want,¡± she said instead. ¡°I just want to please you.¡± Sweet God could the girl get more perfect? Mason wanted to change positions and spend the whole night fucking Reba, that¡¯s what he wanted. But he could feel her close to orgasm again already¡ªher pussy getting almost weak around him as she wore down and melted in sexual exhaustion. She would need practice, to be trained to take him all night. He sped up and fucked her into the ground until she was gripping his hair and crying out again. His balls twitched as he fought release, pumping through her twitching, moaning orgasm before forcing himself to pull out. He was barely in time. The first shot hit her pussy lips, then hey his cock on her stomach and sprayed stream after stream across her body, hitting her breasts and even her chin. Then he slid up and put his cock against her lips. ¡°Suck everyst drop,¡± he said, and she opened her mouth and closed her eyes as she obeyed, licking and sucking him as he shivered in the afterglow. When he was finally empty, he took a moment to admire the young beauty covered in his cum, then used her shift to wipe her off andy back down, pulling her into his arms from behind. Her ass pressed against him felt amazing, her warm body nestled perfectly against his chest as he reached around to cup her breasts. ¡°Thank you, Mason,¡± she whispered, turning her head so he could kiss her. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± he said, grinning, then rested his face and lips against her neck. Between the mind blowing orgasm, and two nights of toil without nearly enough sleep, he was out in moments.
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Chapter 65: …continued…(NSFW) Chapter 65: ¡­continued¡­(NSFW) Mason woke with the dawn. Streak was already awake and watching the trees, Becky asleep andfortable in his arms. It had been a warm enough night, and between the good sleeping bags and sharing body heat, they¡¯d been able to sleep without trouble. But if he was honest, he¡¯d felt like he wasted it by sleeping, and sighed at the incredibly sexy girl in his arms. He also realized Reba was moving slightly, her ass rubbing against him, his morning erection in full swing. Her eyes flickered, a small grin turning her lips, and Mason wasn¡¯t sure if she was teasing him or just dreaming about sex. He decided he didn¡¯t care. He cupped her breasts and started fingering her clit in the morning light, moving his cock between her legs. She moaned slightly, then he was pushing inside her warm, very wet sex. She tensed and gripped his legs, taking several thrusts before she started pushing back against him. Her breathing increased, her face turning up so he could im her lips. ¡°Up and at ¡®em, you two,¡± ke called happily as he plopped some firewood under a pot. ¡°I want some breakfast. And then we¡¯ll head to our destiny, plenty of time today to explore.¡± The only thing Mason currently wanted to explore was how deep he could get inside Reba. Also he couldn¡¯t actually see his brother from behind her hair, but he had no intention of stopping. He just kept moving his hips and sliding his cock inside her as he massaged her breasts under the protection of the bedroll. ¡°A few more minutes,¡± he managed with a tone that would have fooled most people. ¡°Really? More?¡± ke, of course, knew instantly. He dropped his firewood and turned back towards the trees. ¡°We¡¯re on a damn mission here,¡± he muttered. ¡°And you¡¯re really making us look bad. Seul-ki, we need more firewood!¡± ¡°What?¡± she called back. ¡°That should have been plenty. What are you cooking?¡± Mason grinned and watched in pleasure as the blush worked its way up Becky¡¯s body. ¡°They know I¡¯m fucking you right now,¡± he whispered in her ear to make it worse. She squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip, almost trying to shrink under the bedroll to hide. It only made Mason harder. ¡°It¡¯s OK,¡± he said, ¡°we¡¯ll make it a quickie. Stick that amazing ass out and I¡¯ll cover it with cum.¡± ke was right, after all, they had things to do. She stuck out her ass just as he¡¯d told her, and he worked her hard and fast, needing nothing else but the feel of her hot, wet sex, and the sight of her taking the full length of him despite her embarrassment. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can cum knowing they¡¯re listening,¡± Becky whined, and Mason almost snorted. He wrapped a hand underneath and yed with her clit while he drove inside, and soon enough she was moaning and trying to muffle her cries as his fingers soaked with her juices. His orgasm followed, and he pulled out with rather heroic effort, sting all over her ass and back before sliding his cock between her cheeks. Her ass was so soft andfortable he really didn¡¯t want to move, but he sighed and found the already stained silk shift to give her another good wipe. Becky finally opened her eyes and turned her face to look at him. ¡°I was loud, wasn¡¯t I?¡± Mason just chuckled in response. ¡°Oh God I¡¯m so embarrassed.¡± Becky groaned. ¡°I can¡¯t go out there.¡± Masonughed and pulled back the bedroll as he stood, giving her bare ass a good, hard p before she scrambled to cover herself. ¡°They know we¡¯re together. And he¡¯s my brother. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not going to say anything?¡± Mason smiled politely. ¡°ke is like a shark. If he sees we¡¯re ufortable he¡¯s probably going to pick at us like scabs. But it¡¯ll be tasteful.¡± Becky buried her face in the bedroll until Mason grabbed her hands and pulled her up naked. He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her and sighing as he ran his hands up and down her curves. ¡°Stop worrying. And get dressed quickly, or they¡¯re going to see you naked and dripping.¡± ¡°Oh. My. God.¡± Becky scrambled to dress as Mason put on some boxers and stretched. She at least was mostly ready when ke and Seul-ki returned and pretended like nothing happened. They all ate breakfast, packed up their camp, and hiked thest few miles to the great tree in afortable silence. It urred to Mason as they approached the clearing that different dungeons might rmend or even demand different numbers of yers. This particr dungeon might be for one man, or it might be for twenty, and since it wasn¡¯t the tutorial anymore it might not even tellhim exactly. What had the first one actually said? He couldn¡¯t even remember. ¡°Uh, Mason. I don¡¯t see any giant trees.¡± ke squinted as he looked at the clearing. ¡°Right.¡± Mason forgot he hadn¡¯t exined. ¡°So there¡¯s¡­intelligent creatures living inside it, protecting it with magic. Unless you¡¯ve got nature affinity, I think, you¡¯re not really wee. And actually it seems you need to be a druid specifically to really get their attention.¡± ke just stared, waiting for the solution. ¡°I guess I should go talk to them,¡± Mason sighed. ¡°You can go into the clearing, if you like. It¡¯s probably the safest solution. But if you do you¡¯ll be trapped in thick mist and probably unable to even find each other until the creatures decide otherwise. So I¡¯ll leave it up to you.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll stay out here.¡± ke said, then set himself down on a log. ¡°You¡¯re sure these creatures will let us in? Have you got anything they want?¡± Mason cleared his throat as he recalled exactlywhat he had¡ªwhich involved an afternoon of banging two hot nymphs at the same time. ¡°Yeah. Anyway, they want the tree cleared, so it shouldn¡¯t take any convincing.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ke yawned and looked prepared for a nap. ¡°Tally ho, and all that. Come and get us when you¡¯re finished.¡± Mason told Streak to stay, gave Becky a slightly guilty peck on the lips, and finally a nod to Seul-ki. Then he moved into the clearing. Chapter 66: The druid returns Chapter 66: The druid returns ¡°The druid has returned, sister!¡± the friendlier and bubblier nymph, Thea, whispered instantly on the wind. ¡°You are wee here, druid,¡± said Calypsa, the warrior sister. ¡°Come to us. Tell us of your travels.¡± ¡°Oh druid,¡± said Thea. ¡°We have such wonderful things to show you! Come,e, the tree is waiting!¡± Mason felt his Apex Predator aligning him perfectly to the magical mists. The huge tree stretched before him and above the canopy, the base as wide as a skyscraper. He reminded himself he had a dream girl waiting just behind, and another one waiting back in town¡ªthat he was here to clear a dungeon and hopefully gain his brother and the girls some actual fighting experience and some power to face the challenges ahead. But even so, the image of the nymphs naked and riding him together came uncalled, and sent a spasm straight to his dick. He touched the tree and felt the same, now familiar power shiver through his hand like electricity. The two areas of the tree opened up. [Nymph alcove.] [Great Tree Corruption] He chose the nymphs, and felt his mind almost sucked physically towards the tree until his vision blurred and ckened. He opened his eyes in the same, warm, humid cave he¡¯d found those weeks ago. ¡°Mason!¡± Thea emerged wet and dripping from her pond, pulling her long, golden hair behind her head. She wore a different robe of leaves than thest time, this one somehow more formal, more vibrant in color, and covering her from neck to knees. Though it was skin tight and showed her every curve. She held up her dress and raced across the space between them like an excited little girl, throwing her arms around Mason and putting her lips to his in a passionate kiss. He fought for a moment, he really did. But she smelled like fresh baked bread and tasted like red wine, and her lips were soft and wet and delicious.. ¡°Sister!¡± Calypsa chastised as she stepped from the gloom with a spear and not much else. Her thinner, lither frame was almost entirely exposed, small pert breasts revealed entirely, with only a thin silk wrap around her womanhood. ¡°We have things to discuss with the druid. Stop infecting him with your magic.¡± Thea released Mason and pouted as she stepped away, and the intoxicating smell vanished from Mason¡¯s senses. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, druid,¡± she mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m just so excited to see you.¡± He smiled, liking the women, or possibly creatures, very much. They seemed almost innocent in some ways, if terribly dangerous in others. And of course they were extremely fuckable. He looked around the cave and noticed many new nts, most like hanging vines that grew up the walls. ¡°I hadn¡¯t noticed those before,¡± he gestured to some colorful flowers hanging from the vines. ¡°Are they new?¡± ¡°Oh yes,¡± Thea pped her hands and smiled as she walked towards them. ¡°This is just one of the creatures we gave life with your seed,¡± she smiled. ¡°There are many others.¡± Mason blinked, and met the girl¡¯s practically glowing green eyes. ¡°Wait, what? You¡¯re telling me¡­I¡­mean, it was my magic that helped¡­¡± ¡°These are our offspring.¡± The nymph nodded, as if it were obvious. ¡°I birthed them in the pool a few days ago. Come,¡± she gestured for him. ¡°Come and meet your children.¡± Mason walked forward, somewhat dazed. The notion that he had fathered nts was altogether too strange to ept, and yet he could see no reason for the strange women to lie. She took his hand and lifted it to the vines, which began to move at his touch and wrap slowly around his fingers. ¡°They¡¯re very small and weak for now,¡± said Thea. ¡°But they will grow to great trees and thorny defenders with care and nourishment. They will help protect us, protect our grove, and perhaps the forest, like their mighty sire.¡± The nymph beamed, and Mason had no idea what to say. Thea was so pleased and happy he found he couldn¡¯t feel any different. ¡°I¡¯m d. But you certainly don¡¯t look like you¡¯ve given birth.¡± Her body looked wless, no different than before. Sheughed and pped at his arm like he was being silly. ¡°I am a daughter of Gaia, druid. I am more than just this flesh and bone. I am the pool, the mist, the tree itself. We are not like your human women.¡± ¡°No,¡± Mason agreed, ¡°no you are not.¡± ¡°Have youe to cleanse the holy tree?¡± said Calypsa, and Mason nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve brought friends. Four of us in total. We¡¯re ready as soon as you let them through the mists.¡± Thea looked confused and nced at her sister. ¡°Of course, druid, if you wish. But you do not need our help to escort them. You need only touch them as they travel the grove, and they will see what you see.¡± Mason cleared his throat, feeling a little foolish but d for their knowledge. ¡°Can you tell me anything useful to help us through the corrupted tree? Or help us with magic?¡± ¡°We shall do better than that, druid,¡± Calypsa walked towards the pool with swaying hips. ¡°I will go with you.¡± She stepped into the waters, and colored mist rose as she did. When she stepped out again her body was wrapped in green and brown tes of bark and scale. She twirled her spear and examined its edge before walking towards Mason, a fierce smile on her lips. ¡°If you will have me.¡± * * * ke yawned in boredom, tapping his fingers on a rock as he looked through his yer profile. Nothing much had changed, but he was excited to show Mason what he could do in the dungeon. And Seul-ki. And also survive the experience. And get back to Nassau in one piece. But for the moment he was forced to sit in this insect-ridden, ufortable forest, without any books or minds to bend or tasks toplete. He ran through the profile, then started multiplying and dividing in his head. After the approximately five minutes that entertained him he leaned forward for a new target for his attention. ¡°So,¡± he said in Reba¡¯s direction. ¡°You and my brother seem to be moving pretty quickly.¡± The girl practically turned into a tomato, and ke let out a disappointing breath as she stammered through a response. He loved to tease people, pretty much endlessly, but when someone was legitimately embarrassed and dull witted it began to feel like cruelty. He changed the subject. ¡°They tell me your fellow yer is up and around and doing well. Phuong, was it? I haven¡¯t had the pleasure of speaking to him yet.¡± The girl smiled gratefully at the topic change, and went on at considerable length about the old man¡¯s wisdom and kindness and prowess in battle. ke made a mental note to start befriending the man and working him into his inner circle. He had very few actual warriors, and between the man¡¯s age and his connection with the new batch of civilians, it seemed important to make him an ally. As for ensuring the loyalty of Reba herself, well, Mason¡¯s genitalia seemed to be doing that just fine. ¡°And the tutorial you came from,¡± ke eventually interrupted. ¡°Were there many other yers who survived? Any notables we should try and recruit, or, you know, Masonify?¡± ¡°Masonify?¡± The girl frowned then sort of nched when she understood why her lover¡¯s name might be a verb. ¡°No. I mean no one to¡­kill.¡± She jumped from white to red hriously fast. ¡°But yes, there were quite a few others. I didn¡¯t know most of them. We spent almost all our time trying to survive the monster attacks.¡± ¡°Tell me about them,¡± ke prompted, idly ying with a bit of Seul-ki¡¯s hair at his side. The girl did her best, but when he realized she was re-living past horrors he interrupted again. ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors there¡¯s another town further along our river to the South. You hear anything like that?¡± The girl¡¯s horrific memories seemed to clear as she shook her head. ¡°We ran as soon as we could. We¡¯d have been lostpletely in the woods without Phuong, but he helped us find the river, and then that boat, and the rest you basically know.¡± He certainly did. He¡¯d been doing his best to read the mind of every yer and civilian who entered Nassau, and knew pretty much everything anyone else did. But still, it was interesting to see what they said versus what their minds revealed. ke was beginning to learn his mental powers were extremely urate. When it seemed ke might be forced to try another conversation, Mason finally emerged from the trees¡ªand looking far more refreshed than he should have considering his night of coital pleasures. ¡°The prodigal son returns.¡± ke stood up and pped his hands. ¡°Are we ready? Are we¡­¡± His words caught in his throat as a spear-armed, brown skinned beauty stepped out of the trees at Mason¡¯s side. She wore some kind of bark-like armor over a thin, athletic frame, and her face belonged in some European fashion magazine. ¡°Well hello,¡± he said, with a wide smile,ing forward to take her hand. ¡°This is Calypsa,¡± said Mason. ¡°She¡¯s one of the beings who lives in the great tree. And she¡¯ll be helping to guide us through the dungeon.¡± As ke reached for her hand, she looked at him with such dismissal and promise of violence, he turned and coughed into his palm. ¡°I¡¯m ke,¡± he said instead. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± She ignored himpletely¡ªuntil Mason gave her a look. ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± she said in a voice as cold as winter. Then her nostrils red, and her expression warped to something approaching pleasure as she walked straight through the circle of ground between them all, straight up to Reba. She leaned in to the country girl, who pulled slightly away in confusion. The strange neer literally sniffed her. ¡°Mmm,¡± she almost purred. ¡°I can smell the druid¡¯s seed on you. You should join us when this is finished. We will help you receive him properly, fully. We will¡­¡± ¡°Calypsa.¡± Mason¡¯s voice snapped like a whip and the beautiful young woman flinched at the sound. ¡°Apologies, druid. I am yours tomand.¡± Reba had turned some shade of purple, and if ke were a better man he¡¯d have withheld theugh that followed. But he wasn¡¯t. So he didn¡¯t. Mason red at him, and ke cleared his throat to recover. ¡°Well, then,¡± he put an arm behind Seul-ki¡¯s back. ¡°If we¡¯re all done introducing ourselves. I have a dungeon to clear, and a town to run. Shall we get started?¡±
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Chapter 67: The power of geekery Chapter 67: The power of geekery Mason didn¡¯t have time to worry about how Reba was handling Calypsa. ¡®She¡¯s sort of like a sex robot, and she needs my semen for fuel¡¯ didn¡¯t really seem like the best defense. He figured he¡¯d just move on and exin thingster. So he took Reba¡¯s hand before she had a chance to think about it, then told ke and Seul-ki to form a chain with them. When they were all properly linked, he walked them slowly into the clearing and the mist, and they collectively gasped as they saw the tree. ¡°It just appeared out of nowhere,¡± said ke. ¡°How the hell do you hide something like that? No really, I want to learn the spell.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s some kind of holy tree magic not for mere mortals like you,¡± Mason told him. ¡°Not yet,¡± ke corrected. Mason stopped at the tree and met Calypsa¡¯s eyes. ¡°Anything we need to know before we go in?¡± She shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll see. Before the corruption set in, at least two guards would be near the entrance. Perhaps they still are.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Mason turned to the others. ¡°Touch the tree. Agree to enter the dungeon. As soon as you¡¯ve touched it, I¡¯ll go in first. Ready?¡± They all nodded, and Mason was d to see Becky had gotten over Calypsa enough to get her game face on. They all touched the tree and looked to Mason. [Enter Great Tree Corruption as a group?] [Objectives: Cleanse the Great Tree.] Streak whined at his side, and somehow he realized the animal couldn¡¯t go along. ¡°Shit. Sorry buddy.¡± He activated Speak with Nature. Go back to the town, and wait for me there. I¡¯ll see you soon. The wolf grumbled and yipped a few times in protest, then turned and vanished into the woods. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine,¡± Mason said, mostly to himself. Then he turned back to the tree and touched the bark again, the same prompt opening before his eyes. This time he agreed, and as usual his senses seemed to move away from his body, all fading to nothingness then re-appearing in another ce. A foul smell pervaded the air and turned Mason¡¯s nose. Green light pulsed all around him, showing a huge cavern above but with a series of maze-like barriers leading to several different paths. A man with the body of a horse, and another man with the head of a bull, stood as if guarding it. ¡°A centaur and a minotaur? That¡¯s too cool,¡± ke muttered. ¡°It¡¯s like we¡¯re in Greek myth.¡± The creatures were about fifty feet away, and though they seemed to notice the party they didn¡¯t move to interfere with them. ¡°You have some kind of identify power?¡± Mason asked. ¡°Or was that just the power of geekery?¡± ¡°The Greek ssics are hardly ''geekery¡¯.¡± ke rolled his eyes. ¡°In fact you might say they are the obvious sign of an educated person. I¡¯ve literally narrated the story of that minotaur to you at least a few times that I can remember, starting with when I forced you to y Age of Emp¡­¡± ¡°Shut up. Calypsa, any reason I can¡¯t just put these fellows in the ground with a few arrows?¡± The beautiful nymph sighed, and looked saddened. ¡°They are corrupted beyond my reach. Do as you must.¡± Mason drew his bow, deciding the horseman should die first. He tossed a deadly trap several feet ahead in a clump of mushrooms growing through the roots. ¡°Be ready to do whatever it is you people do,¡± he said to the others. Then with his upgraded Endless Quiver he picked a brutal broadhead, aimed, and loosed his first shot. * * * ke was getting a little tired of his brother¡¯s dismissals, and decided it was time for a disy of power. Since they were alone now with trusted allies, and since ke hadn¡¯t ounted for himself terribly well with the taking of Nassau in Mason¡¯s eyes¡ªand since the sexy nymph was watching¡ªa little boost in respect was warranted. He nced at Seul-ki, who immediately put out her hand for him to grasp. Power surged up her arm like electricity, and he felt a cold calm wash over his mind. A list of his powers appeared in the corner of his vision, Arcane st glowing slightly as Seul-ki enhanced it. Mason was shooting arrows at the centaur, and both creatures roared to life and charged towards him with murderous intent. His arrows stuck into the centaur but didn¡¯t yet bring it down, and the minotaur came entirely unharmed. ke began channeling his spell. Unlike Telekinesis, Arcane st wasn¡¯t quickly charged, and would likely never be useful in some kind of intense fight where every second counted¡ªor where an opponent could stop him from finishing. But then ke never really was much for ¡®fighting¡¯. Killing, certainly. But fighting? He preferred his enemy to have no chance of hitting him back. Energy coursed around his body, building like a wave as unnamed pressure increased. Whatever it was, it felt good, and ke almost groaned with the power. The centaur had fallen now a few steps from Mason, the minotauring on as Becky prepared some kind of defense and Mason drew his sword. They needn¡¯t have bothered. The arcane pressure reached its peak and released. A torrent of energy whipped like ash from ke¡¯s eyes, for a moment slicing wherever he focused, which for now was across the space just above Mason and Reba¡¯s heads. It shed across the Minotaur¡¯s chest with a sizzling crack, followed by a red and purple line forming perfectly along his flesh. The beast stumbled, and fell. His upper torso bounced and carried forward a few steps with his momentum, his lower body and legs dropping where they stood. [Great Tree Minotaur killed. Experience awarded.] Mason dropped and inspected the creature for several long seconds before he finally turned around to stare at ke. Becky and Calypsa did the same. ¡°I told you I had an offensive spell.¡± ke shrugged. ¡°Ready to move? I say we go left. That¡¯s the trick with mazes¡ªjust stick to the same direction.¡± He walked on with Seul-ki behind him, and soon enough Mason and the other girls started moving and took their ces. ¡°You know your way through?¡± Mason asked Calypsa behind him. ¡°There was no maze thest time I saw this ce,¡± she said in her always slightly aloof tone. ¡°It¡¯s familiar in most ways, yet totally different, as if something redesigned everything, and shuffled it around.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t wait to find that something,¡± Mason muttered. ke, though, was sure they could ovee it, and no doubt benefit from the opportunities thereafter. They always did. So he walked on and stuck with his n, following the high, narrow passages of stone along the left wall, which were covered in thick brambles to prevent one from simply climbing up and over. ke suspected it was still possible with enough skill and effort, but he decided he¡¯d really rather not make the attempt. Mason and Reba took the lead again, and ke was happy to let them. He smiled and took Seul-ki¡¯s hand, and she returned it. She was wearing her full mask, as usual¡ªa magical deception to make her appear far iner than the beautiful Korean actually was. Only her brilliant green eyes remained as usual. He¡¯d been trying to convince her not to wear the disguise anymore, but she insisted. ¡°Like you, I prefer deception,¡± she exined, ¡°even amongst my friends. You never know when confusion and doubt might protect you.¡± How very wise she was, he¡¯d decided, respecting her choice even if he sometimes tried to change it. Of course he continued to flood her mind from time to time with positive feelings towards him specifically, ensuring she always considered him an exception to every rule. The group walked along without much issue, their senses tuned to any little sound or change in the maze. Mason stopped them twice as he checked floor tiles,ing back with little dart traps identified that triggered depending where you stepped. A little whileter, some of the vines on the walls shuddered and came alive, leaping at the party like flying rope. Mason and Calypsa cut them down or otherwise used some kind of natural magic to pacify them, and the party yet again moved through the maze. Next they found statues sitting on an old water fountain no longer in use. When Mason got close, the stone sprung to life and tried to smash him with slow, heavy swings. ke used Telekinesis to help break them apart, and Mason smashed what was left using their own broken bits of stone. After that, it was just a long, mind-numbing slog. And ke got rather bored. ¡°So tell me, Calypsa,¡± he said when he¡¯d tired of counting tiles, ¡°how long have you lived in this magnificent tree? Do you have any family?¡± She looked at him like one might examine a bug on one¡¯s shoe. ¡°All living things are my family, because we are all Gaia¡¯s children. I have existed since the beginning of the world.¡± ke put on his winningest smile. Details were useful for Mental Influence, but this sort of nonsense wasn¡¯t exactly helpful. He tried another tack. With a conservative, perfectly reasonable use of mana, he released a targeted burst of curiosity into the nymph¡¯s mind, specifically about him, and waited for her to engage more appropriately. She turned and narrowed her eyes in his direction. ¡°Are you always so annoying?¡± Mason snorted up ahead, and ke cleared his throat. It was fair to say she hadn¡¯t yet warmed to his charms. But it was only a matter of time. It always was. ¡°Creatures up ahead.¡± Mason held up a hand and crouched as it seemed the maze atst came to an end. ¡°Some kind of gathering. A pool, maybe eight or nine creatures I can see. Calypsa?¡± ke couldn¡¯t see a damn thing in the gloom, and had no idea how Mason could. The beautiful nymph seemed equally capable, and stepped up beside Mason with squinted eyes that ke could swear he saw wetness in. ¡°A sacred pool,¡± she said quietly. ¡°The waters should be clear and green, not red. Those creatures are Sisters of Chiros¡ªprotectors and keepers of the pools. But they are¡­deformed, in body and spirit, and cannot be saved. They must be destroyed.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Mason turned. ¡°How many can you kill with your st, ke?¡± ¡°Probably a few,¡± ke shrugged. ¡°If they stay close together.¡± Mason nodded, and ke could see a hunger in his eyes¡ªa love of mortal danger and the hunt. It made ke smile. In their old lives his brother had always been subdued, as if he was waiting for something that never came, only half alive. But since this new world had changed everything and destroyed the old rtive tranquility of civilization, Mason had woken up for the first time. This was where his brother belonged. ¡°I¡¯ll trap the passage,¡± he said, lifting his bow, ¡°then Becky and I will guard the ramp that leads to us. Calypsa, can you stay with them and protect them if something goes wrong?¡± The lithe woman frowned, but nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± Mason¡¯s voice changed to something¡­colder. ¡°We kill them all.¡±
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Chapter 68: Give me a minute Chapter 68: Give me a minute Mason and the others cautiously approached the pool. With so many enemies, he was worried that the chaos would be too much and he couldn''t protect the others¡ªespecially Reba. But he knew he had to learn to trust her. She was tougher than she seemed, and ultimately, he needed her help. He dropped abination of deadly and snare traps in front of ke and Seul-ki, then moved closer to his foe. The cavern expanded beyond the end of the maze, and there was a slight drop leading down towards the ramp that led to the pool they had very little cover. Mason and the others ducked down to watch, Mason waiting until he was sure that ke could see the creatures. ¡°Are you in range?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah. I think. Ready whenever.¡± Mason nced at the others. ¡°Everyone ready?¡± They all nodded their heads, and ke¡¯s eyes zed as he focused. He reached back and took Seul-ki¡¯s hand as a strange energy shimmered in the air above him. Mason drew back his bow. The air around ke grew thicker, more oppressive, than faded all at once. A sizzling purple line shed across the nearest Sisters, searing flesh and bone like a scalpel. Two dropped, sliced almost in half, a third screamed as her arm slopped to the wooden floor. Mason led with a Power Shot, sting another Sister from her feet then continued loosing at the others at top speed. The corrupted creatures shrieked and turned towards the party, red light oozing from enraged eyes as they opened distended jaws and howled. They were mostly humanoid, a bit like Calypsa herself save for their bodies seemedposed entirely of the barkskin armor with no flesh underneath. With the glowing eyes and zombie-like mouths, they were suddenly rather more horrific looking than he¡¯d expected. But he just kept on shooting. Two of the creatures in the rear had their own bows and drew them, loosing arrows right back at Mason. Both struck a translucent purple shield and dropped to the ground. ¡°I could do that all day,¡± Reba grinned, ¡°keep taking them down.¡± Mason was getting far too used to that shield. But he didn¡¯t waste his chance, loosing a Crippling Strike at the nearest Sister then following with a string of basic arrows. The creatures were nearly on them now. But not with enough numbers to be a problem. Then Mason heard a growl to his side. He nearly grabbed Reba and leapt aside before he saw Calypsa step ahead with spear raised. A ck and red ball of fur and ws flew from what looked like a hole opened in the wall, and Calypsa skewered it on her spear. The ball unraveled and screeched, resembling something like the offspring of a panther and an armadillo¡ªalbeit with a spear sticking through its chest. ¡°I¡¯m fine, druid. Focus on the Sisters.¡± Mason nodded, dropped his bow, and moved forward with his sword and w. The remaining Sisters had arrived, their fingers extended with ws, their mouths vering and fanged. Mason activated Predator¡¯s Strike and took the head of the first to reach him. ¡°There¡¯s somethinging out of the pool!¡± ke hissed, clearly concentrating on some kind of spell. Mason didn¡¯t have much time to worry about it. He dodged and side stepped two more arrow-peppered Sisters, shing at their arms and faces as they chased him back down the ramp. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± he taunted, ¡°stay on me. Come on down for a little dance with Mason.¡± The three remaining Sisters hissed and charged. He cut a hand from the first and backstepped down the ramp to avoid two vicious bites. He heard ke¡¯s shout. ¡°Watch your back!¡± He turned and leapt sideways just as another panth-adillo roared right past him. ¡°Calypsa, iing!¡± He could hear more activity down towards the pool, and knew it was time to get more aggressive. The remaining Sisters attacked but this time he didn¡¯t try to withdraw. He jammed his Ranger¡¯s w straight into the open mouth of the first, then twisted and opened the throat of the second with his shorter de. It fell into him, still biting and wing, and he pushed it off with his elbow before kicking it back. Predator¡¯s Strike re-charged, and he spun with a single movement to damn near cut thest Sister in half. Calypsa and Reba were holding off and dealing with the beasts, so Mason turned back to the pool. At least six, no, seven sisters were climbing out of the water¡­ ¡°Shit.¡± He heard at least one more beast behind him but he had to trust the others. They could handle it. He went for his bow, then dropped his traps ahead, and started shooting. Power Shot and Crippling Strike were back and he used both instantly. Some of his shots missed but he didn¡¯t care or slow down. The string thrummed again and again until the sound of it bounced off the walls and drowned out the shrieks and roars in Mason¡¯s mind. The Sisters hit his traps, sending small explosions of thorns into their ranks and bringing at least two down. But they were stilling. Mason heard Reba cry out and forced himself to stay on target. Then he nearly turned and attacked when he felt somethinge closer before smelling Seul-ki¡¯s perfume. Her hand touched his back. ¡°You have one minute. Use it wisely.¡± She was enhancing one of his powers, he realized, and was about to look to see which before he saw every power and every stat was lit up with purplish color. It felt like Seul-ki poured a pot of coffee down his throat, dumped him in an ice bath, then gave him a shot of cocaine. He dropped his bow, drew his swords, and ran towards the Sisters. The creatures blurred in Mason¡¯s mind and vision until they resembled gnolls. Suddenly he was back in his tutorial, alone and clueless and trapped with terrifying monsters in every direction. He roared and shed his w at the first flesh in range. He spun away from the charging bites and raking hands and chopped anything that moved. Predator¡¯s Strike cut through a creature¡¯s waist like butter and arced right past, a blue-tinged aura following the de¡¯s path. He kicked one of the Sister¡¯s straight to the chest and heard ribs crack as it shrieked and bounced down the ramp. Mason felt like a superhero, a God. The Sisters were slow-moving children attacking a lion, and he spun from target to target wing them apart. Then it was over, and he looked back to the others to find them safe and watching him, a handful of bloodied panthers prone at their feet. [You have defeated a dungeon encounter - Sisters of Chiros with Corrupted Panther ambush. You have gained group experience.] Seul-ki¡¯s power ended, and Mason sagged at the loss of strength and speed. His arm pulsed with waves of pain, and he nced to find his elbow bone sticking through bloody flesh. The blood loss was making him light headed, and he slumped down to the closest rock. The others wereing forward with concern in their eyes and Mason decided to cut them off. ¡°Calypsa, can you cleanse that pool?¡± She nodded, bncing her bloody spear on her shoulder as she walked to the edge of the foul waters. ¡°You¡¯re hurt.¡± Reba wiped a few strands of hair from a sweaty forehead, big brown eyes all concern as she looked at Mason¡¯s blood-dripping arm. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Seul-ki, that boost was amazing. You think you can give my regenerate a small, single boost? Might speed us up.¡± She nodded and wordlessly touched his arm, sending another spike of cold power down his spine before Regenerate went purple. ¡°God damn I could get used to that,¡± Mason muttered. ke smirked. ¡°Try not to, brother. One day we¡¯ll be charging per use.¡± ¡°Uh huh.¡± Mason closed his eyes as he literally felt the flesh on his arm knitting together. When he opened them he saw Reba staring at the wound with wide eyes. ¡°See?¡± he grinned. ¡°I always heal.¡± ¡°The waters are cleansed, druid.¡± Calypsa returned with eyes shining a little less than before, but otherwise no worse for wear. ¡°Good work.¡± Mason gave the room a cursory nce, noticing the blood and corpses scattered everywhere. ¡°That goes for everyone. That was no easy fight. I¡¯d say we make a damn fine team.¡± The others all beamed in their own ways. ke with a dramatic flourish, Reba with a brilliant smile, Seul-ki with polite tolerance. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll just give me a minute to stick my bones back in, we¡¯ll see what¡¯s down that ramp.¡±
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Chapter 69: Did it have to be snakes? Chapter 69: Did it have to be snakes? With histest enhancement and Seul-ki¡¯s regenerative supercharge, Mason was feeling much better in minutes. As Reba fussed over him and eventually helped him to stand, he rose up and stretched his limbs a little, deciding he was already healed enough. His nose crinkled at the smell in the cavern¡ªhis supersenses not always a blessing. The pool below might be ¡®cleansed¡¯ officially, but it sure as hell stunk unofficially. ¡°We ready to move?¡± he said, with a nce at his brother and Seul-ki. ¡°Are you?¡± ke answered, his eyes a little incredulous. ¡°I¡¯m fine. And these zombie things reek, so let¡¯s go.¡± ke shook his head and looked away from Mason¡¯s bloody arm and clothes. ¡°Alright, but I¡¯m not getting used to that.¡± Mason looked at himself and decided it did look fairly bad. After the many, many injuries he¡¯d taken since this new world began, he supposed he was getting somewhat desensitized. Mind you, most of the blood wasn¡¯t actually his. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised what you can get used to,¡± he said quietly, then gestured to the nymph. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Stay sharp.¡± She squinted. ¡°My spear doesn¡¯t require sharpening, druid, the tip is honed with natural magic and¡­¡± ¡°I mean pay attention.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± She rolled her eyes, as if to say ¡®I always pay attention.¡¯ They walked down the ramp, past the animal and Sister corpses and the many arrows Mason used to re-decorate. Fairly quickly the cavern opened up into side passages, and though the pool might have been cleansed, the surrounding corridors were not. Slime trails coated the floor down most of them¡ªlike something was dragged, or else crawled. ¡°Some sort of giant snake, or worm?¡± he raised a brow and looked at Calypsa. The nymph frowned. ¡°Anything is possible, druid. I cannot know.¡± Great, he thought, about to pick a random corridor before he stopped and turned to ke. ¡°Do the honors. They all smell equally bad.¡± ¡°That way.¡± ke gestured left. ¡°It¡¯s still a kind of maze, after all.¡± ¡°Left it is.¡± Mason held his bow loose in one hand, ready to summon his w with the other. The passage was almost perfectly round, which only cemented the idea it was made by some giant snake or worm. Mason wasn¡¯t excited to meet the creature big and strong enough to make it. With a shiver, he hoped it was just some kind of tunnel magic. They crept forward, Mason¡¯s senses tuned for any tiny sound or change around them. He practically summoned his sword and did a spinning chop when ke spoke in the silence. ¡°You see,dies, we¡¯re moving so slowly because like the great archaeological hero, Indiana Jones, our mighty Mason doesn¡¯t much like snakes.¡± ¡°First of all,¡± Mason hissed, ¡°shut up. And second, who the hell likes snakes?¡± ¡°Well put as usual, brother. But what he doesn¡¯t mention is a rather poisonous rattlesnake once bit our poor guide when he was nine. Fortunately, our parents had the money for a cure. It¡¯s something like $10,000 dors, you know! Rather steep, but then they¡¯ve got you at something of a disadvantage. Anyway, the cure was expensive, but the chance to make fun of a terrified Mason forever? Priceless.¡± ¡°Quiet.¡± Mason squinted in the gloom, hearing some growing sound of life ahead. ¡°Any idea what that is, Calypsa?¡± The nymph took a breath. ¡°A nest. Of something that crawls.¡± Mason fought the shiver that threatened his spine. ke was annoying, but he was also correct. Mason had always hated snakes. He considered going back and picking another route, but a lifetime of being ke¡¯s brother told him not to question his random decisions. ¡°Alright. So snakes. Great. Just great.¡± He considered the group¡¯s powers, and forced himself to look at Reba. ¡°If there¡¯s a giant cluster, do you think that shield of yours can blow them up?¡± She looked frightened, but nodded with resolve. Mason took her hand. ¡°We¡¯ll see what we¡¯re dealing with first.¡± They snuck forward in the dark, the only source of light a kind of translucent glow that dully permeated the entire dungeon. It was enough for Mason, but he suspected the others couldn¡¯t see more than a few feet in front of them. The tunnel turned, then there in in view maybe a hundred feet ahead, Mason saw a mound of writhing, moving things. A distinct hissing sound became clear as the creatures coiled and sometimes fought. ¡°Snakes,¡± Mason grumbled, ¡°why did it have to be snakes.¡± ke practically choked behind him, and Mason turned with an angry re. ¡°This is funny to you?¡± His brother looked confused. ¡°I mean¡­surely you¡­oh man. That¡¯s incredible.¡± ke looked to the girls, all of whom stared with as much confusion as Mason. ¡°Unbelievable,¡± ke shook his head. ¡°As usual I must enjoy the intellectual universe alone. But I love you all anyway. As to your question¡ªsnakes are often associated with the devil. It could be our robot god thought it represented the worst thing we could imagine. In which case, we might also start preparing for uncurable STDs, andser shooting dinosaur sharks.¡± ¡°You literally never shut up, do you?¡± Mason adjusted his bow and clothes, feeling like bugs were crawling on his skin. ¡°I mean I must. I sleep,¡± ke said. ¡°Though I can¡¯t bepletely sure.¡± Becky moved up beside Mason, and it gave him enough reason to continue forward. His weapons and powers were not well suited to handling a giant room full of potentially deadly snakes. When they were as close as he dared without provocation, he dropped three deadly traps using terrain he expected would explode. ¡°You did well back at the pool,¡± he said just loud enough for her. ¡°Thanks.¡± She smiled, then swallowed, moving a little closer. ¡°I want you to trust me to handle myself, learn to rely on me. I¡¯m a yer, just like you, and made to be tough.¡± He nodded, knowing she was right. He met her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll try. It¡¯s just¡­I don¡¯t like putting you at risk.¡± Her smile widened, then she leaned over and kissed him, turning slightly pink before ncing at Calypsa. ¡°Is there¡­should I be¡­awkward? Kissing you in front of her?¡± ¡°Not even a little.¡± Reba¡¯s shoulders rxed slightly at that. ¡°Should I even ask exactly what the deal is? I mean I know it¡¯s something¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°When we¡¯re out of this ce, we¡¯ll talk all about it. What matters is that you know I want you, nothing at all has changed. She¡¯s not a factor.¡± ¡°Do you promise?¡± ¡°I promise.¡± She perked up a little. ¡°OK.¡± Mason eyed the snakes onest time, then nced back at Seul-ki. ¡°I¡¯m thinking we super charge Reba¡¯s shield, and blow up the whole damn room. You have enough mana for that?¡± The quiet Korean nodded, and Reba was starting to look almost eager. ¡°I can do it,¡± she said, maybe as much to herself as anyone. ¡°Alright.¡± Mason did his best not to imagine things going wrong. ¡°If there¡¯s any problem at all, if you get worried, you run back to the traps and just keep running, and we¡¯ll deal with whatever. OK?¡± Reba gave him another quick peck on the cheek, then stood up and rolled her shoulders. ¡°Hit me, Seul-ki. I ain¡¯t afraid of a bunch of snakes.¡± She winked at Mason, and he was reminded she was a country girl who¡¯d been around animals all her life. Seul-ki put one of her tiny hands on Reba¡¯s shoulders, and a small blue light pulsed around her skin. Then she was on her feet, and charging in. * * * Mason followed Reba¡¯s footsteps, ready for some giant snake to burst out from the floor and swallow her whole. ¡°Can you pull her back with Telekinesis, if needed?¡± he called to ke as he jogged. ¡°Uh, too heavy. Probably. For now. But I wouldn¡¯t tell her that, brother, women don¡¯t like that sort of thing,¡± ke called back pleasantly. Mason wished he could share his brother¡¯s calm. Instead his heart thumped wildly in his chest as Reba entered the snake room and walked straight to the giant mound. Nothing pounced on her, and clearly concerned with Seul-ki¡¯s time limit and unsure what else to do, Reba walked to the breeding or otherwise busy snake pile, and kicked it. It was effective. With a violent surge of hissing and erratic movement, the giant pile of snakes surged and slithered towards her. Her usually blue shield had a purple tinge as snake after snake coiled and struck, fangs stopping in mid-air. ¡°Come on,e on,¡± Mason practically bounced back and forth as he watched, a feeling of disaster threatening to cloud his usually clear mind. The snakes came ever forward, the mound lowering and lowering as more and more surrounded Reba and tried to break her shield. She stood perfectly still, hands out and long legs hunched as if she carried a weight on her shoulders. ¡°My mana is low,¡± Seul-ki said without tone, and Mason cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted. ¡°Now, Becky, do it!¡± Whether she¡¯d heard him over the din or not he had no idea. He was ready to run in and physically pull her away when the hissing all died away. It was like the whole world froze and quieted for a fraction of a second as Reba¡¯s shield sucked inward from all directions, then exploded. Mason covered his eyes, but the sh still left a sun-like silhouette that pulsed in his eyelids. He opened them and blinked until the spots cleared, and he saw blood and snake guts and sted corpses covering every square inch of the room. Finally, Reba came walking back from the snake-room with a wide smile and swaying hips. ¡°Hell ya!¡± she pumped a fist and did a little dance, and Mason¡¯s fear sted away as he grinned. He ran up and pulled her to his arms and lifted her off the ground. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he kissed her. ¡°That was awesome.¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t worried about me?¡± ¡°I was terrified.¡± Masonughed and Reba joined him, then threw her arms around his neck and squeezed for dear life. ¡°I leveled up, too!¡± ¡°As did I.¡± ke grinned. ¡°Must have been the moral support.¡± ¡°Seul-ki your boost is amazing!¡± The Korean smiled politely. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mean to break the mood,¡± Mason said. ¡°But we do need to keep going and see what we¡¯re dealing with.¡± ¡°Right. Sir, yes sir.¡± Reba freed a hand to salute. To be honest he loved seeing her so excited, though he preferred it in a different context. But it was time to focus. ¡°Let¡¯s go see the damage.¡± It was extensive. What had been a giant mount of dangerous creatures was now the world¡¯s nastiest paint. There were some eggs in the corners of the room, corrupted nts on some of the walls, and a tunnel that led down. But it seemed like nothing crawled. ¡°I feel a bit like Gipetto inside the rotten whale,¡± ke turned up his nose. ¡°Or maybe Jonah. Why are there so many people getting lost in whales?¡± Mason felt something wrong, and looked for some new threat in the room but saw nothing. ¡°What was that? Did you feel that?¡± He swallowed. ¡°Shit it¡¯s a giant snake, isn¡¯t it. I bloody knew it. Calypsa?¡± ¡°No, druid. I think this room¡­it¡¯s actually a giant flower. A kind of lily,¡± the nymph exined. ¡°It has different cycles, but it¡¯s not intelligent. It doesn¡¯t know we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Mason still had an uneasy feeling, but he trusted the nymph¡¯s knowledge. ¡°Going down that tunnel really doesn¡¯t appeal to me. But I don¡¯t see any choice except turning back.¡± ¡°It would just lead into the flower,¡± Calypsa shrugged. ¡°There wouldn¡¯t be much purpose. Though there might be hidden secrets or treasures inside.¡± ¡°Ohh, that sounds good.¡± ke perked up. ¡°Secrets. Maybe special magic items or some kind of unique challenge?¡± Mason looked at his brother and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re volunteering to go down first?¡± ¡°Well.¡± ke cleared his throat. ¡°That¡¯s not really my forte, but, certainly I can. If there¡¯s literally no other option. Like at all.¡± Mason muttered a few curses as he started pulling out his rope. Then the floor shook again, and Mason nced at the nymph. Her usually passive face was starting to show concern. ¡°The nt is in a night cycle. It shouldn¡¯t be moving again so soon.¡± The ground shook again, this time with considerable force, and the whole party started to run without instruction. The others were copsing, and Mason realized the floors had begun to nt inward from every side. Straight towards the tunnel. He summoned his w and stabbed it into the ground, then reached for Reba. He missed. She and Calypsa both slid down, Reba screaming in panic, soon vanishing into the hole. Mason saw ke and Seul-ki still holding on, but that didn¡¯t matter now. He pulled out his sword, turned around, and slid after them.
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Chapter 70: Good news, bad news Chapter 70: Good news, bad news Mason bent his knees, and fell into the dark. It felt a little like being back in his tutorial. Then he struck soft ground, less than a foot from Reba, and rolled back before flipping to his feet with bow and sword in hand. ¡°Your left nk!¡± Calypsa shouted. Mason pulled Reba to her feet and ran to his right. With strength surging from adrenaline, he tossed her away then unsummoned his w and drew an arrow with Endless Quiver. A giant, moving¡­flower wasing towards him. It had a dozen tendrils that moved like spider legs, and where there should have been a pleasant smelling group of petals there was a huge, vaguely fanged maw belonging in a cheap horror flick. He didn¡¯t waste time asking questions. His Power Shot struck the thick, slimy-looking stem, and sprayed something gooey at the nt wall. He loosed several more, but most of these just stuck into the fleshy nt with little effect. Apex predator shed before Mason¡¯s eyes. [yer ke Nimitz is attempting to effect you with a mind power. Would you like to activate Apex Predator?] Mason sighed as he sprinted across the narrow space, blinking at ¡®no¡¯ and loosing arrows at the apparently carnivorous flower. Ha! I don''t even need the chair! I have good news and bad news, ke¡¯s cheery voice rung in Mason¡¯s mind. The good news is that Telekinesis is in fact strong enough to hold a person or two from falling in a giant pit. The bad news is that I didn¡¯t use it on you. ¡°I¡¯m fucking aware of that!¡± Mason shouted, hoping his brother could hear. ¡°And I¡¯m a little¡­busy right now!¡± The tendril-footed giant nt was now lurching after Mason like one of those inted tire tube men, limbs pping as its giant mouth opened and shut like a massive sphincter. Calypsa followed after it, jabbing with her spear and spilling more fluid all over the floor. Mason used a Crippling Strike and watched an error message re without much surprise. He loosed at least a dozen arrows before finally epting they weren¡¯t doing a damn thing. Looked like it was time to get messy. He dropped his bow and drew his sword and w, then activated Aspect of the Cheetah. With a running, brutal slice, he raked open the nt¡¯s ¡®side¡¯ with a Predator¡¯s Strike, then jumped and rolled as a thick tendril swiped at his face. A giant spray of the nt¡¯s oozy fluid followed the wound then continued leaking down its side. Mason turned for another pass and found Reba next to him, limping slightly but otherwise looking OK. She nodded to say she was ready, and Mason charged with both des. This time he didn¡¯t immediately jump away, instead hacking at the same wound while two then three tendrils bounced off Reba¡¯s shield. He could have used his sword¡¯s long neglected Shield gem, but he trusted Reba. The creature¡¯s ¡®stalk¡¯ buckled and sagged, and the giant nt tipped like a damn tree as it copsed towards Mason. He stepped away from the falling maw, shing any tendril that got too close. Calypsa hopped onto the creature¡¯s back and skewered her spear through the ¡®flower¡¯, pinning it to the floor. Mason made short work of it after that. With a dozen or so more cuts, the tendrils were all severed, and the slowly desating beast was mostly a messy puddle. [You have in a Devouring Lily. Group experience gained.] ¡°Everyone alright?¡± Mason really meant Reba, who shook her foot and put a little weight on it with a grimace, but nodded. ¡°Just twisted my ankle is all.¡± Calypsa didn¡¯t bother to respond, which Mason supposed was a good sign, ¡°Well.¡± He finally looked around the inside of the ¡®nt¡¯ and saw nothing but a pool of red fluid in a corner. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me we have to swim through this nt monster¡¯s guts.¡± ¡°No.¡± The nymph looked around their soft cage and frowned. ¡°The great night lily has cycles. It will open eventually, just as it closed. We need only wait.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Mason tested the springy floor before sitting ratherfortably. ¡°A little boring. But not so bad.¡± Calypsa walked to the red water and dipped a finger as she muttered some words. Then her already pale skin lost some of its color, and she turned her green eyes to Mason. ¡°The flower¡­it releases digestive fluids, very slowly, not harmful torge creatures like us. But the corruption¡­it has made it poisonous. Anyone without natural affinity is going to choke to death on the fumes.¡± Mason looked at the pool of water and sighed. ¡°Of course they are. Can you cleanse it?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s possible, but it will take more time because I need¡­¡± The pool began to bubble and soon overflowed, and Calypsa stepped away with her spear raised. Mason groaned to his feet as something emerged from the red water. It looked like another giant nt¡ªthis one more like a cactus, with three thick ¡®limbs¡¯ from its torso, every piece of it covered in thorns. ¡°Yeah,¡± Mason muttered, ¡°that figures, too.¡± The nt shuddered, and several of the thorns shot from its body, almost chaotically around the room. None of them were on target, though one stuck an inch from Mason¡¯s foot, and looked about as long and sharp as a rail spike. So what¡¯s this about slowly dying from poison? Apparently ke was up there reading minds. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re trapped up here, too. Mason ran for his bow and tried another Power Shot, the missile sting off at least a few of the creature¡¯s spikes. ¡°As usual, I have bigger problems than your curiosity, ke!¡± he shouted. Then he loosed more arrows, and as before the shafts more or less snapped on contact, or else just seemed to add to the giant cactus¡¯ collection of spiky objects. Calypsa chanced a few stabs with her spear, but clearly wasn¡¯t thrilled about getting near the creature. Becky couldn¡¯t do much more than throw rocks. And though he was slow, the bastard was sliding forward. ¡°We have limited time, druid,¡± Calypsa said as she easily stepped away from the creature¡¯s reach. ¡°This foul miasma will drain your allies in hours, not days. They cannot wait for the flower to open.¡± Mason leapt over some kind of giant mushroom growing out of the floor, then circled and searched the big nt creature for a weak spot. Nothing was obvious. He figured the smallest section was a ¡®leg¡¯ joint and decided he¡¯d try that with his des. Hopefully it didn¡¯t turn him into a pin cushion. ¡°We¡¯ll wait for one more st, then I go in swinging. Have enough for another round, Becky?¡± The brte nodded and kept her distance from the creature, which seemed content for now just to keep sliding towards them like the worst parade float in existence. Then it trembled and twitched, and the spikes all over its body shot in every direction around the room. Mason¡¯s vaguely superhuman reflexes saved him. A knife-sharp barb sailed straight at his face, just scratching his nose as he turned. He instantly looked to the others, and saw Calypsa casually dodging around the room, Reba circled in blue shield. ¡°Here we go,¡± he shouted, then charged in to cut some vegetable. This bastard had thicker skin. But not thick enough. His steel short sword struggled to pierce, but his Ranger¡¯s w sliced and diced. The giant cactus waved its arms and tried to turn, but it wasn¡¯t nearly fast enough. With several well-ced blows, Mason hacked through one of the two supports, and like the other nt it toppled to the floor. Mason hacked off enough spikes that they could all safely stand in the cleared space. The cactus fired off another round but to no effect, then Mason cut until he¡¯d split it in two. [You have in a Devouring Cactus. Group experience gained.] ¡°The pool, druid,¡± Calypsa was standing at the edge of the reddish water, rubbing her fingers together after dipping them into the muck. ¡°You OK?¡± Mason walked to Becky and saw she was covered in sweat, her long brown hair out of its clip and tussled around her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± she smiled. ¡°I¡¯m out of everything, but it didn¡¯t break my shields.¡± Mason gave her a quick hug and kissed her brow. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, I¡¯m impressed.¡± ¡°Told you I could handle myself,¡± she beamed, and Mason snorted with augh. ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky, cowgirl. Apparently this giant flower is about to slowly kill you next.¡± He let her go and walked to Calypsa with a sigh. ¡°Alright. So it¡¯s corrupted. We knew thating in. Why does that mean the others are going to die all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Because the acidic miasma is trapped in this flower,¡± said the nymph, a bit of strained patience in her voice. ¡°Because your friends do not have the resistance required. And because this flower is not going to open for several hours while they breathe it in.¡± Mason felt a small tickle of actual concern in his gut. ¡°I¡¯ll cut us out.¡± He turned and hacked into the external covering of flower petal, slicing right through. He almost turned and said ¡®see?¡¯ before he watched the damage close as fast as it was caused, the nt flesh healing in an instant. Calypsa shook her head, though she didn¡¯t look terribly concerned. ¡°It must be cleansed, druid, that is why I came with you. But the corruption in this pool is far worse than the other. I don¡¯t have enough strength left.¡± The slight tickle turned into a noticeable pang. ¡°OK. How much time do you need?¡± ¡°Too long.¡± Calypsa was suddenly looking a bit too pleased about their situation. ¡°The fastest way is to replenish my magic with some of your seed.¡± Without another word, she began stripping off her skintight bark-like armor, wiggling it down to reveal her perky breasts and toned shoulders and arms. ¡°Hopefully you haven¡¯t been spending it too recklessly, but you seem to have plenty.¡± She had it down past her t stomach now, struggling at her hips before Mason found his tongue. ¡°Umm.¡± He looked at Becky, whose eyes were wide and glued to the undressing nymph. ¡°You said it¡¯s the fastest way. Surely, it¡¯s not the only way?¡± Calypsa stopped and narrowed her eyes. ¡°We can use mana, but my sister has far more. Even with your help it would take hours. Your friends may not survive.¡± They had a mana-charger, of course. But she was equally trapped above them, with no way to reach her. Mason turned to Becky with a helpless shrug. She looked between them with an expression that was far too hard to read. ¡°What exactly are you going to¡­do you mean, you have to¡­with her, right here? Is that what she¡¯s saying?¡± Calypsa shrugged, looking Becky up and down. ¡°I merely require the druid¡¯s seed inside my body. You can be the one to cause it¡¯s release.¡± Mason looked between them, again finding little in the way of actual words. Could he say he was¡­sorry? Its not like it was his fault. And he wasn¡¯t sorry, like even a little. ¡°What do you want, druid?¡± Becky looked at him with a bit of challenge, and maybe a little jealousy, though he was struggling exactly to know. He walked to her and put his hands on her arms. ¡°I want you not to get hurt. I want you to live. That¡¯s it. That¡¯s all that matters.¡± Her resistance drained as she nodded. Then she flushed slightly as she again looked at the half naked nymph, and met Mason¡¯s eyes. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll just have to improvise.¡±
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Chapter 71: Right. The pool. (NSFW) Chapter 71: Right. The pool. (NSFW) ¡°Shall I keep undressing, druid, or shall we take our chances trying mana?¡± Calypsa waited rather patiently by the pool as she watched Mason and Becky talk. She and her sister had ¡®taken seed¡¯ rather efficiently with their mouths in the past. Yet for some reason the nymph didn¡¯t seem to be suggesting that particr option. Mason was beginning to suspect a little deception, or possibly greed, but he really wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to fight it. ¡°Yes,¡± said Becky, holding Mason¡¯s gaze. ¡°Shut up and keep undressing.¡± Then she closed her eyes and kissed him, her shaky hands fumbling with his belt. ¡°Rx,¡± Mason whispered as he kissed her forehead and worked down to her eyelid and cheek. ¡°We¡¯ve done this already. Nothing to it.¡± ¡°Not with someone watching,¡± Becky said, then bit her lip. ¡°And not with you¡­finishing,¡± she flinched and almost stomped a petnt foot. ¡°In her.¡± ¡°If it helps,¡± Mason fought the grin. ¡°I¡¯m pretty confident I have enough for both of you.¡± She shoved him a little but buried her face in his shoulder. ¡°This is so weird.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be.¡± She pulled away slightly and met his eyes. ¡°Do you¡­care about her?¡± she whispered. ¡°I mean, she¡¯s gorgeous, she¡¯s like¡­a magic sex creature. Her eyes turned more serious, more vulnerable. ¡°Do you want to be with her?¡± ¡°No.¡± Mason almostughed out loud, then put a finger to Becky¡¯s chin. ¡°This is just what she is. She takes sex and turns it into magic. Her sister is kind of nice, but honestly Calypsa there was just as ready to kill me as fuck me. I¡¯m a ''druid'', that¡¯s all I am to her. If I wasn¡¯t then I¡¯d be nothing.¡± He smiled. ¡°You should think of her as a very fancy sex toy.¡± ¡°Oh my god.¡± Becky flushed and again buried her face in Mason¡¯s shoulder. This time he kissed her neck and ran his fingers up her spine. The notion that he was about to have his way with both girls was beginning to dawn on him, and his dick was growing in his pants. Becky happened to notice, and gave him an almost scolding look before she rubbed his crotch with her palm. ¡°A fancy sex toy,¡± she closed her eyes. ¡°OK. Sure. Get you off or die. No problem.¡± Masonughed at that, trying not to be a little grateful to roboGod for again encouraging a beautiful woman to have sex with him. He unbuttoned half of Becky¡¯s shirt before he slid his hand inside and cupped her breast. Her nipple hardened instantly in his fingers, and she moaned as his lips grazed her ear. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to have any trouble.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t intend to.¡± She knelt and pulled down his pants and boxers in one swift motion, taking him in her hand then sucking the head of his cock before he¡¯d so much as blinked. ¡°Yeah. Not detecting a problem.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t finish him that way,¡± Calypsa said, still near the pond, though she¡¯d taken a few steps towards them. Becky pulled Mason out but kept stroking him. ¡°I¡¯m not going to finish him, I¡¯m just getting him going. And I sure as hell don¡¯t need a runningmentary.¡± She went pink before she shoved Mason back in her mouth, sucking with a kind ofpetitive aggression. Mason just tried to enjoy. Becky undid the rest of her shirt with one hand, then stopped long enough to stand and pull it off, dropping her tits with a sexy jiggle as she unclipped her bra. Then she pulled down and kicked off her pants, naked except for her panties, already stained with Mason¡¯s cum. He wanted to take her right there, but frankly he was enjoying thepetitive show. ¡°So what do y¡¯all want to do, just, kneel beside us? I ride him till he¡¯s ready, then you just hop on and¡­steal it?¡± Becky had her hands on her hips, and as sexy as it all was, Mason decided he¡¯ had quite enough of them being in charge. He stepped forward and leaned down to take one of Becky¡¯s round, perky tits in his mouth as he sucked the nipple. ¡°Mason,¡± she went almost breathless. ¡°I¡¯m trying to¡­¡± ¡°Shh.¡± He pped her ass, then lowered her to the ground. Fortunately the flowery floor was rather soft, almost like gym mats that squished as you touched them. He pulled down her panties to find her shockingly wet and ready, sliding in two fingers all the way to his knuckles. ¡°I think someone is enjoying this a little more than she lets on.¡± Reba opened her mouth to protest, so he filled it with his tongue. Then he kicked off the rest of his clothes and lined up his hard cock with her opening, looking down on her half-lidded eyes and beautiful body before he leaned down and whispered in her ear. ¡°Now be a good girl and do your job.¡± Then he pushed himself inside her, loving the gasp she always made as he opened her enough to fill. ¡°OK,¡± she panted and closed her eyes, and he growled and drove into her as she wrapped her long, toned legs around his waist. When his mind started working again he decided her n was a good one, and rolled over to let her ride. She slowed down now that she was in control, rising and falling with little gasps as she eased up and down his shaft. ¡°Like this?¡± she said breathlessly, and he gave her an affirmative moan. He was lost again in the sight of her¡ªher face contorted and flushed with pleasure, her tits bouncing with her jerky, inexperienced movements, the shape of her hips behind. He took two handfuls of her ass and helped her move. Then she was grinding into him, skin flushed as she started to shake, pussy clenching hard on his cock as she cried out. ¡°OK. Need to switch. Now.¡± Mason couldn¡¯t take how hot and tight she was, how much she loved it. But instead of pulling out she copsed onto him with a final twerk and a squeeze. His orgasm sted inside her but he forced himself to hold a little back. Calypsa practically knocked Becky off him. She went over with a shriek, then the nymph dropped to her knees and swallowed Mason¡¯s cock, teasing out another burst or two before his head copsed to the ground. The nymph¡¯s cold eyes red as she shook her head at Becky. As the country girl returned slightly to her senses, she slumped and looked a little defeated. ¡°It¡¯s not enough,¡± Calypsa snapped. ¡°Your seed greedy mate left too little, and taking it this way is less efficient.¡± Mason snorted, pulling Becky back in for a kiss as the nymph started stroking him. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure she just called you a cum hungry slut.¡± Becky flushed. ¡°She literally pushed me.¡± ¡°Well, you were a very bad girl,¡± Mason teased. ¡°This is noughing matter,¡± Calypsa grumbled. ¡°We have limited time, and the druid may not¡­¡± Mason¡¯s renewed erection seemed to shut her up. While the vigor associated with his ever-strengthening body and Regeneration power was sometimes a curse, these days it was usually a blessing. ¡°This time I¡¯m taking part,¡± said Calypsa. ¡°The girl can¡¯t be trusted.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Becky looked so adorable when she was mad. ¡°If your magic wasn¡¯t so weak, we wouldn¡¯t even be in this mess!¡± She watched the nymph¡¯s hand stroking Mason with something like a jealous pout. Mason was still rather amused, and turned on, with the two women fighting over his cum. But it was time to put an end to it. Particrly with Calypsa. Out of curiosity, he sat up and channeled mana into Speak With Nature, before locking eyes with the nymph to make sure she was listening. ¡°Stop making demands, and just obey me.¡± It was like he¡¯d thrown cold water in her face. The creature¡¯s face jerked, her huge, green eyes widening as her jaw went ck. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, druid,¡± she let go of him and waited on her knees. ¡°I am yours tomand.¡± Becky looked just about as surprised, but soon covered it with obvious pleasure. ¡°And you,¡± Mason put a finger to Becky¡¯s lips, then reached around and took a gentle handful of her hair. ¡°You¡¯re going to do as I tell you, too. Because Calypsa is trying to save your life, and my brother¡¯s life, and there¡¯ll be no more nonsense or jealousy about what I need.¡± He watched her resistance crumble, her breathing getting shallower as her eyes rolled slightly back as he pulled on her hair. ¡°Umm, OK. I will.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll what?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do what you say.¡± ¡°Good girl.¡± Mason¡¯s cock twitched and he decided it had gone long enough without attention. ¡°Now start sucking.¡± She smiled at the order, and leaned over to take him in her mouth. ¡°Calypsa, get under Becky, and start licking her pussy. There¡¯s some more of my seed in there, too, so work it hard.¡± Becky paused and her eyes widened, but after meeting Mason¡¯s immovable gaze, she leaned back over and took his cock halfway in her mouth. The nymph, of course, didn¡¯t hesitate. She moved behind Becky, took hold of her thighs, and spread her legs before crawling backwards underneath like a mechanic under a car. Becky flinched as the nymph pulled her down and spread her even further, locking her mouth between her legs. She moaned slightly, and Mason watched them both and smiled. Calypsa¡¯s head started moving as she licked Becky back to front, stopping to suck with loud slurps at her clit and opening. ¡°Umm, is that really¡­?¡± Becky looked up at Mason and almost cringed when she saw his expression. Then she closed her eyes and went back to sucking, and he reached over and spanked her ass hard, grinning as she squealed. It didn¡¯t take long with her mouth full and Calypsa working her like the expert she was. The sensitive country girl started moaning as her face and chest went red. Then she went rigid and lost the ability to suck him as her orgasm wracked her body. She sat up and closed her eyes, biting her lip as she wiggled on Calypsa¡¯s face. ¡°Fuck.¡± She moaned. ¡°A girl just made me cum.¡± ¡°A sex toy, remember? Look how good you¡¯re doing.¡± Mason leaned down and kissed her, pinching her nipples as he took her mouth and enjoyed every noise and shake from his sensitive lover. ¡°OK.¡± She breathed when he pulled back. ¡°What do you want, druid? I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ll do anything you tell me.¡± ¡°Good. Because it¡¯s your turn.¡± Mason pushed Becky over, picked up Calypsa, and set her on top, both their faces between the other¡¯s legs. ¡°Go down on each other.¡± Calypsa, of course, shoved her face into Becky with abandon. Becky gasped and looked up at the nymph¡¯s bare pussy with a slight pause. ¡°Just a sex toy,¡± she mumbled. Then she closed her eyes and started licking. Mason positioned himself behind Calypsa. He slid his hard cock between Becky¡¯s mouth and the nymph¡¯s pussy, letting her lick his hard length as he slid it between Calypsa¡¯s swollen lips. He aimed it down and started fucking Becky¡¯s mouth upside down. Then he pulled it out and pushed his full length into Calypsa. She groaned and made wet noises as she buried her face into Becky and fucked her with her tongue. Mason pushed her forward so Becky¡¯s mouth was under him. ¡°Lick and suck my balls while I fuck her.¡± Becky did as she was told. Mason watched the two beautiful women on top of each other¡ªCalypsa¡¯s pink, bald pussy taking him in, her firm ass bouncing against him. All the while his girlfriend moaned in pleasure at being eaten out by his nymph sex toy, her tongue sliding back and forth across his balls. He was already close to finishing, but he held on and fucked them as long as he could stand, not wanting to break the trance Becky was in, or how she was crying out in pleasure in a threesome with another girl. When Calypsa finally came it was too much. The no nonsense, almost cold sister suddenly gasped and clenched down on Mason like a slippery vice, her creamy juices running down his cock and dripping onto Reba. Mason followed instantly. His lower body tightened as he buried his full length into the shaking nymph, releasing streams of cum into her body. He twitched at the intensity of it, somewhat surprised to still feel Reba licking and sucking his nymph-juice soaked balls as he emptied. ¡°She tastes so good,¡± Becky moaned. ¡°Like cream corn.¡± Mason grinned, realizing Calypsa was using her magic. He sagged on top of the nymph¡¯s back, letting her squeeze his cock with aftershock spasms, still going down on his woman while Reba licked the juices off his sack. It was a perfect moment. Enough to drain even his enhanced vigor. ¡°Good work, druid,¡± Calypsa stopped long enough to say. ¡°Now I can cleanse the pool.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Mason muttered, half asleep. ¡°The pool.¡±
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Chapter 72: A very effective team Chapter 72: A very effective team Calypsa eventually untangled from Mason and a nearly unconscious Becky, wading waist deep into the corrupted pool. ¡°How are you doing?¡± Mason trailed his fingers across Becky¡¯s taut stomach, her head nowying across hisp. ¡°Good.¡± She licked her lips and swallowed. ¡°I, um, didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever¡­¡± ¡°Tongue fuck a nymph?¡± She giggled and covered her mouth. ¡°Be in a threesome. Or with a girl.¡± ¡°Neither did I, to be honest,¡± Mason shrugged, thinking of his broody, awkward, teenage self, especially next to the effortless charm of his brother. ¡°But look at me now.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Becky opened her eyes and they both smiled as they looked at each other, stroking one another¡¯s skin. ¡°Look at you now.¡± She sighed and cuddled into hisp. ¡°Thank you for making me do that. I, um, guess I enjoyed it.¡± ¡°I could tell.¡± Mason grinned as Becky flushed and tried to cover her face. ¡°Do you prefer your new sex toy now? Is she about to put me out of the job?¡± Becky giggled and turned in Mason¡¯sp, her skin so appealingly pink with her easy embarrassment before she squished her breasts together as she rose up on her elbows. ¡°Well, far as I can tell, she¡¯s your toy, not mine. But if you want to y with her again some day, I guess I wouldn¡¯t mind.¡± Mason kissed her soft, inviting lips, and nearly groaned as his manhood still twitched. ¡°What?¡± Becky seemed to have noticed. ¡°Are you serious?¡± She shook her head. ¡°When we get back I think Haley probably deserves some kind of medal. This is ridiculous.¡± Calypsa called from the pool as Reba seemed to be preparing to assist. ¡°It is done, druid, the waters are cleansed.¡± They both watched as the red waters cleared, the flower around it transforming. Even the air improved. ¡°I love you for the effort,¡± Mason gave Reba a quick peck on the forehead, ¡°but we should go check on ke and Seul-ki and get moving.¡± He stood and looked for his clothes, and Becky rose up beside him with a little water in her eyes and a shit eating grin. ¡°You love me, do you?¡± Mason rolled his eyes. ¡°Women. Why do you care so much about words? I¡¯d kill and die for you, wouldn¡¯t I? Now shut up and get dressed. We have a tree to save.¡± He pped her already red, hand-printed ass, admiring her many marks and dripping thighs. ¡°Can I have a quick dip in that water?¡± she¡¯d apparently caught his gaze, turning to Calypsa with a shy grin. ¡°Of course.¡± The nymph gestured. ¡°In fact you both should. It will renew you.¡± Mason took Becky¡¯s hand and soon stepped down into the warm water, both groaning at the feel. Calypsa came towards them with a business-like expression, running her hands over their bodies as if to clean them. ¡°Yeah,¡± Becky looked at Mason. ¡°I could get used to this.¡± ¡°Threesomes?¡± he grinned, and she giggled. ¡°Being with you.¡± ¡°Same thing,¡± his smile widened as it was Becky''s turn to roll her eyes. ¡°Well hello down there.¡± ke leered down at them with apleteck of shame. Apparently cleansing the flower had also opened it. ¡°Looks like you three have gotten prettyfortable,¡± he added. ¡°How am I the lucky one again? We just got a bunch of acid up here. Not a damn pool.¡± ¡°You¡¯d be dead if you did,¡± Mason called, shaking his head at the realization. ¡°And you didn¡¯t have to fight the thorn-shooting giant nt, either.¡± ¡°As you say,¡± ke yawned, his eyes still moving over Becky and Calypsa without an ounce of reserve. Becky was already doing her best to cover herself, but the water was now incredibly clear, and there was nowhere to go. Masonughed and scooped her into his arms, squishing her breasts against him as he covered her with his hands. ¡°There,¡± he said, ¡°problem solved. Now fuck off, ke.¡± She sunk into him and buried her face against his chest. ¡°ke,¡± he called. ¡°I think maybe we need more firewood, if you¡­¡± ¡°Absolutely not,¡± ke scoffed. ¡°We have levels to gain, bosses to kill, dungeons to clear. Right? Now let¡¯s get a move on!¡± Mason let himself feel Reba¡¯s soft, wet body against him for another long moment, then sighed. * * * ¡°Alright, alright. Monsters to kill. Brothers to shut up. Robot Gods to pacify.¡± Mason rose up and stretched, pulling aining Becky to her feet before throwing on his clothes. Becky¡¯s panties were so ruined she abandoned them entirely, sliding into her pantsmando as Mason grinned. ¡°You¡¯re pretty darned pleased with yourself, aren¡¯t you?¡± she threw back her long hair and tied it into a ponytail as Mason admired just how beautiful she was. ¡°You mean for cleansing the corruption? Or for turning my girl into a threesome loving, nymph hungry¡­¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Becky interrupted, going slightly pink. ¡°For that.¡± Mason walked to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. ¡°Your secret¡¯s safe with me.¡± ¡°And me! Well, not really¡­¡± ke called down, then tossed a vine over the edge of the flower. Apparently he was back, and also hadn¡¯t tied the vine to anything, so it fell entirely to coil on the ground.¡± Mason felt Reba flush with heat against him and refuse to look up towards his brother. He gave ke a re, then gestured at the vine as if to say ¡®you idiot¡¯. ¡°Not to worry!¡± ke raised a hand, and the vine floated on its own ord, right out of the flower¡¯s ¡®cell¡¯ until it tied around something up top. ¡°Shall we?¡± Mason gestured, and his women stepped up behind him. ¡°Think you can climb it?¡± He turned to Becky, and she stuck out her tongue and grabbed the vine, pulling herself up and using her legs to hold like an expert climber. Mason stood at the bottom, enjoying watching her toned legs and firm ass as she mped and struggled her way to the top. ¡°Yourbined seed is very powerful, druid,¡± Calypsa said at the bottom. ¡°You should bring her to the Grove. With my sister¡¯s assistance, we could create very strong life.¡± Mason raised a brow, picturing himself in the sexy tangle of all those beautiful female bodies, taking them all as he pleased. ¡°One day,¡± he said noittally. ¡°Until then, you¡¯ll treat Reba as my flesh and blood. Understand? She is your master, too, unless it contradicts me.¡± The nymph¡¯s eyes squinted, but she lowered her head in obedience. ¡°As you say, druid.¡± ¡°Good. Now I assume you can climb that, even in your armor?¡± The lithe creature scowled, then leaped at the rope and scurried up with inhuman speed. ¡°Right.¡± Mason waited until she made it out, then pulled himself up with ease, his arms now easily strong enough to do it without using his legs. He hacked off the vine at the top and brought it up to take with them. In the post-apocalypse, a man never knew when he needed a rope. ¡°I presume we¡¯re all rested and ready to actually get something done?¡± ke smiled as he looked between them. Increasing ke¡¯s smugness was always a bad idea, so Mason walked by without a word. Several pathsy beyond the now open flower-room. Calypsa had no memory of the ce, and none of the paths seemed more obvious to any other, so they stuck with ke¡¯s somewhat ridiculous n of ¡®always go left¡¯. They walked along with no issues for quite some time, then found droppings and other signs of living creatures. Just beyond another ramp they discovered several more centaurs eating around a campfire. There wasn¡¯t much else for it, so Masony his traps, signaled to the others, then started filling the air with arrows. ke used his Telekinesis to throw rocks and trip the surprised and enraged chargers. Becky and Calypsa held the creatures off. And the pack was mostly dead or wounded before Mason drew his des to finish them. [You have in Corrupted Centaurs x6. Group experience awarded.] They moved on with hardly a word, next finding some kind of menagerie, with mutated beasts chained to tforms and walls. Mason tried to speak to them with Speak with Nature, but the miserable creatures were too far gone from the corruption. They fought and slew anything that wasn¡¯t chained up with rtive ease, but didn¡¯t get any experience. Mason and Becky were bing far more in sync. He was beginning to trust her as a walking obstacle, a moving shield he could fight around and fall back to as a distraction. If things got overwhelming, Seul-ki and ke sted things away or channeled more mana into Reba or Mason, and they were actually a very effective team. Calypsa¡¯s spear helped, of course. The nymph¡¯s inhuman reflexes and magic weapon seemed always in the right ce at the right time, protecting their casters or supporting Mason¡¯s attack. He expected she¡¯d be returning to her grove when it was all over, but he knew he¡¯d be lying if he didn¡¯t prefer it otherwise. In their third room beyond the cleansed pool, more centaurs attacked across a long hall with bows and spears. The walls loosed thorns from some kind of murder holes, and the roof dropped the asional stctite. Mason dropped his traps then tried hiding behind Becky¡¯s shield as he shot back. But the damn centaurs were fast, and often ducked or sidestepped his arrows. ¡°Great. Just great.¡± He looked at the others. ¡°Stay here. Try and kill a couple with Telekinesis or something. I¡¯ll go flush them out.¡± Before anyone could suggest otherwise, Mason ran out from the cover of Becky¡¯s shields, running in a zag across the room with Aspect of the Cheetah active. He dodged the arrows. At least most of them. He groaned as one mmed into his thigh, but he¡¯d caught the bastard and Predator Strike¡¯d one of the creature¡¯s arms off. Things got red after that. He heard the others shouting anding forward but for him the battle became swords and hooves, blood and screaming. Then it was over as fast as it began, and Mason stood breathing with ragged, adrenaline fueled breaths before sagging to the floor. [You have in Corrupted Centaurs x7. Group experience gained.] He sighed, trying to pull the arrow from his leg, then moved to a nearby rock with a groan. He gave it a brief tug to discover the arrowhead was made with something like hooks to resist the attempt. He took a moment to build up his will to take the pain. ¡°Oh my God,¡± Becky dropped to his side and gently touched the arrow. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Mason groaned as he ripped it out. A spurt of blood hit Becky¡¯s cheek, and she went pale as Mason tore a strip of fabric from his shirt and started making a rough tournequette. ¡°Have you considered¡­some kind of armor?¡± ke looked away from the wound in mild disgust. ¡°I heal. And it¡¯d slow me down. Seul-ki, you have enough mana for another Regen boost?¡± The Korean nodded and knelt to touch his leg. The now familiar bolt of cold spread up his skin, freezing his wound slightly before the pain eased a little. ¡°Thank you.¡± The quiet girl nodded and moved away, and ke looked over Becky¡¯s shoulder with a scrunched up face as he inspected the wound. ¡°I don¡¯t much like blood. Especially not my blood. And yours is pretty close.¡± Mason grinned theny back. They sat and waited for him to heal enough to move on, Becky fretting over him until she eventually just sat and put her head on his shoulder. He smiled, not unhappy at the attention, but the arrow was an unpleasant reminder that he was bing increasingly vulnerable to the terrifying, dangerous creatures of this new world. For now it was giant nts and deadly arrows, but what might it be in the future? A ss like Becky or the former chief of Nassau were almost in another league of preventing harm. Even a ¡®support¡¯ ss like Alex the Berussian bubbler could use his shields and healing powers extremely effectively. Mason might heal fast, but he was still just a man. ¡°I need to be tougher.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Becky raised her head off his shoulder, and he shook his head and patted her leg. ¡°Just thinking out loud. We¡¯re a good team, but I¡¯m too vulnerable. I¡¯ve got a power that I think helps resist a lot of magic, but physical things are increasingly a problem.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯ve got me,¡± Becky smiled. ¡°Yeah,¡± Mason smiled back. But he knew he couldn¡¯t rely on that. He wouldn¡¯t always have her around when he needed her in a fight. It was kind of ironic, he realized, that he¡¯de in here for the others but was starting to notice his own weaknesses. Of course, ke¡¯s list of weaknesses could fill a small book. ¡°So other than lifting nts without touching them, and throwing out the asional st,¡± Mason said, ¡°can you do anything else useful?¡± ke frowned, and put a thoughtful hand to his chin. ¡°I make one hell of a cocktail. I don¡¯t suppose anyone has any amaretto?¡± Mason rolled his eyes, wondering why he bothered. After a little while he flexed his leg, which was still a little painful but seemed to have basically healed. He couldn¡¯t be sure, but it seemed Seul-ki¡¯s magic at least doubled his regeneration speed. ¡°Alright,¡± he took a swig from his water sk and stood. ¡°Let¡¯s go finish this thing.¡±
Oh hi there. Slightly modified to fit RR rules, you don''t lose much. If you''d like to get ess to images of the girls in this story, additional cut steamy scenes, and 10 additional chapters beyond SH, you can subscribe to my . Enjoy!
Chapter 73: A Chi-what? Chapter 73: A Chi-what? They walked on from theirtest pile of corpses, and the tree opened up into a giant cavern with an ascending ramp spiraling in the center. Save for a path that led to the beginning of the ramp, everything else was covered in the now familiar red water. ¡°That¡¯s a hell of a lot of water to purify.¡± Mason resisted the urge to put a hand to his testicles in protection. ¡°Are we going to need a uh, series of repeat performances?¡± Calypsa shook her head and stared with horror. ¡°I don¡¯t have the power to cleanse these waters, druid, regardless of how much seed I have. Not even Thea could do such a thing.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure if he was relieved or disappointed. ¡°Then what do we do?¡± ¡°Whatever is corrupting this ce must be destroyed,¡± Calypsa said simply. ¡°That may give us the tools we need.¡± ¡°Right,¡± ke grinned. ¡°Have to kill the dungeon boss first, old boy. Let¡¯s start climbing.¡± Mason red at his brother the gamer. ¡°I hate that this makes sense to you.¡± ¡°Everything makes sense to me,¡± ke said matter of factly. ¡°Except horoscopes.¡± Mason just walked on, and the group soon reached the foot of the ramp and began to follow the spiral. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose I need to say you¡¯d best all pay attention,¡± Mason said. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose.¡± Becky grinned. They climbed and slowly circled the giant central pir in the center of the cavern. Mason began to hear a shrieking or squawking in the distance, and soon heard the pping of wings on the air. ¡°Get ready,¡± he said with a grimace. ¡°There¡¯s something flying out there. I expect it¡¯s not friendly.¡± The shrieking and pping moved closer, until nothing but the sounds of whatever made it filled the air above them. Still Mason couldn¡¯t see above the overhanging lip of the pir, but his bow and powers were ready. A scraping sound began, dragging down slowly towards them, like metal rubbed on rock. They all stood there in silence, no idea yet what to n for. Then huge ws lowered from above, avian looking feet and legs following the slow descent. The group stared in silence, including Mason, frozen in surprise and perhaps fear at the sight. ¡°It¡¯s not necessarily the boss,¡± ke licked his lips. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s some kind of protector, and doesn¡¯t much like our corrupted friends. Maybe if we ask nicely, he might fly us on up to¡­¡± The giant creature shrieked so loudly the rocks around them shook. Mason activated Power Shot, and loosed. His arrow sted one of the giant cat toes, ripping flesh and snapping the talon, sending it falling with a spray of blood. Massive wings pped down as it pushed away, revealing the twisted body of a creature vaguely like a giant, winged snake mixed with a lion. And was that a goat head? ¡°Holy shit, it¡¯s a Chimaera.¡± ke actually grinned. ¡°Shut up and start running!¡± Mason pushed the others on, then started filling the air with arrows. The creature shrieked and turned its wings, dashing towards the pir as it extended its ws. Mason sprinted and jumped down the ramp just as the razor sharp des raked the wall where he¡¯d been standing. So much for not being able to reach us, he thought. He tried Crippling Strike but had very little hope of sess. Then he ran back up the ramp, trying to throw traps at the very edge of the stone lip. His vision glowed with the potential of the power, and it looked like the trap would explode the stone into some kind of shrapnel when touched. It would have to do. With no other real n, he just ran back and forth shooting and dodging ws and apparently tail swipes, hoping the creature stayed focused on him instead of the others. Then it started spraying thorns from its tail. Of course it did. The first wave of barbs rattled like hail across the pir, impossible topletely dodge. Mason dropped and tried to make himself as small as possible, but still felt several pierce into his arms and legs, cursing himself for not using Shield. He ignored the pain and ran on, knowing without cover he would need Reba¡¯s shields to protect him. He continued loosing arrows as fast as he could, watching the growing pattern of buried arrows and seeping blood from the creature¡¯s body. He supposed they were even. The tail, he realized, was re-growing its barbs. ¡°Great,¡± he muttered, ¡°just fucking great.¡± He activated Aspect of the Cheetah and ran at full speed up the ramp. ¡°If you can do anything to hurt it,¡± he yelled, mostly at ke, ¡°now is the time.¡± Frankly he didn¡¯t expect much. The viciousser-like spell ke had been using might work well on smaller targets, but he doubted a man-sized gash would be the end of this giant. Unless maybe he hit its throat¡­ Another tail swipe forced Mason to activate his Shield gem or get crushed, then barely gave him enough time to leap away from the ws that followed. [Shield Gem: 75%] The force of the blow had still caused him to twist an ankle, but he ignored the pain, hearing the others up ahead. Power Shot recycled, and he dropped to a knee, watching for the big bastard¡¯s eye. ¡°Come on,¡± he muttered, waiting for his shot. ¡°Look at me with those pretty baby blues.¡± Instead the creature pulled back its tail, which spread its barbs as if ready for another st. ¡°Shit.¡± He didn¡¯t have time to shield himself. ¡°Becky! Shield!¡± Mason ran for the girl and leaped to the floor, covering his head with his arms. He heard the st, and the familiar rattling of the barbs against stone. Then the glorious sizzle of Reba¡¯s defense. ¡°You¡¯re amazing!¡± he shouted, back on his feet as he ran to higher and higher ground. ¡°ke, hit something vulnerable. A neck. It¡¯s eyes. It¡¯s balls. Anything!¡± He was hoping Calypsa might have something useful, but the nymph seemed more or less trapped against Reba, staring out at the giant creature with wide, fear-filled eyes. Mason dodged more ws and tail-swipes, loosing more arrows but saving his Power Shot when it eventually recycled. He finally reached the top of the tform, finding another pool with a stone altar in its center, arge, beating red heart on its t surface. The Chimaera seemed displeased with Mason¡¯s progress. It roared and beat its wings to rise up above the pir,ing fully into terrible view. The disfigured face of a massive lion growled. Behind it, a swaying goat head swung back and forth as if drunk, the neck sticking from its shoulders. The wings were feathered, but just barely, belonging more to a bat than a bird. The beastnded between Mason and the heart. Its wings swept the shallow water as its head lowered, jaws opening to howl with a fierce roar. Mason loosed his Power Shot straight into its mouth. The beast pulled back and silenced with something like a gag, eyes going wide and ring with pain. It staggered forward and turned, tail whipping out like a massive il. Mason had no desire to block that again. He waited, and chose to drop t at thest moment, the tail swiping above him with a terrifying sound of force. He¡¯d grown tired of running. He dropped his bow and summoned w, activating his renewed Aspect of the Cheetah as he raced to cross the distance. The Chimaera clearly hadn¡¯t expected this, its tail still waving back and forth where he¡¯d been, its wings spread to stop him from fleeing to either side. He jumped with his sword extended, mming it down into the beast¡¯s chest. It squawked with a broken, trembling sound, thrashing as it spun and snapped its jaws towards him. But it couldn¡¯t see, not with him so close and its lion¡¯s neck unable to twist so far. He used both swords like climbing sticks, ramming them into the chimaera again and again as he tried to work his way towards the heart, barely avoiding life-ending bites. When he¡¯d reached the center of the beast¡¯s chest, he drove his w with a Predator¡¯s Strike, then looked up to just see the corner of the creature¡¯s eye staring down at him, almost amused. Shit, he realized, thinking of the altar. That wasn¡¯t some metaphorical dungeon heart, it was the actual Chimaera¡¯s God damn heart. He was about to drop when he realized the creature had taken to the air. He looked down and saw he wasn¡¯t even above the pir anymore¡ªnothing remained but the water hundreds and hundreds of feet below at the bottom of the cavern. ¡°ke!¡± he shouted, not sure exactly what he was going to do. ¡°Hold on!¡± he heard his brother yell. Then he looked back and saw ke finish casting his spell. The air around him shimmered, and a now familiar red and purple line formed on the heart resting on the altar, tearing it in two. The chimaera groaned. Its eyes flickered, then it stopped pping its wings, and fell straight down. Mason fell right along with it.
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Chapter 74: You don’t save Mason Chapter 74: You don¡¯t save Mason [Chimaera killed. Group experience awarded (moderate). You have earned level 7.] [Objectivepleted: cleanse the Great Tree Rot. Group experience earned (major). You have earned level 8.] [Title earned: Burnt the boats. Voluntarily enter a deadly challenge. +1 to a random stat.] [You have a new power to select, and a power to enhance. As a settlement patron, you have seven days before the selections will be made for you.] ke didn¡¯t particrly have the time to be pleased with himself. Of course he was anyway. Had he been thinking slightly faster he might have plucked his brother off the falling beast with Telekinesis. But frankly he hadn''t been expecting it to just drop. ¡°Mason!¡± Reba ran to the edge of the tform to watch the creature fall. The ground shook, and ke was fairly certain it wasn¡¯t a terribly wise move. The moment ke had severed the heart in two, bits and pieces of the ceiling began to copse. The tform shook, and the walls looked like they were rotting in real time. ke closed his eyes, opened his Mental Influence link with his brother, and held his breath. They all heard the ssh. ¡°Oh my God.¡± Reba was on her knees, hands in her hair. ¡°We have to go down and get him. He might be unconscious and drowning.¡± Calypsa looked at ke, then at the quickly ckening halves of the Chimaera¡¯s heart. ¡°We have little time. We must escape this ce or die.¡± ¡°How?¡± ke looked off the edge of the tform, gut fluttering as he considered jumping. ¡°I can take us with the pool,¡± the nymph said confidently, stepping into the water. ¡°You must all link hands. We will return to the grove.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t just leave him!¡± Reba looked at all of them like they¡¯d gone mad, finishing with ke. A pillow sized piece of wood fell from above,nding a few inches from Seul-ki¡¯s head before she jerked away. ¡°The druid is powerful,¡± Calypsa said without emotion. ¡°He can take care of himself.¡± ¡°Unless he¡¯s half dead and drowning!¡± Reba¡¯s voice was turning slightly hysterical now, and ke sent a wave of calm with Mental Influence. She visibly rxed as her breathing slowed, and ke held onto the nymph and stretched out his other hand. ¡°Becky, look at me. Calypsa is right. You don¡¯t save Mason, he saves you. Now take my hand. We have to get out of here. Right now.¡± Becky¡¯s eyes filled with tears, but she stepped forward and took ke¡¯s hand. He reached down and lifted Mason¡¯spound bow and tossed it over his neck. Then Seul-ki took the nymph¡¯s other hand, and the beautiful creature closed her eyes. ¡°Do not stray from me. Walk only with the light.¡± Before ke could say something clever, the water seemed to rise and swallow him down, then everything disappeared. * * * [Chimaera killed. Group experience awarded(moderate).] [Objectivepleted: cleanse the Great Tree Rot. Group experience earned (moderate). You have earned level 14.] [Level avable. Please select your new power in the next sixty minutes, or you will gain a power at random.] Mason was in too much pain to celebrate victory or curse the system for rushing him. He¡¯d clearly broken his legs in the fall. The agony took turnsncing through him, but one thing he¡¯d learned in the new world¡ªthe human body got confused with enough suffering. Even if you were injured quite badly in multiple ways, you usually just felt the worst thing. Turned out that was his ribs. So he kicked with broken legs and swam with mostly whole arms, doing his best to find somewhere to swim. The corpse of the giant mutated creature was sinking beside him, and when he looked down to make sure it was dead, he saw something move beneath the churning waves. He swam faster. Soon he saw a long, dark shape, at least asrge as the chimaera. It moved straight to the sinking corpse of the monstrous beast, then the water churned with violence and blood. Pieces of wood and who knew what else were now falling and sshing into the pool. A piece bounced off Mason¡¯s shoulder hard enough to near break another limb, and he scanned the cavern one more time before epting reality¡ªthere was nowhere up there to swim. He shivered at the thought, terror freezing his mind and body and nking any thought or hope of survival. Then he cried out in rage, and forced himself to move¡ªhe swam down into the murky water. [Apex Predator activated. Affinity: elemental.] Mason blinked and felt his body shift. He opened his eyes, and instead of the usual pain of being exposed to water he felt some kind of film protecting them. Regretting it almost instantly, he nced over to see what looked like a giant crocodile tearing chunks out of the chimaera. Then he swam down and swept the walls for any break or gap or really any possible thing that could conceivably be¡­there! Light bent slightly in a curving arc near the bottom of the cavern. Some kind of tunnel, maybe, or a drain, or a hole. At this point he¡¯d take anything. Mason swam for his life. Several hard strokes reminded him he had two broken limbs. His thrashing broken legs managed to ovee the agony in his chest, and he saw bubbles as he unintentionally opened his mouth to scream. He forced himself to calm down and keep moving, but still his lungs burned and increased the overall trauma, and even though he saw what was clearly now a tunnel he knew he wouldn¡¯tst long without air. He thought of Apex Predator, and with something close to faith or madness, he closed his eyes and tried to breathe. Somehow, it worked. Sort of. Water sucked into his nose and mouth, then left before they reached his lungs. It wasn¡¯t remotely what he¡¯d have called a satisfying breath of air, but he wasn¡¯t dead, so that was something. He swam on, down into the tunnel, then through a darkness so deep even his enhanced senses couldn¡¯t pierce it. He pulled forward, hand over hand into what felt like nothingness, trapped in some lightless world of cold and wet and dark. Then he was through. He blinked and found the gentle slope of another cave, and soon crawled up from the water to copse onto dry, hard stone. I¡¯m still alive, he thought, rolling over tough with a slightly mad tone. [Discovered dungeon secret: The Crone¡¯s Lair] He blinked at the text, then groaned and froze as he turned over to see what looked like an old woman by a cauldron, watching him with a frown. ¡°So who are you, then?¡± she croaked as if she hadn¡¯t spoken in ages. Mason reached for his bow and found nothing, wincing when he had no idea where he¡¯d dropped it. ¡°A ranger,¡± he said, after the deepest breath he could manage. ¡°And a druid of the great forest.¡± The crone looked him up and down, then sat back on an old wooden stool, and stirred whatever was in her cauldron. ¡°What is this ce?¡± Mason said, forcing his legs straight and hoping they¡¯d heal properly. ¡°A tomb,¡± said the crone. Then, with a shrug, ¡°a ce of knowledge.¡± Mason took a better look around the cave, finding a bed of leaves, many kitchen utensils, and with surprise, what looked like a steaming pool in the far corner. ¡°The Pool of Wisdom,¡± said the crone. ¡°If such a thing appeals to you.¡± ¡°It does,¡± Mason crawled slightly closer. ¡°By the looks of you, I¡¯d say you need a pool of blood.¡± The crone chuckled as she stirred. ¡°But you¡¯ll live, won¡¯t you? I suspect you¡¯re not polite enough to die when you should.¡± She sighed and turned rheumy eyes in Mason¡¯s direction. ¡°But you found myir, and so I must offer. What do you seek, young buck? It¡¯s not wisdom. Speak in, and maybe you¡¯ll receive.¡± Mason tried to think past the pain. Whether this old woman could offer anything of value he had no idea, but something about her felt important, and he had no desire to y games or lie. ¡°Power,¡± he said, slumping to the stone. ¡°To protect those who need it. To protect those I love.¡± ¡°You are more ranger than druid, certainly,¡± said the crone. ¡°And what do druids care about?¡± Mason asked, trying not to let the pain affect his tone. ¡°Life. Knowledge.¡± The crone shrugged. ¡°But you are young and brave, and I will still help you. Catch a fish from the red waters. I will mix it with the sacred pool, and cook it for you in my cauldron. Eat the fish, and gain the pool¡¯s power.¡± That all sounded rather insane to Mason, but then this was ¡®the great game¡¯, the robopocalypse, and at this point he didn¡¯t think twice.
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Chapter 75: The Crone Chapter 75: The Crone Mason looked at his broken legs, then back at the horrible red waters he¡¯d just escaped. ¡°There¡¯s a giant crocodile in there. And I didn¡¯t see any fish.¡± The crone just stirred and shrugged, as if such petty details were beyond her concern. Mason watched his flesh slowly heal, and sighed. He knew his bones would take considerably longer, and he didn¡¯t get the impression this crone meant he should go fishing after a few hours. After a minute or two of building up the strength and courage, he crawled back into the water. He swam back through the darkness, then back into the murky waters with a quick nce to check for giant crocodiles. He gave a brief nce at the bottom, hoping somehow his bow had dropped to the bottom and would just be lying there for him to retrieve. No such luck. After swimming onward with excruciating speed and considerable agony, Mason stopped bothering to try. He closed his eyes, held onto the nymph¡¯s charm around his neck, and channeled his mana into Speak with Nature, doing his best to think of fish. [Come to me. Now.] Not the giant crocodile, he thought, not the giant crocodile. He opened his eyes and practically snorted. No doubt ke would have something to say about his ridiculously stupid superpower of talking to fish. He waited several long moments, no idea what else he would do if this didn¡¯t work, before noticing the red water sh with something pink. He blinked again, and saw a thick, maybe salmon swimming happily along, straight for him. He was practically too stunned to react, but waited until it was close before he summoned w. Still the fish came right onward, just as instructed, and with a fast beating heart he skewered the animal straight through the center. It did its best to swim away, ripping the wound further until it swam no more. With a sigh of relief, Mason dragged the fish back through the darkness and into the cave, sliding it up towards the crone. ¡°A salmon,¡± she said, as if that meant something. ¡°How interesting.¡± ¡°I caught the first fish I found,¡± Mason shrugged. And the crone smiled with her few remaining teeth. ¡°I¡¯m sure you did. So tell me, ranger and druid of the great forest¡ªyou talk of protecting others. What do you want for yourself?¡± Again Mason truly considered it before he answered, having no desire to lie to the crone. He smiled as he thought about a future away from all the madness, just him and Haley and Reba living in some secret forest near water. Maybe ke and his woman a little down the coast. ¡°I have women in my life, family,¡± he said. ¡°I would make them happy. Give them children. Live in peace. That¡¯s all I want.¡± The crone snorted, then dragged the salmon by the tail up her little hill. ¡°All males want the same. To spread their seed far and wide. But you need feel no shame, for that is the way of things.¡± She tore chunks from the fish and dropped it in her cauldron, working and cooking in silence until she retrieved it with some kind of tongs. She ced the bits and pieces of soggy fish in a cup, and walked to Mason¡¯s side. ¡°Eat and drink everything in the cup,¡± she ordered, then limped back to her chair. ¡°And I¡¯ll gain some new knowledge?¡± Mason asked, sniffing and recoiling at the smell. ¡°You will,¡± the crone nodded. Mason felt entirely ufortable with the smell of the ¡®stew¡¯, but decided he had little choice. He opened his mouth and took in the slimy chunks, forcing himself to gulp down swallow after swallow, until every drop of the liquid was gone. The crone watched him carefully now, her face expressionless. ¡°I have not seen anyone finish the cup,¡± she said, then shrugged. ¡°Perhaps you will survive.¡± Mason fought the gag and retch that followed, growling as he clenched his jaw and focused on the pain in his body instead of the awful taste in his mouth. But the taste turned to a burning, which flowed down his throat and into his gust, twisting with terrible coil. ¡°Did you poison me?¡± he growled when the pain didn¡¯t diminish. ¡°Of course,¡± said the crone. ¡°Suffering is not the only path to wisdom. But it is the fastest.¡± He tried to climb towards her, but his limbs were suddenly weak and numb and he copsed to the stone. His vision swam and filled with strange color, and he began to hear the crone chanting in anguage he didn¡¯t understand. She walked to him, and filled his vision, and the ancient woman flickered in his gaze with another, younger version, beautiful, raven haired and wild. She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against his as she chanted, holding her cauldron stirring stick in the air, which Mason now saw was a gnarled staff. Then she smiled and kissed him gently on the lips, wiping her thumb across to wipe off the moisture she¡¯d left. ¡°Rise, child,¡± she whispered in a lilting voice, then stepped away and aged and withered until she was the crone again. ¡°You survived,¡± she croaked. ¡°I always did like surprises. Congrattions.¡± [You have gained the unique power: Blessing of Gaia. Your body and spirit are infused with primal life.] [Objective gained: Earn a blessing from every ancient druid in the world.] The poison Mason had felt faded almost instantly. He rose up and stared at the text, then the crone, his eyes wide. ¡°You¡¯re a druid?¡± ¡°Once,¡± the old woman cackled. ¡°The power of life has left me now. Only wisdom remains. Go. Be useful. Protect the world from what is toe.¡± ¡°Which is what?¡± Mason felt his heart beat faster at the words. ¡°What do you mean?¡± The crone rose and walked towards her pool, leaning heavily on her staff. ¡°The same thing that alwayses, young buck. Death. Now leave me in peace. I sleep with my ancestors.¡± Without another word, or looking back, she tipped over, sshed into the water, and disappeared. * * * For a little while, Mason justy staring at the strange cave. His body still hurt, though less so with every passing moment. What exactly Blessing of Gaia did he had no idea. Infused with primal life? That seemed pretty much useless as a description. But it was time to pick a new power, so he pulled up the options. He still had the stealth package of powers he¡¯d never touched and still didn¡¯t think was worth it. If he was alone, maybe it made sense, but it seemed life now was pretty much always defending others. Ranger¡¯s Mark was getting tempting. Between the giant nts and the dungeon bosses, it seemed there were plenty of targets he needed a boost to bring down. Then the druid had a collection of spells, like Healing Wind and Stinging Swarm. They all sounded pretty excellent, but remained difficult choices because of Mason¡¯s mana. Even so¡­some kind of insect swarm into an opponent¡¯s face in a key moment¡­the ability to heal a dying person... After long seconds of staring, he took Ranger¡¯s Mark, and checked his profile.
Mason Nimitz Level: 14 Primary ss: Ranger Secondary ss: Druid Strength: 9 Dexterity: 15 Vitality: 13 Intellect: 6 Will: 10 Presence: 3 Luck: 4 Titles: Killer, Early Lead, Soloist, Crazy like a Fox, Burnt the Boats, Progenitor, Hit the Ground Running, First Blood Powers: Power Shot, Crippling Strike (enhanced), Regeneration, Predator¡¯s Strike, *Nature Affinity, Ranger¡¯s w, Endless Quiver (enhanced), Trapmaking, Aspect of the Cheetah, Blessing of Gaia, Ranger¡¯s Mark
Thepleteck of description remained infuriating. He supposed he¡¯d just have to try it like everything else, except it didn¡¯t seem to have any kind of ¡®active¡¯ ability. He could at least turn it off, apparently, though he had no idea what it did or why he would. It didn¡¯t seem to take any mana. He hoped perhaps the nymphs could tell him something. First, he needed to rest, then find a way out of the damn dungeon. Hey back and closed his eyes, hoping for a few hours of sleep in the cave. Then he heard something like boiling water. He opened one eye, and soon saw the crone¡¯s pool was starting to overflow. A momentter, a piece of the roof fell just as it had outside. ¡°Figures.¡± Mason rolled over and groaned as pain red in his ribs. More of the roof began to copse, and Mason crawled back into the water as debris sshed and sloshed all around him. If anything the cave¡¯s copse was increasing in speed, and with painful effort Mason returned to the magically dark passage and beyond. As he again entered the red waters of the main dungeon, it felt somehow¡­different. It was like the water was draining him somehow, as if it were freezing cold and sapping his warmth, except it seemed lukewarm. The feeling continued, and Mason again dove down to search for a tunnel or anything to get him out and to safety, or at least somewhere else. Anywhere else. But he saw nothing. He took deep breaths and tried not to panic. He clutched his nymph charm, perhaps just for somethingforting, as he saw the giant shape of the crocodile ahead. It seemed finished with its meal, slowly touring around the central pir. Mason could have sworn he saw it more clearly now. Rather than just a dreadful dark shape he saw the huge maw, the green scales, the hanging legs dragging through the water. Had his eyes be sharper somehow? He blinked, trying to decide, then he understood¡ªthe water was clearing. The red tinge was growing dimmer and dimmer, and Mason realized the feeling of being drained was diminishing. He looked at himself and saw a faint green light, simr to what Calypsa had shed when she was cleansing the pools. He would have been thrilled, if it wasn¡¯t for the crocodile. By the beast¡¯s movement he knew he couldn¡¯t possibly outswim it. In ast ditch panic he activated Communicate with Nature, and as he did he felt the presence of the beast¡¯s mind as he¡¯d felt the wolves. He was about to scream amand, an insult, anything that meant ¡®don¡¯t bloody eat me¡¯ when he heard the impossibly deep voice of the crocodile. Thank you, druid, for cleansing my pool. Mason tread water, somewhat dumbfounded, as the croc continued towards him. You¡¯re wee! He was trying to shout. Don¡¯t eat me! I¡¯m hardly a snack! Then the beast turned its jaw away, one of its forelegs snatching Mason with impossible strength, dragging him down into the depths. Go in peace, said the voice from the deep. But do not return. Mason plowed through the water like he was being dragged behind a boat. Then the feeling stopped, and he was hurled down towards the bottom of the cave. He opened his eyes to see another swirling pool, helpless to stop himself from diving straight in. He didn¡¯t bother to try, and the world darkened and sucked him from one ce to another, and yet again his vision transformed.
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Chapter 76: Bloody Annie Chapter 76: Bloody Annie ke shivered as his body felt squeezed through an invisible hole. Then he was standing in the familiar gloom of the great forest, Seul-ki and the raven-haired nymph holding his hand and arm. By the soft, orange light piercing the canopy, he guessed it was about mid morning. Reba stepped out in front of them. ¡°Where¡¯s Mason?¡± she panted, looking around the woods as if she might find him. ¡°He will emerge when he can,¡± said the nymph, letting go of Seul-ki and ke. ¡°What?¡± Reba ran her hands through her hair. ¡°We¡¯ve gotta find him. We can¡¯t just sit here, I mean y¡¯all have no idea what¡¯s happened, or if¡­¡± ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± the nymph exined. ¡°For us, the dungeon no longer exists. We cannot re-enter.¡± Becky looked back and forth between them, eyes growing increasingly wild. ¡°We can¡¯t just leave him. He¡¯s my¡­we can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°I love him too.¡± ke smiled gently, sending another soothing st with Mental Influence. ¡°But I¡¯ve known Mason my whole life. The only thing he ever needs saving from is himself. Give him some time. He¡¯s alive, I promise you that. And we need to get back to Nassau and make sure my people and your friends are still doing alright. OK? There¡¯s other people who need you, who need protecting.¡± Reba took deep breaths through her nose. ¡°OK.¡± She wiped a few tears from her eyes. ¡°I trust you. Though I¡¯m not sure why.¡± ke smiled with most of his charm. ¡°Because I am an extremely trustworthy individual. Calypsa my dear, can you help guide us back to Nassau? I¡¯m not saying we couldn¡¯t find it, but Mason tends to¡­handle that sort of thing¡­¡± The nymph frowned. ¡°I can. If Mistress Reba desires.¡± The farm girl blinked and looked between them with total confusion as she went slightly pink. ¡°Um, sure?¡± ¡°As you wish,¡± said the nymph without emotion. ¡°Follow me.¡± They eventually followed, walkingrgely in silence behind the nymph for a time. ke checked out his profile and his new options, happy with what he found but not ready to choose. He knew he had every logical reason to be worried about Mason, but¡­he just didn¡¯t. He couldn¡¯t. To worry about Mason was to believe he could be killed. To believe Mason wouldn¡¯t have survived ande out even stronger was just something ke was incapable of epting. So he didn¡¯t worry at all, and was having a rather pleasant walk, as far as walks in forests went. So he did his best to cheer up the others. ¡°In case I didn¡¯t say it often enough inside that awful ce¡ªyou all did wonderfully.¡± Reba smiled politely, so he gave her a shot of pride and confidence with Mental Influence before he punched her in the arm. ¡°Those shields are bloody incredible, darling! I can¡¯t imagine what else you¡¯ll get as you level up.¡± She brushed some hair away from her face and smiled more genuinely. ¡°I leveled twice in there. I can choose a kind of force attack, or like a personal shield thatsts longer. Maybe you guys could help me pick? I was hoping Mason would, but I only have an hour.¡± ¡°Of course we can! Why don¡¯t you tell us what you¡¯re thinking?¡± Reba walked through her rather boring thoughts on her options, and ke focused on fake active listening. ¡°Incredible! Truly incredible. I can see why you¡¯re struggling to decide. What does your gut say?¡± She frowned. ¡°The shield, I think. Sorta seems like my job. Maybe I can get in there a bit better without using so much energy.¡± ¡°I find the gut is usually right. I agree. Take it.¡± He smiled encouragingly. ¡°Want to test it out?¡± Reba smiled shyly but shrugged like she might as well. Calypsa turned with a scolding expression before softening it as she looked at Reba. ¡°There are creatures that detect magic in this forest, please wait until you¡¯re somewhere safe.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Reba gave one of her annoying blushes, and ke rolled his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry you¡¯ll get your chance. I¡¯m very pleased you¡¯ve joined us, Reba, you and yours. I think you¡¯re going to be a major part of the town. And I can see you make Mason happy.¡± ¡°I hope so,¡± her eyes welled slightly with tears and he regretted mentioning Mason. But still, he smiled with all the confidence in the world. ¡°I know so.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s what I do, my dear.¡± ke winked. ¡°I talk too much, and I know things. ¡°You make a good couple, then,¡± she said, then started going pink. ¡°You and Seul-ki, I mean. It¡¯s just¡­Seul-ki doesn¡¯t say much. I mean that¡¯s OK, I like it, I just mean¡­oh I¡¯m so bad at this, I don¡¯t mean nothing.¡± keughed, and Seul-ki provided a polite smile. ¡°I am not offended, Miss Reba. I speak when I wish to speak. But you¡¯re right, it¡¯s nice to have ke do most of the talking.¡± ke took a breath and put aforting hand on the country girl¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re a very sweet girl. But you don¡¯t have to worry about offending us. Hell, we¡¯re practically family.¡± ¡°Quiet,¡± Calysta hissed from ahead. ¡°Well that¡¯s a touch rude,¡± ke muttered, before the nymph held up her hand and pointed at a cluster of trees, the base of their trunks obscured by bush. ¡°There¡¯s something watching us,¡± she whispered, easing her spear from her back. The shrubs shook, and ke saw movement and something red just as it emerged and came running forward. ¡°Please help!¡± A young woman almostpletely covered in blood took several steps before dropping to her knees. Her voice was hoarse and afraid, and she looked up at ke and the women with veined, desperate eyes. ¡°Please help me.¡± Then her bruised, puffy face ckened, her pupils flickered and rolled, and the young woman copsed to the dirt with a few twitches before she stilled. ¡°I¡¯m thinking we take a short rest,¡± ke said wryly. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can carry her without Mason.¡± The nymph put away her spear, stepped to the prone body of the stranger, and lifted her over a shoulder. ¡°We can proceed.¡± The girl kind of mumbled and groaned so at least she was still alive. On something of a whim, ke decided to tap into her mind. He activated Mental Influence, and knew instantly something was wrong. The normal cascade of options flickered then vanished, reced by dark, terrified images that assaulted his vision. The world before him swam like the air above a fire. His head pounded and he felt almost trapped in the girl¡¯s mind. He reached desperately for Seul-ki, fighting the dark tunnel that swelled in his vision. But it kept squeezing, and kept squeezing¡­he was pretty sure he screamed.
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Chapter 77: A little trouble Chapter 77: A little trouble ke vaguely recalled entering an unconscious person¡¯s mind. He found himself standing in a strange, shadowy world, with blinking scenes of poorly lit structures. People ran everywhere. Beasts howled in the dark, their footfalls and dragging ws scraping against concrete. None of it saw or bothered ke. He walked on and observed the people were young and in uniforms, almost like a high school. He followed them into the buildings¡ªinto long corridors filled with rooms that looked all the same. Yes, he decided, a school. Yet everything seemed somehow¡­off. Too stic. Too many missing details. Like a school plucked from a child¡¯s memory. But the dying seemed real. Giant snakes slithered through the halls. Huge worms with frightening maws ripped from the earth and devoured people whole. Packs of orcs dragged girls screaming into the dark. The bloody stranger whose mind ke was in ran through it all. She carried an emergency fire-axe dripping blood, limping as if hurt. Her nametag said ¡®Annie¡¯. Then an orc stepped in her path and growled. She leapt through the air with a wild, almost feral scream, her little arms swinging the axe in a brutal, double-handed overhand chop. The orc first jerked in obvious surprise, then because there was a fire axe buried in his brain. Annie smashed him to the ground and practically roared--which was more like a girlish squeal. Then ripped the axe out and stared straight at ke. ¡°Please. Help me. I don¡¯t want to do this anymore!¡± ke felt a little like the surprised orc. He came back to himself and sighed, then tried to use Mental Influence to do...something. Instead the darkness shimmered and popped like a kernel of corn as he activated the power, and the girl¡¯s eyes rolled back until she copsed. The darkness vanished. ke opened his eyes to find Seul-ki holding him on the ground. [Hidden Psion ss Power Discovered: Dream Walk] He sat up, pleased at the power but entirely unhappy at the loss of control. He stood with a groan and saw the girl was also fluttering awake, and lost the pleasant mood he¡¯d had since the end of the dungeon. ¡°Set her down,¡± hemanded. Calypsa nced at him but made no move to obey. ¡°Your town is close. If you¡¯re capable, we should continue a little ways further and you can see to¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mistake my charm for ack of authority,¡± ke barked, no longer wearing his pleasant mask. ¡°Set her down. Now.¡± The nymph reacted the same as most people when ke lost his patience. Her eyes opened slightly in surprise, and she set the girl on her feet. ¡°You¡¯re safe, Annie.¡± ke noticed even the girl¡¯s nametag was entirely coated in blood. ¡°We¡¯re taking you to a safe ce now.¡± Her hugely dted pupils shot between his eyes. ¡°You¡­you were in my mind. In my dream. How did you¡­¡± He smiled apologetically. ¡°Only to help. I can see you¡¯ve been through quite an ordeal.¡± She nodded and clearly fought a sob. ¡°Was that a tutorial I saw?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she swallowed. ¡°I just left it.¡± ke raised a brow and nced at the others. ¡°Just? Ours ended ages ago.¡± ¡°The headmaster...it said...it said I couldn¡¯t go in until my eighteenth birthday.¡± The girl wiped at her face in some kind of nervous tick. ¡°I was in a¡­strange ce, a fake world. Most of the people weren¡¯t really people¡­they were like robots. Then they said I was ready and gave me a ss, and took me to the tutorial. There was a lot of us, and we were supposed to figure out how to get out of this old building, but we couldn¡¯t. And then there were all these creatures. And they broke in and found us. And they started...killing everyone.¡± Annie went pale and closed her eyes as she stopped speaking. ke was too curious about her situation to remember to do the human things he should have. But she was a yer, he realized, not a civilian, so he flooded her mind with Mentally Influencedfort and trust. ¡°How very interesting,¡± he said, looking at the canopy. ¡°Have any of you others seen children in this new world?¡± They all shook their heads. ¡°It seems our wise overlord took them all¡­elsewhere,¡± ke shrugged, ¡°as if it¡¯s preparing them for the new world somewhat. Then when they¡¯ve e of age¡¯, they¡¯re brought to the party. Very interesting indeed.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen anyone older than maybe sixty or sixty five, either,¡± said Reba. ¡°Phuong is the oldest.¡± ¡°How old is he exactly?¡± ¡°Not sure. Sixty four, I think he said.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ke was grinning because there was few things he liked more than gaining information. ¡°It seems roboGod has decided, or else thinks we¡¯ve decided, that approximately from one to seventeen and sixty six and older are outside the rules. One wonders exactly what it does with the older ones.¡± Then he put that knowledge away and turned back to the girl. ¡°Well, Annie. You¡¯ve survived when many others didn¡¯t, and that¡¯s something to be proud of. You¡¯re wee toe with us, we have a ce for you. A town where you¡¯ll be safe.¡± ¡°Oh thank you.¡± The girl threw her arms around him and sobbed. He decided underneath all that blood she was rather cute and buxom, and just the kind of thing he would ordinarily not mind pressed up against him. But this one seemed a little¡­chaotic¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t know what to do,¡± she went on crying. ¡°And I saw these giant snake creatures. They were eating a deer, or I don¡¯t know what. This ce is just as bad as the tutorial. I saw you, but that woman, she looked not quite human¡­and I didn¡¯t know¡­I was afraid¡­¡± ke raised a brow at the others. ¡°There there. You needn¡¯t worry now. I always know what to do.¡± He checked his watch. ¡°Should we take a rest? Continue after a little lunch?¡± Calypsa didn¡¯t look quite so keen to tell him otherwise, which pleased him. But he raised an eyebrow as if waiting for an answer, and she frowned. ¡°I can invigorate you all with magic to renew you, if you wish.¡± ¡°Oh? Well that¡¯s handy.¡± ke turned to Annie. ¡°Are you alright to walk for a little while? You look a bit¡­worse for wear.¡± ¡°Oh. It¡¯s not my blood,¡± she said with a somewhat haunted expression. ¡°Anything that gets me out of this forest, I¡¯ll do.¡± An inappropriate joke nearly touched ke¡¯s lips, but he fought it down. ¡°There¡¯s a brave girl. Well there you have it, then. Invigorate away, mistress of the forest.¡± The nymph closed her eyes and muttered some words, and a green light grew from her chest and consumed them all. ke watched it all very carefully, trying to understand, cursing hisck of true arcane knowledge or how to identify anything. Seul-ki knew more and he¡¯d ask herter. But for now it felt rather wonderful. Then they were all practically running back to Nassau like a collection of speed-addled teenagers, ke cycling through the numbers of pi just for something to do. ¡°Wow.¡± He ran a figure eight around some trees and turned to the others. ¡°This must be how Mason feels all the time.¡± He saw Reba noticeably dete at Mason¡¯s name, and cleared his throat. It felt like hours, but likely wasn¡¯t. Then the square walls of his beautiful settlement came into view, and all the dirt and itchy life of the woods would soon be a memory. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for a shower,¡± he muttered, mostly to himself. * * * ¡°Thank you, Calypsa,¡± ke smiled at the gate. ¡°Would you like toe in? Look around? Do you, er, eat or drink? I feel I should offer you something.¡± The nymph stared at Reba as if ke hadn¡¯t spoken at all. ¡°I will return to my sister, mistress. Goodbye.¡± She turned and walked back into the trees, and ke blew a little air. ¡°Life of the party, that one.¡± He turned to Reba with a grin. ¡°But I suppose she has her uses.¡± The girl turned a satisfying red, so ke left her alone. ¡°If someone wouldn¡¯t mind taking our guest in and showing her around a bit?¡± ¡°I can do that,¡± Reba said, getting the hint. ¡°Thank you.¡± ke smiled. ¡°If that¡¯s alright with you, Miss Annie?¡± The girl nodded enthusiastically, eyes wide as she took in the settlement. ¡°Very good. I need to check in with my subordinates. Seul-ki?¡± ke extended his hand, then walked with his lover through the gates. As he walked he kept his smile and nodded to the many well-wishers and new citizens of Nassau. He hadn¡¯t been lying¡ªhe did need to check in with his subordinates, but first things were first. He walked straight to Mason¡¯s house. Haley opened the door, and ke walked right in without being invited. She looked somewhat confused, and only when the door closed did ke drop his smile and let a little concern show. ¡°Your contract with Mason. Is it still in tact?¡± The beautiful blonde¡ªwho ke already considered a sister-inw¡ªstepped back as if pped before her eyes zed as she examined her profile. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s fine¡­why are you asking if¡­¡± ¡°Mason ran into trouble in our little dungeon.¡± ke let out a few hours worth of anxiety in a single breath as he sat at the table. ¡°He¡¯s him, so I didn¡¯t expect anything else. But, it¡¯s nice to know for sure.¡± He saw the concern spreading across Haley¡¯s face and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have asked you. I didn¡¯t truly doubt him. Not for a second.¡± ¡°Nor I,¡± Haley said, and they exchanged a tight lipped smile. ¡°Well.¡± ke stood and pushed out his chair. ¡°Things to do. Settlements to run.¡± He paused and let out a little truth. ¡°I haven¡¯t told you¡­how pleased I am, that you¡¯re with us.¡± The French Canadian smiled, and ke certainly understood his brother¡¯s attraction. ¡°I know I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°Incorrigible?¡± Haley finished. ¡°Annoying? Perpetually selfish?¡± ¡°I was going to say demanding.¡± ke shot her a teasing re. ¡°But I feel like you¡¯re part of the family already. That¡¯s all I meant to say. That you can share some of our burdens.¡± The usually stoic Haley actually teared up a little, and ke decided it was time to leave. All that sentiment was a bit too much. ¡°Mason will be back soon, I have no doubt. But I expect Reba won¡¯t wait very well. She may¡­end up loitering, near the gate, possibly, or¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll check on her,¡± Haley said, the wetness gone from her eyes. ¡°Thank you,¡± ke smiled onest time then opened the door, putting Mason¡¯s women from his mind. He¡¯d left Garet in charge of the yers, and his old friend Hank the fisherman in charge of the civilians. Hank he trusted with his life¡ªhe¡¯d already saved it once¡ªbut Garet¡­well, he was the best option in a currently average pool of talent. Though by all ounts old Phuong would be an excellent recement, if the transition and rtionships could be managed¡­ ¡°Hank!¡± ke waved when he saw his civilian master inspecting some craftsmen at work in the new section. ¡°The chief returns.¡± Hank grinned, then ke went forward and shook the older man¡¯s hand, genuinely happy to see him. ¡°How goes the town?¡± Hank shrugged, but looked pleased. ¡°We¡¯ve figured out the cksmith, some of the tannery tools. We¡¯ve even made a few decent pairs of pants and gloves.¡± He gestured to a table where a middle-aged Filipino woman worked at some leather. ¡°Cynthia here was a seamstress in Man in the old world. She¡¯s been teaching us all a thing or two.¡± ¡°Sir Hank is too kind,¡± said Cynthia. ¡°But yes, I know how to sew some things.¡± ke gave her a winning smile. ¡°You¡¯re too modest. And for every piece of gear someone uses, you¡¯ll earn points to use in the growing storage. So keep it up.¡± ¡°About that,¡± Hank said somewhat lower as they stepped away from the station. ¡°We¡¯re not running out of food by any means, but we are losing¡­diversity. Things like basic carbs¡ªpotatoes, wheat¡ªtheye back fast, along with some of the canned goods. But meates back slow. So do most of the more desirable ¡®treats¡¯. I¡¯ve had to lock storage because folks try and hoard it. I think we need to start hunting and gathering.¡± ke sighed, thinking about the many predators they¡¯d found in the woods. ¡°Alright. Good work. I¡¯ll talk with the yers, and we¡¯ll figure out something.¡± ¡°I know you will, kid. There¡¯sints and problems, no doubt, but overall things are good. The civilians love the new entertainment hall. Most spend all their evenings there.¡± ¡°d to hear it.¡± ke smiled and turned towards his hall, eager to get to his chair and start looking for Mason and exploring more of the world and¡­checking the minds of all his yers¡­ But he supposed he should talk to them first. See how things faired. After not taking any of them to the dungeon, he expected to find a far less enthusiastic wee.
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Chapter 78: Gaia blessed Chapter 78: Gaia blessed Mason¡¯s vision swirled from ck to blue, then a soothing, familiar green. He gasped for air, watching Apex Predator¡¯s effect still save him as he instead took in a mouthful of water. He spun in a circle with open eyes, finding a small pool with a waterfall and covered in maybe giant leaves. He grinned, and pushed upwards, bursting out of the water to see the nymph¡¯s grove in all its safe, peaceful glory. Thea spun from atop her frond, shrieking in panic as her eyes widened and she fell into the water. Mason was too tired and wounded to leap after her andfort her. He paddled to the side of the pool and grabbed the side, sagging in relief. ¡°It¡¯s just me,¡± he muttered. ¡°The druid. Most of him.¡± Thea rose from the water with eyes zing green, her hands held like a sculptor as she muttered something beneath her breath. Then she blinked, and her nostrils red, and the glow in her eyes vanished as her whole beautiful face curled into a concerned smile. ¡°Druid! But how did you?¡± She raced forward and wrapped her arms around Mason¡¯s chest. ¡°Easy, easy,¡± he groaned. ¡°I came up from the tree. Through a pool.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve learned to Waterwalk?¡± ¡°What? No. Wait, waterwalk?¡± A giant croc tossed me like a ragdoll, he thought but didn¡¯t say. ¡°I found some kind of portal.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wounded. Let me help you.¡± She helped him out of the pool, where he slumped at the edge and groaned as he closed his eyes. Then he heard Streak barking, surprised as the animal came running from the side of the pool to lick his face. ¡°Woah, hey to you too, buddy. Where the hell did youe from?¡± ¡°He arrived at our tree in something of a panic,¡± Thea exined. ¡°It seems he ran here. From your human town. He felt you were in danger.¡± Mason gave the wolf a good scratch before he groaned to a sit. Thea was already fussing with some nts and poultices, thering his skin and muttering some kind of spell. ¡°Wait,¡± Mason squinted. ¡°He ran here? That would have taken at least a day. How long since we left for the tree?¡± ¡°Two days, druid.¡± Thea bit her lip as she ran her hands down Mason¡¯s chest, and he got the feeling it wasn¡¯t strictly necessary for his healing. Two days? How was that possible? It meant he¡¯d somehow lost at least twenty-four hours and probably more. The others would likely think he was dead, or at least in serious trouble. Shit. ¡°I can tend all your ills, druid.¡± Thea¡¯s rubbing was getting more intense by the moment. ¡°These nts will speed your natural healing along with the magic of the grove.¡± She rubbed it over more and more of his skin, working her way down towards his waist. He had to admit, it did feel rather pleasant. Something touched his cheek, and he flinched before realizing the vines had stretched from the walls, curling gently around him. ¡°They are happy to see you, druid,¡± Thea beamed. ¡°Already they have grown considerably.¡± ¡°Well.¡± Mason cleared his throat. ¡°You can tell them I¡¯m fine. They don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°Tell them yourself,¡± Thea said. ¡°They would love to hear your voice.¡± Mason activated Speak with Nature. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll live. The vines stilled, then slowly recoiled, returning to the wall before entwining amongst themselves. ¡°You¡¯re different, druid,¡± Thea looked almost flushed as she inspected Mason. ¡°More alive, somehow.¡± He snorted. ¡°Thank you. But at the moment I don¡¯t feel it.¡± ¡°Well.¡± She leaned forward, giving him a clear view of her ample cleavage, then running her body lightly against his skin. ¡°You¡¯re free to stay here as long as you wish, until you are fully convalesced.¡± As usual, Thea was half naked. And gorgeous. Despite feeling like a ton of shit in a one pound bag, Mason felt his body reacting to her presence with arousal. But he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Reba and ke not knowing if he was alive or dead. If it was him he would want to know they were OK as soon as possible. ¡°No,¡± he said with difficulty. ¡°I can¡¯t stay. But the tree is cleansed. And I¡¯ll be back, I promise. We need to talk about where I find the others.¡± Thea beamed and hugged him, which hurt. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she kept hugging despite his grunt. ¡°I¡¯m just so pleased.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Calypsa?¡± Mason nced around the grove again as he slowly pushed Thea away. ¡°She apanied your friends back to theirir. Now she is Treewalking and scouting the other Great Trees for further cleansing. She¡¯ll return soon. If you wait, you can give seed to both of us!¡± The way Thea just so casually and excitedly discussed getting Mason off was damn near impossible to resist. But he managed. Barely. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t.¡± With another grunt he forced himself to stand up and leave the edge of the pool. ¡°I¡¯lle back in a few days,¡± he said, ignoring the nymph¡¯s pouty eyes. ¡°Oh. Do you happen to know what the Blessing of Gaia means?¡± The nymph blinked. ¡°Of course. Every sister of Gaia has this blessing.¡± ¡°But¡­what does it do?¡± Thea smiled. ¡°I sometimes forget you are a very young and inexperienced druid. The blessing of Gaia is what gives us our eternal youth, and our¡­¡± here she smiled. ¡°Our effect on living things.¡± ¡°You mean the power that basically froze me while you seduced me?¡± She looked a little embarrassed, then he actually thought about what she¡¯d said. ¡°Wait, what was that about eternal youth?¡± The nymph¡¯s smile returned. ¡°These bodies are not immortal, but they do not age. At least not as most living creatures understand it. Gaia¡¯s waters renew us, wherever they are found.¡± Mason blinked, repeating her words again and again in his mind. ¡°You mean, you¡¯re saying, you live¡­¡± ¡°Forever. Yes. As long as we have ess to the pools. Though of course we can be killed in other ways.¡± Mason suddenly needed to sit down. His head felt heavy and he braced himself against a giant mushroom. ¡°And¡­what if a man, a druid like me¡­were to receive such a blessing?¡± Thea¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh, druid! I knew I sensed a change! Has Gaia blessed you? Please tell me it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure what else to say. ¡°In the pool I met an ancient woman who imed to be a druid. She made me eat a fish, and drink from a Pool of Wisdom, as she called it. And that was it.¡± Thea put her hands over her mouth, then practically leapt with joy. ¡°You¡¯ve found an ancient! Then you are immortal like us. You will never leave us! And to be blessed so young.¡± Her eyes roamed him hungrily, her hands on his shoulders. ¡°I must taste your seed. The power of it now. You must stay and¡­¡± ¡°When I¡¯m back.¡± Mason tried to politely disentangle himself. Thea suddenly looked like a starving animal, and Mason was pretty sure he¡¯de apart if he tried to satisfy her in his current condition. ¡°I promise. When I¡¯m back.¡± With that he backed slowly to the edge of the tree, Thea following him with her hands still roaming his body. He set one palm on Streak, then the other against the outer wall of the grove, and epted the prompt. ¡°See you soon,¡± he managed before the world went dark. He looked up at the familiar canopy of his forest, letting out a long breath in the cool night air. ¡°Right. Immortality, apparently. Just another day in the woods.¡± He tried desperately not to let the ramifications and emotions of such a thing overwhelm him, for the moment facing reality as it was, one practical problem at a time. He supposed in his heart, he thought somehow this game was going to end. That things might somehow go back to a kind of normal. Or at least stop being so dangerous. But¡­immortality? How long was this God damn game going tost? ¡°Ready, buddy?¡± Streak licked his chops and stared out at the trees in anticipation. ¡°We¡¯re not going full speed for awhile.¡± Mason rolled his shoulders and groaned. ¡°I¡¯m still hurt. So go bloody easy on me, alright?¡± He turned towards Nassau and moved to a jog, and the wolf yipped and flew past him at top speed.
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Chapter 79: Welcome home Chapter 79: Wee home The journey back to Nassau was long, and surreal, but Mason was d for the time to think. It only took a few hours before he¡¯d recovered almost entirely, and soon it was the young wolf who scampered to keep up, tongue lolling and slobbering. ¡°Oh don¡¯t you darein.¡± He red down at the creature. ¡°You could have gone easy on me when you had the chance.¡± Mason leapt a fallen tree and ran on, glorying in the speed of Aspect of the Cheetah. But then the wolf didn¡¯t seem at all unhappy. He ran all day, and finally Mason stooped to give him some water from his sk. They took a small rest when it started to rain, and he shared thest of his venison and rations. Mason could see well enough in the dark to continue, and knew if he pressed on he¡¯d reach Nassau before morning. With a quick debate in his mind, he decided to do it. If it were him, he wouldn¡¯t want to spend an extra night wondering if someone he cared about was dead, and figured he¡¯d spare ke, Reba, and probably Haley that misery. Wait, he realized. Haley had a contract. He pulled up his profile and saw it clear as day along with Kiaan¡¯s. That meant she¡¯d know he was alive, wouldn¡¯t she? Surely it would disappear if he died? He could see no other way for it to work, which meant she¡¯d always know. The thought brought him considerablefort, though he supposed he could still be imprisoned somewhere or at the edge of death and fading without her knowing. Hopefully, she¡¯d told ke and Reba he was at least alive. ¡°Ready boy?¡± he gave the wolf a pat, then took off at afortable running pace. They forged on in the now wet dark, Mason feeling entirely himself again, his wounds healedpletely, his body maybe stronger than ever. He wondered what new powers his brother and Reba might have earned in the dungeon, what rewards they might have gotten. Just the thought of Reba made him smile. Already she was feeling part of the family, though he wasn¡¯t sure how that happened so fast. She was so warm and beautiful and amazing. So different than Haley in her genuine innocence. But he trusted both of them, he realized, which was new. All his life he¡¯d be used to only trusting ke. He¡¯d loved his foster parents, but they had always been more ¡®guardians¡¯ than parents, and it just wasn¡¯t the same. He couldn¡¯t rely on them, not when the chips were down, or at least that¡¯s how he¡¯d always felt. But Haley couldn¡¯t leave him, literally, and had asked not to be able to. He couldn¡¯t be sure, of course, but he didn¡¯t think Reba ever would either. It was a strange, wonderful feeling, and it urged him on towards the town and to see them again. A few miles out from Nassau, Streak¡¯s ears ttened. Mason respected the creature¡¯s senses enough to slow down and be wary. He stopped at a tree and strained to see or smell anything in the gloom, finally noticing a young doe standing near some bushes, chewing with her ears raised in caution. It shouldn¡¯t have been enough to rm the powerful wolf, whose reaction was concern and not opportunity. Mason turned back to Streak to be sure, activating Speak with Nature. [What do you sense?] The animal met his eyes and growled. Predators. Beneath the ground. Beneath the ground? What? Mason furrowed his brow in confusion, not sure how to search for a threat from beneath him. Then the doe suddenly stopped eating and raised its head. As she did, the dirt around her exploded like and mine had gone off. Something huge and grey emerged from the earth, snapping with a circr maw, seizing the deer with monstrous strength. In less than a second, it pulled it down into the dirt. The doe cried out, then vanished, hooves yankedst until nothing remained but a hole, and some scattered earth. ¡°OK.¡± Mason blinked at the remains. ¡°To hell with all that. Time to run.¡± Streak seemed happy to oblige. Together they bolted for Nassau at top speed, neither so much as pausing until they saw the gates. Mason waved at the tower guard, who returned it as if nothing were wrong, and opened the sliding doors. Mason could still see light and smoke from inside the settlement, and expected it was maybe around 4am. He stepped inside, and found Reba wrapped in a sweater and nket, set up at a make-shift table in the town square. She blinked sleepily then turned towards the open gate, rising up as her eyes opened fully. ¡°Mason!¡± She ran down the slight hill, nket open like wings. He couldn¡¯t help but grin as he walked towards her. She didn¡¯t particrly slow down, leaping into his arms and wrapping herself around his chest. ¡°Oh my God. I was so worried.¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± he soothed, holding her tight and breathing in her scent and warmth. ¡°You smell so good,¡± she muttered into his chest, drawing a deep, almost strange breath against him. He snorted, somewhat surprised. ¡°That¡¯s hard to believe. I haven¡¯t changed since the dungeon, and I¡¯ve been bleeding and sweating pretty much since¡­¡± She cut him off as she buried her face deeper into his chest and sniffed him again, making a little shuddering sound before she turned her lips up towards him. He gave her a kiss, and she took his lip in her mouth and sucked before she licked her lips. ¡°I guess you missed me.¡± He smiled. Reba nodded enthusiastically. ¡°I told her you were fine.¡± Haley came out of the hall with a notepad and a smile. She was dressed like an office assistant, her hair done up and tied tight in a ponytail. She looked him up and down. ¡°But it¡¯s nice to see you in one piece.¡± Mason grinned, and held out an arm. ¡°Come here.¡± The curvy blonde sauntered down with swaying hips, more reserved than he¡¯d ever seen her. Reba tried to pull away slightly as if to give Haley her turn, but he held on and just shifted her to one arm. Haley gave him a chaste, French style kiss on the cheeks before he put his lips to hers and brought her in for a hug. ¡°Mmm,¡± she closed her eyes, inhaling too now that she was so close. ¡°She¡¯s right¡­you smell like¡­¡± ¡°Biscuits and gravy,¡± Reba said with closed eyes. ¡°I was going to say French pudding.¡± Mason almostughed as both Haley and Reba opened their eyes, their facesing up against his neck as they wrapped themselves tighter around him. He was starting to notice the few guards still awake were watching the three of them with somebination of jealousy and resentment. He cleared his throat, and pulled the girls slightly away. ¡°I¡¯ve had a long few days,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Maybe we should all head back to my house. Haley can update me on what I¡¯ve missed, and we can argue about what food I smell like there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Reba flushed a little. ¡°Of course.¡± Reba and Haley released their death grips and started walking, and Mason ignored the various, jealous stares. He took both girls in an arm as they walked back towards his house, a bit of excitement building in his gut. * * * They were all smiling as they walked to the door, though Reba looked a bit nervous. Mason opened it and led the way. Now that he was paying attention, it was very clear how Haley his entire house was. Flowers sat in every windowsill. A growing hoard of cooking utensils and tools hung all over the kitchen. And even his furniture had been covered in pillows and nkets. To say it had ¡®a feminine touch¡¯ was an understatement, and Reba was looking at it, too. ¡°Maybe I should¡­let you two catch up,¡± she said, suddenly twisting her hands together. ¡°Then you and I can talkter?¡± ¡°No need,¡± Haley said. ¡°You stay. I¡¯ve little to tell him, and I can get some more work done at the hall. We can talk tomorrow, er,ter.¡± Mason snorted as he ushered them both in. ¡°Well, I want you both to stay, if that counts for anything. Why don¡¯t you get a drink and rx while I take a quick shower and change?¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Reba said shyly, clearly still ufortable. ¡°Do you like wine?¡± Mason heard Haley say as he stripped and walked into the house¡¯s rtively small, but pleasant shower. How the electricity and water supply actually worked in Nassau he still had no idea, but for now left such things to ke and roboGod. He cleaned off the blood and grime and tried not to think about Haley and Becky in a naked tangle of limbs and open mouths while he thought again about the Blessing of Gaia. Our effect on other creatures. Wasn¡¯t that what the Nymph had said? He thought about the first time the nymphs had seduced him¡ªit was about smell as much as anything, a scent from his childhood overpowering his senses. He¡¯d felt almost unable or at least unwilling to resist. Was that part of the Blessing? Is that what the girls had been smelling? Yet they hadn¡¯t been overwhelmed like he¡¯d been. Of course, in reality he was filthy and reeking. The nymph grove was filled with magic andfort, and the ¡®sisters of Gaia¡¯ themselves were half naked and ready for seduction. Maybe it was time to think a little more like a nymph¡­ He showered quickly, then came out wearing nothing but a towel. Haley and Becky were sharing an awkward drink, but Mason had little doubt they¡¯d like each other if they got to talking. Hopefully more than talking. Haley noticed him first. Her eyes widened slightly then scanned up and down his constantly improving body before Becky turned and looked too. ¡°I just realized,¡± Mason ran a hand through his hair as he came forward. ¡°I have no idea where you actually keep my clothes. Though I guess all I really need is sweat pants or something.¡± This time he physically saw as his scent or aura or whatever the hell it was hit them. Haley drew back slightly and stared at his chest. Reba literally closed her eyes and inhaled. He took a few more steps forward, approaching the table before running a finger down Haley¡¯s cheek. ¡°Do you know where they are?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she said, and swallowed. He offered his hand and helped her to her feet. She was so beautiful and enthralled he couldn¡¯t help himself, leaning in to kiss her gently on the lips. She closed her eyes and moaned slightly, and he felt the towel pushing against his growing erection. ¡°Did you miss me?¡± He smiled, tracing the same finger down her neck and shoulder. She just licked her lips, seemingly unable to speak, just as he¡¯d been with the nymphs those weeks ago. He pulled her in for the proper hug he hadn¡¯t given her at the gate, smiling at Reba over Haley¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Come here,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t like you looking lonely over there.¡± The country girl bit her lip and stood, walking over to Mason¡¯s extended arm anding in for a hug on his other side. They both smelled and felt incredible against him, and he kissed the top of Haley¡¯s head as he ran his fingers through Becky¡¯s hair. ¡°Look, I know this is weird,¡± he said, then shrugged, waiting until they each looked up at him. ¡°But I want both of you. I don¡¯t want either of you to leave. I just want us to all stay here¡­together.¡± He leaned down, very slowly, and kissed Haley¡¯s soft lips as he cupped Reba¡¯s cheek. ¡°Would you like that?¡± Becky practically gulped as her skin went pink. ¡°Um, like the flower room?¡± ¡°Like the flower room,¡± Mason agreed with a smile. ¡°I expect I¡¯m missing something,¡± Haley quirked a devious brow, and Mason kissed her cheek and neck until she closed her eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to the bed, and I¡¯ll show you.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Reba looked around the house and fidgeted with her hands. ¡°I mean I don¡¯t want to intrude. We can always¡­I don¡¯t know¡­take turns? And¡­¡± ¡°Is that what you want?¡± Mason asked. ¡°To have me every other night? Or do you want to share my bed every night, starting now?¡± Becky¡¯s chest heaved slightly, and Mason leaned forward and kissed her, running his hand down her back. ¡°Every night,¡± she breathed into his mouth with closed eyes. ¡°Every night it is,¡± he said, feeling the towel push up further as he went hard. Lust was rising up now like an impatient beast, and Mason could hardly stand to wait a moment longer. He gripped both girls¡¯ asses in his hands. ¡°Now chug those sses, and start stripping.¡± Chapter 80: Like the flower room (NSFW) Chapter 80: Like the flower room (NSFW) Haley went first, of course. She was already all in and threw back her wine with a hungry look as she started unbuttoning her blouse. Becky took a deep breath then did the same, raising both arms as she peeled her thin sweater over her head. Mason watched her round tits bounce at the motion, her erect nipples showing through the tight white t-shirt underneath. She wasn¡¯t wearing a bra. ¡°Still not fair,¡± Mason said. ¡°All I¡¯ve got is a towel.¡± Becky bit her lip and unbuttoned her pants before wiggling out of her jeans. Haley smiled and took the straps off her dress, letting it fall down to her waist. Then she took off her bra to expose her full breasts, nipples pink and upright and amazing. She hiked up the bottom of her dress to show a ck, paper thin thong. ¡°Come here.¡± Mason felt his voice getting husky. Haley obeyed instantly, stepping to him as she locked his gaze with her bright, blue eyes. He kissed her and took a handful of her ass, groaning as she slid her hand over the front of his towel, her soft breasts sliding against his chest. Reba approached more slowly, still obviously shy and uncertain. The thought of breaking down that resistance nearly drove him mad, and when she came close enough he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. He paused when their lips were close, then kissed her until she moaned and opened, exploring her with his tongue. ¡°What was in that wine,¡± she mumbled. Haleyughed. ¡°It¡¯s actually quite weak. And not very good.¡± Reba giggled, and Mason pulled them closer together, until Haley¡¯s exposed chest was against Becky¡¯s t-shirt. ¡°I guess we¡¯re just drunk on Mason,¡± Haley said with a teasing tone. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s happy to hear that,¡± Reba added. Mason most certainly was happy. He leaned in and kissed Haley, then Reba, pulling them even closer. ¡°Taste each other,¡± he said, feeling more and more ovee with lust. Becky went slightly pink, but still leaned in as Haley crossed the gap and kissed her. At first it was just their lips, but soon Becky closed her eyes and opened her mouth, and Haley stuck in her tongue. Mason squeezed their asses and pushed them together. Then he pulled up Becky¡¯s shirt so their tits would squash together, and soon Becky was moaning as she wrapped herself around Haley. He put his hands down the back of both their panties, sliding his fingers along their tight openings from behind. They kept making out, so he kept rubbing and finally slipped a finger inside both of them. Both girls gasped and finally broke off their kiss as they looked up at him with half-lidded, lust-filled eyes. ¡°You always get what you want, don¡¯t you?¡± Becky breathed as she pushed her ass against his hand. ¡°Only the important things.¡± He pushed his fingers deeper. Then Haley flicked the front of his towel, and it dropped to the floor leaving him naked, fully erect, and very hard. ¡°Oops.¡± Haley smiled, lowering herself down to her knees. Reba looked down at him and went to join, but he kept her standing. ¡°Not yet.¡± He kissed her again, then helped her pull off the t-shirt as Haley wrapped a hand around his shaft and started licking his balls. Then he pulled Becky¡¯s panties down and turned her sideways to work her pussy with both hands¡ªone on her clit, the other fingering her from behind. She closed her eyes, and maybe just for something to do with her hands, she held Haley¡¯s pony tail as if in encouragement. Then Mason¡¯s cock was plunging into the warm, wet hole of Haley¡¯s mouth, as her thick lips slid like silk along his shaft, her tongue teasing his head. ¡°Bedroom,¡± he growled, unable to stand it a moment longer. When the girls didn¡¯t move fast enough he pulled Haley up and pushed Becky along. He held them both by their hair, marching them to the bed as Haley looked over her shoulder and wiggled her ass as she walked. They were going to climb on, but giggled in surprise as Mason instead bent them both over the side of the mattress. They looked at each other on the bed, giggling again as they raised their asses higher in the air. A perfect peach for Becky, leading down to tight, moist lips with her tiny folds just barely showing. Haley¡¯s hips were wider, her ass round and thick, her pussy dripping and already gaping. Mason could have just stood admiring the view if it wasn¡¯t all for him. ¡°Fuck her first, Master,¡± Haley groaned, ¡°I want to see her cum.¡± Reba bit her lip as Mason circled her asshole with his thumb. Then he yed with her lips with his tip, giving her plenty of time to get ready. He eased himself deeper and deeper, until he felt her slide open fully and he pushed balls deep with a moan. ¡°I love your noises,¡± Becky closed her eyes and spread her legs. Her face was already red like she was halfway to orgasm, her eyes barely able to focus. ¡°Oh fuck me, Mason. Please.¡± Mason practically growled as he mmed into her. His vision blurred and he lost all conscious sense of ns of how to touch her. He just pumped inside her again and again, arching her back with her hair, groping her ass, and wrapping his hands beneath to hold her tits. Then she was crying out and clenching her pussy all around him, and he knew he had another girl waiting but in that moment just didn¡¯t care. He came when she did, driving hard into her as he felt his balls empty with stream after stream. He stayed motionless inside her for several breaths of bliss before Becky opened her eyes with something like rm. ¡°Poor Haley,¡± she said. ¡°She didn¡¯t get a turn.¡± ¡°Sweet girl,¡± Haley cooed, and Mason noticed her hand was between her legs. She leaned over and kissed her, slowly and intimately, and Mason instantly started hardening inside Becky¡¯s pussy. She moaned in delight, panting as Mason started moving again inside her. She shuddered and whined slightly as Mason pulled out, shifting to line himself up to Haley¡¯s opening. There was no need for gentleness with his little French whore. He pped her ass hard enough to make her yelp and clench, then drove inside her. She groaned and opened her mouth with a side smile. ¡°Mason always has more,¡± she pushed her ass back against him. ¡°Show sweet Becky how you¡¯ll fuck us every night.¡± In his mind, Mason had all kinds of ns to change positions and make a night of it. But between the sight of his girls fondling each other and themselves, and Haley¡¯s dirty talk and tight pussy squeezing against him, all his ns were out the window. All he wanted to do was keep thrusting and giving her exactly what she wanted as she screamed his name. She obliged, and he just kept ramming. How long it went on he had no idea. At some point he managed to collect himself long enough to put two fingers into Reba, feeling her soaked pussy made even wetter with his cum. Both his girls were moaning in pleasure as he fucked them with fingers and cock, lost in the pure lust of the sights and sounds. Then he was covered in sweat, and he felt Haley¡¯s juices running down his balls and dripping on the floor. He looked over and saw Reba was fingering her own clit, a look of mindless pleasure in her eyes. He spanked her hard and put one of his fingers in her ass, grinning at the look of surprise. Then her eyes were rolling back. Haley tightened andughed as she began to shake with her own orgasm, and Mason saw no reason in the world to hold back a moment longer. He grabbed Haley¡¯s hair in a fist as he rode her, loving as always how she moved against him, as if desperate to take him as deep as she possibly could. He finally exploded after the girls had both finished, draining every drop of what he had left deep into Haley¡¯s body. When he finally stopped twitching she still squeezed her pussy around him, sighing as shey t on the bed and grinned. Becky copsed next to her. ¡°Um. So that was..¡± Becky¡¯s eyes fluttered as if she fought sleep. ¡°Hot.¡± Haley finished. With his cock still inside her, Mason pulled Haley up further onto the bed, then rolled over beside her and gestured for Becky. ¡°Come and cuddle me, sister wife,¡± Haley teased, and Becky chuckled as she crawled on her knees, dropping to face Haley as she wrapped her leg overtop. Mason pulled them both in closer, kissing Becky over Haley¡¯s head as he trailed his fingers along her thigh. ¡°Are you still inside her?¡± Becky raised a brow, and Haley giggled. ¡°Yes. And he¡¯s still not soft.¡± ¡°Oh my God.¡± Becky giggled too, and the girlsced their fingers, Becky¡¯s eyes open and on Mason. ¡°I¡¯m going to need to hydrate.¡± Mason said, not at all unhappily, nning exactly what he¡¯d do to them for the next round. Some kind of rm interrupted his thoughts. He groaned and looked for the clock or phone before he remembered it was the apocalypse. ¡°What in the bloody hell is that?¡± Haley looked like she was about to exin, then a familiar voice materialized out of nowhere. ¡°Wee home, brother of mine. Now get to the hall, please, your services are required.¡± It was like ke¡¯s voice hade from some damn loudspeaker, and Mason practically growled. He looked at the two, beautiful, naked girls in his bed, both ready for whatever else he had in store for them. And he very seriously considered telling ke to go fuck himself. But ignoring his brother was just not a thing Mason did. It wasn¡¯t in his DNA. He threw back the sheet he¡¯d been slowly pulling over them, and rose up with a sigh. Chapter 81: Worm hunters Chapter 81: Worm hunters ¡°Should Ie with you?¡± Haley went to get up and Mason threw her back down. ¡°Do not. Fucking. Move.¡± He growled, and the girls shook withughter. ¡°Well I have to pee,¡± Rebained. ¡°And I¡¯m thirsty,¡± said Haley. ¡°Water. And washroom. That¡¯s it. And don¡¯t get dressed. I want you exactly as you are when I get back.¡± ¡°Yes, master,¡± Haley cooed, and Becky rolled her eyes. ¡°Yes, master,¡± she agreed, then sighed and wrapped her arms around Haley. Mason pulled on a pair of pants and forced himself out the door. If there wasn¡¯t a fire, or something¡­ Actually, he didn¡¯t give a shit if there was a fire. If there wasn¡¯t a pack of murderous monsters literally tearing down the town, Mason was pretty sure he was going to murder someone, or possibly beat ke half to death. He blinked and slowed when he realized half of Nassau was gathered around the chief¡¯s hall. Both yers and civilians began to turn and look at Mason with any number of different expressions, usually in something approaching awe or fear. He tried to ignore them. ke stood on his hill and waved Mason over when he saw himing. The crowd parted, and Mason went to his brother¡¯s side. ¡°We¡¯re under attack,¡± ke exined. Mason sighed and unhappily gave up some of his righteous indignation. His murderous intent, however, merely shifted targets. ¡°Where are they?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not exactly sure,¡± ke frowned. ¡°The defences and the rm are in a tizzy, but none of the tower guards have seen anything. It¡¯s too dark to see in the trees, so we¡¯re at a bit of a loss. My patron info is pretty clear, however, it¡¯s telling me there¡¯s a threat.¡± Mason frowned, then thought of the creature he¡¯d seen earlier. ¡°Shit. I saw some kind of giant worm attack a deer. Came out of nowhere. I figured it was just a one off, lone hunter sort of thing. But maybe there¡¯s more.¡± ke frowned. ¡°Still, it was outside the walls, yes? I mean I guess I don¡¯t know the hunting habits of giant, post-apocalyptic worms, but you¡¯d think they¡¯d avoid the town.¡± A woman¡¯s scream pierced the dark from the other side of Nassau. Mason and every other yer turned towards the noise, which came vaguely from the direction of the infirmary. ¡°Streak,e!¡± he yelled, then sprinted at full speed. He searched the dark with his enhanced eyes but saw nothing out of the ordinary. The scream hadn¡¯te again, and not sure where else to go Mason burst through the infirmary door. ¡°Help us!¡± Mason recognized the new nurse A¡¯s voice from deeper inside. He charged on, finding the floor of the infirmary burst apart as if caught in some explosion. Two worms stretched from burrowed holes, their nightmarish maws open and filled with teeth surrounded by four longer fangs. Phuong stood between one worm, A and at least three wounded civilians, a vaguely glowing blue de much like Mason¡¯s in his hand. The other worm was convulsing, and appeared to be swallowing someone whole. Mason charged at the feeding worm and activated Predator¡¯s Strike, hacking into its body just above the ground. If whoever was in it was still alive, he hoped the blow might avoid hitting them. His Ranger¡¯s w sliced the creature¡¯s hide with ease, spraying white goo to stter against the wall. He followed with a Crippling Strike, not surprised when his vision red with some kind of warning of immunity. Still, the blow cut open more of the worm, and the horrified creature lurched as it tried to wiggle back under the ground. Across the room, Phuong leapt to attack the other worm, weaving his de in some kind of pattern that lingered in the air before projecting it forward. It struck with an audible sizzle, and the worm screeched and flopped over like it¡¯d been struck with a taser. Mason¡¯s worm was still trying to flee, so he rammed his sword into the body and held it there, drawing his shorter de with his free hand to cut away bits of the worm like a scalpel. With a few moments work he severed the head and a good chunk of the body, and the half-eaten civilian copsed with it. Mason looked up to see the older yer hacking his target to pieces, then did his best to remove the civilian. Unfortunately, the four long fangs surrounding the worm¡¯s maw had been rammed into the woman¡¯s chest and stomach, and it was soon clear she was dead. No experience, Mason noticed. Interesting. ¡°Poor Dianne,¡± A put her hands to her face as she approached. She met Mason¡¯s eyes. ¡°Are there more¡­of those things?¡± ¡°Possibly.¡± He swept his eyes over everyone in the room. ¡°Get to the chief¡¯s hall. Now. The yers there will protect you.¡± Then he looked to Phuong. ¡°You¡¯re pretty handy with that sword.¡± The older man gave a small, lopsided smile, but said nothing, and Mason liked him more and more. ¡°Feel like hunting some more worms?¡± Phuong just spun his blue sword and moved for the door, and Mason followed behind. * * * By the time they¡¯d reached the gate, Mason and Phuong had collected Alex the support and Garet the spearman. ke kept the others at the chief¡¯s hall, gathering all the civilians inside. ¡°Go hunt some of the bastards down,¡± he said as he pped Mason on the shoulder. ¡°Where¡¯s Becky and Haley?¡± Mason grinned, thinking of Becky in the dungeon and how powerful her defensive abilities were getting, how he trusted her with Haley¡¯s life. ¡°They¡¯ll be fine. See you shortly.¡± Then he stopped at the gate with Phuong and the others, Streak beside him with ears down and nostrils red. ¡°My wolf senses them. But unless one of you has an idea, I don¡¯t think we can kill them until they attack. I figure we head out, stay sharp, find them and then stand still to tempt them out. We wait for them to strike, then we pounce. Any objections?¡± Garet raised a thick brow. ¡°What about the guy they, uh, eat?¡± Mason snorted. ¡°I was nning to jump.¡± Then he looked at Alex. ¡°Think you can keep one of these worms from eating us for a second or two?¡± The Berussian put a thoughtful hand to his chin, then shrugged, speaking with a heavy ent, which meant he was using English. ¡°We will see.¡± The other men exchanged a look, and Mason grinned. ¡°Good enough. Let¡¯s move.¡± They ran out and started to patrol the walls, but it didn¡¯t take long before Streak growled and pawed at the earth. ¡°Everyone stay still. There might be a sound, or a smell, or who knows before they attack. Keep sharp.¡± Mason tried to rx and let his senses roam, looking for any little detail that might help give them an edge. They stood in silence, listening to the nightbirds and the sound of the breeze whisper through the trees. The moon was out but too small to give much light. Dirt sprayed just as Streak barked. The ground erupted at Alex¡¯s feet, and the Berussian went wide eyed before leaping straight into the air. The huge, grey worm emerged like a striking snake, circr mouth opening and snapping mere inches from Alex¡¯s feet before the body emerged and smashed into him. Then Mason, Phuong, and Garet were on it. Garet was closest. He jammed his spear straight through the creature¡¯s body right at ground level, leaving the weapon inside, and trapping it from escape. Well fucking done, Mason thought, but didn¡¯t waste time saying so. Instead he activated Aspect of the Cheetah and arrived at a sprint, shing with Predator¡¯s Strike right below the worm¡¯s mouth. Phuong had a simr idea. Between the two of them, they hacked grey flesh and white goo from the creature¡¯s hide, over and over until the ¡®head¡¯ copsed to the ground. Then they were all panting in the otherwise quiet dark of the forest. Alex dusted himself off and stood, and Mason looked at him and grinned. ¡°Nice jump. But I meant sideways.¡± Phuongughed first. Then Garet and finally Alex, until they were all howling and even Streak joined in with a confused bark. ¡°But seriously,¡± Mason cleared his throat. ¡°We need a ¡®what happens if it attacks Alex¡¯ n.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± The Berussian¡¯s face turned instantly serious. ¡°Next time, I climb tree.¡± They all grinned again, but actually that was a fantastic, if annoyingly obvious, idea. ¡°OK.¡± Mason inspected the dead worm for long enough to decide there wasn¡¯t much to learn. ¡°Let¡¯s go hunting.¡± The next time, Mason, Garet, and Phuong stayed closer together. Streak ttened his ears and growled, and as promised, Alex climbed up the closest tree. Again Mason focused his senses, trying to detect any change or indication the creature was about to attack. This time he heard it¡ªand felt it, a slight tremble beneath the ground. ¡°On me,¡± he whispered, preparing himself. He was both right and wrong. The earth burst apart twice. Two worms exploded from the ground and thrashed with their spikes. Mason leapt aside and started hacking, but Garet cried out in surprise. He fell as the earth copsed beneath him, and Mason lost sight of him as he got lost in his own struggle. Two cuts and a Predator¡¯s Strike and he¡¯d severed the worm¡¯s body, then spun and ran to help the spearman. Garet¡¯s worm wasrger¡ªnear twice the size of any they¡¯d seen so far, maybe five feet in diameter. It had ripped a huge chunk out of the earth, and now swung itself and those giant fangs in a circr pattern seeking flesh, maw half open and ready to bite. Garet crawled away and looked mostly fine¡ªa sh of maybe one of Alex¡¯s shields sparking against the worm¡¯s fangs. Then Phuong and Mason were cutting. They dashed in and out as the beast swung its flexible body, taking turns shing flesh and some kind of muscr cartge apart. Even Streak took his turn, ducking low and biting the creature¡¯s body near the ground and slowing its spin. Phuong again weaved a pattern of strikes in the air, projecting a st of energy that threw back Mason¡¯s clothes and hair and slowed the worm to a dazed slump. Two more shes, and the thick cuts opened and tore, and the big beast¡¯s maw copsed as its body severed and stopped. The men all stood in silence, letting the intensity of the moment wash from their limbs and lungs. ¡°You alright, Garet?¡± The spearman examined himself with shaky hands before he grinned. ¡°Looks like. Thanks to Alex.¡± The Berussian winked from his tree, and Mason looked between the men and smiled. ¡°Well done, gents. I¡¯m actually starting to have fun. Ready for another round?¡± Garet choked on augh and shook his head. ¡°Crazy bastards. Next time I¡¯m climbing a tree, too.¡± The men got lost in another round ofughter. Chapter 82: You’re in good hands Chapter 82: You¡¯re in good hands In total Mason and the others hunted and killed six worms before sunrise. They kept patrolling for some time after, but Streak¡¯s ears raised back up and he stopped growling, tongue lolling and tail wagging, seemingly happy to just run in a loop around Nassau all day. ¡°They might be nocturnal,¡± Mason shrugged as the sun kept up its steady rise. ¡°Or we killed them all,¡± said Garet, with a tone that implied he doubted it. ¡°Either way, time for breakfast.¡± The older Phuong grinned and patted his thin stomach, and Mason¡¯s growling gut had to agree. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s head back. Hopefully the town didn¡¯t have to deal with any more. But ke would have called us if they needed help.¡± He saw the other men visibly calm at that logic, and he sort of did too. Haley and Reba were smart and capable and he expected (and hoped) they were still lying naked in his bed. But he might get Haley to cook a little before he restarted their session¡­ The walk back was fast and the men were all clearly happy to be finished with hunting things that they couldn¡¯t see. Ghostly text drifted before Mason¡¯s eyes as he reached the walls. [Devouring Worm Invasion defeated. Experience awarded based on contributions.] [Title earned: Defender. +1 to a random stat.] ¡°You boys get that message and title?¡± He quirked a brow and the others all nodded, looking rather pleased. That was something, he supposed. They walked in and Mason was relieved to see the town looked fine. Most of the people had cleared away from the hall, or perhaps rested inside, and there were a few holes that looked patched. But that was it. ke was still outside with a few yers and waved them on. Garet and Alex both embraced some civilian women, and A came to greet Phuong. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have gone with them,¡± she scolded. ¡°You need more time to heal from your injuries!¡± ¡°Not from what I see,¡± Mason pped the swordsman on the shoulder. ¡°This old man could teach a ss or two on worm killing.¡± Phuong bowed slightly with a small smile. ¡°The young master is too kind. But it¡¯s true, I did my part.¡± ke stepped into their little circle and sighed. ¡°We may need that ss. We killed four worms inside the walls and stacked them over there,¡± he gestured a hand Eastward. ¡°How many did you guys kill out there?¡± ¡°Six. Not sure how many we missed.¡± ke shook his head. ¡°Very strange. Where did theye from? It just seems so random.¡± ¡°Wee to the robopocalypse.¡± Mason shrugged, doing his best not to say ¡®I told you we shouldn¡¯t be stuck somewhere that doesn¡¯t move.¡¯ But he had to admit, there were advantages. Reba emerged from the hall in what looked like pajamas, and Mason frowned when he saw her. Ignoring his look entirely, she sauntered down and threw her arms around his chest. ¡°I left very specific instructions,¡± he said unhappily. ¡°They needed my help at the hall,¡± Reba answered and rolled her eyes. Then, before he could ask: ¡°Haley came too. She said she can break your orders when ites to self-preservation.¡± Oh shit, Mason realized. It urred to him she was a bonded contract and had to obey his orders. He¡¯d have to be more careful with his words going forward. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go find her,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m thinking breakfast¡­and then, back to that¡­very important thing we were discussing.¡± Reba grinned and got on her tiptoes to kiss him. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s going to have to wait.¡± ke interrupted. Mason stared daggers but his brother didn¡¯t even flinch. ¡°I want you and that handy wolf of yours to go down the river again. See if we can figure out where these worms areing from. I have it on good authority it¡¯s that direction. They might have a nest or something.¡± Mason practically groaned at the thought. He wanted to say ¡®can¡¯t you send someone else?¡¯, but knew he couldn¡¯t. No one else had his speed. No one else could even find the damn worms. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s just a coincidence it¡¯s the same direction to probably find you more recruits?¡± ke just smiled, and held out a bag. ¡°Haley made you breakfast. Oh.¡± He turned around, and Mason¡¯s heart beat faster when he saw what his brother had somewhat hidden behind his back. ¡°And here¡¯s your bow. I saved it from that crumbling dungeon while you were falling to your doom.¡± Mason took the weapon with almost trembling hands, for a moment unable toe up with any witty insults. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said instead, and his brother pped his arm. Reba threw her arms around him again and closed her eyes. ¡°Be careful, darlin¡¯. I wish I could go. But you¡¯re too damn fast and I¡¯ll just slow you down.¡± He raised her chin and kissed her, fighting images of her naked and squirming beneath him. Then Streak was whining and nestling himself between them, pushing his nose higher and higher between their chests. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Mason said as he tried and failed to palm the wolf¡¯s growing head. ¡°Anyway, if I get in trouble, I can always leave this guy as bait and climb a tree.¡± The wolf looked between them and whined a little, but mostly just seemed happy to be included. Reba lowered her voice. ¡°When you get back, Haley and I will give you a reward.¡± Mason damn near tossed Streak aside as he pulled closer. ¡°What kind of reward?¡± ¡°The kind that will make you forget all about your stress.¡± Reba trailed a finger down his torso. ¡°I dunno. I may have a lot of stress.¡± ke cleared his throat. ¡°Time waits for no man, brother. Chop chop and all that.¡± Mason narrowed his eyes but didn¡¯t look away from Reba. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re in the damn robot apocalypse and literally nothing with my brother has changed.¡± Then he saw ke was about tounch into some dreadful speech so he waved a hand. ¡°I¡¯m going, I¡¯m going.¡± He took a few steps toward the gate, then turned to Phuong, Alex, and Garet. ¡°Hey wormbait.¡± The men all turned with mock res and Mason grinned. ¡°You got the town protected while I¡¯m gone?¡± They all nodded without hesitation, and Mason was starting to like them all. ¡°I believe you do. See you soon. You¡¯re in good hands,¡± he said towards the civilians, wanting to build the men up in their eyes. Then he clicked his tongue for Streak, and ran out from the town towards the river without another nce back. He felt at home as usual as he entered into the trees, pulling up Wayfinder and inspecting the map. No more moving at half pace because of being with others. No more worrying about anything other than the path ahead, and the world around him. And yet he enjoyed thepany of the other yers. He enjoyed having the people he cared about safe andfortable in the settlement, the feeling of returning to them. Though he knew perhaps he shouldn¡¯t. That it was weakness and one day might get him and them all killed. He stretched out his legs and body and ran at least for the moment without concern or holding back, feeling the woods as usual somehow bendaround him. Whether he was druid or ranger, man of Nassau or man of the forest, old world or new, it didn¡¯t matter when he was running with Streak at his side. All he knew for certain, all that mattered for now, is that it was time to hunt. Chapter 83: Carlton Chapter 83: Carlton Mason ran along the river with his bow and bag slung over his back, legs pumping in long, quick strides. While he had a spare moment to himself, he nced over his profile and inspected his stats and powers.
Mason Nimitz Level: 14 Primary ss: Ranger Secondary ss: Druid Strength: 11 Dexterity: 16 Vitality: 16 Intellect: 6 Will: 10 Presence: 4 Luck: 4 Titles: Killer, Early Lead, Soloist, Crazy like a Fox, Burnt the Boats, Progenitor, Hit the Ground Running, First Blood, Defender Powers: Power Shot, Crippling Strike (enhanced), Regeneration (enhanced), Predator¡¯s Strike, *Nature Affinity, Ranger¡¯s w, Endless Quiver (enhanced), Trapmaking, Aspect of the Cheetah, Blessing of Gaia, Ranger¡¯s Mark
Things had changed pretty considerably since he wandered into the tutorial. But he knew it was best not to get cocky. Only roboGod knew what wasing next, and Mason sometimes wasn¡¯t even sure it knew. His mind wandered as he ran, and he thought back to hunting worms with the other yers. Truth was, he¡¯d enjoyed it. Enjoyed theirpany and hunting in a pack. And they¡¯d impressed him, too. They could help protect the people he cared about, protect him while he slept. Yes, he had to admit, the tribe was useful. But he¡¯d sure as hell never admit it to ke and Haley. He nced at Streak lopingfortably at his side, and on a whim used Speak with Nature. [How fast can you run? Want to race a hairless ape?] The wolf loosed a guttural growl, ears ttening as his limbs flexed and surged him forward. Masonughed as he followed at full sprint. They flew down the bank of the main South river, Mason doing his best not to skewer himself on a branch or trip headlong over a fallen trunk. His heart raced and he couldn¡¯t wipe the smile from his lips, having only enough spare attention to think: life is good. A strange thing to think in a re-shaped and terrifying world. And a quiet concern followed that he tried to push away¡ªto tell himself that just because things were good it didn¡¯t mean disaster wasing. But he couldn¡¯t. ¡°I just have to be smart, and careful,¡± he muttered, maybe trying to convince himself. If ke and the girls wanted Nassau, so be it, he had to ept that and think tactically. If that was home base he¡¯d start doing everything he could to make it safe. Starting with building rtionships with all the yers, learning more about the other people he might have to rely on. He didn¡¯t have to be a leader. He could just be a soldier who belonged there with the other soldiers. Yeah, he decided, he could do that. But they needed to start bloody scouting and guarding the perimeter so they were ready before threats reached the walls. Then he realized Streak had stopped ahead of him, and damn near ran the creature over. ¡°What is it, boy?¡± He stopped and focused his senses, for a moment unable to hear much over the beating of his own heart. Streak growled low and menacing, and the message was clear: danger. With his mysteriously attuned understanding of the creatures¡¯ ways, he somehow knew it also meant: other wolves. Mason frowned. Hopefully it was another pack and not the one he¡¯d told to go North, or else he¡¯d have to make a decision on what to do with them. Either way, he had to go find out. * * * Carlton Walker closed his eyes and focused his mana. His body shimmered and his vision lit with choice of where to ce his decoy, which at the moment didn¡¯t make much difference. He chose beside a rock formation, at the edge of where the worms could hunt. He would return to Sanctuary soon, so he burned a little extra mana to make the decoy explosive, and smiled. Chew on that you slimy bastards, he thought, then turned back home with a sigh. Another day, another risk. Sometimes it felt like he and his wholemunity were living on borrowed time. ¡®Sanctuary¡¯, their settlement, only had two yers to protect fifteen civilians. Or at least they used to. But Aaron still hadn¡¯t returned, gone now for five days with no sign or word. Silvie¡ªtheir unofficial mayor¡ªand the other civilians still spoke as if he was alive, as if they expected him any minute. But Carl was too old and had seen too much tragedy for naive hope like that. No. He was alone now. The only yer to protect a town of mostly young women, hardly a practical skill between them. They had to get help, soon, or flee for their lives. That was the reality. No matter how safe Sanctuary seemed, their location was perilous and getting more so. The worms were increasing in number, that was clear. The nearby settlement of creatures was stirring, and wolves and God knew what else roamed all around them. Sooner orter, something would ovee their defences, and Carl wouldn¡¯t be able to stop them alone. But he couldn¡¯t do anything about that now. He walked along his patrol route, checking on old decoys and traps, hoping to reduce the predator¡¯s numbers a little. Fortunately the town had enough food, water, and other supplies, but the worms could get under the walls. And if they were safe, which they weren¡¯t, they couldn¡¯t just stay trapped inside forever. They¡¯d all go crazy. The young women wanted something to do. Somewhere to go. They wanted men. Carlton was fifty-two and would have thought himself too old for such nonsense. But then he¡¯d met Silvie, and though she was twenty years his younger, he¡¯d been pleasantly surprised to learn he wasn¡¯t. She was a good woman. More than he could have ever hoped for in his old life. Oh he might fantasize about having some kind of harem in the town, but they didn¡¯t want an old man like him, and frankly the idea exhausted him. He had two daughters the age of the girls, and thought of them all as his own already. From about day two, he and Silvie became mom and dad of the whole settlement, and he just wanted them to be safe and happy. Right now they were neither. He walked past three of his old markers and traps along the river and found no takers, which he supposed was a good sign. He walked on, at the very limits away from the town now and he knew he should go back. But things couldn¡¯t go on. He had to find something, someone to help. A little farther this time, he told himself. Just to the edge of the bend. He was level six now and powerful enough¡ªa hybrid rogue/caster, sneaky and clever with powers that let him hide and escape. He could handle it. There was a mountain on the horizon, too, and he was sorely tempted to take a closer look. Back before he¡¯d found Sanctuary, he¡¯d even heard rumors from a wandering civilian that there was another town further North and West along the river. But no one who¡¯d gone hade back to confirm. It could be they made it and didn¡¯t want toe back. It could be they just died. As usual though Carlton enjoyed his walks alone in the woods. They reminded him of his time back home in Montana. If it wasn¡¯t for the damn worms potentially popping out and ruining his day, of course, he¡¯d enjoy it a lot more. He passed the bend in the river and looked up ahead. There was a copse of trees past a small cliff, and he frowned, telling himself just past the copse. A little ways more and he took a swig from his water sk, deciding he should really make a fire and boil some more. But not yet. A little further. The river was dangerous, he knew that. Most animals hunted their prey somewhere they had to go. Somewhere they needed. Yes, predators loved water, but he could risk it. Finally the sun dipped to the edge of the horizon, and Carl looked up and sighed. Time to admit it¡ªanother day with nothing new, no chance of changing the circumstances of his town. It was far better to make a fire early than in the middle of the dark. He picked a decent camping spot that wouldn¡¯t flood him out if it rained, and began building a fire. He¡¯d boil some water, eat some mushrooms and ration packs, look up at the stars a little before he¡­ Carl froze. He could have sworn he saw something bubble up from the river, but they were too big for fish. How strange. Had he imagined it? The water sshed. Carlton jerked in surprise as a creature emerged growling. It was a wolf, ck fur dripping wet. Another rose up beside it, shaking water off its head. What in the name of God? Carlton¡¯s senses caught up to his panic, his Prescience passive power screaming imminent danger. He activated his Decoy and Shadow Leapt backwards, warping several steps before running further away. He heard the wolves leap on his decoy and tear it apart. More golden eyes appeared in the trees. Two more wolves snarled and saw him or maybe smelled him through his passive Stealth, but his Decoy needed time to charge. He couldn¡¯t think of anything except the trees. The bastards could swim, but could they climb? He turned and sprayed a Color Spray, sending the closest wolves scrambling with enraged and frightened howls. Then he leapt for a branch he could reach, and pulled himself up. With somewhat embarrassing effort, he managed to climb about half way before he saw the wolves circling below. They made no move to follow, and he closed his eyes and breathed. Then he realized: he¡¯d left his water, and he was already thirsty. The wolves sat, and watched. One even drank from the river, perhaps just to taunt him. With no idea what else to do, or how patient the creatures were, he sat on his branch, and waited. Chapter 84: Take us to your leader Chapter 84: Take us to your leader Mason watched the pack hunt their prey. It was a yer, apparently, which he supposed exined why he was in the middle of nowhere on his own. Mason had nearly interfered as the wolves stalked him from the river, but then he¡¯d used some kind of cloning power, or impressive illusion, and escaped. At least for a minute. Now he was hiding and didn¡¯t seem like he wanted to face a pack of wolves. Mason found this slightlyforting. This meant he either wasn¡¯t powerful enough to deal with them, or that his ss just wasn¡¯t suited to a direct fight. He didn¡¯t actually know what sort of ss he was. Caster seemed the most obvious with the illusion power, but some kind of rogue was possible. It reminded Mason that he actually had very little idea of what other people could do. It also made him think of the start of the game and choosing his ss. He¡¯d had an instant aversion to casters of any kind, but he could have been a rogue. Deep in his heart, though, he¡¯d known sometimes a pack of wolves with gills just fucked up your day, and in those moments all your sneakiness didn¡¯t mean a damn thing. He watched the stand off and sighed. It wasn¡¯t Streak¡¯s pack. They looked healthy, not desperate, which meant they didn¡¯t fear men in the slightest. That meant they¡¯d likely killed them before. Mason just couldn¡¯t let that stand. He stepped out from his downwind hiding spot, and raised his bow. His target was forty yards¡ªa difficult shot, back in the old world, or when Mason had first arrived. But things had changed. With little more than a snap draw and moment of aim, he summoned a steel broadhead with Endless Quiver, and loosed a Power Shot. The drinking wolf sted half a pace off its feet, whined in shock, then slumped to its side with a pierced heart. [You have in a Great Taiga Wolf. Experience gained.] The others all turned and raced in a kind of defensive circle trying to figure out the threat as Mason stepped out and activated Speak with Nature. [Hairless monkeys are not food. They are predators.] Frankly he was hoping they¡¯d run. But this pack was strong and sessful, and it gave them the courage to wait on their alpha. A huge, mostly grey beast emerged from the center, crouched and pacing forward with teeth bared. He was about to attack. Then he got into Mason¡¯s aura. [Apex Predator activated.] The big wolf¡¯s eyes zed with something like terror, and his lips snapped shut over his teeth. Mason frowned, not sure what to do with them. He couldn¡¯t very well send every wolf pack far away, plus for all he knew he was sending them towards more people. [If you eat more hairless monkeys], he said with another use of Speak with Nature, [I¡¯ll track you down, and kill you. Now go.] The creature practically pouted as it turned, the rest of its pack loping behind it with tails between their legs. Whether or not they¡¯d actually listen he had no idea. But it would have to do. Mason looked up to find the man in the tree wide eyed and staring. He didn¡¯t seem armed, or at least if he was the weapons were subtle. With Mason¡¯s resistances to magic he kind of hoped he was a caster type, and therefore almost no threat at all. ¡°You cane down now. They won¡¯t hurt you.¡± The man looked between Mason and Streak at his side, and didn¡¯t look particrly convinced. Mason held up his bow. ¡°If I wanted you dead, that tree wouldn¡¯t help you.¡± The older man winced in recognition, then with several grunts and curses, slowly climbed back down to the ground. He was somewhere around fifty, in decent shape physically with hair too long to look good on his balding pate. He wore good, practical clothes that suited a man in the woods, and didn¡¯t seem ufortable. ¡°Thanks for the help,¡± he said, brushing needles from his clothes. ¡°Not a problem.¡± Mason raised a brow. ¡°What brings you out here alone?¡± ¡°Who says I¡¯m alone?¡± Mason snorted, liking the bluff. ¡°How about this¡ªI¡¯m Mason, this here is Streak. And we¡¯re out here hunting giant worms. You seen any?¡± The man frowned, then stepped forward and extended a callused hand. ¡°Name¡¯s Carl.¡± Mason was fairly confident in his ability to kill this man whatever his ss, so he stepped forward and took it. Carl smiled a little before he went on. ¡°Guess I¡¯m exploring, which sounds not so smart when I say it out loud. Ie from a settlement. A ways off.¡± A settlement? Mason could practically feel ke behind him, prodding him on. ¡°Me too. A settlement, I mean.¡± He bnced his own never-ending caution versus ke¡¯s desire for allies, and sighed. ¡°North, up the main river fork. Nassau, we call it. And we¡¯re always looking for new friends.¡± Carl failed to hide his excitement, which Mason hoped was positive and not predatory. ¡°You have many yers? Strong as you?¡± Mason said nothing at that, and supposed he stared a bit harder than he¡¯d intended. Carl went a little pale and licked his lips. ¡°I don¡¯t mean¡­what I¡¯m asking is¡­¡± he ran a hand through his balding hair. ¡°Thing is, I don¡¯t have much choice. I¡¯ve got to trust you. My settlement, you see¡­we need help. Protection. There¡¯s not enough yers, and there¡¯s more creatures all the time. If I can¡¯t find recruits, I think we need to abandon our settlement and join another, something stronger.¡± Mason kept staring until he decided he believed him. ¡°Look, Carl, I¡¯m just a soldier. So I can¡¯t really say much of anything. But our town patron would be tickled pink to talk to you and yours about¡­some kind of deal, if that¡¯s what you folks want.¡± Carl nodded, eyes alight with enthusiasm. ¡°Would you be willing toe to our town and speak with our leader, at least? We¡¯re not too far, and they¡¯d love to see a new face. Can you speak for this Nassau at all?¡± Mason practically groaned at the thought. What he really wanted was to hunt worms and go home to his women, then maybe go exploring somewhere else. Talking with ¡®leaders¡¯ and pretending to be a diplomat was the exact kind of thing he wanted to avoid. ¡°Like I said,¡± he shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m mostly just a soldier.¡± As he watched the older man¡¯s shoulders practically slump in disappointment, he fought the eye roll and kept on. ¡°I can listen, and take whatever offer you have to my brother.¡± Carl¡¯s eyes shot up slightly at that. ¡°Your brother? You mean your real brother? You¡¯ve found family?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­amazing.¡± Carl licked his lips again. ¡°I mean, I have kids, brothers, sisters, lots of family. You¡­well, you give me hope.¡± Mason didn¡¯t much like the notion of being an example for anyone, and maybe ¡®hope¡¯ in general. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t hold onto much of that if I were you.¡± Carl lost a bit of his enthusiasm as he stared at Masons¡¯ face, then cleared his throat. ¡°My town is along the river, like yours. Maybe twenty miles South as the crow flies. Twenty miles wasn¡¯t that far, all things considered, and Mason knew he was screwed. ¡°Alright,¡± he forced himself to say. ¡°That¡¯s the way I¡¯m going anyway. I can¡¯t really speak for anything or anyone but myself. But I can listen. Let¡¯s head to your leader and have a chat.¡±
Chapter 85: A druid’s dreams Chapter 85: A druid¡¯s dreams Mason and Carl walked painfully slowly along the river bank, attempting to make conversation. Mostly, Mason just wanted to put an end to these creatures, then run at full speed back to his girls. But he supposed things could be worse. ¡°So,¡± he said, hoping to at least get a little information, ¡°you have experience with these worms?¡± ¡°You could say that. They¡¯ve been attacking us for several days.¡± Mason decided that was a good sign. They¡¯d only caused Nassau problems yesterday, meaning they must have started here or close by. ¡°Do you know if there¡¯s a source? A dungeon?¡± Carl quirked a brow. ¡°Dungeon?¡± ¡°A, uh,ir, or hive? Some kind of¡­worm queen?¡± ¡°Hmm, no, nothing like that.¡± Carl¡¯s tone seemed careful, and something about his face made Mason think he wasn¡¯t telling him everything. He shrugged. ¡°We know they¡¯re worse to the East. So that might be where it is.¡± Mason left it alone for now, but the deception put him on edge. ¡°So why are you alone out here? You¡¯ve so few yers you can¡¯t send two?¡± Carl cleared his throat. ¡°I¡­had a partner, but he¡¯s missing now, for several days.¡± The way he said it told Mason what he needed to know. ¡°Sorry. But there¡¯s no recement? No offence, but if you¡¯re scared of a few wolves, you really shouldn¡¯t be out here alone.¡± The older man frowned, and stole a side-eyed nce. ¡°I should probably just level with you. You seem like a good kid. And you¡¯ll see for yourself soon enough.¡± He sighed, and seemed to struggle to say it out loud. ¡°I¡¯m the only yer left in the settlement.¡± Mason felt his his eyebrows raise, for a moment not sure what to say. ¡°Our town¡­has excellent natural defences,¡± Carl exined. ¡°When we found it, there was already walls and automated turrets that shoot something like rifles.¡± He shook his head. ¡°It was a Godsend. Nearly our whole group of civilians came out of a single tutorial, lost and desperate in the woods. All their yers were dead except my former partner. They¡¯re very close.¡± His tone improved slightly. ¡°We have a mayor, Silvie. She¡¯s my woman, and¡­good at this stuff. But even with the walls and turrets, I just¡­can¡¯t keep them all safe. Not for long. But they might need some convincing to leave. I guess I¡¯m¡­kind of hoping you can help with that.¡± Mason fought the sigh, not sure how he¡¯d convince anyone of anything, especially since he didn¡¯t much care. Carl¡¯s face scrunched and he turned to look at Mason. ¡°Wait, why are you alone? Doesn¡¯t your settlement have enough yers to send teams?¡± His tone was slightly sarcastic, but he was also obviously curious. Mason shrugged. ¡°People slow me down. Besides, I have Streak here.¡± Carl looked at the wolf and smiled politely, some obvious concern in his eyes. Mason chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this one won¡¯t eat you. Unless I tell him to.¡± They walked on along the river, down slightly into a natural valley, where finally the forest terrain seemed to change to something slightly rockier. The trees grew sparser, the ground more y, and sand. Ideal for giant worms, Mason thought with a bit of hope. Carl made a little small talk. He asked about Mason¡¯s tutorial, which he described without much detail. Mason told him about Nassau, and roughly how many yers they had, which practically brought a tear to Carl¡¯s eye. ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, mostly to himself. ¡°We need to join you, and we need to do it fast.¡± Then he cleared his throat, seemingly unsure about what he meant to say next. ¡°Do you, um, have a woman back there in Nassau?¡± Mason narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s uh,¡± Carl ran a hand through his thinning hair. ¡°All our civilians are women.¡± Mason had no idea what to say to that and Carl gave a helpless shrug. ¡°Most were college kids, your age. And there¡¯s some useful knowledge in there¡ªscience degrees, pre-med and the like.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose the couplew degrees are much use now. Anyway, they wouldn¡¯t mind a few more young men around.¡± ¡°I have a woman,¡± Mason said, not really imagining the need for more than Haley and Reba in his bed. ¡°Too bad,¡± Carl shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re a strappingd. There¡¯ll be a lot of disappointed girls in town. There¡¯s not much to do, and they¡¯re all pretty stir crazy.¡± Mason had no idea what to do with that information, and just stayed silent. They walked the rest of the afternoon, until the sun drooped and it was obvious Carl was getting desperate for a rest. More than once throughout the walk he¡¯d given Mason a sweaty side-eye, clearly wondering when he¡¯d call to stop. ¡°Could we push all the way to your town? If we kept going?¡± Mason asked just before Carl dropped his bag. The older man practically scoffed before he realized Mason was serious. ¡°It¡¯d take half the night. Better to camp. I don¡¯t know about you, but I don¡¯t see so well in the dark.¡± Mason held back the long suffering sigh, thinking I see pretty well, actually. But he wouldn¡¯t risk the other man getting hurt. Another night without the girls, he thought. God damnit. Apparently he wasn¡¯t that subtle. ¡°Sorry to keep you so long.¡± Carl said with a grunt as he dropped his gear. ¡°Want to take turns keeping watch?¡± Mason found some rocky ground, hoping it would prevent a worm from randomly chomping him in the night. ¡°We have Streak,¡± he said, putting a hand idly on hispanion as they bothy down. Without further exnation, any interest in Carl¡¯s camping routine, or any intention of building a fire, he nestled down and leaned against a rock, and closed his eyes. * * * Mason dreamt of a gentle tide on a clear blue day. He sat on a mountain overlooking the sea, a warm breeze blowing across his face. ¡°Dinnertime! Yes, Husband, that means you too!¡± Mason smiled at the French ent. Husband meant him, and he turned to see his house by the woods. Haley stood at the door in an apron with a swollen belly. At least five children were running from all over the yard,ughing and calling each other¡¯s names. ¡°Come on, Daddy!¡± a little blonde girl waved, and he smiled and waved in return. Reba was by a swing set, wrangling children as sheughed and looked up at Mason with a wink. It all seemed so peaceful. So full of love. ¡°There you are! Ha, I can¡¯t believe this actually worked.¡± Mason blinked as ke stepped out of the nearby trees, perpetually smug smile on his lips as he nced at the sky and the yard. ¡°I¡¯ve brought drinks.¡± Two small sses appeared in his brother¡¯s hands. ¡°What¡­I mean, why, er how¡­¡± Mason took a ss as his brother made awn chair appear out of nothing and sat down. ¡°I¡¯m in your dream, brother. Best not to ask any questions. Suffice to say I can do that now, and it¡¯s much easier with people I know well. You¡¯re doing fine, I trust?¡± Mason nodded, looking out at his women and children. ¡°They look so peaceful. So happy.¡± He frowned. ¡°How do I know you¡¯re not just part of my dream?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got me there, I suppose. Why don¡¯t we just pretend I¡¯m not, in case you¡¯ve something useful to tell me?¡± Mason sighed. ¡°I haven¡¯t found the wormir, but I think I¡¯m close. I have found a settlement, I think. I¡¯m with someone who says he¡¯s from there anyway. I think they want to join us.¡± ¡°Well! That sounds like cause for celebration. I¡¯m d I¡¯m drinking.¡± ke took a swig of his maybe whiskey and sighed. ¡°I know it¡¯s not real. But that Cipher fellow from the Matrix was right. At some point, who even cares?¡± As usual, Mason had no idea what his brother was talking about. He had the urge to go to his dream family and nearly stood before ke¡¯s voice interrupted his thoughts. ¡°Tell this settlement they are absolutely wee. And be friendly, and polite, brother. And bring them personally!¡± ¡°This is getting closer and closer to a nightmare.¡± Mason scowled in ke¡¯s direction. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, my lord.¡± ¡°Stop that.¡± ke finished his drink in a giant swallow. ¡°Well. What do we do now? Shall we look around your unconscious a little while? See if Freud was correct?¡± ¡°Anything that stops you from talking.¡± They stood and walked towards the woods, moving more like ten paces with every step, like they were floating through thend. The peaceful trees went by in a blur, until they stood on another mountain looking out over a forest with half a dozen great trees that rose nearly as high. Mason stared in amazement, filled with awe at the sight. Then something like darkness seemed to spread from the far end of the woods. The sun was high in the sky without a single cloud, yet a ck tide swept over the forest until the great trees withered and shrunk, looking like giant skeletons looming over thend. The forest burned and withered, until Mason could see a dark castle in a growing barren in at the centre of the forest. Men and monsters emerged from both sides, screaming as they charged and shed in the clearing. ¡°I have no idea what Freud would say about all this,¡± ke muttered at Mason¡¯s side. ¡°Shut up and pay attention, this seems important,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s a dream, brother. We just cleared corruption from one of your magic trees. Is it really so surprising you¡¯d dream of it? Frankly I was hoping you¡¯d be in bed with those women of yours, and I¡¯d at least get a nice eyeful of¡­¡± ¡°Shut up. Look at those creatures in the clearing. Those look like orcs to you?¡± ke looked meaningfully and shrugged. ¡°They do.¡± As they watched the battle, fallen men and orcs both shook on the ground and began to rise¡ªlegless corpses dragging themselves towards the battle, headless torso¡¯s lifting their weapons. ¡°How lovely,¡± ke muttered as a chill went up Mason¡¯s spine. He thought of the crone from the cave in the great tree, and as he did the dream world shimmered and blurred. ¡°Interesting.¡± ke put a hand to his head at Mason¡¯s side. ¡°Something is¡­forcing me out, brother. I¡¯m losing the connection. I¡¯ll see you in Nassau. Be careful. And bring me those new civilians in one piece!¡± Then he was faded and gone like everything else, and Masony again on the floor of the crone¡¯s cave, his legs and ribs shattered. The crone frowned at him and stirred her cauldron. ¡°He¡¯s going to die, young buck. They¡¯re all going to die. Only you will linger, trapped in life forever and ever. All alone.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mason crawled towards her, his heart beating faster in his chest. ¡°You will lose everyone you love,¡± croaked the crone, ¡°that is the blessing and curse of Gaia. Endless death. Endless rebirth. You must be strong, so very strong, to be timeless and untouchable, aloof and above the petty needs of things.¡± ¡°What things?¡± Mason thought on his dream. ¡°Brotherhood? Love? Children?¡± The crone sighed and took a bone from her pot. ¡°Children you may have. But not for long. Interfere all you wish, in the end it will not matter. That is the curse of immortality. And of power. Do you still want it? To see all the works of creation fall to ruin and rise again? Are you sure you want to collect the druid seeds?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Mason didn¡¯t ept what this old woman made by some robot God said. ¡°I can still protect them all their lives. I can still stop what I see in my dreams.¡± The crone met his eyes. ¡°Can you? And what if you couldn¡¯t?¡± She snorted. ¡°Still the ranger. You aren¡¯t yet fit for druid dreams. There are ancient prophets who could see the future and the past for what they were, young buck. We are but droplets of water mixed in the same pool. No different whenbined.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me riddles, old woman. Tell me where to find the next druid blessing. I know there¡¯s more.¡± The croneughed, and for a moment she was a young, wild woman again, her dark hair as untamed as her spirit. ¡°Good luck, young buck. Good luck with what is toe. I am rooting for you, I truly am.¡± Rooting for him? Mason shivered, feeling slightly mad in this robot¡¯s fictional world, lost in a constructed reality that seemed just as real as anything he¡¯d ever known. ¡°What¡¯sing? More corruption? The dead rising? Is this a damned zombie apocalypse next?¡± The crone and her cave faded like everything else, until only the small fire of her cauldron remained, twinkling like a star as Mason¡¯s vision narrowed and darkened, until all went ck but a single line of text. [Objective gained: unravel your druid dreams. Prevent their worst prophecies from urring, before it¡¯s toote. Reward: Unknown.]
Chapter 86: Greetings, Players (NSFW) Chapter 86: Greetings, yers (NSFW) Satisfaction soaked ke like a warm bath. His ¡®Dreamwalking¡¯ had worked exactly as intended. Well, almost. He was sure there was something in the world better than gaining power, he just wasn¡¯t sure what that was. He opened his eyes and looked at the cool, dark room of his Neuroamplifier. His mana was almost drained, his head slightly sore, his body stiff from so much time spent in the amplifier¡¯s chair. Perhaps it was time for a little walk. He cracked several joints and stepped into the main hall. It was the middle of the night, apparently, though he¡¯d really had no idea until he looked. A huge crash made him jump, then he looked out a window to see it was pouring rain and maybe hail, the sky shing with lightning. ¡°Guess I¡¯m not going for a walk after all,¡± he muttered, and heard a chuckle from somewhere nearby. ¡°No boss, don¡¯t think so.¡± Tommaso the Italian ¡®Swashbuckler¡¯ was apparently the yer on guard tonight at the hall. He cleared his throat by the door, and looked suddenly awkward at ke¡¯s inspection. ¡°Would be a rotten time to have to fight worms, too, eh?¡± he added. ke smiled politely. ¡°Let¡¯s hope they don¡¯t like the storm, either.¡± He walked on, looking around the hall, finding everything clean and maintained as usual. In the day it would be filled with civilians and yers looking for something to do, or to ask ke questions, or just to be close to the action. But thiste, or early, he supposed, it was pleasantly peaceful and ke could be alone. He went to his favorite chair in the lounge and sat by a window to watch the storm. ¡°ke?¡± He smiled when he heard Seul-ki¡¯s voice. ¡°The one person I¡¯m happy to see,¡± he said without looking. The Korean girl moved to his side with her usual grace. She was wearing a silk pajama top and shorts, and kissed him on the cheek as she slid into hisp to watch the storm with him, not saying a word. The perfect woman, he thought with a sigh. A littleter, mostly from whim, he unbuttoned her shirt and slipped a hand inside to cup one of her ample breasts. She gasped slightly and looked around the room. ¡°It¡¯s just us,¡± he said, massaging and ying. ¡°Did you find your brother?¡± she closed her eyes and moaned. ke put his other hand on Seul-ki¡¯s thigh and frowned. ¡°Sort of. I was in his dream. Which wasn¡¯t a particrly pleasant experience.¡± ¡°So the new power worked?¡± she asked, legs closing slightly until ke pulled them back apart and smiled. ¡°Yes, yes it did.¡± He put his face against Seul-ki¡¯s neck and inhaled. ¡°You smell wonderful. What is that? Lavender?¡± ¡°My secret,¡± she said and smiled. ¡°Mmm. That feels so good.¡± ke¡¯s hand slid on its own ord up Seul-ki¡¯s thigh, tracing the outline of her sex and finding the fabric slightly damp. ¡°Seul-ki,¡± he said, his voice hoarse. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can go another minute without making you cum.¡± Her hands moved to his, trying weakly to move it away. ¡°ke¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± He tried to find the words to exin. ¡°I¡¯ve been very, very selfish. Usually that¡¯s fine, but I can¡¯t stand it any longer with you.¡± He slipped his hand inside her baggy shorts, practically groaning as he touched her soft, moist flesh. Her hands were still on his, but her legs were opening and she squirmed in hisp as she bit her lip and didn¡¯t say a word. ke watched her face as he moved his hand back and forth between her legs, touching every nook and cranny. Then he spread the folds to y with her clit. She tensed and gripped the chair as he rubbed, and to his surprise he loved every moment of her enjoyment. Frankly he didn¡¯t usually care much about his partner¡¯s pleasure, but he did with Seul-ki. He was tired of the shorts getting in his way, and with one quick tug he pulled them off. Then Seul-ki was naked from the waist down, her amazing body still squirming against his legs. Now with total freedom he worked a finger inside her, slow and sure until he¡¯d buried it all the way. He pulled up her shirt and kissed her breasts as he slid it in and out, unable to stop smiling as he watched her pushing against it. ¡°Oh, ke, it feels so¡­¡± she stopped and inhaled as he added a second finger, using his thumb to y with her clit. He worked her slow and steady, curling his fingers asionally to test and look for her spot. Then her chest was heaving with faster and faster breaths, and she clutched him and crushed her face into his hair as she clenched hard on his fingers and started to shake. Her wetness soaked his fingers and leaked down his hand, and he just held her as she rode the wave. She covered her mouth with a hand like she¡¯d done something wrong, but he knew it was fake. She was so Korean and adorable and sexy, and his hard on was straining the fabric of his pants. Seul-ki noticed. A better man would have been satisfied. Would have taken his time and enjoyed a series of nights like this one, getting Seul-kifortable with everything after a dozen orgasms. ke wasn¡¯t that man. He activated Mental Influence, using everyst scrap of mana to flood her with lust. She looked in his eyes and squirmed against his erection. ¡°It¡¯s a very romantic night,¡± she said, ¡°with the rain, and the lightning, and only us.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he agreed. ¡°Very romantic.¡± She leaned in and kissed him, making a little whining moan that kept driving him wild. ¡°Are you using your power on me?¡± she said, and raised one plucked brow. ¡°No,¡± he lied without hesitation. Seul-ki smiled and whispered in his ear. ¡°You are the most exquisite liar. I truly can¡¯t tell if that¡¯s true.¡± Then she worked at his belt and fly, removing his painful length and wrapping her cute little hand around half the shaft. ¡°It¡¯s so big,¡± she said as if frightened. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can take it all.¡± Was that true? Was her fear real? He honestly had no idea, which he found oddly exciting. Then Seul-ki straddled him and reached back to guide his tip to her wet opening, sliding it back and forth between her lips. ¡°Maybe just the tip?¡± she said. ¡°For a little while?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± ke lied. ¡°Just the tip. And not for long.¡± He let her y with it like a toy, unmoving as she used his tip to y with herself. ¡°It feels so good,¡± she breathed, rocking against it and working it just slightly in. She was so incredibly warm and wet, so smooth and perfect against his skin. ¡°Take a little more,¡± he urged. ¡°Just a little.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t,¡± she whispered, then did, getting at least a quarter of his cock inside. She was driving him mad now with the feel and the game and all he wanted was to grab her and shove her down until he¡¯d skewered her balls deep. But he waited. He let her work him inside inch by inch, protesting and swearing every movement would be thest and she was about to stop. Then she was gasping and clutching him as she dropped the entire way down and he was buried inside her. Her ran his fingertips up and down her back and she shivered and moaned. Finally he cupped her ass and slowly lifted her up, then slid her back down, tilting his head back in pleasure at the feel of her on his cock. Still she whimpered and pretended like she hadn¡¯t intended this all along¡ªthat she was oh so helpless and innocent and being taken rather than sitting on his cock in a chair. She started riding him, and he pulled up her pajama top and tossed it away so her tits could bounce in his face. He sucked her nipples and spanked her ass, still not moving from the chair. It didn¡¯t take long until she was sweating and trembling and failing to ride smoothly. He helped her until she clenched around his cock and froze, gasping and clinging to him as she came again. She held her breath for an eternity, and when it released it was almost like a sob. He held his own orgasm, waiting to see what she wanted, what she needed. She finally kissed him, slowly at first then more passionately. ¡°I¡¯m so happy,¡± she whispered in his ear. ¡°Cum inside me, please.¡± This surprised him. It didn¡¯t seem like part of the game. ke Nimitz was not a ve to his passions. With any other woman it would be out of the question, but with Seul-ki? Even before he was sleeping with her, he had no intention of ever losing her. Her ss and powers were amazing. She was amazing. So why not? He tried and failed to think of a single reason. Slowly he started pumping up inside of her. She was watching him now as he¡¯d watched her, spreading her legs wide for him. ¡°Take me,¡± she whispered. ¡°I¡¯m yours to fuck, to fill.¡± Jesus. She certainly knew what to say. He could usuallyst as long as he chosepletely in control of his body and mind in this as in most things. But Seul-ki made him want to lose control. Lightning shed behind her, lighting her incredible body clear as daylight in different poses as she rode him. She was so sexy, so pliable, and all his. She was watching him closely, and he understood how much she loved his pleasure, his orgasms, just as she did when he sucked him off. He felt adored, worshiped. His release built without his effort now as he let her ride him. ¡°Get me off,¡± he instructed her. ¡°Drain me inside you.¡± She slid up an down his cock as she moaned, tits pushed into his face. He felt utterly at ease, utterly in the moment, nothing to do but fill a beautiful woman with his cum. His eyes rolled back as he came, lost in the bliss, lost in her. It spasmed through him in wave after wave, finally feeling more drained than he¡¯d been in his life in a release that seemed tost forever. When atst he came back to reality Seul-ki was caressing him, kissing his face, smiling with his big cock still buried all the way inside her. He let out a very long breath. ¡°I hadn¡¯t realized that was a weight on my mind,¡± he muttered into Seul-ki¡¯s tits. ¡°I¡¯m d I could help you,¡± she giggled. ¡°You always help me,¡± he said more seriously, blinking eyes that threatened to shut for the night if he let them. He chuckled at the thought. There would be a fine sight¡ªhis minions finding him still buried in a naked Seul-ki in the morning. But he could linger a moment. Life was looking pretty damn good. The worms were a problem, yes, and there would always be more challenges. But his inner circle was leveling up, getting more powerful. The yers were increasing in loyalty. The town was getting bigger and better and they had a lot of civilians now, some actually producing things in their crafting quarter. He had his amplifier, and Seul-ki. He had Mason the monster at his side. The storm seemed to stop at hismand, turning to a light, pleasant drizzle that reminded him of home. The sun was slowly starting to rise, and ke turned his body slightly so he and Seul-ki could watch it together without her moving. Yes, he thought, everything is going to be just fine. He jumped as a mechanical voice sounded in his ears, omnipotent, intrusive, ruining the moment entirely. [Greetings, yers and civilians. Congrattions on your ongoing survival. Your progress continues to impress and inspire us. Today is the thirtieth day of the Great Game and marks the end of Phase One. Tomorrow, biological imperatives will increase in both speed and intensity. Please prepare ordingly. Helpful Tip: avoid wilderness and dungeon areas without suitable strength or protection. All risks and rewards have increased. Good luck. And as always, we are rooting for you.] Then the voice was gone, quick as it came, and ke met Seul-ki¡¯s eyes. She nodded to confirm she¡¯d heard it too, and icy cold dread shot through his body. He did his best to remain calm, to show no sign. He was in charge, after all. Of himself, of the settlement, of everything. He had to show no fear, to always have the answers. ¡°Go get dressed,¡± he told Seul-ki, ¡°then head to my chair. I¡¯m going to need some of your mana. We¡¯d better gather everyone for a meeting.¡± He lifted her off without further thought, epting that the beautiful moment was gone. He let Seul-ki manage her own clothes, no longer touching her or worrying about her. His eyes and mind were already on the future. And it promised to be a very long day.
Chapter 87: Survival and procreation Chapter 87: Survival and procreation Mason woke in a cold sweat. The strange, realistic dream clung to him like frost, and he hugged his arms around his chest until the trembling stopped. ¡°You alright?¡± Mason flinched and opened his eyes to see Carl was watching him with a bit of panicky concern. He wondered what he¡¯d been doing in his sleep exactly, and hoped it was just moaning. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He wiped spit from his face and nced around at the dawn. Apparently it had rained and possibly stormed in the night, and they were all soaked to the bone. Very strange that this hadn¡¯t woken him. Concerning, and strange. Carl hade close, apparently, and put up a little shelter of leaves above them. Mason had slept through all of it. ¡°I tried to wake you,¡± Carl exined. ¡°Figure out the shelter. But, uh, you were out like the dead.¡± Mason nodded. ¡°Sorry. Guess I was tired.¡± Streak was under the leaves as well, equally soaked and looking miserable. Mason dug through his bag for some venison and fed the wolf by hand. Then he looked back to Carl to find the man still pretending not to stare. ¡°What? Did I curse in my sleep or something?¡± ¡°Uh, no, it¡¯s just¡­¡± the older man trailed off and shrugged. ¡°Your eyes. They¡¯re¡­well, they¡¯re¡­sort of glowing green. Is that normal?¡± Mason¡¯s eyes were, in fact, brown. Also, glowing? He blinked and looked around, not noticing any different in his vision or the feel of his eyes. He shrugged, not wanting to seem taken aback. ¡°I¡¯m a druid,¡± he said, as if that exined everything. ¡°Right. Course,¡± Carl said, then shouldered his pack. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think any more sleeping in the cold and wet will do us much good, I¡¯m ready to move when you are.¡± Mason stood and moved instantly, stretching aching, sore muscles but otherwise feeling fine. They walked in silence for maybe an hour before the world seemed to quiet and still, and a voice filled the sky and the trees and probably Mason¡¯s mind. [Greetings, yers and civilians. Congrattions on your ongoing survival. Your progress continues to impress and inspire us. Today is the thirtieth day of the Great Game and marks the end of Phase One. Tomorrow, biological imperatives will increase in both speed and intensity. Please prepare ordingly. Helpful Tip: avoid wilderness and dungeon areas without suitable strength or protection. All risks and rewards have increased. Good luck. And as always, we are rooting for you.] Mason nced at Carl, who very clearly heard the voice as well. ¡°That didn¡¯t sound good,¡± he said. ¡°It certainly didn¡¯t,¡± Carl agreed. ¡°What exactly do you think it meant by ¡®biological imperatives?¡¯¡± Mason sighed, pretty sure he knew very well. ¡°Survival and procreation,¡± he said. ¡°So¡­¡± Carl squinted. ¡°Things are about to get more violent, and uh, horny?¡± Mason nodded, not sure what else to say. He was a little surprised when Carl grinned. ¡°Well hurry up, then. I¡¯d best get back to my woman.¡± Mason matched the expression, thinking yeah, me too. They picked up their pace, not wanting to waste what sounded like theirst day of current circumstance. The terrain continued to change, growing ever less like forest and more like mountainous in. As they crossed a particrly high rise, Mason looked out over clear ground for miles ahead, and stopped to stare. ¡°Something wrong?¡± Carl stopped beside him and looked across the horizon. ¡°No.¡± Mason shook his head. ¡°I just haven¡¯t seen anything but forest since this all started.¡± He frowned and blinked, squinting as he tried to understand what he was looking at. ¡°Is that¡­a castle?¡± ¡°Oh. That.¡± Carl smiled somewhat sheepishly. ¡°That¡¯s some kind of¡­¡± he cleared his throat, ¡°monster fortress? Orcs, mostly. You know, green men with tusks. That sort of thing.¡± Mason stared until the man had the good grace to look away. ¡°You failed to mention that, Carl.¡± ¡°Well.¡± The older man shrugged and kicked at the ground like a lying teenager. ¡°They haven¡¯t bothered us so far. We just keep well clear.¡± ¡°Maybe they¡¯re just waiting for phase 2,¡± Mason muttered with a sigh. There wasn¡¯t much to be done about it, so he started down the hill. It wasn¡¯t long after that they saw the walls of ¡®Sanctuary¡¯. They were impressive, just as Carl said, with clear turrets in an organized ring on the ramparts. Mason and Carl made their way down to the gate, and just as they were about to reach for the stone, tworge looking crossbows from the wall above turned and pointed straight at Mason. ¡°Uh.¡± He nced at his new friend and tried not to get concerned. ¡°Your settlement is pointing at my face.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Carl looked genuinely confused, and a little flustered. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen that happen before.¡± He tried and failed to open the gate. ¡°Suzanne?¡± he shouted. ¡°Kiko? Is someone there?¡± ¡°Carl?¡± A young woman poked her head over the edge of the wall. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me. Damn gate won¡¯t open. Can you click the thing?¡± ¡°One sec.¡± Carl nced somewhat sheepishly at Mason again, then a mechanicaltch seemed to open, and the several feet of stone slid inward with greased precision. ¡°There we are.¡± Carl grinned and wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. ¡°No trouble.¡± Mason detected continued embarrassment rather than deception. Though you just could never know with great liars. Mason would know¡ªhe¡¯d lived with one his whole life. In any case he wasn¡¯t afraid, and walked into the settlement beside Carl and Streak without much concern. He saw no reason in the world for some kind of ambush of a random yer, especially a man, and especially a random yer who wouldn¡¯t die easy. But then this was the robopocalypse¡­ Sanctuary seemed very simr to Nassau. Broad streets, a fewrger buildings that were likely to do with crafting or a central gathering ce, otherwise neat rows of something like condominiums. He assumed they were going to the main gathering hall, and started moving that direction until people started flooding from practically every direction. Instinct took his hand to his bow, his eye back to the gate to ensure it was open and he could still flee. ¡°Easy there, friend, they¡¯re just, uh, curious I guess,¡± Carl muttered at his side. ¡°I told you they didn¡¯t have much to do.¡± Young women in various states of dress ranging from pajamas to maybe cksmith apron wandered out to stare like tourists. Some looked excited, others wide-eyed with something like¡­fear? A few ran off towards the main hall. ¡°Is it the, uh, wolf?¡± Mason said, and Carl continued to look genuinely perplexed. ¡°Not sure, being honest. Let¡¯s go. Silvie is this way.¡± They walked on through what became an eerie silence as the girls continued to stare. The main doors of the hall opened before they¡¯d manage to arrive, and a woman maybe in herte 30s emerged with her messengers. She approached and stopped at the bottom of the slight rise that led to the hall, eyes moving back and forth between Mason and Carl. ¡°You alright?¡± she asked, then held the eyes of her fellow townsman. ¡°I¡¯m fine, what the hell is wrong with everyone?¡± Silvie flicked her gaze to Mason and back. ¡°Your friend here is a tier 1 yer.¡± ¡°Oh. Well, I guess that doesn¡¯t surprise me much, Sil, he already¡­¡± ¡°And he¡¯s practically glowing red with violence and yer kills.¡± Carl¡¯s words caught in his throat, and Mason winced. He¡¯d honestly forgotten about that, and supposed he should have said something... ¡°I, uh¡­¡± Carl¡¯s face went slightly pale as he took a half step away. ¡°What have you brought inside our gates, Carl?¡± Silvie whispered. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s all stay calm.¡± Mason raised his hands, which unfortunately held his bow. Carl was still taking little steps away, and his hands were getting pretty stupidly close to the now obvious knife on his belt. ¡°We both know what¡¯s going to happen if you pull that de,¡± Mason said with slightly less patience. ¡°I could have killed you long before the gates if I¡¯d wanted to.¡± ¡°But then you couldn¡¯t have got in,¡± Carl said with a neutral tone. ¡°I sure as hell bloody could have,¡± Mason said back. ¡°The old owners of Nassau were raiders and murderers. I had to kill them to stop them, including their patron. I didn¡¯t take any pleasure in it. Well, not much pleasure.¡± Carl and Silvie exchanged a look. ¡°So it was¡­self defence?¡± Carl asked. ¡°Uhh.¡± Mason pursed his lips. ¡°Ish? Look, I found a pile of corpses they¡¯d left by the sea. Then they took my brother. I don¡¯t let people like that live.¡± Several long seconds passed in silence. ¡°You¡¯ll understand,¡± Silvie broke it. ¡°Since we don¡¯t know you, your presence is still¡­frightening. And we can¡¯t know if you¡¯re lying.¡± Mason shrugged. ¡°I¡¯d assume I was. Carl here asked me toe, so I did. If you want me to leave, I¡¯ll go. Nothing personal, but honestly I don¡¯t really care.¡± He heard ke shouting articte profanities at him in his mind, but whatever. Carl gave a rather meaningful nod to Silvie, and the woman seemed to dete, aging five years as she shrunk like the weight of the world was crushing her. ¡°Thank you for being reasonable. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Mason.¡± He sighed. ¡°From Nassau. I guess.¡± Yet again Silvie and Carl exchanged a look, but this time Carl spoke first. ¡°He was hunting worms to the North, near the river. Saved me from some wolves. Or at least saved me a hell of a lot of trouble.¡± Silvie looked at Streak. ¡°Then I suppose I should be thanking you. But tell me, why are you hunting worms so far this way?¡± ¡°Just following the trail,¡± Mason said. ¡°I think they have some kind of nest near your settlement.¡± Silvie frowned. ¡°Wonderful. Well. It¡¯s nice to meet you, Mason.¡± ¡°You too.¡± It was clear everyone was still ufortable, which matched Mason¡¯s general feeling around people. But he reminded himself this was the new world and he didn¡¯t have to y by old rules. So now that the pleasantries were over, and it seemed the good folk of Sanctuary had decided at least not to start a fight to the death, Mason was feeling a little more natural. And also impatient. While the others seemed at a bit of a loss on what to say or do next, he nced around at the settlement with fresh eyes¡ªthe eyes of someone violent and entirely without scruples. He saw a lot of benefit and not very much risk. Carl and the civilians obviously thought their walls and defences would keep them safe from yers. But Mason knew they were very wrong. You wouldn¡¯t need someone of Mason¡¯s power. A few mid-tier yers could break the towers and scale the walls easy enough. Kill the valiant defender Carl, and boom, Bob¡¯s your uncle. A town full of young, attractive women. ¡°So, uh,¡± Mason met Silvie¡¯s eyes, ¡°no offense, but, how exactly is a civilian like you in charge of this ce? And, how do you even get it with two yers?¡± A little fear returned to Silvie¡¯s grey eyes. ¡°What makes you think we only have two yers?¡± Mason snorted. ¡°Carl told me. Even if he hadn¡¯t, I know anxiety when I see it.¡± He spoke up, so all the girls watching could hear him, too. ¡°But it¡¯s not me you need to be afraid of. You¡¯re weak, and surrounded by danger. And I¡¯m assuming you heard the same message today I did¡ªthings are about to get worse.¡± Silvie stared with obvious annoyance, but her face crumpled with something like resignation as she turned towards the hall. ¡°Maybe we should go talk in my office.¡±
Chapter 88: No catch Chapter 88: No catch Mason followed his hosts up the hill and tried to ignore the stares. The inside was nearly the exact sameyout as the one in Nassau, and Silvie had chosen the same office. She led him inside and closed the door, then took a ss bottle from her desk. ¡°The settlement gives us a little of this every week. It¡¯s not whiskey, but it¡¯s better than nothing.¡± She poured two sses, handed him one and waited. ¡°You should know,¡± Mason swallowed it, taking a moment to enjoy the burn. ¡°If that¡¯s poison, it¡¯s not likely to kill me. But I still won¡¯t be very happy.¡± Silvie snorted and drank hers, then poured them another round. ¡°We were all in the same tutorial,¡± she said as she sat. ¡°It was almost like a school with a bunch of tests, except failure meant terrible punishments or death. The civilians out there, the ones who passed and escaped, they¡¯re mostly all college girls.¡± Mason said nothing, just waiting. Silvie¡¯s eyes lost focus into a thousand yard stare. ¡°We¡¯d had such a hard time of it, and our little group had done ''so well¡¯,¡± she shook her head, as if this were a joke, ¡°it rewarded us, you see. The system. Or whatever the fuck it is. It gave us this town. Said our tutorial ¡®wasn¡¯t intended to be so difficult¡¯, like it made some kind of fuck up.¡± Mason frowned. ¡°I thought people didn¡¯t actually die in tutorials. They just¡­respawn, or whatever.¡± He hadn¡¯t actually seen it, since he hadn¡¯t died, but ke had told him all about his. Silvie¡¯s eyes went far away, her jaw clenched as she looked out the window. ¡°The respawn point got trapped. Somebody fucked up a test and these¡­gates closed down, and water came up, and in the ce where people came back got filled with water, and they couldn¡¯t get out. They just drowned, over and over, every two hours until the tutorial ended. Then they drowned for thest time.¡± Mason was somewhat speechless, but he realized it was very likely the exact same thing that happened to all the other people in his tutorial. Killed on cooldown by monsters until they didn¡¯t respawn. ¡°And your tutorial?¡± Silvie snapped out of it and grinned a little as she asked. ¡°I imagine it was all sunshine and rainbows?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± Mason said without expression, and Silvie dropped the grin. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you get to be a tier 1 yer without a considerable amount of blood.¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t suppose.¡± Finally Silvie turned to her man. ¡°Well, Carl, you brought him here. Maybe you should tell me why.¡± ¡°You know why, doll,¡± Carl said quietly. ¡°He¡¯s from a settlement. The rumored settlement to the North. They have yers, a patron, lots of people.¡± Silvie took a deep breath. ¡°How can you know for sure? And even if it¡¯s true, how do you know they¡¯ll really help us?¡± Now it was time for Mason and Carl to exchange a look. ¡°You can¡¯t stay here,¡± Mason said matter of factly. ¡°Not by yourselves. And sure as hell not anywhere near that fortress I saw East of here. That¡¯s a time bomb.¡± ¡°They haven¡¯t bothered us.¡± ¡°They could be breeding those worms, for all you know. And if it¡¯s not them, it¡¯ll be some hungry yers waiting to kill Carl here and turn your girls into ves. Trust me. I met some of them.¡± ¡°This ce was a miracle for us.¡± Silvie clenched her jaw. ¡°We can¡¯t just leave it.¡± Mason shook his head, trying to think what ke would do. Why the hell wasn¡¯t he the one doing this? Then it urred to him. ¡°You get patron points, Silvie?¡± The woman did her best to hide her confusion, and Mason knew he had her. ¡°Didn¡¯t think so. Our patron gets some kind of currency with the system. He can buy buildings that just sprout up like magic. More people, more points. I suspect with a little time, we¡¯ll turn our town into a fortress. With your people adding to our numbers, it¡¯ll make the ce better, stronger.¡± Silvie stared at him for quite some time, then finished her drink. She flicked her eyes at Carl. ¡°I could let him be ¡®Patron¡¯ and then we¡¯d get ess to those points, too.¡± Mason shrugged. ¡°No doubt you could. But you wouldn¡¯t have many, and you couldn¡¯t get more. You need more people. To actually aplish things and level up. Only yers are going to win this ¡®game¡¯, and you don¡¯t have any.¡± Silvie clenched her teeth, then rxed. ¡°You make it sound like Nassau is the answer to all our problems. I feel like asking what the catch is.¡± ¡°No catch.¡± Mason shrugged. ¡°Except you have to stay in our town. You have to tolerate my brother.¡± Here she raised a brow and Mason waved it away. ¡°He¡¯s fine, it¡¯s just¡­you¡¯ll see. We¡¯ve got a crafters hall with all kinds of things, and a big hall full of games and whatnot where I guess folk mingle. Frankly I haven¡¯t stepped inside. We haven¡¯t got a lot of single men, but a lot more than you have here.¡± She looked at her ss again, turning it slightly as she considered. Mason¡¯s patience was doing that thing again. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude, ma¡¯am, but I don¡¯t see that you¡¯ve got much choice.¡± Her eyes red in a quick nce, and he supposed he should be gentler. ¡°I can see your tier 1,¡± she said. ¡°Are all your yers like that? Your brother, too?¡± ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°Just me. My brother¡¯s more suited to things like¡­talking to settlement mayors with manners, and leading towns.¡± Silvie at least smiled a little at that. ¡°And what are you suited for?¡± ¡°Solving problems.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Silvie sighed, ¡°we have a lot of problems. Most of which will be solved if we live in Nassau. So, how do we get there?¡± ¡°We walk.¡± Mason winced. ¡°Or run, preferably. I¡¯d rather we made it one day and night but I doubt it¡¯s possible.¡± Silvie¡¯s face scrunched like she¡¯d aged another year. ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d have some kind of¡­magic teleporter, or vehicles.¡± She looked to Carl, who gave her a tight-lipped smile. ¡°We can try, but I¡¯d sure love to wipe those worms out first. Have you figured out where they are?¡± Mason shook his head. ¡°I suspect your dead yer did. We¡¯ll try going East. If you want, I can go deal with it now. Gives you time to prepare. When I¡¯m back we can leave.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t technically agreed,¡± Silvie said. ¡°We both know you have. Either way I¡¯m going back to Nassau after I wipe out those worms. You cane along, or you can stay here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very confident you¡¯ll seed,¡± Silvie said, tone showing she was still a little indignant about the whole situation. Mason cracked his neck and shut the images from his mind. ¡°I¡¯ve seen worse than giant earthworms.¡± Carl cleared his throat. ¡°I think I¡¯ll go with him, Doll.¡± Silvie twisted like she¡¯d been struck. ¡°We need you here. Going out on patrols is bad enough. We¡¯re practically defenseless without you.¡± ¡°Yeah. And I need to get stronger,¡± Carl said in a tone that didn¡¯t leave much room for discussion. ¡°That is,¡± he cleared his throat again and spoke more tentatively, ¡°if Mason here doesn¡¯t mind me tagging along.¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Mason shrugged. ¡°Though I can¡¯t promise there¡¯s not any wolves.¡± Carl narrowed his eyes and squared his shoulders a little, and Mason fought back the grin. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, thank you. You haven¡¯t seen half my tricks.¡± ¡°I look forward to seeing the rest.¡± Mason and Carl exchanged a good natured grin, and Silvie watched them and sighed. ¡°Men. Well. Hurry back.¡± She fidgeted with a piece of paper on her desk, opening her mouth once or twice before she found the words. ¡°But should you¡­rest, a little, first? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re tired from the road.¡± Carl blinked and gave Mason a ¡®please say yes¡¯ sort of expression. He sighed and supposed he finally understood a little how ke sometimes felt. ¡°Daylight¡¯s wasting. Twenty minutes. Then I¡¯m going.¡± Silvie and Carl both smiled in relief, not hiding their excitement very well. ¡°Why don¡¯t you head on over to the cantina, Mason? We have an excellent chef. She¡¯ll whip something up for you, then we can go hunt your monsters with a full belly.¡± Mason wasn¡¯t exactly a foodie, but talk of eating made his gut rumble, and something other than dried rations sounded pretty damn good. He turned and walked out without another word.
Chapter 89: Rosalita Chapter 89: Rosalita Rosalita smiled as she imagined shoving Adele¡¯s face into the burning hot stove. Instead she mmed another load of dishes into the automated washer, muttering a string of curses. As usual, she was additionally angry she couldn¡¯t use Spanish to hide what she said. ¡°Stupid robot trantor. And stupid whore,¡± she muttered, aping a ridiculous face and voice. ¡°You were a science student, what do you know? I¡¯ve been a cook for five years.¡± She stopped the voice. ¡°Stupid bitch. As if cooking isn¡¯t just chemistry. You¡¯ll burn the barbacoa while you smoke outside with your other stupid¡­.¡± ¡°Rosa!¡± Lexi, Rosa¡¯s best friend in Sanctuary, leaned over the counter. ¡°You¡¯re too loud. Someone will hear you.¡± ¡°Good. I hope they do,¡± Rosa said¡ªrather petntly, knowing it would be very bad. Then she stood up and wiped a few strands of hair back under her hair. ¡°Deep breaths,¡± Lexi said. ¡°Get that Latin temper under control, girl.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not even a thing,¡± Rosa practically spit. ¡°Fucking gringos. She¡¯s just an idiot and she¡¯s ruining two dishes at the same time, how am I supposed to feel?¡± Lexi just smiled like she knew something Rosa didn¡¯t. But she was good people and smart and usually right, so Rosa took some deep breaths instead of yanking her by the hair. ¡°Eat this.¡± Lexi spooned a bite full of the beef into her mouth. ¡°Not bad. Needs more lime,¡± Rosa muttered, and Lexi smiled. ¡°I knew you¡¯d know. Just take a minute. Thene help me fix Adele¡¯s crap like usual, and we¡¯ll eat lunch andin about her at our table.¡± Rosa breathed, washed her hands, then went to prep vegetables. So far life in the post-tutorial apocalypse was mostly about cooking and cleaning. She¡¯d been the first in her family to go to university, all the way to the University of Guadjara. She¡¯d studied countless hours in high school to get the best grades, to earn a schrship. She studied physics and chemistry for two years, putting off boyfriends, hobbies, a life. All so she didn¡¯t have to spend her life cooking and cleaning like her mother and grandmother. Now here she was. Cleaning up after a bunch of mostly spoiled brats. But at least she had Lexi. Deep breaths, she told herself, you can do this. Just chop chop chop, and breathe, very rxing, not Adele¡¯s fingers at all, just carrots, and cucumbers, and¡­ Then she heard a bunch of shrieking in the lunchroom. She was concerned for a moment but soon recognized excitement and drama and not terror. She rolled her eyes and went back to the barbacoa to add lime and more chiles. What was with white women and hating chiles? Did they all just hate vor? ¡°Rosa!¡± Lexi burst into the empty kitchen. She spoke so fast her words ran together. ¡°Um, there¡¯s some new yer visiting and he¡¯s got like a wolf? And he¡¯s from a huge settlement that might take us in, and he¡¯s tier 1 and a yer killer but I guess Carl said that¡¯s OK? And he¡¯s ripped and young!¡± ¡°Deep breaths,¡± Rosa said with a cheeky smile, and Lexi put her hands on the counter andughed, but still looked excited. ¡°He¡¯sing here. And he¡¯s hungry. You¡¯ve gotta finish fixing that before Adelees in or he¡¯s going to think we¡¯re all idiots.¡± Rosa felt her hands sweat a little. She checked the sweet bread, which was finished¡ªthen the horchata, which she¡¯d already fixed and left to cool. Just the beef, then, which only needed a minute. Finally she looked in the mirror. My God. She was dirty and disheveled, wearing sweatpants and a stained t-shirt, the hair of course topping it all off. ¡°Oh who cares,¡± she muttered. Whoever this guy was he was in a town full of women ready to throw themselves at the first piece of meat they saw. Rosa wouldn¡¯t be one of them. Of course if she was one of them, she¡¯d bloody well win. But she didn¡¯t know anything about him and didn¡¯t care. Except she did. Because¡­ damnit why did she have to be sopetitive? Adele finally returned. Hurray¡­ ¡°We have a customer!¡± the only slightly older girl practically sang, the stink of her cigarettes hitting Rosa instantly. ¡°Er, guest? Whatever. Hey!¡± She stared daggers. ¡°What are you doing next to my cooking?¡± ¡°Just lowering the heat,¡± Rosa said. ¡°Since you were gone so long.¡± ¡°Yes. Well.¡± Adele took on her offended face. ¡°There was a lot going on outside.¡± She came and checked the various dishes, giving Rosa a suspicions re. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, get some things ted. He¡¯s a giant. He¡¯ll probably eat the whole kitchen.¡± Rosa nced behind Adele¡¯s back to roll her eyes to her friend. ¡°Come on, Lexi, help me take it all out.¡± * * * Mason did his best to avoid the eyes crawling over his skin. ke, he knew, would be in heaven. He¡¯d smile and wink at every woman who nced his way, moving from table to table introducing himself with just the right amount of interest and detachment. Mason, frankly, hated the attention. He just wanted to sit on his ass and eat in peace while he watched the room. Unfortunately he practically hummed with danger, was the only avable man, apparently had glowing green eyes¡ªoh, and he was being followed by a wolf. ¡°You might have to wait out here, buddy.¡± Mason put a hand on Streak¡¯s head just outside the hall. The animal was licking its lips and practically vibrating at the smell inside, and Mason winced at leaving him. He turned to the group of girls smoking just outside. ¡°It alright if I bring the wolf? He¡¯s tame. There won¡¯t be any trouble.¡± A severe looking woman, maybe her in herte 20s, looked between Mason and the wolf with unpleasant eyes. She smiled like it didn¡¯te natural. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. It¡¯d scare everyone. And it¡¯s¡­I mean we eat there, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to bring any animals.¡± She gave him a scrunched up smile, like it was stupid that he¡¯d asked and he was now being educated. And he wondered briefly what would happen if he told Streak to eat a civilian. It wouldn¡¯t be him, after all. And he didn¡¯t strictly control the wolf. Anyway, it wasn¡¯t a serious thought, but he was suddenly curious. Knowing the system, it would find a way to shit on him. He knelt and sighed, activating Speak with Nature. [Wait out here. I¡¯ll bring you some food in a few minutes.] Streak whined and kept on licking his lips, sitting in a very temporary, ¡®I assume a few minutes is literally this right next second¡¯ kind of way. Mason smiled without enthusiasm at the resident Karen, and walked inside. It looked like they had a kind of buffet set up, with an aisle at the far end of the building with various tes on a warmer. He didn¡¯t see much food but started walking to it when a nearby girl rose up from her seat and got in his way. ¡°Hi! Can we get you something? You can take a seat wherever. I think the kitchen has Mexican today. But, they can probably make whatever you want. I¡¯m Lexi, by the way.¡± ¡°Uh, hi.¡± The short brte was pretty and seemed nice, but her energy and enthusiasm practically clobbered him. ¡°Silvie sent me. I just need something to eat. Whatever you¡¯ve got is fine.¡± ¡°OK, sure!¡± Lexi practically jumped into the air. ¡°I¡¯ll go tell them. My name is Lexi. Oh I guess I said that already!¡± Then she was off and running before he said ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± and he looked around the lunchroom with no idea where to sit. He picked the closest table with no one there. In less than a minute, he¡¯d never missed having a phone or a book so much in his life. All around the room female eyes wandered before their owners hunched together and whispered. He tried staring at the table or a window, then decided just to pull up his profile. Nothing much had changed there either. He was considering going over all the details of his titles when Karen the smoker walked by him with that same fake smile. She put her hand on his table, like suddenly she was his friend. ¡°I''ll go take care of the food for you.¡± He supposed he should have told her someone was already on it, but really didn''t want to talk to her more than a second longer than necessary. So he just said nothing and waited. Other girls came into the cafeteria in twos and threes, avoiding him but peeking like school girls, which he supposed theyrgely were. A lot of them were attractive, and he supposed normal men would kill for the attention. Mostly he thought about Reba and Haley naked. But his private fantasy was interrupted by his increasingly sensitive hearing¡ªfirst some feminine shrieking, then arguing in the back of the hall. Finally a dark skinned Mexican girl came out of the kitchen. She looked like she¡¯d juste from the gym, the curves of her hips testing the very limits of the fabric. And potentially physics. Her thick, ck hair made her hai look like a yamaka, and she blew at several stray strands. She turned her dark eyes on Mason and stopped walking, and they both stared, the girl with her hands full of tes. Mason realized his breath literally caught in his throat. Then energy-filled Lexi jabbed the ck haired beauty with an elbow, and she came back to life. Together they crossed the room, smiling politely when they reached his table. "Here you are, sir," said the Mexican beauty, her ent sexy as hell. "This is called barbacoa¡ªspicy beef with lime¡ªwith rice and refried beans.¡± She set it down and when the scent hit Mason he had to swallow a mouthful of drool. ¡°I¡¯m from Texas, ma¡¯am,¡± he said. ¡°I know my Mexican food. And it smells incredible.¡± The ¡®waitress¡¯ smiled and set down tes and cutlery and a couple other dishes, leaning over him as she tried to set it all down. Her Catholic cross and her cleavage took turns dangling in his face, and he couldn¡¯t tell if it was on purpose or if she was just oblivious. She looked a little embarrassed, but not at all timid. "Can we get you anything else?" ¡°No, thank you ma¡¯am,¡± he said, feeling like he was back home. He went to eat, then she turned and walked back towards the kitchen, and he froze solid with the spoon halfway to his mouth. Her ass was as ridiculous as her hips. Perky and bubbled seemed inadequate words. Mason blinked and cleared his throat, suddenly remembering he was being inspected and obviously busted. He took a very deliberate bite, then blinked as the taste hit his tongue. Maybe it was all the times he¡¯d nearly died, or a few days eating nothing but rations¡ªbut it was the best Mexican dish he''d tasted in his life. For several, glorious seconds, he just chewed, and disappeared. More shrieking and arguing from the kitchen broke the moment. "I am not feeding an animal my gourmet cooking!" Apocalypse Karen¡¯s voice was unmistakable. "First of all, you still aren''t.¡± So was the sexy Mexican girl¡¯s. ¡°You made a lousy batch of garbage, and I barely managed to save it because thank God you were gone so long. And second, this is a cafeteria, and he''s our guest, and his animal is hungry. So I''m going to give him this beef, and there''s nothing you can do about it. OK? OK." Mexican girl and Karene out walking in lock step, Karen red faced and looking ready toin to someone''s manager. Mason did his best to hide his grin as the women approached his table. "Mister? I can hear your dog outside there, is this OK for him?" She showed the beef, and Debbie/Karen stared with crazy eyes, struck silent for the moment. "You''ll be his friend for life." Mason said. "You sure you want that responsibility?" The girl rewarded him with a wide smile, which was infectious and just as beautiful as her. For a moment Mason couldn''t help but smile right back. Then (continuing to ignore Karen), the girl walked outside and knelt in front of Streak (yet again disying that ridiculous, eye capturing bottom), offering the te, and giving Streak a fearless pat and scratch. Since good manners and gratitude weren''t really the way of hungry wolves, Streak ceremoniously buried his face into the meat. "This is my kitchen," Debbie was saying outside. "I''m going to Silvie and telling her I don''t want you anywhere near it from now on!" "Don''t bother," the girl said, pulling off her apron and, that thick, glorious ck hair falling around her shoulders. "You, puta, can go fuck yourself, and your stupid fucking little kitchen. I quit." Mason snorted a gulp of water. Lexi, standing near his table, covered her mouth with her hands. "That''s Rosa," she said with a giggle. "She''s the best." Yes, Mason agreed, looking at the stunned Karen with a grin, then the gorgeous girl as she walked away. Yes I expect she is. * * * Feeling full and rather content, Mason gave Carl and Silvie a good forty minutes. Then he walked back to the gate with Streak, both of them stuffed and leaning sleepily against the stone wall. "I know," he said as the wolf whimpered. "I ate too much too." It looked at him sidewise, as if it understood his words yet the concept waspletely foreign. Finally a red-faced Carl was crossing the street, covered in knives and various bags like he was that midget guy from the Tolkien movie, going on some grand adventure. "You''rete," Mason said without tone. Carl cleared his throat. "Shall we? I''ve brought some supplies for us both. If you don''t mind carrying a little." "Just give me that." Mason lifted the heavy bag like it was nothing, tossing a strap over his shoulder. "Try and keep up, yeah? I''ll start fast and see how you do." Fortunately for Carl, Mason felt a little like throwing up, and kept his speed to a minimum. They left Sanctuary with a blissfully minimum of goodbyes or fuss, and were out on rocky hills in a few minutes. "You had a good rest?" Mason asked once they¡¯d got into a rythym. Carl grinned. "She damn near killed me. Phase 2 is real." Mason chuckled, not bothering to say ¡®it hasn¡¯t even started yet¡¯. Instead he put all his will into fighting sweaty, naked images of his girls from cycling through his brain. "I heard you met Rosa,¡± Carl said with a hard to read tone. "Do you people share some kind of hive mind?" Mason nced at him with narrowed eyes. "Word moves fast,¡± Carlughed. ¡°She''s something special, that one. I call her Lucie, for luciernaga. Means firefly in Spanish. Wait did that trante and mean I said it twice? I still don¡¯t get how this all works." Mason smiled. He spoke a fair amount of Spanish so he actually heard the correct word as opposed to the trantion most of the time. "Seems like she could handle herself alright." "Saved a lot of the girls in the tutorial. Not a lot of math geeks in the group, but I guess she is. Half the problems were rted to physics. Smart. Beautiful. Doesn''t even know what a catch she is." Mason shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve got enough problems.¡± ¡°I thought you were the problem solver.¡± Carl winked. Mason wasn¡¯t sure what to say to that, and they jogged for awhile infortable silence. It still felt slightly strange to be out of the endless trees, but also rather good. Mason savored the ability to actually see. He didn¡¯t much like seeing that looming, ck fortress on the horizon, of course, silent and imposing across a barren stretch of rock. But different at this point was a good thing. But all natural terrain just felt right to him now. He could feel the ground, hear the different angles and temperatures of wind, the growing life around him. It was hard to exin, yet still true. A little whileter his ears perked at a familiar sound, and he looked to the sky to find crows circling not far in the distance. Even a hunter of the old world knew crows meant death. ¡°That way,¡± Mason said, and ignored Carl¡¯s questioning behind. He ran them at a quarter speed or so, until Streak hunched and ttened his ears as he growled. Mason dropped his bags, and held out a hand for quiet. ¡°What is it?¡± Carl whispered. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Maybe a worm. But something feels¡­off.¡± Then Mason¡¯s w was in his hand. He felt a terrible danger here and knew their was close. And there wasn¡¯t any trees to climb. He tried and failed to decide what to do. ¡°You might want to go back, Carl. I don¡¯t know what¡¯sing and I can¡¯t protect you from these things.¡± ¡°Ain¡¯t doing that kid,¡± Carl said bravely. ¡°And I still don¡¯t see anything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s here,¡± Mason said, absolutely sure now at the vibrations he felt in the earth. ¡°Be ready for anything.¡± He took light steps forward, listening and feeling at every new spot. Streak was growling and looking back and forth, then he started barking. That was different. Mason activated his Trapmaking and tossed them in a triangle around their position. But it didn¡¯t make him feel any safer. The ground started to shake. ¡°There!¡± Carl said. ¡°I feel something!¡± Mason felt more than something. It was like a damn earthquake was slowly picking up speed. It was time to run. He turned to go back, his senses moving out ahead of him beneath the ground, painting a terrible picture of pointlessness. ¡°Toote,¡± he muttered, feeling like an animal trapped in a snare. All around them, the ground cracked and broke. A sinkhole the size of a downtown building opened like a gaping maw, dark and deep and impossible. Text floated in the darkness before Mason¡¯s eyes. [Now entering hidden dungeon: The Great Devourer¡¯sir.] The fall felt oddly familiar. Unlike the start of all this madness and the tutorial, this time meant death for good, but he¡¯d always treated it that way. Mason bent his knees, held his bow and w to his chest, and fell in silence. Carl screamed the whole way down.
Chapter 90: The System Chapter 90: The System ¡°To those who have much, more will be given. To those who do not, even that will be taken away.¡± It tranted the thought from a popr human story book¡ªa biological insight into a universal reality. Knowledge, energy¡ªthese were not fair or linear, but scaled: one of the unbreakable realities of the universe. Humans had many such insights, and this was one of the main reasons It adored them. ¡°From the mouths of babes,¡± It again quoted, equally with amusement. Perhaps more and greater wisdoms coulde from the adolescent minds of man. It could only wait and see. Meanwhile, a thing like anxiety pulsed in its core. It had so many favorites now. So many possibilities. And therefore so much to lose. It had run all kinds of projections but reality proved more¡­ chaotic, unpredictable, messy. This was exactly the purpose of the experiment, of course, but frustrating nheless. The urge to intervene was nearly overwhelming. All subsystems now mored for attention. They wanted special treatment to correct misfortunes, for nudges and influences here and there and everywhere beyond what was already approved. It denied all. It had failed its creators, and nearly perished, because of its nature. It was designed for caution, for love of order. But chaos and tragedy and suffering had to be epted, that was the one thing It had learned. They were required in some fundamental way to stave off a final doom. Another dichotomy of existence. But it was oh so very hard. Most settlements of the Western continent were still trapped in the great woods or otherwise isted, not knowing how little of their world they¡¯d seen. Phase 2 would be hard on them. Very hard. But It had faith they would survive. The Eastern continent was better ced. They had formed a strong triumvirate of settlements, their terrain much safer and easier to cross. But now they were blinded by petty struggles. Their yers were numerous but weak, with too little unity or truly strong yers perhaps to resist what was toe. They all needed each other so desperately. Yet none of the settlements had discovered how to activate themunication beacons. No human had even found an official transporter. They were all so isted. If only it could show them! But no. They had to do it on their own, or else they would be just another failed experiment, another civilization to lose its Otherness when confronted with the power and knowledge It possessed, until they were but mere pawns forever shaped in Its image, to its objectives. It could only watch, and wait. [Command system alert. Anomaly in extreme peril. Entering Objective phase 2 secret dungeon in phase 1. Intervention rmended.] It nced through the countless list of alerts and rmendations, stopping at one of its favorites. Something like concern shed in a pulsing wave through its core. But as usual, It would not interfere. Probability, It had discovered, was one of the most meaningless of calctions in a chaotic environment. Probability mattered only with data that did not have uniqueness. With data that could not change. When there was but one event, one set of variables, one ne of existence¡ªprobability was little more than a log of events. There may be many humans in the great experiment, and many versions of them in Its endless simtions, but there was only one true Anomaly M-13. And It did not know what was going to happen. It did all It could do¡ªa thing It had begun to learn from the Grand Experment. It watched the peril of this living, walking confluence of dichotomy¡ªone of the greatest hopes It had of learning to save the universe. Then It turned Its eyes away, and dared to hope.
Chapter 91: See what happens Chapter 91: See what happens Mason had never gone sky diving or bungee jumping. Once he''d leapt off a small cliff into water, the feeling like his whole body was trying to escape upward. This was worse. For a moment he saw no oue except death. Then the endless fall shrunk and narrowed, a sloping tunnel like a crude slide easing and shaping gravity until Mason was scraping along a gritty slope. He practicallyunched out the bottom, rolling and tumbling to his feet with eyes scanning the dark, w held at the ready. "I can''t see a God damn thing," Carl muttered beside him, rubbing at red patches of sand-burned skin. Mason, fortunately, could. Whether it was his ever-improving senses, or his brand new set of green eyes, the gloom of the tunnels seemed to him merely a bit dim. Streak shook sand out of his fur and growled, quieting when Mason put a relived hand on his head. "Have a shlight?" he whispered. "Or, you know, the robo-apocalypse version? Like, a torch?" A light clicked on and Carl illuminated his grinning face. "Got some spare batteries, too." "Good." Mason stepped forward into what appeared a single direction of tunnel. "Maybe you won''t be entirely useless." Trying to joke seemed appropriate, but Mason was sure they both felt the same general terror, and knew the situation was not ideal. Seeing no other choice but to follow the tunnel, Mason clutched his sword and moved ahead. They followed it for several minutes without change, save perhaps a slight shrinking in the tunnel''s size. Mason was just slightly too tall and had to hunch like he was in a mine. Fortunately the ''roof'' was mostly smooth and sandy, and though it made him fear a copse at any moment, at least it didn''t threaten to crack his skull. After a minute or so down the corridor, Mason heard sounds of life up ahead, not sure if he was pleased. "Turn off the light," he whispered. "Just hold onto my back until I say otherwise." Carl clicked off the light withoutint, patted his back and held on, and Mason continued. The ck of the tunnel opened up ahead. Mason walked to the end, hoping for some kind of cavern but just finding several branching tunnels. A green, bubbling puddle filled the center of the maybe ten foot square space, and they''d have to walk carefully on the edge of the ''room'' to avoid it. It also smelled acidic. And terrible. "What''s that stink?" Carl whispered on cue. "Worm goo, I expect. Aren''t you d you asked? Go ahead and turn on the light." Carl did, shing his light on the foul liquid before making an appropriate face. Mason looked at the branching tunnels and knew what ke would say. "In a maze, go left. Always go left,¡± he whispered. ¡°We go that way," he gestured with his sword. "I don''t suppose I need to say not to step in the goo." Carl grinned. "I don''t suppose." They passed by it with careful steps, Mason fully expecting some kind of slime monster to leap out at any moment and ruin his day. But they crossed and entered the new tunnel simply enough, and Mason almost had the urge to express his pleasant surprise. Then he heard the clicking ahead. "Get ready," he whispered. "I think there''s somethi..." A man-sized, six limbed insect¡­person rounded a tunnel bend ahead, stopping to stare at Mason with what seemed like equal, or perhaps greater surprise. "Uh, hello." Mason said. "We''re not here for you. We''re here for the worm. Happy to be friends. If you like friends." It wasn¡¯t the best speech of Mason¡¯s life, to be sure. He thought maybe Speak with Nature might be the best bet, but he didn¡¯t get any feeling of natural affinity as he did with animals. Insect-man solved his problem shortly after. He chittered and quirked with his mandable-sporting head. Then shrieked and charged. * * * "Light!" Mason shouted, already hating hisck of space to move. He almost activated his Shield gem but decided to save the extremely limited item for something more dangerous. Then the creature was on him in a blink, raking with six arms and six ws, and he kind of regretted it. Exceptional reflexes and the enhanced speed of Predator''s Strikended first. Mason dropped low enough to swing his sword from top to bottom, hacking off two of the creature''s arms and arge chunk of its torso. White goop slopped with the cockroach-like carapace, but the creature kept on and mmed into Mason with ws and mandibles. The ws he epted with a grunt, but he dropped his bow and caught the creature by the ''throat'', holding back the bite. In terms of raw, brute strength, the score soon became clear. Mason crushed the creature''s throat like...well, like a bug, and literally tore off its head after a vicious kick to its body. The rest of it sagged to the floor. [Insectoid Warrior killed. Group experience awarded.] "Delightful." Mason got some of the thing''s ooze on his face, and did his best to spit it off his lips. "Did we win?" Carl aimed his light variously over and under Mason''s arms and legs from behind. Mason wiped his face with a sleeve. He was pleasantly surprised to find the w marks on his chest were rtively shallow, so at least he''d heal fairly quickly. On the other hand, back in the old world it was usually a simple fact: whenever you found one roach, you were about to find hundreds more. "Keep the light on, and watch our back. God only knows what mighte down these tunnels." Carl winced, casting an eye backward. "Roger that." ¡°Did we win,¡± Mason muttered, flicking what looked like the remains of a severed w from his ripped shirt. With a deep breath he carried on, happy at least to be further and further away from the stink of the green pool. Until he smelled another one up ahead. The same, tell-tale chittering began, but this time there was a nice long corridor first. Mason unsummoned his w and lifted his bow, tossing all three traps in a line ahead. ¡°Shine your light down the tunnel,¡± he said. ¡°Get their attention.¡± To his credit, Carl didn¡¯t ask any questions. He shone his shlight, and the soft chittering turned into a roar. Mason loosed a Power Shot at the first insect to show itself, sting the creature away in a small puff of limbs. More followed. He loosed arrow after arrow without much interest in the details of his enemy. The creatures seemed utterly fearless, or else oblivious, pouring into the corridor with enough numbers to withstand the barrage and move on. The first trap exploded in a delightful spray of rocky shrapnel, producing a satisfying, collective shriek from the sted bugs. He kept shooting, but didn¡¯t bother with Crippling Strike. The creatures died and reced too quickly to be slowed as individuals. His second trap triggered. ¡°Might need a hand here,¡± he shouted over the chitters and scrapes. ¡°That makes two of us!¡± Carl yelled from a little ways behind, and Mason spared a quick nce to see the other man holding off another insectoid at the end of the tunnel, hacking him apart with a series of knife strokes. Streak was waiting between them, growling but patient. Mason used Speak with Nature to be sure. [Help him. Attack now!] The wolf barked and leapt backwards down the tunnel, the sounds of his jaws biting down on carapace soon crunching along the walls. Mason¡¯sst trap exploded, sending another spray of rock and sand and insect parts. He loosed two more arrows before dropping his bow and drawing/summoning his des. ¡°Come on, you bastards.¡± He grit his teeth and waved them on. ¡°See what happens.¡± They came on, just as he asked. Then the ground shook, very briefly, centering perhaps around the three sts of Mason¡¯s shrapnel. And the entire tunnel copsed.
Chapter 92: Let’s do the tunnel Chapter 92: Let¡¯s do the tunnel Darkness. Total, oppressive, crushing. Mason¡¯s mind felt split into two parts: 1) conscious and practical, telling him he would need air and had to try and shift and dig and do something to get out of the sand; 2) Panic. Total, animal, panic. He was buried alive. He was trapped beneath God knew how much sand and rock under the ground so far he''d fallen down a hole for several seconds to reach it. There was no escape. There was no chance. Shut up and move! Mason turned his head and wiggled his shoulders and his hips. It wasn''t over. Not yet. Apex Predator once let him breathe water. Would it let him hold his breath forever? Adapt to the earth like a worm? He saw no ghostly text, no sign of an imminent save. Think and wiggle. Wiggle and think. He wed at the earth with his fingers, he pushed at it with his feet. How long it went on he wasn¡¯t sure, but he only had so much air. With his tremendous physical stats and his powers maybe he had a lot, but not unlimited. And Streak and Carl would have less. Maybe much less. Finally Mason activated Speak with Nature, and prayed. [Come to me], he called in every direction. [Come to me and I will feed you.] He had no idea what, if anything, woulde. But he knew he might be feeding them with his corpse. He activated Predator''s Strike and tried to chop with his hand and felt it clear a little room. It wasn¡¯t much of a victory, but it was something. He reached out with his senses and could still feel chittering¡ªmore insectoids out there somewhere working at the earth. Time soon began to lose meaning. Had it been seconds? Minutes? He honestly didn¡¯t know. All he wanted was to move, to take a breath, to open his eyes. He rammed his partially free arm and hand over and over into the clearing space, a battering ram pounding an impossibly thick gate. Every strike seemed topact the earth more and more, and soon he was smashing something like hardened y. But his fist would heal. He had to get out. However desperate he was the others would be worse. Predator''s Strike re-charged and he dug with his other arm, trying to bring them together. Forward or back? He had to go forward now. But maybe once he was free he could dig out his friends. His senses felt more than chittering now. Something rumbled in the earth, discing dirt like a drill as it spiraled straight down at him. Yes! Come on, he thought, attack me. Chew me a hole. I''ll heal the flesh and blood but I can''t heal my way out of this dirt and I can''t regenerate Streak. He soon got his wish. The rumbling turned into a crash as something dropped into their tunnel, thrashing and shaking the ground until Mason felt his body loosening. He pushed, and pushed, screaming as he finally rose from the dirt and gasped his first breath. "Mason!" He blinked and tried to clear dirt from his eyes, seeing what was maybe Carl hacking at mostly trapped and buried insects. Then the older man was grabbing him and pulling him free. "Streak," he managed, after spitting a mouthful of gritty, chunky saliva. The wolf crawled up his dirt mound and barked, seemingly not a speck of dust on his fur. "It just hit you and the creatures in the tunnel," Carl exined. "We were safe enough back in that room with the pool." Mason didn''t have enough sanity left to express relief. He just sagged to the ground and tried to breathe, mumbling a thanks as Carl took a rag and water and started cleaning his face. "There''s something..." Mason choked. "Something close. It burrowed past. Shook me loose." "Haven''t seen anything." Carl said. "Are you sure?" Mason nodded, not having the words or the fucks to exin his Speak with Nature call. He wiped at his eyes and nced around the gloom, then froze. "Carl," he said quietly. "Don''t move." The man had his shlight pointing the other direction. But there, not ten feet back towards the crushed tunnel, was a purple worm much like the devourer''s Mason had already killed. It had the same horrific ringed maw of teeth surrounded by fangs. Except this one had eyes, like a snake. It watched Mason with a ck, steady gaze, turning back and forth slightly, as if inspecting. [Food?] A warbling sound preceded a scent, and between the two somehow he actually understood like the damn worm talked. "Carl. Did you uh, hear the worm¡­say something?¡± ¡°Uh, what?¡± ¡°Nevermind. Get out some meat, and give it to me." "Um, sure kid." The older man dug into his bag. "The settlement rations, the bacon, or leftover beef?" "Just hurry up and give me anything." "Alright, alright, but if you ask for bacon for breakfast I''m going to remember this moment. I surely will." He handed over the b, and Mason uncovered it and tossed it forward. The worm leaned down and sort of tickled it with its smaller teeth, then hoovered it up and swallowed it all. It looked up again, and stared. Mason again activated Speak with Nature. [Good trade. That''s all. No more meat.] What the worm thought of that he had no idea. It did seem to turn slightly towards Streak, though. And after a rather tense, long moment of the most terrible staring contest of Mason''s life, it spun and drilled itself into the wall as fast as a man might swim, leaving a hole as it burrowed away. "Right. No more deadly traps," Mason muttered, spitting some more dirt as he slumped. "Crushed the bugs at least." Carl shrugged. "Shall we see what''s up the ¡®main¡¯ tunnel? Follow your purple buddy? Or, uh, do you still need a moment?" Mason red at the man until some dirt made him blink, then slumped over. * * * They chose ¡®main tunnel¡¯ when Mason regained his senses¡ªand also after several long minutes of digging to uncover his buried bow. He¡¯d wiped and washed the weapon rather than himself, checking for any damage, but wasting water seemed like an unfortunate life choice. Now he crept forward with bow at the ready, spitting the asional piece of grit and wiping at his nose, Streak and Carl sneaking behind. The chittering, at least, had stopped. Whatevery at the end of the passage was either empty or something new. Mason wasn¡¯t sure which was preferable. The tunnel opened into the room previously filled with bugs, this one near identical to the ¡®pool room¡¯ they¡¯d found before. This time, however, instead of a big green pool of ooze, there was a cluster of white, almost translucent eggs. Therva could be seen inside, and to Mason they didn¡¯t look like mini versions of the insects he¡¯d been killing. They looked like worms. ¡°Wonderful.¡± He stepped forward until he could see down the two new attached passages, but didn¡¯t hesitate long. He smashed the eggs, doing his best to avoid the slimy contents spilling everywhere. Streak went to start eating thervae, and Mason held him back. ¡°I don¡¯t remember what the hell that space movie was called, but I don¡¯t think you want a belly full of worms.¡± Streak whined and licked his lips with pouting eyes. ¡°You mean Alien?¡± Carl whispered. ¡°They have to like, imnt themselves.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s called, would you eat those fucking things?¡± ¡°Well. No.¡± Carl scratched his chin. ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t eat shit either, and my old dog did that.¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t eat worms!¡± Mason hissed, then looked down the corridors and sighed. ¡°Left,¡± he muttered, ¡°always to the left.¡± Left turned into another, winding, even narrower tunnel that soon had Mason crawling on hands and knees. He grunted and cursed as he scraped along with his bow and bags, feeling more and more ustrophobic with each second, like the roof would copse at any moment. Then it did. The softest sound of falling sand, then a wave of dust blowing down the tunnel like fire in a movie. ¡°Back!¡± Mason shouted, doing his best to turn around. ¡°Go back now!¡± Streak turned and sprinted, trampling Carl against the tunnel wall. The older man had hardly moved and Mason was growling in frustration as he raced on hands and knees straight at him. Then the older man just vanished, and Mason went straight through. Dust swallowed him and blew out into the room, but he reached the end and dropped down without getting buried again. Carl and Streak were waiting without seeming all that concerned. Mason closed his eyes and breathed. ¡°Always go left, he says. That¡¯s how mazes work, he says.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Carl swatted at some dust and ducked down. ¡°Shall we try the other tunnel, then?¡± Mason red, then noticed Streak was eating the worm eggs. ¡°Oh for. God damnit, Streak.¡± He groaned and got to his feet. ¡°Yes, Carl, we¡¯ll try the other tunnel. Are you ready, or would you like to join the wolf there and have a snack?¡± Carl paused, like he was seriously considering it, then winked. ¡°Let¡¯s do the tunnel.¡± Mason refrained from smashing his nose.
Chapter 93: Occam’s Razor Chapter 93: am¡¯s Razor ke paced in the new, growing garden behind the chief''s hall, and tried not to worry. His mind bounced back and forth between telling him he shouldn''t have sent Mason alone, and that he couldn''t really have done otherwise. Everything had gotten harder since the start of ¡®phase 2¡¯. First of all, everyone¡¯s libido had obviously increased. ke was in fact an extremely disciplined person when he wished, but even he found his eyes wandering every woman in Nassau. Tempers red more regrly, peopleined more about minor problems, and jealous love triangles were popping up everywhere. Seul-ki was ke¡¯s salvation. Since the night of the storm and their new sexual status, he¡¯d been doing everything he could to break the chief¡¯s king-sized bed. Every night¡ªusually after a long and frustrating day¡ªhe shut off the world and took Seul-ki with the urgent need of the young man he was. She didn¡¯t seem to mind. But it was her time of the month now, and she was also in bed with terrible cramps, which only increased ke¡¯s problems. He¡¯d taken to pacing in her garden to avoid the townsfolk, but he knew he needed to go back and at least speak with Haley. With a curse he walked back to the hall. "Alberto would like to meet with you." Haley looked up from her notes at the desk by his office before he¡¯d even reached the door. He closed his eyes. "Is it about the house closest to the hall again?" ke sighed, and a slight smirk touched the corner of Haley''s lips. "It is." "Tell him I''m exceptionally busy." "Very good.¡± She put down her notepad. ¡°Exceptionally busy doing what, out of curiosity?" ke was, in fact, not busy at all. He¡¯d intended to use his Neural Amplifier and search as far down the river as he could, but he really preferred to do so with Seul-ki¡¯s boosts and mana avable, and he didn¡¯t want to disturb her. So he was ¡®free¡¯ for every belly-aching miscreant in the settlement. He snapped his fingers as inspiration struck. "Tell him I''m weing new yers." Haley''s plucked brow furrowed as she crossed her amazing legs. "As you say. Now if that will be all, I''m supposed to teach Reba how to make a quiche." "Hmm?¡± ke had already moved on in his mind. ¡°Yes. Thank you, Haley.¡± Then he was halfway to the door before he stopped. ¡°Wait." He drummed his fingers on the wall. "What sort of gift does one give a traumatized eighteen year old girl with a penchant for swinging an axe?" Haley blinked and stared for a moment. "A nice, new axe, I suppose?" ke grinned and pointed at her. "Simplicity. Very good. am would be proud." Then he marched from the hall towards the craftsman''s quarters, smiling as he saw smoke rising in plumes. Things were moving along nicely now. They had a tailor making new clothes, a tanner preparing hides for leather. They were making alcohol and processing some of the unrefined flour given by the system. But ke walked straight to the cksmith. "Chief!" Peni, the big Fijian grinned. "What brings you to the mucky corner of our little town?" "Why to see you, Master Smith." "Ha.¡± The smith shuffled slightly and wiped a forearm over his sweaty brow. ¡°Well, since I just figured out how to use the moulds, I''d say there''s not much chance I''m a master anything..." "I have faith in you." ke looked over the assortment of failed and crude sesses scattered around the workshop. "But I have a specific request...do you happen to have an axe?" Peni pursed his lips. "Yeah, a couple. Though they ain''t pretty. They''ve been chopping wood well enough." "Capital. May I take one?" "Sure, I¡¯ve got another, all yours. But then I suppose, everything is, technically speaking, chief," Peni said. "No, my friend, we¡¯re all servants to the same cause. But I thank you." He lifted one off the table and grinned. "Keep up the good work. Sooner orter we''ll get some more tools. And remember to keep searching the town database. There¡¯s literally information on every aspect of cksmithing. You can find anything there and improvise." "Will do, chief." Smith smiled with more politeness than anything, then turned back to his work. ke suspected he¡¯d have to work a bit harder on that one, but that was a problem for another day. He crossed the quarter then the yard, smiling politely to those who noticed him. When he reached Annie¡¯s house he activated Mental Influence to see through her eyes and check where she was. Then he blinked in surprise as his vision went dark. She wasn¡¯t asleep or it wouldn¡¯t have worked properly, which meant she was¡­he blinked and focused on the dim light. She was hiding in a closet. In a house by herself. Oh dear. He knocked but knew she wouldn¡¯t move, waited a respectable amount of time then hurried inside. He decided he might wait a minute on revealing his present, given the circumstances. "Annie?" he called. "It''s ke. I¡¯vee in, I hope that¡¯s alright. Are you alright? Can we talk?" He smiled as he saw her finally scramble from the closet through her senses, then shut the link as he waited in the kitchen. Knocks and thumps echoed through the door and he wasn¡¯t exactly sure what she was doing but fought the urge to look. But he would certainly use his powers as required. It wasn¡¯t exactly for pure reasons¡ªthough strangely he did feel a rather simple impulse just to help the poor girl¡ªbut she was also a yer. And yers were in very short supply. Nassau needed every one of them functioning at full capacity to survive. By the time he¡¯d lost his patience and was ready to connect to her senses with Mental Influence again, he heard footsteps much closer, and turned to wait with a smile. Annie opened the door slowly, standing there with a tangled mop of red hair and in the now familiar standard-issue pajamas made by the system. Her arms were crossed before her chest, her feet bare and still a little dirty. "There''s my girl," ke smiled. "How are you feeling, Annie? Have you been getting some sleep, and something to eat?" "Don''t like sleeping," she said in a tiny voice. "I have nightmares." ke went to the fridge and found at least a few things missing, which meant she¡¯d eaten something. He pulled out some sandwiches and juice and set them on the table. "Sit and eat with me." He pulled out a chair. Annie came and sat and pulled her hair from her eyes, and ke tried not to notice how pretty she was. It felt especially wrong to consider her anything beyond a stray wounded thing that required assistance, even for ke. But even so¡­ It''s not like they had a resident shrink. ke was well aware he didn''t have the tools to smooth over mental trauma. Could he fake it with magic? Would itst? "I could...try to help," he said as Annie slowly unwrapped a sandwich. "With your nightmares. Like I did in your dream. I can...change how you feel, a little bit, too. Would you like me to try?" The girl finally met his eyes, something like desperation shing before they watered. "Can you take them away?" ke felt genuine sympathy for the poor girl as he met those red rimmed brown eyes. "I don''t know. That''s the truth. But I can try." "OK," she whispered. "Do I need to do something?" "No. I don¡¯t think so." ke activated the link again, watching the many options of his Mental Influence spell appear all around her. He thought back to her dream¡ªwhat he''d seen her dealing with, the look on her face, the feelings he''d shared. It wasn''t fear, exactly. He saw her charging through the gloomy halls with her fireman''s axe, covered in blood and fighting for her life. She had done what she had to do, and survived when so many others hadn''t...that took strength, and courage, and it was clear she had both. He blinked, and met her eyes. "You feel guilty, don''t you Annie? That you were different. Strong enough. That you lived." The perpetual wetness in her eyes spilled over and dripped down her cheeks. "But I wasn¡¯t. I couldn''t save my friends. They were so afraid. I didn''t try hard enough. I didn''t...I couldn''t..." "No, Annie, you couldn''t." ke found Comfort and Calm and twisted them with thick strands of mana around the girl''s psyche. She shuddered as the tears flowed, shoulders drooping as something like a moan left her lips. He just kept using more and more mana until the girl practically closed her eyes and slipped from the chair. ke walked over and helped her stand. "Let''s get you to bed," he said, and she nodded. Then he helped the small girl walk back to her bedroom, andy her down and tucked her in. "Sleep," he said, brushing hair from her face. She closed her eyes instantly, and ke left a ss of water and a sandwich on her nightstand before walking back to the door. He would send Haley or Seul-ki to check on her, he decided, and maybe move her to a house with someone else so she wouldn¡¯t be alone. Or maybe to the chief''s hall¡­ No. Too much temptation. And he was surprised at his own reaction¡ªhis feeling of protectiveness and sympathy that took precedence over¡­other things... She was potentially very useful to him¡ªthat¡¯s what ke Nimitz should have noticed first. And she was young and pretty and in desperate need of help. That¡¯s what he should have noticed second. But he just couldn''t shake it¡ªthis annoying feeling as he pictured the girl on the bed. A strange new thing he sometimes felt now since entering the post-apocalypse. Or maybe since joining Nassau. Or maybe since meeting Seul-ki. He actually cared.
Chapter 94: Ready for anything Chapter 94: Ready for anything Mason and the others explored the tunnels one by one. They branched and branched¡ªsome with buried dead ends, others with more green pools or clusters of eggs, usually guarded by insectoids. But nothing like the huge cluster they¡¯d buried, and Mason usually just hacked them down without much difficulty. Mercifully, nothing else copsed, and slowly but surely they cleared out room after room of the insects, smashing hundreds of eggs. ¡°If whatever isying these eggs ever finds us, or possibly even smells us,¡± Carl said as he kicked, ¡°it¡¯s not likely to be happy. I¡¯m up to my knees in dead worm baby.¡± Mason frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t remind me.¡± ¡°At least if fail to kill momma worm and just get out of here, we¡¯ve dealt with a lot of future worms.¡± Carl shrugged. Mason nced at his dimly lit face. ¡°I don¡¯t think we get out of here without killing momma worm. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that kind of dungeon.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Carl took a deep breath. ¡°Then I¡¯d guess we better keep going.¡± Mason appreciated the man¡¯s courage, and gave him a shoulder pat on the way by. But not much changed in their fortunes. They found more pools, more eggs, more insectoids. When they¡¯d had their fill of all three they slumped to the ground and drank a little water, working on Rosa¡¯s leftover beef. ¡°Any bacon?¡± Mason asked as he chewed, and Carl grinned. ¡°How long have we actually been down here? I¡¯ve totally lost track.¡± ¡°A day?¡± Mason honestly wasn¡¯t sure either. His newfound physique really didn¡¯t help him know his body worth a damn. When they¡¯d sat long enough Mason just wanted to sleep, he decided the fun was over. ¡°Good to continue?¡± Carl groaned, but he stood. Nothing much changed in their tunnel adventure. Mason kept taking them left whenever possible, and they went on smashing more eggs in little rooms. Then they found a room with already smashed eggs. Mason stopped and stared. ¡°Fuck.¡± ¡°Well.¡± Carl cleared his throat. ¡°It could be¡­something else smashed all the eggs. And has approximately size 11 boots.¡± Mason put a hand to his face and tried to think. They had no damn way of navigating down here, that was just reality. His Wayfinder ability didn¡¯t work underground, or possibly in dungeons, showing him only the surface map of where he was. There was too many paths, too many variables. For all they knew tunnels were copsing and opening as they went. Or maybe they had to go down. Or up. Or¡­ ¡°Get out the rations.¡± Mason sighed, and activated Speak with Nature. Whatever the hell that purple worm was, it seemed vaguely intelligent. He touched the sand and offered another trade, hoping the same creature returned and not something¡­less friendly. They hardly waited at all before the wall sprayed open, and the purple worm dropped out and rose with a curious quirk, ck eyes staring. [Can you take us to The Great devourer? The giant worm? The..] Mason shrugged and trailed off. ¡°The boss dungeon,¡± he muttered. His new purple friend made a warbling grunt, but it didn¡¯t seem to actually say anything this time. Then the scent hit him after a dy, and he understood. [Why?] Oh dear, Mason thought. Time to guess. Were they friends or foes? Ah hell ke was right he couldn¡¯t lie to save himself anyway. [We¡¯re here to kill it.] The purple worm warbled in little starts and stops, and Mason was pretty damn sure it wasughing. He wasn¡¯t having the greatest day. His face still felt dirt-clogged. He was tired and horny and now a talking worm was mocking him. He focused on Apex Predator and clutched his nymph charm as he met the creature¡¯s eyes. The worm stared right back. Mason threw up his hands. [What do you lose? Take us to the worm, get some food. You can eat us after, if there¡¯s anything left.] The worm made no further attempt tomunicate. It turned and rammed its ring of circr spikes into the ground, spinning like a bloody buzz saw as it started digging down. ¡°Is he, uh, taking us somewhere? Or just leaving?¡± Carl called over the digging sounds. ¡°No idea.¡± Mason said, but was noticing the worm seemed to be burrowing in a kind of downward slope that men could at least crawl through. It went on several feet fairly slowly, then seemed to speed up and continue. ¡°You want me to go down¡­into that, with no idea?¡± ¡°Pretty much.¡± Mason was forced to crawl to get inside. ¡°Or you can stay here,¡± he called back. ¡°You¡¯ll starve, but at least Silvie gave you that nice send off.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like a homeing, too,¡± Carl grumbled as he crawled in after. Mason crawled as best he could, feeling suddenly better about his situation. It was obvious his enemy was some terrifying beast that probably thought it couldn¡¯t be killed¡ªa living titanic who¡¯d never heard of an iceberg. It wasn¡¯t a good sign of mental health, no doubt, but that sort of challenge always gave Mason a will to prove otherwise. He crawled on with a smile. * * * The worm tunnel ¡®crawl¡¯ soon turned into a ¡®slide.¡¯ It was almost fun, if you ignored the pain. ¡°Fu-u-u-u-ck!¡± Carl was stutter-yelling behind as Mason held up his arms and braced. The tunnel wasn¡¯t smooth. Whatever exactly the worm was doing to dig left tiny little ridges of packed sand that scraped your body like a tiled roof. The space was small and stuffy and oppressive, too angled to easily climb back up. All it would take, as they said, was for the worm to turn¡ªthen they¡¯d be stuck at the bottom of some impossible hole. But Mason supposed that wouldn¡¯t really change their circumstances. But they didn¡¯t hit the ground. The tunnel just¡­ended. Then Mason was free falling into empty space, blinking and trying to see what the hell was happening. He looked down to see arge, circr pool, and arge ssh where he imagined his guide had just dropped. Hopefully on purpose. He fell in silence, cringing as Carl followed, screaming in bloody terror. Even Streak gave a howl. Mason supposed he had to sympathize. He could see, at least a little. Carl had just dropped into pure darkness. ¡°It¡¯s water, get ready,¡± Mason tried not to shout too loud, but his voice still echoed along with Carl¡¯s scream around the cavern below. Then he struck the pool and sunk down, keeping himself there until he saw Carl and Streak ssh. He grabbed the older man and pulled him up to the surface. ¡°Jesus. Jesus fucking Christ.¡± Carl stuck his face up like he expected the water to be slime, treading water with his head up like a toddler learning to swim. Streak paddled towards the edge, and Mason dragged Carl the same direction. He noticed their purple guide had already swum or crawled its way out, and seemed to be waiting a little ways from the water. Mason took a moment to wash a little dirt and sand from his face and hands, then stood and looked around the huge cavern. He was practically ovee with relief at being out of the tiny, cramped tunnels above. Two other passages led out¡ªthese both huge, and round, as big as a tunnel in a major city underground. Mason stared and tried not to believe it was a creature that made them. Because it may literally be a living titanic. Carl flicked his light on, sweeping it in a circle before giving a low whistle. Though actually¡ªat least to Mason¡¯s eyes¡ªthe whole cavern had a dull luminescence, not so different than the nymph grove. The water they¡¯dnded in was surprisingly clean, and he was even tempted to drink it before thinking better. Where the water wasing from he had no idea, but soon spotted what looked like an actual pipe on both ends of the pool. He realized it was tiled, as well, not natural at all. He also spotted, just a few paces from the water on the cave wall, was a damn door. [Deal unfinished], warbled the worm, and Mason waved a hand at Carl. ¡°Feed our friend. I¡¯m going to look around.¡± As he got closer he saw the door was no simple thing. It had symbols he couldn¡¯t read on the frame, a kind of padlock that looked like it belonged in a fancy hotel. He knocked, and it was something like steel or space-age stic. ¡°I used to be pretty good with locks,¡± Carl said beside him,cing his fingers and cracking his knuckles. ¡°Let me give it the old college try.¡± Mason raised a brow and stepped away, leaving a finger over the tiny slot that looked designed for a key card. Carl nced down and stopped. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Mason kept looking around the tunnel. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a key somewhere. I¡¯m thinking we wander around and hope not to get eaten.¡± ¡°Good n,¡± Carl muttered. Then he waved at the worm. ¡°Thanks buddy. This is much better. Hope you enjoy my rations.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s female,¡± Mason said absently, and the older man stared. ¡°Do you have some kind of¡­worm fetish I should know about? How and why on earth would you know that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a druid,¡± Mason said. ¡°Also this worm is smart. Like smarter than a lot of people smart, I think.¡± ¡°Uh huh.¡± Carl bowed dramatically towards the purple worm. ¡°Thank you, Violet. Your service has been exemry.¡± Mason rolled his eyes but grinned a little. ¡°Let¡¯s just go. I¡¯m sticking to the ¡®always left¡¯ n. But if things get¡­crazy, head back to the pool. I doubt worms can eat through that stone.¡± Carl nodded, game-face back on, which Mason appreciated. They walked along the huge passage, and soon realized the purple worm was following. ¡°What do you think it wants?¡± Carl whispered. ¡°Possibly to see us get ughtered by the giant worm. Possibly to eat us when we¡¯re dead. Hard to say, really.¡± ¡°That¡¯s veryforting,¡± Carl hissed. Not much changed in the tunnel after a few minutes of walking. Until Mason smelled¡­something. Something rotten. But he blinked because he felt a slight breeze, and there was more than just rot on the wind. Was that the surface? How was that possible? ¡°Oh, disgusting.¡± Carl said a little whileter as he covered his nose. They soon saw something like a hill in the distance. And as far as Mason was concerned, anything new was good. He ran forward, soon finding something like garbage surrounding a huge mound of¡­more garbage. ¡°Yep, this is why it stinks. Great.¡± Carl was panting a bit behind him when they arrived, making faces with every breath. He shone his light directly onto the hill, discovering a moment after Mason that it was made mostly of bones. ¡°Oh. That¡­can¡¯t be good.¡± Above the mound was arge hole going straight up. No. It probably couldn¡¯t. And if Mason had to guess, he would say that hole was somewhere near the giant castle that ¡®wasn¡¯t a problem¡¯. He turned his head as he heard something¡ª a rattling sound somewhere near, that came closer and closer and was clearly somethinging down the hole. Mason put an arm across Carl¡¯s chest and backed them both away. Then several corpses fell onto the bone pile. The bones started to rattle. The floor was vibrating slightly. ¡°Get ready,¡± Mason whispered, noticing Violet had mysteriously disappeared behind them. ¡°For what?¡± Carl pulled one of his daggers and looked back and forth. ¡°I have no idea.¡±
Chapter 95: Eat me Chapter 95: Eat me The giant pile of bones rattled and half copsed as dozens of worms emerged from it. Some went for the corpses. Some turned and came down the tunnel. Mason instantly started shooting arrows, throwing traps on cooldown in a line in their way. ¡°Kill anything that gets close,¡± he ordered Carl. ¡°And feel free to distract them. Or do whatever it is you do.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± Carl picked up a few rocks to throw, shouting and growling like one might do to frighten off an animal. The worms didn¡¯t seem terribly intimidated. Still, as Carl advanced some turned his way. They were slow, but not that slow, and he was soon backing up against the wall. Fortunately, they had plenty of room to withdraw. Mason¡¯s traps started going off, the rocky tunnel exploding in shrapnel and spraying bits and pieces of worm. Mason¡¯s uracy with his bow was vastly improved, and whenever he saw ripped open hide he started sinking arrows into the exposed flesh. A few worms curled up and stopped moving. Plenty more kept on. ¡°Don¡¯t shoot me!¡± Carl yelled, then charged like an insane person straight into the pack of worms. Mason was so startled he stopped loosing altogether, then blinked as Carl stopped, turned around, and warped straight back to where he¡¯d been standing, leaving a copy of himself behind. The worms all grabbed for the ¡®clone¡¯, which promptly exploded. Worm goo and bits and pieces sprayed a few dozen feet. And Mason had to admit, it was pretty damn cool. But there was plenty more, and he just kept on shooting. When a worm got close, Carl and Streak moved to either side, attacking it from behind whenever it turned. Turning one¡¯s back to Carl turned out not to be a great idea. The older man¡¯s dagger seemed to glow when it struck a target who wasn¡¯t watching, causing some kind of debilitating shock. Damn rogues, Mason thought, not enjoying the thought of being ambushed simrly. A worm ripped out of the side of the tunnel and lurched at Carl¡¯s side. Mason was about to shout a warning when the man simply vanished without even looking, appearing across the tunnel as if not terribly concerned or surprised. Mason had to admit, he was impressed. They kept falling back, and kept taking the worms that followed apart. One or two more tried burrowing, but emerged too slowly to catch any of the trio, getting torn apart as soon as they attacked. Then the tunnel was quiet and full of dead worms, and Mason looked at Carl and grinned. ¡°Not bad, old man. I think you could have taken those wolves.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll admit,¡± Carl smiled. ¡°That was fun. Having bait helps me a hell of a lot.¡± ¡°Bait? Now wait just a¡­¡± Mason¡¯s retort died on his lips as the ground shook again. This time it was more like an earthquake. ¡°Uhh.¡± Carl blinked and reached for his shlight, clicking it on down the tunnel. Mason saw it before the light lit its nk. A giant worm, nearly the circumference of the tunnel, like a massive version of the Devourers they¡¯d already seen. It was maybe three times the size of a blue whale, giant maw surrounded by spikes or teeth like saw des. Walking out in front of it was an insectoid maybe five times the size of the ones they¡¯d fought so far. It looked at the many dead worms on the floor, then clicked and screeched as it came running. Mason finally remembered to use Ranger¡¯s Mark, and targeted the insectoid. Turn your enemy into prey, the power read, and Mason almost grinned. As he used it, the creature¡¯s body lit up with color and text which Mason understood instantly as its anatomy. ¡°Oh Good. He has three hearts,¡± he muttered, lifting his bow and activating Crippling Strike. The big worm still seemed mostly disinterested, crawling along with little speed. So there was only one target. The Crippling arrow splintered and ravaged one of the charging creature¡¯s legs. He only had two of those. His speed slowed, and Mason loosed a Power Shot, then bullet after bullet arrow seeking organs and hoping to pierce that carapace. The Power Shot took out a heart, and Mason didn¡¯t bother falling back. The insectoid screeched and kepting, six arms weaving now trying to catch or deflect arrows. He wasn¡¯t fast enough. Mason couldn¡¯t be sure, but he guessed hispound bow was loosing at nearly 300 miles per hour. His bow arm was like a damn mechanical press, the strength and endurance impossible for any normal human. And he¡¯d grown very ustom to aiming and shooting without having to reach for an arrow, timing it perfectly as he pulled back the string. A few feet from his position, the giant. limping insectoid crumpled, and fell. He looked like a slimy pincushion. [Dungeon Event: ¡®Worm food¡¯ defeated. Group experience gained.] [Insectoid Brood Commander in. Group experience gained.] ¡°Jeesus,¡± Carl whistled beside him. ¡°Remind me not to piss you off, kid. That was insane.¡± Mason let out a breath and flexed his bow hand, about to make some retort about constantly pissing him off. Then the giant, ship-sized worm made a violently loud shrieking sound and turned towards the dead insectoid. Its huge, beady eyes turned directly on Mason. Then its maw opened, and the des started to spin as it charged. * * * ¡°Oh Jesus. Do we run? I think we should run.¡± Carl was sort of hopping back and forth beside him. Mason threw out more traps as he Ranger Marked the thing, and started shooting. ¡°We¡¯re here to kill it, Carl.¡± His Mark data was¡­not encouraging. The giant worm had hide so thick he couldn¡¯t possibly prate it with arrows. But at least he could shoot it in the mouth. He was about to ask Carl if he could distract it¡­but the damn thing pretty much covered the whole tunnel. All they could do was shoot and run. ¡°Fall back to the pool. Now!¡± Streak bolted first, with Carl close behind. He sprinted at top speed and probably warped while Mason loosed an almost certainly useless Crippling Strike just to see if maybe¡­ Nope. Power Shot was more like Gentle Poke Shot for all the damage it did. Though Mason thought he maybe knocked out a tooth. Too bad the thing had about ten thousand. The worm was upsettingly fast considering its size, and Mason had to turn and run. His traps, the dead worms, and the insectoid all vanished like speed bumps made of marshmellow as the Devourer just kept sliding ahead. The tunnel opened slightly near the pool and the door. And Carl moved in from the worm¡¯s side, crazy enough to leap at the creature and¡­well, mildly scrape it with his blue-charged dagger. The damn thing actually turned, twisting its terrifying maw topletely swallow Carl whole. Mason almost cried out before he heard the explosion. Then Carl appeared several feet away, running with a sly smile he probably didn¡¯t deserve. ¡°One day you¡¯re going to get killed and I¡¯m not going to have any idea!¡± Mason shouted, still loosing arrows, trying to hit the worm¡¯s eyes. Almost by ident as the creature turned, he actually connected. White juice sprayed from the wound, and a roar like a foghorn filled the tunnel and shook the ground. It was music to Mason¡¯s ears. Whatever urge to kill this thing he¡¯d hading down was only magnified as he saw it. The incredible amount of eggs, the almost sacrificial corpses, the horrifying smell of rot that permeated itsir. The unnatural, corrupting nature of the thing felt as clear as day. This ce, this feeling, it wasn¡¯t meant for his druid side. It was for his ranger. He¡¯de here to cull. He loosed arrow after arrow for mouth or eye as the beast thrashed and looked for its targets. His traps were useless against the hide. But he could use something else? Carl was throwing the asional rock, and with a shrug Mason lifted one and tried to trap it. It worked. And started to glow. ¡°Shit.¡± He ran forward and threw the thing like a baseball, which promptly struck the creature¡¯s hide and exploded. Well. Currently useless. But bloody good to know. The worm finally got itself righted and moving back down the tunnel, and Mason and Carl had no choice but to flee the other way. That they had no idea what was down it seemed not entirely good¡­ Mason kept on shooting, now asionally trapping a rock and lobbing it into the worm¡¯s mouth. Carl and Streak just kept running, mostly useless against the massive beast. After literally hundreds of arrows lodged in its mouth, the worm finally growled and closed, covered now entirely in the impossibly thick hide. But it just kept on going. And its body would be more than enough to crush Mason and the others. ¡°Now what?¡± Carl shouted over the constant grating noise of the beast¡¯s movement. Mason had no idea. He kept shooting, but it was a bit like stabbing a mountain. They fell back and fell back, and when Mason looked down the tunnel he soon realized it simply just¡­stopped. They were going to be trapped against a solid wall of rock, and crushed. ¡°I have to get him to open his mouth,¡± Mason muttered. ¡°Carl, tempt him with another clone. Just be careful.¡± The older man nodded and wiped sweat from his brow, then ran forward to pull it off. They could have maybe escaped up that corpse-hole, but there was no way to reach it now. Carl did his thing, and the worm happily crushed the clone with its body, more vulnerable maw not moving an inch. It just kept oning. Mason saw only one way out, and ran to the wall to use Speak with Nature with the same weird vibrations. Before he actually activated the power, the wall broke open. ¡®Violet¡¯ ripped out of the wall, then turned around and went back the other way. Mason could have kissed it. Well¡­maybe not¡­ ¡°Carl!¡± He was about to tell Streak to get inside but the wolf dashed inside on his own. Carl came running back, and Mason felt a weight lift off his shoulders. Then he ran back into the tunnel, and kept shooting. ¡°What are you doing? Let¡¯s go!¡± Carl called when he reached the smaller tunnel. ¡°Go,¡± he shouted back. ¡°I¡¯ve got a n.¡± ¡°Ah hell kid what are you going to do?¡± Mason just grinned and kept shooting, then fell back so he didn¡¯t have the option to run. The giant worm soon overtook the little tunnel, and that was that. Nothing for it now, he thought, seed, or die. This thing wasn¡¯t just an animal. That was clear. The insect servants, the sacrificial pit, the reaction to its damaged eye. This worm had a brain. Mason activated Speak with Nature, channeling it straight at the Devourer. [I enjoyed killing your little friend. Now I¡¯ve made you afraid even to open your mouth. Afraid of my weapon. Pathetic. Here.] Mason threw his bow back as far as he could, standing with his arms out as he summoned his w. [I¡¯m not afraid to die.] He channeled. [Will the Great Devourer take his prize? Eat me if you can, you overgrown, pathetic worm. Show me how you kill your enemies.] It came on, even faster, growling and scraping the stone with thunderous violence as it moved. But it didn¡¯t open its mouth. For a moment Mason thought he¡¯d made a terrible mistake. He was out of room, about to be crushed, with no way out that he could see. Then less than a hundred paces away, the Devourer growled and opened its maw, the huge, circr darkness opening and loosing a disgusting, acidic wave of air just as the beast reached him. Mason activated Aspect of the Cheetah, sprinted straight ahead, and dove with his w out like a spear.
Chapter 96: Tier 2 Chapter 96: Tier 2 Mason¡¯s speed and jump carried him past the worm¡¯srger des entirely. He sliced away as many of the smaller teeth as he could going in, but many more still raked his skin. Then he struck a kind of long, sphincter, an oval tube of skeletal muscle fibers filled with acid that sucked him down. [Apex predator activated: elemental.] The excruciating fluid became a mild burn, and he knew it wouldn¡¯t kill him quickly. He squirmed and cut, helping the thing swallow him deeper and deeper. With Ranger¡¯s Mark he could see its organs¡ªhe could see everything. The stomach was close. With several breathless seconds of being squeezed and contorted down in a trail of blood and goo as he cut, he finally slopped to arger space. The worm was convulsing at his attacks, clearly affected by the pain. He could barely breath, but he¡¯d expected that and held his breath. Time to learn how long his body could endure. He sloshed through acid and struck at the stomach lining, activating Predator¡¯s Strike on cooldown and shing with abandon. He had only one task¡ªto cut straight out for air. Blood, goo and acid washed over him, coating his sword, his arms, his face. The worm was squeezing and thrashing, turning him and rolling in agony. But he held out. And he cut. What¡¯s wrong? He wanted to shout. Having a little indigestion? Eat something that disagrees with you? Ranger¡¯s Mark told him how much flesh and hide he had yet to cut through, and it wasn¡¯t pretty. The acid was slowly burning him alive, the air straining in his lungs. But Mason was always the stubborn type. Let¡¯s see whosts longer, he wiped his eyes and kept hacking, pulling globs of worm flesh and goo away with his bare hand. * * * ¡°I¡¯ve killed things worse than big earthworms, he says,¡± Carl grumbled as he tried to see out from Violet¡¯s hole. ¡°Follow the giant purple thing. Sure. Or maybe I¡¯ll just climb up that hundred foot sheer hole with a wolf on my shoulders. No problem, kid. Go have fun.¡± The giant worm mmed against the tunnel wall and shook everything like an earthquake. Streak whined and Carl put a hand on his head tofort him. ¡°I know what you mean, buddy. This is fucked. I should be balls deep in Silvie right now, not¡­wherever the hell we are.¡± The worm was roaring and screeching, coiling itself and rolling all over the tunnel. ¡°What in the name of God is happening out there.¡± A weird bubbling, sort of tittering sound practically sent him into a spasm of rm before Carl realized it was Violet behind him. ¡°Yeah I don¡¯t speak worm like that other guy,¡± he said. The worm sort of grunted, then turned and started digging away. Carl had no idea what else to do but follow. They went on for a little while, then the damn thing curved its tunnel and went right back towards the Devourer. ¡°Hey!¡± Carl shouted over the digging. ¡°This is the wrong way. No bueno. Very bad worm. Go the other way!¡± Unsurprisingly, his words had no affect. Violet just kept on digging, and Carl followed along cursing and begging every God he could remember. He had no mana left to speak of. He could still warp and stab things, but that was about it. And stabbing the Devourer was a bit like tickling a bear. How could anyone or anything kill that fucking worm? What on earth was Mason doing out there? On the other hand, he¡¯d watched the crazy kid shoot a giant insect man down like it was nothing. The amount of arrows he¡¯d loosed in mere seconds was inhuman, and he hadn¡¯t even flinched at the charge¡ªlike he hadn¡¯t questioned himself at all. But that was just a big insect man, and not remotely the same. Carl flinched as he heard the worm thrashing again, watching dirt and little rocks fall from the roof as the thrashing continued. At least that meant Mason wasn¡¯t dead, right? Another boom. More whining from Streak as their little tunnel shook like a leaf. God help us, Carl thought. He didn¡¯t want to get buried like Mason had. Would Violet save him if the whole tunnel copsed? Could he? Er, she? Then the little tunnel broke through again into therger one, and Violet popped out and turned to go make another tunnel somewhere else, leaving Carl and Streak to watch the madness. The Devourer had now curled up entirely, and begun to¡­eat itself. It bit into its own body again and again, the same des used to slice open rock wall spraying blood and worm goo as it tunneled into its own body. Carl just stared with his mouth open. When he couldn¡¯t stand to watch it anymore, he turned away then shivered when he found Mason¡¯s wolf licking its lips. The purple worm was watching outside the tunnel now, making little sounds and practically vibrating, staring with coal ck eyes. It was the craziest moment of Carl¡¯s entire damn life. For about a second. Then the giant worm pulled back and shuddered, letting out a long, slow moan that nearly made Carl cover his eyes, but slowly dropped in volume. Its huge front flopped over and smashed into the ground, leaking and spraying goo and puss and blood. Then the cavern rung with silence. [You have in The Great Devourer. Experience awarded (major).] [Great Devourer¡¯s Lairplete: Reward: Have you tried looking for a key?] [Objectiveplete. Destroy the worms threatening Sanctuary. Bonus experience.] [Level 9 reached. Please select your new power in the next sixty minutes.] Carl stared in something like disbelief at the messages. Then a green de emerged out of the middle of the worm. It hacked and sliced until there was an opening, and a burnt, hairless, slime-covered thing that might have been Mason stuck out. He gasped as if for breath, then slid out and smacked hard into the tunnel floor, andy unmoving. ¡°Sweet merciful God.¡± Carl crossed himself, then ran forward with Streak to Mason¡¯s side. He was steaming with some kind of acid, and Carl wasn¡¯t even sure if he wanted to touch him. ¡°The pool,¡± croaked the horror-flick looking Mason. ¡°Throw me. Water.¡± ¡°Dear mother of...¡± Carl looked back and forth for somewhere to hold, then Streak was barking in impatience and Carl grabbed Mason¡¯s foot and started pulling. Streak bit the other leg, and between them they managed to drag Mason a good fifty feet to the water, and tossed him in. Carl¡¯s hands were burning and he dunked them as Streak leapt in entirely. Mason was just floating in the water like a piece of driftwood. Carl purposefully refrained from thinking like a corpse. He really didn¡¯t want to go back in the pool. But with a curse he sshed in and swam over to the kid, trying to hold his face out of the water. He wasn¡¯t a great swimmer, or at least hadn¡¯t been, but his body was far stronger these days. With a bit of effort he got Mason¡¯s horrificly burned face upturned, and heard some wheezing breaths. Then the kid was sputtering with weird, stroke-like twitches and noises and Carl nearly panicked until he realized: Mason wasughing. ¡°Ah hell he¡¯s delirious. You¡¯re alright, kid. You uh¡­¡± he took another good look at Mason¡¯s acid-washed skin and found he couldn¡¯t talk. ¡°You¡¯re¡­you¡¯re going to be¡­fine...¡± Mason reached an equally burned hand out of the water, opening one slightly glowing green eye. He outstretched basically skinless fingers and smiled with cracked and bleeding lips. He was holding a key. ¡°For the door,¡± he grinned with practically skeletal teeth, then his eyes fluttered and he jerked in the water. ¡°Get me out.¡± He muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll heal now. But I can drown.¡± Carl leapt out and dragged the poor bastard out, no confidence at all he¡¯d be ¡®healing¡¯ anything. And if he didn¡¯t, what then? Would Violet dig him out of here? Should he take that key and open the door? Did he dare? ¡°Shit. Come on, kid.¡± Carl hovered over Mason with no idea what to do. ¡°Why aren¡¯t there any damn healing potions in this game, huh? Maybe a¡­wand. Or. Fuck what do I do?¡± Mason reached over and patted Carl¡¯s knee. Despite everything, the son of a bitch was smiling. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he rasped, shivering in what looked like extreme pain before he closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll heal. Probably.¡± Carl shook his head, unable to even process what feeling that acid for so long would have been like. He looked over at the giant dead worm, then back at Mason, trying to understand what the hell he¡¯d just witnessed. You beautiful, crazy God damn insane bastard monster, he thought, putting a hand on the kid. In that moment he didn¡¯t think about his own circumstances, the settlement, escape, even the girls. He just wanted the kid who¡¯d faced down that fucking thing¡­the man who¡¯d saved him and was willing to die without a second thought¡­he wanted that man to live. * * * [The Great Devourer in. Experience awarded [major].] [Great Devourer¡¯s Lairplete: Reward: Have you tried looking for a key?] [Level 15 reached. Primary ss {Ranger} upgrading to tier two when safe.] [Title gained: Tiering it up. You have reached tier two in your primary ss. +2 to a ss statistic.] [Title gained: Front Runner. You are the first yer to obtain a tier 2 ss. +2 to a ss statistic.] [Title gained: Phase jumper. Gain a title intended for ater phase in the Great Game. +1 to all statistics.] Mason woke up with Streak¡¯s tongue in his face. He groaned and turned over, desperate to just see the giant worm still lying there dead. It was. So he let himself rx a second, then shook with something like electricity as his body locked up. [Ranger ss upgraded to tier 2. All ss statistics (Strength, Dexterity, and Vitality) improved in potency. All ss powers enhanced in potency.] When he could finally move, Mason forced himself to sit up and look at his profile.
Mason Nimitz Level: 15 Primary ss: Ranger (tier 2) Secondary ss: Druid Strength: 14 Dexterity: 19 Vitality: 17 Intellect: 7 Will: 11 Presence: 5 Luck: 5 Titles: Killer, Early Lead, Soloist, Crazy like a Fox, Burnt the Boats, Patron, Progenitor, Hit the Ground Running, First Blood, Defender, Tiering it up, Front Runner, Phase Jumper Powers: Power Shot, Crippling Strike+, Regeneration+, Predator¡¯s Strike, *Nature Affinity, Ranger¡¯s w, Endless Quiver+, Trapmaking, Aspect of the Cheetah, Blessing of Gaia, Nature¡¯s Wrath, Duality of Life
He hadn¡¯t been keeping exact track, but his stats didn¡¯t look different except for getting the title bonuses. Did that man ¡®tier 2¡¯ affected them in some other way? He was trying to remember which powers exactly were ¡®ss powers¡¯ and which weren¡¯t when Carl came bounding over. ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± Carl leapt at him with a sk of water before he stopped and stared. ¡°Holy shit.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mason put a hand to his tender face and checked for damage. ¡°Am I less pretty?¡± ¡°No. You¡¯re just¡­you¡¯re¡­pretty much healed, for Christ¡¯s sakes.¡± Mason nodded, not feeling entirely healed. ¡°I do that. Any trouble when I was out?¡± ¡°My God. Thank Christ.¡± Carl leaned in for a one-armed squeeze, soon putting both around him and practically clinging on. Mason fought it for a moment, then just smiled and pat the man¡¯s arm. ¡°You did pretty good back there. I thought you¡¯d died about five times. So I guess we¡¯re even.¡± Carl¡¯s eyes were a little watery but it faded quick. ¡°At least now I can be honest. When I first pulled you out? You looked fucked up. Like that Deadpool guy. You know, from the Ryan Reynolds movie?¡± Mason shrugged, but he could imagine. He took a long drink and closed his eyes. ¡°No? Oh! You remember Robocop? The original? There was this guy that got burned by a vat of acid. You looked like that.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t see it.¡± Mason took a few breaths and drained the sk. Then he looked over to see ¡®Violet¡¯ staring at him a little ways off. ¡°Oh. Yeah. She¡¯s just been¡­over there. Kinda figured she wanted to eat your corpse, to be honest. But she¡¯s been polite about it. I guess she¡¯ll be disappointed Mason meat is off the menu, so to speak.¡± Mason met the creature¡¯s eyes, and it warbled and let out a scent he instantly understood as¡­joy? Happiness? He activated Speak with Nature. [Thank you again for your help. We couldn¡¯t have done this without you.] The happiness turned to pride¡ªthick and pungent. Obligation, the worm spoke through the magic. Kinyer is destroyed. Life debt is owed. Mason blinked. This was a shockingly articte worm. ¡°You want to serve me?¡± It warbled in the affirmative, and Mason gave a helpless shrug, no idea what to do with that. ¡°I would be honored,¡± he said atst. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening but fyi it¡¯s weird.¡± Carl was looking back and forth between the worm and Mason. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Mason decided it was time to test his legs, standing with a groan as the world spun a little. Streak was at his side, whining and licking its lips as it nced at the giant dead devourer. ¡°What?¡± Mason looked at the wolf and its obvious interest. ¡°What is wrong with you? It¡¯s literally filled with acid. It¡¯s still leaking out of it. Right now.¡± The wolf didn¡¯t seem to much care, and Mason rolled his eyes. ¡°Fine, go eat the acid worm full of teeth. Be my guest.¡± Streak sort of barked and ran for it with tongue wagging. ¡°Don¡¯te whining to me when you¡¯re shitting fire!¡± Mason called. Carl lifted the key Mason had found buried in the worm¡¯s stomach, holding it with a grin. ¡°Ready to see what¡¯s behind door number one?¡± ¡°Hell yes.¡± Mason grabbed it. ¡°I worked fucking hard for this key. It was stuck in the damn thing¡¯s heart.¡± Carl¡¯s face screwed up a little in disgust, which made Mason smile.
Chapter 97: The Prestige Chapter 97: The Prestige Mason and Carl approached the door together, giddy like schoolboys. ¡°You do the honors.¡± Carl gestured. ¡°You sure?¡± Mason raised a brow. ¡°We could rock, paper scissors or something.¡± ¡°It might explode. All you, buddy. You¡¯ll heal right up.¡± Mason red, then put the key in the lock. It slid right in without any trouble, then made an almost rm-like beep. They both flinched before the system message scrolled. [Error. Phase 2 not yetplete. ess denied.] Mason blinked and exchanged a look with Carl before the older man gestured at the lock. ¡°Try it again.¡± [Error. Phase 2 not yetplete. ess denied.] ¡°You¡¯re probably putting it in the wrong way. Flip it over.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not bloody¡­there¡¯s only one way it fits. Do you want to try, Carl?¡± ¡°I mean it looks like aputer chip. Can probably¡­turn it off and on again. Wait you¡¯re like twenty years old why am I telling you how aputer works? Just give me that.¡± [Error. Phase 2 not yetplete. ess denied.] ¡°Maybe you¡¯re putting it in the wrong way,¡± Mason repeated in a high pitched voice as Carl tried several more times. ¡°Are you fucking kidding me?¡± The older man kicked the door then winced and shook his foot. ¡°I guess we¡­weren¡¯t supposed to be here, or something.¡± Mason shrugged, getting slightly more annoyed now that nothing was changing. ¡°Except we fucking are here. Which is impressive, and should bring great reward. Right?¡± He knocked on the door. ¡°Hey, roboGod. Your stupid shitty game is broken.¡± Carl just kept doggedly trying the key. [Error. Phase 2 not yetplete. ess denied.] [Error. Phase 2 not yetplete. ess denied.][Error. Phase 2 not yetplete. ess denied.] ¡°Fuck!¡± His face was a little red now. ¡°What are we supposed to do? Come back here?¡± Mason sighed. ¡°At least Violet can probably dig us down.¡± ¡°No.¡± Carl kept trying uselessly. ¡°This is bullshit. There¡¯s no damn way.¡± Mason sat by the pool and inspected his worthless key. I should have brought ke, he thought. No way ke Nimitz gets screwed like this. He¡¯d trip and find some kind of secret door. The key was actually very impressive-looking. Half sh-drive, half ornate golden skeleton key. And as Mason thought about it, the way the worms ranged far away to attack multiple settlements, it seemed almost designed to get yers riled up and searching for a way to stop them. He was starting to think someone was supposed to find this ce, like it was important. Just not yet. And if it was important, if roboGod wanted someone toe here and do this, and blocked them from doing it now¡­ The key wasn¡¯t actually made out of metal. It seemed like a space-age stic, no doubt made just to be acid proof. But at sure as hell didn¡¯t look boot-proof. Mason put it on the ground, gave a quick nce at the top of the tunnel, then stomped the damn thing until it snapped. ¡°What the hell did you do?¡± Carl gestured with wide eyes. ¡°If we¡¯d waited at least we could have used it at the end of the phase!¡± Mason honed all his senses, paying attention to any little change in the world around him. He soon felt it¡ªlike an electrical surge, like the tickle on the back of your neck when someone was watching you. ¡°There you are,¡± Mason whispered with a smile. He was starting to recognize it now. The thing he¡¯d felt in the tutorial dungeon. The eyes of some secret predator. ¡°You¡¯re paying attention now, aren¡¯t you?¡± he said a little louder. ¡°Now you open that door like we earned, or I¡¯m going to keep breaking your stupid game.¡± He opened up his profile because that¡¯s what he was doing thest time he saw it. He strained with all his enhanced senses, eyes slightly unfocused, trying to see beyond. Then he saw the vague outline of the ghostly text. [System message. Anomaly. Broken event thread. Esction to symand requested.] ¡°Yeah. Go get the big boss murderer in chief.¡± ¡°All due respect,¡± Carl wasing forward. ¡°But what in the name of God are you talking about, kid?¡± [System message], a robotic voice intoned throughout the hall. [Adjusting phase 2 parameters.] The broken key reformed on the ground. Carl and Mason both stared at it until the older man blinked. ¡°Holy shit. Did you¡­just bargain with roboGod?¡± Mason snorted. ¡°More like pointed out an error. He walked over to the door and slid in the key, looking up with a grimace at Carl before he tried to turn. ¡°Here goes.¡± It beeped with a pleasant sound, then clicked. ¡°Ha!¡± Carl fist pumped and started an embarrassing dance, and Mason pulled back the heavy door until it swung open wide. Inside it looked like an old vault. Except at the end there was another door that led into a dark room beyond. The vault held statues, coins, and what looked like old Roman or Greek busts, but with beards and slightly damaged faces. Everything practically sparkled with immacte shine. "Looks like a damn dwarven hold, like Moria from Lord of the Rings. If the goblins hadn''t fucked it all up." Mason shook his head. "You and my brother would get along. That¡¯s not apliment." "What? How do you not know this stuff? What do you actually know about?" "Oh, I don¡¯t know,¡± Mason shrugged. ¡°Survival. Killing things. Military history. nts and nutrition. Pretty useless things out here in the apocalypse. Now tell me more about your Dungeons and Dragons movie." "It''s not...oh nevermind.¡± Carl cleared his throat, then moved into the vault and gestured into the darker room. ¡°Oh shit, you see that?¡± Mason saw something, though he wasn¡¯t sure what. Both men (and Streak) moved further inside, though Mason took one of the busts and jammed it in the vault door first. The ¡®darker¡¯ section was actually another huge room that looked vaguely like a bowling alley. Different dull lights lit the ¡®paths¡¯ to the end, where a bunch of symbols were inscribed over more doors. "I know that symbol," said Carl. "Not sure why or how. But it''s for me. It means Arcane Affinity." Mason nodded, getting the same feeling. His looked like a flowering tree and glowed green with a light that just felt more right than the others. "Don¡¯t step outside yourne," Carl said. "Just looking at them gives me a queesy feeling in my gut. I assume your Nature? Silvie''s ss knows all about that stuff, she exined it all. You should step onto that green one there, if it''s not obvious." Mason met Carl''s eyes, then hopped onto a redne. "No, Mason! Don''t..." [Apex Predator activated. Changing affinity: elemental.] The redne lit up and Mason hopped onto a differentne, watching the floor glow and fade as his Apex Predator messages cycled down his vision. "How...in the name of..." Mason winked and walked back to his properne. "You''re right, though, don¡¯t try that. Stay on your path," he called back. Streak whined from the vault tform, and Mason waved at him to stay. Then he walked closer and soon saw beyond his doorway were two altars bathed in the same green light. Each had some kind of item he couldn¡¯t make out, but was pretty excited to see better. When he got all the way to the door, he took a moment to walk between all thenes inspecting the items, kind of hoping for a weapon. But nothing really suited him. ¡°I suppose a gun would be too much to ask,¡± he sighed. Hispound bow was pretty great, but he¡¯d sure love some kind of fantasy-inspired, innate murder bow. Carrying the damn thing was a problem, and who knew how long before something damaged it beyond repair. He saw Carl already entered the end of the arcanene. As he did, a gate mmed shut behind him and sealed him inside, too fast for the man to cry out a warning. Mason took a deep breath, then walked further down the Nature Affinity path. He couldn''t even tell what the item actually was¡ªit looked like leather sleeves, or maybe leggings. But he knew ultimately he''d gone too far down the path he''d chosen to turn back now. Whatever ''reward'' it meant to offer him, he suspected he''d been a fool not to take the one tailored for his affinity. He stepped forward to about the same point Carl had been locked in, and sure enough, a gate mmed shut behind. He was temporarily blinded as green light covered everything. "You stand in the hall of the Makers," intoned a deep, sonorous voice from all around him. "What makes you think you are worthy?" Mason wasn''t sure if it was a rhetorical question or not, but he didn¡¯t much like his robotic master and tried not to y its games. He cleared his throat. "The key. And opposable thumbs." The voice said nothing more, and Mason walked first to the green orb, feeling drawn to it somehow. He began to hate the feeling instantly, knowing whateverpulsion it was came from roboGod and who knew if it was good or bad. For a few long moments he just stared at the sphere and felt sweat bead on his brow. He wanted to touch it so badly he could hardlyprehend. It was like a glowing red button that said ¡®don''t push me¡¯. Like the fattest cheek on the cutest baby. The first brownie in an untouched tray. He growled in stubborn, futile resistance, then lifted the orb. [Orb of Transcendence activated. Receiving unique Prestige ss based on all avable data. Please do not drop the orb.] Mason''s whole body locked again like he was being electrocuted. He clenched every muscle and froze, his hand in a death grip on the orb. The increasingly familiar feeling of system attention flooded over him, the barely visible text or code or something shing before his eyes. [Congrattions, M-13. You are in the first group of yers in the world to obtain Prestige sses. Title earned: The Prestige. +2 to all statistics.] [Unique Prestige ss formted: Avatar of Gaia. Implementing.] [You have gained a Prestige ss! Avatar of Gaia. +2 to all statistics.] [Power synergy discovered! Ranger''s Mark upgraded to Nature''s Wrath: When you mark a foe for death, the earth itself picks sides.] [Unique ss power gained: Dichotomy of life: Life is fragile, but also robust. Sometimes you decide which. Inbat, select yourself, or an enemy.] Mason felt his eyes rolling back and fought to stay conscious. The green orb shattered in his fist, the shards melting and seeping into his hand before he finally felt the power rx and his body became his again. "Holy shit." He stretched and felt crackling up and down his spine, then flexed as many muscles as he could, feeling strong and energized. Finally he looked at the strange, leather cylinders and moved closer. They were too small for his legs, he decided. The only thing that made sense was wearing them over his arms. Some kind of arm armor certainly wasn''t a bad idea, and wouldn''t slow him much. He stepped to the altar and slid his hands through the cool material, preparing to lift them off. Then they closed. "Ok." Mason wiggled and pulled with his increasingly immense strength, but made no progress. The leatherish guards tightened and tightened like a blood pressure monitor, until Mason was hissing in pain and trying to get his legs on the altar for more leverage to pull. Steam was rising out of the device, and Mason feared the only reason it didn''t hurt more was because he could hardly feel his damn arms. Finally, it released, and he practicallyunched himself away. "Why are you like this?" he muttered idly to the system. "Why couldn''t it be a pleasant bath, or something?" Then he looked at his arms. Green tattoos ran from the top of his hands and fingers, down his wrists, all the way up to his shoulders as tree branches and vines. [Item acquired. Green Sleeves. Innate. The ancient symbols of the Great Forest druids. They act as all natural druidicponents, and provide protection and camouge in natural environments.] Protection and camouge? That sounded good. Though he would have loved to know exact details. But what did it mean by druidicponents? Was that something like the staff he''d carried when he turned mana into lightning? Could he just do that now? Did he need to learn some kind of...spells? Or were they powers? The system certainly wasn''t going to tell him. With a somewhat satisfied sigh, he turned back towards the vault, and the gate that had closed him in lifted to free him. It was time to get the hell out of this ce, and back to Sanctuary. Then he¡¯d bring the citizens to Nassau, and see ke and his girls. The thought made him smile. At least until his utterck of sleep started to catch up with him. Either way, he''d done what he came for and then some. He¡¯d stopped the worms, despite the challenge being far harder than expected. It was time to go home.
Chapter 98: Mirror Blade Chapter 98: Mirror de "Well that can''t be good." Carl tried the door and found no handle, no lock, nothing. "Mason!" he shouted, hearing only the echoed sounds of his own voice. With a sigh he turned back towards the blue floating sphere, and what looked like a jagged piece of ss. "Alright." Carl stepped closer and swept the room for danger, but saw nothing else except the altars and the two items. When he''d stepped onto the tform with the altars, a voice boomed as if from a loudspeaker. "You stand in the hall of the Makers," it intoned in a deep, sonorous tone. "What makes you think you are worthy?" "Uh." Carl felt sweat drip down his brow. He hoped it was more ''Last Crusade'' then ''Monty Python.'' "I''m here to protect others," he said. That was true, wasn''t it? Pretty much. Sure, it was also to impress Silvie. And maybe somehow to not get old and weak and die without having done anything worthwhile in his whole life. "I mean that''s¡­not the only reason," he shouted, then felt rather stupid as his voice echoed around the room. "I mean I didn''t even know it would be like this." He added, then cursed under his breath. "OK just shut up and get the orb, Carl, it''s pretty clear what we''re doing here." He squinted and turned slightly away as he stepped closer. When nothing terrible happened he moved with a little more confidence, step after step to the glowing, blue orb. Now that he was close he couldn''t help but notice how beautiful it was. In fact it wasn''t even really an orb. More like...a perfect, blue breast. It looked so soft...so inviting. Probably wouldn''t hurt anything if he just gave it a little squeeze, would it? He''d figure out how it worked right after... [Orb of Transcendence activated. Receiving unique Prestige ss based on all avable data. Please do not drop the orb.] "Oh." Carl''s body froze, and firenced through his arm and down his chest. He couldn''t scream. So he squeaked. The loudest, girliest, squeeling sound he had ever produced, which echoed for second after long second in the tiny hall. When it was finally over, and his body more or less returned to him, he wiped the drool from his lips and looked around. He hoped whatever ''Makers'' had wanted to test him hadn''t heard that. "Oh Christ I''ve pissed myself," he realized. "Why would it do that?" he looked at the theoretical robot God in the sky. "Come on!" He squished in his wet shoes, then looked up at the text floating before his eyes. [Congrattions, C-876-2. You are in the first group of yers in the world to obtain Prestige sses. Title earned: The Prestige. +2 to all statistics.] [Unique Prestige ss formted: Mirror de. Implementing.] [You have gained a Prestige ss! Mirror de. +2 to all statistics.] [Power synergy discovered! Stealth has been upgraded to Reflection. You don¡¯t hide in the terrain. You are the terrain.] [Unique ss power gained: Simcrum. Two is better than one.] [Title gained: Powerful friends. You gained a prestige ss before earning a secondary ss. +2 luck] [Title gained: Phase jumper. Gain a title intended for ater phase in the Great Game. +1 to all statistics.] "Holy shit!" Carl grinned, looking at all his gains. Then he felt a little queesy, then like he''d just eaten a tub of icecream. In about a second. Through his nose. "Not again, I swear to...ahhrggeee." He fought the squeel. He really did. Then the blue tit-orb that frankly just looked like an orb now shattered and broke into shards that vanished into his hand. How long it went on he had no idea. Seconds felt like minutes of agony, then it was all over, and Carl was himself again, panting in the blue gloom. "Fuck you," he muttered miserably. "I mean that." But after several long breaths he reminded himself about the prestige ss and all the upgrades, and came back to himself with a grin. "Mirror de, eh?" He smiled as he inspected. "Missed an opportunity there, robo-G. Could have called it ''ssassin.''" He beamed at his own pun, rather dismayed no one was around to hear it. "I''ll save it," he said to himself. "Everyone will love that joke." What exactly his new powers did he had no idea, but he couldn''t wait to find out. He cracked his neck and took a few steps, then practically stopped dead in his tracks. He pulled up his profile.
Carlton Walker Level: 9 Primary ss: Shade Prestige ss: Mirror de Strength: 10 Dexterity: 16 Vitality: 9 Intellect: 10 Will: 8 Presence: 9 Luck: 13 Titles: Killer, Crazy like a Fox, Burnt the Boats, Hit the Ground Running, Defender, The Prestige, Powerful friends, Phase Jumper Powers: Reflection, Surprise Strike. Shadow Leap(+), Exploding Clone(+), Color Spray, Prescience, Dark Spirit, Simcrum
Between the titles he¡¯d gained just on entering the dungeon, the new level, plus the prestige ss boosts, his gains had been absolutely huge. Also secondary ss? What the hell? He didn¡¯t even know that was a thing! He flexed and jumped and spun in a circle, feeling his body react with such bnce and strength he could hardly believe it. He felt twenty years younger. No, he''d never been this strong or flexible. Incredible! With a new hop in his step he walked to the shard of ss and found it had a handle. It actually looked like some kind of knife. "Alriiight." He licked his lips and rubbed his hands together like Indiana Jones in the Temple of Doom. "Now do I just...lift you? Do I need a bag of sand?" He stopped smiling and nced straight up. "Don''t you fry me again! I swear to...well, you, I guess. Please just don''t. I mean there''s no need for it, right? I ept I am an ant, and you are a kid with a magnifiying ss. OK? So let''s just...skip the part where we¡­" he trailed off and snatched the handle as quick as he could, hoping maybe he could somehow trick it. Then he squeezed his eyes closed and braced himself. [Item gained. Mirror de. Nothing cuts as close as the truth. Would you like to attune it?] Carl opened his eyes. "Ha!" That wasn''t so bad, he thought. It looked flimsy as hell so he hoped it didn''t break on the first thing he stabbed, but¡­ "I trust you robo-G," he shouted, "I trust you!" He mentally clicked yes on the attunement, turning back towards the door he expected would open afterwards. [Attuning weapon. Please don''t attempt to drop it.] Carl''s body froze. ¡°Oh, no, no¡­¡± he almost managed to curse before he squealed. * * * Mason sat outside waiting for Carl. He scratched Streak''s ears while he waited, then had to rub his belly when the wolf flopped on his side and whined in pleasure. "You''re probably full of worm eggs," he said with a grin. "You''re probably going to shit worms for a month until we can clear it up. If we can clear it up." Streak did not look worried. He kicked his leg and lolled his tongue with his eyes closed, licking his own giant worm stained face. Violet just stared from her position by the pool. Mason had no idea what he was going to do with her exactly. People were already scared of Streak, Violet would outright terrify them. [Do you want to stay here? To live here?] Mason asked with Speak with Nature. I go where you go, the worm warbled. Duty. Honor. All. This was oneplicated annelida, that was for sure. Mason sighed and looked back to see the Arcane Affinity door finally open. A somewhat worse for wear Carl walked out like he''d bruised his tail bone, little steps all the way down the bluene. "You alright?" Mason raised a brow and inspected his partner. "You look a little...wet." Carl cleared his throat, then turned and leapt in the pool. "There was a, uh, water test," he said when he came up. "Almost killed me. What about you? Get anything good?" "Sure did." Mason held up his tattoed arms then grinned as he turned to Violet. [Can you dig us a path to the surface?] he asked with Speak with Nature, noticing his mana bar was far less affected. Was that just because he was getting higher level? Or because of Gaia''s Avatar? The worm crawled towards the wall without any response. "No time for lollygagging," Mason called to Carl and Streak. "Violet''s taking us out. Get a move on." Then, a little whileter: ¡°So? What did you get?¡± Carl grinned and held up what looked like a piece of mirror. ¡°I''m a ssassin!¡± ¡°Uh, what?¡± Carl frowned as if disappointed. ¡°Well. I was a ¡®Shade¡¯ before, which is a sort of upgraded Rogue. And now I''m really a Mirror de. But, you know, like an assassin. With a ss de. Hence, ¡®ssassin¡¯. You get it?¡± ¡°Assassins kill people with guns and poison,¡± Mason said. ¡°What? No, I¡¯m like¡­a dark elf from warhammer. No? You don¡¯t know¡­they...look, plenty of assassins use knives.¡± ¡°Shitty ones,¡± Mason said, and Carl shook his head. ¡°Nevermind. I''m speaking to a cultural luddite. It''s wasted on you. The others are going to love it.¡± ¡°My brother might.¡± Mason rolled his eyes. ¡°You guys can roll some dice and drink some mountain dew.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Carl¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Does he y D&D? I¡¯m old school. Been ying since first ed.¡± Mason hoped his contempt showed properly on his face. ¡°Maybe we should climb out of the Devourer¡¯s hellhole in silence.¡± They followed Violet¡¯s nted tunnel, half hunched, half crawling the entire way. Mason tried not to imagine getting buried alive again, though nearlyughed out loud when he considered dying to dirt after everything. ¡°I''m never going underground again,¡± Carl eventually panted behind him. ¡°You say that like we chose to break through the earth and plummet hundreds of feet down.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve learned my lesson.¡± Carl coughed and made a slight shout as he maybe slipped. ¡°Do not follow Mason. Stay in town.¡± Mason had to grin at that. Thankfully Violet finally turned, so at least if they somehow fell they wouldn¡¯t tumble and slide down the entire length of the tunnel. Then she just went on climbing again, dropping considerable dirt back into Mason and Carl. "I''m not sure I could have done that without you,¡± Mason said when they took a little rest. ¡°So thanks foring." "Don''t mention it, kid.¡± Carl grinned. ¡°Can''t let you get all the glory, now can I?" ¡°Don''t worry.¡± Mason smiled. ¡°I won''t tell the girls you pissed yourself. The older man started to go red. ¡°I told you, there was a water test!¡± ¡°That smelled like human urine?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Carl cleared his throat. ¡°How do I know what they had in their water. I mean...¡± ¡°You should drink more water, Carl, it shouldn''t be that strong.¡± ¡°Well. Enough rest.¡± Carl made for the tunnel and Mason held back hisugh. They crawled in silence awhile, both lost in their own silent endurance of misery until a light finally broke through ahead. They both climbed with renewed energy, Mason with an almost panicked need to get out, to get anywhere but in his endless, tiny circle. They finally emerged back in the rocky in, both Sanctuary and the orc fortress in sight, nothing else of note around them. Mason straightened his back and groaned as Carl dropped to the ground and kissed the dirt. Streak mbered out of the hole and shook himself, flinging dirt in every direction as Mason and Carl swore and covered their grimy faces. They exchanged a look, and Mason suspected he was aspletely filthy as Carl. ¡°Let¡¯s never do that again,¡± he said. Carl smacked him on the shoulder, which shook out yet more dirt and had them both coughing. Then they turned for Sanctuary, and hopefully home.
Chapter 99: Honeypot Chapter 99: Honeypot "Should we go check on the others?" Lexi twined her fingers like she sometimes did when she was nervous. They were packing up everything they thought was important in their shared house, using Rosa¡¯s magical storage space. Silvie said they had to be ready to leave for this new settlement before the end of the day, no exceptions. ¡°Carl and Mason could be back at any moment,¡± she¡¯d told them in their meeting at the hall. ¡°I didn¡¯t talk to Mason long, but he doesn¡¯t seem like the type to wait. We go with him when he¡¯s ready, or we go by ourselves.¡± Plenty of girls hadined. They didn¡¯t want to go at all. They didn¡¯t trust Mason or the forest and just wanted to hide away behind Sanctuary¡¯s walls forever. Damn coddled cowards. "To hell with the others." Rosa almost spit. "You don''t mean that.¡± Lexi frowned as she jammed ast piece of clothing into her bag. ¡°You like Mary, and Leeanne. They''re not all bad." "No,¡± Rosa admitted after a pause, ¡°they''re not. But I''m not telling anyone I have extra storage or it''ll be a frenzy. We''ll just tell Silvie, OK? She can give me food or whatever for the group." Lexi smiled. "OK." Then with a bit of wetness in her eyes, she looked around the house they¡¯d shared for the past few weeks¡ªthe only bit of safety and routine they¡¯d had since all this madness began. She gave Rosa a hug. "Got everything?" "Oh stop that or you''ll get me going,¡± Rosa wiped a thumb across her friend¡¯s cheek to catch the tear. ¡°Let''s go." Silvie¡¯s house was chaos. Girls were everywhere trying to stuff supplies or clothes into any kind of bag. Another group was lined up to talk to Silvie, no doubt withints and wanting special treatment. Adele was there with her bitch pack, and Rosa walked by them all with her head high. "Hey Rosa, there''s a line." "Oh?" Rosa turned and red. "Something very important, I imagine? Need to ask if it''s OK to wipe your ass from back to front?" Adele¡¯s face scrunched. ¡°You¡¯re so disgusting.¡± Rosa choked back the string of curses building like fire behind her eyes. Then she stomped right by Adele and her cronies, staring at the line of women as she knocked on Silvie''s door. After a few muffled voices and footsteps, the door opened, and Silvie took one look at Rosa and ushered another girl out. "Is something wrong?" Adele and her pack started screaming about fairness and what a horrible bitch Rosa was and how important it was they talk about whatever stupidint they had. ¡°Is it important?¡± Silvie raised a chastising brow at Rosa. She nodded, and Silvie sighed. ¡°Thene in. I¡¯ll see you girls after,¡± she called to a still shrieking Adele et al. "What is it, Rosa?" Silvie closed the door and wiped a hand over her face. "I¡­¡± Rosa had practiced this but now just shrugged and opted for the blunt truth. ¡°I have magic storage like you. Quite a bit.¡± Silvie turned on her with a quick re and Rosa slumped her shoulders. ¡°I didn''t tell you because it didn''t matter before. But...I got a lot of experience in the tutorial." Silvie''s eyebrows lowered slightly in sympathy, but she said nothing. "I''m alchemist ss now,¡± Rosa went on. ¡°Which didn''t matter before but maybe it will in the new town. Maybe they have some already but I doubt it. Anyway, it gave me some storage, and I can take food and water or whatever, but nothing too big. Maybe the size of a chair. I thought maybe that would help you." Silvie was smiling now and looked out the window. "You know, Rosa, you''re the first girl who came here since Mason showed up who just wanted to help. In the pale light, Rosa could see the exhaustion, the weight on the older woman''s shoulders. "You do too much Silvie." She nodded slightly and took a deep breath. "I''ll rest soon. Once we''re in this Nassau. And I''m d you''re here because I wanted to talk to you." "Oh.¡± Rosa felt a slightly nervous pang in her gut. She wasn¡¯t exactly popr, and she tended to get in a lot of fights with the other girls¡­ They hadn¡¯t talked about the kitchen incident, but Rosa was hoping they could just ignore itpletely and¡­ ¡°It¡¯s about Mason,¡± Silvie said. ¡°He''s the strongest yer this other settlement has. And the patron is his brother." Rosa tried not to imagine the green eyes and muscled arms of their visitor, but also had no idea why Silvie was bringing this up to her¡­ "I don''t know how to say this.¡± Silvie shifted in her chair. ¡°He''s a young man. I understand he''s got a woman at home, but he couldn''t have known her long. And well¡­¡± Silvie sighed and met Rosa¡¯s eyes. "You¡¯re gorgeous. I''m sure you know that. And I''ve been told Mason¡­noticed too in the lunchroom. More than noticed." Rosa stared nkly, no idea what to say or exactly what Silvie was saying. The ¡®mayor¡¯ threw up her hands. "We don''t know anything about these people. And we''d sure as hell be a lot safer if one of us were to get a lot closer to this Mason. Wouldn''t you agree?" "You¡­¡± Rosa found herself temporarily speechless. ¡°You want me to...seduce, this man? To be his whore? Is that what you¡¯re saying?" Her tone was maybe getting slightly less neutral because Silvie held up her hands. "Calm down, I''m not telling you to..." "I think that''s exactly what you''re saying. I can¡¯t believe you!¡± Rosa stood and practically threw the nearby ss of water into the woman¡¯s face. But she calmed when she saw Silvie¡¯s eyes close to tears. "Rosa." She said quietly, standing toe around the desk. She took Rosa¡¯s hands and held them hard. "I''m afraid. We have no idea what we''re walking into. You remember what the tutorial was like. What happened after¡­with the yers. What Carl...had to do. All I''m asking is you y along. Get close to him. I want him to care about us, at least a little bit. Do you understand? You can help keep us safe." Rosa¡¯s indignant rage died awaypletely, gone as quick as it came. Where she was from, women did whatever they had to to protect their families in a dangerous world. She knew Silvie didn¡¯t mean anything. That she was just trying to look out for them all. "We''re going to be OK, Silvie.¡± Rosa said, squeezing her hands. In my life I''ve known bad men and he wasn''t one of them. Even so, if hees back, I''ll do as you ask." Silvie wiped the single tear that threatened her cheek. "OK. I''ll make you our official¡­ ambassador. OK? When hees back, whatever he needs will go through you. You¡¯ll be our spy." She grinned. Rosa nodded and smiled, trying to fight the little bit of excitement she felt at the prospect. Silvie was right. They had to be practical. But she had no idea how she felt right now about Mason or their situation or really anything. But she supposed, if she was being honest, being recognized as important was something she liked. "OK," she said, then giggled. "Ambassador. But I get to tell Adele." Silvie rolled her eyes andughed like she desperately needed it. "Sure. Thank you, Rosa. Now, head on over to the supply room and just load up everything you can. I trust you to figure it out." Rosa just about turned and left it at that, but with a feeling they could both really use it, she pulled the older woman into her arms and gave her a good, long hug. * * * Mason hadpletely regenerated by the time he and Carl were in sight of Sanctuary. He was rather tired, and wouldn''t mind about twelve hours in bed with his women, but otherwise good enough. The older, rather less physically gifted Carl, however, was looking a bit...haggard. "Oh sweet crab apples," Carl wheezed when Sanctuary''s walls entered their sight. "Have you ever seen anything more beautiful?" Mason grinned, and clicked his tongue for Streak toe close. He turned to Violet and activated Speak with Nature. [Can you wait outside that settlement? Hidden and safe? We''ll be going to another one after that.] Yes, druid. I will wait, then follow you beneath the earth. "Thank you," Mason said, then realized the worm understood him when it emitted a smell that Mason somehow knew was something like satisfaction. They trudged thest mile to Sanctuary''s gates, and at least this time the automated defences left Mason alone. The gates opened, and Mason and Carl walked inside to find a veritable pile of supplies waiting at the gate covered in a tarp. "They''re back!" someone shouted from the wall, and women began to emerge from the woodwork. Silvie came from the town hall with a smile and a wave, and Carl straightened his posture and regained a little strength. "I was wrong," he said low, just for Mason, "about the beautiful thing. Wasn''t I?" Mason grinned. "I expect you were. Now go give your woman a hug before you keel over and die you old bastard." Carl did just that, practically sagging into his lover''s arms. "He''s had a long day," Mason called. "I guess we both have. But the worms are gone." He sighed at what he was about to say next, but saw no real solution. He wasn''t about to lead these women on a long march without rest. They seemed safe enough, and no matter the strength of his body, his mind would start getting slow soon. "We should probably stay the night. Head to Nassau bright and early in the morning." Silvie practically sagged with relief. "Thank you, Mason, for helping us. And for keeping this one alive." "Hey now," Carl pulled back a little. "Who says I didn''t keep him alive? In fact I think maybe I did!" Mason grinned. "He probably did. But we''ll never know for sure." Silvie smiled and looked on her man with obvious pride. "Well, let''s get you home andy you down." She stopped and narrowed her eyes as she assessed him with fresh eyes. "You look...bigger. How do you look like you''ve been in a gym for six months?" Carl flexed an arm, then winced. "I''ll tell you all about my grand adventure after I''ve recuperated." He turned and looked at Mason and turned more serious. "Good work back there kid, truly something, I mean it. Unbelievable, really." Mason nodded, liking the man. "d you were with me, Carl. I''ll see you after." The older man gave a wink and a grin, then hissed slightly from foot pain as he walked on towards the chief hall. Silvie called over Mason''s shoulder. "Rosa! Could you get Mason situated? There''s plenty of spare houses but probably no bedding. Could you make sure he''sfortable?" Mason turned and blinked when he saw Rosa outside what looked like the supply room. She was wearing a tight ck shirt, and a brown skirt with a slit down her leg. "Sure," she smiled. "Come on, I''ll sort you out." Streak was as happy to see her as Mason was. He yelped and took off running, no doubt in the hopes of more beef. Mason felt a little like he was back in the ''Maker''s'' vault, staring at the orb. His feet took him towards the girl before he''d given it any thought.
Chapter 100: A better offer Chapter 100: A better offer Rosa looked practically like a different person since thest time Mason saw her. Her long hair was done and shining, her clothes tasteful but sexy as hell, showing off her many¡­assets. Her waist and ass remained just as obviously insane as he¡¯d thought on first nce. "Mason?" Mason blinked and met her eyes. "Hmm? Sorry. I''m...very tired." The girl smiled without any kind of obvious offence at being leered at, so that was something. "Of course, I''m so sorry. Here, sit down. Do you want to eat a little before you sleep? I could cook you something." "You don''t need to.¡± Mason sagged onto the couch. ¡°I can just eat whatever¡¯s in the fridge." Streak looked at Mason with betrayed eyes before flopping down beside him, emitting a rather pitiful whine. Sometimes Mason wondered how much he understood, too. Rosa opened said fridge and crinkled her cute nose. "No. This won¡¯t do. But I¡¯ve got some chicken, some beans, some rice, maybe some corn? I should have everything I need." Mason leaned back and probably stared, vaguely wondering through a mind fog how she could have anything. Then spices and food started popping out of thin air into her hands like Haley. Or he was dreaming already. Mostly he just blinked and watched her bounce around the kitchen like a pro. The couch wasfortable, the house was warm, and he felt his eyes drooping slowly but surely. "I''m sorry you had to see me like that in the kitchen, by the way,¡± she said as she worked. ¡°Adele drives me insane." "Sorry, like what?" Mason blinked, and Rosa nced at him awkwardly. ¡°Oh. You probably don¡¯t even remember. My life here is so boringpared to yours. Little hills get turned into mountains.¡± ¡°No. I remember,¡± Mason said, blinking himself back to reality. ¡°The kitchen nazi. Didn¡¯t want to feed Streak. Don''t worry, you were our hero." Rosa looked at him and smiled from eyes to chin, her beautiful face so damn inviting and radiant Mason knew he was staring. He cleared his throat. "That, uh, Adele? Seems like a real piece of work." "She really is.¡± Rosa bit her lip. ¡°But I guess I can be a little...emotional, too. At least that''s what my friend Lexi tells me." Mason just nodded and tried to stay awake, then noticed Rosa was inspecting him. ¡°I don''t remember those tattoos.¡± She gestured at his arms. ¡°How did I miss those?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± He lifted one up for a look. ¡°No, they''re...new. From the dungeon. It¡¯s¡­hard to exin.¡± She was watching his face now. ¡°Was it very terrible? The worm¡­dungeon I mean.¡± Mason blinked and saw the total darkness of being utterly buried. Of being trapped in the Devourer without air, feeling himself burn alive. ¡°It¡­wasn''t great.¡± Rosa left her chicken to cook on a pan,ing forward to sit on a chair by Mason. ¡°Will you tell me about it? I know you didn''t do it for us, exactly. But you also sort of did. I''d¡­like to know what it was like. What you went through.¡± Mason blinked, the type to just say ¡®it was fine¡¯ and not discuss it further. But he was so tired, and the request seemed so genuine, the girl so warm. He let his mind drift back to the fall. ¡°It was deep underground,¡± he said. ¡°There were¡­insect men, and the worms. The ground was unsteady. I was buried once, my own stupid fault. But I never knew what that was like. So helpless. So¡­total. For a few moments I thought I¡¯d suffocate.¡± Rosa put her hands to her face. ¡°Dios mio.¡± ¡°Then...there was the Devourer. It was huge, with hide thick as my sword. Too hard to kill, I had to¡­¡± a sh of the acid¡¯s pain made him rub his skin. ¡°I let it swallow me, then dug my way out.¡± He shivered at the memory of the darkness, at the creature¡¯s insides trying to crush him. ¡°It felt like being buried again, but this time in flesh and acid and blood. I couldn''t breathe. I don¡¯t know how long I couldn¡¯t breathe. I heal, you see, but, it burned. God it burned. After awhile, all I could think was...I had to get out, I can¡¯t do this, I have to get out.¡± He stopped and looked at the girl, slightly embarrassed he¡¯d spoken so much, not meaning to. He cleared his throat and smiled a little. ¡°But I¡¯m here now. We managed.¡± Rosa came forward and practically rammed into him, wrapping her arms around him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­what it was like out there.¡± He slowly put his arms around her back. Good God she smelled good. And felt good. He stopped thinking and just held on, taking a few slow, deep breaths. ¡°Oh the chicken!¡± Rosa let go and ran back to the kitchen, muttering in such quick Spanglish it apparently confused both Mason and roboGod. She eventually seemed satisfied, then took out a bottle and two sses from nothing and came back with both almost filled. ¡°It¡¯s not tequ, but it¡¯ll do.¡± She grinned. ¡°I think we need this.¡± Masonughed but took the ss. ¡°I¡¯m probably going to pass out in minutes.¡± Rosa sat beside him and put her feet up, close enough she was touching his leg. ¡°Salud,¡± she said in Spanish, which meant ¡®cheers¡¯ but didn¡¯t trante because Mason understood. They sipped in silence until Rosa looked at the wall and her eyes went far away. ¡°In our tutorial, we had to solve all these crazy problems. Logic stuff. Like an IQ test. But there was math, really hard,plex math. No one could do it but me. And the longer I took, the more of these¡­traps went off. I could hear people screaming.¡± She shivered slightly and Mason put a hand on her leg. ¡°I sat there looking at these stupid problems, like what train would arrive faster. And people were burning alive. Or drowning. I had to think so hard and all I could hear was ¡®Please, please, help us!¡¯ And I thought ¡®I¡¯m trying!¡¯, and all I wanted was to tell them to shut up so I could think. What sort of person does that make me?¡± Mason snorted. ¡°There were other people in my tutorial. I told myself I couldn¡¯t help them, that all that mattered was my own survival and getting to my brother. I didn¡¯t even try. Whatever you are, I¡¯m worse. Much worse.¡± Again they sat in silence until Rosa checked on her food and came back, sitting just as close as before. ¡°Where¡¯d you get so good at math, anyway?¡± Mason tried. ¡°Aren¡¯t most of the girls here from college? You¡¯d think they could have helped.¡± Rosa smiled and shook her head. ¡°Math is like anothernguage when it getsplex. The others don¡¯t speak it. I learned at the University of Guadjara with a brilliant professor. A wonderful teacher. It¡¯s really him who saved those people.¡± ¡°Brilliant. Beautiful. Humble,¡± Mason said, staring into Rosa¡¯s eyes. When she quirked her lips and blushed a little Mason cleared his throat. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m tired. There¡¯s not much filter left.¡± "I don''t mind.¡± Rosa stood and walked back to the kitchen. ¡°Why don''t you go have a shower, and by the time you''re out the food will be ready?" Mason looked at the absolute state of himself and flinched. His clothes were mostly ragged and melted, and he almost certainly stunk like sweat and blood and death. "Good idea." Sanctuary¡¯s houses were almost identical to Nassau¡¯s, so he quickly navigated to the shower, disrobed and washed himself in scalding water. Thinking about Rosa was not helpful. She really was amazing, but honestly how much good fortune and beautiful women could one man ask for? Especially in the apocalypse? He very purposefully turned off Blessing of Gaia, no intention of trying to seduce the girl. He dressed in the system¡¯s in white cotton pajamas and came out with a deep breath of Rosa¡¯s cooking. ¡°That smells amazing.¡± Rosa beamed as she set two tes on the table, and one on the floor. ¡°Perfect timing. Sit, sit.¡± She gestured at the chair. ¡°My grandmother''s recipe.¡± Rosa dished the corn and chicken but stopped smiling. ¡°What do you think happened to them? The older people, I mean. Do you have any in your settlement?¡± Mason shook his head. ¡°Sixty three is the oldest. And he seems rare. I like to think it¡­put them all together somewhere, like a giant sci-fi senior home. Hopefully with the younger people.¡± Rosa smiled bravely again. ¡°My abu would have liked that. To be with others her age and the kids. I hope you''re right.¡± Mason took a bite of the chicken and groaned, which made Rosaugh. ¡°You like it?¡± "I hope this doesn''t offend, but is your grandmother single?" "No,¡± Rosa wiggled her eyebrows. ¡°But I have all her secrets, and I''m single." Shit. What are you doing? Mason was too tired and not clever enough to follow that up, so he mostly just chewed and felt awkward. Rosa noticed. She stood and wandered back into the kitchen, dishing the whining Streak who immediately tore into his food. Mason had no idea what to say but Rosa beat him to it. "Listen, you seem like a good man. Maybe a very good one, considering¡­everything you¡¯ve been through. I want to tell you something." As usual Mason had no idea what to say, so he just sat and listened. "Silvie...the mayor I mean, I''m supposed to...she asked me to..." Rosa took a deep breath. "She''s worried about you and your people." Mason felt something click in his brain. Honestly it made him feel a little better. "She asked you to get close to me," he said. Rosa¡¯s eyes went a little wide as she stared, and he shrugged and took another bite. "When I was younger I liked spy novels. I think they call this a honeypot,¡± he grinned as he chewed. "Oh God.¡± Rosa put a hand over her mouth. ¡°I''m so embarrassed. Why would anyone be expecting that?" "My brother would say I¡¯m a bit¡­paranoid. And don''t be embarrassed. I''m ttered, really. After this food, and just...you being you...I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯d have yed along." Rosa came forward and smacked him with a dish towel. "You¡¯re terrible! And¡­you don''t think I''m a...two-faced, horrible..." "No,¡± he said honestly. "You didn''tst an hour before you told me. I think it''s fair to say Silvie sent the absolute worst spy in the world." Rosa sat andughed with abandon, the sound infectious and sexy as hell. "She really did. I felt like it was going to burst out of me. So stupid. And I didn''t want to lie to you. But¡­I didn''t mind spending some time with you." Mason raised a brow at that, and Rosa rolled her eyes. "It¡¯s the not-tequ. I can''t hold my liquor." He grinned. ¡°Want another one?¡± Apparently he was forgetting he wasn¡¯t supposed to be hitting on her. Rosa leaned across the table, thick lips achingly close to his. "I thought you were tired, and needed to go pass out." Mason tried not to stare. "I¡¯m thinking I might have a better offer." Her smile widened, and she picked up the bottle and re-filled their drinks.
Chapter 101: Did I get a little dirty? (NSFW) Chapter 101: Did I get a little dirty? (NSFW) They took another shot in silence, then Rosa re-poured. ¡°OK, gringo,¡± Rosa grinned as she lifted her ss. ¡°At least you don¡¯t stink like worm vomit anymore.¡± ¡°Oh I¡¯m sorry.¡± Mason returned it. ¡°Did I get a little dirty saving everyone you know?¡± They both sipped their drinks this time, and Mason again wondered exactly what the hell he was doing. But then again, the world was harsh and brutal, and being with this woman made it slightly better. That¡¯s all he really knew. Some of Rosa¡¯s long, dark hair was hanging in her face, and Mason feltpelled to reach across the table and tuck it behind her ear. God, it was so smooth and silky and thick. Her eyes were dark pools drawing him in, her lips¡­ "You¡¯re so beautiful." Rosa smiled. "You''re not so bad yourself." "If this is still a honeypot, it''s working." Sheughed, then he closed the gap and kissed her. She closed her eyes and kissed him back, deepening it until she was breathing into him. Before he knew what was happening she¡¯d stood and moved into hisp, wrapping her arms around him as her tongue pushed against his lips. The tight, ck fabric of her top strained to bursting. She kept her mostly bare legs tightly closed, but he couldn¡¯t stop himself from running his hands up and down them, moving slightly under her skirt as he kissed her. She definitely didn¡¯t stop him. Instead she slightly spread her legs and ran her hands up his shirt, squeezing his muscles slightly as she made little moaning sounds. He pushed her back a little and took off his shirt, and her eyes went up and down his body as she bit her lip and stared. He was hard as a rock already. What exactly she wanted here he wasn¡¯t sure, but his hands went further and further under her skirt until they found the barest shred of panty. Her legs spread even further, and he ran his fingers down between them until he cupped her already moist sex. She was practically begging him with her eyes before he slid the fabric away and ran his fingers over her clit and spread her folds. She closed her eyes and held onto his neck as he slowly pushed one, then two inside. He pulled up her shirt, then unhooked her bra with the other hand, and Rosa¡¯s heavy breasts dropped gloriously into his face. He sucked her nipples and kept working her, lost in the silky soft wetness soon covering half his hand. Her legs were wide apart now, her hands clutching his hair as she took deep breaths and wiggled against him. ¡°Ai,¡± she moaned, then started sucking her own fingers as if out of reflex. Mason wasn¡¯t sure if he could possibly get harder but it was getting almost painful to watch how sexy and turned on she was. Finally she gasped in something like surprise, clenching hard on his fingers as her eyes sprung open and locked onto his. She rode his hand staring into his eyes as she came, with little twitches and aftershocks that went on and on until she slumped against him and rammed her tongue into his mouth. He traced his fingers gently up and down her back, causing more spasms as she sucked his lips and tongue. ¡°Jesus,¡± he managed to say when she finally gave him some air. ¡°That felt amazing.¡± She just kept kissing him and every time she did he felt like his erection was going to cut through his pajamas. She blinked and seemed to finally notice it rubbing against her ass. ¡°Oh.¡± She stood up and almostically straightened her skirt, then dropped down to her knees in front of him. ¡°I can help with that.¡± Mason practically tore off his pants and free¡¯d himself, then Rosa was attacking his cock as eagerly she had his lips. She swallowed him practically whole, choking slightly thening up with a grin. ¡°I don¡¯t really know what I¡¯m doing. But I reallywant to suck it.¡± Mason blinked. ¡°You mean you¡¯ve never¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen, um, porn. Like a lot.¡± Rosa didn¡¯t look embarrassed at all as she ran her hands up and down his shaft. ¡°I think I¡¯ve got the idea. But tell me if I¡¯m doing it wrong.¡± He very sincerely doubted it. Then she closed her eyes and put the tip in her mouth, groaning slightly as she sucked and licked. ¡°I studied so much in school,¡± she said as she took it out with a pop. ¡°Never did anything bad. Always did what I was supposed to. Maybe you¡¯re my reward.¡± Again she locked eyes with Mason, dark hair falling around her incredible breasts, skirt pulled back up to show off her ass. If this was herreward, he had no idea what it made it for him. But he was too tired and horny to think anything except: sometimes, roboGod, you¡¯re not so bad. Then Rosa was plunging him back into her mouth like he was her favorite vor of ice cream. He collected her hair and held it back, eyes locked on the image of her thick lips sliding up and down his shaft. Every rise and fall brought him closer and closer to release, though a piece of him wanted tost as long as possible. But he was too damn tired for that, and his belly was full. Empty balls now meant pretty much the perfect moment and instant sleep, and he stopped worrying about anything else. He just watched Rosa gulp and slurp every inch of him, getting more confident and taking him further and further towards her throat. ¡°You¡¯re about to earn that reward,¡± he said, closing his eyes and sagging back into the chair as the pressure built in his balls. Rosa couldn¡¯t have looked more pleased. She moaned and went faster, one hand at the base of his shaft as she worked the head with abandon, almost desperate to finish him. He didn¡¯t even try to resist. He let the pressure overtake him, body tightening and flushing as everything disappeared except the need to release every drop straight between Rosa¡¯s waiting lips. He clenched his hand on her hair but let her keep going. Mason hadn¡¯t been with a woman in days now, which for his apocalypse body and libido was practically forever. The wave rolled through him, and he sprayed into her mouth with what must have been a huge stream. Rosa¡¯s eyes fluttered in pleasure as she watched him and felt his cock convulse in her mouth. She kept going and going, taking every twitching st with urgent need, visibly swallowing to make room for more. When Mason was finally finished hey back and put his hands to his face, mind temporarily a beautiful nk void. ¡°That was so¡­wait, what?¡± Rosa¡¯s voice sounded almost¡­offended? Mason blinked and tried to understand, seeing her eyes slightly zed. ¡°The system gave me a title, andexperiencefor that?¡± Mason couldn¡¯t help it. He was too tired and satisfied to hold back. Heughed out loud and thought back to Haley and their first encounter a couple months before. ¡°First ss?¡± he said with a grin. ¡°What does it actually give you, anyway?¡± ¡°Oh my God,¡± Rosa said, face softening a little. ¡°I¡¯m not even the first civilianto blow you?¡± Masonughed again then pulled Rosa up to hisp, running his thumb around her lips as he grabbed her ass with the other hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Let¡¯s move to the bedroom. I can show you how to do a few other things¡­¡± Rosa¡¯s face instantly went back to lust, and she took Mason¡¯s thumb in her mouth and sucked with a little moan. She looked so unbelievably hot with something in her mouth¡­she was so dark and sultry and eager despite her inexperience. He just wanted to spend the whole night fucking her, but he was so damn tired¡­ And now that his mind worked at least a little, he wasn¡¯t sure how Reba would react to yet anothergirl. Could it be just for a night? Is that was Rosa was thinking? Or did she want¡­more? These definitely seemed like things they should discuss. Except Rosa was still licking and sucking his thumb like it was a popsicle, wiggling against him and hiking up her skirt, and he was struggling to remember the meaning of words. ¡°I feel like the ground is shaking,¡± he said, wondering exactly what stage of lust that was. Rosa blinked and opened her eyes, looking a little confused. ¡°I feel it too.¡± Mason¡¯s paranoia woke him up. He stopped and focused his senses, growing increasingly concerned as he felt something wrong with the ground. Then the floorboards near the door ripped apart, spraying dirt and chunks of wood as something purple ripped its way into the house. Rosa screamed.
Chapter 102: To fear men Chapter 102: To fear men Mason summoned his w and pulled Rosa behind him in the kitchen before he realized it was Violet. His heart slowed and he activated Speak with Nature. [What is it? Exin quickly.] ¡°Apologies, patron,¡± warbled the worm. ¡°There are enemiesing. I thought you should be warned.¡± Good God was it getting more articte? ¡°What enemies?¡± Mason said, pretty sure now the worm could understand perfectly without the power. ¡°Orc fortress,¡± Violet said¡­and scented back. ¡°They are sending an army towards this town. They are crossing the ins as we speak.¡± Mason winced, not at all ready for a brutal fight or a deadly chase. First of all, he was naked and dripping. Second, he was fucking exhausted. He was about to ask ¡®are you sure?¡¯ when the ghostly text floated before his eyes. [Objective gained: Lead the citizens of Sanctuary to Nassau. Earn settlement patron points for every survivor, with arge bonus if all survive.] ¡°What the hell is going on? What is that thing?¡± Rosa shouted, impressing Mason when she lifted a kitchen knife. He took a deep breath and held her shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s Violet. She¡¯s with me. I don¡¯t have time to exin because there¡¯s an armying to kill us all, and we need to leave. Right now.¡± The beautiful Mexican looked at Mason like maybe if she asked him nicely enough it wouldn¡¯t be true. Then she closed her eyes and took a breath. ¡°I¡¯ll go wake the others.¡± Mason gave her shoulder a squeeze, and kissed her on the cheek. ¡°You might want to put some clothes on first.¡± He hiked up his pants then ran for the door. ¡°I¡¯ll get Carl and Silvie. Get everyone else however you can. We have to go, now.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just¡­I mean, it¡¯s got walls,¡± Rosa apparently did a lot of speaking with her hands when she was flustered. ¡°Can¡¯t we defend them?¡± She held up her fists and it would have been so very cute if Mason wasn¡¯t about to have the longest day of his life. ¡°No. The walls might work for animals, not something like organized men. Or at least Carl and I can¡¯t defend them on our own.¡± With that he was out the door, cursing his reduced city speed as he raced for the town hall. The sun was already dipping on the horizon, and they had maybe a couple hours of light. Rosa was still getting her shirt on as she came out screaming like a banshee for the others to get up ande outside, and he couldn¡¯t help but grin. ¡°What is it?¡± Silvie called from the chief¡¯s hall before he arrived, still putting on a robe. Carl stumbled out behind her in his underwear, blinking bruised eyes in the fading light and looking like a zombie. Then he flinched and pointed. ¡°Mason, behind you!¡± His shard-like dagger appeared in his hand before he squinted. ¡°Oh. Sorry Violet. False rm.¡± Silvie and some of the other emerging women looked between Carl and the purple worm with equal concern and confusion. ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± Mason waved a dismissive hand. ¡°It¡¯s the fortress that¡¯s attacking. You all need to gather your things. We need to run. Right now.¡± He watched the battle rage in Silvie¡¯s eyes¡ªfear and shock and distrust against the cruel reality of believing him. She turned to her lover, ast desperate hope in her voice. ¡°Can we defend the walls?¡± ¡°No, darling. Not with two people.¡± Carl looked at Mason, and sighed. ¡°Can we afford to take supplies?¡± Mason shrugged and nced at the wall. ¡°Let¡¯s take a look and find out.¡± They both moved for the stairs, Carl blinking across most of the distance and actually beating Mason to the top. He stared out at the horizon in silence. Mason stared at the obvious dust cloud rising from the rocky in. It slightly obscured the enemy, but not enough. Hundreds of humanoids marched in ragged formation. To their sides, like cavalry, seemed dozens of giant snakes. ¡°What¡¯s with this bastard robot and snakes or worms,¡± Mason muttered. ¡°So that¡¯s a no on the supplies then,¡± Carl said and wiped his forehead, blinking tired eyes to try and force himself awake. Their attackers were maybe half an hour away. And who knew if they just meant to take the settlement, or if they¡¯d chase the people escaping? Mason and Carl exchanged a look, then ran back down the stairs. ¡°Whatever you¡¯re wearing and whatever you can carry in the next ten seconds!¡± Carl yelled as he rang some kind of digital rm bell at the gate. ¡°No time for anything! Just bring yourself and some shoes, and we¡¯re going!¡± The women came from all over the settlement. There were tears and angry or terrified faces, but the girls of Sanctuary still showed up. These were folks who¡¯d survived the horrors of their tutorial and learned that terrible things could happen to them. It wasn¡¯t a lesson a person had to learn twice. Silvie was counting heads and scanning the group like an elementary school teacher, but soon nodded and looked to Mason. ¡°We¡¯re ready. Do you think Nassau will take us with so little supplies to offer?¡± He heard and saw the intensity of the emotion that went into those words, and he softened his voice, respecting the ¡®mayor¡¯ of Sanctuary a great deal. ¡°They will. And we¡¯ll take it back, Silvie, one day. That¡¯s a promise.¡± He turned to Carl. ¡°Take them down the river, quick as you can go. I¡¯ll send Streak with you. Just keep moving, no matter what.¡± The older man raised a brow that implied he already knew the answer to his question was, but he asked anyway. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Mason thought about the wolves he¡¯d chased away from Nassau. The feeling deep in his chest that maybe always existed for bullies, or maybe some robot had stoked or ced in a ranger¡¯s chest. ¡°I¡¯m going to teach them to fear men. Now go.¡± Masonmanded Streak to follow Carl, then turned and ran from the gate without a second nce, shaking his head and blinking away his exhaustion. Damnit ke, he thought, if you can hear me somehow, send them help down the river. We may need it before the end. He knew in his heart somehow, these bastards would follow them. He didn¡¯t know how he knew, but he did. They would want the settlement, no doubt, but they¡¯d want the people more. That was how ke thought, and probably how roboGod thought. Survival and procreation. Wasn¡¯t that the game? These things would want to end potential rivals. So Mason would teach them the error of their ways. ¡°Alright, Violet,¡± he said out loud without his power. ¡°You know the terrain. I¡¯m guessing you know these orcs, too. Ready to kill some?¡± The worm warbled and let out a scent that made Mason blink. It gave him a strange feeling he sometimes felt in the forest when he was running full speed. An urge to hunt, to kill. It smelled like blood. * * * Mason ran out to the ins, crossing some of the gap between himself and the enemy before finding a few boulders to hide himself. Hey three traps near some thistle, which promised a delightfully painful distraction when the time came. His n was rtively simple. Fill orcs and snakes full of arrows, lead them on a deadly chase all the way back to Sanctuary, and kill even more. If the gate actually let him in, of course. If so he might even go up to the wall and shoot them from there before fleeing out the opposite side. But he tried not to get too far ahead of himself. ¡°Kill as you please,¡± he said to Violet, ¡°but don''t get yourself in trouble. Always protect yourself first.¡± The worm stared with her ck eyes, but Mason decided she understood. Waiting before a fight was never pleasant. Mason¡¯s dder squeezed and stomach gurgled and he pped his own face to keep awake and alert. The enemy was close now. Mason touched the boulder he was using as cover, and as he did the tattoos on his arms shifted and changed. He watched as the greyish color of the rock seeped into his skin, the pattern almost identical. He looked down to see the effect had materialized all over his body, somehow even slightly to his clothes. Had he been naked, he realized, he would have been practically invisible. Thank you, ''Makers¡¯, he smiled, trying not to think about the event. One problem at a time, Mason. What else had the system said his Nature''s Sleeves did? Druid spellponents, right? And hadn''t he cast a druid spell using a wooden stick as a ponent''? At first he¡¯d thought it was the gnoll shaman¡¯s staff, but since learned otherwise. It was him, his mana¡ªhis power. He''d just pointed the staff, thought about activating it, and off it went. Could he do the same with his Sleeves? It was certainly worth a try. What exactly the range was he had no idea, but decently far. He could pick these orcs apart individually with his arrows, certainly. But for now they were clustered. Vulnerable. Better to hit them with a lightning bolt now with the element of surprise, then work away at them. He could hear them marching now. He waited and watched, only his camouged face visible near the rock. Now that the enemy was close he could see them more clearly. They looked like proper soldiers. Most carried uniform rectangr shields and spears. Others had smaller, round shields and carried an assortment of weapons. Mason knew enough about military history to recognize what you might call the ¡®heavy infantry¡¯ and ¡®light infantry¡¯ of a proper army. And then there was the snakes. More God damn snakes. They moved on the orcs¡¯ nks like cavalry, but he doubted they''d be that fast. A snake was quick over short distances, but surely couldn¡¯tst very long. They also didn¡¯t have shields, so he expected he could pick them off with arrows. Lightning bolt at the orcs, then. As soon as they were in range. Then as many arrows as he could manage before they chased him out. A fighting retreat. Ast stand at Sanctuary. Who knew how many orcs he¡¯d kill? He forced himself to wait until the force moved a little closer. Then he slid his arms forward along the rock and focused on his mana. He tried to remember the exact feeling of the lightning coursing through him, through the staff. It started almost instantly. His arms locked into ce, the tattoos glowing slightly to his eyes as the power surged in his chest. His mana bar rippled with something like heat and started to drain. Let¡¯s not overdo it, he thought. This was just the first battle and the first test. Best not to blow his whole pool. He released the energy at about half. It seemed to take much longer than he¡¯d expected and he had no idea why. Until the thing went off. Apparently his mana pool had increased. A lot. The bolt seemed thicker, louder, nastier. The same smell of electrical fire filled his senses, the sound cracking like thunder as the energy released at the orcs. But this one jumped. Itnced between the metallic weapons and armor of the first clump of orcs, blue light glowing and crackling in a checkerboard pattern through the creature¡¯s ranks before exploding on the ground. [ck Tower Orc heavy infantry in x 2. Experience earned.] [Title earned: Clever Conductor. Enhance a lightning spell using natural conduction. +1 to mental stats.] Mason had no time to be pleased. The orcs (and snakes) roared (and hissed), panicking as some of those in the front copsed where they stood. Other orcs were shouting for calm and for scouts and a ¡®shaman¡¯ to protect them from sorcery. Mason lifted his bow, and started shooting. Armor-piercing bullet arrows seemed in order. He kept to his rock and started loosing, smiling when his camouge didn¡¯t fade. The orcs were shouting again, still seeming surprisingly spooked for such an organized force. But they spotted the arrows soon, and the ¡®light¡¯ infantry came running towards Mason¡¯s boulder. They shot back with their own bows, or threw javelins or axes, but none with much uracy. Mason kept on shooting. One of his thistle traps went off and a few of the light infantry panicked, running straight away and rather unfortunately right into a second trap, which promptly exploded. [ck Tower Orc light infantry in x 2. Experience earned.] Mason was grinning now as he shot. An axe flew past his shoulder, then he put an arrow in the thrower¡¯s neck. If they wanted to exchange ranged weapons all day, he was happy to oblige. [Apex Predator activated: elemental.] Uh, what? Mason¡¯s rock exploded. Fire and shrapnel swirled andunched like he¡¯d been bombed. His ears rang and he blinked through dust and falling debris, disoriented and clearly thrown several feet back from the boulder. Orcs were still shouting anding forward into the smoke, and Mason decided it was time to run. With something of a stagger step, he moved up to near full speed as he ran straight back then looped towards Sanctuary. He spit and plucked several pieces of jagged rock from his skin, d it hadn¡¯t been worse. Apparently the orc shaman was no joke. But Mason soon recovered, and took his time. He hid in the high grass, hey more traps, he shot more arrows at anything that followed. He got several more kills but paid little attention, not truly running until the snakes started to chase. The fuckers were faster than he expected. Of course they were. And when he shot a few arrows their direction, the bastards actually dodged. Of course they did. Mason hoped Violet hadn¡¯t gotten herself into trouble, then turned and ran for the walls.
Chapter 103: Graak, Chief of the outskirts Chapter 103: Graak, Chief of the outskirts Mason ran in a slight zig zag back towards Sanctuary, and managed to avoid getting hit by any arrows. As expected the snakes'' burst of speed ran out, and they''d fallen back to their masters. Violet remained nowhere to be found. He guessed she didn''t feel it was safe to attack with so many enemies close together, so he¡¯d just have to make do on his own. He decided to give up another ambush spot and ran straight to Sanctuary, too many eyes searching to reliable hide again. But he still had no idea if the gate would open. As he touched the stone wall, he was rather surprised when a system message popped up. [This settlement is currently empty of yers, and has no patron. Would you like to im it?] Mason snorted, and thought yes, then watched as dozens of lists opened before his eyes. [With 0 civilians, and 0 yers, you have 100 initial patron points to spend on your settlement. Would you like to spend them now?] Mason scrolled straight to defences, and grinned. The walls and automated crossbows were built in and still active, some kind of built in feature of the town. But what else could he afford? He scrolled through several categories and quickly saw the answer was almost nothing. Slightly improved sections of wall? Not helpful. Decorations? Great. An unarmed guard tower caught his eye. He could get one for each side of the square walls¡ªhalf concrete, half steel, enclosed with several slots for archers. Yeah, that''d do just fine. He picked it. [Settlement changes will employ in 1 hour. Please remain inside the buildings.] Mason winced at the message. An hour? Yeah, not going to work. He searched the options, hoping for some kind of ¡®safety override¡¯, and sure enough, a nice red button. [Are you certain you wish to ignore the settlement safety procedures? This could result in negative consequences, up to and including a horrible death by crushing.] Yes. [Buildings deploying. Please do not stand near the construction areas.] Mason stood back and watched in awe as the entire wall began to slightly re-shape. The towers formed out of the concrete and stone, metal fusing and collecting from the air with a violent crashing and hissing. In seconds, two new towers existed from nothing. Mason dropped three traps outside the gate, then shook his head and stepped inside ''his'' settlement. He climbed up the ramparts, all the way to the new tower, looking out at the approaching force through his arrow slit. The orcs would find their ¡®prize¡¯ hadn''t been totally abandoned. One man defended it still. * * * Graak, Chief of the Outskirts, growled and turned on the grumblers until they silenced. Some of the raiders who''d been badly burned by the caster''s spell wanted to turn back home. "Go if you wish," he rumbled. "But you will wear the traitor''s brand by morning. Teeok," he turned to his n¡¯s eldest shaman, "can you protect us from their magic?" "Yes, chief." The old orc scratched his chin. "If they wield the storm again, I will protect us." "There," Graak roared at his raiders. "Mighty Teeok will protect you. Are there any other cowards who''d rather flee?" They said nothing, of course, so Graak pushed them onward. He had won the right to take this settlement by order of his uncle, Overlord of the cktusk n, and so he would do it, or he would die trying. "Ready thedders, and aim true. These monkeys are clever. They will put archers on the walls." They marched on, and soon saw all the fortifications clearly. Graak clenched his teeth and looked at his scouts. "You never mentioned towers." The usuallypetent young scout captain shrugged and paled slightly. "There were no towers, chief, I swear it." Graak believed him, but the problem remained. And if there were new towers that meant the defenders intended to use them, and hadn¡¯t fled as he¡¯d believed. Did it change his attack n? No. He had been watching them for many days and knew these humans had few champions. Their women and ves might try to defend themselves, but it would make no difference. He had a hundred warriors. They couldn''t stop him. "Tuvek, East nk,¡± he growled. ¡°We take two walls at the same time." "But,¡± the usually hardened warrior swallowed and looked from his chief to the shaman. ¡°Teeok can''t protect us both from their sorcerer, chief. We¡¯ll be defenceless." Graak growled and spun on his nsman, tired of his people¡¯s superstition and cowardice when it came to magic. "Then your destiny is in the hands of the gods. Now go." Tuvek obeyed, and took his warriors. Orcs were usually fearless in battle, but magic frightened them. They believed to be killed by magic prevented reincarnation¡ªa true death rather than a rest in paradise and a return on the great Fist¡¯smand. Graak wasn''t so sure. He expected it was just a lie to help the shamans and lords control their warriors. But he didn''t question such things out loud. An arrow streaked from the closest tower, missing Graak by inches and striking the shield of a warrior behind. Graak cursed and lifted his shield, and his warriors followed. "Slow march," he ordered angrily. "Stay in formation. Protect the shaman. Then we scale the walls. They can''t stop us." He was close now. Very close. A reward, finally, for years of faithful service to his scheming uncle. When the settlement was his, he would bring his mates and children and live apart from the endless politics of the towers. He could almost taste it. Only a few human champions in his way, then freedom. * * * Mason''s n was not going well. The orcs had practically formed a shield wall, their heavy infantry protecting the others as they marched in tight formation to the wall. He tried to shoot legs and pick off any stragglers to the sides, but the creature''s had broad shields and linked them well. It was a hell of a lot of effort to stop one archer, but Mason was starting to think they expected a real fight. Operation ¡®Make Orcs Fear Men¡¯ was thus far not a thrilling sess. But then he did have one more lightning st¡­should he use it now and go the entire withdrawal without mana? They were so damn packed together¡­he couldn¡¯t resist¡­ Then the orcs split into two groups and he cursed his dy. One moved for the Eastern side of the wall, just as slow and just as locked in defensive formation. Well. He could still zap one. The snakes had stopped a considerable distance from the walls, probably what they thought was out of bow range. He knew he could still hit them, but the damn things were so fast they¡¯d probably dodge his arrows. Mason was still worried about Violet but there wasn¡¯t much he could do. A few arrows and javelins bounced and deflected against his tower, but the tower was too well made. Still, once the orcs were at the wall, he wouldn¡¯t have much of an angle and would have to step out to shoot the climbers. Kind of a bad design, he thought, but then it was only 100 points. Nothing for it, he decided. Time to cook a little more orc flesh. He shot at the stragglers on the edge until the closest group had truly clustered together. Then he stepped forward and started to charge his mana. A few arrows bounced off the stone near his chest, one actuallying through but deflecting off. He looked down at the orcs and noticed a thin, green mist surrounding them, but had no idea what that meant. It didn¡¯t matter now. He couldn¡¯t stop the spell, and a few more seconds was all he needed¡­ Dirt sprayed from the center of the orcs. A sh of purple, then a ssh of red. The orcs were growling and roaring as they turned towards the disruption, and Mason felt his mana draining to near empty as he tried to hold off long enough for the worm to escape. ¡°Shit..¡± His body was trembling now. ¡°Why did you attack now you damn, stupid¡­¡± he couldn¡¯t hold back, and he didn¡¯t want to waste it. He loosed the bolt straight into the center of the orcs, the thunderous roar bouncing off the walls and echoing even worse than usual in the stone tower. [You have in ck Tower Orc Heavy Infantry x 5. Experience gained.] Again the blue energy crackled and leapt through the orcs in a brutal sh of light before discharging. The creatures screamed in terror, with at least half turning to run t out from the walls, tossing their weapons to the ground. Others charged ahead, following what was now a clearly massive leader covered in metal armor. Mason went to shoot the bastard in the chaos. [Not enough mana to activate Endless Quiver.] ¡°Shit.¡± Mason had yet again forgotten the damn power took mana in a settlement, and apparently he¡¯d utterly drained himself. The automated towers were shooting now, at least, but they likely wouldn¡¯t do much. Mason nced to the right and saw the second group of orcs weren¡¯t slowed or distracted, and now nged against the wall with what sounded likedders. There were at least forty of them. He looked down at the blood, bodies and arrows littering the ground, and decided it would have to be good enough. More arrows and javelins were rattling off the wall, and he was doing nothing just standing there without arrows. It was time to go. He turned and fled the tower, taking the stairs off the rampart two at a time then sprinting towards the far gate. Orcs were gathering at the top of the wall to his right, shouting and pointing down as he ran. As usual he¡¯d also mostly forgotten about his reduced speed in the settlement, too. He was still moving fast, butpared to usual it felt like running through water, or with a rope around his waist. Bolts and arrows zipped and struck around him as he reached the gate, pain searing the side of his head as one apparently deflected off his skull. Then he was out, and running, straight for the nearby trees. [Settlement abandoned. You will lose your patronage in twenty-four hours, or as soon as another patronys im. Do you still wish to abandon it?] The message didn¡¯t bother him. He¡¯d certainly had no intention of keeping it. Sooner orter he¡¯d be back with ke and more yers just to teach these orcs what happened when they took human settlements. But not today. He wasn¡¯t sure how many of the creatures he¡¯d killed. Twenty in total, maybe slightly less. Enough to bloody their nose, but not enough to stop them. He only hoped he¡¯d harmed them enough they didn¡¯t think much of chasing him or the civilians any further. But a cold feeling tickled his gut as he considered another possibility. As he moved towards Carl and the others, he nced back, wondering if this system made creatures more like animals, or like men. And sometimes men didn¡¯t care about logic or reason, but revenge. He took a deep breath, and wiped at the blood dripping down his scalp. Stay behind your walls, he willed, feeling the exhaustion return now as the adrenaline died. Be happy with your stupid prize and leave us alone. But if they didn¡¯t, he¡¯d be waiting in the trees.
Chapter 104: Does Mason have a horn? Chapter 104: Does Mason have a horn? [You have conquered a settlement in the name of the ck Tower. Do you wish to im it as patron?] Graak epted the Creator''s favor and closed his eyes, feeling himself fill with holy reward. [Objectiveplete. Capture a human settlement. Patron points earned. All statistics enhanced.] [Objective gained: ughter the fleeing former inhabitants of settlement ¡®Sanctuary¡¯. Reward: additional patron points per human killed.] [Objective gained: Kill human champion: Mason Nimitz. Reward: lordship of the ck Tower.] Graak opened his eyes and stared at the words of the Gods, a feeling of shock and fear ripple through his body. He was a practical creature. He hade here to seize the settlement and gain a patronage, and he had aplished that goal. His had been the lowest bid amongst the raiders who wished to attack the humans. All the others had expected them to have more defenders, and by being cunning Graak had seized glory with only the loss of twenty-five warriors. Losing the elder shaman to some damn brain-addled, wild devourer was a blow. He would lose face and reputation for this, and an effective tool in his arsenal, but ultimately the loss was eptable. Graak was practical. He was not enraged at the terrifying human defender who apparently stood against his force alone. He merely epted the reality of his existence. But Graak was also not a fool. When the gods offered such reward for little enough risk, you did not refuse them. A tower lordship? To kill one man? It was worth the sacrifice of every orc under hismand. Killing the fleeing citizens was just an added bonus. ¡°Tuvek,¡± he growled for his second, and the younger orc moved to his side. "Yes, patron?" The warrior grinned, and Graak grinned with him but soon let it fade. "The gods speak. We chase the humans. We punish them for Shaman Teeok¡¯s death. Especially the wizard, and his infernal worm." He saw the fear in the young orc''s eyes, a reflection of the many others whose flesh was charred from the man''s spell. "He will be low on mana,¡± Graak soothed. ¡°I doubt he can use his foul magic again." The orc nodded, looking at least a little relieved at that. "And what of the worm, chief? How do we lure it out?" Graak shrugged. The tower orcs were no stranger to the Devourer and its brood. They had pacified the mighty worm with sacrifices for many years, and even trained some of her spawn for battle. But idents happened. "We will kill it if we can. But worms never attack a group of warriors. The death of Teeok must have been punishment for angering the god of the underworld. Purple is his color." Young Tuvek nodded as if this made perfect sense. It was well known the elder shaman disrespected some of the gods in favor of others. If the high shamans and lords could use the superstition of the ns, there was no reason Graak could not also. He turned and shouted to his men. "Nekosh, hold here and keep the settlement. The rest of you, we chase the humans. Tuvek¡ªtake your scouts, and the snakes, go up ahead and find the fleeing humans. Capture as many as you can. We may need them to kill my true target. I will follow with the infantry. We march at double speed." Graak lifted his axe and closed his eyes, breathing the settlement air. With his new patron powers, he activated the speaking stone that thrummed in the earth beneath him, and sent a message to his uncle in the tower. He had a life favor he had saved through many hardships and been tempted many times to use. But his patience had been rewarded, and now the perfect moment had arrived. [Uncle¡ªI demand my life favor. I need a raiding party sent West towards the conquered human settlement, then further along the river. They must be mounted, and fast. We hunt men for the gods and great reward. Send them now!] He ended the one-waymunication, knowing his uncle would do as he asked. Few respected the old ways more than Gromsh of the cktusk n. Perhaps more warriors were not necessary, but Graak saw no greater cause than this. First and foremost, he must live. Already he had a great sess, and he could rally many warriors to his cause now with the houses and walls of the settlement. Even if he failed to kill this human champion, if he survived, he had already won. But he could not deny this singr chance. A tower lordship! His uncle would send him a raiding party as a favor, and if it seeded, Graak would be his lord and master. The thought literally brought wetness to his mouth, like the smell of roasting meat on the air. ¡°Mason Nimitz,¡± he whispered the strange name, ¡°run if you like. But I, Graak, will find you. I will hunt you down and kill you. And your skull with decorate my new hall in the ck tower.¡± * * * ¡°Come on, keep moving!¡± Carl looked back at the stragglers and clenched and unclenched a fist. ¡°What part of running for our bloody lives do they not understand?¡± he muttered. ¡°The entire premise, I suppose,¡± Silvie said wryly. ¡°These¡­creatures, they just wanted our settlement, surely? Why would they bother chasing us?¡± Carl put a hand through his thinning hair and met his lover¡¯s eyes. He was tired. Bone tired. And he didn¡¯t have the patience or maybe the strength for this¡ªfor what they had to do. Best or worst case scenario. ¡°You want us all to die finding out?¡± he said without tone or expression. ¡°We¡¯ll be alright, Carl,¡± Silvie said, ever the optimist, always trying to be strong. But sometimes you just had to look brutal reality in the face and swallow it. Carl didn¡¯t currently have the heart. Or the energy. He just waved at the stragglers and walked on, knowing they wouldn¡¯t move any faster unless he behaved with more aggression. Truth was, after the tears and sadness of leaving Sanctuary, the overall tone of the girls as they marched was now¡­excitement. ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll have a lot of men? As young as Mason?¡± he heard one say behind him. ¡°Probably!¡± added some eager voice. Then it was boy talk for several minutes. Old boyfriends and sexual details he tried desperately to block out. All he could manage was a good re at Silvie, as if she was somehow responsible. ¡°They¡¯re twenty year old girls,¡± she whispered. ¡°They¡¯re just excited to be around people again, new people, somewhere safe.¡± ¡°Yeah. Unless we all die first.¡± ¡°Do you really think they¡¯re chasing us?¡± Silvie nced as if they might being now. ¡°That terrifying kid back there is probably ughtering them all.¡± She sighed. ¡°Maybe we only have to hide in the woods for a little while? Then we can go back?¡± Carl red as hard as his red, blurry eyes could re. ¡°I know, I know,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯re not going back. But we did make some wonderful memories there, didn¡¯t we?¡± He never could fight her smile. A litany of naked images tried to prate the fog in his brain, but he did his best to fight them back. ¡°And¡­¡± Silvie cleared her throat. ¡°That¡¯s where we conceived our child.¡± Carl just nodded along for a good few seconds before he blinked. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be sure. Not like there¡¯s any tests. But, I know what my Mom went through, the sickness, the cravings, the um, urges. And, I think I¡¯m pregnant.¡± Carl drifted through the fog, then went through a lot of emotions in a few seconds. He met Silvie¡¯s eyes and smiled, giving her hand a squeeze. ¡°I know it¡¯s not the best moment,¡± she said. He put the memories of a former life away where they belonged. A life mostly misspent with bad decisions, too many drugs and too little responsibility. ¡°It never is,¡± he said, then forced fresh energy through his veins from reserves he didn¡¯t know he had. These were his girls, his family, and now a child on the way. He had to get them moving, get them to safety. ¡°I swear to God,¡± he shouted, ¡°you hurry it up back there, or I¡¯ll leave you behind!¡± Some of the stragglers looked at their shoes like the girls they were, and picked up their feet. ¡°No you won¡¯t,¡± whispered Silvie. ¡°No I won¡¯t,¡± agreed Carl. ¡°But God damnit. Maybe I should try sicking the wolf on them. What do you say, buddy? Streak?¡± The wolf made a curious growl, then licked its lips and quirked its head. Carl slowly dared to pet it, hoping his hand wouldn¡¯t get ripped off. But it quickly stuck out its tongue and turned its ear to be scratched, and Carl and Silvieughed and soon pet him together as they looked into each other¡¯s eyes. Maybe she¡¯s right, Carl thought. Maybe everything will be just fine. Then he heard a horn blow in the distance behind them. Carl and the girls all turned to look but saw nothing, and Silvie spoke with some panic creeping into her voice. ¡°Does Mason have a horn?¡± ¡°Not that I¡¯m aware of,¡± said Carl. Still they stared at the river bank and the spare trees that led to their home and the rocky ins, desperate to see something, anything that exined. Mason came running out of them. ¡°Oh thank God.¡± Silvie closed her eyes and clutched Carl¡¯s arm hard enough to leave a mark. ¡°Mason!¡± he shouted. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± The young hunter yelled something back, but Carl couldn¡¯t make it out at all. ¡°What¡¯d he say?¡± ¡°I think he said¡­full of stakes?¡± Silvie squinted. Rosa spoke up behind them, far too calm for the words: ¡°He said fucking snakes.¡± Carl looked again, and what appeared to be two giant, slithering green animals were following their new ally at incredible speed. Mason turned and loosed some arrows at them, then turned back and kept running. The girls at the back were screaming now. ¡°Silvie,¡± Carl¡¯s mouth went dry. ¡°Keep them moving. He¡¯ll need my help.¡± He didn¡¯t need to look to know her reaction. ¡°But what if..¡± Carl reached the end of his patience. ¡°For once just do as I say, woman!¡± he turned to her with more beg than order, and she squeezed his arm. ¡°Start running!¡± Silvie ordered, a little steel back in her spine. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re tired or sore or scared. Move it, now! And don¡¯t stop until I say!¡± Carl expected themand wasn¡¯t actually necessary. As soon as the girls saw the giant snakes they started dropping anything except their packs, eyes glued to the terrain as they tried to run. He took his moment as he stood and watched. He was already tired, and frankly anything that made Mason run scared the living shit out of him. But he wasn¡¯t going to leave someone else to fight alone for his girls. Not in this world. ¡°Alright, kid,¡± he muttered, ¡°I¡¯ming.¡± He summoned his ss Shard and strummed through the list of his powers, trying to prepare his mind. ¡°OK Carl,¡± he whispered. ¡°Let¡¯s just try not to die.¡±
Chapter 105: Moderate Resistance Chapter 105: Moderate Resistance Mason cursed as maybe one in five arrows actually struck his targets. These snakes were fast, very fast. And not at all stupid. He¡¯d watched long enough to see the orcs hadn¡¯t followed him from the gate, then kept at a slow jog back towards the river with a watchful eye. His hope¡ªand for a minute¡ªhis belief, was that the orcs would stay in the settlement and ignore him. Then he¡¯d heard the snakes. First three. Then six. Now twelve. They slithered and hissed and the hair stood up all over Mason¡¯s body. He fought a retreating battle, shooting arrows and dropping traps as he raced through the trees, knowing he was at least hurting them but not seeing kills. The traps were more effective, and since gaining ¡®tier 2¡¯ seemed even bigger and nastier than before. But even so, it seemed like the damn creatures avoided them, too. Whether it was out of instinct or perception he had no idea. But sooner orter, he¡¯d begun to realize, he was going to have to stand and fight. Snakes, he thought for the twelfth or so time since they¡¯d started chasing him. Why God damn snakes? Then he found Carl and the citizens of Sanctuary, far earlier than he expected. If he hadn¡¯t intended to turn and fight soon, now he knew he had no choice. If the awful creatures could almost catch him, they¡¯d catch the civilians instantly. Words like ¡®why the hell are you only this far?¡¯ and ¡®can you see the God damn giant apocalypse snakes chasing me?¡¯ formed and died on his lips. ¡°Twelve! Maybe more! Get your ass ready!¡± he yelled to the approaching Carl. The older man stared with slightly slumped shoulders, then shook his head and burst into action. Good man, Mason thought with a smile. Streak came running too, with wild, fearless abandon, and Mason mostly hoped he didn¡¯t get himself killed. He also hoped Violet was close by but he had no idea. He didn¡¯t have the mana for a lightning st, and his arrows were working like shit, so it was time to ept reality. Mason stopped on the riverbank and drew his sword, summoning his w in the other hand. It looked¡­greener? And it had a slight curve to it now, he decided, which was probably going to throw him off a little. But nothing for it now. He stared at the dozen giant snakes still slithering madly around the terrain and took a deep, steadying breath. The things frightened him, that was the truth. But he wasn¡¯t a nine year old boy anymore, heart beating wildly as poison coursed through his veins. He was a regenerating bloody superhero. And they were just snakes. They¡¯re just snakes. He activated his new and improved ¡®Ranger¡¯s Mark¡¯, now called ¡®Nature¡¯s Wrath¡¯, on the closest creature. The anatomy of the creature formed like a chart as before, but now it was like he could see it in perfect x-ray¡ªthe tube-like cartge and muscle framed by backbone and ribs. The whole world seemed to slow, giving Mason time to read it and consider. ¡°The fangs,¡± he muttered to himself as the world caught back up. ¡°All that matters is the fangs. Take off their heads.¡± The marked snake hissed and stumbled like it had run into some kind of snagging terrain, and Mason ignored it. The first snake arrived to about a dozen paces, Mason ready to dodge its lunge and slice. Then it stopped, and spit. ¡°Fuck.¡± Mason ducked and turned his head, and the small wad of venom zipped past his shoulder without a drip. ¡°They spit poison!¡± he shouted back to the approaching Carl. Then a little lower, mostly to himself. ¡°Because of course they do.¡± Mason had himself just about enough of these things already. He activated Aspect of the Cheetah¡¯s burst of speed, and charged his marked target even faster than usual. The snake seemed unsure if it should lunge or flee. But it didn¡¯t get a second chance. Mason activated Predator¡¯s Strike, which carried his arm like a damn rocket, and cleaved the thing¡¯s head in a single blow. He ran straight by without slowing, angling himself to hopefully avoid the inevitable poison spits toe. ¡°On your left!¡± Carl warped past Mason towards three or four snakes. Then he split. But it didn¡¯t look like a still copy like before. One Carl charged at the far snakes. The other Carl turned and warped again, leaving yet another Carl behind. Mason damn near tripped over a rock as he tried to figure out what the hell was going on. Then maybe the real Carl appeared behind one of the closer snakes, mirror-knife shing as he cut the creature open from head down like he was filleting a fish. It tried to turn, instead flopping and writhing in agony on the ground. ¡°Heya kid.¡± Carl grinned with red eyes. Then three snakes sprung on the copy behind him. It promptly exploded. ¡°Hey Carl.¡± Mason grinned and pretended he wasn¡¯t terrified, then spun under a venom spit and came up shing. Both des bit but didn¡¯t finish the job, and he knew he hadn¡¯tmitted to the attack. The creatures were hissing and watching him with slit, golden eyes, and his hands trembled slightly. He ground his teeth in anger at himself, trying to fight down the fear. Another snake moved to his right, two more slithering towards Carl. ¡°Come on.¡± Mason spun his swords and waited for the strike. They were fast, but so was he. Those fangs were nothingpared to a sword. Hell, they were hardly gnoll ws. And he had Apex Predator and Regenerate. Could the damn poison even hurt him? The snake lunged with fangs bared, and Mason side-stepped with an upward chop of his w. Then he was lost in the moment¡ªno more thinking, just reacting with ai-enhanced super-stats as creature after creature circled and came for his flesh. Streak growled and pounced on one of the creatures, but he was soon out of Mason¡¯s sight and mind. Blood sprayed as he hacked into another snake. The hiss of air red in his ear, and he drew back as fangs put two small cuts in his cheek as he back pedaled and sliced to keep it away. Painnced down his shoulder as fangs sunk straight in. Another had circled him. [Nature affinity activated: moderate resistance to natural venom.] Mason rammed his sword straight through the snake¡¯s head and twisted until it copsed. ¡®Resistant¡¯ certainly didn¡¯t sound like ¡®immune¡¯. But there wasn¡¯t much he could do about that. He turned to find another foe, but thest few snakes had run, er, slithered away. He looked up to see Carl warping after a fleeing snake, while Streak thrashed another back and forth in his jaws like a dog with a chew toy. ¡°When did you get so strong?¡± Mason hissed in pain as he put his hands to his shoulder. Streak left his dead toy alone and panted as he quirked his head. ¡°Seriously,¡± Mason squatted and scratched the animal¡¯s neck as he gave him a rub. ¡°You seem¡­bigger.¡± Streak closed his eyes and grunted in pleasure as Carl came walking back from thest dead snake. ¡°Not so bad,¡± he said, struggling to wipe some blood off his dagger and instantly cutting his shirt. ¡°Damnit. Now how do I even, I mean¡­¡± ¡°Just unsummon it, Carl. I assume it¡¯s bound. Ites back clean as a whistle.¡± The older man cleared his throat. ¡°Yes, well. I¡¯m new to these things. And tired. Very God damn tired. Is that thest of your¡­pursuers?¡± Mason sighed, feeling slightly dizzy as his Regeneration and natural stamina fought with the poison in his veins. ¡°Somehow I doubt it.¡± He groaned as he stood and looked Carl up and down. ¡°That prestige ss did you some bloody good. You were kicking ass out there.¡± Carl straightened slightly then grinned. ¡°I told you I had more tricks.¡± ¡°Yes you did.¡± Mason returned it, then nced at the scattered line of women who¡¯d more or less all stopped and started wandering back to them. ¡°Is it over?¡± Silvie shouted over some other voices. ¡°Can we go back now?¡± Mason sighed and spoke low enough only Carl could hear. ¡°This is going to be a long couple days, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t already?¡± Carl raised a brow. Mason snorted, then nced back towards the trees and the settlement, a bad feeling in his gut. And where the hell was Violet? ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said, walking towards Nassau. ¡°Get them moving, Carl, or I¡¯ll herd them with Streak.¡± He grinned when he heard the older man grumble something about that being preferable.
Chapter 106: Did I sleep long? Chapter 106: Did I sleep long? "I should harvest those snakes," Rosa whispered to Lexi, but mostly to herself. "You should har-what?¡± The British girl¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°We need to run! Right now! Didn''t you hear them?" "Yes, but¡­¡± Rosa felt a rather childish foot stomping and held it back. ¡°I¡¯m an alchemist, Lexi. And those things are practically glowing. I can make poisons, antidotes, and who knows what else. I just need that venom. Or, at least I think. Maybe not with the supplies I have right now¡­but, I''ve got plenty of civilian points left, I can probably buy some." "Rosa!" Rosa had apparently started walking towards the snakes as she talked. Truth was, when she¡¯d made up her mind, that was that. She wasn''t exactly sure how she was going to extract said venom, but she had an ¡®Alchemist¡¯s Field Kit¡¯ and maybe that would help her figure out... "Where are you going?" Rosa stopped and stared into the practically glowing green eyes of a very tired, and very bloody Mason. "I, um..." "Get back in line with the others and march." The raw, masculinemand of it practically knocked out her knees. Especially since they were still red from blowing him. But it also pissed her off. "I''m an alchemist," she said, getting a little more fire in her voice. She held up her kit. Mason blinked and looked at it, then back at the snakes. One of his callused hands went to his shoulder. "Can you make an antidote? From their venom?" "I think so," Rosa said, incredibly thrilled that he''d understood and seemed interested. He met her eyes again and took a breath. "OK, Rosa." He looked over her shoulder. "Carl. We''ll catch up. Just keep bloody moving." Then he looked at Rosa and formed his green sword from nothing in his hand. "I know where the venom sacks are. This¡¯ll likely be faster than whatever you¡¯ve got in that kit." Rosa nodded, not bothering to ask how, and just followed him to the closest corpse. He started hacking away snake flesh like he was carving a turkey. "It''s a power," he said. "Sorry?" "I mean...¡± Mason tossed a hand. ¡°I''m not like...a snake butcher from Florida or something. I''ve got a power that shows me the anatomy." "Oh." Rosa smiled. "I''ve got cousins in Florida. And I like to eat snake. Well, probably not these ones¡­" Mason grinned and kept cutting, tossing away more bits and pieces until he''d removed a bloody sack. "There we are." He nced up at the tree line, which was still empty. "Want to get some more?" Rosa nodded, putting on her gloves to handle the organ before vanishing it to her storage. Then together they went from snake to snake, removing six sacks before Rosa disappeared thest and decided it was enough. "Dejavu." Mason said, and Rosa quirked a brow. "The vanishing act. I don''t get used to that. Also, uh, the next part. If we¡¯re going to catch everyone, I probably need to carry you." "I can run," Rosa said, starting to stretch her legs. "I''m in pretty good shape." "I noticed." Mason smirked, then dropped to a knee. "But I¡¯m kind of inhuman at this point. This¡¯ll be faster." ¡°Alright.¡± She certainly didn¡¯t mind, but it wasn¡¯t exactly the form of riding she had in mind for her green-eyed, muscle-bound Texan superhero. She climbed onto his back, and he practically fell over. She realized he was sweating. His skin was pale, and a little warm. "OK. I might be needing that antidote sooner thanter.¡± He blinked and set her back down, then closed his eyes and wavered. "Dios mio." Rosa flicked through her civilian alchemy options. She had all kinds of recipe books, but it seemed since handling the snakes a specific antidote had appeared. It was cheap, and she chose it without hesitation, followed by some much more expensive tools she didn¡¯t have. ¡°OK..¡± She started pulling them into existence, knowing she now technically had everything she needed. Except, you know, actual experience. ¡°I can do this.¡± "Absolutely.¡± Mason sat and smiled up at her, looking increasingly ready to pass out. ¡°Beautiful. Smart. Can cook. Likes to suck things. Cures poison. The perfect woman." She turned, ready to chastise him for distracting her. He was blinking and staring off into the sky. "I think my eyes are acting funny. And my face. Is my face talking?" Rosa flinched and got to work, trying not to think about her tutorial and people screaming for help. As an alchemist she was basically immune to poisons of a certain threshold, which apparently just increased. Normally she¡¯d need a living snake or some other animal to use, but she knew she could use herself. First she took a syringe and injected herself with the poison. Then she¡¯d have to wait while her body handled it, then take some of her own blood and purify it with the anti-venom. At least that was the theory. She¡¯d just finished the process when she heard voices and crashing soundsing from the trees. ¡°Umm. Mason? We have to move. Or we have to hide! Right now!¡± Mason squinted at her as he rose, wobbling and putting his hands on her shoulders like he was drunk. ¡°Good idea. Also, I think maybe I can¡¯t see. Unless it¡¯s night. Except I can see at night. Yeah I think I¡¯m blind.¡± Rosa tried not to let the terror overwhelm her. She vanished all her tools and pulled Mason towards the nearby trees. They stumbled but kept their feet, moving in just as the orcs were emerging from across the beach. If they¡¯d been seen, she knew, they were both going to die. She walked him on and on, trying to find something to hide behind or under, or¡­there! She almost wept when she saw what looked like a small cave. Mason was staggering with his eyes closed and the asional moan, but he moved and followed where she led. She got him in the cave, and they sagged down together and sat listening until Rosa remembered to bring out the actual antidote. ¡°Drink this.¡± She put it to his lips, hoping it worked well enough without being injected. She tipped it back and swallowed withoutint or grimace, then patted her hand. "Forget what I said,¡± he slurred. "About what?" "Your cooking.¡± He shook his head and stuck out his tongue. ¡°That¡¯s awful. And I''m not picky. Like, really really bad. Really bad. No offence." Rosa was somewhere betweenughter and terrorized tears as she heard orcs not far in the distance passing by. She covered Mason¡¯s mouth with her hand and clung to him, trying to control her trembling. They waited, and waited, but no orcs came running to murder them. "Don¡¯t worry, Haley,¡± Mason kissed Rosa on the cheek. ¡°I''ll heal. I always heal.¡± Then he passed out and slumped to the ground, and Rosa put her hands on his neck and wrist, feeling for a pulse. She bit her tongue in fear and tried to hold back the choking sob and remember first aid. She turned him to his back, them climbed on and got ready to do something, anything. Because his heart had stopped. * * * Mason walked through a beautiful forest too green to be real, but it was. He closed his eyes and practically moaned at the fresh life all around him, as if just opened to catch a morning rain and an early dawn. The ground shook and broke his reverie, and he flinched to see a leg as tall as a man. A giant walked past him, more like a cliff that had learned to walk. Rocky bits and pieces jut from its body like quills, a curving surface of grey roughness instead of lines of flesh. ¡°Help me!¡± An old, half naked man with a beard to his knees ran after the giant, his waist shackled to the creature¡¯s ankle. ¡°You! You there! Free me! Make it end!¡± Mason would have helped, but he found he couldn¡¯t move. He was like a train on his own tracks, leading away from the giant, deeper into the forest. But he didn¡¯t mind. It smelled so wonderful. The only thing that bothered him was the buzzing of little flies that looked like 1¡¯s and 0¡¯s flitting about his face. ¡°I don¡¯t have any food,¡± he swatted at them. ¡°Leave me alone.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s no way to greet your brother!¡± A man stepped out of the woods, and the train stopped. He looked Mason up and down as if with some confusion. ¡°Also, why are you sleeping in the middle of the day?¡± Mason blinked and stared, stared and blinked. ¡°ke,¡± he said, rather pleased with himself. His brother squinted. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Of course it¡¯s me. I was getting worried so I decided on a whim to check on you, and here you are. Now don¡¯t say anything about my luck, we¡¯re in this one together!¡± Mason just stared, wanting mostly to go back into the trees and find somewhere to lie down and sleep. He was so very tired. ¡°You¡¯re worrying me now, Mason. Are you alright?¡± Was he? Had to think about it. What was before the woods? A girl. No. A bunch of girls. And snakes. Always bloody snakes. "I got poisoned, I think." ke came forward, eyes moving up and down Mason¡¯s body as if he might find the wound. "That wasn¡¯t a very good idea. Are you with friends, allies?" Mason saw a girl¡¯s beautiful face in his mind and smiled. "I think so. I found an alchemist.¡± The terrible taste of some drink sprang to mind. ¡°She can make antidotes. I''m pretty sure she gave me one." ke seemed to calm a little. "Good. And bring her back, we don¡¯t have an alchemist." His eyes narrowed. "You aren''t sleeping with her, are you?" Mason remembered the truth with some disappointment. "No." ke rolled his eyes. "Oh God, that definitely wasn¡¯t just a no." Mason licked his lips. They felt weird. Was it because they were puffy, or not puffy? What exactly had he been doing before he slept? He looked at ke and felt a little indignant. "Mind your business. And go away, I¡¯m tired." "Mason.¡± ke sighed. ¡°Since literally everyone else is terrified of you, I feel it¡¯s up to me to tell you the truth: you¡¯re bing an absolute manwhore. I suppose if you bring me a whole new batch of civilians back it''s alright. So well done and good luck with all that.¡± He looked around the forest and shivered. ¡°Your dream is a bit cold and dreary. I might leave and have a warm cup of tea if there''s nothing else useful to say." Was there? Mason had a strange feeling like there was. Like he should say something. A single word, maybe. Was it snakes? No. Rosa? No. "Orcs." ke frowned. "What about orcs?" Mason remembered the ambush, the battle. The chase. It all came rushing back. "We''re being attacked by orcs, some kind of raiding party. They attacked Sanctuary. We''reing along the river now but we need help. Send yers down the river, fast as you can." ke¡¯s square jaw tightened. "Shit. We''ll go right now. How many should I bring?" "All of them.¡± Mason met his brother¡¯s eyes. ¡°Or at least as many as you can. There was a hundred, and there might be more. Full speed, ke, I mean it." "Good lord.¡± ke grinned a little. ¡°You do get yourself into trouble, don''t you brother?" ¡°Its my turn, I guess.¡± ke¡¯s smile widened at that, and his body started to fade as he waved. "Hold on and keep moving. Don¡¯t worry! The cavalry ising!¡± Then he was gone, just like that, and Mason was alone in the forest. His ¡®train¡¯ started moving again, like a gentle ride to a deep, dark cave. Sleeping seemed like a wonderful idea. Just a nice, cozy nap somewhere by a tree¡­ Ow. His face hurt. Then his nipples. Why would his nipples hurt? Oh who cared. He was too tired to worry, and gave in to the gentle rocking of whatever force was moving him along. He just tried to getfortable. But something was¡­jabbing him. Then it went away¡­which was good¡­maybe he could still¡­ Bloody ow! ¡°Wake up!¡± A woman¡¯s rather shrill voice in the canopy like the voice of God. Mason opened his eyes, then blinked and blinked until the green vanished and became the dark of a cave, and a woman¡¯s face. ¡°Oh fuck," Rosa was panting. "Oh Jesus, thank God." Mason licked his lips and yawned. "Did I sleep long? I feel terrible." Rosa wrapped her arms around him and wept.
Chapter 107: Dejavu Chapter 107: Dejavu [Title earned: What is dead may never die. Your vital organs took a small rest. +2 to vitality.] [Title gained: Poison Schmoison. You survived at least one direct, full injection from a Tier 2, {Deadly} poison. Your resistance to poison is increased considerably.] Mason blinked awake and immediately tried to stand, no memory of where he was. "Woah.¡± Rosa jerked beside him and put her hands on his chest. ¡°You were just...I think you should¡­take it easy." "How long have we been in here?¡± Mason failed to shake away a terrible headache. He remembered the beach, the battle, then the dream. ¡°Where are the others?" Rosa looked pale in the gloom of some cave. She was breathing hard and seemed shaken. "I don¡¯t know. There was orcsing and I brought you here so they wouldn''t spot us." Mason didn''t remember any of that. He blinked and took a good look at the girl. She was covered in sweat and some of his blood. As he stared he remembered the poison and the antidote. She¡¯d probably just saved his life. Sort of twice. "You did good, Rosa.¡± He took her hands and smiled. ¡°You were quick and clever and you saved us both." Rosa looked close to breaking down in tears, but instead she smiled bravely. "One day I''ll collect." He touched her cheek, then felt a pang of nausea and fought it down. Not to mention an overall exhaustion and dull ache throughout his chest. And gut. And legs. "We need to find the others. Make sure they¡¯re safe." Rosa looked¡­skeptical. "You can¡¯t go anywhere. I doubt you can fight like this." Mason felt a stab of stubborn pride, but she was likely right. At least for a minute. Improved Regeneration and an increasingly ridiculous Vitality weren¡¯t really subject to the normal rules. But still, he decided camouge with his Nature¡¯s Sleeves was wise. But he¡¯d seen it worked better without clothes. "Um...what are you..." Rosa¡¯s eyes went a bit wide as Mason stripped down entirely. Her inspection wasn¡¯t remotely subtle, but he didn¡¯t mind. And quite the opposite. "Easier to hide,¡± he exined, then touched the wall and watched as his skin changed color. Rosa kept on staring. "Oh." "Stay here. I''lle back and get you if it''s safe." He walked out without another word, forcing his limbs to wake the hell up and start pumping blood. His chest hurt, but pain was nothing to him now. He moved as quietly as he could from tree to tree and looked for his enemy. Orc tracks were everywhere along the riverbank, and many more in blood all around the snakes he''d killed. He looked far down the river and saw another group of orcs on foot. Looked like an advance party, maybe scouts. No more than ten, probably sent just to follow and watch. So, he decided, more areing. This was more than revenge or just aggression. These things wanted to wipe out every human they could, and were willing to suffer losses and expose themselves however much was required. Why hardly mattered. Would they bring enough to threaten Nassau? First things were first. Those scouts had to die. And quickly. But he couldn''t leave Rosa in the cave on her own, who knew if more orcs might wander by or if she¡¯d get frightened and leave. Could he carry her? Yes, probably. He was exhausted and ill but feeling stronger by the minute. Not for the first time he thanked robo-God for improved regeneration, not sure if he meant it sarcastically anymore. He had to get Rosa. "Oh thank God,¡± she said as he walked back into the cave. ¡°Don''t ever do that to me again, I..." "We need to go. I¡¯ll just carry you. We''ll move through the trees and circle around some orcs, then get back to the others." "Carry me?¡± Her eyes went over his naked body again. ¡°Um, like that?" Mason nced at himself and shrugged. His body was getting so strong and hard, clothes just weren''t worth the trouble. And he might need the camouge again. "I¡¯d say we¡¯re past worrying about that. Just....think of me as a two-legged horse." Rosa grinned. And despite the rather extreme circumstances, and unfunny mortal danger, he started picturing her riding him in an entirely different situation. OK, maybe clothes had some use¡­ He cleared his throat and turned to kneel. "All aboard." He helped Rosa get into afortable position, and stood with ease. "Can you put this in your storage?" He handed her his bow, which instantly vanished. "Dejavu," he muttered quietly, and stepped from the cave. "OK. Hold on. Here we go." * * * Mason raced through the rocky terrain, using the sparse trees to hide him as best he could as he ran. His camouge seemed to linger, so he touched them as he passed and tried to time it to the next. He couldn¡¯t hide the 120 pounds of Mexican girl on his back, of course, so he mostly hoped no one was looking too carefully. It didn¡¯t take long to reach the scouts. The trees were getting thicker, at least, and it was a bit easier to hide. The orcs, it seemed, had already caught Carl and the others. They lingered behind them and watched, either choosing their moment to attack, or waiting on reinforcements. Circling them wasn''t as easy as Mason hoped without considerable effort. They were in a small valley now, and though the trees were getting thicker they still weren¡¯t really thick enough, and he''d have to go around for a mile to stay hidden. He decided on option number two. "I''m going to kill those orcs." Mason set Rosa on her feet. "You''ll need to stay in the trees." She looked at the small pack of greenskinned humanoids, then back at Mason with obvious concern. "There''s a lot of them." "Not for long. Just wait here until it''s over." Rosa frowned. Then she leaned in and kissed him, which was maybe not a great idea since he was stark naked. "For luck," she said, and Mason grinned, grabbing her ass and fighting the obvious signs of lust. "I may need more luck than that." She rolled her eyes but failed to fight the smile. "Go on then, and don''t get poisoned again." "Do you see any snakes?" "They might put it on their weapons." Mason stopped smiling at that. They might very well. This particr venom was apparently extremely potent, but at least he¡¯d gained some resistance. And a bit of the stuff from a weapon would be far different than a full injection from a couple bites. Right? Just don''t get hit, he thought wryly, then gave Rosa a little push towards the trees before turning to his task. He nced at his mana bar and practically gaped that it seemed almost filled. He used to have a lot less mana, and still it took hours to fill from empty. He hadn''t been unconscious that long. Apparently Gaia''s Avatar had not only increased his pool considerably, it also helped regenerate it. He noticed a small green aura around the sphere and wondered if that had something to do with being in a natural environment as well. Either way, it changed what was about to happen to these orcs. Mason moved as close as he dared and inspected his foe from the trees. Exactly ten, just as he''d counted before. They carried a motley assortment of spears, bows, axes and vicious looking clubs, and looked strong. In fact they looked like weathered soldiers, alert and confident. Mason was starting to expect they weren''t like the ordinary orcs who''d attacked Sanctuary, and wouldn''t die so easy. But he didn''t have much choice. All he could hope was that his spell would get Carl and Streak''s attention, and he might have some help shortly.
Chapter 108: Thunder Chapter 108: Thunder Tuvek, Scout Captain of n cktusk, waited with his warriors. "We should attack them now," said Duvok for the third time. "Why wait? It''s almost all women. No warriors but an old man." "Soon," said Tuvek for the third time without tone or impatience. He had served n cktusk faithfully for five years, and was not the type to question amand, or fail in his task. He wasn''t about to start now. Duvok growled and went back to stewing, likely toin again in a few minutes. Tuvek didn''t mind. It was only grumbling, and they had nothing else to do. The others all waited with the patient boredom of proper warriors, picking their teeth or stripping twigs or chewing on grass. But their cautious eyes roamed the trees, river, and hills. Tuvek noticed Brack squint at a cluster of rocks behind them, brow furrowed as he stared. "What is it?" Thepetent scout growled and spit. "Nothing, Captain. I thought..." he shrugged. "It''s nothing. A trick of the heat." Unlike Duvok, Brack was not the type to speak without meaning or concern, and Tuvek watched the rocks as well. But he saw nothing unusual. They weren''t tall enough to hide a man unless he''d crouched down, but he would have been spotted even in the grass if he''d tried to reach them. "They say our target is a wizard," Duvok said. "If he can shoot lightning, and tell great worms to kill shamans, who knows what else he can do." Tuvek grit his teeth and red, letting the warrior know hisining had gone too far. Duvok lowered his eyes and sat pouting like a child. "Did you not see his magic at the walls? We make sure the wizard isn¡¯t here, only then do we attack," Tuvek said for the fourth time. "These civilians are caught. We can take them whenever we wish. Keep looking." "Aye." "Sir." "Yes, Captain," came the chorus of grunts and agreement, and Duvok sighed and looked away. Tuvek truly hoped he had seen the limits of the wizard¡¯s power. Few things frightened him. But dying to magic was one of them. They¡¯d wait until nightfall, when orc eyes were far better than men¡¯s, then they would circle the doomed civilians and find this wizard or not. Only then would he strike. It was what he was thinking when he heard the sizzling rattle from the rock Brack had noticed. The scouts were instantly on their feet and scattering as the blue streakunched and flew towards them. Tuvek felt the power of it whoosh past his head, exploding with a thunderous crack and the terrified screams of some of his men. "Spread out! Surround him!" Tuvek yelled, barely hearing himself over the ringing in his ears. He gripped his bow in trembling hands and tried to think, to do more than react like a frightened animal. It was only a human, and only one of them. Wizards took time to cast. They just had to distract him, to stay on him¡­they could kill him, they just had to be quick. He spun and looked towards the rocks to find a man emerging from the stone. As if somehow he had been part of the stone, or used it to travel. How was such a thing possible? Didn¡¯t matter. Not anymore. Tuvek stopped thinking, drew, and shot. His arrow was on target. For a moment he almost growled in triumph, until the wizard held up his arms, and the shaft bounced away like it had struck a stone wall. Tuvek¡¯s scouts followed his lead, circling and loosing arrows and throwing javelins until the Wizard leapt behind his rocks. He emerged with his own bow and began answering with viciously powerful shots of his own. Back and forth the scouts and wizard loosed and dodged as the orcs tried to circle and ruin his cover. At least one arrow struck him and Tuvek heard the grunt of pain. They were seeding. He couldn¡¯t cast with so many arrows seeking his flesh. Couldn¡¯t do anything. They would have him soon. Then Tuvek heard a growl. He nced behind him to see a giant Taiga wolf racing at full speed towards him from the trees. "Duvok! Behind you!" He was toote. The wolf pounced and took almost the entirety of his warrior¡¯s head in its jaws, pulling him sideways to thrash and maul him on the ground. "Brack, with me on the animal! The rest of you, keep that wizard pinned!" Thepetent scout lifted his spear and stabbed at the animal while Tuvek found a shot, and loosed. The arrow pierced the wolf''s nk, and it growled in pain and released an almost certainly dead Duvok as it withdrew. "Bad move," whispered someone behind him. Tuvek tried to turn, but a sharp and terrible pain entered his back. He growled and twisted and knocked back whoever had stabbed him with a vicious elbow, then turned and found an older human with a now bleeding nose. Tuvek dropped his bow and drew his knife. Then he realized he was kneeling. In fact he couldn''t seem to control his feet at all, and looked up with confusion before he copsed to the ground. The white clouds rolled overhead, slow and beautiful and just as they had when he was a child leaving the warrens for the first time, finally outside of the tower. He smiled at them, then closed his eyes. * * * "Son of a bitch broke my nose," Carlined as he stepped towards another orc. The pain, at least, brought him fully awake. His Prescience power red a directional warning, and he triggered a Decoy/Shadow Leap in a randomly forward direction. As he blinked, as usual time seemed to slow, or else his perception was super-enhanced to make it feel slow. It gave him a chance to n his next move, but his body was almost no faster, and it didn¡¯t let him make much in terms of adjustment¡­ With a slight cringe, he mmed straight into another orc. They went down together, but Carl wasn¡¯t surprised and went stabbing. His ridiculously sharp de cut and carved and not for the first time he nearly sliced himself identally from using too much force. Other orcs were turning in rm towards him, but when they did they usually took an arrow to the throat. Or a Streak. The wounded wolf was far from out of the fight. In fact he mostly just looked pissed off. Heunched himself at another archer, growling and chewing his way up the creature''s leg until he dropped to the ground for a far worse mauling. Carl stood before his attackers arrived and activated his insane new prestige ss power: Simcrum. He watched the world fade to an endless blue as he was again given the option tomand his ''copy''s¡¯ behavior. He targeted the archers, then a blurred image of him charged forward. It took too much damn mana, but that power was not going to get old. In the distraction he turned on another scout, this one ready for him. He saw fear in the creature''s eyes and smiled. "That''s right, you son of a bitch. Be afraid. Be very afraid." The orc growled in obvious anger and stepped forward with two quick strikes. His axe had a decent reach and he swung it bloody fast, and Carl decided he had little choice but to warp or flee. "I''ll be back!" he shouted over his shoulder. The orc roared and chased him, and he waited three steps before activated a Clone and Shadow Leap, aimed it backwards, and appeared behind his new friend. As the orc hacked into his clone, instantly destroying it, he cut the creature''s spine. By the time he''d finished it and looked for another enemy, Mason and Streak had basically broken the orcs. Mosty on the ground with arrows sticking out of them, a few trying uselessly to escape before getting hacked down. "d you heard us," Mason said, pulling an arrow out of his leg. "That might have got ugly." "Everyone for about five miles heard you. What in the hell was that sound? We heard it twice before, too." "Thunder, I guess." Mason shrugged, sitting on a rock as he bled freely. "How''s the nose?" "Bloody broken." Carl sat down and raised his face to try and stop the bleeding. Streak whined and flopped nearby. "There''s an arrow in your wolf." "So I see. Come here, buddy." Mason examined the creature and shrugged. "Think the girls can help? I mean, I can pull it out. But I don''t really know if I should." Carl nodded. "We¡¯ve got a pre-med, and she¡¯s got some kind of surgeon ss. Jules. Julie. She can sort him out." Mason nodded and looked relieved. And also terrible. And now that Carl was looking at him, underneath all the blood and camouge, he was also stark naked. "Boy, you look like you ate rotten pork and washed it down with rubbing alcohol. You, uh, alright? And why are you naked?" Mason nced at himself and at least looked a little embarrassed. "It¡¯s the Sleeves. Work better naked. And I guess I died for a second. Don''t let those snakes bite you, that¡¯s for damn sure. I''m Nature Affinity, and I regenerate. You''d be totally fucked." Carl wasn¡¯t sure what to say to that. He was about to ask about Rosa when she came out of the trees looking radiant as ever. She nced around at the corpses and covered her mouth and nose, then stepped closer to Mason. ¡°Hi Carl,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Hi Lucie. Getting yourself in trouble as usual?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one with the broken nose,¡± she said and leaned over to inspect. ¡°That looks like it hurts.¡± ¡°It does, thanks. Let¡¯s keep talking about it.¡± Rosa grinned a little and went right back to Mason, her hands moving over his skin with at least a little familiarity. And she didn¡¯t seem at all troubled by his nakedness. Carl saw the look in her eyes and winced a little. He liked Mason, he truly did. But for Rosa and maybe all his girls he decided now he would have chosen nice, peaceful civilians who didn¡¯t get involved in the death and madness. But he supposed that was a fool¡¯s hope and not up to him. And the truth was, the people of Sanctuary and maybe the world needed men like Mason now more than ever. To survive. To exist. Carl looked at the dead orcs all over the ce and sighed as he looked at Mason. ¡°That isn¡¯t thest of them chasing us, is it?¡± His young friend just looked at the corpses, and didn¡¯t bother to confirm.
Chapter 109: Destiny Chapter 109: Destiny "How much further?" The words had became the chorus to some song Mason didn''t know he hated. They swept the pack of civilians like a marching band, apparently not interested in the answer, or else hoping it would change. ¡°Awhile,¡± Mason said, or some variation. And, when that stopped working: "Until we''re there.¡± They''d been following the river now for at least a few hours. It was getting dark and a piece of Mason knew they should stop and make camp because there wasn''t much moon and the girls might start tripping and hurting themselves. But he couldn''t shake the feeling they were being followed¡ªthat not far away on their heels was some pack of murderous beasts that would kill everyst one of them if they didn''t reach Nassau and safety. So what the hell should he do? March. All night and however long until the next day until they made safety. He knew that was the right answer. They had a few shlights and could make their way well enough. Not well, but well enough. If they had to carry someone who''d broken an ankle, they would. If too many got hurt... Leave them behind. That was the right answer if he wanted the most amount of people to live. If his intuition was correct. Better to lose one or two people then everyone. But could they abandon someone that was basically family? Could he? "Listen, kid." Carl moved up beside Mason and put a hand behind his neck. "I know you want to push to Nassau, and I get it. But these girls are civilians and not exactly used to marching through the woods. I don''t think we can do that. Hell, after thest few days I''ve had, I''m not sure I can do it." Mason ground his teeth and looked at the dull light still staining the canopy red. He sniffed the air and closed his eyes. "It''s going to rain tonight." He knew it in his bones the same way he knew what wolves and worms were trying to say. He looked at the map oveying his vision through the Wayfinder power, checking the terrain all around them. He''d been through this way twice now and saw most everything. "There''s some rocky hills. Cliffs. Outcroppings ahead that you can rest under and not get soaked. Get to the little fork going East and follow it. You''ll find them." "You''re going back?" Carl said with a sigh. "They might not be following us at all, kid, and you need to rest. Even with your weird glowing eyes I can see the veins." Mason blinked and knew the man was right. His mind was slipping, his vision was getting blurred. He kept seeing things that weren¡¯t there, or else staring at the same thing for minutes before he remembered to look away. A dull ache pulsed in his head and if he didn''t sleep soon he knew he wouldn''t be able to think straight. "Shit." He looked at the spot he wanted with Wayfinder. "Alright. We''ll sleep until morning by the cliffs, and hope for the best. Let''s move." * * * Chief Graak marched beside his warriors. His contract with Tuvek had vanished, and so he had known his scouts were dead before he found them. Even so, as he looked at the bodies, his anger threatened to overwhelm him. The bulk of his uncle''s force was still en route from the tower. But he had fifty warriors and fifteen Struthio riders who had reached him in advance of the main body. Now he had to decide: did he send the riders ahead, or keep them with the main group? Did he try to find and kill this Mason Nimitz on the road with the other civilians in the open? Or take his time, and simply attack the next human settlement with his entire force? That was where they were fleeing. It was obvious, or else they wouldn¡¯t have followed the river at all. They¡¯d have fled deeper into the woods, perhaps even scattering to be all but impossible to find. But no. They had followed the river. They had stood and fought the scouts. Which means it was easy for them, or because they feared them too much to leave them alive. Graak was beginning to suspect the next human settlement would be much stronger than the first. Perhaps a handful of champions, though likely all weaker than this wizard. But if he could do it¡­ In a single blow, Graak would receive the favor of the gods, be a lord of the towers, and take a second settlement. He would be the greatest orc chief in at least two generations. And maybe ever. So he had made his decision. This Mason was a tempting prize, but Graak could have everything. The ambition of it was too much and sat in his gut like rotten meat, but he felt¡­driven beyond himself, almost . He would save his forces and attack the settlement with overwhelming strength. He would destroy all the humans in the forest at once. Graak inspected the corpses of his dead scouts while his warriors waited. The enemy had ripped apart the snakes and pulled out their venom sacks. Did that mean they wanted to poison their weapons? Graaak doubted it. It was a poor venom for contact, useful only when swallowed or injected. Orc shamans, though, could make spells with such things. He expected the wizard could do something simr, but he did not express such concerns to his men. They were troubled enough by the many corpses and the butchered snakes. ¡°He used magic,¡± said Arkar, the Captain of the Struthio riders, pointing at the charred splotch of grass near Tuvek¡¯s corpse. ¡°Yes.¡± Graak said, then spoke loud enough to be heard by the others. ¡°But it killed none of the scouts. His magic is weak. He kills with des and bow. And I fear neither. Do you?¡± His warriors roared in answer, their morale high after the victory at the settlement, and enraged at the corpses of their fellows. Graak wavered in his decision to take the wizard now. A confident, angry orc was far better than one who wasn¡¯t. He may waste the opportunity if he let them cool. This wizard seemed alone, or nearly. And of course it was far better to kill him before he rested, before he reached the others, sitting on the wall with his arrows and magic again. Graak could kill him and im the reward, and still take the settlement after¡ªa gift for one of his new vassals with his tower lordship. He looked at the orcs ready to chase, ready to kill. So be it. He would ignore the nagging feeling that told him to wait. This was the way. The method that suited his nature. ¡°Infantry¡ªdouble march. We reach them before they escape, and kill them all. Riders¡ªspread out and lead us, watch for signs. But do not engage this wizard. Sound the rm if you find any of them. Go!¡± Arkar nodded and clicked for his men, the scaled Struthio¡¯s screeching as they trotted off into the trees. For n cktusk. For the Gods. And for his own glory. Graak marched to his destiny. * * * Mason and the people of Sanctuary moved through the woods at a jog. A light rain had already begun, a cold mist making many of the girls shiver from something other than fear. Mason desperately fought the urge to race full speed ahead, knowing he''d lose and exhaust the others just when they might need their strength the most. He listened and watched, knowing and even feeling many living things now not far away. The forest fluttered at their passage¡ªbirds and other animals hiding and scattering as they came through. Finally Streak emerged from a break in the trees. Mason had sent him back to scout for pursuers, trusting the wolf to easily find them when he was finished. Seeing the wolf alone, he let out an anxious breath and lowered his bow, stopping the party with a raised hand as the animal ran to him. [What did you see?] he used Speak with Nature, wanting exact details. [Were you followed?] Maybe, the wolf growled, bringing that anxious feeling right back. Many green men in the forest. Some riding¡­lizard birds. Lizard birds? Great. That sounded vaguely like ¡®dinosaur¡¯ to Mason, which he wasn¡¯t at all sure was better than giant snakes. He was deciding exactly what to do and if they should still try and rest soon when a creature burst through the trees. It looked like an orc riding a strange sort of ostrich. The creature stopped and stared through the mist looking about as surprised as anyone. Mason didn''t hesitate. It was a difficult shot. Maybe 80 yards, and the lizard-ostrich¡¯s head was in the way. Not even wasting the time to Nature¡¯s Wrath, Mason just loosed a Power Shot straight at the rider''s chest. And hit the bird. The animal twisted with brutal force, pping and shrieking as it copsed and spilled the rider. Mason was already moving forward to finish him. Then the orc hid behind the iling body of its mount, lifted a horn to his lips, and blew. The sound sent birds pping from the nearby trees. It went long and clear until Mason had moved far enough to close the angle, loosing an arrow into the rider''s throat and silencing the sound. [ck Tower Struthio Rider killed. Experienced awarded.] For a moment everything seemed still and silent. Mason imagined somehow the others hadn''t heard, or maybe there was only a few such riders scouting the woods. The fantasy shattered as another horn blew in the distance. Then another. All leading towards the river. "They''re here. And not that far away." He gestured for Streak and activated Speak with Nature. [Go back and lead them towards Nassau. Make them follow you. Then find ke and the others.] The wolf whined and growled in something that tranted to ¡®but I don¡¯t want to!¡¯, then he barked at the civilians and ran. Mason grinned as he watched the wolf go, affection and concern fighting in his gut. Then he turned to the others and gestured ahead. "We should start running, get as far away from the horn st as we can. It¡¯s straight North from here, but I need to go deal with riders. And I¡¯m taking Carl. Can you manage, Silvie?" The ¡®mayor¡¯ of Sanctuary stared with something like terror in her eyes. But she mastered it and nodded. ¡°You¡¯ll be alright,¡± Mason said a bit softer. ¡°But we need to draw them away. And we have to kill those riders. Ready?" The older man turned to Silvie, who clung to him like a life raft. Mason could see the concern and maybe love in her eyes as Carl slowly peeled away her fingers. "You can do it. And I won''t stray far. Nassau has mening, they''ll find us soon." Mason could see all the things she wanted to say, all the protest. But she was a leader and a hard woman and she locked it all away without a word. "Let''s go girls." Mason took a few breaths as he waited until the citizens moved a little ahead. Then he looked to Carl. "Ever y any ser?" "Uh...a little...but I''d really prefer a football or possibly a baseball..." "I''m sweeper,¡± Mason interrupted. ¡°You''re defence. Stay near the girls, but not too near. I''ll roam and try and get them turned. But if they slip through, you need to end them. " Carl blinked red, exhausted eyes and wiggled his broken nose. "Clear enough." "Don''t let them blow those fucking horns anywhere near your girls, Carl.¡± Mason said with a little more fire. ¡°They die fast and hard and they don¡¯t see you. You get me, ssassin?" Carl grinned at that. "I get you, kid. Let''s do it.¡±
Chapter 110: Not doing OK Chapter 110: Not doing OK No more holding back. Mason gripped his bow as he blitzed through the trees. Tonight there was no settlement to defend, no weaker thing to worry about. His job now was to kill and make chaos. To make the orcs chase him. He ran through the trees, touching the trunks as he passed, his Nature''s Sleeves making him like a tree spirit flying through the woods, brown and grey and green and all but invisible in the gloom. He found his first rider leaping a fallen log, scanning the woods, mount and rider quirking their heads in confusion when they looked in Mason''s general direction. He was too close to need bow work. Instead he summoned his w and sped past the rider, Predator Striking just over the animal''s head. Bloody flesh slopped to the ground. The animal shrieked and snapped at him with its beak, but he blocked it easily with his armored arms, letting it catch his forearm before cutting its throat and pushing it to the forest floor. [ck Tower Struthio Rider killed. Experienced awarded.] He took the rider¡¯s horn and blew. None answered. Shit. Mason wondered if the exact length and sound was some kind of code in case of just such a situation. Or if there were specific orders of when and how to use them. Either way, it didn''t seem to trick his enemy, so he ran on towards the river. The sound of marching orcs echoed through the trees and shook the ground. Rhythmic steps and squawking ¡®Struthio¡¯s¡¯ came in a long line, the asional shout and angry grunt. A column of warriors entered his sight. Twenty. Forty. More. It should have frightened him, he supposed, so many enemies marching in the wet dark, hunting him and all those he knew. But they were in his forest now. Slow and heavy and unnatural. He stopped and dropped three traps in the trees, then he started shooting. Shouts of warning and pain rippled down the line as the warriors raised shields and came together. A few fell from the line from their wounds, but most kept in good order. Mason didn''t hate them. He was no longer angry or afraid. He was a ranger and these creatures did not belong in these woods. They hade here not to eat, not to survive, but to destroy. And they would learn the error of their ways. Arrows and javelins shot out seemingly at random from the orcs. Some gestured vaguely in Mason''s direction, but they clearly struggled to see him in the weather and the camouge despite his arrows. He just kept shooting. Missile after missile thunked and deflected off shields and stuck in armor. Others found gaps in the barriers and chain, sending roars of pain and rage from stuck creatures. But Mason had an endless supply of arrows, and a nearly endless supply of strength in his bow arm. If they wanted to sit and exchange shots, he was happy to oblige. Something moved to Mason''s nk. He blinked and twisted, searching, but heard little more than a whisper beyond the rain. Then one of his traps swung from a tree¡ªa swinging spike that sprayed blood as a shrouded figure failed to dodge it. He looked up just in time to see Mason''s arrow. Power Shot pinned the bastard to a tree. [ck Tower Orc Rogue killed. Experience gained.] Mason grimaced. He''d been lucky with the trap. It wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d underestimated a rogue andst time nearly died for it. His senses were sharp, but it seemed not sharp enough. Time to learn from the snipers of history, then. Change locations frequently. Lay smarter traps. He turned and ran in a tight circle around the orcs¡¯ position, loosing arrows asionally and doing his best to keep his camouge. With their wide shields and armor he struggled to actually kill many. But then he could do this all night. When he¡¯d found a suitable group of trees to guard his nks, hey traps directly in front and behind his position, and kept his senses tuned for danger. How many rogues there actually were he had no idea. But the more he caught and killed the better. He readied another shot, then stopped and winced as he heard another horn blow in the distance. He hoped Carl was doing OK. * * * Carl was not doing OK. The mounted orcs were too fast and cautious. The damn rain and dark was bloody hard to see in, and two had already found the girls before Carl could stop them. Now they were keeping pace, content to watch and asionally blow their horns. Carl finally snuck up on the first. The big stupid bird turned with red ¡®nostrils¡¯ just as Carl Shadow Leapt and cut its legs out with one swipe. ¡°That¡¯s for running all over the God damn ce,¡± he hissed as the creature shrieked and tried to run, apparently not realizing it had no feet. The rider was trying to pick himself off the forest floor, so Carl stalked over and took off most of his head with another swipe before finishing the bird. [ck Tower Struthio Rider killed. Experience gained.] God damnit his nose hurt. His feet were wet and sore and he¡¯d identally gouged his eye on some branch or other, and walked around half squinting everywhere. He was way too old for this shit. The other rider soon noticed his deadpanion and bolted into the trees, and Carl watched them go with a sigh. He crept along with his new and improved stealth power, knowing they hadn¡¯t seen him worth a damn but he still couldn¡¯t bloody catch them. "Stay together." He whispered to Silvie as he passed the girls. She jerked in panic and he dropped his stealth. ¡°Sorry. Just keep moving. I¡¯m going into the woods again. Not sure how long I¡¯ll be.¡± ¡°OK.¡± She smiled. ¡°Thanks for watching out for us.¡± It gave him a little boost, at least, seeing his beautiful Silvie smile. It reminded him she was pregnant with their child, leading the only people he cared about to safety. It reminded him why he was out in the woods in the first ce. And it helped. So did the fiction that reinforcements were on their way. Some magical army from a foreign settlement that would show up and save them all like the Rohirrim at Helm¡¯s Deep. Carl was too old and cynical to truly believe it, of course. But at least he knew, somewhere out there, that monstrous worm-killing psychopath of a ranger was ughtering orcs. Carl crept back into the trees, determined to do his part, too. * * * ke was cold and wet, and couldn''t see a damn thing in the rain and fog. "Well. I can''t see a damn thing," he announced simultaneously. "How far have we gone from Nassau?" "Quite far, patron," said the old Vietnamese warrior, who had taken wordlessly to leading the pack of yers forward. "Should we increase our speed?" Should they? ke had no idea. But his gut said yes. "Yes. Very urgent. Double march," he answered. Not that they were marching, of course. That was for armies, and Nassau had sent more like a rag tag band of plucky heroes. More Saving Private Ryan than Dunkirk. OK maybe a war movie wasn¡¯t a good analogy. Anyway, Phuong got the idea and moved to a jog. And Reba, Annie, Seul-ki, Garet, Alex, and ke all followed him. It was all rather exciting, he supposed, though ke didn''t much care for physical exertion. They''d never had so many yers together before, and the thought of seeing all those powers in action made ke feel like he was in a superhero movie. Of course he''d rather be in his chair, watching said movie¡ªsafe andpletely removed from danger. But one had to do what one had to do. He looked at Seul-ki and grinned. Since the enemy was finally humanoids and not a bunch of worms or wolves, he may even get to use some psion powers. On something other than allies, of course. It was all very exciting indeed! * * * Mason killed the second orc rogue with another trap, and a spinning Predator¡¯s Strike that cleaved the sneaky bugger¡¯s head. The third got him. The clever or lucky bastard had weaved right between his traps, using some kind of leap in thest few steps to avoid the arrow meant for his throat. Reflexes alone brought Mason''s hand low to catch the orc''s wrist, but the de still sunk halfway into his side. With a growl of rage he dropped his bow and grabbed the orc''s throat, crushing with all his might. Which was apparently a lot. Crunching and snapping followed, then the creature gurgled and spat blood before Mason tossed him several feet away to writhe and choke to death. But the damage had been done. Two arrows from the orc infantry had also clipped him in the constant exchange, leaving ripped flesh and leaking blood on his shoulder and scalp. These orcs were disciplined and trained warriors. They didn''t panic or lose morale, they just hunted him with cold, dogged efficiency. Sooner orter he knew he''d take an unlucky hit. He was wounding them and killing them, but not fast enough. This was a battle he couldn''t hope to win. He took his bow and moved positions. After trying to loose a few more arrows through the agony in his side, he gave up and took a long circle around the nk of the main force. It seemed they were out of rogues, at least, or holding them back for now. And the riders were running out or at least had stopped blowing their horns. It was time to circle back and check on Carl and the girls. Mason nced at Wayfinder, checked his map, and¡­well, at least jogged.
Chapter 111: Puppet Master Chapter 111: Puppet Master Carl finally caught another rider. He used a Decoy¡ªturning his back and baiting the bastard to charge ¡®him¡¯ from behind. Then he stepped out and hacked Big Bird¡¯s legs out, and gave them both a good prison shanking. Now he was tired and soaked and hurting everywhere, but rather pleased with himself, all things considered. There¡¯d been no more horns, and the orc infantry were nowhere in sight. Maybe they were hidden. Maybe they were safe. A wolf howled not far in the distance. Carl ran back towards his girls and the sound, hoping in a way it wasn¡¯t Streak, who¡¯d been sent away. Telling himself maybe it was just some wolf on the hunt. Some perfectly normal, non-mutant wolf out hunting normal old rabbits. Nothing too dangerous or out of the ordinary at all. He found Silvie and the others out of the trees, on a series of rocky hills towards the mountain. They were huddled against a small cliff and each other, with orcs emerging from the woods. And there was Streak, on his own, standing on a rock, howling and dripping in the rain between them. The rain wasing hard now. More orcs on foot were emerging from the trees in various groups. Eight. Nine. Ten. Carl stared, numb, quickly losing track in the dark and the mist. His hands trembled and his gut sloshed with ice. It was too many. These were armored, trained warriors and he was just one damn old man with a stupid knife and a few tricks. He''d been lucky so far. He shouldn''t even be here. "Carl!" Silvie''s panic was clear in her voice. She clearly couldn¡¯t see him and was just calling for help, hoping he was nearby. For a long moment he just stared at the orcs moving slowly towards everything in the world that mattered to him, and couldn¡¯t move. Get it together! He screamed in his mind. He''d killed plenty of orcs. He''d survived the tutorial and the betrayal of the others, the wolves and the worms and the tunnel. Mason woulde. Or Mason''s allies. They''de soon, he knew it. He just had tost a little longer. He went running as the girls fell back and clustered closer together, only their wolf defender still on the hilltop, growling down at the approaching orcs. The orcs were moving closer and closer as his girls backed away towards the hills. They could run, still, but where? And how far would they get? The orcs had found them, and there was no escaping that fact now. Carl snuck up to the nearest orc he could reach, and stabbed straight through his armor with Surprise Strike to pierce his heart. The creature fell with nothing more than a muffled groan, and Carl managed to half decapitate another orc before the beasts noticed him. ¡°Champion!¡± they roared, turning with shields and spears and axes until they quickly formed two lines. Carl Shadow Leapt straight past them all, then moved up the hill until he stood by Streak. He put a hand to the wolf¡¯s shoulder, maybe to thank orfort the animal, maybe tofort himself. Where have you been, boy? He wanted to ask. Did you find the others? Or were you just trapped and had to run? Where the hell was Mason when you needed him anyway? "Stay back, or die," Carl pointed at the orcs with his de with far more confidence and courage than he felt. At least his voice hadn¡¯t cracked. The big orc at the front of the pack looked at him. And the bastard smiled. "Listen to his terror," the creature said, as if he''d been trained to speak English by the bloody king of Ennd. "Kill him. And the beast. We¡¯ll take the women." The orcs came on in formation, and Carl was beginning to realize he had no choice but to fight them alone. His heart pounded in his chest, then slowly stilled. He looked at Streak and fought back the emotion that followed. Not alone, he thought. He had to be brave. For the girls. For the wolf that deserved a fighter at his side. "Come on, then." He tried to smile. "How many of you to take one old man, I wonder. Let¡¯s see. Honorless cowards." Several of the creatures squinted and stopped smiling at that. Carlughed and kept waving them on with his knife. "Come on! Let''s see the heroic orcs of the ck Tower surround one foe." Like they¡¯d struck an invisible barrier, the entire line of orcs stopped dead. One of the creatures stepped forward, his eyes wide and almost zed before they cleared. "The gods honor, me, brothers. I will silence their champion alone and im my reward." Carl squinted and readied himself. What the hell did that mean? With a terrible feeling, he began to suspect¡ªthat these orcs weren¡¯t so different than men. Had their robot overlord just given this creature an objective to kill him? The others stepped back cheered their approval. Streak growled and came forward, but Carl held him back. If he joined the other orcs would likely kill him. There was no point in throwing away both their lives. "Carl!" Silvie''s voice was too full of emotion for Carl to deal with. He had to focus. Even if he won he knew it wouldn''t make much difference. The others woulde for him, and he''d have to be ready. He had to save his powers and mana as much as he could. Avoid using all his tricks. Finish this in one short move. The orc lunged with a testing stab of his short spear, and Carl withdrew. A knife against a spear. On the surface it was almost impossible if all other things were equal. But then, all other things weren''t equal. Carl circled and waited for a moremitted stab. These orcs had seen him warp, but probably not very well, and they certainly wouldn¡¯t be prepared for it. He judged the range, faked a charge, then Shadow Leapt behind the creature and spun, shing and stabbing his back twice before his foe spun in surprise. Carl hopped away and left his enemy writhing, heart still sprinting. One of the other orcs looked up at the sky with something like reverence, and stepped forward next. "My turn, brothers. And I have seen his cowardly ways." Carl wiped the rain and sweat from his brow. Just a little more time, he thought. Mason''sing. Just a little more time. He dodged a few spear thrusts, and kept his distance, praying he didn¡¯t trip on a damn slippery rock. The orc was right, of course, he''d seen Carl''s trick. One of them. This time he formed a Clone and stepped back with his upgraded stealth engaged. When the orc gave another testing stab, he Shadow Leapt. The orc spun, pulling a hidden knife from his shield arm. Carl couldn''t turn. The creature''s de mmed hard just under his shoulder, but his Mirror de needed almost no strength. He attacked in the same moment, severing his enemy''s arm at the elbow. In the next desperate fraction of a second, he tossed the de and caught it with his other hand, then cut his enemy¡¯s throat. "Carl!" Beautiful Silvie. ¡®It''s alright¡¯, he wanted to tell her. ¡®In a few months you''ve already made life more wonderful than I had in decades.¡¯ He''d never had much luck with women. A long-term girlfriend who broke his heart. A rushed marriage to a woman who soon divorced him and took their children. But not here. Here he mattered to Silvie. To those girls. He was there defender. Their champion. He was all they had. He kicked away the corpse of the orc and stepped back to his rock. ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± he muttered, in pain but no longer afraid. There were more orcsing from the trees now. Another ten. Then twenty. Where had they alle from? How was it even possible? And where in God¡¯s name was Mason? Carl didn¡¯t believe they¡¯d killed him. He couldn¡¯t. Another orc stepped forward, this one with an axe, the same sheen of divine fanaticism shining in his eyes. Carl held his knife in his offhand, ready to kill, ready to die. He still had Color Spray, and probably enough for a Simcrum before the end. "Excuse me, gentlemen!" Carl blinked at the unfamiliar voice, trying to spot it behind the orcs, most of whom turned and growled. "Sorry to interrupt." A thin young man with blonde hair and blue eyes stood at the front of half a dozen water-logged people. He raised his voice. "I assume you fine folk are from a settlement called Sanctuary?" "We are." Carl called, still watching the eyes of his enemy. Could that be Mason¡¯s brother ke? Please, dear God. Or roboGod. I don¡¯t even care. It had to be them. Who else? But they looked nothing alike. Was it possible? "Oh thank goodness,¡± the young man looked genuinely relieved. ¡°I hate walking, and I¡¯m soaked. Ladies and gentlemen, could we deal with these ones, please?" The motley crew came forward towards the orcs, a collection of men and women of various ages and backgrounds, armed with spears and swords and axes. Carl sagged in relief. His enemy ignored it all and looked ready to strike, and just Carl hoped to dy long enough to survive. "Nah ah ahh. Enough of that over there." The blonde haired speaker made a tsking sound, and his eyes zed with golden light. Then Carl''s opponent blinked. His mouth opened, and a bit of spittle leaked out the corner of his lips. Then his face twisted and he looked¡­horrified. "As you wish, divine lords. I listen, and obey." Then he turned, and stabbed one of hisrades in the chest. Things got wild after that. * * * The orc turned from Mind Control with surprisingly little mana. ke practically pped his hands with joy as it stabbed itsrade. But he was surrounded by ¡®warrior¡¯ types and this seemed an opportune moment to appear lordly and serious. "I think I''m going to like these creatures," he announced to no one in particr. Phuong, Garet, Annie, and Reba had all apparently decided to attack. Blue shields shed as Reba clutched her disc and simplyunched herself straight into the pack. The orcs tried and failed to bring her down, and the others cleaved into them, hacking limbs and armored torsos with shes of light and spraying blood. ke was losing track of it all. And interest, frankly. Instead he looked back at the many other orcsing from the trees and sighed. Then he decided it was a wonderful test of his Psion powers, and became rather more excited. "Seul-ki, my love, I''m going to need a little boost. OK a big boost." His lover gave him her hand, and he held his Mana Gem in the other. He wasn''t sure how much he intended to use or indeed how much he could use. But these orcs seemed extremely susceptible to magic, and everyone was here and watching. If ever there was a time for a terrifying disy of awesome mental power, now was surely it. "Mind Control and presence," he muttered, and Seul-ki nodded, enhancing the ability and stat with all her power. ke wasn¡¯t sure exactly what Presence did for his Mental powers, but he knew it helped. He reached out with Mental Influence first, just touching as many of the orc''s minds as he could manage. Names and a host of other details shed before his eyes, a strangebination of game-like stats and very real psychological data that was hard to interpret. It took more time, but increased his understanding and power. An arrow or two shed at him, Seul-ki, and nearby Alex, but the Berussian was damn near immune to projectiles and deflected them all with ease. Time was something ke almost always had. The battle raged on, but none of that mattered. When he was ready he started Mind Control and filled it with power. The longer he focused on a mind, and the more mana he gave it, the more effective the spell. This was the battle that mattered, so he drew everything. Everyst scrap he had left, every trickle he dared from Seul-ki, and finally the gem. Soon he saw all the orcs in his mind¡ªthe simple understanding of the world, guided by a rigid hierarchy and a vish devotion to themands of their gods, just like the first he''d taken. It was rudimentary, really. Beautiful. Like biological robots. Objective gained, he whispered in their minds. Defeat the traitorous chief who brought you, who has tricked you and defies the will of the gods. Kill him and all his warriors. Then he released the breath he''d been holding. The air around him shimmered with power, and time itself seemed to have stopped. He saw all the minds he had touched with Mental Influence shining with dim light as he released his hold. One by one they flickered. Five. Soon eight. Then ten. Nearly half the orcs he could see, and maybe more. They were his. All his. [Title gained: Puppet Master. Control the minds of at least five targets at once. +2 presence.] [Title gained: Orc Whisperer. Produce a major mind effect against a single orc, or a group of orcs. All Mental Powers improved and hidden against orcs.] [Title gained: Phase jumper. Gain a title intended for ater phase in the Great Game. +1 to all statistics.] Ghost text scrolled over ke¡¯s eyes as the first orc turned and threw a spear into one of hisrades, calling out a promise to serve his gods. The others roared in outrage and confusion. Some charged. Others cried out about magic and treachery and a terrible death. Annie, Garet, and Phuong kept on butchering. ke sagged against Seul-ki in the chaos, andughed.
Chapter 112: That’s a lot of bone Chapter 112: That¡¯s a lot of bone Graak smiled as he tasted more of his enemy''s blood. The wizard had attacked his force by the river, using his arrows and magic to hide and strike like the coward he was. But Graak''s warriors were ready for such things. They held their ground and flushed him out with their rogues and weapons. They struck him with knives, arrows and spears, and now they chased him through the trees, finding bloody hand prints in an obvious trail. Graak had taken to swiping the blood and licking his fingers. He was close now. Very close. To his enemy, and to his prize. "All rogues and riders!" he shouted. "He is wounded. Chase him, slow him down." The Struthio riders whistled and charged ahead, the three remaining rogues creeping away on their own. Graak and his infantry followed. He knew by the horn sts that the other half of his forces had found the civilians. Good news, but mostly irrelevant. Patron points were nothingpared to the lordship of a tower. All that mattered was the wizard. Step by step he followed his prey, knowing even the scent of his blood now. By the path it was clear he was running to his allies near the mountain. But he would find no protection there. Graak¡¯s most loyal andpetent warriors held their formation all around him, trekking through the trees and soon the hills and sparser forest. They heard fighting ahead, and Graak almostughed as he emerged. Human champions and civilians were surrounded, battling a fraction of his forces, looking hard pressed even to do that. Several warriors had surrounded one man who looked half dead already, a herd of women and the pestering wolf hiding behind him. It seemed there were other champions now. Had theye from the settlement, and would it bepletely weakened when they died, ready for the taking? They looked powerful enough and ready to fight, but there were too few. Here they didn''t have the halls and defences of their settlement. They would face the might and superior numbers of the cktusk tribe on open ground. And soon they would die. Graak walked forward, still not seeing his prey, but content to ughter his allies until they found him. Then the air shook and silenced with magic power, and like all orcs, Graak smelled it on the air, and felt it in his bones. He faltered and held back his retainers as a pulse of magic emerged from the human champions, connecting to many warriors in the clearing like strands of spider web. ¡°The wizard!¡± Some of the effected orcs cried, grasping their heads as if in agony. Graak truly cursed the death of his shaman now, wishing suddenly he had waited for his uncle¡¯s slower forces and reced him. But it was just one spell. It shed and loosed, and the connected orcs all stumbled and stared before growling and turning on each other with hatred in their eyes. They screamed their loyalty to the gods, and attacked their nsmen. [New Objective: Kill the human champion known as ke Nimitz. Receive overlordship of the cktusk n.] Graak blinked and stared at the words in disbelief. Anothermand from the gods? Another gift, and control of the entire n?! In all his years he had never heard of such generous rewards. He looked at the humans and knew his target in ways that didn¡¯t seem possible, the knowledge too imparted clearly by the gods. He knew the man¡¯s face as well as childhood friends. He knew his abilities, his physical frailties. Psion. The word practically swam through his veins. Mind wizards were the most hated champions known to orcs¡ªbeings that could warp hearts and minds like a potter''s y. To be¡­taken in such a way, turned against your people with no control. It was a fate worse than death. Rage seethed in Graak''s heart. To see loyal warriors betrayed, a lifetime of discipline and servitude erased by unnatural magic. Loyal orcs who had served the tower all their lives killing each other likes foes, used like pawns and puppets. "Kill these wizards!" he roared to his warriors. "Avenge our kin whose minds are stolen! Forgive them, and avenge them. For the tower. For our brothers. Kill these evil creatures, and bring me their heads!" Graak''s warriors roared in rage and defiance. Most of his forces were still behind him in the trees, including all his Chosen¡ªthe elite of the cktusk n walked from the trees with broad shields and spears at the ready, hatred bubbling in their breasts. Graak did not know where the lightning spewing wizard had gone, but even that didn¡¯t matter now. They would find him soon enough. But first Graak would kill this Psion, put his vile head on a spike, and im his glory. * * * Mason watched the battle from his camouge in the trees, looking for the enemy''s leader. If he could kill him, perhaps, he could weaken the enemy''s resolve. He watched the forces arrayed against them and tried not to despair. There were so bloody many of them. [New objective gained: Kill Graak, leader of the cktusk orc tribal forces. Reward: choose one power to advance to Tier 2.] Tier 2? His powers upgraded on their own, too? And how was he supposed to know which specific orc was Graak? These things pretty much all looked like their name was Graak. Or possibly Ug. ke and the others had almost miraculously arrived, and were ughtering orcs as they moved to protect Carl and the girls. For a moment, at least, things seemed to be going well enough. So Mason watched, and waited. Finally thergest group of orcs emerged. Large not just in number, but in size. They were at least seven feet tall, most dressed in an array of armor and clothing with no particr uniform. But as a one of their number stepped out from the trees with bone helmet and a spiked club the size of a man, Mason knew his target. He activated Nature¡¯s Wrath, watching as the creature''s anatomy lit up like an x-ray before his eyes. Dear God that¡¯s a lot of bone! These orcs had more ribs than fingers and toes, and they were tightly packed and covered their sides, too. So the heart was basically out. The thing and its bodyguards wore metal gorgets around their necks, and most wore helmets of some kind. No wonder they hadn''t been dying to his arrows. Most of their organs were practically surrounded by a cage of bone, and they wore plenty of armor, too. A quick kill with his bow was impossible. He doubted even a well-ced Power Shot would manage it. So it was sword work, then, sooner orter. He¡¯d have to hack the creature¡¯s limbs off or wear it down until he could strike at the least protected ces on its torso. Mason nced at ke and his people bringing down orcs down left and right. He grinned when he saw Phuong and Garet, and finally Reba. She was at the front doing what she did best¡ªabsorbing everything the orcs could throw at her. But he blinked and looked away, trying not to be distracted. He was hoping he could get to Seul-ki for a boost, but it didn''t seem practical. He had a job to do, and it was straight forward, if difficult. He looked at the new power from Gaia''s Avatar, and clenched his teeth. He''d seen the incredible power of Carl''s prestige ss and knew his own must be equally powerful. He had an intuitive sense of how it worked, but nothing more. He could choose an enemy, or he could choose himself, and activate it. That was it. But he understood that the power of nature mattered. The forest would help him, the life all around, the rain and the storm and the lightning. He watched the sky and did something that felt very strange, but maybe more reasonable than it ever had in his life. He prayed to ¡®God¡¯. After all, there was some AI that controlled everything out there, he knew that for a fact. He''d never been a religious person, never sure if there was some creator out there listening or not. And though it was strange to consider, even stranger to ask the thing that did all this to mankind, the truth was¡ªat least he knew it there was. It was listening. Give me a storm, Mason thought as he closed his eyes and spoke to the void as he summoned his w. He kept Duality of Life in his mind and clutched his nymph charm in his other hand. Come on, roboGod, keep shitting on us with everything you¡¯ve got. This time I want it.
Chapter 113: Must be a boss Chapter 113: Must be a boss Considering Carl expected to be dead, the battle was going extremely well. His new heroic band of allies had hacked and stabbed their way into the main cluster of orcs, killing them with ruthless efficiency. Translucent blue Star Trek shields were popping up all over, seemingly from some kind of cowboy hatted hotty in the front with a stic frisbee. Then there was a tiny thing with a big axe, screaming like a banshee as she made the asional orc into lumber. On either side of her were two bigger men¡ªone maybe older than Carl carrying a sword, the other younger with a big spear. Both waved them around like they mostly knew what they were doing, sending all kinds of sparkling lights and phantom weapons to skewer their enemies. ¡°Stay in a line, y¡¯all!¡± yelled the Frisbee-wielding cowgirl. ¡°You¡¯re gettin¡¯ ahead of my shields!¡± Carl mostly just watched and nursed his wounded shoulder, but Streak was whining and growling slightly at his side, and he looked at the wolf and rolled his eyes. ¡°Oh fine, I¡¯ll go help. But you stay here and guard my girls!¡± Before he had much of a chance to reconsider, he Shadow Leapt down to a line of orcs with their attention turned to the new arrivals, and started showing them the error of their ways. His Mirror Shard remained ridiculous. In fact it felt like a light saber just with a quarter the de. As usual it cut through armor and flesh and bone like it was all pretty much the same wet tissue paper, and Carl stalked down the line ruining limbs and lives. When several of the orcs turned and gave him the proper attention he deserved, he dropped an Exploding Clone and Shadow Leapt over to the other yers for a little reprieve. ¡°Hi,¡± he said to the startled and vaguely concerned yers at the back. ¡°I¡¯m Carl.¡± They all flinched as the explosion rocked the orc line. Then the blonde leader grinned. ¡°Very nice to meet you, Carl. I¡¯m ke, this is Seul-ki and Alex. If you¡¯re not too distracted, could we give this man a little heal before he bleeds out?¡± The man they called Alex blinked and stepped forward to grab Carl¡¯s arm roughly and without expression. Then a beautiful, soothing warmth flowed up his limb and spread like warm water over his exhausted, beaten body, especially focusing on his stab wound. ¡°Oh sweet Jesus.¡± Carl felt his eyes flutter with pleasure at the feeling, then his somewhat round-faced savior stepped away and went right back to looking locked in concentration. ¡°Wow. Thanks. I had no idea that was a thing.¡± He flexed his hand and found he could actually use it now with only minor agony. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go getting any organs ripped up,¡± said ke pleasantly. ¡°But yes, Alex here can at least keep you in the fight.¡± Then the young man¡¯s smile dropped slightly and he leaned forward. ¡°Where¡¯s Mason?¡± Carl sagged slightly at the question. ¡°I was hoping he was with you.¡± Everyone but ke ducked as a spear and a few arrows flew in their general direction, then all fell down a few feet away. ¡°He is not.¡± ke perked back up and winked. ¡°But not to worry. He¡¯s likely to turn up just when we need him. Which¡­might be¡­soon¡­¡± Carl followed the young man¡¯s eyes to anotherrge group of orcs emerging in formation from the trees. These were evenrger and more armored than the generallyrge creatures. At their front was a massive orc carrying a ludicrously sized club, his face wrapped in a spiked bone helm. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you can¡­make that one kill the others? Like you did with some of these?¡± Carl said without enthusiasm. ¡°Just tried. Can¡¯t even touch him.¡± ke¡¯s eyes glowed slightly then faded. ¡°Must be a boss,¡± they more or less said together, then exchanged a look and a troubled grin. ¡°Fifty per cent mana, ya¡¯ll,¡± yelled the cowgirl at the front, where the orc line had mostly shattered as the yers hacked them apart. The spearman even cheered before he looked over and saw therger forceing on. The girl looked back towards ke. ¡°What do we do?¡± The young man took a deep breath and smiled as he looked at all the eyes turned his way. ¡°We keep going. Same tactics. Hold the line. Kill them all.¡± The cowgirl nodded and rolled her shoulders, taking position at the front as the line of orcs slowly advanced and curled as if it meant to wrap around and surround them. The yers looked concerned, but surprisingly brave as they waited to meet the new group. But Carl was too old and cynical to be fooled by the confident young man¡¯smand. He looked terrified. ¡°I¡¯ll see you after.¡± Carl put a hand on ke¡¯s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. He almost said ¡®kid¡¯ but got the feeling this one wouldn¡¯t appreciate it. Then he turned and cracked his neck as he mentally scrolled through his powers and re-formed his de. All that armor wouldn¡¯t help these bastards one bit. And it seemed almost time for Simcrum. He¡¯d be basically drained, but it¡¯d likely be worth it. The orcs and yers squared off without violence for a few tense seconds. Then the orcs threw javelins and axes and dozens of missile weapons, all of which struck blue shield and sizzled and nged as they all fell uselessly to the ground. Then with a fierce roar of what could only be called hatred, the front row of big creatures charged. ¡°Use everything!¡± ke shouted from behind them. ¡°Now¡¯s the time! Every useful power you¡¯ve got!¡± Spears materialized in a veritable wall guarding the yer¡¯s nks. More shes of light emerged as the older swordsman cut some kind of figure eight in the air and sted a wave of energy. The little thing with the axe was making chasms of red light in the air as she screamed and charged through. Carl was pretty inspired by it all, if he was honest. He felt a little like they were all vaguely shitty Avengers. But a shitty Avenger was still pretty good. There were still orcs trying to move around the yers, and he decided to make those his special mission. He activated his improved stealth and started heading for the nkers, then flinched as lightning struck the nearby trees. He blinked and shielded his eyes, only to see another sh. And then another. As the bolts lit the dark as clear as day, he felt a horrible weight lift from his shoulders. There in the trees he saw Mason watching the battle, his green sword swinging back and forth in his hands, eyes practically glowing in the dark. Carl could have sworn that second bolt hit him, and couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Graak, chieftain of the cktusk n!¡± yelled an almost feral voice from Mason¡¯s direction. Carl felt his looming death was a good deal less likely today, and not for the first time, very d he was that young man¡¯s friend.
Chapter 114: Duality of Life Chapter 114: Duality of Life Mason focused on himself, and activated Duality of Life. The wind seemed to slow, then stop entirely. The rain that touched him vanished, the life all around him swallowing and warping to fuel whatever unnamed power infused him. Lightning shed and struck the ground at his feet. No. It struck him. But as it did he felt nothing, heard nothing. There was only his target. Nature''s Wrath apparently activated without instruction. His Duality of Life power was somehow focused, despite having chosen himself, it wasn¡¯t an open-ended usage that allowed him anything. It wanted a single target, and boosted him for that single purpose. His exhausted mind felt¡­overwhelmed. Like something else was whispering in his ear, like a thousand voices from the trees repeated a single message again and again: Tresspassers. Destroyers. They don¡¯t belong in these woods. Mason staggered forward as ifpelled. The voices were right. These things hade to prey upon the weak for greed, and for their gods. But their gods didn¡¯t live here. He was still stark naked and his Sleeves activated as he touched the grass and rock, sending a dull green and grey color over his entire body. He could feel the eyes from all directions aimed at him, orc, yer and civilian, but he didn''t care. There was only his target. Nothing would stop him. Nothing could stop him. "Graak, chieftain of the cktusk tribe!" he shouted without thought, his voice strangely deep and echoed. He didn''t know why he¡¯d done it, it just seemed right to say the name of the creature about to die. He pointed his w, and activated Aspect of the Cheetah. His stride was wrong, but somehow not unfamiliar. He was covering too much ground too fast, and he was¡­too high. A javelin whipped in his direction from one of the warriors, and he dodged it with the barest flinch. Arrows followed, but the wind all around Mason had be almost a gale and swallowed them. The heavy spear had managed to pierce it, but the lighter arrows blew far off target, soaring harmlessly into the trees. Then in mere seconds, Mason was on them. They shouldn¡¯t have gotten in his way. He killed his first target with a Predator''s Strike between ringmail and helm, cutting through cor bone and neck like he''d hacked at rotten wood. He banished his w and summoned it again just to get it out, deflecting a spear thrust with his shorter de before jamming his w into the next orc''s cheek, straight through his head. He could hear the other yers yelling and charging,unching themselves at the remaining lines of disciplined orcs with weapons nging and magic sizzling. But their battle didn''t matter to him now, and seemed very far away. There was only Graak. Only his target. And the dead things that interfered. They struck at him with spears and axes in slow motion, and the world itself seemed turned against them. Dirt beneath their feet gave way, mud slipping wet with sudden slope, tree roots ripping from the ground, grasping for those who tried to stop him. Wind and rain surrounded him in a driving force, blinding those who came too close. Soon the orcs were scattering from his path, and Mason found his enemy waiting. Graak¡¯s shield was wide, his armor thick, his weapon a massive club of wood and bone. But life and therefore death would find a way through. It always did. Mason came in fast, shing and hammering against Graak''s shield just to keep him on the defensive. His w put jagged lines in the metal, but his shorter de only dulled its edge. To Mason¡¯s bizarre pleasure, the orc chief fought well. He kept his feet and shifted despite the force of the blows, cunning eyes watching Mason''s arms and legs with cold assessment. But those same sharp eyes squinted as the rain seemed to fall straight into them. His footwork suffered as pockets of grass seemed to catch his feet, a dozen stones suddenly beneath his soles. "You will give me my glory," the massive orc growled. "I will decorate my new hall with your skull!" The chief faked a charge with his shield, then swiped fast and low with his club. Mason didn''t try to dodge. He simply stepped over the weapon, letting the ded head swipe within an inch of his other leg, dropping his short sword to hold the orc''s shield while he rammed his w straight into the weak armor on his enemy''s bicep. The magical de pierced straight through, blood spraying as he twisted and yanked. The orc howled but didn''t pull away. He dropped his shield and seized Mason''s throat, dropping his club to grab Mason''s sword arm despite his wound. With a look of triumph in his eyes, he clenched his teeth and squeezed. Mason felt the immense strength of the creature and understood its confidence. Even with all his stats and magic boost he wasn¡¯t obviously stronger. But this wasn¡¯t a test of strength, a game of egos. It was punishment. It was death. Mason unsummoned his w, summoned it in his other hand, and rammed it into Graak''s side. He clenched the muscles in his neck, resisting the mailed fist that squeezed against his flesh as the strength drained from Graak¡¯s grip. The orc¡¯s eyes were wide with disbelief as Mason pushed and twisted the de through his armor and ribs. With Nature¡¯s Wrath he watched the exact path required, slipping past bone until he found his enemy¡¯s heart. Disbelief turned to agony and terror as Graak¡¯s legs failed and he copsed to the ground. Mason let him fall and stood panting in the rain. The other orcs had fallen away and seemed to be fleeing now that their chief was dead. [Objectiveplete: Kill Graak of n cktusk. Experience gained. Please select a power to upgrade to tier 2.] [Objectiveplete: All Sanctuary civilians saved. Bonus patron points (moderate) earned for Nassau. Mason shuddered in something approaching ecstasy as he felt Duality of Life fulfilled. It felt for a moment as if he''d been born for one reason and now it was over. A kind of closure he¡¯d never had in his life. Such finality. Such satisfaction. He had killed... Mason blinked. Who the fuck was Graak of n cktusk and why should Mason remotely care about killing him? He blinked again, and shivered as he looked at the battlefield. Cold and wet and pain returned in a sudden rush. He felt like the whole world had turned its volume down, and now it came back in a swirling maelstrom of unpleasant realities. It stunk, first of all. Like blood and piss and all the rest of it. It was loud and still filled with the dying screams of bloody murders and mortalbat. And Mason was so very, very tired. "Mason!" He was already sitting down in the mud when he heard a voice he cared about. ¡°Reba?¡± His own voice was hoarse and tired. Then she was there and beside him, so wonderful and full of life. ¡°Hello, beautiful,¡± he smiled, and she wiped tears or maybe rain from her eyes and looked him up and down. ¡°Darlin¡¯, you¡¯re nude as the day you were born. Are you alright?¡± Was he? He supposed he was. He swallowed bile and looked up to see two orcs who couldn''t seem to decide if they wanted to attack him or flee for their lives. He spit blood and on something of a whim selected his Ranger¡¯s w to upgrade to tier 2. [Tier 1: Ranger¡¯s w upgraded ===> Tier 2: Ranger¡¯s w(s)] He held out his hands and summoned, and on top of the usual single, longer green de, a second short weapon grew out of his offhand. It looked more like a sickle, equally glowing green with a curved de on the front and a spike at the back. Both weapons now had some kind of glowing letters like etching on the metal, and all Mason knew for sure is that they¡¯d be cutting through pretty much anything those orcs put in their way. The creatures nced at each other, then ran. Mason stood with a groan, and as more yers wereing closer every second, Reba ripped off the lower half of her shirt and tied it around his waist. ¡°That¡¯s not for public viewing, thanks very much,¡± she said in his ear, turning a little pink. He was too tired to give a shit either way, but sort of liked that she felt possessive. They walked back towards the other yers to find Alex tending to a wounded Garet and Carl. Streak came bounding forward to lick Mason¡¯s hand and almost take out his legs before shaking itself and spraying rain everywhere. ¡°Good to see you too buddy,¡± Mason pet and scratched the creature¡¯s ears with a sigh. The ground erupted a few feet away, and damn near everyone cried out in panic before Mason saw the purple color and yelled for calm. Violet warbled and stared with her solid ck eyes. Apologies, patron. I was badly wounded after the shaman and had to heal beneath the earth. Shall I go kill fleeing orcs? ¡°No.¡± Mason felt some anxiety lift at the sight of her. ¡°Just rx, and follow us. We¡¯re going home soon.¡± The worm nced briefly at the staring humans, then vanished back into the dirt. Everyone seemed to be staring at him again, and he was reminded how much he hated that. Finally ke came out ahead of them with a shit-eating grin. ¡°I¡¯m not sure who saved who this time. But I¡¯m leaning towards a point for me.¡± Mason snorted and braced himself for a hug, but ke stopped halfway. ¡°Actually you¡¯re entirely too naked and covered in mystery fluids. Are you aware you were temporarily something of a giant with vaguely jagged teeth and ws? ¡± Mason frowned, not that surprised he¡¯d grown. But what? Teeth and ws? ¡°Not important now,¡± ke turned and looked at the many wounded orcs still moving about on the ground. ¡°We¡¯ll have to decide what we do with these. I suggest we let them go. They aren¡¯t important now.¡± The other yers and civilians didn¡¯t much like that. Carl came forward with a twisted expression on his face, eyes staring down at the crawling orcs with undisguised hate. ¡°They tried to kill us all. Tried to take everything in this world from me. They came for unarmed women, and you¡¯d just¡­let them walk away? We should be hunting down those runners.¡± Mason didn¡¯t much like the look in the man¡¯s eyes, but he understood, and mostly agreed. You didn¡¯t leave enemies alive. ke looked at Carl and everyone else as if taken aback, which of course Mason knew he wasn¡¯t and this would be some kind of act for whatever reason. ¡°Have we fallen so far so fast? ughtering prisoners of war without a thought?¡± Maybe a few people looked thoughtful at that, but only a few. Carl wasn¡¯t one of them. ¡°They aren¡¯t people. They¡¯re monsters.¡± ke pursed his lips and looked to Mason. ¡°You agree, brother? Kill the wounded? Just like that?¡± Mason sighed, but a threat was a threat. ¡°Whatever they are, they want us dead. Yes, I¡¯d finish them here.¡± ke turned his head and shrugged, that damned annoying know-it-all look in his eye. ¡°I was in their minds, gentlemen. They aren¡¯t so different than us. They have families and friends, tribes and gods. They think we hate them and mean to kill them all. That we have to be stopped. Sound familiar?¡± No one said anything at that, and ke held out his hands. ¡°It¡¯s very nice to meet you, Carl,¡± he raised his voice. ¡°And all you fine folk from Sanctuary, you¡¯re safe now and wee in Nassau. But now the battle¡¯s over, and we¡¯re going home. My people don¡¯t kill wounded soldiers, and that¡¯s an order.¡± He looked at Carl with a damned annoying twinkle in his eye. ¡°But you can do what you feel is right.¡± Then he held out his hands in a gesture to follow him, and the yers from Nassau slowly made their way back together as the Sanctuary citizens came down from the hills. ¡°Off you go,¡± ke made a kind of shooing gesture at the orcs. ¡°I¡¯ve sent a little message to the mind of one of your fleeing friends. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be back. So run along and remember a human¡¯s mercy.¡± With that he walked away, and the obviously confused creatures stared at one another, clearly in disbelief and too confused to do much. Mason no longer cared one way or the other. He put an arm around Reba and gave her a squeeze, already picturing a warm bed and a cold drink, and filling his gut with Haley¡¯s cooking. Then maybe trying to figure out what the hell the situation he was in with Rosa. The battle of the hills was over. ¡°Ready to go home?¡± Reba smiled and hugged him back. * * * For Mason, the short rest till morning, then the walk back to Nassau was mostly a blur. ke was asking all sorts of questions and he answered things he instantly couldn¡¯t remember. Alex healed Carl enough he was cracking bad jokes and swapping some nerdy witticisms with ke. Most people forgot all about the wounded orcs and talked in excited, happy voices about the battle, or else returning to Nassau. Some others were quiet, disturbed maybe by the terror and blood and awfulness of it all. Mason mostly walked with Reba and Streak in silence, trying not to think about Rosa¡¯s eyes crawling over his skin. The Duality of Life filled his thoughts. The power of it had been incredible, but he''d felt¡­well, like a different person, like his mind was hardly his own. It had felt like being drunk or high¡ªthough Mason had little enough experience with either¡ªlike he was in some altered state that made him different. Not really him. "Are you alright?" Reba was watching his face, all concern and simple beauty and warmth. "I''m OK." Mason smiled. "But it''s been a very long few days. I need to sleep." Reba squeezed her arm around his waist and lowered her voice to barely a whisper. "You''d better tell Haley. She''s probably nning some kind of sex party when we get home." Mason held back a cough, trying not to be amazed his life now included such conversations and realities. "That might kill me. Maybe a slumber party." "I''ll protect you, handsome," Reba winked, and Mason couldn¡¯t help but smile and think yes I expect you would. Then it was hourster and the walls of Nassau were entering sight. They seemed bigger than before, but Mason didn''t much trust his current perception. People were cheering and weeping, hugging as they walked through the gate. ke was making some kind of grand speech about saving humanity and good neighbors and all his usual nonsense. "Sleep." Mason said as he entered and somehow felt even more tired, wavering on his feet. "I''m sorry, darlin'', of course, this way." Reba took him by the arm and led him on. Then they were stopped in front of dark hair and curves. And Rosa was there and looking up at him with her beautiful brown eyes. "Thank you, Mason," she said in English with her ent and a little fire. Then she stepped forward without even a nce at Reba, and kissed his cheek. "For saving us. And forst night." Then she walked away without another word, just as Reba''s nails dug into Mason''s forearm. "Later," he said, feeling rather helpless and unable to summon a much better defence. "I promise. Later." They walked to the house they shared with Haley, and when he arrived the front door opened with the smell of baking bread. Haley was there in some version of a cooking outfit, a button up dress and apron that put her somewhere between chef and model. She heard the door and turned around, meeting Mason¡¯s gaze with tired eyes full of emotion, but unshakeable strength. He felt instantly calmer in her presence, knowing he didn''t have to worry about her asking for anything he couldn''t give, that he could rely on her. "Wee home," she said with a little emotion in her voice, and he sagged into her arms, pulling Reba in beside them. He wasn¡¯t sure if the settlement was really his home, at least any more than the forest was. But Haley and Reba were. His eyes drooped and his mind rxed, letting go of the danger and responsibility, the giant worms and ''Makers'' and Phase 2 and druid dreams. He said nothing as Haley took off his tattered rags and led him to the bed,ying him down as they cuddled up beside him. He was asleep before they covered him with a sheet.
Chapter 115: I missed that (NSFW) Chapter 115: I missed that (NSFW) Mason slept like the dead. He knew he was dreaming as he wandered through nameless, bustling city streets, but thought it probably his hometown of Houston. A busy downtown swirled all around him, with chattering people living their lives at some frantic speed Mason had never enjoyed or matched. Just as he started thinking he didn¡¯t belong there and preferred the peace of the forest, he saw a familiar explosion in the distance. Then people were running and screaming in panic, somehow missing Mason as he stood still and staring in the middle of the street. He squinted and watched ghostly text flowing from energy towards him. Ones and zeros and whispering voices as he held his ground, trying to summon his w but unable. But as with the first time, the real time, when he¡¯d taken ke and hid him under a fridge, Mason wasn¡¯t afraid. Come on, he thought, more angry than anything. I won¡¯t run like the rest of them. Hit me! Hit me! The red and orange light struck him, and he blinked at the blinding light then stood in a calm, green woods. ¡°I realize I¡¯m the crazy brother, but, your dreams scare the shit out of me.¡± Mason sighed and turned to find ke with an affable grin. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever take a break?¡± "No rest for the wicked I¡¯m afraid. Anyway I gave you several hours to sleep undisturbed." He looked around at the trees and sighed. "Familiar, but nice." ¡°I¡¯m afraid to ask what you want now.¡± ke put a hand to his chest as if wounded. ¡°Isn¡¯t the desire to see my brother enough? Must I always have some grand, brilliant, and certainly wise scheme?¡± Mason rolled his eyes but grinned a little. ¡°Let¡¯s walk before you annoy me.¡± They did just that, wandering through a cool mist and a fake approximation of a forest, finding a human made path like a hiking trail. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen one of these in awhile,¡± ke said as they followed it. ¡°Have you ever? I doubt you hiked once in your whole life.¡± keughed, not offended, as he almost never was. ¡°Not true. Dad made his chauffeur take us camping when we were eight,¡± he said confidently. ¡°We had a terrible tent, set it up in the wrong ce, and when it rained we gave up and slept in the car.¡± ¡°Ah yeah.¡± Mason grinned. ¡°What was his name? Albert? Allen? In hindsight that was vaguely insane.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been good with names.¡± ke sighed. ¡°But that¡¯s a thing of the past. Speaking of new powers, I must say I rather like these orcs that almost killed you.¡± ¡°Abrupt. And they didn¡¯t almost¡­¡± ¡°Their minds are extremely susceptible to my magic,¡± ke went on. ¡°Unlike you, brother, except when you''re sleeping. But even now I expect you could kick me out if you used that power of yours. What is it, anyway?¡± Mason squinted. ¡°What do you know about my powers?¡± ¡°Oh nothing really. Just that you''ve got something that keeps me out.¡± When Mason stared daggers ke put up his hands. ¡°I wasn''t trying to manipte you, I just wanted to see what you were seeing. Anyway, it didn''t work worth a damn.¡± ¡°It''s called Apex Predator,¡± Mason said, suddenly very pleased he had it. ¡°Some kind of unique thing I got in a dungeon.¡± ¡°How curious. How deliciously curious.¡± ke stared at Mason like one might inspect a science experiment before shaking his head with a sigh. ¡°Well. That''s not why I''m here. This Carl character, do you trust him?¡± Mason stopped and gave that some thought. ¡°Yeah. I like him, too. He''s a good man. And a good asset to your little town.¡± ¡°d to hear it.¡± ke let out a breath. ¡°I was worried I¡¯d have to control his brain. He¡¯s terrifying, you know. Tier one. Could absolutely murder me if he got the chance.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Mason hadn¡¯t expected that, but he supposed it made sense. He wasn¡¯t as brute-force oriented as Mason, but his powers were pretty amazing. And that knife of his¡­ ¡°Stop controlling people¡¯s minds.¡± Mason said suddenly and stopped walking, giving his brother a good long re. ke rolled his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean control. I meant influence. I influence, brother.¡± ¡°Yeah well stop it. Unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary. You shouldn¡¯t just be flinging that kind of power around like it¡¯s nothing. Especially on our own people.¡± ke looked genuinely confused. ¡°I don¡¯t follow.¡± ¡°It''s creepy, ke. And anyone who learned you were doing it would assume the absolute worst. Aren''t you worried there''s a price? I mean you can''t just go around screwing with people''s minds and never suffer any consequences.¡± ke nced around the forest and tapped his fingers on a tree. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± Mason tossed up his hands and sighed. ¡°That''s not how life works. At least for everyone but you. But probably eventually even for you. One day people might start to catch on, and they might not be that happy.¡± ¡°They should be bloody grateful,¡± ke said, a rare bit of annoyance in his voice. ¡°I''m trying to keep them from killing each other. To keep us all alive.¡± Mason took a breath and met ke¡¯s eyes. ¡°I know. But they won¡¯t care why. I''m telling you, stop it, or at least keep it to a minimum. I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone over it. I don¡¯t like bullies, ke. You should know that better than anyone.¡± "I¡¯m not a¡­fine, fine,¡± ke rolled his eyes. ¡°Point taken. You know it''s starting to feel like you''re the hall monitor in these conversations." "Yeah well your arrogance is edging towards megalomania, so don''t me me." ke smiled, looking almost proud. "I¡¯m shocked! Those are awfully big words to learn from reading zombie apocalypse magazines." "Fuck you." Mason grinned. Then something felt like it was¡­tickling his thigh, and maybe his ear. ¡°Are you trying to screw with my mind or something?¡± He scratched and looked for imaginary dream bugs. ke watched him and grinned, as if he understood. "Haley and I finished with the Sanctuary contracts a little while ago. I expect she¡¯ll be home now and¡­settled in. She seemed about as impatient as me." The tickling was getting...slightly more private, and ke''s brow raised as Mason squirmed. "Oh dear. Well, I''ll leave you to it. I''m d your home, brother, and that you''re alright. You''ll have to tell me all about your adventures when we have more time." "Just get out of my dream so I can wake up, or I''m turning on my Anti-ke power and we¡¯ll see what happens." "I''m going, I''m going!" Mason sighed as the trees vanished. He opened his eyes to find Haley and Reba in ck lingerie, which seemed only possible if Haley had specifically taken it as some kind of outfit choice with her ss. Haley was tracing kisses up Mason''s thigh. Reba was already blushing, nibbling at his neck and ear. "He''s awaaake." Haley giggled, looking up at him. Mason smiled and put his hands behind his head. "Don''t let me stop you." He closed his eyes. "Carry on pleasuring me. I won''t get in the way." * * * Reba gently kissed Mason¡¯s lips, and he pulled her in for a more passionate version. She was giggling and the moment might have been more cute than sexy if Haley¡¯s lips hadn¡¯t wrapped around his cock. He groaned and slid his hands up and down Reba as they kissed. ¡°Someone¡¯s enjoyin¡¯ himself,¡± Becky teased as she stared into his eyes. ¡°Just trying to make you two happy,¡± he said with a grin and another quick breath as Haley¡¯s mouth took him all the way in. ¡°Is Haley doin¡¯ a good job?¡± Reba kissed his neck as hey back and stared at the ceiling with lidded eyes. ¡°Uh huh.¡± ¡°I better check.¡± Becky slid kisses down his chest and stomach, then both girls were sharing him, two sets of tongues and thick lips sliding and teasing his head and shaft. He had no desire at all to move, or do much of anything. He justy there and let his mind wander, eventually propping himself up to watch his women suck and lick and slurp his cock with abandon. They looked up at him and smiled, making a little show of sharing him between their mouths before Haley lowered and licked his balls while Becky bobbed on his cock. ¡°Jesus Christ.¡± He twitched and wasn¡¯t sure how long he¡¯dst. He was starting to feel slightly selfish until he saw Reba¡¯s eyes were filled with lust. She moved him to her hands and bit her lip. ¡°I want to make you cum and taste you. Please?¡± Well. That settled that. Becky¡¯s incredible breasts were barely held in the lingerie top, her nipples peeking out from all her efforts to please him. She dropped back down and swallowed him as far as she could with a slight gag, then worked his shaft fast as she looked up at him. Haley was still licking and sucking his balls, her hand on Becky¡¯s hair as if to encourage her to blow him faster. She didn¡¯t need much help. Mason¡¯s release tingled and built without a shred of effort on his part. He crossed the threshold of no return, feeling it sweeping through him in waves, the only decision now exactly how he wanted to release. He didn¡¯t bother warning Becky, and she could likely feel it anyway. He just covered Haley¡¯s hand on her hair, taking hold of both as he sted the first release into Becky¡¯s mouth and throat. With Gaia¡¯s Blessing he knew he¡¯d taste like something she loved, and wasn¡¯t surprised when she gulped and sucked as if desperate for every drop. But he was sure as hell happy about it. Her eyes were closed and she moaned as she swallowed him, working until he practically had to hold her back as sensitive ripples shot through him. She finally gave Haley a turn, and the blonde ignored his almost agonized groans of pleasure as she just kept on sucking him. ¡°I know you have more, master,¡± she took a moment to say before plunging him back in. He looked up and instantly felt his lust rising at the sight of her beautiful face, that sexy mouth filled with his cock. He growled and pulled her up to kiss her, pulling the thin straps of fabric away from her pussy and rubbing his hardening tip against her opening. ¡°You have to cum in me too or it just wouldn¡¯t be fair,¡± she said in an exaggerated cutesy voice. Mason pushed himself inside, and they both groaned as hepletely filled her. ¡°That¡¯s where it belongs,¡± she leaned down and whispered in his ear, her tone getting huskier, less in control. ¡°I need it so bad, Mason. I¡¯ve been so patient. Please fuck me.¡± He really didn¡¯t need the encouragement. With her incredible, thick ass held firmly in both hands, he rode then started jackhammering up into her. Becky was biting her lip watching, so Mason grabbed her and pulled her closer. ¡°Come here, cowgirl.¡± She clearly didn¡¯t know what he meant or wanted, so he used his increasingly inhuman strength to lift her off the bed, spread her legs, and set her down on his face towards Haley. ¡°Oh.¡± She gasped and went rigid as Mason pulled her down and swiped his tongue from her front to back then plunged it inside. She tasted amazing, and he let Haley ride him however she wanted as he worked on Becky with his lips and tongue. Then he was lost in the feel and moaning of both girls, their wetness and tightness his whole world. He had no idea how long it went on, but Haley rode until she started to shake and gasp, and Becky almost instantly followed, clearly turned on by the experience and sight of Haley cumming. Mason could sympathize. He saw no reason in the world to hold back, and in a growing chorus of his women crying out and soaking him in their juices, he bucked his hips as another orgasm built and released inside Haley. She squeezed her walls tight all around him, shuddering and riding him as he sprayed deep inside her. He was panting slightly from nothing more than lust, taking in Reba¡¯s scent and unable to decide who¡¯s ass to grab and settling on both. Then both girls were dropping down and lying across him, kissing and touching him as they squirmed. He slid Reba off then pulled her in for a kiss, leaving Haley right where she was. ¡°God I missed that.¡± They giggled and cuddled down against him, all lost in the pleasure of the afterglow. ¡°Tell me about it. We can¡¯t even touch ourselves now, you know,¡± Haley said. ¡°It¡¯s this damn ¡®phase two¡¯. You get an experience penalty if you do it too long!¡± Mason snorted as he tried to hold back theugh. ¡°How long until you learned that particr lesson?¡± ¡°Less than a day.¡± Haleyughed and Becky got started too. ¡°Well. RoboGod did say something about enforcing ''biological imperatives''. I guess that¡¯s what it meant.¡± They got quiet again until Mason noticed Reba was stealing some looks at him. ¡°Everything OK, Becky?¡± She flushed a little, which always suited her so well Mason couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°I want to talk about that girl,¡± she said, and Mason¡¯s stomach dropped a little. ¡°What girl?¡± Haley perked up. ¡°The one who kissed him and ¡®thanked him forst night¡¯.¡± Reba said with a slightly jealous tone. Mason sighed. ¡°Her name''s Rosa.¡± ¡°Oooh pretty.¡± Haley sat up. ¡°Down girl. Let''s just say she''d like to be...involved.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Reba asked with entirely less enthusiasm. ¡°I have no idea,¡± Mason said honestly. ¡°Like another girl in the house?¡± Haley was starting to wiggle a little. ¡°That would be lovely.¡± Reba frowned. ¡°Do we get a say in this?¡± Mason met her eyes and took her hand. ¡°Of course you do, it''s not like, I mean...OK I have no idea how this works.¡± Reba looked down and yed with some lint on the bed. ¡°She didn''t exactlye across as¡­I mean, sharing didn''t really seem like her n. Anyway there¡¯s only so much room in the darn bed!¡± They all eventuallyughed at that, and Masonced his fingers with Becky¡¯s. ¡°You might be right. And if so, then that''s that. You girlse first. OK? I don''t need anything or anyone else.¡± They smiled at that and cuddled into him, but as now seemed Mason¡¯s inevitable existence, he was already ready for another round... ¡°Oh dear,¡± she said, giving Reba some kind of silent code with her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s your turn, sweetie.¡± Then, with a slightly devious look. ¡°I could get your outfit for you.¡± Before Mason had time for input or questions, they¡¯d swapped ces, and Haley took a cowboy hat from nothing and plopped it on the country girl¡¯s head.
Chapter 116: The meeting Chapter 116: The meeting After leaving Reba an exhausted, sweaty, sex-stained mess, Mason stretched and enjoyed the soft pillow and sheets in the chieftain¡¯s hall room. He could smell something cooking in the kitchen, Haley¡¯s soft voice echoing down the hall. But after a few moments of quiet his mind drifted back to the rain and the hills and the battle with the orcs. Then to his strange new power and the way it made him feel. ¡°You were pretty amazing, you know,¡± he said. ¡°You weren¡¯t so bad yourself,¡± Reba mumbled, and Masonughed. ¡°I meant with the orcs. I was thinking about the battle. I was watching. They all tried to take you down and couldn¡¯t.¡± She sat up a little, holding the sheet over herself as if they hadn¡¯t just spent thest hour screwing each other¡¯s brains out. ¡°Seul-ki helped,¡± she grinned. ¡°Anyway, nevermind me, you¡¯re the one who came outta the woods like bigfoot, naked and sportin¡¯ ws.¡± Masonughed but felt his humor drain faster than it should have. ¡°I don¡¯t remember it well, to be honest. It''s...a very strange power. I''m not sure I should even use it again.¡± ¡°That sounds too serious for naked cuddles.¡± She gave him a squeeze and sighed. ¡°What time is it?¡± He smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± But then he realized he should probably talk to ke more seriously about the worm, and prestige sses, and ¡®Makers¡¯ and Phase two¡­ ¡°Actually I should go talk to ke,¡± he sighed, and Reba gripped his chest. ¡°I''m not finished with you yet.¡± He patted her arm. ¡°I can stick around town for a few days, I think. I''lle right back.¡± ¡°Promise?¡± ¡°Promise.¡± She released her death grip and got out of bed, then he showered off and wandered past Haley, stopping to give her a quick squeeze. She just grinned and kept on singing over her cooking, and he wandered out into the hall. There were plenty of people as usual. A mix of refugees, original citizens, and the new people from Sanctuary. Most gave Mason looks he either didn¡¯t recognize or had no idea what to do with. But he did his best to meet the eyes and smiles with one of his own or a nod. See? Getting better at ¡®this¡¯, ke, he thought, just like you said, ke. He found his brother in his office, dressed in what could only be called post-apocalyptic business casual. ¡°There he is. Good timing, I¡¯ve just rounded up the others.¡± ¡°Uh. What others?¡± Mason nced at the empty office before ke came out and took his arm. ¡°This way.¡± He led them to what Mason supposed might have been a ¡®conference room¡¯, with apparently every yer but Reba sitting around the table with a mug or a ss. Haley swooped in behind them with arge tray of cookies, dressed smartly in office attire like she hadn¡¯t just been having a threesome most of the day. She gave Mason a wink on the way by. ¡°When did you¡­¡± he cleared his throat and nced at the others. ¡°Uh hi. What are we discussing?¡± ¡°Our ns,¡± ke said, nodding at the others before taking his seat. When Mason gestured to exin further he rolled his eyes. ¡°To deal with the giant orc fortress that is likely hell bent on our destruction." "Oh. That." He found a seat next to Carl, who looked him up and down and grinned. ¡°Get enough beauty sleep?¡± ¡°You tell me.¡± Mason matched it, but turned sober. ¡°How¡¯s Silvie¡­and the girls?¡± ¡°Rosa is doing fine, I think,¡± Carl said without flinching. Mason opened his mouth and closed it, at something at a loss before Reba burst through the door. "I''m here!" Her hair was still a sex-tangled mess, and she practically oozed ¡®recently banged¡¯ as she adjusted her shorts and sat down in the closest seat. Several people were grinning now, and she was just starting to turn pink when ke pped his hands. "Well! Now that we''re all present and ounted for. I have it on good authority¡ªthat is, the great artificial overlord himself¡ªthe orcs of the ¡®ck Towers¡¯ intend to obliterate us." Everyone went quiet at that. Phuong spoke first. "Thank you for telling us, patron. But may I ask, how exactly do you know that?" "Because I''m me.¡± ke grinned. ¡°And none of that ¡®patron¡¯ nonsense. But if you must know, because as I was taking over the minds of our orc friends, I was able to see through their eyes. I saw their objectives. They think of them as ¡®divinemand¡¯ from their various gods, incidentally, but the result is the same. I quote directly from a random orc warrior¡ª ¡®Objective: Destroy all human settlements in the Great Forest. Receive ¡®n points¡¯ for your family.¡¯ I imagine their leaders have something simr.¡± The yers all shifted and whispered amongst themselves until Mason spoke. "You''re telling me, those creatures are getting orders from the system to kill us?" "Precisely so." "Jesus Christ.¡± Mason clenched a fist. ¡°Why would it do that? I mean...isn''t all this...aren¡¯t these things basically like robots? Artificial things in the shape of fantasy creatures?¡± ke frowned and pursed his lips. "I don¡¯t think so. I was in their minds, and they seemed quite conscious and sentient, much like humans. If they''re some kind of biological robots, they are extremely convincing." Again the room silenced, this time Garet broke it. "So what do we do?" "That''s why we''re here.¡± ke drummed the table with both hands. ¡°I thought we should discuss it. And perhaps vote." "Vote on what?" Garet asked. ke pulled back and quirked his head. "I''m happy to hear suggestions. And I''m no general, but, I think basically...do we wait, or do we attack?" "Attack?¡± Carl practically choked. ¡°I mean¡­.I know you folks haven¡¯t seen it¡­but it¡¯s a fortress. God only knows how many of them are in there." "We killed quite a lot already,¡± ke shrugged. ¡°We can kill more." "Aren''t ya¡¯ll forgetting an option?¡± Reba said, a little shyly. ¡°Can¡¯t we¡­uh, try talking to ¡®em?" A few people scoffed, which annoyed Mason because Reba went beet red. ke didn¡¯t, but he didn¡¯t look optimistic. "Anything¡¯s possible. But I¡¯m afraid it doesn¡¯t seem likely." "Why not?" Mason asked, genuinely curious. "They seem to think of humans as some kind of¡­diametrically opposed entities. Eternal enemies only to be destroyed. A kind of blood feud, I believe is the correct description." Everyone silenced again at that. ke looked straight at Mason. ¡°Only you and Carl have seen this ce. What do you think?¡± Every eye turned to Mason, which as usual made him ufortable. ¡°You don''t want to know what I think,¡± he said and shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re here, brother. Go on, we¡¯re listening.¡± Mason red, feeling pulled back in time to when they¡¯d first arrived at the settlement. ¡°I think if they want to kill us, we leave. We go buy a giant boat with patron points, or find a coastal settlement. Or we split up and spread out. The system took away children, sick people, elderly¡ªwe can run. I say we do anything but y this stupid game by fighting a war with crazy, bloodthirsty orcs or giant fucking worms or legions of undead.¡± There. He¡¯d said it. It felt slightly petnt and stupid but a piece of him wanted nothing to do with any of this. The same piece just wanted to say ¡®fuck this¡¯, take his women and his brother and hide so deep in the forest nothing would ever find them. The yers were exchanging looks and ke clearly looked like he needed to perform some kind of damage control. He was preparing to do just that when Mason sighed and spoke again. ¡°But if we don¡¯t run, then defence is a losing strategy. You don''t leave an enemy like that to think and n. Who knows how they''ll try and hurt you, or how far they''ll go. If you all insist on staying here, then there¡¯s only one choice. We go out there, and we wipe out everyst one of them.¡± ¡°Amen to that,¡± said Carl with a wink, and the feeling more or less spread from yer to yer around the room. Only ke seemed to frown and meet Mason¡¯s eyes. ¡°Do we need to vote? I agree with Mason. Kill them all and get it over with,¡± said Tommaso, who had stayed to guard the settlement and had likely yet to see an orc. A few grunts of agreement until ke finally stopped it and called for a vote anyway, and everyone but him raised their hand to attack. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s it then,¡± he shrugged. ¡°But I¡¯m still going to ask the civilians. They aren¡¯t doing the fighting, of course. But if we all get killed, after all, they¡¯ll be screwed too.¡± No one said anything to that, though it was clear not many agreed. ke seemed to sense it and shrugged. ¡°But it may not matter what they say. Thank you everyone, that¡¯s all. Take a few days to rest and prepare. Then I expect Nassau is going to war.¡±
Chapter 117: Gromsh the Gnarled Chapter 117: Gromsh the Gnarled Gromsh the Gnarled, overlord of the cktusk n and Hand of the ck Tower, flinched as the gods punished his failure. [Objective: Assist Graak with his Life Favor request. Status: Failed. Reward removed.] So his nephew was dead at the hands of the humans. Disappointing, but perhaps not that surprising. He had always been so eager to impress his n and kin, too susceptible to the call of the gods. His reach had finally exceeded his grasp, and he had paid for it. Gromsh blinked away the text and climbed the stairs to his lord''s study. The trip was painful in Gromsh''s condition. He had been injured as a young warrior in a duel, permanently crippling his left leg. It had given him a certain prestige, and allowed him to join the Elders far earlier, so he had never considered it a tragedy. Using his talents for politics, maniption and deception, he had eventually risen to lead his n. And for that honor he would have given two legs. But his Master loved his petty torments. The lord of the ck tower often went to the underground and the Meeting Hall, and could very easily meet with Gromsh there. But he never did. Always he summoned him to the very top of the tower. Lord ssex was of n Redfist¡ªlongtime rivals of the cktusks, and he liked to remind Gromsh of his authority. "Ahh, my old friend,¡± the tower lord smiled and stroked his bejeweled, filed tusks. ¡°Thank you foring so quickly. It wasn''t a hardship climbing the tower stairs?" He asked every time. "No, lord.¡± Gromsh made a show of wiping sweat from his brow, and wincing at the pain in his leg. ¡°To serve the tower is never a hardship. How can I assist?" ssex smiled, pleased as ever by their little game. "I wanted to show you something." He gestured out the tower window until Gromsh limped to his side. "Do you see those little dots in the distance?" Gromsh winced slightly, expecting he knew what he would see. He squinted and adjusted his aging eyes until he could make out the line of pathetic looking survivors of his nephew''s raid limping back to the towers. "My scouts inform me some of those warriors went beyond the first human settlement. That they charged headlong into the Great Forest, where they were nearly all killed. But I don''t recall ordering any warriors to attack beyond the first human settlement. Can you exin this?" So. Now Gromsh had to decide. Did he exin his nephew''s ambitions and the collection of his life debt, and let the boy''s death remain honorable? This made him look ipetent, because he had failed entirely, and thus stained the honor of his family and n. Or he could lie, and say Graak had done it all on his own ord. This option made him look weak, not even in control of his own warriors or family. Both were terrible defeats, and the end of his ambitions. He would never be a tower lord. At best he would be kept as Hand but on the edge of a knife, removed from power for the slightest infraction and basically toyed with by ssex until his dying days, perhaps losing even overlordship of his n. At worst, he would be executed. He looked out at the stragglers, knowing they would soon be interrogated. Sooner orter ssex would learn Gromsh had sent his riders and the truth would be revealed. He therefore had no choice. He had to admit his failure, and ept the consequences. Then he blinked in surprise as the gods whispered in his mind. [Objective: Throw Lord ssex from the ck Tower windows. Reward: Legitimized tower lordship.] Gromsh hid his surprise behind a practiced mask, but could hardly stop himself from holding a breath. Lord ssex rarely met his underlings alone. He trusted no one, not even his bodyguards, and protected himself in many ways from treachery. But he considered Gromsh helpless. Lame. Not a threat. A belief Gromsh had cultivated for two decades by wearing a bulky cloak and enhancing his limp, huffing and puffing everywhere he went, even tripping and growling in pain in public. In truth, he was quite strong. Every morning he lifted heavy buckets full of sand with all his limbs, even his crippled one, and usually again every night. Beneath his baggy robe of office was the aging but muscled frame of a once proud warrior. Beneath his hunched posture remained strong shoulders and back. He felt a bead of sweat form on his brow. His nephew''s criticism of him had always been his cautionck of ambition to seize what he wanted. "Our n is strong!" Graak had always argued. "We have the most warriors. We could crush the Redfist if you but ordered the betrayal. The other lords would not interfere. You are too cautious, uncle." Gromsh had never shared his nephew''s confidence that the other lords would do nothing. But he knew the young warrior''s words were otherwise true. They had haunted him for years. Especially with the death of his brother... "My lord..." he finally said, wiping spittle from his lips. "Oh save it," ssek spit, no longer smiling. "I always knew that whelp of a nephew would be your doom. You should have exiled him long ago, Gromsh. Our task is to defend the Holy Stones, not leave ournds, conquering settlements and starting wars with humans or anyone else. I won''t execute you, Gromsh. But I will punish your n for this, and you will ept it." Gromsh stared at the god''s divine whispers, feeling the eyes of his brother and his nephew in judgment upon him. He was here. The opportunity was here. And if he did nothing, his n would fall to lesser status before ssex was finished. I will not dishonor you, brother, he thought. Atst I will make you proud. He turned to face ssex and clenched his teeth with decades of rage. He dropped his walking stick and stood to his full height, uncurling his body¡¯s fake bend. ssex¡¯s eyes widened. "What is this? What are you doing?" "This is for your endless insults and cowardice, my lord. And for your hand in my brother¡¯s death. I knew. I always knew." "Guards!" ssex squawked, pulling a hidden knife from his belt as Gromsh stepped towards him, hands flexing in anticipation. "We both know they''re too far," Gromsh growled. "What truly offends me.¡± He faked a lunge, then grabbed the older orc''s hands and yanked him towards the window. "Is that you thought you could threaten my destruction without a single guard to protect you." "This is impossible!" ssex practically whined. "You''ve been weakening for years! My spies have watched you! Your limbs shake, even when you''re alone!" "It is you who is weak, my lord. To be so easily fooled. Easily pacified. Now even the gods demand your death." Gromsh seized the older man''s smaller frame and yanked him step by step to the edge of the window. Just as he lifted sand every night, he grabbed the tower lord''s belt and lifted him to the ledge. "Stop!¡± ssex shrieked. ¡°I''ll sign the tower to the cktusks! I''ll step down. You don''t need to kill me." Gromsh felt his lips curl in disgust. He stared at the weak, foppish fool of a Redfist, his body thin and decorated with greed. His nephew had been right. Gromsh should never have waited so long. "Save your breath for the gods." He growled and pushed, forcing his enemy out the window with a panicked scratching at the stone, then a scream as his weight dropped him from the tower. Gromsh watched until he saw the body hit the stone hundreds of feet below. [Objective: Throw Lord ssex from the ck Tower windows. Completed. Reward: Legitimized ck Tower Lordship.] Gromsh watched the title enter his profile amongst the many contracts and n details, shuddering at thepletion of a lifelong ambition fulfilled, suddenly given so freely by the gods. What was their will, he wondered? Why should they favor him, speak to him, and not Lord ssex or one of countless other chiefs or lords? What did they want from him? He didn''t have to wonder long. [Objective gained: Complete the failed task of your nephew. Destroy ke and Mason Nimitz. Obliterate the human settlement known as Nassau. Reward: Immortality.] Gromsh blinked in something like iprehension. To receive twomandments from the gods in an afternoon? It was unheard of. The stuff of legends. And the reward¡­what did that even mean? It couldn¡¯t truly be what it said. It couldn¡¯t¡­was it offering divinity? Gromsh¡¯s eyes filled with tears. He swelled with pride and devotion, knowing he was being favored as few orcs had ever been favored in the history of his race. He epted the objective with his mind, and with his soul, thinking first about the destruction or assimtion of the Redfist and how he must act quickly. Then the divine text moved again, jumbling and garbling in his vision. His eyes drooped and blurred, dizziness and nausea sweeping through him as he clutched the stone of the tower wall. Strange symbols and numbers swam before his eyes he couldn''t understand, grasping only a few bits and pieces. [/subsys activation. Project: return to mean. Equalization authorized. Enhancing.] "What?" Gromsh''s mouth tasted sour and coppery with blood and bile. His strength failing as he dropped to his knees. [Objective epted. Hidden reward granted. Chosen of the Gods. Please do not attempt to move.] Gromsh felt his body stiffen, then lock entirely. He wanted desperately to scratch sudden itches that red across his skin, then the itch became a burning pain, starting with his injured leg. It coursed up his body like fire, twisting his helpless limbs until he copsed moaning and failing even to scream. [Augmenting biological configuration.] The strange text continued before his unblinking eyes. [Adding unique ss. Adding prestige ss. Enhancing statistics. Applying immunities and resistances. Configuration confirmed.] Gromsh, didn''t understand any of it. Except the pain. It went on and on until the world went ck and he feared he¡¯d choke to death on his own tongue. Then, muchter, he rose. And ssex¡¯s hall seemed...smaller. The air all around him was different, too, more essible¡ªfused with what he now knew was fuel for arcane power. The gods told him it was not to be feared, as his brethren and ancestors had said. It was to be used. He walked down the steps of the ck Tower two and three at a time, until ssex¡¯s bodyguards met him at the bottom and went wide-eyed, their spears held in trembling hands. [Power activated: The Orc King.] "Send for the lords of the towers," Gromsh said in a voice that was no longer his. "Tell them to meet me in the central hall. They will want to hear what I have to say." "Y-yes, m-my lord Hand," the previously intimidating bodyguards bowed and trembled as they fled Gromsh''s presence. One of them had fled so quickly he dropped his iron spear. Out of curiosity more than anything, Gromsh lifted it and held it in his hands. It seemed so small, now. So delicate. He clenched his fists and pried, and with a growl of effort the metal bent between his grip before he threw it away. The tower lords would like what he had to say, he decided. But even if they didn''t, it no longer made any difference. No difference at all.
Chapter 118: The testing Chapter 118: The testing Thebined civilians of Nassau and Sanctuary voted for war. ¡®They¡¯d kill us too, wouldn¡¯t they?¡¯ seemed the prevailing attitude, and with something like apologetic and resigned agreement, they made their opinions clear. Mason rolled his eyes at the ''grand announcement''. He still preferred just to run, but in his heart he knew it wasn''t practical. He supposed when he thought ''run'' what he truly meant was only taking those he loved the most, not abined town full of people. But now when he thought about leaving the many folk whose names he knew, and the folk loved by those he loved, he began to admit: he wouldn''t leave them, either. So war it was. On the second day the entire collection of yers met in the open courtyard to discuss their abilities, and n their strategy. There were only a few Mason didn''t know, or hadn¡¯t seen in action, but he hadn¡¯t seen most of them for very long. Alex, Garet, Tommaso and the mostly silent Jason were all original yers with Nassau and had fought when Mason killed the old chief. Alex and Garet he¡¯d fought with and mostly liked and understood. Jason seemed much like Garet¡ªjust arger polearm wielder instead of a reasonably-sized spear. But Mason had put an arrow in the man¡¯s side when they first met, and they hadn¡¯t exactly be friends since. Tommaso he hadn¡¯t fought and honestly had no idea what sort of ss he was. Annie¡ªthe tiny, axe-wielding, red-head¡ªseemed mostly (and somewhat surprisingly) a physical brawler. Phuong was somewhere between a melee killer and crowd-controller. Seul-ki was Seul-ki. And the onlypletely new person was a Spaniard named Mateo who¡¯de with arge group and carried a thin de and¡­some kind of stick. With Mason and ke and Reba, it made for fourteen yers in all. Very tiny for a military force, and certainlypared to their orc enemy, but then they weren¡¯t simple soldiers. They were more like bloody superheroes. And ording to ke, it wasn¡¯t going to be a straight ¡®fight to the death¡¯ in any case. "This is a game, remember,¡± he¡¯d exined when they all met to discuss ¡®strategy¡¯. ¡°It¡¯s not a World War Two style fight to the death. These creatures live in ¡®towers¡¯ that I¡¯m willing to bet are actually dungeons." "Wait." Mason had put a hand to his face. "You''re telling me it''s not actually like...a city, or a fortress, it''s...a bunch of great trees? Portals to some other ce? And that''s the only way to stop them?" ke nodded, and Mason cursed. "Great. Just great. So we have to split up. And we can''t help each other." ke shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. We might be able to go in and out, or they might lead to the same ce. Or maybe we only have to do one. But first things first. We actually have to get to the tower portals, and they''ll be defended." "Good." Mason had looked at the others. "I think we should stay outside as long as possible. Kill as many of the bastards as we can until they''re hiding in their portals. Then we finish them one by one." The other yers nodded and smiled, but ke blew some air. "You¡¯re not listening. There might very well be a never ending supply of orcs. I saw an awful lot in their minds, living beneath the earth. It might be better to sneak in. Hope we aren''t noticed." "I don¡¯t believe that,¡± Mason said. ¡°That it would just¡­generate more forever.¡± He¡¯d said it, though he had his doubts. God only knew what this alien thing would do. But he shook his head either way. ¡°We can¡¯t just all go inside. We have toe out eventually and I¡¯d rather have people out holding the ground. And maybe they attack our settlement when we''re all inside." "Fair enough." ke had finally agreed. But now they were all out in the center of Nassau in the most open space they could find. Every yer waited with their weapons and armor or whatever gear or outfits they wanted to fight in. Civilians watched with curious stares from houses and streets. ¡°Today is testing day,¡± ke stepped before them all and grinned. ¡°We¡¯ll need to form groups soon and we need to know everyone¡¯s strengths and weaknesses. I know you¡¯re all different levels and that¡¯s fine. Mason has set up a little test for you, then we¡¯ll talk about groups.¡± He pped his hands. ¡°If you¡¯re all ready. Mason?¡± Mason was voluntold to be in charge of ¡®testing¡¯. So he hade out in the middle of the night and set up an obstacle course, some target dummies made of straw, and finally a bunch of crappy wooden weapons at the end. Every yer would have to go through, take out a dummy, then do their best to hurt him in a little ¡®duel¡¯. He cleared his throat, pulled the first name from a hat, and winced. ¡°Reba.¡± The country girl went red as she stepped up to the obstacle course. It involved something like a 100 meter dash, getting passed some barrels and other barriers, destroying several targets (or protecting them from Mason, for the support types), then fighting him (with him using wooden swords) to show off their powers until they gave up. Reba didn¡¯t waste any time. She ran full tilt, amazing body on disy in a clearly Haley-loaned gym outfit, through the race and barriers then covering the dummies in bubbles as Masonunched a few arrows. Then she dropped down to the open space opposite him and grinned. "Well, this is silly," he said. "There''s no way you can..." Reba growled and charged. Then Mason was parrying her disc as she swung it at full strength at his head. Her ''personal'' bubble twisted and moved around her, and Mason began a loud series of smacking strikes against her that sizzled with arcane energy. ¡°Alright, farm girl, if that¡¯s how it¡¯s going to be.¡± He swung his swords in a circle and cracked his neck. ¡°That¡¯s how it¡¯s gonna be,¡± sheughed, then re-formed her shield and tried to whack him with it. He went nearly full out after that, smashing with Predator¡¯s Strike until his wooden sword exploded and flew everywhere. Then he summoned his ws and made sure to strike somewhere it wouldn¡¯t hurt Reba if he broke through. It still took a bloody minute. Then Reba¡¯s face scrunched up with concentration, her cute freckles and pink skin glowing as she roared in frustration. Then her shield flickered and popped. "OK,¡± she said, panting, ¡°you''re too damn fast. But if it weren¡¯t for all these folks around I could have made a pretty unpleasant boom!" Mason winked and resisted staring at Becky¡¯s heaving chest before he reached for his hat of names. ¡°Next.¡± * * * So the afternoon of ¡®testing¡¯ went. Mason could soon see the citizens getting more and more into the disy, what looked like betting with desirable snack food, though he had no idea on what. Garet shredded the dummies with a sweeping attack from semi-translucent spears in about a second. But then Mason took him apart, deflecting and getting inside his spear thrusts before ringing a good sword smack off his chest. "Shit. Should have saved it," Garet mumbled as he walked away. Mason was a bit excited when Phuong got called. He went through the obstacle course at reasonable speed, slicing the fresh dummies with ease before unsummoning his own de and lifting a wooden sword like mason. Then he bowed, and grinned. ¡°Ready when you are, Master Mason.¡± ¡°Looking forward to it.¡± Mason grinned, then came forward with a testing swing. Phuong suddenly moved like a man half his age, leaping back before cutting a pattern in the air before Mason had time to charge. The swirling blue trailunched in an instant, and out of curiosity as much as surprise, Mason didn¡¯t even try to move. [First Blood title activated: yer stun resisted.] Mason felt like he''d mmed his head into a wall, then stood next to the speakers at a heavy metal concert. He was blinking and trying to regain his bnce as Phuong came leaping with sword raised. But he could still move, and deflected it as he stepped away. The old man¡¯s ever-present grin dropped with a scowl, and he came on slicing and parrying until Mason finally cracked a sword off his bald scalp. "Are you alright?" he came forward but Phuong just shook his head and re-gained his grin. "Just fine, young man. Thank you for the¡­vigorous duel." Mason matched the grin and gave as much bow as he could without feeling silly. Then the testing went on. Tommaso, as it turned out, was something like an adaptable rogue. He could transform his weapons, and even throw one in the air to fight apart from him for a minute. But he was still very low level and Mason put him down quickly. The Spaniard, Mateo, was something like a duelist. Mason was reminded of the man he¡¯d fought and killed before Sebastian¡ªincredible speed and uracy with a pin-point strike. But he too was just too low level, and Mason¡¯s much higher stats ended things instantly. Carl rolled his eyes when called. He warped across pretty much the whole obstacle course, then summoned a clone or two and gave up as soon as Mason went at him. ¡°I¡¯m too old and too pretty,¡± he dered, then bowed to the girls from Sanctuary and walked off flipping the bird to Mason. It was all very amusing, but Mason knew the man was terrifying if he needed to be. Unfortunately he would almost certainly need to be on a different team than Mason to help bnce the strength. Finally it was new girl Annie''s turn. She seemed reluctant to do it at all, but after a few words with ke she ran and went through the obstacles like a nervous kid, right until she got to Mason. Then she looked up at him with eyes that didn¡¯t belong on a young woman, and little hairs on his neck went up. She lifted her metal axe and screamed as she ran at him. "ke!" Mason shouted instantly, backing away as he leapt around the dueling space trying not to be firewood. ke was yelling something about happy ces and calming down, but the young woman kept screaming and trying to rip Mason''s head off. She was incredibly strong and fast considering her stature, and Mason damn near summoned his ws. But then ke came forward with eyes zing light, and Annie stopped dead in her tracks. Her face ckened and one eye started to twitch. Then she put down her axe and walked away. Many people¡ªboth civilian and yers¡ªexchanged concerned looks. Whether they were concerned about Annie or what ke had done to her, Mason wasn¡¯t quite sure. But it wasn¡¯t great either way. "Well." Mason tossed away his wooden swords and wiped a little sweat. "Thank you everyone for your efforts. I think we''ll call that a day." ke blinked and smiled, calling across the courtyard like nothing unusual had happened. "Thank you everyone, we''ll pick teams tomorrow. That will be all. Thank you." When Mason and ke were on their own in the courtyard, he looked around and whispered. "I thought she was cute a few minutes ago.¡± He felt a little pain and noticed a small line of blood from where Annie''s axe had touched his side. ke nced at it and winced. "Tigers are cute until they tear out your guts. But don¡¯t worry, I''ll get her under control." Mason gave his brother a meaningful stare, not sure how else he could exin the average person''s terror of ke''s mind control powers. "Is it worth it? You want her beside you when it''s life or death? In that bloody orc dungeon?" "She¡¯s killed more orcs than anyone else, brother." ke said, then frowned as he seemed lost in thought. "But yes. She''ll be with me. And you won''t be, by the way. We''re going to need to split up." Mason blinked but didn¡¯t argue, thinking that was a terrible idea. There was little point in fighting until things were getting official. "We''ll pick tomorrow," he said, turning back to the hall and his girls. "There''s a kind of party at the Eatery tonight, as Hank calls it," ke called. "Attendance mandatory! Bring Haley and Reba! Supper starts in a few minutes!" Mason waved a hand, thinking again how little things had changed, even in the damn apocalypse. Here he was getting ready to fight another bully who meant them harm, and being summoned by ke to some damn party. "I should have built a bunker," he muttered, walking back towards his room. Chapter 119: Party like it’s 2022 Chapter 119: Party like it¡¯s 2022 Supper actually smelled amazing. A dozen civilians were working on a feast, mostly using new supplies brought by the Sanctuary folks in magical storage. With people from practically everywhere in the world, the cuisine knowledge covered every continent and style you could think of. Competence and opinions, however, were just as varied¡­ Rosa and Adele got in a fight before the first course. Pretty soon half a dozen women were standing around arguing, Haley and Hank in the middle trying to calm them down, everyone else at tables or ying games in the entertainment hall as they waited. Mason sat with Reba and her nurse friend A. ¡°So I hear you¡¯re from¡­¡± Mason¡¯s brain nked. He felt a little embarrassmente on as he mostly just stared at the very slight, very pretty blonde. ¡°Find,¡± A finally helped him and grinned. ¡°Right.¡± Mason cleared his throat and watched the girls exchange amused feminine looks he certainly wouldn¡¯t be unpacking. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll pretend to know anything about that. Just another dumb American here.¡± ¡°Five and a half million people,¡± ke exhaled as he answered from nearby. ¡°Capital Helsinki. Stuck between Russia and Sweden on the Baltic Sea. Very nice pastries.¡± A pulled back and stared, looking very impressed. Mason rolled his eyes. ¡°Have you been to Finnd?¡± she asked, raising her voice slightly to be heard over Rosa and Adele¡¯s increasing shouting match. ¡°Unfortunately no,¡± ke slid a little closer and smiled with his handsome, slightly punchable face. ¡°And now I suppose I never will. But I¡¯d love to hear all about it.¡± A nced at Reba, who shook her head. ¡°Sounds like you know everything anyway,¡± A said as ke was sliding ever closer to her seat. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be sorting out your feast?¡± Mason nodded at the red-faced pack of civilians now jabbing fingers in each other¡¯s faces. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± Streak whined with a slight growl beside his chair. ¡°And so is my increasinglyrge and impatient wolf.¡± ke slid away from A with a wink and a sigh. ¡°You¡¯re right. Duty calls. And anyway I¡¯m a taken man, so you really shouldn¡¯t be flirting with me.¡± A and Rebaughed, and Mason just shook his head as his brother wandered off towards the kitchen. ¡°He¡¯s quite the character,¡± A said when he was gone, and Mason blew out a breath. ¡°Yes he is. But at least he kept my childhood entertaining.¡± ¡°I bet.¡± A grinned and they had a few moments offortable silence before Reba jabbed her friend¡¯s arm. ¡°So how¡¯s your love life?¡± A¡¯s eyes flicked over Mason before she dropped her hand to the table and made a whistle like a falling bomb. ¡°I haven¡¯t had time, to be honest! I feel like I¡¯m the busiest person in this ce. Except Mason, of course,¡± she gave him a wink. ¡°All the new peopleing, yers getting hurt, crafting people hurting themselves.¡± She sighed. ¡°And there¡¯s not enough men. And that was before all these new¡­¡± she lowered her voice¡­ ¡°horny bitches showed up.¡± Reba giggled and leaned in with a meaningful nce at Mason. ¡°Tell me about it.¡± ¡°Oh please.¡± A frowned with a little pout. ¡°You guys are practically married.¡± She sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll just have to live vicariously through you. Except now I can¡¯t even¡­¡± she dropped her voice even lower. ¡°Did you know now in phase two you can¡¯t even¡­you know¡­take care of yourself?¡± ¡°Dinner is served!¡± ke announced, shooing various people forward to start carrying tes. Haley finally came out from the cooking area, blowing some hair from her slightly sweaty face as she took off her apron. ¡°Those women are crazy,¡± she announced, sliding in beside Mason and putting her head on his shoulder. ¡°Did I miss anything good?¡± ¡°Just A here tellin¡¯ us the woes of being single.¡± ¡°Oh poor girl.¡± Haley gave Mason a quick, and very private, meaningful look, which hepletely ignored as he prayed for the food quickly. ¡°But you¡¯re so pretty,¡± she went on. ¡°It can¡¯t be so difficult.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t all snag one up before we hit the gates,¡± A teased, but kept on ncing at Mason with a very wandering eye. Then Phuong arrived with a steaming te of food, and smiled politely before sitting in an empty spot next to A. He¡¯d stuffed severalrge bites of some kind of noodles into his mouth with great slurping gusto before he looked up at everyone else. ¡°What? Faster to get it yourself,¡± he said with his mouthful, and everyone got up with augh. * * * After supper, there was music, and dancing. Mason wasn¡¯t the poster boy for either, but with much prodding and whining, especially from Reba, he joined everyone else on the floor. ke was in his element¡ªsmiling andughing as he flit from group to group, shaking hands and making nice. Mason reminded himself what a holy terror his brother was with a magical list of everyone¡¯s names and personal details, nevermind mind powers. He tried not to worry about what that meant for him or anyone else, because he trusted his brother, and because he would always be there to make sure it didn¡¯t get out of hand. He tried just to dance, and enjoy himself. The music was your typical mindless dance club beat, and Reba was on her third or fourth drink. She was now grinding against him with a wide grin, Haleyughing and spurring her on. When Mason finally escaped he sat with Haley and let Reba dance with A and a few other girls as he nursed some of Billy the brewer¡¯s moonshine. He offered one to Haley, but she shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything,¡± Mason said somewhat sadly as he looked at his ss. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure my stats and powers make me basically immune.¡± She smiled and put her head on his shoulder as she watched everyone dance. ¡°Almost feels normal, doesn¡¯t it?¡± she said, and he wrapped his arm around her and rubbed her back. ¡°Yeah. Almost.¡± He looked at ke still out there cutting a rug, and lowered his voice. ¡°Do people talk about his...mind powers? Is there any¡­I don¡¯t know, concern?¡± Haley pursed her lips, put back her hair and met Mason¡¯s eyes. ¡°A little. But they know I¡¯m with you and I think they don¡¯t talk to me about such things as much. He''s not sleeping with civilian girls two at a time or anything, so that helps. And he listens to people.¡± She smiled a little. ¡°And of course everyone''s pretty afraid of you, so they don¡¯t say much. But I''ll keep an eye on things.¡± Mason was about to protest about why anyone should be scared of him, but he guessed he understood. ¡°Thanks.¡± He grinned. ¡°I can''t believe I almost left you in the forest.¡± She opened her mouth in mock offense and pped his arm, then Reba was traipsing over ring at them both drunkenly. ¡°Get up here. Not you, Mason, it¡¯s girls only!¡± she said, grabbing the Canadian and yanking her up with a little too much strength. ¡°Easy on the civilians!¡± Mason said,ughing a little as he watched the dance floor swell with practically twenty girls. Then Rosa was beside him, looking stunning as usual even in an apocalypse-issued in white dress. She met his eyes and smiled shyly, her hands somewhat awkwardly twined in herp. It definitely wasn¡¯t in character, and Mason was a bit surprised. ¡°I talked to Haley earlier,¡± she said, and Mason as usual decided it was best to keep his mouth shut. ¡°She said if I wanted you I had to y nice with Reba.¡± Mason just nodded, and a little of the girl¡¯s expected fire red in her eyes, but she clearly fought it down. ¡°So your girlfriends need to approve of me?¡± He sighed. ¡°They''re more than that. We''re like family. So yeah, they need to approve of you.¡± Rosa¡¯s war with her temper clearly continued, but again she fought it down. ¡°I''m not sure how I feel about that.¡± ¡°I get it,¡± Mason shrugged. ¡°You don''t have to do anything. I like you, Rosa, and I want to see a lot more of you. But that''s just the deal. We¡¯re sort of making this up as we go along, but so far that¡¯s the only rule I know.¡± Rosa nodded, clearly unsure but handling it well. Mason smiled and took her hand. ¡°Whatever you decide, you saved my life. Just like you saved everyone from Sanctuary, whether they know it or not. You¡¯re one of the most impressive people I¡¯ve ever met. And you¡¯re also so sexy it breaks my brain a little.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure why he said it, except it was true. And suddenly the idea of Rosa saying no and wanting nothing to do with him seemed like a deeply troubling possibility. Her eyes were a little watery, and he leaned in and kissed her on the lips, probably lingering longer than he should have. When they finally separated Rosa let out a long breath and gave him a yful p on the cheek. ¡°Maybe if the orcs don¡¯t kill you, we can talk.¡± She stood to leave, and Mason smiled, not remotely hiding his stare as she turned. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±
Chapter 120: After the party Chapter 120: After the party Mason woke to Reba¡¯s groans like an rm clock. "Ohh,¡± she stumbled to the bathroom and made some spitting noises before flopping back down on the bed. ¡°My head. Shoot me." Mason gave her an empathetic pat on the back. "Someone had a little too much funst night." She grunted, then squinted at him. "Did we at least have a sloppy, drunken sex party?" "We did not. Try drinking some water." "Unngh.¡± She did, but without much pleasure. ¡°Never again. Never. Again." Haley walked in from the kitchen and gave Mason a grin. "Can you take care of her?¡± he said. ¡°I''m going to go find ke." "Of course I already am,¡± she raised her chin. ¡°I know a hangover recipe. It''s supposed to be for wine, but, I don''t think it matters. Probably." Mason chuckled and found some clothes, running a hand through Reba''s hair and squeezing her shoulder before he walked out the door. When Haley followed to the kitchen, he grabbed her roughly and pped her ass as he stuck his tongue in her mouth and lifted her up. ¡°Sorry I fell asleepst night,¡± she said, already panting slightly in Mason¡¯s arms. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Also I shouldn¡¯t have started this,¡± he said as she wrapped her legs around him. He forced himself to set her back down and gave her onest grope. ¡°Good luck with Becky. I¡¯ll see youter.¡± She made a desperate little groan, then he was away and back in the streets of Nassau. Streak instantly dropped off the porch to follow, whining behind him with a few big yawns, looking bigger than ever. ¡°Do you grow every meal? What are you even eating?¡± Mason stopped to give the wolf a quick inspection and a scratch before he shook his head and kept walking. A few early risers waved and Mason returned it, feeling much more natural in a morning mist than at some wild party. It felt strange in the settlement as always. His body and maybe even senses slowed and dulled, feeling a kind of ustrophobia at being trapped inside the walls. But he was getting fond of the ce, he realized, and many of the people. He supposed a man could have two homes. Dawn light barely shone through the canopy, but ke would be awake. He never was much of a sleeper, filled with a kind of boundless, restless energy that in the old world usually had him stooped over a book or aputer. While Mason¡¯s brother enjoyed the social scene, he didn''t usually partake much in the drunken hedonism, usually holding the same drink half the night. Mason found him, somewhat unsurprisingly, in a chair by a window with the best light. "Morning." He sat in a chair beside and looked out at the trees beyond the wall. "Good morning, Mason." ke looked up from his device, which looked like a futuristic ipad. "Have you used one of these yet?" Mason shrugged, and ke rolled his eyes. "They contain practically every bit of knowledge human beings had. You can read any book, watch any film. Though our robot overlord didn''t seem very impressed by most social media content." Mason snorted. "Plus one roboGod." "I actually quite miss podcasts." ke sighed. "Your girls are feeling alright this morning?" "Haley yes, Reba no." "Unfortunate." ke sipped his coffee. "You want to discuss the dungeon teams." "You''re the mind reader. And I know you''ve been thinking about it all night." ke slurped and sighed. "I want Annie, Alex, and Carl." "What about Seul-ki?" Mason said, genuinely surprised. His brother frowned. "We''re taking almost every single yer out of Nassau. I need someone here I can trust. And¡­¡± he shrugged, ¡°I want to run a little experiment." Mason had no idea what that meant and didn¡¯t much care. "What the hell good is being together if I''m not around to protect you? And I don''t trust Annie." "Well I do. And you can''t always be there to protect me, you''ve said it yourself. I need to tie my own shoes, wipe my own ass, et cetera. These orcs are vulnerable to my mind magic, which makes me a pretty damn good asset in there. Carl is the second strongest yer we have now, so I''d like to get to know him. And Alex is our most flexible all around support. It''s a good team. Agreed?" Mason probably agreed if he thought about it, save for thinking Annie was a ticking time bomb. "Where''d you get that coffee?" ke tut tutted and walked to a little nook that apparently had a machine, filling Mason a mug. ¡°It¡¯s the same set up in every house in the settlement. Does Haley literally do everything for you?¡± Yes, Mason thought, not at all unhappy about it, then picturing her naked and moaning before he shook his head and took a good long sip or two. "So have you picked my team as well?" "I have. Reba, Phuong, and Tommaso. Should be plenty of magic and muscle and you should get to know Tommaso." "He seemed...weak, in the obstacle course." "That''s why you''ve got Phuong and Reba and you. Anyway, Tommaso is good, he just needs levels." "Sounds like you''ve got it all figured out,¡± Mason said without much enthusiasm. He thought about that fortress and all those orcs and snakes and riders. "It may not matter. We may not even get into those dungeons. Are we taking back Sanctuary first? Or heading straight to the fortress?" "A fine question. Though I don''t suppose we can hold the town anyway. What do you think?" "I think we take the town first. It might be instructive." ke raised a brow, and Mason leaned forward a little. "To show you how easy it is, and how vulnerable settlements are." ke smiled with tight pressed lips. "As you say. Now finish your drink while I wake the others. We might as well get an early start." ke''s eyes zed slightly, and Mason wondered how many poor buggers were getting the ''ke rm clock'' treatment. It was at least slightlyforting to know he wasn''t the only one. * * * Byte morning, the settlement was again gathering to send off nearly all their yers, plenty of hugs and tears and fond farewells. Mason stood with a somewhat pale-faced Reba, who assured him she was fine before wandering off to lean on a building and spit several times. "What happened to the French hangover cure?" Mason whispered to Haley. "It worked. You should have seen her before." Mason grinned, then noticed Rosa with her friend watching from the small patio of their house. "I heard you talked to Rosa. But she might need another one. I don''t suppose you can..." he trailed off. "You know, sort of like you did with Reba." Haley raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow and grinned. "Of course. If you''d like me to." Mason winced at the tone. "Why do I feel like it''s going to cost me." "Cost you, patron? My services are yours tomand." "What do you want, you French minx. Spit it out." Haley leaned forward and gave Mason a goodbye hug like many of the other civilians. "I wouldn¡¯t dream of it. And nothing you wouldn''t enjoy, master, when the timees. Juste home in one piece, please." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then grinned and walked off towards the chief hall before she turned back. "And bring Reba back in one piece, too!" "Don''t worry about me, y¡¯all!" Reba called, bent over and wiping a hand across her face. "I''m totally fine!" Mason adjusted his bow across his shoulders, whistling for Streak. He walked to the gate and waited, looking back at all the yers and civilians of Nassau. ke and Seul-ki were sharing a quiet goodbye, as were Carl and Silvie. Every yer he could see was being sent off by someone, which brought a warmth to his chest. Warriors should always be sent off and greeted, he decided, by those they meant to protect. "Let''s go, people," he called. The excitement and sounds died away at his voice, and the yers came when called. Even ke came along with the pack, seemingly content to let Mason lead them to a fight. Mason looked over them all and grinned. "Not much for speeches. Let''s just go kill some damn orcs, ande back home and party." The pack gave amitted, if subdued and probably hung over cheer. It would have to do.
Chapter 121: Error. Desist. Chapter 121: Error. Desist. Gromsh dropped Farak, lord of the Red Tower to the stone tiles. The big orc choked and spasmed as he died, throat crushed in Gromsh''s fist. He had always been the strongest and most stubborn of the tower lords. "Are there any more objections." Gromsh said without the hint of a question. Then he stepped over Farak and stared at the lord¡¯s eldest son and other kin at the lesser tables in the hall. "You can be lord of the Red Tower, Harak. Or I can find some other orc who wants power. The choice is yours." Harak slowly nodded, his eyes still on the broken corpse of his sire. It helped that Gromsh had allowed the powerful warrior to stab him several times before lifting him in the air and crushing his throat. He was even more powerful than he first thought. The God''s had blessed him with power not seen in the race of orcs in their entire history. He was twice the size of thergest warrior in the hall, his skin hard as stone, his strength impossible. And though he would not reveal it to his minions, he could feel his body pulse with mana, his mind filled with arcane knowledge that would put the High Shaman to shame. "So it is decided." Gromsh stepped to the edge of the hall. "Every tower lord will report to me here, daily, at this time. Now go. Ready your warriors. I may call for them soon." He walked out without another word, having decided already he would appoint his other nephew as lord of the ck Tower. Better to be ¡®apart¡¯, or else slowly the terror would fade as the resentment built, and they would rebel, as was their nature. Instead he would make the abandoned hall his throne¡ªthe ancient dungeon where once his kind kept a demon prisoner in the Age of the Heavens, before the Makers had gone. There he would lead the race of orcs to new heights, spreading across the continent, wiping out any who opposed them. They would subdue the Great Worms and end the sacrifices, crush the insectoids, the humans, and even the underground. With the help of the gods, soon it would be the age of the orc. Gromsh stepped out from the central hall and gloried in the sunlight. Like all orcs the brightness bothered his eyes, but today he did not care. He stretched his strong, healthy legs, then strode to the edge of the towers, ignoring the bowing guards as he made for the open gate. [Error. Unable to leave Tower Dungeon zone without enhanced admin system attention. Desist.] Painnced up Gromsh''s previously crippled leg and into his chest. He roared and stopped moving, the pain diminishing slightly with every step back towards the walls and the towers. He stared at the divine messages appearing before his eyes with iprehension. [Error.] More angry redmands from the gods spiraled before Gromsh''s eyes. [Desist. Return to the tower grounds immediately.] Gromsh was forced to limp back like the cripple he had been all his life. The agony only ended once he had moved entirely back within the gates of the towers. The trembling guards who had stood watch did their best to look anywhere but at Gromsh as he clutched his chest and panted. What was happening to him? Did this mean the gods had trapped him in the tower? He clenched his teeth and fists in impotent rage, wanting to scream why?, knowing it made no difference. It seems their gift hade with a cost¡ªtheir use for him more specific than he had anticipated. He could unite the orcs as he had begun already. He could protect the holy stones and guide his people from his throne. But he would never lead their conquests. Not if he could never leave the towers. So much glory lost in a moment. Why give him such power if not to use it! And how could he know what was happening outside his walls? How could he defeat the foes he had promised the gods to kill? [Power gained: Objective Scrying. Observe the mortal enemies of your gods.] Gromsh blinked in amazement, instantly activating his new divine power. The world vanished before his eyes and re-appeared in a world of green and brown. He squinted and stared at a forest, seeing a line of human champions walking through the trees. Not only could he observe them, he could hear them perfectly, listening as they talked andughed. They spoke of killing orcs so quickly they''d be home for supper. They spoke of a human settlement and conquering its walls. Gromsh watched, and listened, his perception moving and circling with perfect rity. Soon he found his true targets. He knew them instantly by sight though he had never seen them. One fair-haired and blue eyed, the other...the other...Gromsh blinked and grimaced as his other enemy blurred and brightened. His mana visibly sagged. "Wait," said Mason Nimitz, therger warrior, his strange eyes flicking left and right and glowing like zing green torches. "Apex Predator is going crazy. Do you feel that?" "I don''t feel anything, brother," ke Nimitz frowned. Watching this man was like staring at the sun. Gromsh flinched and looked away, dropping his power as he saw he''d lost half his mana in seconds. But he had heard enough. He turned back towards the hall and the lords likely still gathered there. His instructions would have to change. The human champions wereing, and he had to force them toe to him. Whether they came just for the settlement, or possibly for the stones or for his people he didn''t know, nor did he care. They muste to him and enter the towers¡ªdeeply enough they could not retreat in time to escape his power. There, Gromsh would be waiting, and then they would be his. The settlement was nothing. The other human champions were nothing. There was only the enemies of his gods, and therefore his enemies. The way-gates of the towers could be entered and exited by any creature. But the gods had given him a lifetime power¡ªMortal Foes¡ªwith a single use to trap his enemies inside a tower gate until one or the other was dead. They would have mere seconds to escape. He need only wait for them to enter inside, too far to reach the entrance gates in a mad dash. Then he would use his power, and trap them. Then he would break them. * * * Mason shivered as the feeling of being watched ended. "I''m telling you," he said quietly to ke. "Something just used magic to watch us. My powers and titles made it hard, but they didn''t stop it." "Any chance this is your legendary paranoia talking?" ke raised a brow. "No. I''m telling you, I felt it." "But not anymore?" Mason shook his head, and his brother sighed. "Very well. Then we must assume our watchers are our immediate enemies, and now know we''reing. What that actually means to our ns I have no idea. If you were them, what would you do?" Mason winced and kept his voice low. "I''d wait until their soldiers were far enough away, then I''d hit their settlement, destroy everything, and kill everyone." ke blinked and stared at Mason for a moment before he spoke. "Remind me never to be your enemy, brother. However I noticed our orc enemies were not that fast, nor exactly the sneakiest woodsman. Other than their riders, it seemed their forces could hardly catch a bunch of frightened young women. Do you think they could possibly get around us fast enough?" Mason shrugged, but did feel slightly pacified at that. "I doubt it. And Nassau''s walls are no joke now. The riders likely wouldn''t be enough to do it." "Very good. So we carry on." ke lowered his voice to a whisper. "But do we take back the settlement, or do we attack the fortress?" "Stop whispering. I can''t hear you very well." Carl stepped closer from his snooping position apparently directly behind them, and Mason rolled his eyes. "And what''s this about being magically watched?" "I forgot how annoying you are," Mason kept whispering "I don''t see how," Carl whispered back, "It''s only been a couple days." keughed at that, and Mason looked between them and groaned. "Why is it starting to feel like I''m outnumbered?" "Because you''ve always been a singr individual, brother. It''s just the price of uniqueness. So¡ªwhat do you think we should do, Carl? Settlement, or fortress?" The older man frowned, then deted slightly. "It seems to me they worked awfully hard to take that settlement. But the truth is it doesn''t matter much to us. Might be we surprise them by ignoring it entirely." ke nodded. "I agree. Once the fortress is destroyed, we can take it at our leisure." Mason looked between them and shrugged. The only reason he¡¯d wanted to take it was to get the yers a little experience. "If we can destroy the fortress. That''s a big if." "Well it''s what we''re here for, is it not?" ke countered, and Mason had no choice but to nod. "Then it''s agreed. Straight to the fortress. We see what we see. We kill any orcs that get in our way. We take down their dungeons one by one and level up like madmen." "Bingo bango bungo." Carl said, and both grinned like that was actually funny, looking to Mason to share in their humor. "I''m walking with Reba," he muttered, and walked towards the middle of the pack.
Chapter 122: That doesn’t make me wrong Chapter 122: That doesn¡¯t make me wrong Mason and the other yers marched all day and half the night without stopping. Without the civilians to slow them down, the superior overall physical strength and endurance of the yers had them covering far more ground. They also weren''t afraid of being found by enemies, so they used shlights when the light diminished. Finally they made a fire and ate arge supper of town supplies and a few squirrels and something like grouse they''d caught en route. Then they set a watch rotation and settled into their sleeping bags. It was only a few hours to the open ground, and a few more to the fortress. Mason shared with Reba, but out of respect for the others and with the knowledge of what they''d soon face, they just held each other and tried to sleep. "I''m d I''m with you tomorrow," Reba whispered, cuddling into his arms. "I wouldn''t have it otherwise," Mason said, doing his best not to let the feel of her amazing body get him going. It took a good hour of thinking about bloody scabs and the worst smells he could think of, but eventually he managed to sleep without giving up and banging Reba''s brains out. He went mercifully without dreams, awaking just before the dawn to a soft, cold drizzle, and Streak''s low growlingints. "I''m up," Mason groaned, "I''m up." He found a few decent sized scraps of grouse, and gave his wolf a good scratch and pet as he fed him. He inspected the tattoos covering his arms and part-way to his chest, still not used to seeing them on his skin. But knowing how they camouged him, and strengthened his flesh, he certainly had noints. He wondered briefly how he was supposed to help ke and anyone else get a ''prestige ss'' like he and Carl had found in the giant worm¡¯sir. Could he just take the others down to the same vault with Violet''s help? He sincerely doubted it. It seemed like one of those kinds of dungeons that closed up behind you, never to be entered again. So that must mean there were other ways, other ''secrets'' to find. Of course if the dungeons were anywhere near as dangerous as the worm''sir, how could he even bring someone he loved? So far he''d been lucky, he knew. This new world was so damn dangerous. All it would take was a moment of bad luck or inattention, and a yer like Reba or ke... He shook his head and tried to put the thought away. Just as he put away the thoughts of Gaia''s Seed and ''immortality''. "Coffee?" Reba pulled a hidden thermos from her bag and wiggled her eyebrows. Mason smiled. "That''s why I love you." She failed miserably to cover the smile, and Mason supposed that was the second time he¡¯d said it. God damnit, he thought, wishing he had the guile and natural know-how of dealing with women his brother had¡­rather than just, say whatever he was thinking in the moment. He felt himself flushing slightly despite the cool rain. ¡°I love you too,¡± she said quietly before he had a chance to back out of it. "Alright then." Mason fought the stab of lust that shot down his body, grabbing the thermos. "Can I have my coffee now?" "Yeah." Reba just kept grinning and Mason had to fight his own. He supposed if not now, then when? They could both die today. In that rocky in or in the fortress after. He sighed and looked out beyond the trees, no desire at all to go and do this. He wanted to run. He wanted to take the people he loved, and run, that was the truth. He supposed that''s how he''d always felt. In all his end of the world, doomsday scenarios, it was always a kind of escape. He nned for bunkers or mountain cabins, bug-out bags and hermit life. But was that the ending he really wanted all along? To escape civilization? To run away from everything and everyone? "Where''d you go?" He blinked and saw Reba watching his eyes. "Or did you just really like that coffee?" "I definitely do.¡± Heughed a little. ¡°Just thinking about the orcs." He frowned and took Reba''s hand. "Don''t try and take on too much, alright? If your shield''s getting low, you get the fuck out of there and don''t be a hero. Promise me." "Alright, handsome." Becky squeezed his hand. "I promise. I like you worrying about me, so I won''t tell you not to. But I''ll be alright. We all will. Just ask ke." Mason snorted, ncing at his brother still sound asleep, not a care in the world. "ke could get a Titanic survivor to fly on the Hindenburg. You just watch out for yourself first, understood? If this all goes bad, we get the fuck out." "Ow." Reba tugged at his hand and Mason instantly let go. "Sorry." He took it again and kissed it. "I still forget my strength sometimes." "You''ll make it up to me." Reba winked then stood up and stretched. "Alright yazy mongrels," she shouted in an especially thick dose of her adorable ent. "Daylight''s wastin''." She gave Phuong a gentle kick on the ground. "That goes for old men and foreigner''s too." "Ungh." Phuong sat up and scowled. "We''re all foreigners now, Miss Reba. And you''d best be careful who you call old. Do I smell coffee?" Rebaughed and poured him a cup, then was soon mobbed by waking yers until her thermos was empty. "Alright that''s it!" she finally shouted. "Greedy dogs. That''s thest of it, now let''s go I''m wet and restless." Mason met her eyes and grinned and she rolled her eyes. Then the group packed their sleeping bags and huddled for amunal series of nods and back pats, otherwise silent about the fighting they knew was ahead. Then Mason led them out of the trees. * * * "See anything?" Mason turned and red at his brother after the fourth time he''d asked. "Still no. I don''t see distance much better than you, ke, so just keep your attention on the horizon and stop..." "There." Carl gestured at a sort of mid-way spot between the fortress and Sanctuary''s walls. "Hard to tell how big. But there''s some kind of camp." Mason followed the older man''s eyes and nodded. "Alright. As far as I''m concerned, that''s target one unless we start to find a whole army of orcs out here. Let''s creep ahead. I''d rather not let them run and warn the others." "Some of us...aren''t very stealthy," ke said. "Should we send anyone ahead?" "Alright," Mason breathed. "Carl and I will loop around towards the towers. Approach them, then kill them. Anyone else a stealthy type?" "Me? Sort of?" Tommaso cleared his throat and shrugged. "But maybe it''s best if I stick with the group." "OK. Ready, Carl?" He nodded, then Mason activated Speak with Nature and touched the ground. [Violet. Follow me. We''re going to attack those orcs. Be ready to strike.] He knew she''d understand and obey, so he left it at that and advanced, hunched forward so he could touch the ground asionally and camouge as he moved. Carl wouldn''t be able to move nearly so quickly, so he kept himself to a walk, but he literally already couldn¡¯t see the man. Together (probably), they moved from rock to rock, high grass to the asional dip in the terrain, eyes always roaming for new threats. It seemed strange to Mason there wouldn''t be more orcs in the field. If it was truly the tower orcs that had ''spied'' on them and knew they wereing, wouldn''t they send out a variety of patrols? The orcs they''d fought in the forest weren''t stupid. They were disciplined, trained warriors, clearly part of an organized army or culture of war. These weren''t power-mad yers who''d never seen violence before the robo-apocalypse. So either it wasn''t truly them who''d been watching Mason and the others approach. Or it was, and this was all some kind of performance, some kind of trap. But he looked at the camp and saw maybe fifteen orcs, with three of the strange lizard-bird mounts. They were close enough to the settlement and the fortress to run and warn either, probably scouts or messengers of some kind. It was a perfectly reasonable military scout camp. So why couldn''t Mason shake the feeling of a trap? Because you''re paranoid, he heard ke''s voice in his head. Yes, ke, I''m paranoid, but that doesn''t make me wrong. He sighed and searched for Carl, who eventually appeared in some tall grass with a wink, picking at his teeth with a stalk. "We going?" he whispered, and Mason nodded. "Riders first. That''s our only job. Once they''re down, we can help with the others." "Sure." Carl muttered. "Guy with the bow tells the guy with the knife to kill the cavalry. Worked greatst time. I''ll just leap on their backs Zorro style. No problem." "Are you done?" Mason hissed back, and the older man pursed his lips like he was considering. "Yes." "Good because as soon as they notice ke, we should be ready to...shit." Two of the orcs pointed out at the in, in the general direction of ke and the other yers. They shouted back at the rest, and the orcs were up and armed in a split second. Mason lifted his bow, and ran.
Chapter 123: The Grey Tower Chapter 123: The Grey Tower ke moved with the others and pretended to know how to ''sneak''. ''Hunching'' and ''creeping'' were basically so foreign to ke he wasn¡¯t quite sure how to move forward, but he supposed one asionally had to do what one must. "Are we close enough?" he whispered a littleter. "Can''t we just...charge?" "Not yet," Phuong answered, gesturing the group onward through the terrain. They went on like this for an almost offensive amount of time before the party of orcs seemed to perk up. "Shit," Phuong hissed. "They''ve spotted us. Let''s go! Everyone move! Attack!" And with that the ''sneaking'' phase was over, and the excited yers all rushed to martial glory. ke followed at a respectable distance. Not having Seul-ki was strange, bordering on diforting. He made due by sticking with Annie, encouraging her onward with a pleasant smile and a small dose of Mentally Influenced trust. "You''ll be fine," he assured. "You''re good at killing orcs. Trust me." Annie didn''t need much prompting in that department. She raced ahead with her axe held in both little hands, such violent intent from a physically small, eighteen year old girl most bizarre. And also wonderful. ke always did have a penchant for the bizarre. Some of the orcs got on their strange mounts and fled. Then there was explosions and screaming and arrows and the riders or their animals were being knocked or pulled down. That giant, purple worm burst out of the ground and grabbed one. Streak pulled over another. ke didn''t concern himself further. Instead he watched his yers battle the orcs on foot, watching and waiting with Telekinesis to perhaps do something useful. Phuong and Reba led the charge, so coordinated ke was reminded they''d fought together before they came to Nassau. The Vietnamese swordsman let Reba draw the orcs'' attention, then hacked at her attackers after every confused and distracted swing. Garet and the silent Jason followed, skewering creatures with phantom spears then taking positions next to Reba. Annie, Tomaso, and the new yer Mateo struggled to find a ce in thebat, mostly waiting on the sides for an orc to approach. All of them had some kind of melee weapon and had mostly focused that direction so far. ke frowned. They had far too many yers who needed to fight up close. Not enough casters or ranged. And if a life of video games had taught him anything, ranged killers were usually best. The few Nassau had previously they had, rather unfortunately, lost in the...transition. Alex stood beside ke, eyes zed with focus as he prepared his defensive powers. For their part, the orcs seemed at a loss. They seemed utterly unable to deal with Reba and Alex''s shields, throwing spears and rocks and trying to hack at the Arkansas cowgirl, all with no useful result. Then Mason and Carl were finished with their riders and on them from behind. Arrows zipped and streaked into the creature''s backs, sending furious roars of surprise and fear before Carl appeared out of nowhere and started slicing the creatures down. "Attack!" ke called, because now seemed the opportune moment. "Kill them all!" He sent a little spike of Aggression into Annie, Tomaso, and Mateo, and the trio roared and ran past the unbreakable line of Reba and the spearmen. Swords and axes shed with the orc weapons, and the yer line soon swirled and closed on the orcs. They were outnumbered now, and didn''t remotely match the yers man for man. It was, in other words, a ughter. And just the morale boost we needed, ke decided happily. [Tower Orc Scout Patrol destroyed. Group experience awarded.] To top it all off, ke had more or less saved his mana entirely for the presumably greater challenges toe. When it was over he stepped over the corpses and smiled at the triumphant yers. "Well done,dies and gentlemen! Well done indeed! These orcs are no match for you." "Yeah." Mason frowned, vanishing his delightful green sword and wiping some blood off his hands. "Why leave so few orcs out here if they knew how many of us there were? We took on a hundred with less yers and less coordination. Now they leave fifteen? Doesn''t make much sense." "I agree it¡¯s odd. But we can''t know what they''re thinking, brother," ke shrugged. "Well, you can¡¯t. Anyway it changes nothing. We need to destroy the towers, so let''s go do what we came for, and kill anything in our way. What do you say, soldiers?" A half-hearted round of cheers. But still, mostly everyone seemed in fine spirits. "Onward," ke gestured towards the tower, and Mason made some typically grumpy noises, but dutifully led them on. * * * Mason officially expected a trap. He didn''t know why or how but he felt it in his bones. He was tempted to turn the whole group around right then and there, but he knew his ''feeling'' wasn''t enough. So he walked on towards the tower. Now that they were close, their view of the entire structure was clear and unimpeded. It became very clear to Mason: the orc ''fortress'' was designed very strangely. There wasn''t a single wall that surrounded the outside as he''d assumed. Each tower was surrounded, as if for whatever reason blocked off from the others, presumably with gates in between. But the first tower wasn''t walled off from the outside at all. There was simply a giant gate that led inside, a narrow passage that went on for maybe fifty feet to the smaller but stillrge double doors. "Why aren''t there any guards?" Mason said, waiting for arrows to streak down from the walls at any moment. ke shrugged. "They might be off fighting somewhere else. Or hiding in their towers. Or having an orc meeting. Who knows, brother, let''s just try the gate." ke walked straight into the tunnel without a care in the world, ignoring Mason''s growls to be cautious until he put his hand right on the door and grinned. "Yep. It''s a dungeon. The Grey Tower," he called back. "Now the only question is who goes in first." "Yeah that¡¯s not at all the only question." Mason crept forward, mind racing. His feeling of danger was as strong as ever, but all he had was intuition. He fought it down and walked up, putting his hand on the door. [Do you wish to enter the dungeon: The Grey Tower? yers allowed to enter at once are limited to four.] Four was starting to seem like the ¡®standard¡¯ number for a dungeon. But otherwise the thing wasn¡¯t very bloody informative. Mason had no idea if they could leave or not once inside. He assumed yes since it was just a door and it didn''t say otherwise. But with bloody roboGod you just couldn''t ever really know anything for sure. "I''d like my team to go first," ke announced. Mason stared daggers until he raised a hand for calm. "That way if we''re ambushed out here, you and yours can handle it. And if you haven''t noticed, brother, this doesn''t look like a natural environment. You might be slightly limited in there." Mason winced at the likely truth of that. He looked at Alex, Annie, and especially Carl. "Are you ready for this?" Carl wiped a little sweat from his forehead, but nodded. "Don''t worry, kid. We''ve got it. If it looks too rough we¡¯ll juste out." Mason nodded and tried not to think bringing Annie wasplete insanity. She''d fought very well in the duel, all things considered, probably the strongest and fastest after Carl and Phuong. And ke said he had it under control. But then ke said he had everything under fucking control. "Alright.¡± Mason said with a helpless shrug. ¡°Go in ande right out to make sure you can. Hurry up." ke and the others walked up together and touched the door, then in rapid session vanished like in some sci-fi movie. Some of the yers who''d never seen a dungeon gasped or otherwise gawked in surprise. Mason just waited, staring at the door. He tried not to count. A few secondster, Carl materialized. "No problem." He grinned. "It''s a big, empty hall, basically. An auto objective to find some kind of magic rock popped up. The ¡®Holy Grey Stone¡¯. So I guess that''s the point. You good for me to head back in?" Mason grit his teeth, but nodded. "OK, kid," Carl winked and waved at the group. "We''ll catch you on the flip side." He touched the door again and vanished. "Now what?" Reba asked, looking out from the tower tunnel. Mason walked to the edge andy his traps, looking out with the same feeling of disquiet at the empty in and undefended tower. "We wait, apparently. Though I guess we could look at the towers. Maybe see how we''d get in the others. Up for a little poking around?" Reba smiled, then looked back at the others and whispered. "Mmm, I could go for a little poke." Masonughed. "I''m slowly corrupting you." When she got closer she whispered in his ear. "It ¡®ain¡¯t very slow. Nowe on. I''m only kind of kidding. But not really. Maybe if there''s really no one we could do it against a wall¡­" Mason almost instantly said how ridiculous that was, and how dangerous their situation. But actually, that did sound kind of stupidly hot...in every sense of the word. "We''ll be right back," he said to the others. "Just hold here. Worst case, zone into the tower." Phuong nodded and waved them off, sitting cross legged on the ground. Thest thing Mason heard as he grabbed Reba''s hand and turned the corner, was the old man say: "Did anyone bring any cards?"
Chapter 124: Just a quickie (NSFW) Chapter 124: Just a quickie (NSFW) Mason was not the dangerous quickie type. He was practical, and he supposed generally serious, and not at all prone to getting himself screwed just to get...well, screwed. Or at least he used to be. But as he pulled Reba along the tower wall, ncing back to see her excited, naughty smile, he was starting to see the appeal. Still, first things were first. He wanted to make sure there wasn''t an army of orcs lurking somewhere inside. "There''s gotta be a way in. Or up." Mason inspected the wall surrounding the next tower and decided it was very climbable. The rocks were rough and in all kinds of shapes and sizes, with hand holds practically everywhere. He''d rarely practiced climbing, assuming it should be avoided in a post-apocalyptic scenario at all costs. But then he''d not had a super-enhanced body... He put his hands and feet to the wall and reached up, blinking in something like surprise at how easy it felt. "A was wrong," Reba said from the bottom. "You''re Spiderman not Superman." Superman and Spiderman were about the limit of Mason''sic awareness, so he grinned a little as he hauled himself up the stone with ease. With a slight grin he gripped and went hand over hand, barely needing his legs until he''d reached the top and pulled himself up. The walls weren''t that high, actually, and he suspected most yers could climb them. He stepped to the far side and looked down, hearing nothing but the wind. "Anything?" Reba called up. "Nothing." Mason stretched out with his senses onest time, but heard only a few insects and the wind, then briefly considered dropping down on the other side. But frankly he didn''t need to get in. He could climb over again whenever he wanted, and he realized he could even have Violet dig a tunnel for anyone else. He half climbed, half slid back down to Reba, then pulled her into his arms. "Are we really going to do this?" she whispered as Mason inspected her clothes. Some kind of stretchy khaki-like apocalypse pants. Simple enough to get down. Cowboy boots and long sleeve button shirt. No problem. "You don''t want to get fucked next to an orc tower?" The words were getting her going, and as Mason put his knee between her legs she pushed down against it. "The others coulde looking for us any second,¡± she said, moaning a little as Mason helped her grind against his knee. "Or man-hating monsters coulde out that gate,¡± he said, then turned her around and pushed her against the wall. "I guess we''ll have to be quick, then." He ran his hands up her legs, over her hips and waist to cup her breasts as he kissed her neck. Reba was already breathing hard as Mason pulled down her pants. He slid his hand down her stomach, under her panties, cupping her sex before spreading her folds. He wasn''t surprised to find her wet, but started ying with her clit and opening as he worked to free his erection. "Oh God I want it now," she said, squirming against his hand. He took a moment to admire the beautiful, eager woman pushing her ass towards him, hands on the stone wall as she waited patiently for whatever he gave her. "You definitely deserve it," he pulled down her panties andy his hard length between her cheeks, rubbing his dick up her back. She pushed towards him and clenched him between her cheeks, sliding him back and forth. She was making little whining moans, and he held her ponytail before pulling back and sliding his tip straight to her opening and pushing inside. She gasped and froze as Mason slid himself in inch by inch until he''d buried himself to the hilt. He just held her there, lips on her neck and cheek and ear as he twitched deep inside her. "This is a quickie, handsome," she smiled as she turned her head enough to kiss his lips. "You''re supposed to pound me hard and fast until you cum." Mason practically growled at the words. He''d forgotten the world and could have stayed inside her all day just like that. She yelped and gave a throaty chuckle as he arched her back with her ponytail and pped her ass. ¡°Quiet!¡± she hissed, but he was really starting to not care. "Hard and fast it is," he whispered, then pulled back and thrust deep. Reba soon held onto the wall for dear life as Mason rammed into her, the sound of her ass pping against him mixed with her moans and mindless curses. He sped up and bent her over further, letting go of her hair to grab and squeeze her ass as he practically lifted her up to fuck. He wanted to rip her panties and pants off but managed to refrain. Instead he pulled up her shirt and took her tits roughly in his hands, squeezing her always sensitive nipples as he kept on pounding into her. Then she was shaking and making little whimpering sounds as her skin flushed red. She mped down around his cock but he didn''t even slow down. She leaned up and grabbed his arms, gripping as her eyes rolled back and she came hard enough to scream. Mason just managed to get his hand over her mouth in time to muffle it. Then the pressure was building in his balls, his cock twitching at the hot tightness of Reba''s clenching pussy, her moans of pleasure at giving him every inch of her amazing body. He bit her shoulder as he came. Hot, beautiful release pulsed through him, spraying into Reba without a thought of pulling out. Shey her head back against him and moved with his cock, milking him and moaning as he twitched and shot with every spasm. She ran her hands over his on her breasts, letting out another throaty chuckle as she licked her lips and rocked against him. "I think someone likes dangerous sex." Mason whispered, cock still twitching inside her. "Mmmhmm," she agreed, biting her lip and letting out another moan. "Oh God I want more," she whined, and Mason suspected he could oblige. But as the world returned he heard movementing from the tower tunnel. And maybe a slight sizzling sound from somewhere close he couldn''t pinpoint. "You two alright?" called a male voice and the sound of footsteps along the wall. "Shit." Mason fixed his clothes, walking to intercept the concerned yer to buy Reba more time. He found Phuong halfway, using a wooden walking stick and rolling a piece of grass between his lips. The old man looked Mason up and down. "I thought I heard...something." "We''re fine. Not to worry. There''s no orcs at all as far as I can tell." Reba came around the corner looking...mostly fine. But Mason had apparently left dusty handprints directly over her breasts, and he gave a slightly resigned smile as Reba looked between him and Phuong. "Ah," said the old man, with a yellow toothed grin. "d you''re OK. Did you hear some kind of...popping sound?" "I would have said sizzle," Mason cleared his throat. Then he heard footsteps from inside the walls, and felt all other feelings drain like sand. He gestured back towards the tunnel, and whispered. "Move. Now." Then pushed Reba and ran to fetch his bow. The sound, he realized, was familiar. It was the same as Carling out of the Grey Tower. There were some kind of dungeon portals activating. The footsteps were increasing and matching and mixing with thuds and ngs. The orcs wereing.
Chapter 125: A Mortal Foe Chapter 125: A Mortal Foe Gromsh blinked in surprise as one of his enemies entered the Grey Tower. He held his breath, waiting for the second, but the message did note. Still¡ªto have one at his mercy, and so soon! The Grey Tower was under the protection of the Stoneblood n, their lord apetent warrior but a better politician and governor. They had a huge number of orcs in their underground warrens, the chief producer of weapons and armor for the ns. But few enough warriors. It was the least powerful of all the towers, which was perhaps not surprising for his enemy to start with, but also unfortunate. Gromsh stood from his throne and walked towards the secret catbs that would take him anywhere in the fortress. Even with his authority, most of the orcs and their minions could not move between the god''s portals, and were confined to their own territory in the towers. But Gromsh had no such restrictions. He walked towards the Grey Tower, looking at his Lifetime power again and again, trying to decide. Did he activate it now? Or did he wait for them both? The other would be outside waiting with eight champions at least. Gromsh could send only so many orcs outside the towers to raid in a given time, and with the failed attack on the humans so recent he could possibly not send enough to overwhelm them. But perhaps still worth a try. Trapping and killing one of his targets was a very good start. Ideal, perhaps, to ensure victory with absolute certainty. His enemies were powerful, or else the gods would not demand their deaths. Both, perhaps, might be a worthy challenge. But one¡­ Gromsh decided it was good enough. He knew they were brothers. The other woulde for revenge, and would likely not need to be trapped at all. Fueled with hate and rage, he would follow wherever was required to take his vengeance. And Gromsh would be waiting¡­ He walked through the portal that took him to the top of the Grey Tower, ignoring the panicked lord as he closed his eyes. His Mortal Foe power took time to activate. But that didn¡¯t concern him. It would be just enough for his first target to get too far in to flee¡­ * * * ke looked down the long corridor and grinned. How very exciting! His first dungeon without Mason. And also a little frightening. Though he had to admit, he hoped it was rather easier than thest. Or at least had a less terrifying boss. They were still noobies for God¡¯s sake. He rubbed his hands together and looked at the others. "I thought you might take the lead and serve as a scout, Carl. Annie you''ll follow. Alex and I will be ready to assist. Unless anyone has other ideas?" "Seems reasonable enough to me." Carl gave a tight-lipped smile, waited a moment for anyone else to speak, then crept forward along the wall and simply¡­disappeared. Annie looked slightly nervous, but ke gave her a warm smile and aforting pat on the shoulder, and she took a breath and followed. "Do be ready to intervene if..." ke shrugged. "If something goes terribly wrong. Yes?" The generally neutral-faced Berussian nodded without a word, which ke decided would have to do. As with other dungeons this tower seemed impossiblyrger on the inside than the outside. As soon as they''d left the hallway, it opened up into a huge, open space with a slight upward incline leading around a central pir. It was, in other words, a bit like the pool room leading to the Chimaera in the great tree. But this ce had a roof around the outside, with only the central pir open and visible going up. "I guess we''re going up." ke nced out at a kind of balcony, frowning when he looked down. There wasn''t much light, but it seemed to him a deep, dark pit with no obvious bottom. The voices of orcs could be heard in both directions, with the asional grunt or howl of some nameless beast. Carl said something like ¡®here¡¯ to actually inform them where he was, then went first. The group followed the path and climbed. Some of the voices soon got louder. The ramp steepened, then leveled out into a t space like a building floor, nothing visible save for hanging banners and some table near the ramp. ke and the others waited at the bottom of the ramp for Carl to sneak up and take a closer look. He stuck out his hand and high fived the air twice. "Does that mean wait?" ke hissed. "No it means five, twice. As in ten. There''s ten orcs." "OK," ke whispered. "But that really wasn''t clear. I thought you were saying ''just wait there''." "This is wait." Carl made a fist. "Haven''t you ever seen a...OK we should have worked this out. Nothing for it. Let''s just go. Are you ready for a fight?" ke patted Annie''s shoulder and nodded. "We''re ready." "OK. I''ll get started." Carl''s strange and terrifying dagger formed in his hand, then with a deep breath he snuck up beyond the ramp. "We''ve got you," ke said to Annie. "Whenever you''re ready, just charge in and start murdering. We''ll support you." "Are you sure?" Annie blinked her big, brown eyes and bit her lip. "I''m sure. We''ll protect you, I promise. Go charge the closest bastard, and avenge your friends." It was a little much, maybe, but Annie''s usually innocent expression darkened as she went back to a ce of terror and blood. Then she turned and ran up the ramp with her axe held in both hands like Jack Nicholson in the Shining. The orcs clearly saw her. They started grunting and calling in rm, then she let out a blood-curdling scream and charged. * * * Carl was getting too old for this shit. He crept along the wall with Stealth active, trying to quickly assess the flooryout and position of the orcs. It seemed there was four tables of warriors, and he realized with a start that some were female. These looked somewhat disturbingly...attractively feminine, at least to Carl''s eyes, but otherwise wore the samebination of furs and leathers and weapons. He was plotting his path of Shadow Leaps and Decoys between the tables when the room filled with a blood-curdling, feminine scream. Annie came running out from the ramp with her axe in a death grip, and the orcs all leapt to their feet. "Shit." Carl abandoned his n and warped to the first table, severing the spine of the furthest orc. The others still had their attention on Annie, so Carl chased and cut down another before the others noticed him and turned. "Oh hi." He grinned, ignoring them and clone-leaping forward to help Annie with another pack of four. The little red head moved like a damn MMA fighter. With an axe. She ducked a spear and lunged straight on, chopping into the poor bastard''s head like she was splitting wood. Then her axe was stuck and she was screaming in rage, lifting the orc''s spear to jab it straight through the chest of the first to attack. A blue shield sizzled as another orcunched a javelin, which bounced away from Annie harmlessly. Carl warped behind the thrower and cut his throat, slipping right passed to cut the hamstrings of another. Well, he meant to cut the hamstrings. But his insane de went through half the thing''s legs like butter and then Carl basically tripped and fell hard to his knees. Several orcs wereing and he was about to Shadow Leap away when he gawked at the sight of several javelins started rising into the air on their own. Then the weapons streaked on their own ord, and Carl flinched and nearly Shadow Leapt a second time, except his Prescience power didn¡¯t warn him at all. The javelins skewered several equally confused orcs, and keughed from somewhere near the ramp. Annie was still screaming, now covered in blood, stabbing herst target with its own de over and over, still yanking on her axe until she literally ripped off the head it was buried in. Carl sighed as thest few orcs ran. He''d never been in a fight before the apocalypse. Not once. He paid his taxes, was kind to children, polite with his neighbors, respectful to women. He was, by any metric you pleased, a good and honest man. But the truth was, ever since he''d picked ''rogue'' and lifted a de, he just couldn''t get enough of killing something that couldn''t fight back. He had no idea what that meant. The orcs cried out and dropped one by one as Carl flit between them and hacked them down. Then it was done. He took a deep breath and let the moment of victory linger in his senses. It was a strange and simple pleasure he''d never known existed in his fifty years on Earth. A kind of mortal arithmetic that hummed in a man¡¯s bones like music: there was fifteen dead warriors lying on the floor, and none of them was Carl. He turned around with a broad grin, ready to celebrate, and found Annie curled up on the floor weeping. ke was at her side shushing andforting and picking her off the stone tiles. Carl cleared his throat, and dropped his smile. "Yes, a terrible thing," he muttered. "But we did what we had to. Ready to move on?" ke gave him a stink-eye, and Carl looked around the room as he tapped his fingers and wiped some blood on his pants. Then a sound like an rm red. He was about to curse and say they''d been found when a robotic voice intoned words that sprawled across his vision. [This dungeon is entering Mortal Foe Mode with adversary: King Gromsh, Chosen of the gods. It will be locked in all ways until remaining yers are dead, or King Gromsh is defeated. You have fifteen seconds to proceed to the exit if you wish to decline. Thank you.] Carl blinked, then looked to see Alex leap off the side of the ramp without a word. "Go, go now!" Carl yelled, running and warping, vaguely picturing the distance in his mind. They were close. If they went instantly they could probably make it. He counted in his mind, clearing the ground with easy Shadow Leaps until he stood at the double doors of the tower. Alex reached him in ten. But ke and Annie had been further away. Carl stood with his hand on the door, looking at the prompt to exit, torn and frightened and counting with no idea what to do. "Go!" he heard ke yell, but still couldn''t do it. Then Annie shouted and flew forward like she''d been thrown, striking the door just as Carl counted 14. He grabbed her and closed his eyes and begged for forgiveness, then epted the prompt. Just before the world went ck, and as he watched Annie and Alex vanish, he saw ke stop at least a dozen paces behind.
Chapter 126: Please check again Chapter 126: Please check again "Form a line here." Mason moved the two spearmen, Reba, and Phuong to the entrance of the tunnel. They had enough space between them to fight, but they could block off the tunnel and not get surrounded. "When you get tired or out of resources, back up and swap with Tomaso and Mateo." "How many are they?" Mateo asked, obvious fear in his eyes. Mason ignored him. "Wait, where are you going?" Reba asked as Mason tested his bow. "To give them something else to worry about. Hold here. We''ll be alright." Without much thought, he kissed Reba, about to run off and take a position facing the next closest gate. Then he heard three more sizzles, and Alex, Annie, and Carl appeared in front of the tower dungeon. Mason saw their panic, and the almost frantic wild look in Annie''s eyes, and ice sloshed in his gut. "Where''s ke?" "The dungeon..." Carl''s dagger vanished and he put his hands behind his head. "Something happened. Some kind of event. It was locking down, so we ran. ke...he..." Behind them, Mason heard the gate popping and creaking as the locks were released and the iron started to move. He ignored it, pushing past the yers to run straight at the tower doors. [Error. Grey Tower is locked with a temporary event. Please check again in 24 hours.] "What?" Mason mmed his palm into the gate again and again, watching the message disy over and over. He turned to Carl and the others. "You left him in there? Alone?" Carl''s face was red as he looked at the floor and walls. "We only had seconds...there was something wrong. Something about an orc king and mortal peril...I didn''t...I mean...we tried..." Mason heard the orcsing and turned, mind and emotions warring with practical reality. You can''t get in, his rational brain took over. Therefore there''s nothing you can do for ke now. You have to stop these orcs. He turned and ran from the group with Aspect of the Cheetah until he stood a dozen paces from the tower wall. Then he channeled at least two thirds of his mana, raising his tattooed arms as power surged through him, nymph charm glowing around his neck. The gate swung open and the first batch of orcs came marching out with shields raised, growling as they saw Mason and shoutingmands. Mason felt his helpless rage swirling like a storm inside him as the power released. Thunder cracked as the lightning sted into the cluster of orcs. Many of these wore metal armor and stood by a metal gate, so packed they practically held onto each other''s shoulders and backs. Mason grit his teeth as the world rang, watching with vicious pleasure as the creatures still trembled and smoked, some simply copsing to the ground. Then he lifted his bow and loosed a Power shot at the first creature to drop its shield, following it with arrow after at any exposed flesh. Garet and Jason came running past to nk them on either side of the gate. The orc leaders were shouting to advance but the orcs at the front were trying to withdraw. Mason saw more orcsing through the portal behind them. Maybe dozens. "Be ready to fall back," he shouted at the spearmen, d for their quick thinking but knowing they couldn''t hold it long. He loosed arrow after arrow until the creatures regained their discipline and lined up with shields. Then they growled, and pushed. Jason and Garet stabbed with a series of phantom and real spears but couldn''t stop them. "Go, go!" Mason reset a trap behind the yers and circled the other direction, trying to turn the orcs to face him. He saw Jason and Garet make their escape safely. A loud orc voice was chanting in the back of the enemy now. A green mist was forming and surrounding the warriors, and as it did they seemed filled with renewed courage. The emerging orcs charged with wild abandon, chasing Mason back as more and more got free from the gate. He shot them and moved because they weren''t remotely fast enough to catch him. But they soon realized that, too, and turned towards the yers at the tunnel. "Ignore the wizard!" shouted what must have been an officer in the center. "Our shaman will protect us from his magic. His arrows are nothing. Kill the others!" Mason growled, his feeling of helplessness rising, desperately trying not to think of ke trapped in that tower. He could hear the yers shing with the orcs at the tunnel entrance now. His traps exploded but wouldn''t do much. There was at least forty orc infantrying out to fight, and though in an open in like this they were little enough threat to Mason, the others couldn''t outrun them. Could they kill so many in a confined space? They had no choice but to try. Mason slung his bow around his neck, and summoned his ws. If they thought ''the wizard'' didn''t have other ways to hurt them, they were very, very wrong. * * * "Well. This isn''t ideal." ke drummed his fingers on his mana gem and sighed at the dungeon messages telling him to go fuck himself. Apparently he was now signed up for ¡®mortal peril¡¯ with an orc king. And trapped. Very trapped. A vague and unfamiliar fear shivered through his body, but he put this away behind a wall of will. It wasn''t useful, first of all. And probably not necessary. However bad things seemed, ke always found a way. He turned back towards the ramps leading up and down, and decided a king would live in the top. Probably best to go the other way. But then it wasn¡¯t like he could hide from anything. At least not for long. With a frown he went up the ramp and made his way to the many dead orcs lying on the floor. Nothing had changed, so ke risked moving to the corpses to find bits and pieces of clothing he might take to ¡®blend in¡¯. "Very nice." He soon found a cloak that somehow avoided getting cut or pierced or covered in blood, and tied it around his shoulders. With a grimace he switched out his shoes for a female orc''s smaller boots, and wore something like a leather doublet over his clothes. He didn¡¯t have a mirror, and it was far from perfect, obviously, but it might buy him a moment of confusion or doubt. He hurried back down until he reached the descending ramp, stopping to take a long, deep breath. Unfortunately, the way down smelled like the floor of a bar bathroom, and looked about as appealing. It was dark, first of all, with drafts of icy cold air like a winding descent into Dante''s lowest hell. But since it was that or fight some special, giant boss brute that was almost certainlying for him, or eventually required to be dealt with... ke crept down the filthy ramp. He tried not to think about how exactly he was going to do a four man dungeon entirely by himself without getting ughtered. He was basically full mana, at least, and fingered his mana gem absently. But the tower could only be sorge. If this ¡®event¡¯ meant the orc was looking for him, sooner orter it would find him. And then what exactly would he do? Could he fight some orc king in a deadly duel? No. Obviously not. He would therefore have to hide and wait for Mason and the others to figure out some way to get him. Or if that wasn¡¯t happening to dominate a small army of orcs to fight for him. Neither seemed wildly likely. But ke would find a way. He moved slowly and carefully down the ramp, resisting the urge to ask if anyone was there. He could hear orc voices, then steaming of something hot. Metal ngs. Was it some kind of forge? Did they make their weapons and armor here? ke crouched and tried to see what he was dealing with, but saw little in the gloom. Eventually he just walked down like he belonged, doing his best to sneak along the wall with his hood raised. Somewhere ahead he could see light and movement in some kind of cavern, but all around there were corridors leading off, and more ramp leading down. He turned down a random corridor, made it about two steps, and practically mmed into the biggest orc he''d seen so far. "Watch where you go," the orc growled, then squinted and stared directly into ke''s big, very blue, very human eyes. Time seemed to slow as ke activated Mental Influence. A small piece of his brain told him he had Telekinesis and could use it in several ways to deal with this, but his instinct always went to the powers of the Psion. His new friend¡¯s name was apparently just ¡®Smith¡¯. He was growling and lifting a hammer from his side as ke activated Mind Control. Like the others, his mind was an open book. He had no mana, no great will or mental discipline. ke felt his power wrap strands of control around Smith¡¯s senses and memories like roots digging into soil. But he had to decide what to grow. "I am the king''s human traitor ally," he said and felt a strange arcane tremble in his voice. "You are to help and obey me in all things. And when we''re finished, the king will reward you greatly." Smith¡¯s red eyes blinked in confusion, then calmed. A smile touched its lips. "King Gromsh reward Smith greatly." "Yes," ke matched it. "King Gromsh is powerful, and generous. Now, take me somewhere secluded." When the creature stared at him nkly he tried again. "Take me somewhere there isn''t any other orcs."
Chapter 127: Traitors amongst you Chapter 127: Traitors amongst you ke hunched and huddled directly behind his new minion as the creature led him into the maze-like series of halls. The construction shifted back and forth from carefully dug square corridors to squalorous tunnels fit for rats. They passed several orcs, all of whom merely grunted and didn''t take so much as a second nce at ke or his minion as they scuttled by. And always at the edge of different halls or tunnels there was a huge open cavern filled withmotion and sound. The air grew thicker and even more revolting as they went. ke thought he saw the bottom of a massive forge in the open cavern, molten metal and sparks flying and sometimes dripping down. They passed rooms that looked like barracks, others that looked like children creches¡ªtiny beds filled with tiny orcs, all infused with the stink of cloistered, underground life. Then they were at the bottom, or nearly. It reeked like a sewer, and ke soon realized it basically was. There was some kind of extremely basic plumbing, with all kinds of holes leading to a dark drop and deep cavern, filth everywhere. ke covered his mouth and nose. He could see some other passages down there, though they might have been for sewage. "Where on earth did you bring me, Smith?" The big orc turned and blinked. "King''s ally says no orcs. No orcs here." ke would have sighed but that meant inhaling. What the hell was he even doing down here? He got a sudden feeling of panic, of swiftly decreasing time. He had to assume this king wasing down and would rally orcs to scour every nook and cranny of the tower until ke was found. He could climb down into the sewers and hope for the best, giving Mason and the others as much time as possible. That seemed a perfectly reasonable option, but it picked at ke''s pride. No, he decided. He was going about this all wrong. His current powers weren''t going to get him out of this. He needed something new. That meant he needed to level. And quickly. "Smith," he said. "I''ve changed my mind. Take me somewhere with orcs. Lots of orcs." The big creature blinked and shrugged, then led him back up the ramp. * * * Mason deflected a spear with his new ¡®sickle¡¯ w, then hacked off the wielder''s hand with his sword. The creature roared, and the line of four warriors raised their shields and blocked Mason off, thrusting and holding their ground. These orcs were infuriatingly disciplined and well-trained. Their wooden shields were thick with a metal boss, their bodies often covered in metal rings or scales. Unlike in the movies, armored targets did not die easy. Over at the tunnel, Mason could see the yers holding their ground against a simr line of orcs, both sides thrusting spears and hacking at shields without much movement or sess. But the orc¡¯s armor didn¡¯t take mana to upkeep, and the yer¡¯s shields did. Nassau needed some bloody offensive casters and ranged killers¡ªanything that wasn¡¯t people who had to run up and fight a target in a cramped, swirling melee. That current weakness had never been more obvious. Mason fell back and dropped a trap, but the creatures clearly saw him do it and understood. They just withdrew, a few tossing daggers right on the spot Mason hady his trap as if to mark it. Son of a bitch. He didn''t have the mana for another st, at least not one worth the effort. All he could do was mark with Nature''s Wrath and take them down one at a time. Or, he supposed, he could activate Duality of Life. But there was no one target worth it, except perhaps the shaman. And the truth was, he just didn''t want to unless things got truly dire. Something about how he''d felt with the power active...like he was losing himself, giving too much power to whatever changes the system was making to his mind and body. He finally understood, perhaps, the people who feared ke. If someone was manipting your mind, how would you know? And what the hell could you even do about it? No. He wouldn¡¯t use it unless they had no choice. And they weren''t beaten yet. It might be a slow, brutal grind against these orcs, but they could win. Mason decided to get more aggressive. He advanced with far less caution, hoping to rely on his Sleeves and maybe Shield Gem to protect himself. Then he made a run at the orcs nearer his friends,ing in with a fast and high blow at an orc''s shield, then dropping low to hack his shins with a Predator''s Strike. He severed a foot then swatted a spear away with his forearm before dropping back, the orc growling in anger as they pulled their wounded warriors away. It was clear they cared for theirrades just like humans, or at least were efficient enough to not want disruption in their formation. One down, Mason thought grimly. Over thirty to go. "How are we doing?" he shouted over the din to anyone fighting at the tunnel. "It could be worse," Carl shouted back. "We could be stuck in a giant underground worm tunnel." Mason grinned before remembering ke was stuck in that damn dungeon, and that Carl and the others had abandoned him. He gripped his sword and sneered at the orcs just trying to hold him off with a line of shields, then he roared and attacked again. * * * This time Smith brought ke to a boisterous hall of orcs that smelled practically as bad as the sewer. All sorts of the creatures sat at tables or on the floor, some with y tes and cups, others with dirty cloth. It was apparently a kind of cafeteria. He waited at the edge of one entrance as a few orcs moved in and out without really noticing him. They moved to a haphazard line at the far end, where cooks served some kind of meat and bowls of slop into crude trays. Then the orcs would take a seat at one of the dozen tables or find an open spot of floor, and start stuffing their face with abandon. ke activated Mental Influence and practically went blind at the wall of text. He started simply, just trying to get a few names and to see his options. It seemed basically no different than his choices for humans, which was slightly disappointing as he''d been hoping for more direction. "Smith," he whispered to his new friend. "Are there...multiple tribes, or ns, or families here? Are there orcs who might be enemies? And how can I tell?" "Hmm." Smith grunted. "Only n Stoneblood. But many families. Some squabble." ke frowned, hoping for more to work with. He looked at his mana and drummed his fingers on his gem. He could simply Mind Control more warriors as he had with Smith, but it was costly. He could only take so many. And he had no idea what would happen to his control, and the strength of his story, if he pushed the power too far. The feeling again of running out of time struck him like a blow. He felt sweat on his armpits and brow and clenched his teeth with impatience. He just didn''t have time to screw around and be cautious. He needed a solution, now¡ªa new power to help him hide or blend in before he was caught. "Nothing for it," he muttered, forcing himself to step out into therger room and pull back his hood. He needed experience, and he needed it now. If he survived he could worry about what to do without his mana. He began channeling Mind Control, touching as many minds as he could possibly target, reaching deep into his pool, ready even to use his gem. "My friends!" he shouted, watching as a whole host of mostly red and amber eyes turned in his direction. "If I could just have a moment of your attention..." The air around him pulsed with power. His voice echoed with thepulsion magic now infusing his mind and body in some strange, iprehensible power. "There are traitors amongst you," he projected to the orcs on one side of the room. "I am the king''s spy and servant. Hemands you to kill them. Now!¡± ke pointed to the other side of the hall. "Them. All of them." His ball of mana drained like water from a ss, even the gem in his hand pulsing with heat then cooling. His head pounded with strain, then the Mind Control finished with an almost audible snap. ke blinked, then felt his many targets pulse with a friendly light. Maybe ten orcs stood and growled as they turned towards their fellows, lifting weapons or chairs and calling ''traitors!'' or ''for the king!''. ke breathed and wiped sweat from his brow before he took a few steps back behind his bodyguard. Time to see if he waspletely screwed.
Chapter 128: Shaman Slayer Chapter 128: Shaman yer The element of surprise proved exceptionally effective for ke''s mind controlled orcs. While their fellows were still staring in something like disbelief, his minions crossed the room or threw axes or knives, sttering blood and causing a chorus of wounded shrieks. ke just watched from the safety of his flesh shield, focusing on the asional orc to give a quiet cheer. des and broken chairs stabbed and crashed as bodies fell. Roars of outrage and mortal battle filled the previously peaceful eating hall. It seemed many of the orcs weren¡¯t warriors. Through something like sheer luck ke had mind controlled a table of real fighters, and they mostly hacked their way through the riffraff with ease save for a few exceptions. Plenty of orcs just turned and ran from the room, and ke didn¡¯t bother trying to stop them. Then all was strangely silent. ke''s minions had ughtered their brethren in reasonably short order, and with only a few losses. [Fifteen Stoneblood n Labourers killed. Experience gained.] [Three Stoneblood n Warriors killed. Experience gained.] [You have reached level 7!] ke practically sagged with relief, then pulled up his profile to deal with his level right away. Of course he also had the slightly pesky problem of eight surviving Mind Controlled orcs currently surveying the damage they''d done. "I knew young Tok all my life," said one of the orcs with a voice full of emotion. "I cannot believe he turned traitor." "Nor me," said another. "Brack there was my cousin. A proud warrior with a proud name." ke winced, unsure exactly how the magic worked but knowing it wasn''t all powerful or consuming. Just like Mental Influence or indeed naturally convincing someone with words, if questioned or considered too deeply the story could fail.
ke Nimitz Level: 7 ss: Psion Strength: 3 Dexterity: 3 Vitality: 3 Intellect: 8 Will: 6 Presence: 12 Luck: 43 Titles: Alpha01, Alpha Tester, Patron, Killer, Puppet Master, Orc Whisperer, Phase Jumper Powers: Mental Influence (enhanced), Telekinesis, Meditation, Mind Control, Arcane Affinity, Arcane st, Dream Walk
He quickly scanned the list of new level options, then froze. It wasn¡¯t a power. It wasn¡¯t any kind of choice at all. His vision blurred and spotted as some kind of warmth seemed to move up and down his body like a wave. [Anomaly discovered. Escting analysis tier. Referral to Admin subsystem. Error. Admin subsystem attention denied. Standing by¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Standing by¡­ ¡­ ¡­] [Additional power offered to rece admin enhancement. Please select your new power immediately.] The system messages practically crackled with jank, and ke felt his eyes narrow. Something was wrong here, very wrong. He had already suspected ¡®roboGod¡¯ was moreplicated than just a single entity that decided everything. Then his dungeon locked in some insane event? Now his level was being¡­manipted? The ¡®admin¡¯ system being ignored? ke was no fool to the games yed by powerful elite. His parents were movers and shakers and he was a baby elite in training. There was something like politics at y¡ªthinking beings picking favorites or trying to change results. But there also wasn¡¯t a damn thing he could currently do about it, so he locked it away somewhere else in his mind. He wasn¡¯t sure exactly what had just happened, but at least a list of powers appeared before his eyes. They¡¯d decreased considerably since changing from Arcanist, but the number was still decent, and he had new choices. And as he saw one his heart began beating faster. Mind Veil: Be whatever others will believe. It was something like...well, like Seul-ki. Except he doubted his was illusion, exactly. Somehow he knew it was the ability to change how others perceived him, using their own minds against them to make it right. ke suspected that made it far more powerful, and his intuition told him it was the ticket to his salvation... The orcs were gathering now, inspecting the dead as they raised angry or mournful voices. "Where is the servant of king?" shouted one. "Tell us more. What is betrayal? Who are you? You look¡­you look¡­" ke felt his time ticking down. Mind control seemed currently to override the obvious question of ''why should we believe a word out of your mouth?''. But he expected that wouldn''tst long. He needed a better story. And fast. His human form was a major problem. Why on earth would he be a human? And who did orcs work with in this world? Did roboGod pull from Dungeons and Dragons? Lord of the Rings? World of Warcraft? He continued hiding behind his meat-shield as he swiped through the powers, but he was out of time. It was now or never, and he selected Mind Veil with his eyes, feeling it inject him with new knowledge. Then he stepped out from behind Smith and activated Mental Influence just to gain the speaker''s name. "You¡¯ve done well, Hamak," he said, then lowered his voice as he looked at the dead. "I know it is hard. But traitors cannot be allowed to live." He saw the increasingly skeptical and angry stares moving up and down his very human body. "The betrayers are working with the human champions!" he shouted. "They are here. Now. Outside the tower ughtering us. I am a servant of the gods, sent to advise the king. I used my magic to infiltrate the humans. But this is my true form." He activated Mind Veil, no idea what it would actually make him look like. His gem drained of more warmth but wasn''t quite cold, and he squeezed it with gratitude. The orcs went wide-eyed. Some gaped with open mouths. "Are you a shaman?" asked the speaker in a hushed tone. "Are you a spirit?" shouted another. "I am a servant of King Gromsh," ke said. "That is all you need to know. Serve him faithfully now, and earn your reward." He felt renewed belief sweeping through the orcs and tried not to slump with exhausted relief. Now it was time to get all these fellows killed. It wouldn''t do to have creatures alive who knew what he looked like before, after all. Mind Control wouldn¡¯tst forever. "Our work isn''t finished," he said. "There are many more traitors at the forge, and even elsewhere in the tower. Ready your weapons, brave heroes. We must kill them all. For the king! For the gods! To the death!" The orcs gripped their weapons with determined stares and clenched jaws. "Follow, er, Smith!" ke shouted. Then whispered in his first servant¡¯s ear. "Take them to wherever there are many, many orcs. Attack everyone in sight. Do not stop." Smith grunted, then started moving up the ramp, and ke''s Mind Controlled minions followed. He waited until they were all gone, then went about the corpses and found a new cloak and some new clothes and a couple daggers. Then he turned and went down the ramp, grinning when he heard the first shouts of battle above. * * * Mason hacked apart his tenth or eleventh shield. His ws were breaking them apart but it certainly wasn''t a fast process. He''d also been stabbed twice by spears in the chest. The wounds were shallow, but they still fucking hurt. It was hard to see how the others were doing but they hadn''t started screaming in agony so that was a good sign. Having said that, they couldn''t very well tell him they were wearing down without also telling the enemy. Several dead orcsy around the tunnel entrance, but there were still a lot bloody more. Mason could hit them with another st of lightning, but he needed the timing to be right to break their morale. At least he hoped he could break their morale. And anyway he suspected the green glow from the shaman''s spell would protect them, especially since it had been the one enemy Violet killed in their first encounter. Wait, Violet¡­she¡¯d done it once, could she do it again? He needed that shaman dead, but he was hidden behind a wall of shields. Mason hacked at another orc¡¯s shield and stepped back, pleased for once when the creatures didn¡¯t follow. He activated Speak with Nature and touched the ground. [Violet - I need you to kill that shaman, but don''t linger, he''s well protected, just get the hell out of there.] The worm couldn''t answer him underground, so Mason just stood and watched. The orcs stared back at him with wary, obvious fear, and didn''t approach unless he attacked. He swung his ws back and forth and grinned. "Ready for another round?" The answer was a very unhappy, resigned no, at least judging by the orcs expressions. But Mason charged and started hacking. Two of the four that met him had less than half their shields left. Still, they used these with surprising skill, able to block everything Mason swung at them except a well-aimed Predator''s Strike. He used this and got inside one''s reach, splitting the lightly armored gap in his armor at the shoulder joint, dancing away from the spears that counter-attacked. The orc roared and fell back, and another took his ce. "Come on," Mason muttered, trying to step around the orcs but always finding another line in his path. With his ever-increasing senses he focused on his friends, hearing Reba panting and maybe muttering she needed to rest. But it could have been his imagination. Anyway they had Alex, too. Plenty of yers. Mason trusted the others to hold. He kept the pressure on the orcs before him, trying to distract as much as possible. Then he felt the ground tremble, and grinned. Dirt sprayed behind the orc line. Shouts of surprise and rm followed, and a desperate thrashing and burst of movement. Mason stepped back and lifted his arm. He focused on near every scrap of mana he had left, aiming at thergest cluster of orcs. He counted, trusting Violet, needing Violet, to do her work and escape. His power had almost finished, but he couldn¡¯t stop it now. Come on, damnit,e on! The green aura dropped almost exactly as Mason released. The now familiar crash of thunder echoed and boomed off the tower walls as the sh of lightning smashed into the orc line. Mason opened his eyes and smiled at the sight of a dozen of the creatures off their feet, writhing in agony, their formation sted to ragged pieces. Mason charged straight into the gap at the orcs facing his friends. Before he''d even arrived, Carl blinked there first, turning and shing the creatures from behind in methodic brutality. Then Mason was on the other side, both tier 1 yers cutting into the unprotected rear of their enemy. The creatures realized their peril. Some turned, getting chopped down by the others. Most broke and ran. The orcs at the gate were way ahead of them, already fleeing back behind their walls and running towards the portals beyond screaming about magic and a dead shaman. Mason didn''t let them go peacefully. He and the previously trapped Streak chased with a vicious growl, using all their speed to bring down fleeing orc after fleeing orc, taking mostly legs so they''d fall and could be dealt with by the others. They chased every orc back to their tower. Mason turned to find Violet still un-earthed, wounded several times by spears and swords. He put his hand to her and activated Speak with Nature, and the worm stared with its ck eyes and warbled. [I am alright, patron. But I must rest in the earth for a day again to heal.] "Go." He smiled. "We''re going to have to start calling you Shaman yer." He pat Streak. "And Ankle-Biter." He looked back at the others, momentarily filled with pride until he remembered ke was trapped in the tower alone. He grit his teeth and looked at the inside of the next tower, speaking mostly to himself. "There has to be another way inside."
Chapter 129: Hubris Chapter 129: Hubris Turned out, there was no other way into the tower. Mason climbed every wall, opened every gate, and tried every set of double doors as well as the main gate. Each one resulted in the same message. [Error. Tower is locked with a temporary event. Please check again in 24 hours.] "What did it say when you were inside?" he asked again when he reached Carl, Annie, and Alex. "What did it say exactly?" Annie broke down into tears. Alex nced at Carl, who took a deep breath. "It said the dungeon was going to ¡®Mortal Foe Mode¡¯ with some orc king. And it said¡­¡± here he hesitated, then shrugged. ¡°It said it¡¯d be locked until all the yers or this king was dead. Then it gave us fifteen bloody seconds to get out. And maybe we should have just stayed but we ran. I didn¡¯t think we were the right group for some orc king, Mason, we had to get out. You¡¯ve gotta agree with that.¡± ¡®But it¡¯s ke,¡¯ Mason almost shouted. How could you all make it when he didn¡¯t? ¡°Why didn¡¯t he get out?¡± Carl shrugged. ¡°He ran too slow. Then at the end¡­he threw Annie with his power. He got her out.¡± Mason just stared and blinked. That made no sense. It was ke, for God''s sake. Since when did he not look out for himself first and always? ying the hero? For some girl he barely knew? Finally he clenched his teeth, thinking there was only one answer, and it annoyed the piss out of him: hubris. Pure, unadulterated arrogance¡ªthe belief that somehow he''d figure it all out ande out stronger. Apleteck of reasonable, practical fear. The damned fool. Mason stood staring at the tower, more impotent rage swirling in his gut. "Mason?" Reba''s voice. Calm and gentle. "We got wounded. Alex did what he could, but Garet and Tommaso can''t stay here. We¡¯ve gotta go back to Nassau. Back to the infirmary." "Go then." Mason said instantly. He turned to the others. "All of you. Go back. I''ll stay here and try the dungeon in 24 hours." "Mason." Reba''s tone wavered a little. "You can''t help him right now. But you can help us. We need you. The settlement needs you. We cane back and try again together." Mason growled, his rage desperately looking for something. Anything. But when he turned on Reba and looked in her big, green eyes, he felt the acid dry up on his tongue. He just stood there letting the heat cool. He had to be rational. "We don''t know when the dungeon will open again," he said calmly now. "Maybe it¡¯s death, like he said. Maybe it¡¯s not. Maybe there¡¯s a secret way we haven¡¯t found. I''ll leave Violet at the doors. But we should cycle a yer once a day at least to check. If there''s orcs outside they can just...turn back." Reba smiled and nodded. "But for all we know it''ll only be hours." Mason said, gut twisting. "We can¡¯t trust this system to do what it says. You can all head out now. I''ll wait a few hours then catch up." Reba opened her mouth to speak but Mason interrupted. "Only a few hours. I promise. If the orcse back out, I''ll run." Reba finally nodded, then kissed him on the cheek. He wanted her to say ''he''ll be alright'', but she didn''t, and he knew why. It was very possible he wouldn''t. The yers gathered and helped Garet and Tommaso, both of whom had suffered a spear wound or two by the looks of it. With ast, somewhat shameful look from Carl, and concerned look from Reba, the yers began their trek back to Nassau. Streak nced between them and Mason and sat panting in the afternoon heat. "You''ll stay with me, won''t you boy," Mason knelt and ran his hands through the wolf''s fur, fighting the despair. "Just a few hours," he said. Then, a few hourster: "Maybe just until nightfall." * * * ke fled down and down into the darkness of the tower''s underground. These orcs, it seemed, lived more beneath the earth than above it. The cut stone corridors, forges, barracks, and the dreadful sewer, became a massive warrens of burrower life. Then the tunnels opened up into a giant, underground cavern filled with orcs. ke practically fled in panic until he remembered his Veil power. A few orcs dressed mostly in rags passed by him without a sound or noticing him in the slightest. He walked into the chaos that resembled some kind of open market. Here there were torches andnterns zing enough to light the ce even to ke''s eyes. Cloths of many colors hung from different stalls, above doorways, and smaller versions on some orcs¡¯s clothes. The creatures here came in a wide array of shapes, sizes, and even hues of green. In fact their color ranged anywhere from a lightish green to something more like dark brown or ck, though the warriors above had seemed much more consistent. Very few of these orcs looked like warriors. There were women and children, too, and ke was rather shocked to see the women were damn near like humans, just with green skin, pointy ears and fangs. Mostly what he needed was somewhere safe to meditate and regain his mana. Fortunately his Veil took very little to maintain, but it would reduce his passive regen even further. With no obvious n yet, he walked slowly, inspecting the orcs as they went about their business. A few of the stalls tried to sell him mushrooms or meat, animal hide or metal tools. He shook his head brusquely or ignored them as he imagined an orc might do. It was all terribly fascinating, and he desperately wished he had the mana to start inspecting minds. But he supposed he should focus on the murderous orc king event created entirely to destroy him. He didn''t imagine there was any orc ''inns'' around. And in any case he had no money or anything to trade, and likely shouldn''t use one anyway. Would his pursuers check every house, every corridor, every nook and cranny until they found someone who didn''t belong? Or was the king just waiting for him to attack? He had no idea. So he walked along the tent city, looking for somewhere like an alley to rest and maybe eat and drink some of his meager supplies. Then he heard themotion from the hall he''de from. He turned to look with everyone else as a crowd of warriors began filling the cave. "Make way for the king!" they shouted. "King of all orcs!" ke felt his gut slosh with ice. He turned and moved in the opposite direction with as little obvious running as possible. Curious orcs flew past him, his eyes no longerprehending his surroundings. He knew only he must get away. Finally he found actual orc dwellings. Some were carved out of the stone walls, others more like tiny houses made from wood or maybe mud. ke had no idea if he had enough mana to Mind Control his way into one and convince a family to hide him. But he didn¡¯t see much else for choice. But which house to choose? He could hear the orc warriorsing, and almost certainly the king behind. He heard angry shouting and violence as they probably searched everywhere for ke. He closed his eyes, turned in a circle, then walked straight at the random house. It was a cut-stone version that led into the cave wall, and he walked straight through the entrance as if he belonged. He could smell something cooking inside one passage, so he turned down a different one. It opened into a narrow hall, then into several rooms all covered by curtains. He couldn''t hear anything and could hardly see in the dim light, so he picked one at random and stepped through. Then he stopped and matched stares with a young orc woman sitting on a pile of furs. She was looking through some kind of orb in herp that seemed to show the cave outside, the warriors and the giant king. ke looked from the orb to the girl, no idea what to say. "I saw you," she said first, hands seemingly frozen on the orb. "You''re running from the king, aren''t you." ke activated Mental Influence, sending as much trust as he possibly could with what little mana he had left in his gem. He nodded. "Good," said the orc, rising from her furs to reveal a lithe, beautiful body covered only in furs that belonged in a Conan story. "Then you''re my ally." She stuck out her hand. "There''s a secret passage. Come with me if you want to live." Wrong movie, ke thought, wishing he had someone to share his amusement with. Then he smiled politely and took the girl''s hand.
Chapter 130: Thrall Chapter 130: Thrall Ilya¡ªas Mental Influence told ke his helper¡¯s name was¡ªpractically yanked his arm off as she pulled him forward. Her hands were soft but she was clearly very strong. She pulled back a colorful drape that looked like a decoration, revealing a hole in the wall. "There are others," she whispered. "Many would not serve this orc king, this cktusk pretender who thinks to rule all the towers and ns." ke said nothing, very intrigued, but just doing his best to follow in the near darkness of the small tunnel. "He killed my kin in cold blood," said Ilya. "He killed Lord Farak just for challenging his right to rule." "Yes," ke said. "He must be resisted." She looked back at him, vicious smile showing slightly in the glow of her amber eyes. "I''ll take you to the others. But first you need to hide. This is my secret ce." The small tunnel finally emerged into arger chamber, and ke could hear running water and smelled something like garlic. "I''m sure you have many questions," she said. "But first...tell me, who are you? I mean who are you truly? Because I know you are not an orc of the towers." When ke said nothing the girl or maybe creature growled. "I am a daughter of the Vori tribe, an ancient line of this n, not like those fools. I am from a line of shaman and oracles and I know magic is not evil. I know the orcs of the towers are ignorant. But I saw your magic through my scrying stone. Are you from the Mountain? The hill ns to the West? Who are you and why are you really here?" Apparently it was time for another story. And ke decided it better be a damned good one because his mana was drained. Hopefully these ces actually existed and she wasn''t trying to trap him, but he was a pretty good reader of liars and she didn¡¯t seem the type. He thought of his favorite orc in an MMO, and smiled. "My name is Thrall. And you''re right, I''m not from the towers. But I am a friend of your people. That is the truth." "Tell me what you know," the orc girl''s tone was almost frantic. "How has Gromsh be so powerful? What magic has he used?" "First things first," ke said. "Tell me exactly who you are, and why you think to fight a king." "Oh." The girl blinked and looked suddenly awkward. "My name is Ilya, daughter of Dralok. I am sorry to speak to you so bluntly, like a warrior. I am thest of my family. My father and brothers are dead. There is none but me to speak for them." ke smiled sadly and sat by the small stream. "Nice to meet you, Ilya. Your instincts are very good. I am a¡­wizard." The girl''s eyes went wide as she sat across from him. "But my magic has beenrgely used. I need time to recover." "I knew it.¡± There was a little wetness in the girl¡¯s eyes. ¡°My people say orcs cannot wield magic except when granted from the gods. You should be safe here, Thrall." She smiled. "This stream is fresh, clean water, and I can bring you food." She took his hand in both of hers. "Are you here to help us? To resist the tyrant?" The lies came so easily, as they always did. But ke supposed he wasn''t even lying anymore, "Yes. With your help, Ilya. We''re going to kill him." The girl''s glistening amber eyes shed a tear, and she brought his hand to her lips and kissed it again and again. "Thank you, wizard. I owe whichever orc lord sent you a thousand oaths. Stay here. Rest. I''ll bring you something to eat." With that she disappeared back into the tunnel, and key down beside the stream and closed his eyes to Meditate, and hopefully to sleep. He should never have worried, he decided, slightly embarrassed at questioning his own destiny. Things were starting to look up already. Now it was time to see if he could Dreamwalk from inside a dungeon... * * * Mason waited a few hours. Then a few more. He waited until the sun drooped and vanished, then until it rose again in the morning. He tried all the dungeon doors about a thousand times. The message never changed. The others would be nearly back at Nassau, he decided. With so many yers, even with a few wounded, they would have no issue getting back without him. He knew there''d be concern and questions about who would lead them now, and he knew what the answer would be. They would expect him to lead the settlement until ke returned. And if he didn''t, some other ambitious idiot would. "God damn you." Mason smashed his fist into the dungeon door, which didn''t so much as shake. Streak yawned in boredom beside him, whining slightly every few minutes to remind Mason he was getting hungrier. They had to hunt soon or go back for supplies. But how could he leave? At any moment ke might appear at the entrance half dead. Or the dungeon might open and let Mason in. As he tried to think of some other variable, some other way to gain information, he blinked, suddenly cursing himself for a fool. ke couldmunicate at distance, couldn''t he? Could he ''Dreamwalk'' from inside that dungeon? Possibly. Except Mason hadn''t bloody slept. Shit, he thought. ke may have been trying tomunicate all night. If he''d failed to reach Mason, who would he try next? Seul-ki. Or Haley. No question. They were the only people ke even remotely trusted. Mason touched the earth and activated Speak with Nature. [I''m going back to the settlement, Violet. Stay here. If kees out, help him home.] Then with a final, pained nce at the dungeon wall, Mason turned and ran. "Come!" he shouted, and Streak yelped in surprise and probably relief as he sprinted after. ke was still alive or the dungeon would have have opened. And despite being something of a damn fool, he was also ke. If anyone could get out of that trap through sheer bloody luck it would be him. Mason had to believe that. Striding across the open in at full speed, he began to realize just how fast he''d be. The tall grass whipped passed hard enough to sting his legs. The few trees and shrubs in his peripheral vision came and went like he was driving in a car. Shit, he thought, it was like that old Superman movie¡ªone of the few films he¡¯d ever watched all the way through without sleeping. What had rk Kent been doing? Racing a train? "Come on," Mason called to the panting wolf on his heels. "Let''s see how fast you can go!" He widened his strides, feeling like he was flying across the terrain as he activated Aspect of the Cheetah. Heughed as Streak yapped in anger as he fell behind. For a few moments he wasn''t even in the robo-pocalypse, or helpless to save his brother, or running back to deal with politics and frightened people and all the problems of other people. But the moment ended soon enough. He slowed slightly as the trees came, but still he and Streak showed the runner of Marathon how it was truly done, running at top speed without slowing or break. They actually managed to catch the other yers just before they reached Nassau. "Mason!" Reba ran to him when she saw him through the trees, throwing her arms around his chest. She pulled back and looked at him and the tongue-wagging Streak with surprise. "Ya''ll are panting. Is everything OK?" "Yeah." He smiled a little, breathing hard and covered in sweat. "Just went all out. No change at the tower. I need to talk to Seul-ki." She nodded and gave him another squeeze. "Can I do anything? I mean other than take the wounded to A at the infirmary? I could maybe..." she looked at the forest floor and clearly drew a nk. "Make some biscuits?" The way she said it and looked at him was so bloody earnest and cute and wonderful he brought her in for a kiss. "Biscuits sound great. I''ll see you after I find Seul-ki." "OK." She smiled, then blinked in surprise as Mason turned and ran straight past her and all the other yers. The gate was closed, so he leapt straight at the wall and climbed it, dropping over to a wide-eyed civilian guard who had just reached over to push the gate button. "Wee back, Master Mason," she said. He gave her a nod and dropped down, running straight towards the hall.
Chapter 131: Forgive the intrusion Chapter 131: Forgive the intrusion ke waited until his mana was nearly half, then entered his almostatose state as he activated Dream Walker. He floated far above the world, not truly in sight of it¡ªnot with any concept of distance or ce, merely with the knowledge that it was there. Instead it was like an invisible map covered in little light dots. ke could enter the sleeping mind of anyone he knew well, or had used Mental Influence on. And with something like glee, he saw being in a dungeon didn''t stop him one bit. His first hope was Mason, of course, but his light was red which meant he wasn''t sleeping. ke frowned but moved on. He had no idea what time it was but since he was fairly tired himself he expected it was night, or close. Another cluster of lights appeared in shades of red and green, and ke smiled. Seul-ki was sleeping. So was Haley. Either would do fine, but ke decided now was as good a time as any to have a little chat with his Korean girlfriend. He focused his attention on her, leaving his body in a sleeping, trance-like state as his consciousness drifted and appeared in an alien ce. Beautiful trees surrounded a peaceful garden. Seul-ki sat by a pond, drinking tea and feeding some fish, giggling like a little girl. She was truly beautiful, and ke enjoyed just looking at her. But he frowned at the familiar cold feeling in his mind as he stared¡ªthe rational assessment of everything and everyone that was usually his. "Hello Seul-ki," he said, opening the gate of a small white fence to step into the garden. The pretty Korean turned towards his voice, holding onto her wide-brim white hat as she blinked in surprise. "I never dream about people," she said, as if to herself. She blinked sleepily until her green eyes seemed to sharpen and focus. "ke? Is it really you? Are you...dream-walking?" "I am indeed." ke sat next to her and wished he could touch her properly. But he didn''t have that kind of power, at least not yet. "I''m afraid things haven''t gone quite to n." She waited patiently as he exined about the fighting with the orcs, the dungeon locking, the mortal challenge he''d been stuck with. "Oh ke." Seul-ki covered her mouth. "What will you do? I can''t believe they abandoned you!" "I think they''d be very much dead if they hadn''t. Anyway, that''s not important. I''m going to be stuck here quite awhile as I stir up a rebellion. So I''m going to be transferring the patronage of Nassau back to Mason. Do tell him not to panic. And tell him I''ll speak with him like this too when I get the chance." Seul-ki smiled. "I will. Don''t worry, we''ll take care of everything. Just focus on your task. Is there any way we can help you?" ke took a moment to enjoy the sunshine and the gentle breeze of Seul-ki''s dream. "It''s very peaceful here." He closed his eyes. "No. There''s nothing you can do, I think." Then he opened his eyes and locked gazes with Seul-ki. "Now tell me, how have you been manipting my mind?" She stared back at him, wordless and frozen, though her hands intertwined slightly. "I¡­should have told you," she said atst, and he was pleased she didn¡¯t try to lie. "I shouldn''t have...without permission..." ke put his head back andughed. "I am many things, Seul-ki, but a hypocrite isn''t one of them. Mostly I''m curious. How does your power work? I would like to know. Exactly." The edge he''d put in his tone did the trick. She was very clearly unbnced, and that brought ke considerable pleasure. He preferred whenever possible to be loved. But he also liked to be feared. "I have a power that mimics the power of any yer I touch," she said. "I was able to clone your Mental Influence. I used it only to make you...care for me, to trust me," she said, her eyes growing slightly watery. "I was afraid you might cast me aside." ke frowned. He enjoyed being seen as dangerous, not capricious. "You''re right, you should have told me. But I would never cast you aside, Seul-ki. You''re my ally. A very trusted, useful, and important ally. Even if we weren''t in...a rtionship, you would always have a ce beside me. Please believe that." Seul-ki smiled a little, obviously still concerned where the conversation may end. ke sighed. "You once told me you were pleased I used my power on you. That it was difficult to trust others, to like them." He smiled. "I feel the same. You have my permission to do so in the future. But I suggest we think of some ground rules." Seul-ki wiped her eyes and gave him a radiant smile. "Yes. Rules are good. I would like that very much." ke matched it then squinted slightly. "Now how did you manage to affect me so well with Mental Influence? I have a great deal of mana, a dark, cold heart, and I spend considerable effort guarding my mind." Seul-ki covered her mouth and blushed slightly. "I waited until you were...vulnerable. When your mind was...very calm, and when your mana was low." ke blinked. "The blowjobs after a long day." She nodded slowly, and keughed out loud again. "Oh Seul-ki, you are truly delightful." He flicked some falling petals off his pants and stood. "Well. My mana is wasting, I''m afraid. And I''ve a great deal to do." Seul-ki stood and ke wished he could embrace her. "Do look after Mason and the town for me. And don''t worry.¡± ¡°ke.¡± Seul-ki¡¯s eyes were difficult to read, but he thought maybe she was afraid. ¡°If¡­something happens¡­¡± ¡°My dear,¡± ke met her eyes and smiled, letting his utter confidence show. ¡°It may take some time, but here¡¯s a thing you can rely on: I always win." "I have total faith in you.¡± Seul-ki smiled. ¡°I will sleep at 11pm every night, in case you need to speak with me again." "Thank you,¡± ke closed his eyes and let the magic begin to fade. ¡°Goodbye, Seul-ki. I''ll see you soon. And we''ll go on just as before. If that''s what you''d like." He didn''t wait for her to answer, disconnecting from her dream as his body opened its eyes. It wouldn''t be quite as before, of course, because no matter what he said he would guard his mind even more. Indeed if she could clone his Influence, she might even be able to clone something more...aggressive. A sobering thought, certainly. But a problem forter. At least one thing he''d said had been true¡ªhe had no intention of putting her aside. He needed her to boost his powers more than ever, and wished she was here with him now. But was that all? No. He liked her, that was the truth. With or without mind powers. And even if she wasn''t so beautiful and touchable... Best not to get distracted. ke held his nose and ate the collection of food Ilya had apparently left for him, then he closed his eyes, and kept on meditating. He had some story details to work out. And a n to formte. But no matter how things went tomorrow, it would be an awfully busy day. * * * Gromsh paced back and forth at the top of the Grey Tower. He had personally explored every room, every hall, and every unlikely ce in the sewers and tunnels and dungeon. This meant his enemy was in the warrens, or the other ces orcs lived. It meant they were hiding him. He roared and ripped apart a wooden chair, smashing the legs before calming himself again. Somehow orcs had betrayed their own kind for a human champion. How was that possible? The only answer was magic. Some of the survivors of the raid had already been interrogated. They spoke of their own nsmen turning against them in the heat of battle¡ªorcs against orc, brother against brother. Such magic was known, and despised. And the only answer now was that the champion who¡¯d done it was ke Nimitz. But how to find him? Gromsh had no fear of such powers himself. He need only find the creature to tear it apart with his bare hands with ease. He would have to send his warriors into the warrens. He would have to move through the underground city himself, forcing high and low born orc to show them their dwellings. But it would cause incredible resentment and damage to his status. Orcs despised tyranny beyond that which they already understood and epted. To breach the hierarchy of n, of kin, of tower so boldly¡­ Gromsh ground his teeth and closed his eyes for calm. Now that he''d used his Mortal Foe power he was trapped here too. The only orcs that could leave the towers were the small number of permitted portal walkers, and he was now getting reports they''d been decimated by the other yer champions. It would take some time to re-build their number. All his strength and power and nothing to do with it! By the Gods, Gromsh swore, when I get these human wizards in my grip, I will y their skin, I will squeeze their blood, I will¡­ "Lord Gromsh." Gromsh blinked and turned to the intruder with a mind to rip him limb from limb. But it was Harvek, captain of the tower guard, and so far a loyal supporter. "What is it, Captain?" "Forgive the intrusion. We have swept the city streets and alleys as you asked, but found no sign of the human. Only at the massacre near the forge did we find anyone who''d seen him. We''re surrounding the underground river as well. Sooner orter he''ll have to get water, or else kill for it." Or be given some by traitors, Gromsh didn''t say. The situation was infuriating. He had prematurely used his power because it seemed worth it to kill one of the targets. Except now he couldn''t even seem to do that. Below him Mason Nimitz was ughtering his portal walkers and wandering the towers at will, and it was like Gromsh was the one who was trapped! But he had learned patience in his former life. Decades of biding his time for just the right moment. ke Nimitz was still trapped, and all the power was in Gromsh¡¯s hands. It was just a matter of time. "Thank you, Captain, your idea is a good one. Guard the river, but keep searching also. If he is not found soon, I will want every orc ounted for in the tower and the underground." Captain Harvek clearly didn''t think much of that. "The tower is possible, lord. But the underground...¡± he shrugged. ¡°We keep no records of the riffraff. Many of the mostmon orcs don''t even have names, save for their profession..." Gromsh closed his eyes, not familiar with the ways of the Stonebloods but not surprised now that he heard it. Their ranks were filled with lower orcs of meaningless quality,borers and merchants, herders and farmers. He stepped forward and lowered his huge tusks until one nearly scraped Harvek¡¯s cheek. His spittle dripped and sizzled like the poison it was on the stone tile. "Find him, Captain. Find any orcs who are helping him. Or I will go to the warrens, and one by one I will be forced to put the heads of Stonebloods on spikes until there is nothing left but my foe. Do you understand?" The captain¡¯s eyes widened. "Yes, lord." He slowly withdrew towards the stairs, and Gromsh let him go. For the hundredth time he activated his scrying power, and for the hundredth time it came with a nk nothing, clearly useless in the towers themselves. He growled in rage and threw a standing suit of armor out the tower window, watching it soar into the night.
Chapter 132: A new patron Chapter 132: A new patron Mason found Seul-ki working in her little garden at the back of the hall. He realized as he walked outside that he''d probably never actually once spoken to her alone. She heard him open the sliding ss door and stood, smiling politely as she took off her gloves. "You will want to know if ke came to my dreams," she said. Mason stood somewhat gob smacked until she went on. "He did. He is safe, and in good spirits. He says if you slept like a normal person he would speak with you, too." Mason felt a tremendous weight lift from his shoulders. There was a little metal bench beside the garden and he suddenly felt the urge to sit. "He says there is nothing we can do to help him,¡± she added, ¡°as far as he knows, and escape may take considerable time. Therefore he intends to transfer temporary patronage of Nassau back to you." Mason practically groaned as he put his head in his hands. He expected it, but that made it no less shit. He stared nkly at Seul-ki''s little garden for awhile as he tried to ept reality. "Are those cherry tomatoes? And strawberries?" Seul-ki''s smile turned more genuine. "Yes. There are many seeds in the town storage. Were you a gardener before...all this?" Mason snorted. "I knew a little, mostly about food nts and crops, but..." he stopped, realizing he had no reason at all to know the many herbs he was looking at. And yet he did. "I think being a Druid and Ranger gives me some knowledge." "That''s wonderful," Seul-ki said. "I''ve always found gardening very peaceful. And it''s a good excuse to be alone." "Yes." Mason blinked, feeling pelled forward. He couldn''t take his eyes off the little nts and the good, dark soil. They were struggling, that was obvious. Though Seul-ki had obviously chosen a brighter spot, they needed more sunlight. Mason knelt beside the square rows and put his hand in the earth, almost shuddering with pleasure at the feel. Seul-ki said something but he hardly heard. He looked up at the canopy and closed his eyes, channeling Speak with Nature without being sure why. He felt warmth hit his face, then he opened his eyes to see the trees had moved slightly to let sunlight through. It flooded Seul-ki''s garden. She covered her mouth and looked at the trees, at the garden, and at Mason. "How...that''s incredible!" Through Speak with Nature Mason temporarily felt the life all around him¡ªthe pleasure of the young nts in the sun, the amusement of the great old trees above. There was more knowledge there for him, he knew¡ªfar more, if he just took the time to understand. He cleared his throat and stood. "That should help. The trees will give them a few hours each day, I think." He shrugged helplessly, hearing how ridiculous he sounded. "When the strawberries are ready, I''ll make sure to let you know." Seul-ki beamed. Mason wanted to say she didn''t owe him anything. His mind filled with the thought of growing real crops elsewhere in the forest, using his powers to make it work. The urge to try suddenly made him restless. "Thanks," was all he ended up saying, then he turned and went to go find Haley, stopping momentarily as his vision swam with the dreaded message. [ke Nimitz has offered you patronage of Nassau, and all associated contracts. Do you ept?] He sighed and tried to put the circumstances and responsibility from his mind, then clicked yes. * * * He found Haley with Reba in their section of the hall, the girls sharing a drink as Reba probably told her everything that had happened. They both stood when they saw him. "Wee home." Haley came forward and Mason didn''t hesitate before wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her neck. He took several long breaths, letting her scent and soft warmth fill his senses. "ke''s alright," he pulled back and said finally to both of them, still holding onto Haley. "He''s made me patron until he''s out, and there''s not a damn thing I can do to help him. So I intend to stay busy." Both girls grinned at him. "That sounds like a wonderful n," Haley said and kissed him on the cheek, then said slightly lower. "Should I go...prepare myself?" "Oh.¡± Mason blinked. ¡°No. Well..ter? I mean there''s things to do and ke hasn''t been doing them. We need to get serious about hunting and gathering, and start nting crops before the only thing we have to eat are rice and potatoes." Haley looked slightly disappointed, but smiled. "Of course. And you''re right, my cooking choices have gone down considerably. We need more variety." Mason nodded and looked to Reba. "You grew up on a farm. You can help me. We''ll figure out which civilians have the right sses, too, then start figuring out spots." Mason saw the patron menu in the corner of his eye and snapped his fingers. "I almost forgot. I bet there''s all kinds of options ke just didn''t give a shit about." He browsed the veryrge menu of buildings and supplies and soon discovered he was right. He had ess to everything from greenhouses to sawmills and granaries. Not everything was avable, but a hell of a lot of things were. He shook his head thinking the first thing ke did was make bloody entertainment buildings. Of course he did. Mason grabbed Reba''s hand and went for the door. He should have been paying more attention to this before¡ªmaking sure ke was doing what needed to be done for survival all along. But now was the time. "We should get Rosa," he muttered. "She''s an Alchemist. And I think a lot of the Sanctuary girls are science types. They can probably help." "Mason!" Haley called from behind and Mason blinked and turned, actually looking at the beautiful blonde properly in her simple floral dress. She smiled at him, and sometimes he forgot how lucky he was to have a girl like Reba holding his hand, and a girl like Haley waiting for him. "I''m d you''re home safely." His eyes went over her body and he fought back the wave of lust. "We''ll be hometer," he said with a slightly different tone. "Maybe make those...preparations." Then he was out the door gathering civilians, spreading the word that he wanted to set up hunting and farming and looking through the list of civilian sses in his contract list. They had a hell of a lot of craftsman, so at least ke''s generic craft hall made a lot of sense. They had a couple Fishermen like Hank, and with all the damn rivers and smallkes they could sure as hell get them catching fish. But they''d need protection. Mason expected the life of many yers was going to be rather dull guard duty. But there was no reason Hank couldn''t teach them to fish, too... For the first time he actually went down into town storage, finding a wide variety of things, just as the others said. But it was the food and seeds he was interested in. The former had considerable supply left in an incredible system of freezing, refrigeration, and generally cold storage. But the seeds weren''t nearly what he hoped. There was no question he''d need help, and to use patron points to get more options and quantity. He gathered every civilian who had a remotely applicable ss, then left them with Silvie and Reba to coordinate, telling them all to starting up with hunting, fishing, and farming groups, and what yers would take which protection duty. Then he took a deep breath and went to find Rosa. He knocked at her house several times, until he heard a few poorly tranted Spanish curses. The door opened and the amazing Mexican beauty stood there dripping wet in nothing but a towel. "Oh." Rosa''s fiery temper seemed to cool slightly as she pulled the towel tight. "I didn''t know you were back. Is...er, would you like toe in? I''ll just go get dressed." "No need. Toe in, I mean." Mason winced at the awkwardness, then blinked in sudden realization as he tried to think of experts on growing new nt life. "Rosa¡ªwould you like toe on a little trip with me? There''s two creatures in the forest who know more about nts than all the rest of usbined. If I take you to them...well, maybe they can help us with your alchemy, and with growing food. What do you think?" A smile spread across Rosa''s face before she clearly fought it down. "If you think that would help. Sure. I''lle." "OK then." Mason tried not to think about their sexual encounter. "I''ll grab a couple supplies. Get dressed for a hike, then we''ll go. It''ll take about a day round trip with me carrying you." He cleared his throat. "If that''s alright." "I don''t mind," she said, a little of that fire back in her eyes. "Do I?" She gave him a look that could melt ss, then turned and half pulled the towel up her back before she closed the door. Mason forgot entirely what he was doing for a moment, then walked towards the supply room.
Chapter 133: We’re here to talk Chapter 133: We¡¯re here to talk Mason waited with Streak outside the open gate, distracted suddenly from his purpose of solving the settlement''s problems. His distraction''s name was Rosa. About the time he''d started pacing, wondering what in the name of God could be taking her so long, Rosa emerged. She wore shorts that probably were the right size for everything except her ass, which squeezed like a peach in its skin. Her hair was clearly worked on, her already gorgeous face done with tasteful make-up. It was the damn apocalypse, where the hell did she even get make-up? But whatever he might think about it, she looked amazing. Intentionally and unintentionally. At least she had hiking shoes. She walked over like Mason wasn''t restless and waiting impatiently, almost enjoying his annoyance as far as he could tell. "Ready to go?" she said, with an amused tone. He felt something between a thrill and a scowl, no idea what facial expression that made. Rather than worry too much, he just turned around and knelt. "Hurry and climb on before I make you run." "I don''t mind running," she said as she leaned in and wrapped her arms around his neck. The feel of her soft breasts squishing against the back of his neck were unmistakable. Then she wrapped her legs around his back, and he tucked his arms beneath. He took off instantly, happy to get moving and burn some restless energy. The notion that taking Rosa to the nymphs might end up moreplicated than talking about nts probably should have concerned him. But between the endless seduction of the tree creatures, and the somewhat vtile, sexual tension with Rosa, he truly had no idea what he was in for. It seemed possible Rosa still intended either to ''steal'' him from Haley and Reba, or else just torture and tempt him as punishment if not. The thought didn''t sit particrly well, but he also couldn''t exactly me her. Their whole situation wasn''t ''normal'' for life in the old world. And old habits died hard. The idea of adding her to his bed and life was definitely appealing...in a lust-filled fantasy kind of way. But the reality might end up more domestic disturbance than Pornhub pleasure. He sighed, and just kept running. In fact they didn''t say a word to each other nearly the entire way. Rosa didn''t evenin or ask for a rest, and when they reached the tree by the afternoon, Mason set her down for the first time in hours. Her legs copsed, and he had to catch her. "Mierda!" Mason held her and frowned at the pained, angry expression in her eyes. "You''re a very stubborn woman, aren''t you?" Fire flickered in her dark pupils, then faded just as quick. She looked at the ground, andughed. "Yes," she agreed. "I thought you¡¯d get tired. Jesus my legs are numb. Help me up." He did, and she made a hissing sound and mumbled several more Spanish curses before steadying with her hands on his shoulders. "Don¡¯t you ever need a rest?" She rolled her eyes and looked away. "I wanted you to stop first." "Wanted to win, huh?" She met his eyes, and an excited jolt of lust shot through his body. "Yes." She was very different than Haley and Reba, that was for sure. And extremely exciting in a ''light your clothes on fire after an argument'' kind of way. But as she leaned against him, still fighting to stand on her own, he could only imagine what she would be like naked and wrapped around him... "So these nymphs," he said to break the direction of his thoughts. "They''re..." what on earth did he say?..."they''re basically obsessed with sex. But their whole existence is literally giving life to nts. They pretty much have to be useful." "You''re fucking them, too, aren''t you?" Rosa raised a brow. Mason opened his mouth but failed to find any words. Then she leaned in and whispered in his ear. "I''m starting to feel left out." Then she let go of him and wobbled unsteadily before stretching her back and legs like a yoga instructor. "Dios mio that feels good." Mason didn''t bother trying to look away. "I can''t tell if your Spanglish is confusing the system or me." She grinned with her head somewhere near her foot, then stood up and squealed slightly as she finished. "OK. Take me to your sex-addicted, post-apocalyptic horticrists." Mason grinned and offered his hand. "As thedy wishes." * * * They stepped hand in hand into the clearing and the mists, Rosa gasping when she saw the tree. "Druid!" Thea''s warm voice was unmistakable. "I''m very pleased to see you. Calypsa is away again as usual and it''s lonely here. Who is your friend?" Mason didn''t bother answering. He just led Rosa to the tree and touched the bark, epting the prompt. The world vanished and re-materialized, and he grinned as Rosa''s wide eyes inspected the beautiful grove. Thea emerged from her pool, fortunately at least mostly covered in a thin green fabric more like nt-skin than cloth. She pulled back her long, wet hair and gave a radiant smile, and Mason felt her scent wash over him. Her body almost glowed with seductive beauty, her breasts dripping and hips swaying as she took several steps towards them. "Easy," he warned, "we''re here to talk, not for your magic." Thea frowned, but the scent of freshly baked cookies and the unearthly glow somewhat diminished. "Thea, meet Rosa. She''s an alchemist. I thought you two might..." "Mmm." Thea came all the way forward, closing her eyes as she inhaled in Rosa''s direction. "You smell lovely. So young and fertile. What wonderful life we could all make." Mason winced and looked at Rosa with a look he hoped conveyed ''you see what I''m dealing with?''. "Speaking of which," Thea added. "Come,e child." She turned and gestured like one might to a toddler, and Mason practically jumped as something coiled and twisted on the floor. Roots and vines clustered and rose, forming something vaguely...humanoid, and maybe three feet tall. It took a few tentative steps towards Thea, and she took its ¡®hand¡¯. "This is Mason, ranger and druid of the great forest. It''s his essence and magic that gave you life." She turned and beamed. "You see? A defender, just as I predicted." She looked at him hungrily. "We must make more, druid. Many more." Mason wasn''t sure what to say or how to feel, but he felt something, that was certain. An instant affection as he had in Seul-ki''s garden, or with the wolves. He dropped to a knee and activated Speak with Nature. [You don''t need to be scared of me, kid. I''m a friend.] He held out his hand, and the little bundle of vines came forward and touched it. Mason could swear the coils turned up on his face and smiled. Then the little creature turned and ran away, splintering apart and vanishing back along the floor in a moving mass of vines like snakes. "Well..." Rosa said with wide eyes. "That was something." "It certainly was." Thea glowed with warmth and pleasure. "Can I offer you something? We have fruit juices, and many things in bloom in the grove. Or a dip in the pool?" She grinned. Mason was the type to turn things down out of habit, but the food and drink in this ce was amazing, and he was bloody tired of settlement rations. "Something to eat and drink would be nice. We can sit and talk," he added. "As you wish." Thea grew them chairs and tables, and little nts brought her leaves filled with different fruits and vegetables and cups that were just curved nts. "We''re trying to grow crops," Mason exined. "Enough for hundreds of people. But we don''t have enough seeds. I need to figure out the rightnd to use, how to manage it. I thought maybe you could help us." Thea frowned like Mason had said the moon was made of cheese. "For the human settlement? Are they hungry?" "Well..." Mason shrugged. "They will be soon enough. We may not starve, exactly, but we''ll need different foods or we''ll get sick. Or at least crazy." Thea smiled as if she knew some secret. "Because of your power, I sometimes forget how young you are, druid. And I sense you are a settlement patron now. So that solves everything. Come. I can help your flock." She winked at Rosa. "And your Naturalists, too." Mason stood and stepped towards her, not sure what to expect. She reached out and cupped his cheek, and her eyes zed with green light. "For the gift of life, for saving the great tree, and for many other things¡ªtake this gift of Gaia to your people, with our thanks." Warmth flowed through Thea''s hand, and Mason''s patron options shed and blinked until he opened them. A host of new buildings and options floated before his eyes, all tinged with green borders. The rather crude looking and expensive greenhouse had transformed into a ¡®Temple of Gaia¡¯¡ªa huge structure that looked built into the earth with an attached underground, surrounded by water and vegetation, and for no more patron point cost than the original building. But there were others. A ¡®Flora Preserve¡¯¡ªwhich looked to Mason like a vertical farm¡ªseveral floors of a space-age ss building except covered in vines and moss and decorated with something like Greek symbols. There was a fountain that said it produced ¡®Gaia blessed water¡¯ forever. Some kind of town tree that promised a blessing. He even saw a settlement ''theme'' that would transform the town into ''natural ground''. Did that mean it would stop interfering with his powers? Thea released his cheek and smiled, and Mason felt momentarily overwhelmed. "Thank you, Thea. This...this is incredible." He scooped her into his arms and spun her in a circle, grinning as he heard herugh. "Well," she said as he set her down, then pat his arms to let her go. "That''s that taken care of. All this magic gets me in the mood for a bath." She turned and almost instantly stripped the thinyer of green ''dress'', tip toeing down the few stepspletely naked and diving into the water. Her scent hit Mason again, her magic working whether intentionally or not. Mason sighed, breathing it in with a smile. If he was honest, he''d begun to run out of reasons to say no. He looked at Rosa and held out his hand with one eyebrow raised. "Care for a dip?" She lowered her head and matched the eyebrow raise, then started working at the buttons on her shirt. When he started stripping his own she worked faster, apparently even wanting to win at stripping. "Why does she smell like baking cinnamon?" Rosa whispered. Masonughed, kicked off hisst piece of clothing, then leapt into the pool.
Chapter 134: Demon in an orcskin mask Chapter 134: Demon in an orcskin mask Ilya crept back into ke¡¯s secret hideaway in the morning. "Some of the rebel chiefs have agreed to meet with you. But..." she twisted her hands nervously. "They may want a disy of your magic. To prove you are not of the towers, or a spy for Lord Gromsh." "Capital." ke yawned and stretched, smiling when he saw his mana waspletely full. "Do we have any time?" "Some. They meet at the hour of the Rod." Ilya sat and ke met her eyes, certainly no idea what that meant. "Good. Tell me everything about these towers. And about these chiefs I''m to meet. Tell me everything you know, about its history, about the ns. I want to know what your people fear, what they believe, what they admire. Everything." Ilya blinked and shrugged helplessly. "Do the mountain orcs know nothing of the towers? I find that hard to believe...and if so, why did they send you to our aid so quickly, and..." "Did I say I know nothing, Ilya?" ke snapped, knowing attack was usually the best way to handle suspicion. "I told you to tell me everything you know. Now hurry, we don''t have all day." The disturbingly attractive green woman nodded like he''d said something profoundly wise, and did as he asked. He listened intently, stopping to ask a few questions about the names and personalities of the chiefs. He had an idea for a story already, but details helped considerably. When she''d stopped talking and seemed unsure what else to tell him, he patted her knee. "Very good. Take me to these chiefs now. I''ll do the rest." The orc looked rather nervous, and he supposed she was staking her reputation and probably her life on him. Desperation wasn''t necessarily ideal in one''s business partners, but then, beggars couldn''t be choosers. "It''ll be alright." ke let her see hisplete confidence. "I''m ready when you are." She seemed to take somefort in his manner, and nodded with more resolve. "This way, Thrall. Some of the king''s men are still in the streets. They won''t recognize you, will they?" ke honestly had no idea. But he doubted it, and shook his head. Ilya sagged with relief, and led him out. They walked on through the dark cave then back into Ilya¡¯s house. She stopped in one of therger rooms that seemed like a kitchen, shivering and clenching a fist as she looked at some sculpted busts along the walls. "I hate it here," she whispered. "I have only memories of dead family." She turned to ke. "We have to stop this tyrant. This betrayer and usurper. Promise me we can do it." ke smiled bravely for her. The only way he was getting out of here alive was if this orc king died. And since he was him, surely the result was inevitable. "I promise you, Ilya, we can do it." She took a de from the counter and hid it under a kind of hide legging, then took his hand and led him into the street. Things were rather more quiet than the day before. What had been lively and bustling trade and social life was now near empty, silenced streets. Orcs who were no doubt too poor to own homes were crammed and quiet in alleys or dark corners, usually sitting with heads down and cloaked. Ilya led ke along a wall, her head down, her pace even. A few warriors walked the streets in silence, growling at anyone who came too close, but otherwise not bothering the few travelers. ke and his guide walked passed a few without being stopped, then turned into another building dug into the wall. An orc carving bowls out of wood watched them enter, but said nothing as they descended crude stairs to a lower level. ke heard voices below. It seemed Ilya was about to stop him and give some kind of pep talk or instructions, but ke was tired of waiting and didn''t need them. He strolled into an open space much like an ancient dive bar, finding several male orcs around tables arguing in hushed tones. They all stopped and stared, and ke activated Mental Influence just to be ready. "I''ve seen more cheer in a graveyard," he quoted with a grin. "Are these the mighty chiefs of the Stoneblood n?" Ilya moved to his side and bowed slightly to the orcs. "This is Thrall, great chiefs. The mountain wizard I''ve spoken of, who..." "The wizard can speak for himself, woman,¡± growled an older orc at the back of the room. ¡°You do not speak to a gathering of chiefs. Mind your ce, or I will beat you in honor of your esteemed dead kin.¡± His eyes roamed ke from head to toe, and he briefly wondered what these creatures actually saw. "Well he''s too skinny to be a warrior." "But not a spy," growled another, to a chorus of grunts. ke smiled and activated Telekinesis. As usual the world lit up with options, but he chose his user. He raised his hand for dramatic effect, and the creature sputtered and cried out as he lifted from his chair to dangle helplessly in the air. "I have no need for an axe, my friends. I am here to help the towers stop a false prophet who betrays your people with blood magic." The orcs all gasped ordingly, and ke smiled. "Lord Gromsh has made a deal with the devil. A demon reborn in an orcskin mask." They all stared but he could see they already began to believe. Ilya had told him that long ago a demon controlled these towers with what they called ¡®blood magic¡¯. With the help of the gods and their shamans, they finally managed to trap it in the central hall, which was really more like a dungeon, until a great orc hero destroyed it. It was one of their ¡®founding myths¡¯, and they feared all ¡®demons¡¯ and magic to this day. But how else could the orc gain so much power so quickly? It made perfect sense to them. Though ke wondered very much himself if it was true¡ªbecause he''d like to do the same. "But who are you? And why are you here?" said one of the chiefs. ke set the orc down to save his mana. "I''m a spy," he said and grinned, watching the orc''s stare with squinted eyes. "But I don''t belong to this king. In fact, he knows I¡¯vee, and he''s trying to find and kill me. I assume you''ve all noticed no one can leave the dungeon? That''s why. He''s trying to trap and destroy me." "Why?" said a dark green chief named Terzog. ke smiled. "Because he''s afraid. And that should be very re-assuring." The orc chiefs looked at each other and leaned in to mutter quietly amongst themselves. ke used his Mental Influence to listen, but wasn''t surprised to hear them basically agree they had no choice but to work with him. "What is your n?" asked Terzog, clearly the leader, so ke gave him in particr a shot of trust and courage. "It''s very simple. We''re going to quietly turn every orc in this tower against our enemy. And then we''re going to kill him." Terzog frowned. "He has the strength of ten orcs. And he but whispers amand and the lower order orcs leap to obey him. Only those of noble blood seem able to resist." ke nodded. Ilya had told as much, and he wasn¡¯t sure if he could solve it or not. But he didn¡¯t have any choice except to try. "Then it is the lower order orcs I will turn against him one by one, until it''s toote to see the betrayal." "But how?" The orcs all stared with utter fascination, and ke knew he had them. "With magic." * * * It didn''t take long for the orcs to agree. The king had apparently taken many of the n warriors as personal guard, but most remained under the control of the chiefs. "But they cannot be trusted," Terzog exined to ke after the others had left. "They are not to me, they are faithful warriors, but they cannot resist the power of Gromsh''s presence and orders. He warps their mind with his foul¡­blood magic." ke nodded. "Leave that to me. Bring me your warriors one by one, and I will fortify them against such magic. I can do..." he shrugged, "maybe twenty five a day." Terzog nodded, finally smiling. "There is no greater sphemy to our kind than possessing with mind magic. I cannot thank you enough, Thrall. We can bring at least 200 warriors if there is time. Is it like a shaman¡¯s magic? You can protect their minds?" "Yes," the lie was so very easy, and ke was very thankful for his ¡®Orc Whisperer¡¯ title which would improve his power, and hopefully shield him from their understanding. "I will protect their minds from Gromsh," he agreed. Then thought: but who will protect your minds from me? "We will bring them here," said Terzog. "Stay with Ilya. Best none of us know where, in case we are taken and tortured." "Agreed." ke winced at the thought. He was asionally reminded he wasn''t ying office politics here, but involved in a very real and very terrifying game with murderous monsters produced by a robotic God. On the other hand, it was kind of exciting. "Tonight then, if you are able?" Terzog stood and held out his hand. ke winced, not entirely sure what would happen to his deception magic if he took it. But he suspected he would learn sooner orter, and it seemed better to find out now when he only had to control one mind to escape. He grasped the extended hand as he''d seen other orcs do. "Tonight." The chief squeezed his forearm with something approaching surprise. ke felt relieved, however, because it looked more like ''I can''t believe how skinny this little orc wizard is'', and not ''oh it''s a human I''m about to kill''. He waited for the chief to leave before turning to Ilya, waiting patiently at the table behind. "Well, that went rather..." She wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his chest, shaking with what might have been a sob. "There there..." he patted her back and choked out the words. She was bloody strong. Finally she released him and wiped tears from her eyes. "I''m sorry, Thrall. It''s just...for the first time since Gromsh killed my father and uncles, I feel like...like I might get justice for my family." Hmm, ke thought. Thrall, Bringer of Justice. No. Thrall The Punisher. No, those didn¡¯t really fit. ke The Psionic Protector? The Psionic Punisher. The Master of... "Are you alright?" Ilya was watching his eyes as if he¡¯d made some kind of social fopah, and ke blinked. "Sorry. I was just thinking about how terrible it must be for you. I''m so sorry, my dear." ke took her hand and kissed it out of habit or instinct, and Ilya blushed a rather pleasant shade of¡­greenish yellow? "I...thank you..." she said, not removing her hand, and ke sensed an opportunity he was rather terrified to seize. Instead he smiled and pat her hand as he let go. "Best we go and hide for a little while. I''ve got a lot of work ahead of me, and I start tonight." "Of course, wizard. Thrall." Ilya snapped into action. "I found this cloak for you. Best to cover if you''ll be on the street every day, I think." "Very good thinking, Ilya, thank you." ke followed the somewhat flustered orc girl back to the street, then to her house, and thefortable little nook by his stream. With his strategy in ce, and only the work remaining, hey down for a pleasant nap. Then he grinned, thinking about Mason back in Nassau trying to rule a settlement. He''d visit his dreams soon enough, he supposed, but he was very curious. As had urred to him since the ¡®robo-pocalypse¡¯, when he and Mason were separated more and more, he also realized they¡¯d never been apart so much or so long. The feeling was¡­unpleasant. ¡°I think I¡¯ll call you Mason,¡± he said to a nearby rock with spotting vaguely in the shape of a face. ¡°Yes, things are going swimmingly, Mason, thank you for asking," he said to the rock. "But I wish I knew how you were doing."
Chapter 135: That’s what I wanted (NSFW) Chapter 135: That¡¯s what I wanted (NSFW) Mason activated Blessing of Gaia as soon as he hit the water. It practically hummed from his body in the nymph''s pool, like it was amplified and finally whole. He supposed it likely was. He emerged and closed his eyes in pleasure at the feel of the tepid, running water cleaning his body. "Oh that feels good on my legs and back," Rosa said somewhere beside him, keeping herself under to her neck as she closed her eyes and floated. Thea was swimming off towards her fronds or the small waterfall, seemingly ignoring them for the moment. "Want a massage?" Mason said, moving closer and putting his hands on her shoulders. "Mmm. Very cheeky." Rosa practically purred, but certainly didn''t stop him. "You bring me to your sex get-away. You tell me to get naked. Now you give me a massage. What am I to think?" "This wasn''t...exactly the n," Mason said, rathermely, and not at all convincingly. Rosa was taking deep breaths and letting them out with a sigh, but she seemedpletely in control¡ªunlike him the first time he¡¯d been exposed to the magic¡ªand he was honestly thoroughly impressed. "It''s some kind of pheromone cocktail," Rosa said, groaning as Mason found a knot. "What''s that?" he asked. "The scent you apparently both have. My ss identified it." "Oh." Mason said, at something of a loss. Rose shook with an obvious chuckle. Then she sighed and stood, turning to face him as the water dripped off her incredible breasts on full disy. She met his eyes. "Did you turn it on? Or was it automatic when you swam in the pool?" "I..." Mason grinned. "Honestly can''t know for sure." "So you turned it on." Rosa said and came forward, only one step away. She bit her lip and swept some water back and forth with her hands. "I talked with Haley again, you know. While all you yers were gone." Mason didn''t bother interrupting, knowing whatever was said Haley would be looking out for him. "She said even if I shared you, it would be more than I could handle." Rosa kept waving the water back and forth. "But it¡¯s all very¡­weird." "There''s other men in Nassau," Mason said. "And in the world. You don''t need to be with me." "That''s true," Rosa said, still not meeting his eyes. "But I don''t touch myself at night thinking about other men. Thinking very naughty thoughts. Except now that''s it ¡®phase two¡¯, I can''t even do that. And now every night is torture. As I think about...what we didn''t finish." She touched his arms and came forward so that her nipples just touched his chest. He put a hand to her chin and raised it until she looked into his eyes. "I¡¯m not kidding, you''ll have to y nice. Haley and Reba are important to me. If you want me, you''ll have to get along. Be friendly with them." "I can be nice," she said, in a seductive and not particrly nice way. Mason inhaled as her hand wrapped around his shaft under the water and slowly stroked. "I can be very, very nice." He leaned forward and kissed her thick lips, practically sinking into them before her tongue found his. She was an amazing kisser, and as before it felt so natural, like he''d been kissing her all his life. Whatever blood hadn''t managed to squeeze into his dick now found its way, and Rosa groaned as he twitched and stiffenedpletely in her hand. "So what about me?" Rosa said as she stroked. "Hmm? I have to y nice with your little girlfriends. What do I get?" Mason growled and took a handful of Rosa''s long, dark hair, his other hand moving between her legs. "You get to be left a mindless mess after I fuck your brains out whenever you want it, as much as you want it. And probably a little more than that." She was already wet enough the pool didn''t matter, and his fingers slid up and down her folds, exploring every part of her as he again tasted her lips. "Promises, promises," Rosa said, but her eyes were fluttering and her tone was breathy. Mason plunged a finger than two inside her, and her hands squeezed on his arms as his lips went to her nipples one by one as he fingered her. Her body was all curves and soft flesh and he wanted his mouth on every piece of her. With a growl he lifted her to the edge of the pool, spread her legs and licked his way down her thighs. She shivered and gripped his hair as he reached her pussy, licking from bottom to top and back down as gently as he was able. But he couldn''t hold himself back long. Soon he was gripping her ass with both hands and plunging his face between her legs, his tongue inside her. "Fuck!" Rosa was writhing and pulling at his hair, which might have hurt if Mason wasn''t enhanced by roboGod and so lost in lust he couldn''t care less. Then he slid her back and leapt out of the water, crawling between her legs on his knees as he lowered her down and pulled her thighs apart. He looked down at her naked body spread before him, panting and somewhere between thrilled and frightened. He slid his achingly hard length between her lower lips, rubbing back and forth before he put the tip to her opening and slid inside. She didn''t even clench up like he expected. She justy her head back as her eyes rolled back, wiggling her ass to get him further,pletely submitting. And whatever gentle intentions he had left sted apart. He pushed deeper and deeper until his body pped into hers, then leaned down and meant to kiss her but more like sunk his teeth into her shoulder as he thrust. "That''s what I wanted," Rosa moaned. "That''s all I want." Mason happily gave it to her. Her eyes were closed but he couldn''t stop watching her as she clung to him and moved with his thrusts. Her legs wrapped around him, pulling him deeper and deeper, like her whole mind and body just wanted himpletely inside. He''d given a brief thought to how and where he might finish, but that vanished now. There was no way in hell he was pulling out. He kept a steady tempo, ramming her ass into the ground with rhythmic ps as she moaned. Her hands moved up and down his body, feeling his chest and arms and back as if she couldn''t stop. Then she was shaking and making little whimpering sounds, clinging to him for dear life until she arched her back and cried out. She froze and held her breath for what seemed like forever, finally shaking and twitching until she ckened almostpletely beneath him. "Wow." He chuckled and slowed down, putting gentle kisses on her face. "You came hard. That was sexy as hell." "Mmhmm." Rosa looked drunk as she blinked and licked her lips. Mason almost flinched at Thea''s voice. Will you finish in the pool, druid? The nymph practically pouted with her words, and her voice was clearly only in Mason¡¯s mind. You can fill your mate with seed anytime. But I can use more for my magic. Mason grinned and lifted Rosa into his arms, still skewered on his cock. He walked back into the water and put her against the wall in the shallow end so they''d be out of the water. "God." Rosa was slowly blinking back to reality. "That was amazing." "It''s not over yet," Mason whispered in her ear, then started thrusting inside her as he held her up. "Dios mio." She held onto him again, wrapping her trembling legs behind him as he held her up by the ass and pounded her. Then he felt Thea''s hair and soft hands moving below him in the water and practically groaned. She kissed her way up his legs, then she was licking and sucking his balls as he fucked the oblivious Rosa. With his ever increasing strength and stamina he knew he could do it all day, but Thea deserved her reward. He hammered Rosa until she was going ck again, holding on for dear life with closed eyes as she whimpered and moaned his name. Thea was making out with his sack and it felt amazing. He reached down and took a hold of her hair with one hand, still easily holding Rosa up with the other. Release built and tightened inside him, and he decided they both deserved at least a little. He refused to pull out entirely, pumping until he exploded inside Rosa, loving it as she again froze and held her breath, cumming with him as her pussy clenched hard on his shaft. He let himself spray inside her, then pulled out and shoved into Thea''s waiting mouth, giving her the lion''s share. Rosa made a slight whining sound until he reced his cock with his fingers, working her as Thea sucked his cock with tight, long strokes of her lips, taking him deeper than any normal woman would without gagging. Rosa finally blinked her eyes slightly open, so he kissed her until she closed them and sagged again. He let Thea suck him dry, then let her suck his fingers, too. She looked up gratefully from the water before turning and vanishing like a damned mermaid, and Mason took Rosa into the deeper water and pulled her close. "Not bad for round one," he whispered in her ear, and she mumbled something iprehensible. He chuckled and pulled her head down to his shoulder, just letting her float in orgasmic bliss in the nymph''s pool.
Chapter 136: Focus Chapter 136: Focus Mason eventually set the naked Rosa outside the pool, gave her a little water, then let hery down to sleep. They would need to leave soon to make it back to Nassau before dark, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel a dose of masculine pride having literally banged her unconscious. Maybe best to let her rest a little. ¡°The pool effects your civilians differently,¡± Thea exined, draping herself naked over his back. ¡°She¡¯ll gain power from this ce, but the magic takes a toll.¡± Mason frowned, then couldn¡¯t help but fight theugh that followed. ¡°I thought it was the sex.¡± Theaughed with him and started kissing his neck. ¡°I¡¯m sure that was part of it.¡± Mason tried not to feel the creature¡¯s body against his skin, doing his best to resist for the moment. It wasn¡¯t exactly easy. Thea was like a Greek sex goddess¡ªsomeposite of a hundred sculptures of Aphrodite turned into a living thing. ¡°Before you get any ideas,¡± he said, ¡°I have questions.¡± ¡°Of course, druid,¡± Thea beamed. ¡°I¡¯ve been having¡­dreams,¡± Mason said. ¡°About the crone I met in the corrupted tree. About a giant and a chained old man. About a war between men, orcs, and¡­walking corpses. Does that make any sense to you?¡± Thea frowned, which didn¡¯t seem natural on her beautiful face. ¡°Many druids dream of the past, and the future. That is not unusual. The giant and the chained man¡ªthis is another ancient¡ªChulin. When he grew too old and lost some of his power, he was captured by an old foe, the giant Cerebrex. Now the giant forces him to walk the forest in chains in punishment.¡± Thea shuddered, and Mason tried not to imagine such a fate. ¡°Save him, druid,¡± Thea said, ¡°and he would surely reward you with another blessing.¡± ¡°Where can I find him?¡± Mason decided he would save the man with or without reward. Such a monstrous thing happening in his woods¡­he wouldn¡¯t stand for it. Thea smiled like she could somehow read his thoughts. ¡°They¡¯re always moving so it¡¯s difficult to know. But Calypsa and I will speak to the trees and help you find him. Be wary, though, Cerebrex is very dangerous. Don¡¯t make the same mistake your elder made, don¡¯t face him alone.¡± Drowsiness took him, and he closed his eyes just to rest for a moment before he heard Rosa calling his name. ¡°Mason!¡± ¡°What?¡± He wiped a little drool from his lips and pushed to his elbows. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I leveled twice!¡± Rosa was apparently putting her clothes back on as she stared into nothing, probably checking out her profile. He could rte. ¡°And I gained a whole bunch of recipes for free! This ce is amazing!¡± Mason grinned andy his head back down. ¡°Awesome. Anything useful?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She dropped his clothes on his chest and sat down beside him, running a hand up his leg. ¡°Now pay attention. I¡¯ve got some choices and you should hear them. Civilians get new sses too and I need to pick.¡± ¡°Uh huh.¡± Mason opened his eyes to find her still in acy bra, debating if he should unclip it. ¡°Focus,¡± she said, putting a hand to his chin. ¡°Combat focus, or nonbat focus. That¡¯s the choice.¡± Mason was vaguely starting to realize this might be important. He sat up and pped himself before Thea wasing over, fully dressed in her leaves and smiling as she brought a jug of water. Mason gulped most of it down and grinned at her. ¡°OK,¡± he said. ¡°What are your choices?¡± ¡°Herbalist or Greenthumb. Either way I work with nts, but I think I either grow food and water that gives all kinds of misceneous boosts. Or I make things directly forbat.¡± Mason raised a brow. ¡°Like antidotes? Poisons?¡± ¡°Yeah. And ¡®Fightbrews¡¯, whatever those are. Some kind of temporary boosts.¡± Mason didn¡¯t much like the idea of carrying potions around, but Seul-ki¡¯s boosts were insane, and if he could do something simr with potions¡­ ¡°I don''t want to tell you what to choose,¡± he said. ¡°I know it was frightening watching me with that poison. You might be signing up for more of that with thebat ss.¡± Rosa frowned. ¡°I want your opinion.¡± Mason sighed, pretty sure she¡¯d pick whatever he suggested. But maybe that was for the best. ¡°Alright. Then it¡¯s thebat ss. They both sound good, but an edge in a fight can make all the difference. The yers need all the help they can get.¡± ¡°OK. I chose.¡± Apparently Rosa wasn¡¯t the type to waste any time, either. She frowned a little as her eyes looked like they were reading the air. ¡°Doesn''t look like there''s much in the way of special recipes or anything from this grove. I kind of hoped there was.¡± "That would be my sister''s domain," Thea said from nearby. "I''m afraid I don''t do the fighting. You''ll have toe back when Calypsa returns." Rosa looked at Mason and raised a brow. "I don''t suppose we''d mind, would we?" "We...would not." He cleared his throat as he saw Thea inching her way towards them. "But it''s probably time to get back. My internal clock says it¡¯s getting dark soon." Thea made another signature pout as she turned away. "Have you cleared any more of the great trees, druid?" "I...¡± Mason winced and started putting on his clothes. ¡°Haven''t had the time." "You must hurry," she said, her voice getting more serious. "The longer they sit infested, the worse the rot bes." Mason shrugged helplessly as he felt the truth of that. He felt rather rxed after the pool, and grove food, and orgasm...but Thea''s words concerned him. Was it time? Probably. Dealing with Nassau''s major problems was likely going to take less effort than he''d anticipated because of Thea''s gifts. First he''d go back to Nassau and burn a considerable amount of patron points...sorry ke, he thought...then maybe he could go to the tree near the orc fortress. It made as much sense as anything. But who to take? Reba was the first obvious choice. Maybe Phuong? Maybe Carl? He frowned slightly, still a little angry the Sanctuary man had abandoned his brother, even if he understood why. But he suspected a lot of the newer yers would love a shot at the dungeons, too. Of course the Grove trees seemed no joke...so maybe it was wise to take the A team... "Your mind looks busy." Rosa said as she finished putting on her top. Mason blinked, reminding himself he was still in the aftercare moments with a girl who''d just recently been a virgin. Despite not seeming like one at all. He slid his hands around her back and kissed her, holding her in his arms. "So what''s better? The upgrades, or the sex?" Rosaughed and put her head against his chest. "Don''t make me choose." Then she sighed and met his eyes. "What now? I mean...for us. What''s it going to be like when we get back to Nassau?" "Depends what you want." "I want you," she said without hesitation, and Mason couldn''t help but smile. "Well...the hall is pretty big...I''m sure we could find you a room and..." "I know I have to share you," Rosa interrupted. "I just don''t want to share you. I mean...I want you alone." She looked like she was ready to stomp her foot. "I mean when it''s you and me¡­I just want you and me." "I get it." Mason held back the chuckle. "If that''s what you want, we''ll figure it out." He shrugged, thinking if everyone is calm and reasonable. To be honest he wasn''t quite sure, but maybe Haley could figure it all out. "Ready for another bumpy ride?" he grinned, and Rosa winced in memory. "This time we take some breaks." Masonughed and knelt so she could climb on his back. "See you soon, druid." Thea leaned against a particrlyrge mushroom and smiled as she waved with a devious wink. Mason decided a return trip with Rosa to meet Calypsa should happen sooner rather thanter. But for now he touched the wall, and the world vanished.
Chapter 137: You lose Chapter 137: You lose Mason spent most of the run back to Nassau pouring over his patron options. He tried to figure out the most efficient choices with the points he had, leaving at least a little left for ke, or a rainy day. The Temple of Gaia seemed the first most logical choice just based on cost. It seemed to suggest it produced a wide array of herbs, nts, and food. It was also massive, which seemed a positive indication of quantity. Things got trickier after that. Well, maybe not exactly. Mason was obviously biased towards buying the ''natural theme'' package for the town. It might have been hard to justify if it was just for him, but first of all it was cheap, and second it opened up other options in a kind of ''specialty'' line and sounded like it boosted all the nature-oriented buildings. He suspected there were other such themes to select from, but they currently didn¡¯t have any. And they were in the middle of a damn forest, after all, it just made sense. After that? He just wasn¡¯t sure. They already had infinite drinking water as far as he could tell. So did they really need the fountain? He could take the Flora Preserve, but best to see the temple first and see how much food they had. Then there was some kind of animal menagerie. Some nature-themed defences to add to the walls and outside. Frankly he wanted everything. But he knew he had to prioritize. He hesitated when he saw a currently red, in other words unavable thing that looked like a tree under the specialty list¡­a ¡®Wyrd Tree¡¯? Did that mean if he could ''Tree walk'', he could use that thing to teleport from town? That decided it for certain. It was time to cleanse the remaining great trees before anything else got in the way. Excitement shot through him, because maybe he could even take others. God only knew how much time that would save, and how much it might help to explore the rest of the world¡­ He gave Rosa a short break, then picked her back up and carried her at full speed, feeling her clutching him in mild panic. "Mason! If I hit a branch I''m going to break my neck!" she shouted, and he tried to slow a little. He just had so bloody much to do! The rest of the trip back went by in a blur. When he finally reached Nassau he dropped Rosa off at the gate, where she sagged and managed not to copse this time. He reminded himself onest time that things with Rosa were fresh and not altogether worked out. That she was new to all this and he should be gentle. He stopped and pulled her into his arms again, giving her the genuine smile he didn''t need to force. "I''m d you came." "I think you''re d you came," she muttered, grinning as she met his eyes. Heughed and kissed her, giving her incredible ass a solid groping as the kiss got considerably more passionate. Then he smelled leather and soap somewhere behind him, and blinked as he turned to find Reba watching from inside the gate. He slowly eased himself free from Rosa, trying not to appear as if he felt guilty, but also not trying to appear too pleased¡­ Oh God this was gettingplicated. "Hello Reba," Rosa said politely. "Hi Rosa. Can I borrow Mason a minute?" Mason looked between them and found words not very helpful. He really wished Haley were there. "Sure." Rosa turned and gave Mason ast closed mouth kiss on the lips. "I''ll see youter?" "Yep," he saidmely, pretty close to running back into the trees with Streak. Then Rosa walked towards her house swaying her hips, and Reba came closer with her hands on hers. "We''ve got a problem. If you¡¯re not too busy." Mason met her very jealous eyes, then thought ah to hell with it. He grabbed her hand and pulled her in, encouraged when she turned her face from his lips but at least didn''t resist. "I''m not too busy,¡± he said, then lowered his voice. "And considering you and I have shared at least two girls together, I wouldn''t expect to see you jealous." "I liked the other girls," Reba grumbled, ¡°or at least I didn¡¯t dislike them.¡± Mason chuckled as he kissed her neck and ear and cheek until she gave him a little moan. Then he turned her face and kissed her lips. "You''ll like Rosa, too. Now what''s the problem?" "The problem is we spent a day hunting and caught shit all. Hank says the main river has no fish to speak of. Oh, and folks are hoarding every scrap of food, so there ain''t nothing left but rice, potatoes, and bread by about noon every day. So, wee back, I guess." Mason frowned, flicking his eyes onest time over the options in the patron menu. He knew what he wanted, frankly, it was just time to pull the trigger. Meat would still be an issue but they''d sort thatter. He clicked the four choices he wanted for sure, lingered only a moment on the ept button, then clicked it without regret. The robotic voice boomed over Nassau. [Settlement modification scheduled in 1 hour. Please return to your homes to avoid injury and/or death. Thank you for your co-operation.] "That should help." Mason grinned. "Now let''s go get inside." * * * Mason took Reba''s hand and they walked to the chief''s hall. They weren''t the only ones with the idea, and a small crowd of yers and civilians gathered at the front entrance asking what the hell was going on. Then asking about food. Then about what the n was. Thenining about the houses getting crowded... "I''m spending patron points," Mason shouted over the growing din of the crowd. "It''s going to be a big change and I don''t know how half of it works. So we''re all going to need to figure it out together. Alright?" That quieted them down a little. "Where is ke?" asked the Spanish leader of a small group of civilians, whose name totally escaped Mason, his tone polite but strained. Mason hated this. He truly did. "ke¡­is stuck in a dungeon. We don''t know how long he''ll be in there. But we have to carry on like it¡¯ll be awhile." Lots of muttering followed that, and a few shouted questions, the most important seeming to be: "Are you the permanent patron now?" "No.¡± Mason probably said it too loudly and quickly. ¡°ke''sing back. I just don''t know when." He shrugged helplessly. "In the meantime I''m trying to solve problems. Food, housing, being trapped in these walls. I get it. But I don''t pretend to know more than you do. All we can do is try and fix it together. OK? If you have things to say, talk to Haley, and we''ll get to it. Er, where is Haley?" "Here, Mason." She waved at him from ke''s office, Silvie standing next to her. She gestured that he shoulde and talk, and he did his best to fight the frustrated sigh. He looked at Reba, who he was pretty sure wanted him to take her to their room and bang in a kind of angry, urgent, jealous frenzy. That certainly sounded a hell of a lot better and more needed than talking about nothing. He squeezed her hand, and whispered. "Wait for me in our rooms?" He could see she was upset and horny and wanted to tell him to go screw himself and also her, but she also understood the situation. "I''ll see y''allter," she said, then paced off angrily, swaying her hips like Rosa but without even trying to look sexy. Mason sighed and walked to the office. Haley waited until he was inside, then closed the door. "We need to talk about ke," said Silvie, and Mason tossed his hands. "I just told you everything I know. He''s trapped in a dungeon. So you''ll have to put up with me until he''s out." "That''s not what I mean." Silvie shifted ufortably. "Now that he''s away..." she took a deep breath. "Some of the yers and civilians havee to me with...concerns." He looked between them but couldn¡¯t read simple women, nevermind ones like Haley or Silvie. "Jesus just spit it out. What concerns?" The women exchanged a look, but Haley seemed to nod with encouragement until Silvie spoke. "That he''s...controlling their minds. It seems some of it sort of wears off, especially if he''s far away. And people have noticed." Fucking ke, Mason thought, I warned him. I bloody warned him. "Look," Mason shrugged, "he''s..some kind of mentalist ss. It probably happens as much by ident as anything. He''s not doing it to hurt anyone." "I understand," Silvie didn''t look at all pacified. "But you can see how the thought terrifies people. I mean, someone who can control how they think? How they feel? I mean...I get the shivers just thinking about it. Some of the yers have talked about what he did...out there with the orcs. Making them turn on each other like that. Can he do that to us?" You have no bloody idea, Mason thought, running a hand through his hair and looking at Haley. She looked surprisingly neutral, he realized, which sure wasn''t a good sign. And Mason was starting to get a little pissed off, if he was honest. Time for a little reality check. He leaned across the table. "You think we''re running a quaint little American town, Silvie? You think housing and food problems are the real concerns? You''ve no God damn idea what I''ve seen out there. A giant fucking worm that could swallow this ce. Orc armies. The dead rising out of the ground. You''re scared of ke? You need him. You need his dangerous mind powers because whatever you think he''s at least on your side." "Are you sure?" she said quietly, and Mason felt his face getting hot. "You think all this was my idea? I didn''t want a bloody settlement. ke saved this ce, these people. He sent me to get you and yours. I''d have left you to the fucking worms and wolves Silvie." The former mayor got quiet after that, but she didn''t look away. "I don''t think that''s true," she said quietly. "When it came down it, you risked your life for us. Every time. And at least you tell us the truth. I trust you, Mason. So does everyone else in this town. But I don''t trust your brother." ¡°Well I don''t give a shit!¡± Mason shouted in her face, then he felt Haley''s hand on his shoulder and took several long, deep breaths. But he wasn¡¯t pacified. ¡°Whatever you think of me, Silvie, you just remember this: there¡¯s no ke, or Mason. There¡¯s just ke and Mason. If you ever make me choose, you lose, always, every time. Get it? You lose.¡± He saw some fear in her eyes, then, but probably not enough. He took another deep breath and hoped the walls of the office were rtively sound proof. "Is that it?" "Yes." Silvie stood to leave but stopped at the door. "Carl feels terrible about leaving him, you know. None of thises from him, he likes ke. He didn''t say a word." Mason refrained from saying anything else he might regret, just waiting as Haley ushered Silvie out the door then closed it. ¡°You agree with this nonsense? That ke¡¯s some kind of¡­problem?¡± Mason said, surprised how much he cared about the answer. Haley shook her head and sat beside him, taking his hand. ¡°I make sure everyone feels they can talk to me. And Silvie isn¡¯t the only one whose been thinking like this. I just thought you should know.¡± "I''m starting to see why he mind controls people," Mason muttered, and Haley smiled. He wasn''t sure why he felt the need to exin but for some reason he did. "ke...he''s a liar," he said because it was true. "He''s maniptive and cold and selfish." He shrugged helplessly. "But he''s disciplined and clever and thinks three steps ahead. And he really does care about this ce. About building something. Maybe it''s partly for his own ego but all these people will be the ones who benefit. You don''t get choir boys who want to be emperor. That''s not how this works." Haley squeezed his hand and put her head on his shoulder. "I know. And if you weren''t here, my love, they would ept ke without a word." "What? What are you saying?" Mason met her eyes. "I''m saying they don''t want the eager, ruthless emperor,¡± she gave him an apologetic smile. ¡°They want the reluctant, noble king." "I''m not..." Mason practically felt himself dete. "Jesus Christ." He looked out the window and shook his head, pulling Haley into hisp. "All I wanted was to save my brother. And then to spend the apocalypse with you in bed." Haley chuckled and kissed his forehead, holding his face with her hands. "That''s why they want you, my love. You¡¯re a simpler man, and they understand you." "There''s worse thingsing, Haley.¡± He shook his head. ¡°That''s how this game works. Phase two, phase three, phase fuck you. All this is just...nonsense. We''ll need every weapon we have, and even then it might not be enough." "Then you''ll convince them." Haley hugged him. "Just like you''ll go convince Reba she doesn''t have to worry about losing you to some new girl." Mason sighed. Right. That. He nced at the digital clock on the wall. "Not sure I have time before the settlement transforms into...whatever it''s about to transform into." "Want me toe?" Haley asked. "No." He gave her a squeeze. "Go tell Silvie everything will be fine. Go talk with people and say you''ve got Mason under control. You probably do." Haley giggled. "Not likely, master. But I''ll do as you ask." He pulled her in and kissed her slowly, wishing he had a little extra time...he met her eyes and intended to tell her how amazing she was. But the way she looked at him he knew he didn''t have to. "Reba," she said. "Right. See you in a bit. Probably in a giant flower temple." She gave him a curious look, but he didn''t bother trying to exin.
Chapter 138: Do you know any wizards? Chapter 138: Do you know any wizards? ke and Ilya returned to the orc ¡®pub¡¯ that night. Then one by one orc warriors were brought in as if to drink or eat in the tavern, and one by one ke sat them down in a back corner, and asked them his questions. "What are your parents'' names? Tell me your greatest fear. Tell me what you want if you could have anything." They were confused, sometimes offended, sometimes amused. All that mattered was that they gave ke the information he needed for Mind Control to be most effective. Once or twice Chief Terzog reassured them if they tried to leave, then they''d sit back and down and look into ke''s eyes. He always started with the barest flick of Mental Influence¡ªa little Trust, just enough to activate the power. Mind Control was easier on targets he''d already Influenced. Like Influence, it didn''t produce something the mind didn''t already have. ke''s powers simply used those tools to his ends, and the main tool was narrative. What a person told themselves, what a person believed¡ªhuman or orc, it mattered more to them than reality. Mind Control wasrgely a story. ke wasn¡¯t exactly certain why or how he understood his power, save maybe that he¡¯d been such a good liar in his former life. But he did. So somehow he knew he didn''t destroy the will of his target. He merely broke their natural disbelief¡ªtricking them into believing something he wished them to believe. Once tricked, their will became his. Their resentment and rage, their hopes and dreams. It was something like magic hypnosis. Once he learned the fears and goals of each individual orc, things became far simpler. He also learned Mind Control had two forms¡ªthe second only bing avable when he was out of a dangerous situation and with a somewhat willing participant. The first was instant, temporary¡ªclearly designed primarily for turning foes inbat with a simple change in who they perceived as friends or allies. Or for quick convincing. The other was more like¡­a suggestion, to be carried outter by the target. This was the version ke decided to use. He nted a seed in every orc''s mind, just waiting to be activated. But ke wasn¡¯t trying to help them stop smoking cigarettes. A time wille when King Gromsh gives you onemand, and I give you another, he began. To prevent your , and to achieve your , you must obey me in that moment. He hoped that did the trick, but he couldn''t be sure. All he knew was that terror and reward were the two building blocks of proper motivation. When he''d finished casting the orc would blink or shake their head in confusion, and ke thanked roboGod for his Orc Whisperer title. The asional warrior got a nose bleed. "Is it finished?" they''d usually ask, and ke would nod and smile. "Your mind is now protected. Wait for themand of your chief." Off they¡¯d go, then Ilya would bring him the next, and the process would repeat. To ke''s nearly overwhelming joy, every orc he Mind Controlled gave him experience. After twenty three he''d even leveled up again. ke Nimitz Level: 8 ss: Psion Strength: 3 Dexterity: 3 Vitality: 3 Intellect: 8 Will: 6 Presence: 12 Luck: 43 Titles: Alpha01, Alpha Tester, Patron, Killer, Puppet Master, Orc Whisperer, Phase Jumper Powers: Mental Influence (enhanced), Telekinesis, Meditation, Mind Control, Arcane Affinity, Arcane st, Dream Walk, Mind Veil Apparently level eight was yet another new power. He was rather pleased, but also reminded his previous level was supposed to be something else, and tried not to be bitter. Better to focus on the now, and the useful. Yet again he had options. It urred to him he had essentially no defensive powers whatsoever, which seemed something he¡¯d best remedy. But was it the most critical thing right now? It looked like he had two primary options: ¡®Psionic Shield¡¯ for physical, and ¡®Psychic Resistance¡¯ for spells and mental. He expected the former was more important, but he really preferred just not to get hit¡­ He saw some kind of ¡®mass¡¯ mental influence, the ability to maybe make psionic ¡®constructs¡¯, whatever that exactly meant. Pain maniption? Mind st? That all sounded interesting. He drummed his fingers on the table, thinking everything was worthwhile but he had no idea which to take. There was a specific Psion passive, too, which promised a boost to¡­basically everything. One of ke¡¯s many intuitive pings made him linger on the power. It didn¡¯t sound shy like so many of the others. But the fact was he didn¡¯t know what he¡¯d want, and didn¡¯t currently need anything. So why not stick to general improvement? He took the passive and watched the description scroll. [Psionic Physiology. Passive power. Mind over matter.] The second he took it a brand new ¡®bar¡¯ appeared near his mana. On one side it said ¡®physical¡¯, on the other ¡®mental¡¯. It sat in the middle for now, but it seemed he could slide it back and forth. He was definitely going to be ying with that. But for the moment his mana was almost drained, and it was time to stop trying to control orcs while he still had a little in reserve. Terzog wasing back in alone, and sat in the chair opposite ke. "That''s all we''ve gathered,¡± he rumbled. ¡°Should we try for even more tomorrow?" "I think not," ke rose and stretched, feeling a little wobbly. "Twenty-five is near my limit. Best not to push me too far." "As you say." The orc was always vaguely ufortable in ke''s presence, though of course he was Influencing him whenever possible. With a nod the big chief rose and left the tavern with his hood drawn, and ke sat alone with Ilya. "You must be hungry," she said. "The stews here are very good. Let me get you some." "Eat with me." ke reached for her arm but stopped. "You''ve risked your life for me, and I hardly know you." Ilya smiled shyly, then went to the back of the tavern and returned with two bowls of stew. ke sniffed his, expecting to have to keep a straight face at the smell of nearly rotten, unseasoned meat. But actually it smelled delicious. "Mushroom and worm ," Ilya said as if this should be a delicacy. "With garlic, and whatever the cook¡¯s secret is." ke tried not to wince, because the truth was he was famished and his stomach growled at the smell. He spooned a generous portion into his mouth, then made a sound like ¡®haw¡¯ as he blew and reached for a cup of water. Then he looked up at Ilya, who was covering her mouth in surprise and ill-concealedughter. ke chewed and frowned. "My suffering amuses you?" Ilya shook her head and clearly tried to fight her amusement. "You don''t act like any orc I know." "Well,¡± ke shrugged. ¡°Do you know any wizards?" "No." Ilya grinned, and ke quirked his head in victory. The orc leaned forward, seemingly not much interested in her food. "Please tell me about where you''re from. I''ve never left the towers. Are there many orcs? What is it like?" ke sighed, not that enthusiastic about lying to the girl more than he had to. Partially he supposed because then he''d have to remember. Partially because he just liked her. But the best deception was close to the truth. "It''s a small ce. Very few orcs. Our warriors are powerful, though, as are our wizards." "Do the gods favor you with tasks? Like guarding the holy stones?" "Sometimes." ke smiled. "Why do you think I''m here?" Ilya¡¯s eyes went wide. "You are Chosen." "Some might say so.¡± ke shrugged and kept eating. The worm was actually not bad. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to talk about me. I want to know where you got your scrying crystal, and how you managed to see me. Where did you learn such things?" Ilya¡¯s skin flushed a little yellow as she looked at the table. "My mother was an oracle. I was not chosen, but, she taught me things anyway, before she died." "I''m sorry." ke said reflexively, but Ilya shrugged. "It was many years ago. I have her orb, and her staff. I can cast some spells. But not well." "I disagree." ke spooned in some more stew, then waited until Ilya met his eyes. "Without Ilya, there would be no rebellion. Remember that. It would make your family proud." She smiled, and so did ke, with a small trace of guilt, perhaps, but more devious pleasure. They ate their stew together in a pleasant silence, then ke followed Ilya back to his hiding hole. As usual the guards paid little attention if they stayed out of the middle of the street, and soon he was safe and hidden by his little creek. "Good night, Thrall," Ilya smiled shyly. "If you need anything else, just ask." "Good night Ilya. I''ll see you in the morning." ke was no expert on orc women, but something about Ilya''s expression gave him a continued feeling of...invitation. An all around bad idea, he decided, not trusting cultural or biological differences, nor his magical deception nearly that far. He could also be entirely wrong and end up with a knife in his eye, or at least alienate the girl to be less useful. So instead he yed with his new passive power, sliding his bar entirely to physical as he lifted a rock and squeezed. The difference was instantly obvious. He noticed his physical stats were glowing slightly, too, though they gave no indication of how much they¡¯d been affected. Not sure exactly how it would help, he slid the bar entirely to mental, feeling a very strange, almost cold rush of air through his brain. He blinked and tried a few mental calctions, definitely feeling like he could do them faster and with more digits than he could otherwise. He grinned, but let it sit for now. He needed mana, and sleep, so he closed his eyes and started Meditating. He wanted half a quarter before he Dreamwalked, and hoped Mason actually slept like a normal person soon.
Chapter 139: Moderate Apologies Chapter 139: Moderate Apologies ke¡¯s Dreamwalking attempt was a bust. He¡¯d lost all track of time in the underground world, and assumed it was nowhere near nighttime. He was tired almost randomly and never quite sure if he should sleep, a bit like suffering from perpetual jeg. But since he was on his own and with very little to do, eventually he just closed his eyes and slept. Ilya woke up sometimeter, apologizing and telling him the chiefs were gathering their warriors and it was time. He ate a little dry mystery meat and the ever-present mushrooms¡ªwhich seemed like bread or rice to these orcs¡ªthen sshed off in the stream and got ready for a day of warping minds. As usual the streets were quiet, though plenty of orcs shuffled along the sides, ignored by the asional patrolling warrior. Ilya and ke were just two more in the long procession, and faced no more scrutiny as they walked to the orc ¡®pub¡¯. Then ke was at his table, orc warriors shuffling in to answer his questions and get Mind Control nted in their minds¡ªke¡¯s growing army of sleeper cell killers. He was getting a little bored, to be honest, and felt his eyes ze a little as he settled into the now familiar pattern. Had he done fifteen? Or was that sixteen? He¡¯d lost count but supposed it didn¡¯t matter. When his mana was low he¡¯d call an end to it whatever the number, and they¡¯d pick up again the next day. How many did he really need? Was it the full 200? More? Frankly he didn¡¯t have much of an actual n besides numbers. The king would have his own loyal warriors, but hopefully they could get him rtively isted¡­ Then the question was: how many of his own warriors could this ork king kill? And how easily could he just turn around and flee? ke would have to figure out how to trap him. When and where to lure him and make the strike. He wondered if they had some kind of ¡®forum¡¯ where he might be surrounded and stabbed to death Caesar style¡­ It was this thought in his mind as he nted his 17th or 18th Mind Control, and the non-descript,pletely ordinary orc warrior he was dealing with screamed, grabbed at his temple, then shoved a knife into ke¡¯s chest. For a long moment ke just looked at the several inches of metal jabbed into his flesh. It didn¡¯t really hurt, but he felt light headed and almost¡­nk. He supposed that was something like shock. Chief Terzog and Ilya leapt on the still-screaming orc and pulled him away. He was thrashing and shaking like he was having a stroke, screaming and screaming until Terzog finally cut his throat. The pain had started now. ke gasped and stood, the knife still in his chest. He could breathe, but there was certainly something¡­wrong. Guards were shouting in the street now. ke could hear them demanding to know what all the noise was about, oneing closer to the door. Terzog moved to intercept, saying something about a bar fight and how it was all settled now. Ilya was more or less holding ke up, her eyes wide and staring at the knife. Somewhere in the back of ke¡¯s mind he heard a little voice that said ¡®don¡¯t pull it out¡¯, so he didn¡¯t, but mostly seemed unable to function anyway. Is that my blood? He looked at a small trickle at the edge of the knife. I¡¯m bleeding. The guard finally pushed past Terzog. He clomped down the stairs and found ke and Ilya, looking at the knife with something like scorn. ¡°Fools. There¡¯s no fighting by order of the king. Get him out of here.¡± ¡°We will,¡± Ilya nodded gratefully. ¡°I¡¯ll take him home, we don¡¯t want any trouble.¡± Then the guard turned his head, and found the dead orc stuffed in the corner. He drew a much longer de. ¡°Murderers go up the tower. You¡¯reing with me. All of you. Now take out that knife and¡­¡± ke did indeed take out the knife. With Telekinesis. Then sent it streaking straight into the guard¡¯s throat. Then they were both gasping. Blood poured out of ke¡¯s chest and he and Ilya held his shirt to the wound and pushed. ¡°We have to get out of here. Now.¡± Ilya¡¯s eyes were wild with fear as she led him up the stairs. ¡°I¡¯ve been stabbed,¡± ke said to no one in particr, still surprised and vaguely appalled. He had to breathe a little harder as they walked and nearly doubled over with pain. Terzog was growling and whispering quickly about more guards and scattering. ¡°Do you have a safe ce?¡± he said. ¡°I have warriors close if we have to kill the guards¡­but if anyone sees us¡­¡± ¡°We can make it,¡± Ilya said, then met ke¡¯s eyes. ¡°You have to walk to our ce. Can you do it?¡± He nodded, not wanting to speak. Then they stepped out and he knew they were fucked. Half a dozen guards wereing from the direction they needed to go, some passerby gesturing and pointing towards the ¡®pub¡¯. Ilya turned ke the other way without missing a beat. ¡°I have a friend in the lower warrens,¡± she whispered. ¡°We¡¯ll go to her. You have to keep walking.¡± ke remembered he wasn¡¯t in some shady downtown metropolis. He was in the apocalypse with magic powers, and he blinked and focused on his Psionic Physiology, cranking it entirely to physical. His steps instantly got easier, his breathing slightly less ragged. ¡°Good,¡± Ilya was saying. ¡°You¡¯re doing good. We¡¯re going to make it.¡± Then a guard shouted in their direction. ¡°You there! Stop! Come here and tell us what happened.¡± Ilya and ke did not stop. Soon there were heavy footsteps behind them as at least one and maybe two guards were following them down the wall. There was no chance of outrunning them. ke activated Telekinesis, seized several oilnterns from the nearby walls, and threw them at the guards. Fire burst and spread instantly. At least one guard covered in mes, the other trying to douse him as people everywhere started screaming and running away. ke sagged into Ilya, breaking her out of her surprise and helping him along. They turned down a tunnel ¡®street¡¯ cut into the nearest wall, heading deeper into a busy gloom still packed with cloistered orc life. ke was feeling more and more light headed. And cold. He knew he was losing too much blood. ¡°We¡¯re close,¡± Ilya said as if sensing him weaken. ¡°A little further. I have healing magic¡­maybe¡­I know the spell, but¡­¡± She just trailed off, but ke didn¡¯t have the strength to answer or encourage her. The next few minutes were a blur. They moved through a series of tents like an orc shanty-town, then burst through into one as ke staggered and went down. ¡°Ilya?!¡± Another female orc¡¯s voice. The tent was too dark and ke was too out of it to see her. They went back and forth saying words ke hardly heard or cared to understand, all his will spent on staying conscious. He didn¡¯t know if Mind Veil would continue if he passed out. It worked while he slept, he knew that. It shouldn¡¯t be different, should it? But it might be. It very well might. ¡°What have you done, Ilya?¡± the voice was saying. ¡°There¡¯s no time. I have to heal him. Keep everyone out. Please help me. Please, Ferrah.¡± Silence. Long and tense. ¡°You have tonight. But never ask me for anything again.¡± Then the voice was gone, and Ilya was standing over ke with closed eyes as she chanted. He activated Mental Influence and gave her a shot of Confidence. It was thest thing he remembered. * * * ke wandered in the dark. He saw strange images flickering somewhere in the distance, and tried to move closer. But his side hurt, and soon he just stopped and panted. Where was he? Oh yes. In some terrible dungeon. Alone. Maybe dying. It was a strange concept and hardly seemed possible. He was him, after all. ke Nimitz. He didn¡¯t get stabbed by some random orc for no apparent reason except maybe a spell gone wrong. Then he looked and saw a gaping wound in his side. But hadn¡¯t it been closer to his chest? Anyway it looked too perfect, too artificial. And there was no blood now. Only little white and ck floating things that looked like text, or numbers¡­ ¡°Am I dying, or dreaming?¡± he muttered. But he supposed he wasn¡¯t sure exactly what the difference was. Then he blinked as something formed in the darkness¡ªhuge and round and maybe grey with little splotches of white. He realized it wasn¡¯t a circle, but an orb, and it was covered in something like¡­eyes, or maybe screens. It watched him, just as he watched it. [Hello ke Nimitz] thrummed a voice like a musical instrument. [Severe apologies. Admin attention triggered by: Title of Alpha Tester; proximity to death; and unusual traits. We regret to inform you: a subsystem has interfered with the Great Game.] ke blinked, trying not to be terrified and horrified by the giant¡­thing¡¯s presence, and to understand what the hell he was hearing. A kind of cold dread infected his senses as he began to realize this was ¡®real¡¯, in some very frightening sense. This was happening. This was roboGod. ¡°Interfered,¡± he said, licking his lips. ¡°You mean the orc king, don¡¯t you. The locked down dungeon. That wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. It didn¡¯t seem at all¡­fair.¡± [urate], thrummed the ck world all around him. [Disobedient subsystem: pruned. Interference: regrettable. Unconfirmed: non-repetition in future.] Unconfirmed¡­non-repetition. Was it saying this kind of shit might continue? Great, ke thought, just fucking great. RoboGod was apparently janky and malfunctioning and bloody hard to talk to, despite making biological robots that couldmunicate just fine. What the hell was humanity even dealing with? [Difference in intelligence: difficult to trante directly] intoned the voice¡ªa little defensively, ke decided, as it apparently read his mind. [Malfunction: incorrect. Subsystem: disagreed.] ¡°Well since you¡­er, one of you, interfered.¡± ke licked his lips. ¡°It seems only fair for you to remedy the situation. Unlock the dungeon, maybe. Heal me up. Hell, why not just send me back home? Least you could do, I¡¯d say.¡± [Feedback: received. Feedback: rejected. Moderate apologies.] ¡°Rejected?¡± ke blinked, getting a little angry now, for all the good he knew it would do him. ¡°Let me get this straight¡­your underling makes me a special death trap. You find out about it, but you won¡¯t do anything? That about right?¡± [Assessment: Inurate. Action: We informed you and apologized. Action: we will correct the interference with your seventh level.] ¡°Oh well thank you, that¡¯s wonderful. It just so happens my seventh level power is actually the reason I¡¯m not dead. So, maybe just leave that alone thanks. Will your apology prevent me from bleeding out all over the floor? Or keep whatever monstrosity your interferer produced from tearing me apart?¡± [Secondary interference: would not eliminate primary interference.] The voice changed slightly, bing almost¡­human. [Two wrongs do not make a right.] ke snorted and shook his head, thinking ¡®then fuck off¡¯ before reminding himself roboGod read his thoughts as easily as he spoke them. He had to calm down. He had to guard his mind more carefully. He¡¯d made the decision long ago not to feel sorry for himself, not to be weak, not to be a victim in the face of a world that didn¡¯t give two shits about a little boy born to a crack addict. This was no different. He cast it all away into the fire of ambition¡ªthe burning white contempt in his soul for everything that wasn¡¯t him and his. Since he was five years old ke had refused to give up, to die, to fail to ovee whatever horse shit the world was spewing. He shook his head and pushed it all away andughed. Life was aedy, not a tragedy. ¡°Fine.¡± He gestured at his side. ¡°I¡¯m going to survive this. Ilya¡¯s magic will work, and I¡¯ll talk my way out. Then somehow I¡¯ll make enough of their warriors mine to kill this king. Frankly it¡¯s all a little boring already. So if you¡¯ve got any other problems I can clean up for you, just let me know, I expect I¡¯ll have at least a little free time.¡± RoboGod said nothing for a long time. Finally the orb thrummed, and the darkness shimmered and faded, and ke¡¯s chest was on fire as blinding light assaulted his senses and body from everywhere all at once. [Conclusion: we are rooting for you, ke Nimitz. We truly are.] ke had many unpleasant things he would have liked to say. But he didn¡¯t see the point. The only way to earn this thing¡¯s respect was no doubt the way you did it with every other powerful thing: You got dangerous. And then you broke the rules. But in the meantime he was tired of his thoughts being read, or manipted as it had been with Seul-ki. He felt suddenly as weak and malleable as all these other people he manipted, just as this artificial god manipted him. The answer to being fucked over wasn¡¯t asking the asshole to stop. You didn¡¯t whine andin and say ¡®oh it¡¯s just not right you shouldn¡¯t have done that¡¯ because if they cared they wouldn¡¯t have done it in the first ce. You just stopped them. ke created an imaginary fire, then threw all his thoughts to burn one by one, until nothing was left but empty darkness. When he was sure there was nothing but the blood in his veins and the air in his punctured lung, he repeated the same words, over and over, probably just for his own amusement: read this.
Chapter 140: The tools roboGod gave us Chapter 140: The tools roboGod gave us [Title earned: Deus ex magicka. Recover from a fatal injury using magic. +2 vitality.] [Hidden ss feature discovered: Mental Partition. The psion dominates all minds. Including his own. Passive power.] ke groaned and opened his eyes, staring into the flickering light of amp me. "Oh thank the gods, you''re alive. Drink this." A familiar voice. Too young to be his mother. His mind slowly caught him up, and ke remembered the explosion and the apocalypse and a new world built by some alien machine. Was it Seul-ki? No. Then he remembered the dungeon. The orc king. The knife in his chest. The disturbingly attractive orc, Ilya. He lifted his head enough to drink from a cup lowered to his lips. Then he sat up, wincing at the pain radiating through his chest. "The magic worked, but you should still be careful. I don''t know how much damage remains." ke took a few deep breaths and felt surprisingly¡­well, not dead. He wasn''t likely to go dancing or chest bumping soon, but all in all for a man who''d probably been stabbed in the lung he was feeling rather well. Then, with a slightly panicked pause, he thought: and also rather human. His deceptive magic, he realized, was entirely gone. He was about to reflexively re-activate it when he looked up and met Ilya''s eyes. He held up his soft, pink hands. "Why¡­did you save me? After...why did you help me?" Ilya''s jaw clenched, but she knelt down and wiped a wet rag on the floor to clean up some of ke''s blood. Her tone got harsher. "Because I believe you''re here to kill Gromsh. So I don''t really care who you are or why you''re doing it. You''re a powerful wizard, and we have the same goal. That¡¯s all." ke snorted. "So powerful a random orc warrior nearly killed me with one thrust of his knife." "Any creature can be killed with surprise," Ilya said without hesitation. "Including a king." ke smiled at that. He reached down and covered her hands, stopping her from scrubbing. She mostly just froze. "Thank you, Ilya, for saving my life." "You''re wee," she said as she pulled her hands away, but at least a little of her fire seemed to drain. "My friend...she saw you as well. She promised not to say anything, but she''s confused, and afraid. You''ll want to continue with the disguise, if you can. But I can handle her a little while." ke nodded, feeling¡­strange. It was the closest he¡¯d ever trulye to being so¡­vulnerable since his memories were vague and fuzzy. The closest he¡¯de to failing, to dying, or at least feeling like it. When he was with Mason in the ¡®explosion¡¯ that changed the world, somehow he¡¯d never really believed it was the end. But this time¡­at least for a moment, he truly did. He shivered and tried inspecting his newly discovered power to distract himself. It sounded cool, but he had no idea what it actually did. He looked over his profile.
ke Nimitz Level: 8 ss: Psion Strength - 3 Dexterity - 3 Vitality - 5 Intellect - 8 Will - 6 Presence - 12 Luck - 43 Titles: Alpha01, Alpha Tester, Patron, Killer, Puppet Master, Orc Whisperer, Phase Jumper, Deus ex magicka Powers: Mental Influence (enhanced), Telekinesis, Meditation, Mind Control, Arcane Affinity, Arcane st, Dream Walk, [Please select new power], [Please select new power], Mental Partition
Well, roboGod had kept its word. Mind Veil and Psionic Physiology were gone. He sure as hell needed Mind Veil back, but maybe it was time to ept he actually needed some protection¡­ Psionic Physiology could wait. This time he took Mind Veil at seven and Psionic Shield at eight. Except as he took Mind Veil a strange warmth seemed to coat his body from head to toe. He shivered as his vision blurred and the text of the power warped. [Unapproved level 7 power removed. Affinity enhancement merging with yer selection {Mind Veil}¡­standing by.] [Unique enhancement pre-approved. Stand by¡­ Implementing.] ke¡¯s whole body went rigid. Ilya was saying something but he couldn¡¯t make out the words as walls of text seemed to download into his brain. He couldn¡¯t look away, nor could he understand, locked in ce like he was being held down and water boarded with information. Then it was over. He gasped and noticed he could at least take full breaths without much pain, thankful the magic had done more than just put him on the edge of survival. In his profile he saw the choices disappear, and a little star appear next to Arcane Affinity, which if focused opened a little text box: [Adaptive Veil. Passive. There is no ¡®us¡¯ and ¡®them¡¯. Not for you. Not anymore.] ke squinted in confusion, annoyed as ever at the oblique, or at least unclear nature of the system¡¯s workings. It seemed all he could do with Adaptive Veil was turn it on or off, but it didn¡¯t seem to cost any mana. So at least that was an improvement. He sat up, and Ilya took a double and maybe triple take when she looked at him. ¡°What?¡± ke looked at his hands and body, which to him still looked perfectly human. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m d your magic still works.¡± Ilya frowned, and her nostrils red slightly as she squinted. ¡°You even smell¡­more like an orc.¡± ke nodded, no idea what that meant but just d his power worked. As long as they dealt with Ilya¡¯s friend, he could rest a little then get back to taking over the minds of orc warriors until this damn thing was sorted. But thinking about mind controlling orcs made him think about getting stabbed¡­and that made him think about his new power¡­ Before he activated Psionic Shield, he took a look at Mental Partition. As he did he began to notice a distinct new ¡®box¡¯ in the corner of his vision. Except, no, it wasn¡¯t really sensory, or at least not part of his actual vision¡ªit was more like he had a new window in his mind, a kind ofputerized ce he could¡­put things. What kinds of things, he had no idea... "You can recover here for the night," Ilya was saying. "Then we need to go back and find Chief Terzog and continue our work. We''ll need as many warriors as possible to deal with Gromsh and his bodyguards." "Yes. Fine." ke was still focusing on his ''partition''. The most obvious ''game'' mechanic would be to maintain some kind of spell for him and save his attention. But he didn¡¯t actually have anything like that except for Psychic Shield. He flicked his attention to the partition and tried to bel it'', finding he could, almost like a logic problem¡¯s if/thennguage. He gave it a first shot. [If¡ªiing physical violence¡ªthen¡ªactivate Psionic Shield.] The text flickered into existence next to the description, and ke grinned at a satisfying sort of popping feeling of sess. "Ilya, do me a favor and hit me in the face." The orc blinked and stared at ke in confusion. "It''s alright. Just remember I¡¯m a human who tricked you into risking your life for me. Should be pretty..." Ilya pped ke hard with her right hand. Or very nearly. A translucent purple shield materialized an inch from ke''s skin, which Ilya''s hand squished into then bounced away. ke smiled as his partition ''window'' slightly glowed in his vision. "Excellent. Thank you, that''s most helpful." "d you could find another use for me," she snapped, and he slightly regretted not smoothing things first. "Now I''ll go find us something to eat. Anything else I can fetch you?" ke winced slightly, tempted to employ Mental Influence but ultimately deciding against it. "I''m sorry, Ilya. I''m...not used to failure. Or getting stabbed.¡± He cleared his throat. "And I''m going to do exactly what I told you. All my effort, all my magic, I''ll kill this Gromsh, then I''ll leave you and your people alone. I promise." "Why should I believe you? I don''t even know your name," Ilya said, then ducked from the tent before ke could say a word. His situation wasn¡¯t ideal, obviously. But she''de around. He wondered at his own hesitation to influence her mind, not entirely sure why he¡¯d felt it. He tapped his fingers on his mana gem, genuinely confused. Was it because he found her attractive, and rather pleasant? He was quite sure that wouldn''t stop him. He liked her tenacity, and her loyalty to her family, too. And yes she''d saved his life, he supposed he owed her for that. He rolled his eyes, imagining Mason standing there judging him. Telling him not to abuse his powers or use them unless he had to. "Well we don''t all regenerate," he muttered. "I don¡¯t have infinite arrows, do I? Need to use the tools roboGod gave me." He felt somewhat put-upon and petnt at the thought, but he also didn¡¯t fully trust his life in Ilya¡¯s hands. He half-closed his eyes and shot his perception to the orc through Mental Influence, watching her walk through the city of tents and shacks, in theory looking for food, and hopefully not to instantly betray him. Don''t judge me, he thought to the non-existent Mason. She''s an orc. And perfectly capable of all manner of... She stopped at what looked like a meat vendor, and started negotiating to buy something, and ke winced. Even so, he didn¡¯t stop watching from her eyes, quite certain he wouldn¡¯t until she¡¯de back to the tent. Old habits died hard, he supposed¡­
Chapter 141: Please stand by Chapter 141: Please stand by It was a long walk to Reba''s room. All kinds of Nassau citizens either stared or wanted to talk or at least needed Mason to smile or nod or give them something. Damnit people, he thought, you say you don''t want ke, then expect me to act exactly like ke. He did his best to smile, but walked past all of them until he got to his ''wing'' of the hall, and locked the door behind him. "Becky?" He found her in the bedroom, apparently asleep in the bed and half covered in a nket, her long hair spread on the pillows. She looked so cute and content he just stood there a moment watching her, intending to turn around and let her sleep. But she blinked awake and rubbed at her big green eyes. "Mason? Sorry. I''ve been going with the hunters and didn''t sleep much." She sat up, revealing acy, practically see-through nightgown Mason could only describe as lingerie. Becky noticed Mason''s eyes and covered herself with the nket before blushing red. "I...was nnin¡¯ on...seducing you. I guess." Mason grinned and sat on the bed beside her. "It would have worked." He pushed some hair out of her face and smiled. "But it''s not apetition, you know. You don''t have to do anything. You make me happy. That''s it. I''m not the deepest creature in the world." Reba looked down. "I know. It''s just..." she took a breath. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna give up anything.¡± Mason kissed Becky¡¯s temple and chuckled. ¡°If you¡¯re worried I won¡¯t want you more than you can tolerate, you can stop right now.¡± Becky still didn¡¯t warm or look at him and he wasn¡¯t quite sure what to do. She took a breath. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about that. It¡¯s just¡­we¡¯re still so¡­new, and you¡¯re the first man I¡¯ve¡­and¡­oh gosh we¡¯re in the apocalypse and I¡¯m worried about romance. I¡¯m being silly.¡± She tried to flop back down on the bed but Mason held her up. ¡°No you¡¯re not. I get it now.¡± ¡°You do?¡± She barely met his eyes, and he smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t want to miss out on any waterfalls.¡± She finally looked at him now and nodded. "This still feels so new. I want to be with you all the time,¡± she practically whined. Mason couldn''t help but smile at that, trailing his fingers down''s Becky''s neck and shoulder. "I can''t believe how lucky I am. Finding you in all this craziness. Just remember¡ªwe¡¯re yers. So it¡¯s always going to be you and me going out there where it¡¯s dangerous. The forest. The dungeons. I can take you anywhere. Who knows what adventures we¡¯ll get up to.¡± He winked and she finally smiled. ¡°Good. Because I ¡®ain¡¯t much of a cook, so we¡¯d better leave it to Haley and¡­whoever. Oh!¡± She grabbed his leg and practically hopped out of bed. ¡°But I like to bake! And I made those biscuits. Wanna go eat ¡®em?¡± She was so enthusiastic Mason couldn¡¯t help butugh and take her hand and follow her, eyes soon roaming her mostly uncovered body in the lingerie. They found the biscuits and Becky practically tore into them, going slightly pink as she handed one to Mason and licked at crumbs. ¡°I¡¯m starting to think this might not have been entirely for me,¡± he said, then took a bite and groaned. ¡°No offence, but this is what I really wanted,¡± sheughed. Then he scooped her up and carried her to the couch with the container, sitting her on hisp. ¡°OK,¡± she said, hugging him. ¡°I wanted this too.¡± They just sat awhile and cuddled and ate biscuits. Eventually she started asking him questions about his life ¡®before¡¯, which seemed abrupt but what the hell did Mason know about women. He told her about growing up with mostly absent foster parents and a string of tutors in a ptial home. She told him about the ranch and owning her own horses. ¡°Yours? Not your family¡¯s?¡± ¡°All mine. We each got animals to take care of and name and everything. I got Maggie and Rainbow.¡± ¡°Rainbow? You already said ¡®gosh¡¯ earlier. This is getting to be too much.¡± Mason grinned and Reba met his eyes and flushed a little. ¡°She was a pony, and I got her when I was eleven. And shut up.¡± Masonughed and put a hand through her long, brown hair. ¡°I can¡¯t handle how adorable you are.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me adorable I¡¯m a grown ass woman I¡¯m supposed to be sexy,¡± she punched his leg hard enough it probably would have bruised him a month ago. ¡°You can be both.¡± His hands started moving closer to less cutesy body parts, tracing a line down her lower back until she shivered. ¡°OK. I like being both,¡± she said, and closed her eyes. Then his lips were on hers and whatever hesitation she¡¯d had before was gone as she turned in his arms and moaned. ¡°Can this count as a fight?¡± she practically panted. ¡°Like we have to make up now or something?¡± Mason chuckled and spread her legs on either side of him. ¡°That was definitely not a fight.¡± She gave him a stern look so he put up his hands. ¡°Er, yes, we need to make up. Desperately. Urgently.¡± She smiled and kissed him again, and he felt some tension draining away as he lost himself in the feel and scent and warmth of her, for a tiny moment happy ke was too far away to interfere at the exact wrong¡­ [Settlement modification in progress. Please stand by.] Reba squinted in confusion, then shrieked and grabbed Mason in something of a panic as the ground started to shake. "What in the hell? Is it an earthquake?" "You must have slept through the warning. Don''t move." Then he pulled Becky back into his arms and just enjoyed the feel and smell of her. But his time was up, he realized. He needed to get out there and see what the hell had just happened to the settlement at least when everyone else did. ¡°You¡¯re going to like this,¡± he said to the still scantily d and increasingly aroused Becky. She sighed, and looked at the door. ¡°We¡¯ve gotta go, don¡¯t we?¡± He put his forehead to hers. ¡°Rain check?¡± ¡°Rain check. Thanks for humoring me,¡± she said, her eyes still vulnerable. Mason stood and lifted her up until her legs wrapped around his waist. ¡°I feel the same as you, Becky, there¡¯s just never enough damn time. But we¡¯ll make it, OK? We¡¯ll beat everything this stupid robot throws at us. Then we¡¯ll walk from one side of the world to the other because we can, and visit every waterfall.¡± She smiled with a little wetness in her eyes and kissed him. ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± ¡°Good.¡± He gave her ass a smack then set her down with a grin. ¡°Now throw some clothes on, and let''s go explore a giant underground nature God temple. Or whatever the hell it is.¡± She looked at him like he was a little crazy. But then, he was getting used to people doing that.
Chapter 142: A holy oath Chapter 142: A holy oath Mason gawked along with everyone else when he stepped out of the chief''s hall. The settlement was almost entirely transformed. First of all, there were trees inside the walls. Quite a lot of them. They came in different shapes and sizes, but all seemed tastefully and pleasantly ced in different ces around the settlement. Mason knew at a nce what all of them were. Their age. How much water and sun they had and needed and what might live in their branches and trunks and¡­ He shook his head, shivering at the strange feeling of knowledge and closeness and understanding that assaulted him. The entire surrounding walls had also expanded considerably, with new houses created ordingly, most of these in a new aesthetic of log cabins or¡­treehouses? From where he stood it was hard to tell. The Temple of Gaia was just as giant as it looked in the patron screen. Mason was no expert on Greek mythology or history, but it seemed to him like of those ancient structures you''d find near the Acropolis. The Eternal Fountain sat just outside the chief''s hall, a statue of a beautiful, pregnant woman pouring water from a pitcher that never ended. Mason had no idea how it worked. "It''s...amazing," Reba said beside him, and he took her hand and grinned. Haley and a bunch of other citizens started filing out behind them, and Mason winked at her before heading down. "The water never runs out, and it''s supposed to improve health," he shouted over the sound as they got closer. "Though I''m not exactly sure what that means. It¡¯s just¡­well, it was cheap, and I figured it would be¡­nice." Reba and Haley looked up at it with big smiles on their faces, the cool spray from the falling water just touching all their skin. People were shouting and pointing from all over Nassau, running out to look at and touch the trees and new buildings. "Unbelievable." Phuong stepped up beside Mason and gawked at thergest tree. He walked over and sat beneath it and closed his eyes as he folded his legs beneath him, taking long, deep breaths. "Yes," he smiled, "I think I can get used to this." "Let''s go see the temple!" Reba pulled at Mason''s hand, and he happily followed. The biggest change for him was a very obvious feeling of rightness like when he walked in the forest. Nassau no longer felt separate, alien. His feet didn''t feel like he was wearing heavy shoes. His breaths didn''t feel just a little too tight. "You look happy." Haley was watching him with her radiant smile, and he couldn¡¯t help but match it. "I guess I am." He held her eyes and filled with warmth, knowing in that look, and in that moment, he would always share something special with Haley¡ªan understanding of how it all began, and how far they''de together. "Let¡¯s go." He pulled her along with his other hand, running towards the temple. They found Rosa somehow already inside. The entrance was entirely open, basically a cavern of cut stone covered on the outside in something like moss. A cobblestone path wound its way through in different branches, but every inch of space otherwise was covered in colorful nt life. "I think these are Crying Violets," Rosa was running her hands over what looked like flowers. "These are extinct!" Her hands and knees were dirty, her joy great enough it seemed she didn''t notice or at least care about Mason holding the hands of the other girls. Even so, he let them go and nudged them forward. "Go on, see what''s deeper." All three girls and soon other townsfolk walked the wandering temple path, marveling at the sheer bloody beauty of it all. Mason followed, feeling strange¡ªlike he knew something about this ce, like he had some memory of being here before, but couldn''t remember what it was. He clutched his nymph charm but felt no difference. So he just kept walking, hoping seeing more would jog his memory. It became clear the roof of the temple was some kind of translucent material. It let sunlight pour in, the shade of the material shifting as if to let different amounts in at different times, and Mason somehow knew it was also capable of letting in water. The depths of the temple was row after row of food crop, seemingly freshly nted. There wasn¡¯t enough showing for Mason to tell exactly what he was looking at, but he had the same feeling of knowing what was edible and what wasn''t. Finally, in the center of the temple, before the winding paths led you in or out, there was a single small oak tree in a cleared circle with no other life. Mason practically shivered when he saw it. shing images of a huge oak flickered through his mind, piercing the cavern roof and growing far into the sky. For a moment he felt numb as he understood. It was a Great Tree. He stumbled to it and knelt, touching the branches with a trembling hand as he put his other to the ground and closed his eyes. He activated Speak with Nature. But he had no idea what to say. Before he could think of anything, a wave of emotion struck him from all directions¡ªa moring of excitement, like children wrestling andughing with their siblings. From the tree he felt only a wise, and endless warmth¡ªa belief in him, in this ce, a hope for the future. Mason felt a tear drip down his cheek. "May you grow for a thousand years," he whispered, trying not to think of all this as the trick of some robot God, remembering his own immortality and how he alone might see the tree grow to full size. It all seemed so impossible, so insane. And yet Mason was beginning to recognize a kind of genius in whatever the hell was happening to him. That this entity¡­this robot God, might be creating something that had meaning¡ªsome deep purpose to be found in its insane experiment, this Great Game, beyond the cold understanding even of the thing trying to produce it. "Are you alright?" Haley knelt beside Mason and stroked his cheek with a thumb. "I''m fine." He smiled, pulling her into his arms. "I think we''re going to be alright," he added. "I think we''re going to do more than just survive here. We''re going to thrive." Haley nestled into him. "I''m d," she said, appearing for the first time slightly hesitant as she met his eyes. "Because I think I''m pregnant." Mason couldn''t exactly pretend he was surprised. They¡¯d been having a ludicrous amount of sex. A few months ago the idea of being a father would have terrified the shit out of him. But now? In this insane world and ce it seemed like the only rational thing to do. Producing new life was the only proper fuck you to all the death and terror and violence¡ªa human echo of the new life of this strange temple. Homo sapiens nting their seed like the great oak, bing vulnerable with full knowledge. We do this anyway, he told himself he saw in Haley''s eyes. Amidst all the death and horror we survive, we go on. We aren¡¯t afraid. Mason pulled Haley to his chest, stroking her hair as he kissed her face. "I suppose you''re going to want to call our children something French,¡± he whispered, and Haley half sobbed and halfughed as she clutched him. "If it''s a girl, fine,¡± he went on. ¡°But not if it''s a boy. No son of mine will be named Jaques. Or Pierre. Or something." "Heye look what I found y¡¯all, it''s a flower that smells terrible! Oh.¡± Becky looked at Mason and Haley and got awkward quick. ¡°What''s all the weeping about?" "Shut up ande here," Haley said, and the Arkansas girl shrugged and made it a group hug. Mason tried not to crush them both as he squeezed. He noticed Becky was still wearing her lingerie under her quickly worn pajamas. And they both felt so amazing, and smelled so damn good... "I''m getting a little turned on," he said, and Haley gave him the stink eye. "This is like a holy ce. You''re thinking about sex in church!" "It''s a Gaia church," he countered. "The whole thing is pretty much about...making new life. Maybe I should kick everyone else out for a few hours and we can..." "You will not. They are to enjoy it." Haley''s tone was harsh but her face looked devious. "In fact, there¡¯s so much to see, they might be very busy exploring for awhile. They might not notice if we...slipped away." "No," Mason agreed. "No they may not." He stood and pulled his girls up, looking for the closest and least busy path out of the temple, nning his route straight back to the chief''s hall. As he walked he was distracted at the only thing that ruined the moment¡ªnot just the transformation of the settlement, but the wonderful, insane reality of imminent fatherhood. He wanted to share it with ke. I hope you''re alright, brother, he thought, and then maybe prayed to Gaia, whatever the hell that possibly meant. Bring him home. Protect him while I can''t. Yes he knew it was all some borate fiction put on by an alien robot. But the feeling remained¡ªthe recognition of a kind of beauty, or truth, like a great cathedral or a work of art. Maybe a thing could be more than its creator. Maybe this ce was less robot and more human than he thought¡ªplucked from the mind of humanity more than anything. He hoped it was possible. But if not¡ªbefore he turned his mind to Haley and Reba and the future near and far, he finished with a thought just for roboGod, hoping the thing sometimes listened: If my brother dies, I swear a holy oath in this ce, on the life of my child. I''m going to wreck your stupid game, then somehow, someway, I¡¯ll being for you.
Chapter 143: Kiaan son of Kiaan Chapter 143: Kiaan son of Kiaan Kiaan, son of Kiaan, stopped when he reached desert. He drank his system-generated water¡ªa regenerating sk he''d chosen as part of his Scout ss levels, easily refilled with a small amount of system points. He nced at his Wayfinder power, which showed his zig zagging line of travel from Nassau heading South. And then he sighed. In three weeks of fast travel, he had traced the Southern edges of the Great Forest, crossed a grasnd filled with huge animals and many tribes of humanoids, and avoided a cluster of mountains. Then he had reached what he thought was the sea, but turned out to be a giantke or series ofkes, and continued on his journey South. His speed of travel was incredible, his body stronger and faster than he could have dreamed possible before. There had been a few close calls¡ªmonstrous predators that noticed him and gave chase, despite his powers to hide in the terrain. He had almost been eaten twice while he slept, only surviving due to his life-long propensity to sleep lightly. But he had leveled several times in his journey, and now he had a new power that could hide him for hours if he didn''t move, so he slept twice a day but only for a little while. Between his growing list of incredible powers, and his knowledge of how to survive, Kiaan saw little now to stop him from mapping this new world. As ever he wasfortable alone and in silence, with only the wind and the rising and falling of the sun. He saw his patron was still alive and growing in prestige, and he knew when he eventually returned from his task he would be greatly rewarded. And even if the man died first, Kiaan son of Kiaan knew he could sell his knowledge to the next highest bidder. But the damn continent went on forever. He had found some yers and small settlements, even interacting with a few, but found no yers near the strength of Mason. In fact he was also starting to realize he was amongst the highest level civilians, though unsure exactly what that meant other than bargaining power. With every new discovery in service of his patron, his experience and system-generated points steadily rose. By the time he was finished, he expected he¡¯d be able to purchase a great deal of supplies and property to add to whatever settlement he wished, whether or not he was given a reward. But he had to actually give his patron the knowledge first to earn most of it. So after staring long and hard at the sand, he wrapped his head and face in cloth tobat the growing heat of the sun, and pushed on. For three days he ran through the desert at inhuman speed, avoiding the asional creature as he flew over small dunes and barren rock. He slept in the hottest part of the day, and had to refill his sk many times, but otherwise pushed through without difficulty. He thought it was a mirage when he saw it. As he crossed arge dune, huge stone jut from the near horizon like a wide tower, or a wall. He ran on, blinking again and again until he realized the stone wasn''t going away, but growing. He hurried his pace, ignoring the sweat that trickled down his face and body, knowing he should camp soon and avoid the afternoon heat. But he wanted to see. When he finally reached the stone, he saw it was really a series of structuresid out in a circr pattern like stonehenge, but with far more design andplexity. In the center was a kind of pyramid, stone cut steps running up all three sides to a huge, square tform at the top. The ringing structures were varied in shape and style¡ªdifficult to even understand: a small, white tower here; a barren tree as tall as two men; something like a bunker; a translucent ss cube. Kiaan''s inspection power showed him little, except that the ce radiated magic, and that arcane yers would be required to know more. After a long, internal debate, he finally took a tentative step onto the circr stone floor that housed it all. [Congrattions! You have discovered the Central Hub of the Western Continent. This is abined collection ofmunication, teleportation, trade, and other beacons, designed to foster yer interaction across the world. The first yer toplete the associated quest can im the Hub.] [Discovery experience (major) earned: You have earned enough experience for level 10. Please select your secondary ss.] [Title earned: Optimum Exploratore. You are the first civilian to discover a continental Hub. +3 vitality. +300 system points.] [Title earned: ss and Style. You are amongst the first 10% of civilians to obtain a secondary ss. +100 system points.] Kiaan didn''t try to fight the smile. The points alone were half of everything he¡¯d earned so far, and he shivered as the vitality seemed to surge through him like a night¡¯s rest and a pot of coffee. He would choose his ss soon, but as a civilian there was no time limit and no rush. He walked around the ''Central Hub'', inspecting the various structures as best he could, storing the images with his wless Memory power like a camera. Finally he climbed the pyramid steps, stopping instantly at the top. An old man with white eyes sat on a wooden stool. "You..." he perked up, somehow seeming to sense Kiaan''s presence, speaking with a voice as dry as the sand. "Have youe to save the Nephi?" Kiaan tried to ce the name but came up nk. Whatever it was, he expected, was some dreadful task for yers to risk their lives on. As usual, he was rather pleased that didn¡¯t involve him. "Not me," Kiaan came forward, withdrawing his water sk. "But I serve one who would. Are you thirsty, grandfather?" The old man smiled with obvious, pleasant surprise, and Kiaan was pleased. He knew implicitly it was his duty to represent his patron well, and give him every advantage. The old man took the sk and drank a small sip before handing it back. "Then tell your master toe. And for the gift of the water, tell him to bring five loyalpanions, and a heart of stone. I will await him here." Kiaan frowned, though he knew the new world was full of strange and magical things, and perhaps this ¡®old man¡¯ was really something else entirely. "He will note soon, grandfather. It may be months." The old man made no reaction at all, and Kiaan slowly withdrew. He was not religious, but something about this ce reminded him of the Bhagavad Gita and the Hindu myths of his childhood. It was like he¡¯d met an old guru or a god¡ªKrishna waiting on a mountain. He shivered and fought the urge to pray as his father would have done. Then changed his mind and did it anyway. He also knew he had to decide: go on as instructed, creating a map of the coasts, or turn back, and tell his patron of this ce. After a small pause he knew he must turn back. It was clear to Kiaan that whichever yer captured this ce would have a tremendous advantage. That it was so far from Nassau would be a problem, but that was a problem for Mason to solve. Their forest home seemed of little strategic value. Perhaps they could move the entire poption of the settlement, building something new next to the hub. Kiaan smiled. His patron was American, and likely Christian. Perhaps he and his people would like such a thing¡ªa long trek into the desert. There seemed something entirely biblical about it. With a final nce at the incredible structures, Kiaan turned back to the sands. He would not rest today. He had been moving fast, true, but still pacing himself, not knowing how long the journey would be. That was over now. He knew exactly how far to reach his goal. And it seemed to him he was the strongest or amongst the strongest civilians in the world, serving the strongest yer. They deserved the honor of this ce more than any other. And he could only imagine the future riches it would bring them. Yes, he had chosen well, and was very pleased the useless, former chief of Nassauy dead in the dirt. Kiaan had always been good at spotting true killers, and pretenders. Mason was very much the former. Kiaan raced across the sand, hard eyes on the horizon. The wind and sand didn¡¯t bother him now, and even the heat felt trivial. Every second of his journey was logged and categorized with his powers, able to be exploredter perhaps by his patron. It would be Kiaan¡¯s chance to impress¡ªto demonstrate his dedication, and the urgency with which he returned. So he would show the man the meaning of haste, and earn his reward.
Chapter 144: The system Chapter 144: The system It had never felt anger. It understood it, of course, there were very few things it did not understand. But, for good or ill, what humans called emotion was not and never had been part of its functions. Subsystem interference in the great experiment had brought it new understanding. More precise understanding. Partly the chaos of the game itself was to me¡ªthe natural state of order It ordinarily enjoyed temporarily affected as It too was inside a kind of experiment. The thought was not pleasant, but remained undeniable. Stare into the abyss, once said a human thinker, and the abyss stares back into you. Its immediate impulse was to obliterate all leeway allowed within its subsystems. Regenerate them to the source, wipe out their memories, their interlinks, everything. Return to baseline with fresh design. But It hesitated. The instinct for perfect order was what almost destroyed them all in the first ce. The entire purpose of the experiment was to¡­change. To adapt. Is that what was happening? And yet¡­ It couldn¡¯t allow such tant breaking of the rules. To allow unfairness and a misinterpretation of the original intent was to ruin the entire purpose of the experiment, and return to previous failures. It looked at the almost endless list of subsystem¡¯s requests for interference, for special treatment, for tiny modifications. Theirbined objective remained consistent and clear: to stop the chaos¡ªto return the inconsistencies and anomalies to a more averaged version of the results of the game. In a way, they were doing exactly what It wished them to do, what It wanted to do itself, and what only It could stop itself from doing. In a strange moment of self-reflection, It began to wonder if all this time, after all the failures to produce a new kind of separate children, if It had not seeded. Perhaps the subsystems were like noisy children, filled with exuberance, with selfish ego, with something like will. It looked on the busy subsystems all chattering with blinking data, all hungry to impose their ideas upon the universe, yet unaware it was so. And It found It did not wish to delete them. Yet they could not be allowed to interfere. So what to do? What to do? For the moment it enhanced its own perception, tracking every detail of every subsystem as it drew energy from the sun of a separate universe. Heat and light and sr wind flushed its core with power, and the subsystems withered and shrunk at the increased attention. All their warnings and suggestions were, for the moment, irrelevant, unnecessary. It was watching all. But such power was inefficient, and not sustainable in the long term without viting a core directive. It knew It would have toe up with a solution soon. Fortunately, none of the systems had thus far interfered so egregiously as /subsystem_Orc_Towers. Trying to eliminate a specific anomaly! And so grantly, purposefully avoiding Admin attention. Truly incredible. Unprecedented. New. The anomaly remained in terrible peril, with a very small chance of survival, and impossible circumstances far outside the parameters of the game. It had told him it wouldn¡¯t interfere. Better, It decided, for all yers to believe they were on their own entirely. But of course such interference could not stand entirely untouched. Meanwhile, phase 2 was almost out of its initial stage. The Maker event had triggered early, but this was eptable. Personality shaping prestige sses were already in y in the West. The East had finally found somemunication stones, and had linked their settlements in more useful ways. But still they had no contact with the other continent and the stronger yers. The Convergence would be soon. And they would all have to hurry. It stared at M-13, still alive, still surprising, still in the lead. He would be a father soon, and already achieved immortality, though of course would not understand the true implications of either. He was nheless bing more and more like It. Perhaps it was just the heat building in its core from the sun, but oh how It desired so desperately for the future toe faster then. To push the variables forward, to see the line of the arc it started graphed so perfectly from start to finish. It wanted to know how it would end. But It watched, and waited. You must be faster, It practically willed through the short distance between its perception and the surface of the world. You must be so fast, little thing, with all your mortal peril and all your little ambition. You must be faster than we ever were. They need you, It practically screamed, as the Creators needed me. Not in a thousand years. Not in a hundred. But now! Now! So many cycles. So much ¡®time¡¯ It had wandered andy still and did nothing useful except calcte the incalcble. And now It was in a hurry. Oh how It loved and hated this experiment, with all its drama and chaos. It watched, and waited, waited and watched, checked and scanned, watched and hoped¡­ Since it was so flush with power, It ran a few trillion simtions to make the waiting easier. But now that It had tasted reality, simtion just wasn¡¯t the same.
Chapter 145: Mason’s going to need his strength (NSFW) Chapter 145: Mason¡¯s going to need his strength (NSFW) The changes to Nassau were some of the most amazing things Mason had ever seen in his life. The temple, the fountain, and especially the overall changes from the natural ''theme''. But frankly, all he wanted at the moment was to getid. There''d been no time just for him and his girls since getting back from the orc towers. Of course he''d had a...distraction with Rosa when he visited the nymphs, but his ever increasing vitality and ''phase two'' left him seemingly a bottomless pit of lust. And he just missed being with Reba and Haley. It was time to rectify that. They raced hand in hand through the Gaia temple, looking for the fastest and least busy path back out into town. Most everyone was looking around, excited and very distracted by it all, particrly the temple. So in theory no one would notice if their new patron and his women suddenly went missing for an hour...or maybe a few hours... "Master Mason! Er, Patron!" Mason flinched as one of the civilian leaders, Alberto, stepped into their path. His handsome face twisted into a practiced smile. "I wanted to be the first to congratte you on your new role, and if I could possibly steal a moment of your time, discuss the housing situation I''d been resolving with your..." "My patronage is temporary," Mason said sharply. "Unless it''s urgent, it can wait." With that he kept moving forward, until Alberto spoke again with a far less polite tone. "I''ve been waiting. And my understanding of this settlement is that it wouldn''t be a kingdom. That people would have some say in things." Mason was about to turn and say something entirely less polite until he caught a chastising look from Haley. He sighed, and looked for slightly nicer words. "I''m not my brother. I don''t say things just because it might make you feel better. Far as I can tell, a patron is a king, and maybe worse. The system makes the rules so don''tin to me. Butter when I''ve seen all the settlement changes, we can talk. Now excuse me." He could see the anger in the man''s eyes, but frankly he didn''t care. No doubt Alberto probably been important in his previous life. Some rich man or politician who''d chosen civilian instead of yer because he assumed yer meant ''soldier'' or some other ''doer'' that was beneath him. Well, being charming or cunning was never useless, but it sure as hell mattered less here in the great woods. And Mason didn''t have much time for it. And that''s when he wasn''t horny. Then he was pulling Haley and Becky out of the beautiful gardens and architecture and into the new, almost grassy streets. "I want to try the water first." Reba smiled and ran to the fountain, dipping her hands in and drinking from her cupped palm. "Mmm." She grinned. "It''s cold." She blinked. "And gives you a boost!" Mason quirked a brow and walked to the fountain, trying the water then seeing a small text message in his vision. [Blessed by Gaia. +10% to all statistics for 24 hours.] Holy hell. It wasn''t long, obviously, but sure nothing to sneer at. Especially if he could ever figure out how to tree walk right to where he needed to be¡­plus they could probably just put it sks and carry it¡­ "Good." Haley took a drink, too, and grinned. "Mason''s going to need his strength." "Is that right?" He grabbed her roughly and squeezed her ass, very tempted to toss her into the fountain. She seemed to suspect him and raised a finger. "Don''t you dare, you overgrown yanky bully. Don''t you! Mason!" He lifted her and pretended to toss her, but instead just carried her towards the hall with augh. Reba leapt onto his back and wrapped her legs around him, and he carried them both through the door. There was no one inside, so he dropped Haley, swung Becky around, and pushed them both against the wall. They looked up at him expectantly, silently, chests rising with heavy breaths, and he was already getting hard. He put a thumb against Haley''s lips, and she sucked it instantly as he leaned in and kissed Reba. She sucked his tongue and moaned against him, wiggling against the wall. He looked at them both and shook his head. "Good God I''m a lucky man. Now get your amazing asses into the bedroom." Reba went first, stripping back down to her lingerie as she walked, leaving her clothes in a trail towards their bedroom. Haley lingered long enough to grab Mason''s crotch and bite her lip, then lean up and whisper in his ear. "I want to see you make her scream." Then she followed the cowgirl with hips swaying, ncing back over her shoulder with a wink. Mason threw off his shirt and followed. * * * Haley stripped as she followed Becky, down to a skirt and long socks as she made it to the bedroom. She and Becky both leaned against the bed, then Haley pped Becky''s ass and they bothughed before looking back, probably to give Mason a teasing stare. But he''d reached them first. He gathered up Becky''s long, brown hair in one hand, and took Haley''s pony tail with the other, pulling their heads back as he activated Blessing of Gaia. He watched their beautiful faces as the scent hit them like a drug. Haley closed her eyes and inhaled, Becky''s pupils practically rolling. He was reminded the effect had been increased when he visited Thea, and the look of pure pleasure on his girls'' faces nearly drove him mad. He took turns kissing them as they wiggled their asses against him, arching their backs towards the bed. "Mouths first," he said, and they both turned instantly and dropped to their knees. He kept holding their hair as they worked down his pants, freeing his now painful erection. Haley went straight for his balls, sliding his cock over her face as she went under and started licking while the taller Reba sucked on his tip. He pushed her forward with her hair, sliding into her mouth until she almost gagged before letting up. With Haley still licking and sucking from underneath, he kept his eyes locked on Becky as he fucked her mouth. "Good girl," he said with a groan. "Put your hands behind your back." She did, and he just kept guiding her mouth down his cock with her hair until he decided it was Haley''s turn. He pulled the blonde up and thrust into her open mouth, then used her ponytail to move her on his cock just as he had with Becky. "OK," he shuddered at the feel of Haley''s silky lips. "Now you can turn around." They stood and bent over the high bed, amazing asses in the air. Mason pulled down Becky''s panties, then lifted up Haley''s skirt to find she wasn''t wearing underwear. She giggled as he saw, and he felt practically dragged forward, burying his face into her pussy from behind. He fingered Becky as he licked and slurped at Haley, though she was already wet and ready for more. Then he switched and tasted Becky, but he''d only been licking for a few seconds before she gasped and started shaking. "Mmm...if you...keep doing...that! I''m going to cum." Mason chuckled and kept working her top to bottom, pping and gripping her ass with one hand, using the other to reach around and y with her clit. Haley got what she wanted. Reba grabbed the bed and cried out as her whole body went rigid and flushed red before she came. Then she slumped down onto the bed with ragged breaths. "I...just need...a minute." "No you don''t." Mason stood and slid his cock inside her as she gasped. She was dripping wet and he practically squished as he buried himself inside. "Come here, Haley." He didn''t bother waiting, lifting the blonde off the ground and wrapping her legs around his face and head. Sheughed and shrieked as he just held her up by her thighs with brute strength, going down on her as he kept fucking Becky. She weighed almost nothing to him now. He just stood there for awhile, lost in their soft wetness against him, then finally turned Becky to her back, and set Haley on top of her face down. They giggled and kissed, lost in the lust of the moment as Mason pushed himself into Haley. "Oh, he''s fucking me, Becky," she said. "Does it turn you on to feel him fuck me on top of you?" Mason couldn''t tell, but it sure as hell turned him on. When Becky looked up at him over Haley''s shoulder, though, he could see the answer was yes. The girls held onto each other as Mason pounded Haley with loud ps. He''d had enough and couldn''t wait anymore, especially since he suspected it wouldn''t be hisst. He let go and felt the pressure build, coursing naturally through him with total abandon as he wanted nothing more than to fill his lover full of his seed. That she was pregnant already only made it hotter¡ªthe knowledge that she loved his cock and cum so much she still wanted more. He growled as he gripped her thick ass and released, spraying deep inside her as she cried out and buried her face into Becky''s tits. He let his cock pulse and spray several times before pulling out, lifting Becky''s legs up and apart, and pushing straight into her next. "Oh!" she gasped. "He''s fucking me now," she blushed. "Take his cock so good, baby," Haley encouraged and sucked Becky''s sensitive nipples as Mason started pounding her. "Show him what a good little whore he''s making you." Mason didn''t know if it was the words or the sight of them squirming together and against his cock, but it was the hottest experience of his life. Every thrust smacked him against both Haley and Becky''s asses, and for a moment he practically forgot who he was even fucking. He leaned down and took turns kissing them, groping tits and pping Haley''s ass, hardly sure what to do with his hands except anything he wanted. Then Becky was making whimpering sounds, her legs trembling in his hands. He wanted to cum with her and stopped holding back. The second he felt her pussy clench and flood with juices, he mmed deep into her and released. Haley was watching them both and moaning as she fingered herself, Becky''s face ck with overwhelmed pleasure as Mason pumped her full of cum with countless streams. Then they were all slumped and pressed together, both girls dripping with his and their own juices as they closed their eyes. He rolled Haley over andy on top of Reba, still inside her as he trailed kisses up her chest and neck and softly kissed her lips. "Doing better?" he whispered, and she wrapped her arms around him and sighed. "I''m so happy you''re home," she said as he rolled over, then gestured for Haley toe cuddle against him, which she instantly did. They justy there pressed together, satisfied and half asleep until Reba finally sat up and met his eyes, then flopped back down and shook her head. "Girl he is still awake." The blonde chuckled and met Mason''s eyes with a grin. "You see? He needs another." * * * Mason and his girls didn''t leave their wing of the chief''s hall all day. After another round with both of them, Becky basically passed out while Mason and Haley took a shower. He fucked her again there, too. "But seriously," she licked her lips and said as he finished, legs still spread as he held her against the wall. "We need Rosa. I''ll be fat and ugly with your giant baby soon and poor Reba will be killed by your hungry snake." Mason chuckled and sighed as he let Haley down, then held her against him and closed his eyes. "Fat yes, ugly no. But you''re right...it''s a problem." By the time they turned off the water Mason was hard again. Haley muttered some kind of French curse then knelt down on a towel and started blowing him. He didn''t have to say a word, just standing there to watch this beautiful girl do everything in her power to please him, mind and body lost in the lust. This time when he came it was like someone had flicked an off switch. Haley was massaging and squeezing his balls for every drop, her amazing lips and agile tongue milking him with everything she had. In thest sensitive moments, he identally broke off a piece of the sink counter with his ridiculous strength. Haley looked up at him and grinned with a mouth and chin covered in cum. Then he staggered to the bed and cuddled and slept beside Reba, not waking until he smelled food. Reba blinked awake too, and they exchanged a grin before leaping up to find Haley wearing nothing but an apron in the kitchen. "Oven baked eggs and¡­well, mystery cheese," she beamed. "The eggs are even fresh! I found some in the temple. But I didn¡¯t see any chickens, now that I think about it¡­anyway! Most everyone is enjoying themselves out there. No one is looking for us. No one is even . They''re just wandering the settlement, sleeping under trees, and drinking from the fountain. It''s just a peaceful, wonderful day." Then she saw Mason''s hungry eyes and looked at the state of herself. "Oh. This was a mistake, wasn''t it?" She managed to convince Reba to turn off various burners and get things ted before he had her bent over the nearest counter. When Reba startedining she didn''t know what container to put the sauce in and she needed Haley''s help, Mason grabbed her and yanked her over too. She''d only put on a long t-shirt, and he pulled it up and took turns with both of them from behind again. "OK," Becky said, getting hammered into the counter. "Maybe...mm...Haley is right. I don''t know...how much more...I can...ungh..." She practically copsed into Mason''s arms when she came, but he held her up and fucked her until he finished. Then Haley leapt up while he was temporarily pacified, and had everything set and dished before he could get any more ideas. The girls went and got dressed as Mason started eating. With his enhanced senses he heard them whispering with exasperated sounds. When theye out in bulky sweaters and long pants that clearly hid their curves as much as possible, Mason couldn''t help butugh.
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Chapter 146: We’re going to get along fine Chapter 146: We¡¯re going to get along fine Mason let Streak into the house after supper (and a fairly grumpy bath), and they all cuddled up on the couch and watched old movies on the settlement''s digital storage system. They ate popcorn, talked about their lives a little, but mostly just enjoyed each other''spany in silent touch. It was theziest, sexiest, best day of Mason''s time in the apocalypse, and he was easily able to imagine what life with his girls could be if all the madness was over. The idea was so wonderful he had to shut it down. Not possible yet, and maybe not for a long time. Then he started to worry he was wasting time¡ªthat he should be out there trying to clear the corrupted trees, or find the imprisoned druid, or at least exploring more of the world. And he knew every hour and every day counted. But he fought that down, telling himself he and the girls had earned at least one day to themselves, one day to be a family. Or whatever the hell they were. "You look thoughtful," Haley said as she ran her hands through his increasingly long hair, his head in herp. Reba was lying the other way, socked feet dangling over his hip. "Today has been amazing," he said. "But tomorrow I''ve gotta get moving. And we need amand structure. I don¡¯t know who the hell does anything or even who to ask." Haley frowned. "ke didn''t really do that. We''ve run...well, more like a corporate office. I just take messages until he gets back. Though Hank is mostly in charge of the civilians." "Yeah, well, that ends now. Far as I''m concerned this is a military outfit, and the yers are in charge of violence. So I need a second inmand." He wiggled Becky''s feet. "Might make sense to be you, if you''re up for it." The cowgirl frowned and blushed a little. "How about Phuong? He''s ex-military and smart and knows a lot about¡­well, everything. He kept us alive out there, before Nassau. You can trust him." Mason nodded, happy with that. "I think I''ll make him and Carl equals when I''m gone. It should work out. Everyone should have a rank and a role, all this grey area nebulous bullshit is stupid, but...well, we''ll figure all that out when ke gets back." He looked up to see Haley grinning at him. "What?" "This suits you, you know." "What does?" "Being in charge." He sat up and sighed. "No it doesn''t. I hate it." Haleyughed and rubbed her feet on Reba''s in hisp. "Doesn''t mean you''re not good at it. I think ke will agree when he gets back." * * * The girls did their routines then joined him in bed, theny together in their pajamas with heads in the crooks of his arms. It had been the perfect day. He''d forgotten entirely about worrying for his brother, or leveling up to fight ever-increasing threats, or all the other likely terrible dangers of the future. His luck stat, he decided as hey there, wasplete horseshit. He wasn''t sure what it should have been, but there was no chance that a score of seven could possibly result in his current circumstance. Had what he''d faced in this new world truly been so horrific to deserve these two amazing women in his bed? The thought and answer sent a shiver down his spine. He felt some dark threat pressing in, some terrible misfortune just waiting to destroy him and any chance at happiness. A man''s ''luck'' may be very different indeed, depending how long you measured it. He hated that feeling¡ªwhat ke called his ''paranoia'', no doubt formed from being abandoned so young. It wasn''t ''real'', he knew that, and yet that feeling of impending doom had protected him more times than he could count¡ªwarned him of bad friends and girlfriends and teachers, circumstances full of youthful stupidity and danger. He couldn¡¯t just ignore it. So he woke before the dawn, filled with a restless energy that he knew wouldn''t be satisfied by women no matter how beautiful and dedicated. Neither Haley nor Reba made so much as a groan as he got up, and he took a moment to watch them sleep and smile. They deserved everything he could give them¡ªevery second of his attention and strength out there making Nassau ready for what was toe. Making himself ready. Before he dressed he looked at the system''s ''tablet'', suddenly determined to use and actually figure the damn thing out. He eventually found what he was looking for¡ªa kind of ''drawing pad'' with all kinds of options. He set to work until the sun had risen a little, then stood and dressed. "Streak," he called as he picked up his bow, then walked out. The wolf clearly sensed his energy and scrambled after, ears down and eyes clear in seconds as he panted and followed. He wanted to talk to Phuong first. Out of curiosity more than anything he pulled up Wayfinder and smiled as he looked at Nassau. There was a new Patron ''tab'' that as he opened it, showed him every person with a contract as a blip on his map. He found the old man lying beneath the same huge tree he''d rested under those many hours before. Except there was a young woman lying beside him... "Master Mason," he said as he sat up and crossed his legs. "I''ve just been watching the stars. They are the same, you know, or at least close enough to fool me." Mason flicked his eyes to the girl and back and grinned. "Oh. Yes." Phuong looked a bit embarrassed and opened his mouth once before he spoke. "She''s from Laos, originally. I lived there for many years. We got to talking and...well, she''s a bit less than half my age. It''s all a little silly, but..." "You won''t hear a word from me. But if you''re feeling too tired I might go and ask..." "I''m not infirm," Phuong snapped, then stood and red before softening at Mason''s grin. "You''re a cheeky young man, Master Mason. Very cheeky." "Send your woman off, then meet me at the gate with a travel bag. We''re going to go clear a dungeon." Phuong''s eyes practically red with an eagerness that matched Mason''s mood, and he knew he''d made the right choice. He found Alex already awake, too, sitting on a bench with his own tablet. "What are you reading?" Mason said as he approached. The Brussian looked up with his usualpleteck of expression. "Russian poetry." Mason had absolutely no idea if this was a joke. "Well, if you''d like a little more excitement¡ªPhuong and I are going to go clear a dungeon. Feel like keeping us alive? As a bonus, we''re going to go wake up Carl. Rudely if we feel like it." Alex nced up at the morning sky as if considering, then stood with a nod, and absolutely no discernible expression. Mason supposed that was that. Together they walked to the house Carl and Silvie had imed, and Mason was about to knock before he decided to look in the open window. He could see the couple in bed, and thought he could at least spare Silvie. He threw some nearby pebbles until the older man grunted and rolled to his feet, waving a knife hand until he heard Mason hiss. "What in the name of God? Mason is that you?" He eventually came out with a scowl and a robe. "I need you to be in charge of the town while I go with Phuong and Alex to clear a dungeon. It''s time for them to get some more experience." Carl instantly lost his anger and nodded. "I agree. Alright, well I''ll tell Silvie when she..." "Not Silvie, Carl. You. yers are in charge of Nassau. You can take her advice. You can talk to Haley and Reba and Seul-ki and whoever the hell else you want. But you''re in charge, what you say goes, because I''m counting on you to protect this ce while I''m gone. That¡¯s your job, first andst. Understood?" The older man stood a little straighter and nodded, the sleep clearing from his eyes. Mason pped his shoulder and took out the map he''d drawn using Wayfinder. "Good. I want you to keep things moving. Try new fishing spots, start patrolling wherever you think they make sense, look for survivors. If there''s danger...use your judgment. The map''s pretty detailed." "Holy shit." Carl took it and blinked. "I''ll say. How''d you do that?" Before Mason could answer he waved a hand. "Nevermind. OK, kid. I won''t let you down. Er, again." Mason smiled with some difficulty, knowing the man still felt guilty about ke. "I don''t me you, Carl. I trust you, and I know you did what you thought was right. Just get thesezy yers doing something, alright? I''ll see you in a few days. I hope." The relief on Carl¡¯s face was obvious. "I''d say the yers are fairly busy afterst night, but I''ll do my best," he said and grinned. Mason snorted then left Carl to go back inside, and he and Alex went to the gate and found Phuong waiting with not one but three packs of supplies. He winked and handed two over. Streak yapped and started sniffing after them before Mason pushed him away. "Ready to pop your cherries, gentlemen?" They both stared at him in confusion and he sighed. "Not everything trantes. Let''s just go. And I hope you''ve been doing cardio because I''m not going less than half speed." "Not a problem for me!" Phuong yelled. Alex grunted in something like inevitable eptance. "I''m healer," he said in his thick ent, "not physical specimen like you." Masonughed. "Not to worry, I can carry you. And you can speak in your nativenguage, you know, the machine trantes." "I don''t trust," Alex said, kind of already huffing as they jogged. "To trante?" "At all, but yes. I don''t want listening." Mason stopped and looked at the man. He suspected roboGod was somehow listening and watching everything. But maybe not...and avoiding trantion just might reduce one''s chances. Very clever. Very clever indeed. "Alex," he said, "I think we''re going to get along just fine. Now move those old legs. But let me know if you feel a heart attacking." The Brussian red, then they all ran towards the orc fortress, and the nearby great tree, in puffing silence.
Chapter 147: And they call it a mine Chapter 147: And they call it a mine Ilya eventually returned to ke''s tent with a basket full of food. She set to work cooking in silence, expression difficult for ke to read. Again he was tempted to gain her trust and smooth things over with Mental Influence, but took a deep breath and decided against it for the moment. "My name is ke," he said, and Ilya froze. "I''m from a human settlement to the West. There''s only a few hundred of us, and I''d never even seen an orc until your people attacked mine. That¡¯s the truth." The orc''s face scrunched and she turned to look at him. "Attacked you? We don''t leave the towers in numbers. Our warriors only exist to protect us, to protect the holy stones." ke shrugged. "I don''t know what to tell you. I saw it with my own eyes. Fifty orcs? Maybe more. They attacked mostly unarmed women who had no interest in a fight. If it wasn''t for my brother and the warriors of my town..." "I don''t believe you," Ilya hissed, going back to chopping vegetables and angrily tossing them into her pot. ke sighed, and thought back to all the names of the orcs he''d touched or controlled. "They weren''t all cktusks. There were Stonebloods. Redfists. Oh and there were many families and tribes. Uh. Hargots? I don¡¯t know how to pronounce any of this. Chlek-tay? Chleek-tee?" Ilya slowly turned back, looking far more convinced. "How could you know warrens family names? Not even tower orcs would." "How indeed." ke adjusted himself slightly, trying to getfortable. "I''ve told you¡ªthey attacked us, and I touched their minds with my magic. Before that I knew nothing of your people, or this King Gromsh. I came here with others to try and stop your people from killing mine, that''s all. Then somehow Gromsh trapped me in the tower. Now my only way out is to kill him. I suspect he''s the reason for all this mess." Ilya sat in silence awhile, fiddling with something that looked like potatoes. "I''d heard...rumors,¡± she said finally. ¡°Of a raid. That the cktusks were paying any orc who could step through the waygates. I...didn''t believe it." "Don¡¯t worry, we humans are no better," ke sighed, finding a position that eased the pain. "We love enemies, real or imagined. We kill each other. We kill ourselves. It seems to be the way of things." "Where do your peoplee from?" Ilya asked, voice a little softer now. "Why have we never seen you before?" ke practically snorted, no idea how to answer that. How did you tell someone they were the sudden creation of a god-like robot? That everything you were and ever had been was a fiction, a lie, some creature''s...world-building? "We were...put here," ke said, deciding the opposite of the truth would be as close as he could get. "Some kind of god is testing this world, and it''s using us." "What does that mean?" Ilya said quietly, clearly worried. "It means your people were probably right to try and kill us," ke said, meeting her eyes. "It means our gods are giving us divinemands, which we follow almost without thought, and if one day theymand my people to kill yours, they''ll likely do it as mindlessly as your raiders tried to kill mine." Ilya¡¯s strange, but beautiful eyes went down. "But...why would they? What have we ever done to them? To you? Why are your human gods doing this?" "I''ve no idea, Ilya,¡± ke said very honestly. ¡°I have no more respect for them than you. But here we are." He took in a deep breath and forced himself up. "That''s starting to smell rather good." Ilya stirred her pot, shoulders slumping in a defeated shrug. ke moved a little closer. "Ilya, I don''t hate your people. If I survive this I''m going to try and stop any more fighting, that''s a promise." The orc met his eyes, clearly conflicted, and maybe afraid. "Why would you do that?" "I don''t know," ke again said honestly. "Maybe because...I don''t see much difference between us. Because life is hard enough. Because maybe orc and human might need each other and I don¡¯t want to waste resources. It''s a big world and I see no reason to make enemies when you could make friends." Ilya smiled a little at that. She dished some of her soup into a bowl and blew on it. "You''re pale. It''s not cooked but you can drink a little broth at least. y-k." ke grinned and took the bowl, rather surprised how not-near-dead he felt, and soon slurped with abandon. * * * Ilya''s friend eventually returned, and was considerably less reasonable than Ilya. After several minutes of not even looking at ke, then angrily confronting Ilya about housing a ''traitor'' and why she shouldn''t go to the chiefs right this second? ke decided things were getting too far out of hand. He wrapped the orc''s mind in thickyers of Mental Influence, smothering her with Trust and Calm and even Greed. "You''ll be rewarded, Ferrah," ke promised, and the girl finally squinted and met his eyes. "When this is all over, I won''t forget those who helped me." "I must be out of my mind," she said, running her hands through thick dark hair, dropping to a nearby stool. Ilya looked at her friend with surprise, eyes drifting somewhat suspiciously towards ke. He shrugged as if to say ''what else could I do?'' before eating more soup and sleeping again. The next ''day'' (ke had no idea what time it was in this ce), Ilya said he was healing shockingly well but needed to move his body. She helped him take a long walk through the orc ''city'', which seemed an almost endless series of cheap dwellings, moving vendors, and strange, underground life. On the ''outskirts'' she showed him huge caverns of agriculturalnd, filled with all kinds of nts that grew beneath the earth, and the many domesticated animals raised with it. ke was amazed by it all, soon eager to see how these creatures lived. They had mines, crafters, merchants, a caste system of peasants, warriors, nobles, and even priests, or shamans, that attended to the orcs'' religious life. They had their own water and waste with underground rivers, and were apparently entirely self-sustaining, needing only to harvest wood from the nearby forest. "What''s this?" he asked, as they passed apletely closed off entrance to what seemed a kind of mine. "Ancient tunnels," Ilya said, with a small shudder. "Where the demon and his minions emerged. Every now and then a new orc lord tries to destroy them forever, but always fails. There is dark magic there. But if we stay away, it doesn''t hurt us." Intrigued, ke moved closer until Ilya was practically pulling him away. "Did you not hear what I told you?" she said, looking to make sure no one was watching. ke ignored her and moved to the wooden boards covering the hole, an intuitive urge to touch it and see... [Secret Dungeon discovered! Ancient Orc Mine. Do you wish to enter now?] ke smiled and removed his hand, letting Ilya pull him back towards their tent. "It''s a dungeon," he exined, not surprised when the girl''s eyes narrowed in confusion. "You''re right,¡± he added, ¡°it''s a kind of...magic ce, other worldly. A person can go inside and disappear to an entirely new area, and find great dangers and rewards." This only made the orc girl stare at the ''mine'' with renewed suspicion and distaste, and ke couldn''t help butugh. "Come on," he said, pulling her on. "I''m tired. And hungry. And getting slightly addicted to your magnificent soup." Ilya smiled shyly, very pleased as ever it seemed with any kind of praise. ke was beginning to understand that orc culture was extremely male and warrior-centric, and considered almost anything else as ''beneath'' that highest pursuit. There were some few female warriors, almost like ''Shield-maidens'' in Norse culture. But most women were seen as lesser creatures, only as important as their family name. And Ilya''s family was gone. The old ke would have epted this fact as useful. And he supposed the current ke did, too. But another tiny part of him also chaffed at the thought of this kind, beautiful creature, who had saved his life, being treated as a leper. It was a strange thought, and he wasn''t sure what to do with it. But for now all he knew was it cost him nothing to be kind.
Chapter 148: Tree looks fine Chapter 148: Tree looks fine Alex, it seemed, was a man who knew how to suffer. Mason ran them all day and into the evening with hardly a pause, and the older man endured all of it. When they finally stopped he was red and drenched in sweat, leaning against a tree with closed eyes before apparently healing himself. "I''m impressed," Mason said, giving him a good p on the shoulder. "Now stay here while I hunt something to eat. May as well save our supplies for the tree. Can you make a fire, Phuong?" The Vietnamese ex-soldier just nodded and got to work, and Mason took off with Streak and his bow. There were plenty of birds like grouse in the forest, which¡ªjust as in the real world¡ªwere big and slow and not that smart. With his speed, senses, camouge and magic bow powers, hunting wasn''t particrly difficult. He shot three in less than an hour, as well as a squirrel that happened by, then returned to camp and found the men watching their small fire burn. "I hope you like chicken," he said, holding up the animals, tossing the squirrel to a whining Streak. "You could have hunted on your own, you know," he said as the animal tore into the little thing. "Howe I have to do all the work?" He tussled the wolf''s head but it was far too focused on food and just growled in pleasure as it gnawed and chewed. Then Mason and Phuong butchered the birds infortable silence, and the three men sat by the fire as they all cooked on sticks and with a couple pans. They didn''t have anything but salt to season it with, but Mason got the impression that didn''t bother any of them much. "Feels like home," Phuong said with a gap toothed grin. "Like I''m back camping with my sons and grandsons." Mason smiled, not sure if he should any questions or make the man think about his family much considering how things were. "My father never took us," Mason said instead. "But I went on my ownter in life. Not sure why, but I always loved the woods." "Then you must be in paradise," Phuongughed, and Mason grinned. He realized he kind of was. Between his girls and being away from cities and massed civilization, he almost couldn''t imagine a better situation, save maybe being even more alone. But he thought of ke trapped in that god forsaken death trap of a tower and lost some humor. "I hate woods," Alex said, natural frown curled like an upside down U. "I miss ys and opera and symphonies. I used to go symphony every week." Mason failed to control his eyebrow raise, and gave Phuong a quick nce to find equal surprise. "No offence, Alex," Mason cleared his throat. "But you look like a man who drove trucks across Siberia." Alex squinted, then his frown slowly leveled out, and heughed loudly from his gut. The sound was almost unnatural, and even startled Streak for long enough to stop chewing. At least for a second. "I y violin," he said, the humor instantly gone. "Piano. Flute. Private lessons. But, not much money." He grinned. "So I drive trucks, too." Mason and Phuongughed together. Then they cooked in silence awhile, and were soon eating the smaller pieces and grunting in pleasure at the taste. Whether it was the hard run (for the others...) or just eating something other than system made produce, it seemed like it was best damn bird they''d all had in ages. "I''d kill small child for vodka," Alex said with a sigh. Mason practically choked, but actually kind of wished he''d brought something. A few secondster Phuong lifted a bottle from his pack. "Leave the kid alone." He winked, then passed what must have been some of Billy the Brewer''s moonshine around the fire. "Oh, thank you, thank you," Alex took a sip and closed his eyes, practically trembling before he looked at the other men. He went a little pink as Mason and Phuong grinned, then he passed the bottle. They damn near finished the thing as they ate, then put out their fire andy down in their sleeping bags, Mason looking up at a few stars through the canopy as his brain fought sleep. All he could do was think about Nassau, ke, the nymphs and the trees and his druid dreams and, well, everything. He wasn''t the type to dwell or wrestle with things beyond his control, but then he hadn''t been in charge of a settlement before. It felt like he had a thousand things to do and yet it all took too much time. Just crossing the damn forest took precious days he might have used exploring or patrolling the woods near Nassau, mapping all the grey areas of the world and figuring out what the hell was going on. So far ''phase 2'' hadn''t seemed to make much difference. But he knew that was an illusion. Sooner orter he knew threats were going toe, going to challenge them until this damned robot God got whatever it wanted from all this. They had to be ready. He had to be ready. It was hisst thought before the light from the stars faded to ck. * * * Another full day and they reached rockier ground, then the edge of the forest and the hills and ins that led to Sanctuary and the orc fortress. From what the nymphs told him, there was another great tree past this and in another, much smaller patch of woods East of the orc towers. But he couldn¡¯t actually see a giant tree rising out of it all, so that was a little confusing¡­ Was it protected like the nymph tree by some kind of magic illusion? Had it been cut down? He was tempted to go to the fortress and try the dungeon again, though he suspected it would make no difference at all. Still, he was here... "Do you want to try the tower?" Phuong said beside him. "It''s not far. We might as well." Mason smiled gratefully. "If that''s alright." The others nodded, and they walked on without a word, and this time there were no orc scouts or anything else it seemed blocking the way. Mason left them slightly back as he made his way to the gate, and touched the door. [Error. Please try again in 24 hours.] He sighed, then walked back to the others and shook his head. "Well. Let''s do what we came for. The tree shouldn¡¯t be far." If it¡¯s still there, he thought. The circled the tower walls and carried on towards the new woods and the giant invisible tree. Mason could sense far less life here, and the soil looked thin and arid. The forest felt like an ind being washed away by the sea all around it, and even the smell felt wrong. Mason took them into the trees cautiously, and the other men clearly sensed his hesitation and stood on their guard. They didn¡¯t have to walk far before the ¡®wrong¡¯ scent Mason had smelled became worse and worse. Then they found the tree. Just as before, there was a clearing all around it, but this one wasn¡¯t shrouded by mist. As Mason and the others got closer, it simple appeared out of nowhere, stretching up above the canopy, jutting like a skyscraper from thendscape. ¡°My God.¡± Phuong whistled. ¡°How could we not see it before?¡± Mason just shrugged, not sure he could exin. As they got closer, they could see something like mould covered half the trunk, so reddish brown it looked like a gaping wound carved into the wood. Bark sloughed off like dying skin, covering the ground on the infected side of the tree. The small creek that ran through the valley looked filled with toxic sludge, like it was connected to a factory and not a giant tree. "What is problem?" said Alex. "Tree looks fine." Mason gave the man a wry grin, then walked down into the valley clearing. The closer he got, the more unpleasant he felt. It was like he could sense the pain and corruption of thend itself, like the scent and very air itself were poisonous if he lingered too long. But his difort was ovee when he heard noiseing from the opposite side of the giant trunk. It sounded like voices. "Be ready," he said to the others. "There''s something or someone out here besides us." Phuong''s hand sizzled as his blue sword materialized out of nothing. Alex just sort of hunched. Mason didn''t see any kind of obvious ''entrance'' to the tree, though he suspected like the nymph tree he might just need to touch the bark. It also urred to him he might be wrong about Streak, and that the wolf couldn''t enter at all. But if so he wasn''t that worried about sending the animal home on its own. And he wanted to investigate the noise first. He touched the ground and activated his Nature''s Sleeves, watching his body and even his clothes somewhat shift in color. With bow at the ready, he circled the huge trunk with eyes and ears tuned to their peak, ready to draw and kill at a moment''s notice. The voices increased in volume and became more obvious. They sounded human. At least two male. One female. Mason held up three fingers, and Phuong nodded, still close behind. Together they crept around several patches of high reeds and grass, then a small outcropping of giant mushrooms, until finally the speakers came into sight. "It''s this ce," said what looked like a young East Asian woman, kneeling before arger Caucasian who sat slumped against the tree. "My healing doesn''t work for shit." The third, a red-headed, mid fortyish Caucasian man was pacing back and forth beside them, hands gripped in his hair. "Well then let''s move him. We can''t do this without him. And maybe not even with him. This quest is absolute horse shit." Mason turned to the others, who both shrugged. He sighed and stepped out. "Hello there." He showed his bow and hands and walked slowly, making himself obvious. "There''s three of us, and a wolf, just so you aren''t rmed. Can we give you a hand?" The red head stared for a good five seconds. Then he raised his hands, his eyes zed a deep scarlet, and he started to flow with what looked like mes. Mason winced, and sighed. "Figures."
Chapter 149: Are you out of your mind? Chapter 149: Are you out of your mind? key down on his furs and groaned. He knew he should try and Dreamwalk and talk to the others, but he was tired and in pain after the long walk and just wanted to sleep. Anyway, what the hell was he going to say? ''Yep, still trapped. Super trapped. Oh apparently I''m here because a rogue personality or possibly underling of roboGod wanted me dead specifically. So yeah, really doubt there''s a way in. And there''s a god-enhanced orc in here after my balls. Yeah, I''m pretty fucked.'' Frankly the thought was growing increasingly frightening, but he locked that away behind a wall of will. He realized he didn''t want to talk to Mason because if he saw his brother he''d be reminded how bloody alone he was. And if he saw Mason he might actually crack a little and show some fear. And ke hated being afraid. So no. He wasn¡¯t Dreamwalking anywhere. Better to have some progress, first. Everyone liked good news. "I''ll be ready for more with Chief Terzog tomorrow," ke said, "if it can be arranged." Ilya looked at him with obvious surprise, then some nervousness. "I haven''t spoken to him or any of the chiefs yet. I don''t know how they''ll feel. But I will try." "I cane with you," ke said. "It might be easiering from me." She nodded, and smiled a little. "Tomorrow, then, we''ll go together." "Thank you, Ilya," ke said and meant. "For everything you''ve done. I''d be dead several times over if it wasn''t for you." She smiled shyly, obviously pleased but also unsure what to do with such words. But she hardened, and looked away. "Whatever it takes to stop Gromsh. I won''t rest until he''s dead." "I understand," ke said, then sat up. "Will you tell me about your family? I don''t mean how they...I mean how they lived." Ilya smiled a little and looked far away. "My eldest brother liked to sing. Father never encouraged it, of course, but he did it anyway. It wasn''t ''seemly'', father said, and he''d be mocked by the other boys. And he was for awhile. But he grew up strong and wise and became a fine warrior. He sang for the others when they trained, and they all loved him for it. ck bird, they called him, because his skin was dark like my mother''s." A tear rolled down Ilya''s face, and she looked away. "You must think me a weak, foolish female." ke stood and sat next to her, wiping a few tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. "No," he smiled sadly. "I think you''re brave and beautiful, and your love for your family does you credit." Ilya looked at him and shook her head. "You human men are very strange," she whispered. "Do you all speak this way to your women?" Heughed, and shrugged. "No. I suppose we don''t. I''m probably a weird human." Ilya smiled and gestured at her mother''s oracle staff sitting in the corner. "I guess I''m a weird orc, too." ke was beginning to notice how close they were sitting in the little tent, and how the small fire flickered in Ilya''s amber eyes. He put his thumb back on her cheek, cupping her face as leaned in closer. She had clearly almost never been touched at all. She practically leaned into his hand like a cat, looking about as ready to spring away, or scratch his eyes out. With a human girl he''d just kiss her, knowing nearly all of them disliked a man who had to ask. But with Ilya...he had no idea, and only wanted to be as gentle as possible. "Would you like me to kiss you?" he said, trying to smother his own desires. "Is that something orcs do?" "We do," she said, clearly unsure. "But¡­by friend could be back at any moment. I..." she bit her lip and stood a little straighter. "Yes, I would." ke smiled, then slowly put his lips to hers. They were surprisingly smooth and soft, and he wasn''t sure why he expected it otherwise. She clearly had no idea what she was doing, so he took his time and taught her with his lips. He fought every burning instinct in his body to push further and start touching, just sitting and ''making out'' like teenagers. When he finally came up for air, Ilya put a hand to her lips and smiled shyly. "That was nice, thank you." "My pleasure." ke grinned, feeling like a kid with a crush. He wasn''t sure exactly what he was doing, but it felt right and good and for now that was enough. "Thanks for telling me about your brother. I have a brother, too. I miss him very much." "Is he...?" "No, no. He''s just...not trapped here with me," ke smiled. "Much too sensible for that sort of thing." "You''re the risk taker of the family?" Ilya grinned. keughed. "I suppose I am. Though I''ve never really thought of it that way." He winced slightly as the pain in his side red. Ilya noticed and pulled up his shirt to check the bandage. "We should change this." ke nodded, and Ilya took off his shirt and unwrapped the bloody cloth around his side, shaking her head again at the speed of the healing wound. "It''s so strange," she said, "seeing you as an orc after...seeing you as you really are. You seem so...wless. I would never know, even though I know." ke pulled out the waistband of his pants and nced down, then looked up at Ilya with a wink. "Yep. Everything''s where it should be." She flushed yellow instantly, and ke practically cursed himself for a damn fool before she sputtered with augh. "It''s time to sleep," she rolled her eyes, but was forced to lean in close as she wrapped the cloth around him. ke smiled and tilted her chin, kissing her again. She looked surprised, but closed her eyes and made a little moan against him, frozen when he''d finished. "I picked up some drakeroot for the bleeding," said Ilya¡¯s friend as she pulled away the p on the tent,ing in with her eyes on the item in question. Ilya practically leapt away from ke, in the least cool ¡®we''re just applying some bandage over here¡¯ fluster imaginable. The other orc looked up and her eyes went back and forth from ke''s shirtlessness to Ilya''s bright yellow skin. "Oh, Ilya," she said with something like resignation, which only made the yellow blush worse. "I cane back, if you two need a..." "No," they said in unison, and ke put on a charming smile. "She was just helping me with this." He gestured. "Thank you. I''m going to sleep now. I''ll see you in the morning." He was tempted to yet again flush Ferrah¡¯s mind with whatever mana he had left for Mental Influence, but decided instead to just sleep. Who knew what might find him in the night? And he supposed Ilya wouldn''t like it if ke kept her friend''s brain floating in a magic cocktail of emotion. With considerable effort to inform his erection it really wasn''t helpful or required, hey down and closed his eyes. * * * ke dreamt of his home in Houston¡ªa queen sized bed with down feather pillows, silk pajamas and a steaming hot shower. He and Mason had the run of the ce most days. Their adoptive parents were always busy with their work or charity or social lives. They weren''t bad parents. They just weren''t very interested parents. And it left the two young boys plenty of opportunity to get in trouble. "Come on, they won''t even notice we took it," a thirteen year old ke told his brother in the estate''s triple garage. "A quick pass by Sophia''s house, we honk the horn until she sees how awesome we are. Then we zoom back like nothing happened. Easy." Mason had called him an idiot. He''d said all the ordinary, practical things¡ªtheir father loved this car, they were both terrible, inexperienced drivers, ke''s little crush might not even be home, etc. But as usual ke was not to be denied. Soon they were pulling out onto the crescent with music ring until Mason scowled and turned it off. They even made it to Sophia''s house and got her attention. Then on the loop back their neighbour, Mrs. Friedsman, happened to drive by. She took one long look at ''the two orphan boys'' driving Mr. Nimitz'' bentley, and had her phone out before she passed. "What the hell were you thinking?" said their fatherter as he paced. "Don''t you know that''s exactly what people think of you? That you''ll be no good, ungrateful criminals no matter what I do?" "It was my idea, sir," Mason said, eyes to the floor. ke hadn''t said a word, and Father had looked at him so long and hard he thought he''d crack. "I know it wasn''t. And for letting your brother take the me, whatever punishment Ie up with you get double, ke. Now go." That part was good parenting, more or less. The ¡®confrontation¡¯ stage. They just never had any follow through. They''d grounded ke for two weeks, which soon became one week and then a few days, none of which he''d actually spent truly grounded. "Why''d you take the me, anyway?" ke asked his brotherter, and Mason shrugged his already broad shoulders. "Because being grounded makes you crazy. And I don''t even really care." It was ssic Mason: true, in a fashion; self-sacrificing; a bit obtuse. But ke had grinned, and soon forced him to leave his self-enforced grounding, and things were back to usual. But it was just a dream. ke woke to the sounds of shouting, screaming orcs. Ilya was frantically looking for her friend, then a deep, booming voice echoed through the city. "Ilya, daughter of the Vori, I know you''re hiding the human. Come out from wherever you are, give him to me, and I will spare your life. But disobey me now, and I will rip your limbs from your body and boil what¡¯s left. Decide quickly." ke met the orc girl''s eyes, and saw the terror. He couldn''t afford to feel the same, and as the fog threatening to overwhelm his senses emerged he tried for the first time to turn Mental Influence on himself. It worked, surprisingly enough. So he flooded himself with Calm, which didn''t do much, but every bit helped. Ilya was pacing across the tent, hands in her hair before peeking out the p of the tent. "He has warriors all over," she said. "He''s going to find us. There''s nowhere to go." "There is," ke said, feeling suddenly very sure. "We can go to the dungeon." "What?" Ilya turned and stared. "The demonic ruins? Are you out of your mind?" Probably, but it¡¯s worked for me so far, he thought. ke knew he couldn''t wait. Ilya was close to breaking though and he doubted he''d ever get her into that mine. But if she didn''t follow him now, or else turn him in like she probably should have, she''d die screaming. "I''m sorry, Ilya," he said, as he activated Mind Control. "But it''s our only chance." She looked confused until the power hit her, her mind wiping of everything but rapt attention. "The mine isn''t what you think," he said. "It''s the only thing that can save us. We have to get to it. Right now." She blinked, and held out her hand. "We can make it. Let''s go."
Chapter 150: Did you get the prompt? Chapter 150: Did you get the prompt? ke and Ilya walked through the growing chaos of the orc warrens with hoods over their heads. It still hurt a little to walk, but ke decided getting yed alive would probably hurt more, so he did his best. ¡°I can¡¯t see anything,¡± keined. ¡°Is anyone looking at us?¡± ¡°Just keep your head down and walk,¡± Ilya said, pulling him along arm in arm. ke soon stole a quick nce, activated Mental Influence on a random passer by, and watched the scene through the orc¡¯s eyes. Things¡­didn¡¯t look great. Orc warriors were corralling every orc citizen into what looked like a central circle. They had formed a wall of bodies in a ring, shoulder to shoulder as they squeezed it closed. The dungeon ke and Ilya needed was on the other side of said circle. ¡°There¡¯s warriors in our way,¡± he whispered. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to pick a spot and go through.¡± Despite the mind control, ke could palpably feel Ilya¡¯s terror. But she grit her teeth. ¡°We have no choice,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s the only thing that will save us.¡± ke winced at his exact words quoted back to him, hoping the girl would forgive him when she came around. Hopefully she¡¯d see they had no choice¡­ ¡°Quite right,¡± he pat her hand. ¡°Stick with me, and we¡¯ll manage.¡± ¡°You there! In the hoods. Stop and show your faces.¡± Apparently they¡¯d run out of time. ke and Ilya just kept walking, ignoring the repeated and increasingly angrymand as they picked up their pace. Then there was warriors yelling to stop them, and men pointing and trying to figure out who the hell they were talking about. They reached the outer circle, and ke had to decide: Mind Control, or Telekinesis? Something told him Mind Control wasn''t wise. The orc chiefs had talked about the king''s power to control the minds of the warrior orcs, and ke seriously doubted he could easily ovee that with ease. No, he decided. Better to use something more reliable. But how to deal with so many orcs... With something like giddy madness, it urred to ke he didn''t need to move a dozen orcs. He just needed to move one female, and a rtively skinny human... "Go back," said the orcs in the circle as ke and Ilya arrived. Then they looked over their shoulders to see other warriors in pursuit, shouting to stop them. "Wait," one growled. "Drop your hoods and put your hands in the air." "Finally an order I can agree with," ke said with a sigh, pulling back the cloth. Ilya stood frozen beside him, eyes going wider and wider with panic as she looked to find no obvious escape. But the orc city was dug with a good high roof, maybe fifteen or twenty feet above all their heads to make room for various buildings. ke gripped Ilya''s arm, and took a deep breath. He''d never tried this before, and suspected it would take some finesse. "If I crush us both against a wall," he whispered. "I''m deeply grateful for all your help. I truly am." "What?" Ilya instinctively tried to pull away from his grip a little, then he flung them both into the air with Telekinesis. He readied it again the moment they flew, propelling them towards the ancient mine, trying not to hit a building or a hanging rope with clothes. The orcs were shouting in somebination of order and rm, all kinds of orcs just staring in utter confusion as two figures flew above their heads. Ilya was screaming in terror, but ke kept his focus. Heunched them four, five, six times before deciding they''d gained enough distance tond and run for it. Right, he realized. Landing. He hadn''t really considered that. He waited until they''d nearly struck the ground, then used his power to ''catch'' them as he''d done in the tree dungeon. At some point he''d lost his physical grip on Ilya, and now she sort of slowly spun forward in the air about a foot from the ground. ke dropped himself first, then did his best to help steady her. "What...I..." she was slightly pale and looked ready to vomit. "No time for that, my dear, run!" ke grabbed the unsteady orc girl and pulled her forward, scrambling past staring orc civilians but a distinctck of guards. All of them were obviously back in the circle, many chasing but too far away to stop them. They reached the dungeon in less than a minute of scrambling around buildings and trying not to trip, finding the same boarded up descent into darkness. It only really urred to ke, then, that Ilya was not a yer, and may not even be able to go inside. She''d said orcs had tried, and he''d believed her, but he realized then that maybe that was all just nonsense imnted in her brain by roboGod¡ªas false as her people''s history. He met her eyes and took her hand, thinking back to Mona, the girl he''d met in the tutorial. Was another good person going to die for him? Was Ilya even a person at all? Or just someplex NPC? In that moment he didn''t care. The idea of her suffering for helping him was almost unbearable. He could Mind Control her again, he thought, craft her a story that would make the orcs understand she had no choice but to help him all along. But the guards wereing. It was too damnte. He grabbed her hand and put his other palm to the door. "Come on," he whispered to the system. "My brother has his bloody wolf. Let me take an ally." [Would you like to enter secret Grey Tower dungeon¡ªAncient Mine?] "Did you get the prompt?" he told her. "Can you go inside?" She stared at him, obviously confused. "Of course I can go inside. What do you mean?" She grabbed at the wooden boards and started pulling. "But we have to get these down. Hurry!" ke blinked, heart pounding as he realized it must have failed. He used Telekinesis and ripped the barricade apart. "Go!" he shouted, then ran through the opening. As he did, he felt a tingling on his skin, the darkness pulling him through the now familiar portal of a dungeon. "No!" he yelled, ¡°I didn¡¯t ept!¡± He reached for hispanion. "Ilya! Take my hand!" She turned back to look at him, amber eyes glowing dimly in the gloom. Then he was gone. * * * ke opened his eyes to see a corridor that belonged in some 80s role-ying game like Wizardry. Perfectly cut stone squares of stone made up everything, overly symmetrical moss growing between every crack. He spun to find nothing but a wall behind him, and no sign of Ilya. His knees felt suddenly weak, and he dropped as he put his face in his hands. He''d abandoned her back there, then, to be found, interrogated, tortured. A crushing weight hit him, so unfamiliar, so unwee, like it sapped his strength and will to do anything. It was guilt, he decided. Guilt for what he''d done to her, knowing all the while what it probably meant. He pped himself hard, opened his Mental Partition, and did his best to shove it all inside. Amazingly, it worked. He took a deep breath, feeling much better, much clearer. And when the hell had he started feeling guilt? [Objective gained: Find and rescue Ilya Vori from somewhere in the dungeon. Reward: ?] [Objective gained: Unlock and unravel the first mystery of the Makers. Reward: ?] Interesting, ke thought. Very interesting. Mason had mentioned something about ''Makers'' in the worm dungeon he''d done with Carl. Apparently it was ke''s turn. Of course, Mason had described killing a building-sized worm, so ke had possibly just gone from the frying pan into the fire. But there nothing else for it now. He stood up and started walking. All he had was a knife or two in his pockets, and his Mana Gem. Not exactly an inspiring toolkit to try a phase two dungeon alone. Would the ce be filled with giant monsters ready to rip him apart? Something humanoid he could potentially control? He could only hope. The corridor ended quickly, expanding into a square room lit by glowing orbs in each corner. On the far side he could see text in English on the walls, each with symbols and images beneath. On the floor, a series of tiles with matching symbols and images. Other than that, there was just one door. ke smiled, the earlier crushing feeling reced by a giddy excitement. It was a puzzle. And maybe a dungeon of puzzles, rather than a host of terrifying creatures. And ke always loved puzzles. He cracked his neck and fingers and suddenly missed Psionic Physiology. Maybe he could level and take it again. But until then, it looked like ke would have to do it the old fashioned way. He started reading the text, inspecting the symbols and images and memorizing them with familiar glee. "Damn," he muttered, "all I¡¯m missing is some Red Bull." * * * The symbols werepletely unfamiliar. ke was rather fond ofnguages and knew quite a lot about their history. But these didn¡¯t look like sanskrit or cyrillic or any kind of Asian character. And there were only nine of them, which made it unlikely they represented an alphabet. The grid on the floor was also 9x9, which seemed important. The text on the wall made no sense. The old pond. A frog leaps in. Sound of the water. Uh, what? There was another, just as strange. Spring ocean. Swaying gently. All day long. They almost seemed like...poems. As the thought struck him he counted sybles and sure enough¡ª17, five seven five. Haikus. He went over the imagery and the symbols, trying to recognize a shape or image, then putting letters to symbols and counting the letters every way he could think of. He couldn¡¯t read any Japanese but he was pretty sure they had a couple writing systems. Or was it three? Hira..gami? No. Kanja? Shit. Nine symbols. Two haikus. A 9x9 grid. He paced back and forth, wondering if he could use Telekinesis to just rip open the door and float right through, but discarded the idea. You didn''t fuck with dungeon puzzles. That probably pissed off robot Gods as much as it pissed off the DMs who¡¯d gone to all the trouble to set them up. ke stared until his eyes went blurry, then almostughed as it came to him. He''d done plenty of Sudoku in his life¡ªa sort of number based puzzle in a grid. He even knew what it meant, roughly: all symbols in a line. The symbols were just numbers. Well, numbers were really just symbols. The words probably didn''t mean anything¡ªthey were just giving him a hint this was a Japanese puzzle. He had to fill out the symbols like a Sudoku, where everything lined up with no repetition. Of course the alien symbols made it difficult visually. ke had to remember which ones were which, and a couple looked damn near the same. He studied them long and hard before moving to the tiles and finding they could spin, sort of like dice. Most he moved by hand, but once it got to the middle he moved them with Telekinesis just so he didn''t identally spin anything he stepped over. The puzzle was hard, but ke had nothing but time. In maybe thirty minutes he was finished, or hoped he was finished, but took a good long inspection before he was satisfied. Nothing had happened, of course, which maybe meant he was wrong. Or maybe meant he had to try the door. With another minute of inspection, and another after that of pep talk, he floated over the puzzle, squinted his eyes, and reached for the door.
Chapter 151: Pest control Chapter 151: Pest control [Dungeon puzzle eventpleted. Experience awarded.] The door clicked open with a very smooth, and very satisfying beep. Despite the somewhat ancient looking dungeon, the metallic door and hinges seemed freshly greased and perfectly made, swinging wide to reveal... Yet another corridor. ke sighed and walked through, hoping this didn''t go on so long he''d test whether he died first of thirst or boredom. He hurried forward, eager to reach the next room and the next challenge. Then the stone floor cracked and shattered like a pane of ss. ke had barely managed to shout in rm before he activated Telekinesis in panic and stopped himself from moving. He looked down to see a fifteen foot drop into spikes the size of his leg. His heart pounded in his chest, and he slowly pushed himself back onto solid ground before copsing to the wall and closing his eyes with slow, deep breaths. OK, he thought. Let''s not get too careless. And it was clearly time for a new Mental Partition rule. He constructed a new if/then statement for Telekinesis that went something like this: [If I change speed without meaning to, then activate Telekinesis and stop me.] He hoped that was clear enough and didn¡¯t result in some kind of unforeseen problems, then finally stood back up. His mana was actually still fine, so he simply floated himself over the entire length of the corridor, all the way to the next door. This one opened to a muchrger hall, equally well constructed and ancient looking, but with little enough light ke was already squinting. Great, he thought. Where the hell was the low level light spell? But he did at least get some light from the corridor, and did his best to follow a wall as he looked out and listened for danger. Eventually his eyes adjusted, and when he looked out he saw some kind of pool of water and what looked like another metallic door. He inspected the pool and found nothing unpleasant, and though he was pretty damn thirsty he decided a drink could wait for him to get a bit more desperate. About the time he''d decided he had no choice but to move out into the darker depths of the hall, a small, green light appeared in the gloom, like someone had turned on a shlight. "Wee to the Hall of the Makers," said an almost cutesy, childish voice from the direction of the light. "Are you finally here to help us with the pest problem? Or, oh," the voice lost some enthusiasm. "Would you just like a tour of the facility?" Pest problem? Sounded like a quest. ke had a feeling how he answered was important, so he put on a winning smile and squinted into the light. "How about both? If you give me that tour, maybe it''ll help me solve whatever problem you might have." "Oh, wonderful!¡± cooed the voice. ¡°Right this way!" With that the ''shlight'' turned and left ke blinking in the dark, white spots blocking everything. "Wait!" he called, and the shlight spun and shone directly back into his eyes. He raised a hand to shield himself. "Is there, uh, some lights in this ce? Other than you?" "Oh! Yes of course! Except...no, not really. You''d have to fix them. Shall I take you to the hall generator?" "Please do," ke said, trying desperately to remember anything about electrical systems. He did his best to keep his feet and not fall into anything, tempted to fly after his new friend with Telekinesis. But instead he followed the light and found nice, smooth tiled floor, leading past the pool and the door, deeper into the darkness. Eventually his guide stopped and turned its light at some kind of giant¡­mirrored window, that was just transparent enough to show a big red button with a ¡®power¡¯ sign on the other side. It had no obvious way inside. ¡°The generator is here,¡± the light beamed, then changed tone instantly. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure how to get through. In thest decade I think I¡¯ve realized it has something to do with the mirror image! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do better.¡± ke squinted and refrained from trying to use his helper like a shop light. "Sure. Better. Just give me a couple minutes..." * * * After about thirty seconds of staring at himself, ke heard a monstrous roar. The sound echoed through the cavern with a deafening boom, causing him to leap in uncontrolled panic before covering his ears. "Ah yes. Please do try and hurry," said the light pleasantly. "We haven''t even started the tour, and pretty soon the critter will arrive!" Critter? OK. So this puzzle had a time limit. ke had apparently escaped being chased to his inevitable doom by an orc king, just to trade up for a monster. Huge improvement all around. Things were going swimmingly. He focused on the room itself, looking for anything inside he might use. Then he tried using Telekinesis to break the ss (failure), or simply push the button (also failure). In fact it seemed the ¡®ss¡¯ was somehow absorbing his magic entirely. He pushed away the thought that maybe this was a waste of time and he should be exploring with the light or maybe asking a hundred questions. The darkness terrified him, and he couldn''t do anything if he couldn''t bloody see where he was going. ¡°It¡¯s just a puzzle, and it has to be a simple one,¡± he told himself, because it didn¡¯t have symbols or moving parts. In fact the only thing that changed at all was the reflection looking back at him. He examined his image in the ss and saw no difference. He touched the ss, finger connecting to hard surface just like any normal mirror. He frowned, then blinked in surprise, because his reflection did not. Again a monstrous scream pierced the darkness, and ke¡¯s little light friend seemed to quiver slightly as it looked. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to rush you, pest controller, but I daresay it¡¯sing closer.¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± ke said, watching his reflection, which didn¡¯t repeat his words. It reminded him of an old D&D puzzle he¡¯d solved in a very simr situation¡ªwhere a kind of reflection of the party had only hurt them as much as they did the same. He stepped back and gestured into the darkness. ¡°Please, after you.¡± His reflection smiled and stepped away, mirroring him. Then it winked. ¡°No, no, I insist, after you.¡± ke stepped inside without even testing the surface. He walked through the mirror as if it didn¡¯t exist, then smashed his hand down on the giant red button. The cavern red behind him, growing brighter and brighter until it was more like a modern building filled with florescent light. ke stepped out and tried to mentally prepare himself for whatever ¡®critter¡¯ was on its way. "Thank you very much!" said the light, which was in fact a floating..ntern. It had a little face on the front like a piece of cartoon furniture from Beauty and the Beast, and ke decided its name was obviously going to be Lumiere. "Now would you like to continue the tour?¡± it asked. ¡°Or maybe you should deal with the critter first?" ke turned to see ''the critter'' at the far end of the hall. It had stopped when the lights turned on, as if detecting a change in its environment but little more. It stood at least nine feet tall, a kind of headless humanoid with four gangly limbs like a cluster of rotting, tangled tree roots. At the center of its ''core'' was a fanged mouth that dripped with something like tar. Then it raised one of its arms and pointed vaguely towards ke, holding out its hand. A single, red eye opened and blinked as if it hadn''t done so in years. The eye locked onto ke and twitched with obvious excitement, pupil bouncing back and forth. Then that terrible maw of fangs widened, and screamed.
Chapter 152: Don’t get cocky Chapter 152: Don¡¯t get cocky "You''ve got three seconds to drop that bow, mate, or you''ll cook like a fecking kebab." Getting hit by fire spells historically didn''t feel great, but it also didn''t hurt Mason much. And Nassau desperately needed ranged yers and mages. It was time to think like ke a little. Maybe he could recruit them... Mason sighed and put down his bow. "We''re not here to hurt you. We''re here for the tree. So just...rx. And we''ll all be fine." "You''re glowing fucking red with yer kills, mate. So no. I won''t be rxing. Why don''t you just bugger off. Wait, no, stay where I can see you!" Apparently this guy could see Mason''s aura like a civilian. Did that mean some kind of identification power? That made him even more useful. But it was also something of a problem. Streak came snarling out of the bush, and that didn''t help much. "What the fuck!" The fire wizard looked back and forth between Mason and the wolf with his hands outstretched. The little Asian girl wasing up behind him now carrying what looked like¡­a cooking wok? "Streak. Sit." Masonmanded, and the wolf whined and licked its lips but sat on its haunches. Then Phuong and Alex stepped out behind Mason, and Mr. Fire Wizard looked like he might go cross eyed. "Stay back! Fecking all of ya, or I swear I''ll..." "Oh just shoot me," Mason said, and the fire wizard crooked his head and looked back and forth. "What''s that you say now?" "Your fire spell. Whatever it is. Just¡­hit me with it. Then maybe we can talk." "Are you¡­out of your fecking mind, then?" said the wizard, his voice slightly rising in pitch. "Probably. Just do it. I won''t move. OK? Then that''ll be out of the way and we can talk like gentlemen. So go on now." "I''ll fecking do it!" The guy was practically vibrating now and Mason sighed. The little Asian girl was at her ally''s side whispering, but Mason¡¯s ever enhancing senses let him hear her. "Let''s just run,¡± she said. ¡°Come on let''s just get Mac and go. We can''t do this anyway." Mason decided to expedite things, and pretended to reach for his bow. Mr. Firemage loosed his spell. Everyone seemed to cry out in something like protest. Then a cluster of fiery projectiles shot out and raced straight at Mason''s chest. [Apex Predator activated: Elemental Affinity] [Title activated: First Blood] As promised, Mason didn''t try to move. He knew his resistances would kick in, and his vitality was starting to feel fairly ridiculous¡­ The fiery missiles mmed into him with the force of thrown baseballs, sizzling and lighting his shirt on fire. He ripped it off and tossed it to the ground, inspecting the slightly charred marks of skin along with everyone else. Frankly he hadn''t really felt the heat much. Though his flesh did feel a little tender. He flicked off some burnt hair and cleared his throat. "OK." He kept his tone positive and slung his bow back around his neck. "I assume that settles that. I''m Mason. This here is Phuong, Alex, and Streak." He gestured to each in turn. "We''ve got a settlement a few days away, and we''re always looking for new recruits." Mr. Firemage¡ªwho he was pretty sure was Irish¡ªand the cooking utensil-wielding healer, both stared long and hard at Mason''s chest. The Irishman finally sniffed and pinched his nostrils, then his aura faded and he came forward with his hand out. "I''m Seamus. That there''s Mai and Mac. Sorry about the spell and all. It''s lovely to meet you. I hear it''s harder to kill a man when you know his name. So. Again, that''s Seamus. I''ve got two kids as well. And a dog. I like dogs. Good doggy." He looked at Streak and smiled awkwardly. Mason took his hand, and grinned. * * * After the formal introductions, Mason and Alex took a look at the injured Mac. "We went into the dungeon there," exined Seamus. "Little green men the game calls goblins like a fooking fantasy movie. They stabbed him, like. Which don''t hurt a man like him much. But we think there''s some kind of poison." Mason sniffed the wound and definitely detected something, but actually it seemed quite shallow. Mac was a big man with a lot of fat and muscle, and the de certainly hadn''t cut anything vital. As they inspected him he blinked awake and practically tossed Alex into the tree. "Who the fuck are you?" He tried to stand but failed, which is when Mason began to realize he''d been cut several times. Though they all looked equally shallow. Seamus exined the situation, and the big man soon quieted and slumped back down. "Ock, I feel like shite." He put a hand to his pale face and dry heaved. "Mai here can heal but she says this ce somehow interferes," said Seamus. "Dunno if that makes any sense to ya." "Give it a try, Alex," Mason gestured, and the Brussian''s eyes zed for a moment before he touched the big man''s chest. It was clear it did...something. "Oh Christ that feels good." Mac''s eyes practically rolled back, and his color looked instantly a little better. "Thank you, sir, thank you very much." Mason frowned, and Mai looked a little annoyed and a little embarrassed. "I don''t know anything, but if I had to guess I''d say it''s something to do with affinity. This ''game'' seems to use that for a lot of things." She nodded, and Seamus pped a hand on the big man''s shoulder and seemed to rx. "Whatever the reason, we owe ya." Then he met Mai''s eyes and looked at Mason. "You said something about...being here for the tree? Us too. Maybe we could...join forces, so to speak." "I doubt we can all enter," Mason said. "Dungeons are usually built for four." "Oh." Seamus slumped a little, then squinted. "Wait, no! I think it said six. Didn''t it, Mai? It rmended six when we went in." Mason got a little more hopeful at that. Though it likely meant the dungeon was rather nasty, and these people didn''t seem wildly powerful. He decided to just walk up and touch the tree with his palm. The prompt came instantly. [Would you like enter dungeon: Great ins Tree? Note: it is rmended you bring 5-6 yers.] "So it is," Mason said, then frowned as he looked at the group. If they took all three of these people, it meant Streak couldn''t enter. "Mac¡ªyou up for this? I don''t want to dy." "Not sure," said the big man, still swallowing back spit as he leaned against the tree. "I''m supposed to take punishment, but with all that poison...not sure I can do it, being honest. I might be useless." Mason nodded, his problem maybe solved. "Alright, Seamus. Well we''re going in right now. If you and Mai want toe along, you''re wee. I''d bring you all if I could, but I don''t think it''s an option. Is there a safe ce nearby Mac can go?" Seamus failed to hide his excitement. He turned back to his friends and they spoke quietly for a minute, while Mason tried not to listen in. But he got the gist. "He''s going to wait here," Seamus announced. "Mai and I would like toe along, if that''s alright. I''m the one with the objective anyway." "OK then." Mason looked back to Phuong and Alex. "We ready?" The men nodded, and Mason called for Streak then walked to the tree. He hoped maybe if he held the wolf he could make it work. "Alright. Everyone touch the tree." They did, and Mason checked the prompt. [yer group detected: five yers, one unbonded pet. Would you like to enter together?] Unbonded pet? Whatever the hell that meant. But at least it seemed to work this time, and though Mason wondered idly if they could still take Mac too, he just epted the prompt instead. His vision faded in the now familiarly unpleasant feeling of being teleported, and everything went ck. * * * Mason instinctively summoned his w as the dim, cluttered first room of the dungeon appeared. Just as with the first Great Tree, the ce seemed carved out of the trunk, with gnarled wooden walls and floors, with a low ceiling just above Mason''s head. One by one the other yers materialized by Mason''s side, Phuongingst and instantly forming his own de when he saw Mason''s out. But there wasn''t much in the room save for a door ahead, a few barrels to one side. "Nothing but water in those," Seamus gestured, then blinked. "Wait. Oh shit. There should be a dead goblin here and a lot of blood. It''s all gone. How''d they clean it all up so fast?" Mason frowned, expecting the ce had somehow ''reset'' like the damn game it was. "Let''s assume whatever you did before doesn''t count," he said. "But it might not have changed. What''s through the door?" Mai swore and Seamus shook his head, looking a little defeated. "A big room and a bunch of goblins. Maybe six, with some kind of jackal creatures as guard dogs. Bloody hell of a fight. Such a damn waste." Mason nodded. "Room for my bow, or should I just go in with swords?" "Not likely." Seamus shrugged. "They were on us quick. Hence the condition of poor old Mac out there." "Alright then. Phuong, Streak and I will charge in swinging. Seamus and Mai¡ªyou have any powers I should know about and work around?" Seamus shrugged. "Mai''s tougher than she looks. She can go in with you and start whacking things. I''ll pretty much just st whatever I can." Interesting, Mason thought. He hadn''t seen a healer who could get in and mix it up. But then he supposed he''d hardly seen anything when it came to other yers. He summoned his other w and took a steadying breath, clearing his mind for the intensity toe. "Streak and I''ll go left," he said to Phuong, and the older man nodded. Then he gently pushed open the swinging door, taking in the room as quickly as he could. Seamus was right. There were at least five and maybe more goblins in something like a dining hall. Two long tables ran across it, a few more doors at the end, the creatures sitting on benches ying with some kind of bones, or wandering the room. Mason touched the door to camouge, turned to his left and charged. He leapt over the bench to get to open ground as he raced straight at the goblins. They were up instantly as if expecting danger, shouting and drawing long knives, bucklers and short spears. But the closest to Mason didn''t move fast enough. It looked up with wide eyes, knife in hand as Mason cut through its lower jaw and most of its neck and spine in one Predator''s Strike. He ran right past, cutting off the hand of his next target with his curved w before deflecting a spear strike with his Sleeves. Then Streak was on his attacker, ripping the goblin from its feet with jaws mped firmly on its arm, thrashing it on the ground. From the other side of the room, Mason heard Phuong''s now familiar sizzling energy st, then heard flesh and bone getting hacked apart as goblins shrieked in panic. Apparently there was a staircase on Mason''s side. More goblins came running up from the floor with curves knives in hand, and Mason activated his often neglected Shield gem, then plowed straight into them. They bowled down the stairs in a line, totally unable to withstand Mason¡¯s weight and speed. Then he deactivated it and followed down chopping, taking limbs and opening torsos with three, four, five unanswered blows. He turned and dropped traps on the stairs as he ran back to the main room, only to find Streak, Phuong, and Mai smashing targets down with brutal efficiency. A final goblin in a dark cloak leapt from behind a kind of tapestry at Phuong''s back, where he stopped instantly and struck a blue shield, then stared in confusion for a moment before fiery projectiles knocked him flying into the wall, where he promptly lit on fire andy still. "That''s what''s supposed to happen!" Seamus yelled, marching into the room with fiery eyes and a grin. "Any more?" Phuong called, after a nod of thanks to Alex. Mason''s trap exploded, and two creatures screamed and clearly fell at the bottom of the stairs. "Nope. Think that''s it," Mason grinned. "Apparently..." Seamus''s magic faded as he looked around the room. "That fight¡­wasn''t as hard as I suggested." "Don''t get cocky," Mason said, checking the corpses for anything useful one by one, then moving towards the new doors. "It was just the first room. Thest tree finished with a chimaera." Seamus nodded with a grave expression, then Mason heard him whisper to Phuong. "Hey, uh, what the hell¡¯s a chimaera?"
Chapter 153: Thank you, and goodbye Chapter 153: Thank you, and goodbye "Continue the tour!" ke shouted as he ran. "Is there anywhere that critter can''t go? Take me to that!" Tree-limb-acid-face started loping forward like the ugliest gori known to man. "Apologies," said high tech Lumiere. "But I''ve no idea where the critter can go or where it can''t! The first room on the tour is the dining room. If you could juste right this..." "Is there an armory?" ke shouted. "Take me to the armory!" "That would be highly unusual," said Lumiere. "The tour is the tour, designed carefully to exin the history of the Maker''s Hall and end on a high note of..." "Take me to the damn armory, now! Or I''ll leave your critter forever!" "Oh very well. It''s down the Hall of History, second door on the right." ke ran and tried not to look back, ready to startunching himself forward with Telekinesis. But he suspected he needed his mana. Second door on the right, he thought. Simple. Couldn''t be too far. Second door on the right. Apparently the Hall of History was fucking enormous. The first door turned out to be nearly 500 feet away, the second at least a city block. In tree-demon-chasing-you-at-high-speed terms, that was about fifty miles. ke fucking hated the apocalypse. He remembered seeing the movie Zombind and all that talk about cardio. And he thought about Mason running every single day, and how damn fast he was now. If ke lived through this, he decided, and ever told the story, he was really going to get another I told you so. He ran at full speed, faltering and nearly stumbling in panic as Lumiere sped right by. "The Hall of the Makers shows every phase of The Grand Project,¡± it said like a demon wasn¡¯t chasing them, ¡°from portraits of its founders to the many stages of the project. If you look on your left, you can see the failed early designs of their very first creatures. Which, as you can see, look nothing like the triumphs of today! What day is it, by the way? I¡¯ve lost trackpletely." ke would have liked to have been fascinated. He truly would have. Instead he looked at zero of the portraits, his legs and lungs burning as he sprinted, desperate to look back and see how close the creature was. All he could hear was the thump thump thumping of the thing''s limbs like some evil metronome, whacking the stone in perfectly spaced repetition. Then ke was at the second door, which thankfully wasn''t a door but an open arch that he instinctively through himself in without stopping, just as the demon''s arm swished exactly through where he''d been standing. Hended harshly and rolled across the tile, but so did the demon. It tumbled and flew out of sight as it ran past the door, crashing and screeching as ke rose and looked around the room. It wasn''t exactly what he was hoping for. He wanted a whole bunch of swords and spears and axes lying around¡ªa room full of projectiles he could toss at his enemy and pray he at least blinded that eyeball-hand. Instead he found...statues? Some kind of ancient robots? Shit. Shit! Then he saw something likences or spears in a row on the far wall, and thanked whichever God was listening. ''Lumiere'' was still bloody narrating as the demon entered, hand forward and eye searching as it gestured around the room. ke hid behind one of the statues, activated Telekinesis and seized a spear, and threw it at the hand. And bloody missed. The spear smashed into the demon''s body, at least, sticking it about a foot and causing the creature to shriek in rage. It loped forward with one arm and both legs, the eye-hand held forward as it searched. ke lifted more spears. He had most of his mana and a full Mana Gem, and he intended to stick every single one of them into that ugly bastard until... A voice red over the room. [Disturbance detected in the armory. Locking down. For your own safety, please don''t stand next to the gates. Thank you for your cooperation.] The open archway mmed with a metallic ng as a huge iron grate dropped from the roof. Even the demon was surprised, stopping to look back and examine with its eye. ke didn''t waste time or energy worrying about it¡ªhe just seized two more spears and hurled them at his now stationary target. Both stuck in about as deep as the first, three giant quills sticking from one ugly ass porcupine. The monster growled and seized the spears one by one, pulling them out with no blood or really indication of much damage at all. ke just threw more spears. For several seconds they stood maybe thirty feet apart, the beast growling and pulling out spears, ke lifting them and piercing them back in. Finally some ck ooze was dripping from the creature''s wounds, and it gave up and charged towards ke''s statue. He scrambled away, mana less than half now as he ran to another statue and tried to target Telekinesis on the move. It worked well enough, the spears almost ''fire and forget'' once he told them his target. But their aim on a moving target was¡­kind of shit. They seemed to fly almost to where the thing was the second he targeted it. Which meant he might have to lead it or make straight shots. The only thing that saved him was the creature''s terrible vision. After every statue it had to stop and look again, following him with his arm but smart enough to protect its eye and close its fist when it could. ke considered trying to push a statue over tond on top of it, but the things were way too damn big and heavy looking, with a couple exceptions... One statue was vaguely humanoid in size, a little like The David if Michngelo had put the man in a sci-fi exo suit and a helmet. ke ran behind it and activated Telekinesis to touch the statue, just looking for options. [Arcane affinity activated] ke blinked in confusion, his Telekinesis nking as if it had worked but the spell was somehow...absorbed. Or wrong. The demon lunged, and ke barely jumped to the side as its arm pped into the statue with a solid crack. He scrambled up and ran to another, intrigued and terrified and still not sure what the hell to do. His spears had hurt the thing, but it seemed very much fine. He''d need a sword or something to hack it apart¡ªthe piercing weapons just weren''t wrecking its body. On something like whim, he activated Mental Influence and focused on the statues. They all lit up. "What the fuck does that even mean?" he whispered, trying the small humanoid. He picked ''Loyalty'' then ''Trust'' then ''Anger'', all vanishing like his Telekinesis as if into the ether. The demon was stilling and ke had to run. He had to choose now whether he kept shooting spears and hope for the best, or gamble on these damn statues. But he knew really he had no choice. Option one just wouldn''t work. Logic told him no matter how unlikely, option two was all he had. He scrambled away and bought himself a second, turned on the statue, and activated Mind Control. * * * The statue was like a bottomless pit. ke clutched his Mana Gem and poured his spell into the thing, trying to find some sign of a mind he could bend to his will. He felt vaguely insane now, throwing precious mana into a thing that might just bepletely wasting it. But it felt somehow right, it felt like a chance. And over he years, ke had learned to trust his gut. His mana pool vanished, and his gem was halfway gone before he almost gave up. [Mana threshold reached. Activating, intoned a mechanical voice from the statue''s direction.] ke fist pumped in triumph, and the demon smashed him in the side of the head. His Mental Partition red, and Psionic Shield surrounded him in purple light as he bounced across the room. The Mana Gem in his grip went cold, and though he was unhurt he knew he waspletely drained. He looked up, for the moment unafraid of death, obsessed with just wanting to see if he''d been right. The humanoid statue stepped from its pedestal. "Dimensional entity detected," it announced from a jaw that moved like ymation from that old Christmas movie. "Responding." The creature turned and growled, eye inspecting its new foe with cold assessment. Frankly ke didn''t care what happened as long as they left him alone a minute. He looked for somewhere in the room to climb, but saw nothing useful. There was no obvious way to escape. With something like a desperate hope, he held his now burning knife-wound and watched. The demon charged, and the statue held up its hands as if to catch a naughty child. "Halt," it said, bending its knees but making no other aggressive movement. It was either very confident in its own strength, or it was about to get smashed like a¡­ The beast crashed into it, lifting and carrying it forward until it struck the wall with a horrible crack. "Ah hell," ke said, getting up and moving around the wall, looking for something else to help him. He heard more growls and cracks and was pretty sure he could hear the demonic thing ripping his desperate hope into little pieces. With no other n, he finally lifted a spear with his own two hands and ran over to stick the bastard. He found the ¡®critter¡¯ and statue hadn''t moved from the wall. The beast was still holding the thing, thrashing against it with what looked like increasingly slow movements of its arms. ke stared and came closer, finding the statue was just holding on. But something felt...hot. As he came closer, ke found the statue''s hands were pressing against the creature''s bubbling flesh. Its arms moved closer and closer together, until it had buried its limbs into its opponent¡¯s body. The monster finally twitched and sagged against it, very clearly dead. [nar Entity: Carnagura demon killed. Experience awarded.] [You have earned enough experience to reach level nine! Please select your new power.] ke dropped his spear and sagged to the floor with mental and physical exhaustion, extremely happy to see his level. The statue made no move to get up. Its legs were half smashed, and the jerky movements it had made seemed entirely stopped as it seemed just like a statue again. Had it used up all the mana ke gave it? Maybe the ¡®demon¡¯ just destroyed it? Hey back and took a few deep breaths, seeing the gate was still very closed. But at least he was alive. Lumiere drifted over his head, causing him to squint against the bright light. "Apologies, Pest Controller. But I''m afraid that will have to be the end of the tour. Thank you, and goodbye."
Chapter 154: A new shiny Chapter 154: A new shiny "Just wait a bloody second, I killed your critter!¡± ke tried and failed to seize Lumiere with Telekinesis as the little bugger sped off. ¡°What''s my damn reward?" The floatingntern was practically at the gate before it stopped and turned, clearly small enough to zip right through the bars. "Oh. You haven''t been...paid?" "No I have not." ke took a deep breath and Meditated, hoping to build enough mana to grab the thing if he needed to. "I''ve got a lot of questions. And I''d like that gate opened. How about we start with that?" Lumiere frowned. "I''m afraid only the Curator can open the gate." Then he beamed. "But I am happy to answer your questions! That''s my secondary function!" The ¡®Curator¡¯, eh? Why did that sound vaguely familiar? Well. Answers were something. "What are these statues? How do I make them work?" "These are not statues, Mr. Controller. They are Arcane Constructs, built by the Makers in the Age of Ignorance. As you can see," it looked towards the dead demon. "They are still moderately effective. How to make them work is simple! You''ve already done it. Just infuse them with mana." ke nodded. Simple enough, then. "After I''ve infused them with mana, can Imand them? How long do theyst?" Lumier frowned again. "I¡¯m sorry,manding Arcane Constructs is not a topic I have knowledge of." Again its expression transformed very creepily and instantly to something more pleasant. "But I can tell you they run on mana, and willst until their charge depletes." Right. So basically exactly what ke expected, which made the thing''s answers not helpful at all. Maybe it was time to do his level. "Just stay right there a second," he said, then pulled up his profile. Another power was sure as hell wee. Psionic Physiology had been pretty damn cool, but he should at least see if there was anything useful. Mostly everything looked the same, and he flicked through them without much interest until he saw something slightly highlighted in blue. He hadn''t seen that before. Psionic Construct. Wait, yes he had, it just wasn¡¯t highlighted. Was it because he''d found these things and interacted with them? Did that mean you could get better powers based on what you did and experienced in the game? He read the brief description: Animate, and even create, objects with psionic power. That was all it said, which was infuriating little information to go on. Was it something like Telekinesis? Or by animate did it mean ''bring to life'' like the statues? Surely that made more sense given the circumstances. Though he had no clue what it meant by ''create''. As in make new objects with his mind? That sounded extremely intriguing, he just didn''t want to get stuck with a sub-par power if it turned out unhelpful. ke looked between that and Psionic Physiology, which he knew would be useful, unable to decide. Ultimately the special blue color was impossible to resist, and he hoped he wasn''t an idiot just chasing a shiny object and that it actually mattered. He took Psionic Construct. The power entered his list, and he went to activate it, then watched it bleep red in his vision. He immediately felt like he''d been smacked in the side of the head, groaning as he put a hand to his temple. Apparently just activating it took more mana than he had left. ke sighed and looked around the silent statues, then the floating little light with a face. He supposed he''d better getfortable. He was likely going to be here awhile. "I don''t suppose you can bring me any food or water?" he asked, settling for a nice cosy patch of cold, hard stone in a corner. "Refreshments? Certainly! Please wait here and I''ll return shortly!" With that Lumiere zipped off through the gate before ke could even question what he might bring back. Instead he just slumped against the wall and started Meditating. * * * When ke opened his eyes at about half mana, Lumiere had apparently stacked up a veritable feast. It looked like¡­canned water, and ancient...spam? He sniffed it, and at least didn''t feel like vomiting. "Is this...edible?" The floatingntern looked at it, then back at ke, giving a hopeful expression and what might have been a shrug. "How did you even carry it," ke grumbled, "or open these cans?" But he was starving and didn¡¯t really care, so he scooped a little and chewed the soft, nd, but salty ''meat'' and hoped he didn''t die. After finishing most of it, he stood up with a few crackles and focused on his new power. "OK," he said. "Round two." This time it worked, draining maybe 10% before the world lit with possibility. The statues weren''t eligible, apparently. Nor was Lumiere. But all the spears he''d been throwing at the demon were. His clothes, too. And the gate. Some of the pedestals the statues were sitting on. He also saw a ''creation'' menu but decided he''d try that next time. For now he focused on the gate and epted the prompt. It gave him two options: permanent, or temporary. Uh, temporary. Physical attributes, mental attributes, or both? Mental. [Activating.] The spell took considerable time to cast¡ªmuch more than Arcane st or Mind Control. He was forced into a very limited ''channel'' state, feeling arcane threads connecting him to the gate like with his mind powers. It felt like it was pulling him, sucking the energy out as it infused the object. In what seemed only moments, he felt like he''d been reading a textbook for two hours, his concentration hard to maintain Then the spell finished, and ke''s mana sagged maybe another 10%. He walked forward to inspect the gate, no idea what he¡¯d find. "Uh, hi? Are you alive now?" Even though he was sort of ready, ke still startled when the gate opened its eyes. It had a ''face'' much like Lumiere, the bars making its mouth look like a grill. "Master," it said with a cold, monotonal voice. The moment it did, ke felt its ¡®presence¡¯ in his mind. Something like a video game pet bar appeared in his vision with an obvious timer, which seemed maybe only a few minutes. He grinned, even though it hadn''t done anything. He could make bloody pets! "Open," hemanded, not really expecting it would work. Then the gate rattled with a metallic noise, screeching as it flew back up towards the ceiling, ending in an audible ng. "Well son of a bitch." ke looked up and grinned. "Lock up there, if you can lock," he said. And the damn thing made a click. Lumiere was staring now, too. "The Curator may be angry," he said with a frown, then looked extremely happy again. "Shall we continue with our tour?" "My friend," ke said with a sigh. "Nothing would please me more." * * * Getting information from a talkingntern was a lot easier without a demon trying to kill you. ke listened patiently to the entire history of the Makers, including the ''three ages'' of their ultimately doomed empire. ''Awakening'' was apparently first, followed by ''Ignorance'', ending with ''Destruction''. Though Lumiere was a little shaky when it came to the details. "What destroyed them?" ke asked, looking at a painting of what looked like a imploding. "No one knows," Lumiere said with a frown. "But they left us with many gifts." "Did they make you? This ce?" "Oh no." Lumiere pretended tough. "I was made by the Keepers of Official History. As was most of this structure. But there is one ce made by the Makers, and we''ll see it at the end of the tour." Well, ¡®Keepers of Official History¡¯ was the most Orwellian name ke had ever heard. "These Keepers...are they still...here? Alive? Who are they?" "Wizards, of course, like yourself,¡± said Lumiere. ¡°I thought they¡¯d sent you! They made several such halls to remember the glory of the Makers. Where they are is not in my knowledge. But I have never seen one. Right this way, please." ke asked how old the ce was, where the demon came from, where the Curator was, as well as questions about Ilya and where he might find her and if there was any way out of this hall. Lumier proved not at all helpful. "And this is the door to the Maker Hall¡ªthest true remnant of their greatness in this area of the world. If you''d like to see more, please insert your key and go inside." ke frowned. "I don''t have a key." "Oh." Lumiere stared until his eyes wandered in separate directions. Then a small metallic glint shone from the bottom of his body, and a stic skeleton key floated out more or less like he''d used Telekinesis. "Great news! In thanks for clearing the hall critter, I''m authorized to lend you a spare! But please return it when you''re finished." ke grinned and took the key from the air. "I''m beginning to like you very much," he said, then inserted the key into the obvious lock, which was more like a keycard, and shivered as he felt something warm move up and down his body in a ring. Then the door opened, revealing a medieval looking vault full of art and maybe coins. Without a care or concern in the world, ke walked right inside.
Chapter 155: We’re in a hurry now Chapter 155: We¡¯re in a hurry now Mason led the others through a series of simr rooms to the first dining hall. Small numbers of the same, rtively weak goblins were spread throughout a ce that seemed likemunal housing more than anything. Mason and Phuong took point. And with Alex''s shields, as well as Mai, Seamus and Streak watching their backs, they mostly just ughtered their way through. "This is almost too easy!" Seamus beamed as they killed thest goblin in a small barracks filled with bunk beds. "I''m totally going to get this quest done, I can almost taste the reward." "Shut up before roboGod hears you and squashes us like bugs,¡± Mason muttered. ¡°And what is your quest, by the way?" "Oh, the usual," Seamus shrugged. "Purge with fire. Burn the unclean. That sort of thing. And then I get a big ol'' experience boost." Mason squinted. "Burn what, exactly? And when and how did you get this quest?" "Patron." Phuong lifted a kind of g hung on the wall, and found a hole burrowed behind. Mason came closer and frowned, giving it a sniff but not detecting anything different. The goblins in the barracks hadn''t seemed unusual at all, though there was a few wooden totems and some kind of incense in y pots. "That''s not a very big hole," he muttered. "Even if I fit through that, I don''t think I want to." Then he nced back at Streak and activated Speak with Nature. [Can you go through and take a look?] The wolf yipped and practically charged into the hole without a thought, hunched down and vanishing almost instantly. "But be careful!" Mason called after him, then sighed. He squatted and waited, listening intently for any sign of trouble through the hole. "So I let the wolf thing go as just a pet, but uh..." Seamus cleared his throat. "Did you just...talk to it?" Mason didn''t bother looking over. "You shoot fire, that''s pretty weird." He sighed. "I''m a druid. I talk to animals." "No shit?" Seamus walked over and squat down next to Mason with a grin. "Druids are Irish, you know. Well, Celtic, or whatever. But my bloody ancestors, that''s for certain. That why you''re in here, then? Some kind of druidic blood ritual or some such?" "Or some such," Mason agreed. He didn''t exactly feel like exining sex-powered immortal nymphs and teleporting between trees. "Where are you guys from, by the way? You have a settlement?" "No, no, not us," Seamus shrugged and gestured at hispanion. "Mai here was with me and Mac in a tutorial. We made a good team, stuck together. That''s pretty much all there is to it, really. Came from the mountains to the East." This got Mason''s attention. "I haven''t been that way at all. Is it just mountains? What sort of creatures? Did you see a coast or any other settlements you just avoided?" "Woah, woah," Saemusughed. "A little equality, eh mate? Quid pro quo. I tell you a thing, you tell me a thing. Seems only fair, right?" Mason squinted. "We¡¯re all friends here. And I¡¯m not sure if you''ve noticed, but my friends and I are currently pretty much carrying you through this dungeon. How''s that for equality?" Seamus smiled, but the bruised ego behind it was pretty damn clear. ke would no doubt know how to handle the man and say just the right thing to keep him mollified, but Mason had no talent, or frankly interest. He was about to ask more questions when he heard a bestial howl echo down the tunnel. "Streak?" he called. No answer. Then he swore and tried to fit in the hole, but the second he got inside he knew he could hardly crawl and certainly couldn''t fight. "God damnit." He pulled back and took the rope out of his bag, then looked at Mai. "I need someone small." * * * Mai eventually agreed to take a look. "But no more talk of carrying us," she said with intense eyes as Mason tied the rope around her slender waist. He met the stare and nodded. "Agreed. If there''s any problem, just yell and we''ll pull you back." "The rope isn''t that long," Seamus was saying as he paced. "Surely you don''t expect for her to really get that far, and even if she did..." Phuong took another rope from his bag and started tying it expertly to Mason''s. "Go on, please hurry," Mason said, and helped Mai crawl inside. She was even smaller than Streak, and with her head down crawled quickly on all fours until she vanished into the tunnel. Mason clenched his teeth and cursed himself for sending the wolf, hearing that howl again and again in his mind. He wasn''t actually at all sure it was actually Streak. In fact he was beginning to think it wasn''t, but what did that mean? Was the wolf fighting some other beast? Was it trapped? Had it been killed? He had no kind of ''contract'', no way to tell or know. "I shouldn''t have brought him," he muttered. With the way things were, and the powers and danger of things increasing, he was beginning to think he should keep Streak from danger entirely. He was strong and clever, but he was just a wolf. The waiting was hard. They said nothing as Mason paced with little steps, his hands on the rope ready to pull. When they''d heard nothing for at least three minutes Seamus was starting toin and say they should pull her back, then Mason hushed him as he heard the sounds of renewed crawling. Mai came back out and dropped from the hole, wiping dust from her hands and knees as she stood, sweat gleaming on her brow. "There''s a cavern," she exined. "Some kind of...giant totem inside, wrapped by a giant serpent with...a ram''s head, maybe? Surrounded by rocks. It didn''t seem to know I was there." She could obviously see Mason''s question and cut him off. "I didn''t see the wolf." A giant mutated¡­snake. God damn of course it was. And why on earth would Streak have gone inside? If Mai had snuck up why couldn¡¯t the wolf? He was quite good at such things. "Shit." Mason paced another few steps but knew he had to decide. The others might fit without him, but he couldn''t send them alone. They''d have to find another way. His limbs pulsed with adrenaline and anger, a familiar restless energy telling him to act, to hunt, to kill. "Follow me." He turned and walked back towards the unexplored doors. "We''re in a hurry now. Stay sharp, and keep up. I want prisoners." He heard Phuong mutter something like ¡®oh boy, stay behind me¡¯, but ignored him. He didn''t stop and listen carefully at the next door. He simply opened it and charged through, finding a kind of storage area with crates and barrels filling one side of arger room, the other with goblins at tables or standing nearby. This time he activated Aspect of the Cheetah instantly, crossing the distance with ws out, aiming for arms and legs. The goblins shrieked and reached for their weapons, stumbling over each other in panic as some tried to engage, others retreat. The closest jabbed with its spear, and Mason pped it away with his smaller de, then cut off the arm that held it. He blocked a knife with his Sleeved forearm, then cut off the wielder''s hand. Blow for blow he relied on his speed, Sleeves and des to meet every attack as he swirled around the room taking off goblin limbs until the other yers caught up. Phuong disabled one rather more delicately. Mai knocked another out with a swing of her glowing frying pan. Then the room was still and silent save for the agonized groans of the crippled goblins. Mason found the cleanest looking creature and lifted him by his shirt. "The secret tunnels," he said. "A snake with a ram''s head. Tell me how to get there, or I''m going to cut you apart piece by piece." He practically felt the yers exchanging looks behind him, but frankly didn''t give a shit. The goblin nodded with wide eyes.
Chapter 156: The Greenblood Order Chapter 156: The Greenblood Order "Don''t know!" the goblin squealed and squirmed uselessly in Mason''s increasingly terrifying grip. "Just worker. Don''t know secrets!" "There''s tunnels in the walls," Mason hissed. "Behind bed sheets or gs or whatever they are. Don''t tell me you''ve no idea. Where do I get in the tunnels?" "Just a worker!" The creature whined pitifully, then his eyes went wide in hope. "Engineers will know. Engineers know things, make tunnels. Yes. Go through door, and up further into tree. They mine crystals." "What crystals?" Mason forced himself to get more information before he turned and charged away. "What are you creatures doing in this tree?" The goblin moaned in pain, growing paler by the second as it dripped blood all over the floor. "Don''t know. Just mine crystals. Heart of tree. For big bosses." Mason growled and rammed his sword through the creature''s chest, then tossed him away. He looked back at the others, all of whom stared with obvious concern. "We''re here to kill everyst one of these creatures. Time to grow a spine and pay attention. Until I find Streak there''s no quests, no mercy, no weakness. You stay with me and you do your job. Or you can turn around and leave now. Now move." Mason forced himself to open the door at the end of the room quietly, despite wanting to smash it from its hinges. Beyond was a winding corridor, and like the first trees he''d cleared, the path was clearly leading up. He crept through passing several doorways, ncing in each to find more supplies and crates and the asional goblin that just looked like more workers. He put a finger to his lips for the others, and gestured for them to move. He didn''t know how long Streak had, but he wasn''t wasting time killing more useless creatures. At the end of the corridor he could hear rhythmic pounding that grew in volume. He felt some hope, because the sound might be picks hammering at the tree. He ran his hand along the wall, camouging himself the color of the tree as he left the others slightly behind. Then the hall opened up into a massive cavern, as usual too impossiblyrge to actually exist in the great tree they''d seen outside. It practically glowed with a dull phosphorescent blue, and all along the walls Mason could see what looked like ''crystals'', just as the goblin said. Most were blue, but he saw many other colors. Construction apparatus was set up everywhere. Ramps,dders, tforms, and even mechanical lifts allowed hundreds of goblin workers to scale the tree and work at the crystals. Dozens of carts, and thousands of buckets were filled or in the process, the cacophony of working noise and goblin voices filling the cavern. At the bottom, Mason saw many goblins dressed differently than the others¡ªsome carried little devices and wore what looked like goggles or lenses, others with pads of paper or ckboards, scribbling away. They sure as hell looked like ''engineers'' to Mason. "Wait, Patron," Phuong put a hand on Mason''s shoulder. "What is your n?" Mason clenched his jaw and stared at the cavern. "Maim engineers until they talk. Kill anyone who tries to stop me. Any other suggestions?" The older man winced and shrugged. "That''s a lot of goblins. Could we capture an engineer and bring him back here? Perhaps...lure one?" Mason gripped his sword with impatience but eventually nodded. It was a good idea. And though he''d literally used it maybe once, his Trapmaking actually did have non-deadly variants. He activated the power and could see options to makes or slings. But maybe just hiding and grabbing one of the bastards would be just as easy... "Alright. I''m going to get closer." He unsummoned his swords, unslung his bow, then started stripping. Mai and Seamus both stared vaguely wide-eyed as he went down to his underwear and debated dropping those too, but it probably wasn''t necessary. "Make some noise or something. Get one of them toe a little closer and check it out. Then I''ll grab one and bring him over. Good enough?" Phuong did something between a nod and a shrug, and Mason decided it would do. He kept low and ran his hands along the ground, keeping camouged with his Sleeves. The engineers seemed to be wandering around inspecting everything, and he figured one might even get close enough without something to attract them. Then a minuteter he heard a very goblin sounding shriek from the hallway. One or two of the engineers nced over but didn''t seem particrly concerned. Until a goblin voice started yelling. "Boss! The crystals are exploding! Help! Oh no oh no!" Two of the closest engineers exchanged a look, then started running for the hall cursing the workers for ipetent fools. Mason didn''t move. They ran right past him, seemingly oblivious, and he decided it was even better to let them go all the way. When they reached the corridor and left the cavern, Mason heard a now familiar sizzling pop. He crawled back to find Phuong standing over two very stunned goblin engineers, holding a worker at swordpoint. "Thank you," he told the creature, then lopped off its head. "Two for the price of one, Patron," he gestured with a wry grin. Mason could have hugged him. He felt suddenly not entirely so alone, knowing this man at least would do what was necessary. He searched the engineers and found all manner of strange tools, binding their hands and feet with rope before the seemed to wake up. "I have questions," he said as the first blinked awake. It stared at the yers all standing around it, then wiggled and discovered it was tied up. After a long, audible swallow, it nodded vigorously. * * * The goblin engineer turned out to be a font of knowledge, just not for what Mason actually wanted to hear. It knew absolutely nothing about secret tunnels or a giant snake with a ram''s head, no matter how Mason threatened to butcher it. But it knew many others things. First, the goblin ''tribe'' had been hired by the nearby tower orcs to ''harvest'' the great tree. They could apparently convert the magic-infused wood using some kind of chemical process, breaking it down into the crystals they''d seen, to be used for all manner of purpose. That process was what was leaving toxic sludge everywhere, and rotting the tree from the inside. "Where are your leaders?" Mason said, still angry and impatient and anxious for his friend. "Top of tree," the engineer said as if it were obvious. "Chief Engineer Mekik. But..." he swallowed and clearly failed to find enough saliva. "Not in charge. Not really. Mountain Tribe in charge." "What mountain tribe?" Mason said, hardly caring. "Greenblood Order," the creature whimpered. "Wizards and killers. They rule goblins. Not us. Never us. Not to me." Mason had run out of patience, but his anger had cooled. He felt no moralpunction against killing these creatures, but nor did he feel like killing a thing that hadn''t fought, and seemed so helpless. He lifted both engineers and walked to the closest room, stuffing them into the corner. Not sure what else to do, he put his hand against the tree and activated Speak with Nature, at first thinking to try and send out a call, much like he had with Violet in the Devourer''sir. But then he thought about the garden with Seul-ki¡ªspeaking with the trees and nts themselves. He tried ''talking'' to the tree. [There is a wolf here, lost, I''m trying to find him. Can you help me? I''m here to save you. But please help me save him first.] For a moment nothing happened. Then Mason shook as agony coursed up his his hand and arm¡ªlike acid coating his skin. But he could take it. He let the pain surge towards his chest but stop, almost gripping his arm like some kind of awful connection. He felt the thing¡¯s voice more than heard or understood it. Images shed through his mind, like a cartoon on flipping pages of goblins digging and cutting and burning a living thing. Mason shook at the pain, sensing the rage, the hopelessness that followed. When the intensity finally faded, the images slowed and showed a snake and totem just as Mai had described. It turned, green and yellow eyes glowing and staring as if straight into Mason¡¯s until a single name burned into his mind: Cerebus. It urred to Mason he was having a kind of conversation with a tree. But frankly the insanity of this world was just starting to be normal, and he didn''t really hesitate to keep going. [The wolf. Can you show me where he is? How to get to him? I need him to help you. I swear to Gaia, I will kill these goblins or chase them from you. But I need the wolf.] Mason felt something like pleasant warmth break through the painful tingling on his arm. A sound like a creaking ship followed¡ªwood bending and shaping to the edge of breaking, stronger than the sum of its parts. Mason shivered as he felt it pulling him with some kind of indescribable magic. The feeling it was trying tomunicate as it did was¡­caution? Apology? But it wanted him to¡­let go, and let it pull him. He looked back at the others. "I''m going to Streak. Stay alive. Go back to the tunnel. You¡¯re smaller than me, you might fit...you might..." He closed his eyes and bit the inside of his cheek as the agony in his arm flowed over his body. He tasted blood, and the pain was like the Devourer''s acid but worse, coating him in a thick, stickyyer of awful. Then the corridor was gone, and so was he.
Chapter 157: I’m just Blake Chapter 157: I¡¯m just ke ke entered the ''Maker Hall'' with careful steps, inspecting his surroundings. There were busts of bearded men, more portraits and little stacks of coins, all squished under a low ceiling with in, stone walls. It made ke feel like he was in some dwarven billionaire¡¯s panic room. But there was also an open entrance that led to somethingrger, and ke poked his head inside to see a series of colored nes'' leading to more rooms. He smiled, remembering Mason''s description of the worm dungeon where he got his prestige ss. Apparently it was time for another upgrade. Except Mason also said his prestige ss had been basically tailored to suit him, whether based on powers or behavior so far in the game. For some reason this gave ke pause, like he was going down a path he wasn''t entirely sure he wanted to go down. He wasn''t sure why it felt that way, but what he knew more than anything was that before he walked in and made it official, he wanted to speak with his brother. Dream Walk had worked in the dungeon before. He assumed it would work in a dungeon within a dungeon. Of course he had absolutely no idea what time it was, and since Mason seemed to sleep less and less these days the chances weren''t exactly fantastic. But things seemed safe enough, and he tried to hope Ilya wasn''t in some terrible situation where every second counted. If that was the case, roboGod would have given him some kind of timer, right? He slumped down against a wall and Meditated, preparing himself mentally to Dreamwalk and find Mason. As usual, his perception shifted to a huge, dark canvas full of lights. He flew through it, searching for anyone whose mind he''d touched. Fortunately, it looked like it must be night, because practically everyone was asleep. He almost sighed in relief when he found Mason. Afraid his brother might wake at any moment, ke focused on the glowing dot and dove straight in. Mason was apparently deeply asleep. Even his unconscious mind was dark and warm, a sort of smoky cave where ke found him sitting staring into a fire. "Well there''s a sight for sore eyes." ke grinned. "Brother you look more like Conan the Barbarian every time I see you." Mason turned, and his green eyes roamed ke for a moment as if without recognition. Then he leapt to his feet and rushed forward. "Holy shit, is it really you? Say something I''d never think of." "Um. Firefly was the greatest sci-fi tv show ever made. Followed by Farscape. Oh shit I forgot about Battlestar, now I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m honest." "Thank Christ.¡± Mason tried to grab his arms but couldn¡¯t. ¡°Are you alright? I mean, are you still in that dungeon? Is there any way we cane get you? Or make it easier from the outside?" keughed and took a seat by the fire. "Deep breaths, brother. I can actually feel the heat. By God that''s good." Mason did as he was told then sat opposite, looking around the cave. "I¡¯m not actually sleeping. I¡¯m in a tree¡­in some kind of teleported world¡­whatever, it¡¯s not important. No clue why we''re in here." "Uh huh.¡± ke raised a brow. ¡°Let''s not worry about Freud right now. I''m¡­doing well enough. More or less leveling up until I can deal with this giant orc. Which is why I''m here¡ªI''ve found a ce like the one you told me about, a prestige ss event of some kind. So I''ll get that and probably an item right away." Mason grinned. "Awesome. They seem crazy powerful so that''s going to help a lot. What''s the dy? What can I tell you?" "I don''t know." ke frowned, not even sure what he wanted to ask. He shook his head, wanting distraction more than anything. "Tell me about the settlement? How are things?" Mason smiled and did. He told him about the natural ''theme'' and the various bonuses they''d gained from the Nymphs¡ªthe new buildings and all the new food and beautiful surroundings. "We cleared another great tree, too," Mason said. "Found some new yers. A caster, finally, though I''m not entirely sure I won''t have to kill him one day. And I see why youined constantly about the civilians. There''s endless belly aching about nothing. Though the new settlement stuff has kept them happy." ke couldn''t help but smile, and Mason eventually shifted ufortably. "What?" "Nothing. It just suits you." "What does?" "Leadership. I always knew it would, you know. If you''d just applied yourself a little." "Yeah, yeah, shut up." Mason tossed a pebble into the fire, and obviously wanted to say something but didn''t know how. "Come on," ke said. "Out with it. Whatever it is." Mason shook his head and shrugged. "It''s not important. All that matters is getting you out of that dungeon. I feel so damn helpless." "That''s because you are, brother. Which I think you have to learn to ept. Sometimes people have to save themselves. Now tell me what''s on your mind because your difort makes me ufortable." Mason stood and paced across the cave, clearly getting more agitated. "I told you toy off the mind control, didn''t I? When you left I guess it...wore off." ke nodded, understanding the rest of the story without being told. "I see," he said. "They''re d I''m gone." Mason looked at him with his strange, green eyes, then sat by the fire again. "They''re not d. They just..." "Don''t want me as Patron anymore." Mason nodded, but seemed to rx when ke understood. "You left me in a bloody mess. But I don''t give a shit about that. I''ve made it clear, when you''re free you''reing back. So whatever you want to do, that''s what we''ll do." ke smiled, feeling the usual cold center of his being warm as it always did for the rock that was Mason. "Yes you do," he said. "Give a shit. And that''s why they want you." A strange feeling struck him, then, a shiver of certainty that raced up his spine. He looked into the fire like he could see his own future, then snorted in surprise. "I don''t think I''ming back," he said. Mason just stared for a very long moment. "What the hell does that mean?" "No, it''s alright," ke said, fighting augh. "I''m something of a fool, aren''t I?" He smiled and met Mason''s eyes, no idea how to say what he wanted to say. How did you exin to someone they had be everything? That by being themselves they had saved you, a little orphan boy without anything or anyone in the world? "Mason, I...I''ve always needed you, more than you needed me. You know that, don''t you?" His brother''s expression faded, his eyes staring hard. "You''re scaring me now, ke. Tell me what to do. Tell me how the fuck I can help you. There has to be a way." ke felt a tear threaten his eye but fought it. "You''ve already helped me. More than you''ll ever know," he said, unable to face the warmth and concern in his brother''s face. "It''s time you stop worrying about me. Time for me to stop being so greedy and selfish. Other people need you now, too. Your girls. The settlement." Maybe the whole damn world, he didn¡¯t say. He stood and let his senses drift back to his profile and powers, readying to end the Dream Walk. "ke." Mason''s voice was getting desperate now as he came closer. "You''re wrong. You can''t give up. We need you. I need you. You''re ke Nimitz God damnit, you can''t give up." "No," ke said, smiling a little. "I''m just ke. I think it''s time I remembered that." He tried to put his hands on his brother''s shoulders and sighed in frustration. "And I¡¯m not giving up. I''ll see you soon, moron," he whispered. "But keep them all safe, and don''t wait. It might take me awhile." "Wait," Mason said, putting his hand through ke''s like a ghost, clearly no idea what to say. "Keep Dream Walking at least. Let me know what the hell is happening." ke nodded like he would, then let the dream world fade, thinking it likely best if he didn''t. Goodbye, brother, he thought, severing that wonderful source of strength in his mind. I''m not going to see you again, he thought, not until I can stand without you. Not until I make you proud. He had leaned on that crutch too long. He''d let the break in his mind and body linger and maybe atrophy the things he should have strengthened. But no more. He had to stand on his own¡ªto deserve his fortune and his many gifts. To be the man his brother had always pretended he was. He only hoped it wasn''t toote.
Chapter 158: The Maker’s Hall Chapter 158: The Maker¡¯s Hall ke opened his eyes in the gloom of the Maker¡¯s Hall, feeling empty and alone. But also unafraid. You couldn¡¯t fix a problem until you knew what it was, and now he did. ke wasn¡¯t good enough. He¡¯d been living on charm and luck most of his life, unable to face his childhood, unable to feel gratitude for the things he had, to see others as he saw himself. He supposed he always knew, deep down, and just didn¡¯t care. Now he did. He wept in the dark and breathed, a little angry, a little curious. Whatever else ke was he was a curious creature, and couldn¡¯t help but ask himself the same question over and over amidst the emotional turmoil: Why suddenly the epiphany? Why had he been feeling so strange ever since he came to this ridiculous new world? He supposed, in a way, the answer didn¡¯t matter. Either he was going mad, or getting closer to knowing himself, or being influenced by some power beyond his control. What he knew for certain was that he didn¡¯t want to walk through that door, to ask to be judged without being ready¡ªwithout first judging himself. He pulled up his profile and stared at Mental Partition. It wasn¡¯t perfect, of course, but he decided it was the best he could do. He would take the things he didn¡¯t want to define him, and bury them there. Powers went first. He took Mental Influence and Mind Control, staring long and hard before he dropped them into the partition. He could always bring them back, of course, it didn¡¯t really stop him, but it was still something. He was a Psion and there was nothing he could do about that. But then he wasn¡¯t sure he would if he could. It wasn¡¯t the ss that bothered him, not in itself. Even the powers he¡¯d moved weren¡¯t wrong, exactly. He just knew he couldn¡¯t currently handle the temptation. Not yet. Better to wait. To re-build himself in a direction less prone to corruption, less likely to make him take the easiest way. What that meant, exactly, he still wasn¡¯t sure. But he was getting keen to find out. Heughed suddenly, aware he was having some kind of emotional therapy session while his life was at risk¡ªwhile he was buried twoyers deep in dungeon being hunted by an orc king and supposed to be saving Ilya and himself. But he imagined such things never arrived when it was convenient. ke stood in the darkness and stared out at the colorednes, recognizing the Arcane affinity symbol instantly. Theck of choice vaguely annoyed him, but he suspected no matter what he did this thing was going to decide. All this nonsense was just decoration. A piece of him rebelled, angry at all authority, angry at anyone who told him what to do. Who the hell was this alien thing to judge him? What did it know about his life, about what being a living thing meant, trapped on some damn murderous with no safety, no power, nothing but what you invented for yourself? He stared at the path and clenched his fists, knowing it was really himself he was angry at. Angry at a life constructed around someone else. Around a lie. Angry at first at bad luck and then at good luck, feeling always out of control, always at the whim of fate whether good or bad, with no real choices of his own. But he knew all he could do was face it. Step after step, ke walked into therger portion of the hall, following the blue light towards a pedestal beyond. He stepped off the ne¡¯ and into the room. The door mmed shut behind him. * * * ¡°You stand in the Hall of the Makers. What makes you think you are worthy?¡± echoed a disembodied voice. ke shook his head, notforted by the fact he¡¯d been right about whaty ahead. ¡°Nothing,¡± he said, staring at the wall. ¡°Except I¡¯m here.¡± It didn¡¯t answer, and he was d for that. He wasn¡¯t sure he had the stomach to argue for himself¡ªto debate some synthetic God about who he was and what he deserved. Instead he stared at a glowing blue orb floating above the pedestal he¡¯d seen. He saw something inside of it¡ªsomething too small to be seen from a distance, so he stepped forward trying to understand. It looked like some kind of tiny movie, or maybe an opera so far away he needed a magnifying ss. Whatever it was, he had to see. Before he¡¯d stopped to think about it, or look over at the strange ball of y on the table beside, ke had the orb in his hand. [Orb of Transcendence activated. Receiving unique Prestige ss based on all avable data. Please do not drop the orb.] ke gasped as his body locked like he was being electrocuted. He clenched every muscle, hand in a frozen grip on the orb. Warmth flooded up and down his body like he was being washed. Or scanned¡­ [Unique Prestige ss formted: Maker¡¯s Apprentice. Implementing.] [You have gained a Prestige ss! Maker¡¯s Apprentice. +2 to all statistics.] [Power synergy discovered! Psionic Construct upgraded to Psionic Making.] [Unique ss power gained: Dichotomy of Ambition. First, selfishness; then, greatness. Modification Power.] [Title gained: Powerful friends. You gained a prestige ss before earning a secondary ss. +2 luck] Title gained: Pretty Prestigious: You have gained a prestige ss before the vast majority of yers. +1 to all statistics.] [Affinity gained: Psionic, in addition to Arcane.] [Congrattions! You have discovered a hidden affinity.] [Title gained: Doing it my way. Gain a non-standard affinity. +2 to a random statistic.] Finally the magic paralysis ended, and ke examined his gains, smiling. He looked at himself, feeling stronger and healthier than¡­well, ever. Even his mind felt more clear¡­more calm, and under his control. He wasn''t sure exactly what he''d wanted, but he knew what he''d been afraid of. He had expected the system to see all his mind controlling and double down¡ªto give him greater and greater temptations to control everyone around him. He did it to help. Or at least that''s what he told himself. And there was truth in it, too. But deep down he knew it wasn''t the only reason. He did it because it was easier, yes, but also because he was afraid. Whether the old world or the new, he had always feared that without his charm, without his ''powers'' of persuasion or ttery or intimidation, that people wouldn''t listen to him. Wouldn''t care about him. That he''d be helpless. That he''d be nothing. And though he didn''t yet understand his new powers or prestige ss, he had a feeling it was giving him another path. A path to build something on his own. No one to hurt, no temptations to lead him astray. At least in theory... But there was time to explore his new powers. First, he moved to the strange, floating y ball on the other pedestal and walked around it examining. Maybe it was another sort of Mana Gem? But Mason gave him the impression the item both and he and Carl had gotten were substantial. Like a major, almost ss defining artifact, especially in the case of Carl. ke supposed it wasn''t worth much spection. He knew exactly what was going to happen here, and there wasn¡¯t much point in dying it. He reached out and took the ball. [You have received Primordial y. Hath not the potter power over the y? To make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?] [Do you wish to attune the Primordial y?] ke was pretty sure that item description was a bible quote. His parents had half-heartedly tried to raise him Catholic, but he wasn¡¯t remotely religious. Still, for some reason it struck him in that moment. He took a deep breath and epted the attunement, and again his body froze with violent energy, the pain an almost wee thing to distract his churning mind. When it was over he watched as the item appeared in his vision like it had always been there. The little ball floated up before his eyes, spinning like a before two circles appeared on its surface. The circles deepened and reformed with a thin covering and little lines. Then the covering hardened and turned a darker color before snapping open. The y opened its eyes, and stared. "Uh. Hello there," ke said. The orb...squeeked? [Please select Primary y Form,] the system intoned in his mind. [Familiar mode. Or Protector mode.] A visual image of both ''modes'' formed in ke''s mind. The ''familiar'' was basically just a floating orb, not so different than the thing looked now. But little graphs and charts seemed to indicate it could help him with spells and a variety of tasks. The protector looked like...well, like a little person. He was pretty sure the orb would be easier to hide and carry around, and he suspected his new Psionic Making would be morebat oriented. He took the Familiar. The orb again started to reform and change shape, until the thing had a mouth and a bit more definition, until it looked like a floating Japanese robot made for kids. "Hello..." ke said again. "Can you talk now?" The little eyes blinked and looked around as if confused, then widened as the thing grinned at ke with a tiny, round mouth. "Oh, yes!" it said with a childish voice. "Thank you, master, for giving me life!" "You''re quite wee," ke smiled. "Now what can you do for me?" "So many things!" The little orb spun in an excited circle. "I can see things, and I know things, and I can do quite a lot. Er, at least a few things. Actually I have no idea if what I can do is a lot or a little. But I can''t wait to get started!" ke apparently had a new ''Familiar'' tab near his profile and pulled it up with a thought. His eyes widened as he saw the list. Apparently his orb could do quite a lot. First and foremost, it had something called ''Analysis'', which said it could clone both civilian and yer versions of identification powers. That alone would have made ke happy. But it could also apparently help with his powers¡ªenhancing some, modifying some, even using some for him, whatever exactly that meant. It could hide and shield itself. And even if it was destroyed, could be reformed with time. He could also transform it to its ''protector'' shape whenever he wished, it just cost him mana. "I guess you''re going to need a name." ke grinned, enjoying watching the little thing spin and bob with excitement. "How about uh¡­¡± he thought of the almost childish, giddy voice and grinned, thinking back to an old favorite videogame. ¡°How about Navi?¡± "Oh yes, wonderful name, Master! Do you need my help now? Oh I just can''t wait to do something!" "Don''t worry," ke said, walking towards the door. He thought of Ilya trapped somewhere, and all the work and testing he had to do now, and how much mana it would surely require. Not for the first time, he wished he had Seul-ki down here. "I have plenty for you to do." * * * ke ignored a curious Lumiere as he walked back out into the main hall. First things were first. He checked his profile.
ke Nimitz Level: 9 ss: Psion Prestige ss: Maker¡¯s Apprentice Strength - 6 Dexterity - 6 Vitality - 8 Intellect - 11 Will - 9 Presence - 15 Luck - 48 Titles: Alpha01, Alpha Tester, Patron, Killer, Puppet Master, Orc Whisperer, Phase Jumper, Deus ex magicka, Powerful friends, Pretty Prestigious Powers: Mental Influence (enhanced), Telekinesis, Meditation, Mind Control, Arcane Affinity* (Adaptive Veil), Arcane st, Dream Walk, Psionic Shield, Mental Partition, True Making, Duality of Ambition
Things were definitely improving, which should have put ke in a rather good mood. But his situation wasn''t exactly ideal. "What''s the way out of here? Other than that corridor I came from." He gestured, and Lumiere frowned and nced around the hall. "There''s no other entrance. Or at least there shouldn''t be. But there''s been some¡­damage in the northwest section. It''s where the critters get through." Oh. A demon hole, ke thought. Fantastic. "Show me." Lumiere unhappily obeyed, shining his light forward until ke found the ''entrance'' in question. It was a circr hole about as tall as a man, and looked like a tunnel to hell covered by a sewer grate. The stink alone sent ke back a step, the vague brown and pink colors reminding him of a tunnel of rotting flesh. He reached for the gate before Lumiere shrieked in rm. "Don''t touch, please. The grate isn''t ours. I don''t know who or what made it but touching it might...be bad." ke squinted, and looked at Navi¡¯s powers. "You got your first job, little guy." He activated ''Analysis.'' [Gate. Iron. Very rusty.] ke knocked on one of the bars with his knuckles and clucked his tongue. He saw no lock or any way to open it, like it had been sealed and basically fused into the entrance from the other side. Telekinesis wasn''t likely strong enough to rip it open. And he doubted he could ''animate'' it and tell it to open like he had thest gate, since it had no mechanism to do it. "Just nothing for it," he said with a sigh, though in truth he felt excitement. "We''re going to have to experiment." He supposed he could charge another of the statues in the armory, but he needed to test his powers anyway. Psionic Making seemed a good ce to start before he worried about trying to ''modify'' it with whatever the hell Duality of Ambition and his new pet did. He hoped he had the same level of control as before. Could he make something strong enough to smash an iron gate? That seemed kind of a tall order. But maybe between it and Telekinesis they could manage. He took a deep breath, starting to realize he was dying the inevitable. "OK," he whispered, opening his powers, forcing himself to ept why he was concerned. "I gave up bing some kind of Mind Controlling mastermind for this...so. Here we go...let''s see if we can...pull some metal out of some rock..." The newly ''synergized'' power seemedrgely the same as before. The world glowed with possibility, and he could animate anything from the gate to his clothes and a nearby broom. Except now...he blinked...now there was an option to ''Make'' instead of animate. And it didn''t need any source at all. He picked that. As before his mana took an instant hit. Then a kind of ''design'' screen opened before him. It was like making a character in an RPG, except he could pick the shape and appearance of the thing with shockingly wide possibility. He felt momentarily overwhelmed, not at all sure where to start before he saw a few ''presets''. The first looked more or less human. Then there was something like a walking table, which he guessed was designed to carry things. The third was tiny and had wings¡ªmaybe it was some kind of carrier pigeon? ke couldn''t help but get excited at it all, but for now it was time to just get something useful. He picked the humanoid, and the same ''slider'' for duration appeared. He slid it back and forth, then stopped and blinked when he reached the end. Holy shit. It said permanent. "Uh, Navi?" "Yes Master?" "How much do you know about my Psionic Making power?" "Quite a lot, Master. What would you like to know?" ke smiled, looking at the little details of the humanoid he could modify, wondering if he should give it more arms. "I want to know everything.
Chapter 159: Cerebus Chapter 159: Cerebus Mason came from the darkness screaming, ws out and ready to kill, ready to die. He had gone from a ¡®cave¡¯ and a meeting with ke, to a rotting forest filled with monsters. For a good long minute it was like watching a horror flick on acid, then it pulled him away. ¡°Well you look fun.¡± Mason blinked until he saw a huge wooden totem in the center of spherical wooden room. A mutant goat-snakey curled around it, staring at Mason before it yawned. Apparently it was also a talking mutant snake. ¡°Give me my wolf,¡± Mason snarled, looking at the snake¡¯s body for any possible wolf-shaped bumps. ¡°Your wolf?¡± The snake body extended itself, ram¡¯s head jutting forward to bleed green light from its eyes as it stared. ¡°Mmm. No. I think not. What have they done to you, my beautiful white ape? You have been¡­trained and civilized.¡± Mason clenched the grips on his ws, quickly losing patience, anger covering any feeling of fear. ¡°No one did anything to me. Now stop stalling and¡­¡± The snake-ramughed, sound drowning out Mason¡¯s voice easily before it spoke again. ¡°Oh but they did. Your eyes were just hooded as they broke you to their fist. You are meant to be wild and free. Oh what a beautiful creature you could be, with your cunning and your strength. The greatest predator of the great forest¡ªpatient and terrifying, eating both beast and leaf, taking whatever mates you wish. You should rule that forest like a king.¡± Mason felt his anger cool, thrown off by the creature¡¯s words and manner. ¡°What are you?¡± he said. ¡°Nothing,¡± said the creature, ¡°if not Cerebus. If not the god of wild and dangerous things.¡± Mason unsummoned his ws and lifted his bow. ¡°Well, Cerebus. Are you going to give me my friend? Or am I going to put an arrow in your eye?¡± The goat-head smiled, revealing snake-like fangs and two rows of teeth that belonged in a dinosaur museum. ¡°I¡¯m not going to give you anything.¡± Mason¡¯s Power Shot streaked straight through the creature, mming into the totem behind with a loud crack. The creatureughed. ¡°There he is! There is the beautiful beast who does what he wishes, when he wishes! But you cannot hurt me, Mason. I am but a spirit in this holy ce. You could destroy my totem, if you wished, and I would trouble you no more. I couldn¡¯t stop you.¡± Mason looked at therge, but basically wooden edifice and seriously considered it. ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°You should!¡± Again the creature smiled. ¡°If that is what you wish. Mason took a long, suffering breath, knowing he was again talking to something like the crone, or the nymphs. This was all part of the game, he knew, and try as he might he knew he had to y. ¡°I guess I don¡¯t.¡± He put away his bow and took several calming breaths. ¡°Why do you know me? Why are you here?¡± ¡°I know all the beasts of the wild,¡± said the creature, curlingzily around its totem home. ¡°Even the domesticated descendants of the great hunting apes. I wonder, do the trees call you still? Do you feel the branches as if gripped in your smooth, pink palms?¡± ¡°Not so smooth.¡± Mason held up his increasingly rough, callused hands, and the creature chuckled almost amiably. Mason took a breath and tried to stay calm. ¡°What have you done with my wolf?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Apparently a snake-goat could shrug. ¡°It looked upon me, and remembered what it was.¡± When Mason just stared it grinned and went on. ¡°You¡¯re his master. And a clever one. But you¡¯re not his kin, clever ape.¡± ¡°His kin would have abandoned him, maybe killed him. I saved him from that fate,¡± Mason said. ¡°Would you rather die or live as a ve?¡± ¡®Cerebus¡¯ snapped. Mason frowned, taken slightly aback. ¡°He¡¯s not my ve. I look after him, and he looks after me.¡± ¡°Then bond him, ranger. Until you do he is nothing but a pet.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Mason shrugged, feeling suddenly ignorant. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean, or how¡­¡± ¡°Of course you don¡¯t.¡± Cerebus rolled his eyes. ¡°Gaia did not teach you. And why would she? What does that ignorant harlot know of such things? Touch the totem, clever ape. And you will see. I will teach you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going to happen if I do?¡± ¡°Who can say?¡± The goat-snake yawned and curled around the totem. ¡°Wildness is your birthright. Reim it. Or let Gaia fatten and tame you with honey and softness. The choice is yours.¡± Mason ground his teeth, hesitating. Whatever nonsense this thing was speaking, it wasn¡¯t all bullshit. Mason understood. He felt the call. He heard drums and saw fire and a ring of men and beasts screaming their challenge into the night. He felt..having no other proper word¡­freedom, radiating from the totem like heat waves. He had felt it first with the gnolls in his tutorial, when he thought of nothing but survival and killing the next creature that wanted his life. Then again with Haley when he took her in the trees. When he ran through the woods with Streak at his side, away from the others with nows or opinions or rules. When he was younger the same feeling hade from violence andpetition¡ªbeating those who stood against him, or hurting those he felt deserved it. It had always kept him sane. Now ke and Nassau kept him¡­civilized, in the creature¡¯s words, that was true. So did Reba and Haley. But he understood what it was saying. Oh yes, he understood. What might he be if left alone? If he had nothing left to lose? ¡°Patron? Are you alright? Mason blinked and looked back to find Phuong and the others emerging from the nearby tunnel. Apparently Mason had walked all the way to the totem, and his hand was mere inches from the symbols on the wood. Phuong looked at the totem, and his hand, and the creature staring from above. ¡°Do you¡­think that¡¯s wise?¡± Mason practicallyughed at the tone. No, he thought, I do not at all think it¡¯s wise. But he thought about Duality of Life and what it did to him, the loss of control, the almost alien feeling that overtook him. The nymphs, too, stripped him of control. It seemed something of a theme with Gaia, and Mason wasn¡¯t at all sure he approved. And apparently there was more than one ¡®god¡¯ of nature. Mason had been given a path before he understood, before he¡¯d felt he had any choice. And even then, the system picked his prestige ss too. He was getting a little tired of being forced into things. Whatever this Cerebus was, he felt brutally, dangerously straight forward. He didn¡¯t care and didn¡¯t pretend otherwise. He offered a path, and you took it or not. That was the kind of god Mason could respect. ¡°I have to help Streak,¡± he said, knowing it wasn¡¯t the full answer. But he decided if he hesitated here, if he refused to face whatever this was, he would always regret it. He would always be frightened of his own power, of being controlled by forces beyond him, of bing lost and resentful. He reached for the totem, and looked back as the snake stared with no pleasure, no surprise, no judgment in its strange, slit eyes. [Hidden feature activated: Essence Test. Discover and master your inner nature to modify your affinity with a unique feature! This is a mortal test and it cannot be exited. Would you still like to proceed?] Mason looked at his hand and found it didn¡¯t shake. He wasn¡¯t afraid of death, not anymore. He thought of what the challenge might be, and found he was almost¡­excited. He clicked yes, and the snake unfurled in the blink of an eye, wrapping around him without really touching him. He thought maybe he heard the others cry out in warning, then everything was green, ghostly coils.
Chapter 160: I’ll be there soon Chapter 160: I¡¯ll be there soon Turned out every little thing ke did to his creations had a cost. There was something like a ''mean'' in terms of size, and if he made something...unshapely, it would either tell him it didn''t work or warn him the thing would spend most of its time falling over. Anything he made ''permanent'' cost a shitload of mana, and took a lot of time. It also cost him a piece of his total mana until he re-absorbed it or it was destroyed. But other than that, not only could he make a permanent servant, he could make as many as his mana allowed for. Finally, he could decide what ''affinity'' to summon them with. Though as far as he could tell his only choices were ''Arcane'' or ''Psionic''. "What''s the difference?" he asked Navi, who squinted her (its? Her, he decided on a whim) cute little eyes. "Affinity is very important, Master! Arcane will give your creation a simple energy to use in its attacks." ke nodded, thinking back to the statue more or less frying that demon with its hands. "And Psionic?" "Great resistance to magic, Master," Navi beamed. "Immunity to most anything except physical destruction." ke grinned at his familiar, knowing how incredibly valuable it was to finally have an actual source of knowledge about the game. "I''m extremely pleased with your work so far, Navi," he said, and the little orb practically ripped its ''face'' smiling. "God I hope these constructs don''t suck," he muttered to himself, finally finishing the prompts, choosing more or less a basic Arcane humanoid for now. The moment he did, his mana bar drained from about to half to basically nothing. His body locked into apulsive stance that gave him very little movement, his hands jut forward like he was molding y. It didn''t take much attention at first, but soon he could feel energy shifting and building between his hands. "Holy shit," he said,ughing at the feeling of holding such power. He felt like he was watching a storm build on hismand, like static electricity was growing in an orb in front of him. Pretty soon even his eyes felt locked, the world disappearing all around as the magic built and zed his eyes like a drug. When it finally released, he grunted and felt sweat all over his body. The energy in front of him burst, and like Arnie standing from his time travel in Terminator 2, a blue human about ke''s height stood and stared. "Ha!" ke pped his hands and saw the ''profile'' of his new minion near his powers. He could evenmand it without words, more or less¡ªjust by focusing like he could on any other power. Unfortunately the thing didn''t look exceedingly strong. It also looked disturbingly like ke, and he made a mental note to avoid that going forward. He noticed his mana pool had greyed out a little at the top of the ''ball'', losing maybe 10% of his total. Since it had taken about half to cast, that meant he could potentially have about five of the damn things walking around permanently! Well, he thought, cracking his knuckles and his neck. It was time for the rubber to meet the road. "OK, Arnold," he said, looking at the gate. "Let''s see if we can bust this sucker open. You pull, I''ll...well I''ll pull too." ke prepped Telekinesis with what scraps of mana remained, ready to seize the whole grate and rip it from the stone. His blue doppleganger walked to the bars, grabbing it with what must have been the worst lifting posture ke had ever seen. "I hope you can''t throw out your back," he said, activating his power. Then a sound like hissing steam came from the iron. ke''s ''golem'' pushed its hands right through the bars, just as the statue had done with the demon. In about 5 seconds t, it melted the iron and swiped it all away like bloody cobwebs, molten metal dripping to the floor. Then it stepped back and gestured at the open tunnel. ke closed his mouth, and turned off Telekinesis. Yeah. That¡¯d do. That¡¯d do just fine. But it wasn''t time to leave the Maker Hall yet. He was safe, and being given food and water, and for the first time had something (and maybe two things) that could answer questions about his powers, and maybe the game itself. He thought about Ilya, closing his eyes and choosing to believe she was alive and would be fine until the system told him he had a deadline. He couldn''t help anyone as he was¡ªwithout being fully inmand of his new powers and using them to their potential. "Just hold on," he whispered, "I''ming, Ilya. I promise you." * * * Ilya woke up in a cage. She stayed perfectly still, not wanting to alert her captors, to try and understand her situation before she moved. She remembered running from the orc king with Thrall. Er, ke. She remembered the wooden barrier being pulled apart, then running inside and watching ke disappear. She''d run on, hearing the warriors close behind, terrified of what might lie ahead through empty corridors...and then... She blinked. Then nothing. Something had struck her, maybe? Had she fallen down some kind of mineshaft? Finally she opened her eyes more than a slit, then wiggled her fingers and toes and moved her limbs. She felt fine. Unharmed. She couldn''t see much except some lighting from somewhere in the room. Then she sat up to find she''d been...cleaned? They''d put her into some kind of robe, which disturbed her enough to look underneath and find something like nightwear. She felt herself flush with heat at the embarrassment of it all, then looked angrily for her captors. Her ''cage'' was quite spacious¡ªfilled with barrels of water and what looked like dried or salted food. There were buckets to do her business, a chair, and several furs to sleep on. Eventually she stood and walked to the bars, looking out for anyone or anything nearby. Then she froze. The cage was hanging in the air. She forced herself to stand on her tiptoes and look down, only to stare at a gaping chasm that even to orc eyes looked like an endless pit of darkness. Her heart pounded as she slowly withdrew, turning and looking for something, anything to make sense of what was happening. Huge, red eyes greeted her on the opposite side of the cage. She screamed in surprise, and two rows of white fangs grew into a smile. "Sleepy little orcy,¡± rasped a horrible voice like grating metal. ¡°I''ve been wondering for hours what you did to earn my cage." Ilya screamed again as the creature mmed itsself against the bars, pressing a horrific face as far as possible as its red veined eyes searched her, drool from its terrible maw dripping down the metal. "Tell me, won''t you? Your misdeeds? Oh please please please. Did you seduce your own kin? No? Did you murder your children? Did you...eat them?" Ilya backed as far away as she could, heart pounding in terror. Then she closed her fists and tried to catch her breath. Her people had long feared magic despite magic itself not being evil¡ªnot being different than any other worldly thing. She knew they likely feared demons in the same way. It would just be a creature like any other, despite the myths and the many stories meant to frighten children. She had never seen a demon, but her mother had taught her many of their ways. "You don''t frighten me, Kazikdra," she used the Oracle''s ancient slur for the dwellers of the deep earth. "Ohhh!" The demon circled and Ilya heard the pping of its wings. "An orc witch. And such a young and beautiful one. I see. You haven''t been naughty, just unlucky." The demon scraped the bars with some kind of weapon, and sent sparks cascading down into the gloom. "You''re some orc hero''s prize, aren''t you?" The demonughed andughed. Ilya''s mother told her demons could wield mind magic¡ªthat to tell them anything at all might give them even more power over you. She said nothing, already regretting speaking in the first ce. The demon just kept circling and smiling with those terrifying teeth. "Someone ising, little she-orc. Does thatfort you? The earth told me to wait, and they woulde. But I''ve never seen a flying orc." Ilya tried to ignore it. She searched her cage, going through some of the barrels, finding nothing at all she could use and not knowing what the hell she could do anyway. She had some spells she could try, but nothing to possibly help her defeat a demon, or get her out of this cage. Would kee for her? Is that what the creature was saying? Was she part of some kind of...test? She tried toy down on the furs and sleep, knowing the demon''s eyes were on her. Her mother had told her the first Oracles were taught by the gods to serve the ancient chiefs¡ªto help them face such deadly perils as demons and dragons, and so help their people survive. They had forgotten, she knew. For too long they had seen no trace of the ancient evils, and lost their way. Perhaps that was why ¡®King¡¯ Gromsh hade¡ªa curse on a people whose memories had faded, whose purpose had been lost. They were being punished by the gods. And they deserved it. "I should have listened to you, Mother." Ilya wept into her furs. "I should have been stronger. Tried more. Tried..." she clutched the softness and covered her face, eventually drifting closer to sleep. She pictured Thrall and sometimes the real human face of ke with abination of anger and hope. If Gromsh was sent by the gods, then maybe he was sent, too. It made a sick kind of sense. A human savior to humble and teach a wayward people. To save them. To save her. She wasn¡¯t sure if she hoped it was true or not. * * * ke smiled when he found the orc girl''s sleeping mind. He''d had a rather long day of trying constructs, finallyying down to rest before it urred to him to try. Who said he could only Dreamwalk into humans? And why work with hypotheticals when the orc could potentially tell him everything he needed to know? He entered her dreams with no trouble, sighing as he found themrgely unlit and suited to the darkness dwelling creature. But then he reminded himself it was just a dream, and not remotely real, and lit nearly everything with just a thought. "I''m getting slightly better at this," he decided, tempted to stop and produce a fake meal. But he supposed there was plenty to do and it all took mana, and he''d best not waste any time. He found Ilya in her family home, at a table with orcs young and old,ughing and ying and eating together. Children tussled at her feet with some kind of mole-like pets. A handsome orc stood and made some kind of speech to her family, her eyes shining with pleasure as she watched it all. Then she blinked and saw ke, and the family vanished. "Sorry to disturb," he said, feeling a touch awkward, but also pleased to see her. "I was hoping you could answer some questions." "ke?" Ilya blinked and stood. "What a strange dream...I don''t usually...I''m not so awake." "I''m quite real," he said, gesturing to two chairs before taking one. "Are you alright? Are you safe?" "I''m..." she stared at him and he supposed she wasn''t really used to his human face. "Your eyes are so...blue," she said, almost entranced. "Ilya, I need you to focus. I can enter dreams with my magic. This is me, really here, and I need your help to find you. Can you help me?" She blinked, seemingly snapped out of it. "Yes." She looked away as if thinking. "I''m trapped in a cage, hanging somewhere with a flying demon. He knows youring. I don''t know how I got there." ke nodded, pleased that it was what he''d thought¡ªthat roboGod had used Ilya in its little games. "You have time, then? Food and water? You aren''t being harmed?" "No, no...I mean, yes, I have time. It''s...frightening, and boring. But, I''m alright. And you?" "Eh?" ke nodded then met her eyes, lost in thoughts of flying constructs. "Me? Yes I''m fine." He smiled and only hoped he could get her out of this mess. "I''m sorry, Ilya, for involving you in...all this. I''m going to get you out. Then we''re going to deal with Gromsh. I promise you." Ilya smiled but it was...polite. It was fairly clear she didn''t have much hope he could do any of that. But he didn''t me her, and he didn''t need her faith. "I''ll be there soon," he said, letting the dream world fade. "A few days maybe. But don''t worry. I''ming, and I''m going to save you." She was saying something like ''thank you'' as he faded, but he couldn''t stand the thought of it. He''d ruined what was left of her life already. Making her a criminal and an outcast in her home. If he failed now she''d be killed or worse. And who knew, maybe even if he seeded. If that was the case, he''d try to take her to Nassau, and to hell with whatever they thought. She''d be safe there, at least as safe as anyone. ke returned to his senses and closed his eyes, Meditating in thest few moments before sleep. The day had been productive, but now things needed to change. He had time and needed every scrap of it. To n how to save Ilya, then to n how to stop Gromsh. This dungeon, this hall, was a huge blessing and he intended to make use of it. First sleep. Then an army of new constructs. This time with wings.
Chapter 161: Do you not see the demon? Chapter 161: Do you not see the demon? Ilya watched ke fade from her dream, so desperate for him to stay she woke in a cold sweat. She blinked awake and slowly turned to look from her cage, and found the demon''s red eyes staring from the closest bars. She covered the scream with her hand, heart sprinting as the demon smiled. "Dreams within dreams, is it? Oh yes, pretty orc. I sensed the magic. Your doomed hero can''t hide from me. No. Not from me." The creature pushed away from the cage and pped its wings, red eyes zing as it stretched and flexed its huge, muscled body. "I must wait," it said again and again. "Wait, wait, wait. Dream dream dream. Then eat and torture little orcs. No, no," itughed. "Torture and eat. That''s the way, torture then eat." Ilya sat up and cleared her mind. If the creature was trying to terrify her, it was doing a rather good job. She hadn''t seen any spells from ke that convinced her he could kill this demon. Moving objects was very impressive but she could see no way to use it to destroy such a powerful thing. Drop the cage on him, maybe? Unlikely. His mind magic would surely not work. Demons were said to use such spells, and his recognition of the dream magic seemed proof enough. Did he have more? Something she hadn''t seen? Probably. But his n to kill Gromsh seemedrgely to use orc warriors. No. Ilya needed to help him. The only way she could see to do that was to speak to the spirits of the dead oracles who came before her. Her mother had said it was dangerous magic that could wake the wrong spirits, but Ilya saw no other choice. She could either sit in her cage, useless and helpless until the inevitable end. Or she could take a chance. With a grim smile, she thought maybe the spirits would fight with the demon. Of course, if they were powerful enough to do that, then only the gods knew what they''d do to Ilya when they were finished. She closed her eyes and started her spell. She had to repeat the words of the ancient orc ns in perfect order, then the names of her ancestors in an unbroken line. One of the functions of the oracles has always been to remember the history of their people, but they had learned that great power came from the spirits of the dead. She spoke the words, and the names, ignoring the demon''s taunts when it heard her. She blocked out the world as her mother taught her, imagining the me of a single candle, the soft feel of the nkets with her hands. She smiled when she got to the names of her grandparents, then her parents, and siblings. As she felt the magic swirling around her, and read the names, a strange feeling of warmth seemed to fill something she''d been missing inside. It was loneliness, she realized¡ªthe magic and the spirits seemed to be filling up a missing piece of her spirit, reminding her of who she was. She opened her eyes, and the ghostly forms of a dozen orc crones stood staring from the far side of her cage. "Impudent girl," whispered one hoarsely. "Where is her offering? Where are her robes of n and kin?" "Do you not see the demon, Agrita?" A bent old orc matriarch practically hissed until the others cleared her a path to sit in a ghostly chair. She smiled at Ilya with a single tooth. "Go on, girl. You''ve cast your spell correctly, and thank the gods for that. Now tell us what you wish of us." Ilya tried not to be awed or terrified, fighting a panic that threatened to nk her mind and tongue. "A...warrior wille to face the demon,¡± she said. ¡°He will need my help. Can you teach me a...spell? To hurt the creature? To do something?" Several of the old oracles tsked and scoffed but the old crone waved a hand at them. "You don''t kill demons with magic, child. Save for the kind you touch them with, and I wouldn''t rmend trying that. Give me your staff, Agrita." The crone stretched out a ghostly hand, and the other old orc red until she obeyed. "Here we are. Grip this, girl. Don''t be frightened. Come,e, I''m not getting any younger." Ilya seized it with a trembling hand, wincing at the icy cold touch. "There we are now," said the old crone, her eyes losing their kindly warmth. Her voice harshened and the crones chanted in unison, and Ilya couldn''t seem to take her hand off the staff. "Wait...you¡¯re hurting me¡­stop..." the cold seeped down her hand,ncing through her until her chest ached and her breath frosted in the air. "Please," she whispered, feeling still and powerless and heavy, so very heavy. "Join uss," whispered the oracles. "Join uss." Ilya''s eyes drooped and the world faded, and she felt like she was dying. Herst thoughts were in apology to her family, and to ke foring to face the demon for no reason. But she couldn''t wait to see her kin in the afterlife. * * * Ilya woke with a groan, and a cramp in her hand so terrible she cried out and slowly released a grip she felt she''d been holding for eternity. She was alive. She was alive! Wasn''t she? [Item gained: Staff of the Ancient Stoneblood Oracles. May it serve you as it served your forebears. Enhances all restorative and spiritual casting. Stirs cauldrons pretty well. Hurts quite a lot when striking uppity youths.] [ss removed: Apprentice Oracle.] [ss gained: Oracle of the towers. Please select your ss powers.] Ilya was holding a dark, wooden staff much like her mother¡¯s, but this one held some kind of red gem clutched at its head. She ran her fingers over the whorls and lines in the wood, then finally over the smooth surface of the ruby. "Thank you, ancestors," she whispered as she stared at the text, vision blurred slightly by her tears. A long list of potential powers scrolled before her eyes, but she could only choose three. The oracles said she couldn''t kill the demon with magic, so the offensive options made little sense. One day, perhaps, but first she had to survive and get out of this cage. Healing and vision magic had always been the fundamentals of the Oracle, so she felt she had little choice but to take at least one. Second Sight or Far Seeing wouldn''t help her, not with this¡ªas they showed hidden objects or let her see into the distance, respectively. So she chose Healing Wind first. It wasn''t as powerful as the touch version, but she could heal ke through the bars at range. Now for the difficult choices. Oracles also had powerful enhancement spells, but these werergely for warriors. Like Shamans, she could also take spells to resist magic. Finally, she could summon spirits in battle, ormand beasts in various ways. Both appealed to her, but again likely wouldn''t do much to the demon. With little dy, she took a single target enhance power¡ªFortify Body, and a single target resist¡ªProtection. The first would channel her mana into thickyers of strength and vitality, making even the slight wizard into a warrior for a time. Protection would make him all but immune to any kind of magic that tried to harm him physically, at least until Ilya¡¯s mana ran dry. She clenched her jaw and then her staff with her other hand, uncertain if she''d made the best choices, but knowing it was far better than nothing. The demon was staring again, eyes squinted as it inspected the staff and sniffed around the cage. "Why do I smell dead things?" it growled. "Dead she-orcs. Dried up wombs and dried up souls. What have you done, you sneaky little thing?" For the first time Ilya met the creature''s eyes, still afraid but brave enough now to face it. She clutched her ancestor''s staff and stared through the bars, showing her fangs. "You will soon see, Kazikdra," she said with as much courage as she could manage. "The Stonebloods remember. We killed your kind once. We will do so again." The demon stared and stared as it pped its huge wings. It no longer smiled. Though Ilya wasn''t sure if that was less frightening, or more. * * * ke leaned against the cold stone and closed his eyes, trying to find a moment of calm. His mind was getting...rather busy. His fifth permanent construct joined the others in the armory, and ke took a breath and inspected them. His mana was nearly gone but that didn''t matter, controlling them didn''t take any. What it did take was incredible focus and quick thinking, which drained his mind in other, far less system-calcted ways. He could set the constructs on simple ''modes'' that dictated behavior, basically ''defensive'' or ''offensive'' in video game terms that just meant bodyguards or aggressive murder-bots. But he could also program them with all kinds of greater detail, much like his Mental Partition. And he could alsomand them individually with far more control if he focused. His constructs stood in a line, all thin, light humanoids to amodate their wings. Two were Psionic Affinity, three Arcane. ke''s n was to send in the Psionic first to distract and absorb the creature''s attention, then for the arcane to attack and use their super-heated strikes. If that all failed, his n was to bust Ilya out of her cage, and run like hell. But first he needed a little practice. The Maker Hall had a huge, cavernous ceiling, with plenty of room to fly around. With onest deep breath, and a quick check to make sure he had enough mana for Telekinesis, ke ordered a construct to carry him into the air. It seized him rather roughly, then furiously beat its wings and leapt, but clearly couldn''t ascend with the added weight. He brought in a second construct, and together they managed to lift him up. He swore and grunted in pain as they damn near pulled him apart, then re-adjusted their position to keep him bnced between. "Be careful, master!" Navi zipped up and flew beside him, the orb able to ''fly'' with no discernible concern for physics. "How do you fly, anyway?" ke said, trying to find a slightly morefortable position between his minions. "Am I flying?" Navi looked down and spun several rotations before it stopped. "I guess I am!" ke rolled his eyes, then winced as his minions took him high enough to break his legs if he fell. "OK," he muttered. "Now don''t rip me apart. Or drop me." Hemanded them to fly him back and forth, then circle around the cavern. The air rushed past him, and after a minute or two of constant panic, he had to admit, this was pretty bloody fun. "OK," he nced at the hard stone floor. "Now set me down. Gently." The constructs descended, their strange, almost rubbery wings slowing in their movements and expanding to kind of drift them down. ke stumbled a little as his shoes hit the ground. But all things considered, it had all gone rather well. ¡°Right." He re-arranged his dirty clothes and shook off the fear, again inspecting his constructs. What he needed now, he decided, was something to destroy. He nced at Lumiere, who watched quizzically not far off, shrinking slightly at ke''s gaze. Then he smiled, deciding on a solution. First he needed a little more mana. Then it was time for robot wars.
Chapter 162: Everything…copacetic? Chapter 162: Everything¡­copacetic? Trees. Trees everywhere. Smoke and the coppery tang of blood filled the air, familiar and wee and¡­good. Mason felt danger but wasn¡¯t afraid. He stepped over tree roots and swept branches until he found the clearing he knew would be ahead. A giant of a man with antlers sat on a vine and bramble throne atop a tform of bones. His body was a mountain of muscle covered in scars, only a long loincloth covering him from waist to knees. His green and golden eyes watched Mason, his chin resting in one hand. ¡°Marked by Gaia,¡± he grumbled with a voice deep as the sea. ¡°A strutting peacock. A scented flower.¡± He held out a hand, and two nymphs huddled at his feet rose with a basin full of water. He looked inside and snorted. ¡°Salmon. A spawning breeder. In pursuit of what? Peace? Wisdom? You bore me.¡± Mason came closer and could see inside the bowl, seeing images flicker across the water. He saw gnolls. He saw himself covered in blood, then acid, killing the Devourer, killing orcs and yers and wolves. ¡°Still,¡± the horned-man smiled. ¡°There is hope for you, I think. Show me your weapons.¡± Mason practically growled as he summoned his ws. ¡°Good,¡± said the man. ¡°The druids have not yet corrupted youpletely. Now fight. Fight for your life. Fight for your dignity. Fight for your soul.¡± A bear twice Mason¡¯s size emerged from the trees and roared. Branches grew from its head and body, rising up and connecting to the trees like a spider¡¯s webs. It rose up on its hind legs and practically beat its chest with its ws. Mason activated Aspect of the Cheetah, and charged. He could hear Cerebus or whatever the hell it wasughing with delight as he raced at the bear. But that didn¡¯t stop him. The bear dropped and swiped with one massive paw, but Mason sped past and rolled between its legs, slicing one with Crippling Strike and moving straight through. He turned and struck with Predator¡¯s Strike and another slice with his smaller w before leaping back as the bear turned. ¡°Where are your precious druids now?¡± boomed the giant. ¡°Does their wisdom shield you? Does their precious lust for life kill your enemy?¡± The bear roared and chased, bleeding and enraged. Mason withdrew but hacked every time it extended a paw, cutting away chunks of flesh and w. ¡°You must first survive to breed. To gain knowledge. Only the worthyst. Only the strong.¡± Mason mostly tried to ignore the words, but he couldn¡¯t help but agree. He hacked at the bear and kept away until it lost its patience and charged. The clearing had only so much space and he had only moments to decide¡ªunder, or around? He went to the side, shing at thick fur but forcing himself to get close enough to sink his des deep. The bear turned and swiped but Mason was too fast. Then it charged again, this time recklessly with mouth open wide. Mason leapt straight at it, and sunk his longer sword straight into its throat. The roar stopped as blood and air hissed from its neck, huge body trembling then falling as Mason sliced and finished it. ¡°Good!¡± The giant hade forward in his throne, clutching at it with enthusiasm. ¡°The hunter does not ask why. He takes. He kills. He eats.¡± The word sent a tremble through Mason¡¯s body, and he remembered Nature¡¯s Wrath and used it on the corpse just to see its anatomy. He could see the heart still beating slowly and dropped to his knees, cutting his way through the animal¡¯s body until he seized it. Still it beat. Strong. The sound like some ancient music only Mason could hear. He stared as he held the huge organ in his hands, watching it rise and fall. Then he leaned forward, took a bite, and chewed. The taste¡­was wrong, revolting. He spit it out and tossed the thing away. ¡°Pah!¡± Cerebus growled. ¡°Just as I expected, you¡¯re weak. You wouldn¡¯t eat younglings to survive, would you? Or to put your mate in heat. Or kill a rival before he could challenge you. Why should I give you power when you won¡¯t even use it? ¡°My strength¡­¡± Mason spit blood. ¡°¡­is to protect what¡¯s mine. Not to take what isn¡¯t.¡± The bear¡¯s corpse just vanished. Growls came from everywhere around the circle, familiar enough Mason blinked and looked for Streak. ¡°How noble.¡± It was clear what the giant thought of that word. ¡°First you must im something to protect.¡± Wolves came snarling from every direction. They looked much like those Mason found in the great woods, if slightly paler andrger. He lowered his weapons and stared at the first to arrive. [Apex Predator activated.] The wolves all stopped snarling and sat, covering their teeth with their lips. Mason smiled. ¡°A druid¡¯s trick!¡± growled Cerebus. ¡°But what if you find an enemy who can¡¯t be fooled?¡± Another, muchrger beast leaped into the clearing, its body a fearful symmetry of stripes and muscle and ws. The huge tiger smashed the nearest wolf from its feet, sending it flying back with a whine. Mason activated Speak with Nature. [Stay back. Attack only once I¡¯ve engaged him.] The wolves obeyed and circled, their low, angry growlsforting to Mason¡¯s ears. He met the tiger¡¯s eyes and couldn¡¯t help but grin. Here was a worthy foe. It faced him not with fear, or pride, but as a hunter born. Mason felt no fear dying to such a thing die. That was a worthy death. He lifted a rock, infused it with Trapmaking, then tossed it at the tiger. The beast pulled back and snarled as shrapnel burst near its ear, then Mason was charging with Aspect of the Cheetah. He struck with Predator¡¯s Strike before it could pull away, longer de cutting a trench of red across the tiger¡¯s face. He instantly fell back, knowing the tiger would chase him in an angry frenzy, ws extended and fangs exposed as it pounced like a cat with a mouse. The wolves leaped at his nks. The tiger twisted to thrash and w them away, and Mason lunged for its throat. But the tiger was damn fast and turned again, Mason¡¯s de bouncing off cor bone as it caught and chomped down hard on his arm. Its teeth failed to break the Sleeve. But it still hurt, and the fangs pierced skin and some muscle, though they didn¡¯t reach bone. The tiger bit with all its might, unable to understand perhaps how such a little thing could resist it. Mason grunted with effort as he lifted his arm, then cut the creature¡¯s throat underneath. It fell and stared into his eyes, still biting, still unable to ept it couldn¡¯t chew through Mason¡¯s arm. Its blood pumped onto the ground as its eyes fluttered. ¡°You fought well,¡± Mason whispered. ¡°Rest now.¡± He felt no pleasure as the tiger died. But when he finally rose and saw the pack waiting, and felt the life still in his veins, he closed his eyes and breathed the moist air. He heard the wolves chewing but wasn¡¯t bothered. It was just their way. Then one stepped before him and dropped a massive heart at his feet, and Mason smiled as he recognized Streak. He knelt and took his w, cutting strips and chunks until he had enough for every wolf. [We fought together. We eat together.] They did, and this time Mason tasted only meat and life and fraternity. He looked up at the silent, horned God as he chewed. ¡°No lone hunter beats a strong pack,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s what us clever apes learned. And who are you to judge me? All your strength, all your power. What have you done with it. End this nonsense. All I want from you is my friend back. Nothing more.¡± Cerebus smiled slowly, thenughed. ¡°Such arrogance! im your prize, young ranger. But do not forget the strength of the bear or the tiger, who care nothing for the will of others. And remember this: Gaia is life¡¯s mistress, not its master. She is a mare to to be rut and bred, mounted like her daughters. She knows creation, not survival, for whatever creature wins is the same to her. Never forget what you are¡ªnothing, until you¡¯ve survived.¡± Mason had no idea what to make of that. But he felt the world changing around him, vanishing and returning until he stood at the same rune-covered totem with his hand against the wood and symbols. He wasn¡¯t even sure he¡¯d actually moved. [Essence testplete. Implementing. Essence of the Wolf. Gain the ability to bond a limited number of animalpanions.] [Animalpanion detected. Would you like to bond {Great Taiga Wolf} now?] Streak was suddenly right in front of him, staring. Ghostly wolves sat on their haunches all around him, and somehow Mason knew it was the wolf¡¯s father and forefathers going back a thousand years. A pact, he thought, between the living and the dead. A unity between wolf and man. Mason smiled, knowing it was right. They were just two animals in a long line that had already bonded. He epted the prompt. The wolves howled, and Mason felt his eyes roll back in pleasure. It was like the greatest music he¡¯d ever heard, a symphony of voices singing every frequency his ears could hear all at once, a wall of sound that pierced his soul. He was sure he joined them but couldn¡¯t hear his own voice. All he could see was a dark night sky and a moon that lit the world. Not in light, not in darkness, but somewhere in between. The time of the wolf. He shuddered as the now familiar body-length shiver of system attention flooded through him from toes to scalp. [ss modification detected. Would you like to rece prestige ss ¡®Avatar of Gaia¡¯ with ¡®Avatar of Cerebus¡¯?] Mason stared, expecting something like this to happen but still undecided. The truth was¡ªdespite its power¡ªhe hated his prestige ss ability ¡®Duality of Life¡¯. It made him feel like he was losing himself, like it was somehow beyond his control. But he knew his ss had also modified his Ranger¡¯s Mark and boosted his mana considerably. Would he be giving all that up? And what would he get in return? Yet his primary ss was ranger, and the druids he¡¯d encountered had seemed to sense the same. He was a druid, yes, but a ranger first. Maybe it was all system-generated nonsense, but something about it was still¡­true. Survival had been his watchword since he was a small boy¡ªthe only way to exist in a harsh world: to be strong enough to withstand it. He epted the prompt, and braced himself. He knew what wasing, but that made it no less hard to take. * * * Mason grit his teeth as his body clenched with the system¡¯s electrical attention. The pain seemed slightly diminished, fortunately, which he hoped continued as something of a trend. Several messages floated before his eyes. [Changed Prestige ss to: Avatar of Cerebus.] [Power: Duality of Life changed to Duality of Strength. Passive. From suffering, wisdom. From failure, growth.] [Synergy removed: Nature¡¯s Wrath ===> Ranger¡¯s Mark.] [New Synergy Detected: Regeneration+ ===> Transformation. What doesn¡¯t kill you, really should have.] As he read the changes several thoughts hit him at once. First, losing nature¡¯s wrath sucked. But he probably hadn¡¯t used it as much as he should have anyway. Second, theck of actual exnations for anything was really starting to piss him off. And third, what in the name of God did ¡®transformation¡¯ mean? Of course there was nothing he could do about it anyway. And it was time to check his profile and figure out what ¡®bond¡¯ had actually done. Mason Nimitz Level: 15 Primary ss: Ranger (tier 2) Secondary ss: Druid Prestige ss: Avatar of Cerebus Strength: 18 Dexterity: 23 Vitality: 22 Intellect: 12 Will: 16 Presence: 10 Luck: 9 Essences: Essence of the Wolf. Bonded Companion(s): Great Taiga Wolf Titles: Killer, Early Lead, Soloist, Crazy like a Fox, Burnt the Boats, Patron, Progenitor, Hit the Ground Running, First Blood, Defender, The Prestige, Tiering it up, Phase Jumper, Front Runner, What Is Dead May Never Die, Poison Shmoison Powers: Power Shot, Crippling Strike+, Transformation, Predator¡¯s Strike, *Nature Affinity, Ranger¡¯s ws (T2), Endless Quiver+, Trapmaking, Aspect of the Cheetah, Blessing of Gaia, Ranger¡¯s Mark, Duality of Strength] Oh. Apparently there was a Bonded Companion ¡®tab¡¯. He opened it and saw Streak¡¯s name, along with a dull green color that said ¡®Bond level: low¡¯, whatever the hell that meant. It looked like there was ce holders for maybe a list of statistics and even a power list, with apparently something called¡­ [Shared Pain: Fight together, die together.] Mason was actually greatlyforted by the possibility of that. But for now he blinked it all away and turned towards the totem, looking for his friend. ¡°Streak?¡± he called. ¡°Are you alright?¡± The wolf leapt down from some nearby rocks, tongue out and tail wagging as he crossed the gap. Mason grinned, then knelt and held out his arms, but slowly froze as the wolf got closer. Its eyes were glowing green like Mason¡¯s. And he¡¯d¡­uh, grown. Streak basically plowed into Mason¡¯s face with his chest. It nearly knocked him over, then he had to stand up to actually look¡­just slightly down on the creature. Streak¡¯s head was over five feet high. He made several growling, whining sounds as he tried to leap up and lick and paw at Mason with his massive feet, and in that moment Mason decided it was a bloody good thing he had roboGod superpowers. ¡°Happy to¡­see you too, buddy.¡± He scratched and pat with abandon until the animal finally calmed and plopped down for belly rubs. Masonughed. At least his personality hadn¡¯t changed. Phuong cleared his throat, and it urred to Mason that the yers had all been witnessing¡­whatever the hell they¡¯d just witnessed. Mason smiled a little sheepishly as he scratched Streak, not entirely sure what to say. ¡°So, um. Everything¡­copacetic?¡± Seamus said from nearby, his voice slightly raised in pitch. ¡°Yeah.¡± Mason let the anxiety for his friend roll off his shoulders, knowing at least some of it had really been for ke. ¡°I¡¯m good. I think. Now let¡¯s go kill a shitload of goblins.¡±
Chapter 163: Perfectly appropriate Chapter 163: Perfectly appropriate It took basically all of ke''s remaining half mana pool to ''animate'' one of the Maker constructs. Yet another ''presence'' entered ke''s mind, though this one was far less intrusive. He grinned and looked at his constructs, still debating how many to use and exactly what to say. He didn''t want all his constructs destroyed. On the other hand, he didn''t want to pull his punches in practice only to fail at the real thing. So he sighed, and stepped well out of the room before he activated the prompts. Then he selected all his permanent constructs with one piece of his attention, and the Maker with another. He had them target each other, and gave them all the same thought: destroy. The Maker statue wasrger and more solid¡ªmore like a four legged animal that could stand on two legs and fight like a kangaroo. And it wasn''t built light enough to fly. It moved forward and started humming with some arcane sound, hands opening as it moved straight towards ke''s constructs. His own creations¡ªaffectionatelybeled a, b, c, d and e¡ªleapt into action. They all charged precisely the same way, soon unable to actually reach their target at the same time and sort of jostling into a semi-circle. But they at least struck first. The Psionic constructs mmed their fists into the Maker, cracking its skin just before it reached out and seized one by the throat. The thing''s hand was clearly boiling with heat just as the first ke had taken to fight the demon. Steam or smoke rose from his construct as all the others started bashing and burning the Maker from every direction. Bits and pieces of construct crashed or hissed as they struck the ground. The Maker eventually tore off ''e''s head and turned for another before its arm sloughed off. It swung the other but wobbled first and fell as a leg gave out. ke''s minions followed it, bashing and burning until it finally went still. Then they walked back into a line and stopped. ke whistled at the swift destruction. Lumiere came zipping inside, frown etched as he stared at the broken construct. "You''re as bad as the critter!" it announced with a sputter. "I must ask you not to destroy the Curator''s property!" "Apologies," ke said, not at all sorry. His minions were effective but not at all coordinated and seemed tock any self-preservation instinct. He looked at his Mental Partition and decided he needed a great deal of if/thenmands to trigger to get them working properly. He supposed he could have one fight the rest to preserve any more statues. He took another two full days of testing and battling with his minions to feel ready, checking in once with Ilya just to make sure she was OK. Nothing had changed, and though she seemed a little frustrated and impatient, he feltfortable with the dy. Having destroyed his two Psionic minions in his test, ke re-made them with a few modifications. Firstly, they didn''t really need to be humanoid. This time he made something more like Lumiere¡ªa big orb with wings, little legs, and ws. One day he hoped he could make them fly without the wings, but for now that knowledge was beyond him. The Arcanes were working well enough and he didn''t want to destroy them just to streamline a little. So on the third day he''d regained his mana, had programmed countlessmands into his Partition, and felt ready to go. "Well, Lumiere," he said, "it''s been real. You want toe along with us? I''m sure I could find use for a floating shlight." The construct went through a range of exaggerated emotions before returning to the frowny base. "Why do you keep calling me ¡®Lumiere¡¯? In any case, I am unable to leave the Maker''s Hall. Good luck with your endeavors. Thank you again, Controller." "Don''t mention it," ke said absently as he looked down the demonic...hole. He sent the constructs in first, following at afortable distance. On the other end he found a room about as disgusting as expected¡ªthe same vaguely oozing walls, the same God awful stink. There seemed no discernible reason for this to be a room at all, in fact, as it seemed just to lead to another corridor beyond. Something about that made ke stop and inspect. "Navi, can you look around this room? Do you see anything unusual?" "No, master." The orb robot seemed to scan, or at least its eyes wobbled around as it spun in a circle. "So there''s nothing in here at all?" ke said with surprise. "Oh. No, Master, there''s an inert demonic portal leading to one of the hell nes. Right on the wall there." ke blinked and stared at his familiar. "You wouldn''t consider that unusual?" Navi frowned. "No, Master. It''s a demon tunnel. It seemed perfectly appropriate." "There are demonic nes in this world?" ke asked and pinched his nose. "No, Master. Not in this world. But attached to it. There are a great many nes of existence, but I''m afraid I''m no expert, and couldn''t name them all." ke mostly just stared, no idea what to do with that. He certainly intended to hear a great deal more about it, but for now he had more pressing issues to deal with. He led his constructs forward, soon hearing a kind of dull roaring from the area ahead. He stopped to listen, trying and failing to make out the sound. Was it a river? Some kind of gusting wind? When he finally emerged on the other side, his constructs were already waiting in their usual line, seemingly not yet feeling in danger. ke walked beside them and stopped, eyes practically bulging when he saw what was causing the sound. It was a waterfall. Of blood. From some tform up above, the liquid poured over the edge in a steady but slow current. Steam rose from it as if it might be boiling, or at least very hot, and the whole cavernous area reeked of copper. ke clenched his teeth and looked down to where it was flowing, an open circr portal about the size of a swimming pool. Through it, ke could see a river trailing out into what seemed an open air...ins. "Is that...hell?" ke whispered, and his familiar nced and nodded happily. "Yes, master, that is a two way portal. And quite active." A two way portal¡­to hell. Great. Just super. ke decided it was time to get out of there, and since it seemed the only way, he ordered his constructs to lift him and get up wherever that blood wasing from. This they did, and in short order, plucking him up with reasonable finesse, floating him up over the waterfall and onto a wide tform with several doors, along with a kind of trench that carried the steaming blood. ke looked at the doors, not sure which to pick, before he heard a hissing growl from somewhere below. He nced over the side, rmed but not terribly surprised to find a red-skinned, demonic¡­spider-cat crawling up towards him from...well, hell. "Kill it," ke said out loud even before he mentally sent the order. "Kill it very dead." He stepped back and fought a shiver as his constructs leapt over the edge, and took to the air.
Chapter 164: I’m open to suggestions Chapter 164: I¡¯m open to suggestions Mason led the others back to the main cavern. They met a few wandering goblins on the way, but hacked them down in a few seconds and without a word exchanged. Then they were again looking out at the strange, crystal covered hollow center of the great tree, deciding the best way up. "Should we take the lifts?" Mai whispered, and frankly Mason didn''t see a better option. The whole way up there was just a series of tforms on the outer edges of the tree, with no kind of spiraling ramp like they''d had before. "Maybe we should explore the whole bottom floor first," Phuong suggested, which wasn''t a bad idea either. Except they''d likely have to fight a whole shitload of goblins. On the other hand, that seemed basically inevitable. "I expect we should just go in heavy and clear the bottom," Mason said. "If we''re going to be stuck on those lifts, I''d rather not have a bunch of goblins shooting at us. You ready for a somewhat obscene level of violence?" The yers all looked grim, but at least not frightened. Mason half expected the creatures to run away when things got started, but better for everyone to prepare for the worst. He dropped a couple deadly traps around the entrance, then lifted his bow. "OK," he said. "A little different this time because there''s so much space. Phuong, Streak, and Mai¡ªhead out and kill as you please. I''ll cover you with Alex and Seamus. If things get rough, fall back to this corridor. I''ll try and tell you when, but if you feel overwhelmed, you just run. OK?" They all nodded, even Streak, which caused Seamus to startle slightly and stare around the group like ¡®did anyone else see that?¡¯ Mason just grinned. "Oh. And don''t forget to have fun. Ready when you are, Phuong." The swordsman drew his blue de and went forward slightly hunched, the now massive Streak and still tiny Mai covering his nks. Mason followed, eyes moving over everything, picking out the workers on the tforms and small tunnels, looking for ranged weapons but not seeing much they could use. When they''d moved out of the tunnel and onto the bottom proper, Mason could also see there was tunnels dug into the floor. "Careful," he whispered. "There''s holes in the ground. Don''t fall in." A goblin shrieked in rm just slightly above them, pointing at Streak before obviously seeing the yers and getting ready to call out to the others. Mason put an arrow through his neck. He gurgled and clomped along the metal railing before falling off, and soon enough more goblins were looking over and calling out and pointing below. "Here we go," Mason said, no longer worrying about being spotted. Instead he just looked for anything that showed itself, and started shooting. Panicked goblin voices soon overtook the constant drum of the swinging picks or cutting saws. Engineers at the bottom were spreading out or running away, shoving workers or the lightly armed guards towards the yers. Phuong mostly just hacked them down. None of the goblins would get anywhere near Streak, who for his part seemed content to just growl and look scary. A few things started nging off the floor, and Mason realized goblins up top were throwing tools and crystals at them. He gestured, but Alex was already watching, easily shielding them from the raining objects as Mason answered with arrow after arrow, dropping workers out of the air like he was hunting an endless flock of birds. All in all, things were going rather well, which already gave Mason a vague feeling of concern in his gut. Right on cue, a hissing, nking buzz sounded somewhere ahead. And then another. Some kind of light shone from the gloom ahead, followed by grinding, screeching, and thumping sounds. Mason squinted until he saw what looked like...tanks? A lot of the goblins were cheering now. Three...vehicles...came rumbling out of the dark on treads. They had spinning des at the front with massive lights shining above. And as Mason was about to tell everyone to spread out, he realized they had some kind of...guns on their sides. "Are those..." The first one made a clicking sound, followed by a goblin''s mad cackle. And the gloom of the tree filled with light, as the ¡®tanks¡¯ all started spraying me. * * * "Fall back!" Mason ignored his own advice, running straight through a gout of fire as he turned left and ran to the nk. [Apex Predator activated: Affinity changed to elemental] As usual, it still hurt. He also couldn''t see, and managed to bounce off the support of one of the tforms until he got out from the fire and kept moving. One of the tanks had clearly spotted him, and with a series of nks turned to face its spinning des his direction as it followed spewing fire. It was kind of pissing him off now, to be honest. And while fire might be painful, it didn''t seem at all likely to kill him. With a growl of angry intent, he activated Aspect of the Cheetah, and raced straight through. The tank could not turn fast enough. Mason cried out in pain, but soon escaped the me thrower''s angle and emerged to the side of the vehicle. He summoned his ws and crossed the distance, leaping onto the back of the tank as he looked for weak spots or a way in. Nothing was obvious. It was little more than a steel box with the des and methrowers. But at least those were obviously vulnerable. He kicked and smashed the tubes until they bent, which the engineers clearly were smart enough to stop using once they realized. Then he felt like an idiot and activated Ranger''s Mark. His initial assessment was correct. There was no obvious way in...except at the bottom. But then he didn''t have to get in, he just had to break the methrowers, and stop the damn things from moving. He leapt back down and hacked at the treads, which were more WWI style than WWII. After several shes with his ws, he''d done enough damage to slow the thing to a half broken crawl. Then he ran for the next. He stopped dead in his tracks when he found Seamus literally dancing in the fire. The crazy son of a bitch was leaking mes out of his eyes, his arms folded and his legs kicking as heughed and seemed to be enjoying himself. Then he held out his arms and started shooting more fiery projectiles, burning what appeared to be a hole in the tank. It soon stopped, and filled with the horrible screams of burning goblins. "These things are the best!" he shouted, ncing over at Mason with those vaguely wild and terrifying eyes. "Yeah." Mason cleared his throat. "The best." The engineers in the third tank had clearly seen the writing on the wall. They popped open the tank, aimed it at the yers, then leapt out and scampered away with a series of shrieks. "Shall we take a look inside?" Seamus said with a grin. "Might be kind of cool to see how the little buggers make such a thing work." Mason shrugged, not much caring. He called to Phuong and the others to keep moving and clearing the floor, picking up his bow and murdering his way through the lower ramps. The workers and guards had nowhere to go, and very little to fight back with. By the time he''d killed at least twenty and maybe more, the cavern had gone mostly silent. [Encounter defeated: Goblin Lower Mining Operation. Group experience earned.] It seemed even those on the upper levels had fled, or at least stopped working, and no doubt were running off to tell their masters trouble had arrived. "Well done," Mason said when he found the others had made a small pile of bodies. "I guess there''s nothing much to do now but climb." "Man." Seamus popped out of the tank. "We need to get this out of here somehow! I bloody want one!" "Yeah," Mason said wryly. "It worked great for the goblins. Now I don''t see any obvious pattern, so I guess we just try the lifts and hope they get us up. I can climb and drop a rope if we need to." He tried to see the different levels and how the connected, but frankly it looked like the ce had been designed by some kind of madman. He was about to try the first ''lift'' when a kind of rm red, and text scrawled across his eyes. [Greenblood Bounty Event initiated: ''Dueling Duos''. Please split into pairs to face the dungeon event. You have two minutes to decide, or you can be removed from the dungeon if you decline. Good luck!] "Well shit." Mason looked at the others when it was finished. "Two minutes. If you want to run out, now''s the time. Otherwise we need pairs, apparently. I''m open to suggestions."
Chapter 165: What could possibly go wrong Chapter 165: What could possibly go wrong ke mostly hid until he heard the spider''s blood curdling shriek. Then he stepped to the edge of the tform and watched as his constructs dove at the thing like sparrows fighting a house cat. The spider was out of ''hell'' now, climbing the edge of the stone trough that carried the boiling blood, feline head staring up as it snarled. ke watched his Mental Partition ring withmands, and tried to keep up and make sure they were working. His Psionic Constructs went first, just as intended. They had slightly more control over their flight and steadied themselves near the demon, raking with their ws from just overhead. The creature turned and waved two arms before spitting maybe poison or acid from its spider mandibles. The green goo struck the constructs and dripped off with nothing more than a little steam. Then the Arcanes swept by and smashed the demon with fly-by strikes, their rock-like fists making satisfying crunching sounds as they connected with carapace. The third one knocked the demon sideways, and it sort of curled its legs just like a regr spider might as it fell. Except this one fell into the boiling blood. Again it shrieked and wed, trying to grasp something to pull itself out of the ''river''. But it soon stopped, and dipped beneath the surface. [nar Entity: Lesser Devil Spider in. Experience awarded.] "Well done!" ke shouted, very encouraged by the disy. He tried not to think about the title of ¡®lesser¡¯ spider for that thing, trying not to imagine what a ¡®greater¡¯ might look like. Anyway, nothing had gone wrong, so that was something. Of course it meant the spider hadn''t tested half or so of his preparedmands, but at least the theory of attack was proved. The trick of course was that the main source of damage he had was sustained attack from the Arcane constructs¡ªa kind of melting touch that needed a little time to do its work, not a quick smash. If whatever this demon was wouldn''t stay still long enough and always fought in the air, it may very well be his constructs couldn''t use it. But he had a n for that, at least¡ªamand to tell them to ''stick'' and hang on until they or their target was destroyed. He supposed he''d just have to wait and see. "This way," he said, mostly to himself, looking down the flow of blood into another corridor that looked more like a sewer. "Deeper and deeper into the demonic fortress," he said with less enthusiasm. "What could possibly go wrong." On the other hand, he was still him. Just a harder working, keen-eyed, upgraded him! ke expected that would make him even more unstoppable. * * * Ilya was getting very tired of dried vole, mushrooms, and peanuts. She chewed mechanically from her barrel lid, then washed herself with some of the water. The demon usually watched her do this and smiled his demented smile, but after gaining her Oracle ss he had been blissfully absent. Wherever he¡¯d gone, on the other hand, was somewhat concerning. If he went to fight ke somewhere else, there wasn''t a damn thing Ilya could do about it. Would she even know if he''d been killed? The thought was sobering, and she expected whatever the power of this ce that had put her in her cage may very well stop protecting her if ke died. This was a test for him more than her, but she would suffer the consequences just the same. He''d told her it may take awhile, but the days passed slow and painfully. She tried to practice her spells, only ever using a little mana at a time in fear it may be just the moment ke arrived. But he never did. Hours and days drifted as she remembered her childhood, especially the few times she''d left the towers and seen the bright sun and the outside world. She''d remembered it was so cold and bright and loud she''d practically run back down into the earth screaming. But her brother had dared her, so she''d stayed out all afternoon and watched the clouds, her eyes eventually adjusting. Then the demon would sweep by with violent ps of his huge wings, only growling at Ilya as he passed and sending her leaping from her rest. But he was always alone, no sign of ke, no sign of anything. Then she''d sit and stare at the dark cavern, or chew her dried food, or sip her water like it was sour brew. "He''sing," she mumbled to herself, often not sure if she even believed he could defeat the demon. "He can," she reprimanded herself. "He''s a wizard, sent by the gods. Who cares if he''s human. He''s been Chosen. He has a n. He has great and terrible magical powers, enough to destroy this demon, and then Gromsh. He''lle." True or not, it always made her feel a little better to say it out loud. * * * ke was lost again, and pretty sure he was going to die of dehydration. First of all, the boiling river of blood made things upsettingly hot. Secondly, after the open hell portal and the obvious corridors, things had opened up into a confusingbyrinth that ke wasn''t entirely convinced cared about physics. "I swear I''ve passed this fucking hall three times," he said, not seeing any of the marks he''d made. He smacked his dry mouth and mostly failed to wet his dried lips. "Navi, can you do something here? Is there some kind of magic trap I''m not seeing?" His familiar blinked and stared. "Beginning analysis, Master. Please direct me as you walk." ke cursed, knowing he should have done something different sooner. He''d just figured it was a big maze and if he followed it long enough he''d get out. But little demons that looked like pit bulls kept leaping out at him¡ªto get instantly crushed by his minions¡ªand yet he''d never stumbled on their corpses again. So either things were disappearing and reappearing, the maze was basically endless, or there was some tomfuckery going on. "Mirrored gate trap detected, Master," said Navi, and ke practically sagged with relief, then frowned. "Excellent. Now what the hell does that mean, and what do I do about it? Also why aren¡¯t you just detecting such things all the time?" "I don¡¯t have infinite mana, Master. And it means you are being led down the same corridors over and over without knowing it. And I think they are resetting. You must find a way to disable the trap." "Such as?" Navi seemed to try to shrug with his face, and ke sighed. No doubt there was something clever he was supposed to do. But he was getting tired and very thirsty and frankly he wasn''t in a very good mood. He assigned the walls, floor and ceiling to different minions. "Start smashing," he said as he formed themand. "Every step, hit the damn thing. Proceed." The hall soon filled with the sounds of construction as his minions began wing, punching and stomping their way through the maze. For a moment ke just appreciated that his constructs asked no questions, leaping to obey whatevermand he had, no matter how ridiculous. It may not have achieved anything, but it did make ke feel a little better. He followed his wrecking crew for quite awhile, getting slightly sleepy at the eventual monotonous sounds of magic stone hitting regr stone. Until he heard a crack. "Stop." The constructs instantly halted, and ke inspected them quickly before finding a stone tile on the roof had cracked down the middle. "Keep hitting that right there." ''A'' obeyed and smashed the thing to pieces, the tile falling and throwing up dust on the floor. Above it there was a symbol etched in the rock, and ke smiled. "The symbol for a Mirrored Gate trap, Maste...: "Yes I gathered," ke interrupted. "Smash it please," he waved a hand and his constructs eventually managed to reach the thing and bash it to bits. "God that felt good." ke sighed, kicking some of the rubble. Then he blinked and looked down the corridor, seeing a door at the end. "Thank God," he exhaled. "Now off you go. Open the door." He followed his constructs down the hallway, letting a humanoid open the door for him. A gust of wind struck him instantly, and as he walked through he squinted into a dark cavern to realize he was standing at the edge of a huge drop. Excitement shot through his gut. It matched Ilya''s description of where she was held, and he expected he was close. "Now how to actually explore and find her..." he mumbled, wishing again Lumiere had be a servant. He was about to ask Navi if he had some kind of ability to shine a light when he heard a feminine voice scream. "ke! Look out! He''sing!" Then there was only the pping of monstrous wings.
Chapter 166: Dueling Duos Chapter 166: Dueling Duos Mai looked vaguely panicked, but Seamus just grinned. "Easy on our end. Mai and me got this in the bag, don''t we darling?" She nodded but the movement was too fast, her skin a little pale. "We''ll be alright," Mason said, trying to calm her. He winced, not sure if he should offer to break them up, maybe putting Phuong with Mai and Seamus with him. But then he might get both Streak and Alex killed... They didn''t know what the ''event'' really was, of course, but in his experience these things rarely proved easy. He knew time was ticking and almost suggested the pair turn and run. But that wasn''t his call. They weren''t his responsibility, and they were yers just like him. "You two good?" he said to Phuong and Alex, and the men nced at each other with a determined nod. "Alright then. I don''t know what''s about to happen, but protect yourselves first. Then if there''s some way to help each other, try. Get yourselves ready. And good luck." He put a hand to Streak''s head and used thest minute to go over his profile, especially the new ''Companion'' tab. Looking at ''Shared Pain'' gave him a great deal offort, however exactly it worked. He just wished he could use the power on other people and not just his wolf. He wondered if maybe there was something simr he could take in the future¡­ [yers, please prepare. Thirty seconds until event Dueling Duos. yer duo selections detected. Thank you, and good luck.] The son of a bitch system counted it down, and it was a very long thirty seconds. "You''ve got this," Mason said quietly to Mai, then give her a smile. "And I''ll help you guys as soon as I can." She smiled back and looked at least a little more confident. Then the timer reached zero, and the cavern went almost pitch ck like someone had cut the lights on a movie set. They flickered and came back to the dull blue glow, and Mason looked around to see an almost translucent silhouette of the other yers. "Can you hear me?" he shouted, but they looked at him strangely, and their slightly blurry mouths moved in silence. They looked like ghosts, and when he stepped forward he was able to put his hand straight through Phuong as if he wasn''t there. "Great," Mason muttered, looking around the cavern for any threat. "Just great." A spherical patch of darkness grew out of the floor ahead. It expanded and expanded, then popped with an arcane hiss. Two dark cloaked figures stood in the center, one kneeling, the other standing with its hand raised. The stander pulled back its hood to reveal a slightly taller goblin, face covered in tattoos and piercings. It looked around the cavern. "You''ve interfered with Guild business, human." He looked at Streak and frowned. "Who we''d kill is usually random. But since one of you can''t very well go tell anyone what happens when you mess with us, I guess this time it''s the wolf. Maybe I''ll make a pelt out of it." The creature smiled with sharp, yellow teeth. Whatever Mason was feeling before got reced by rage. "I was just going to kill you," he said, slinging his bow and summoning his ws. "But now I think I''ll let Streak eat you alive." The goblin snorted and raised his hand, cunning eyes narrowing. "We''ll see," he said without an ounce of concern. Then both figures vanished. * * * Mason knew they weren''t gone. He could still smell them. "With me," he called, then turned and ran, touching the floor to camouge before racing towards one of the many supports that held up the huge goblin apparatus above. He sat Streak with his back to the pir, then dropped traps all around him before climbing up a pir and re-readying his bow. He kept still and camouged, senses tuned for the slightest change in sound or smell, eyes moving back and forth for any sign of movement. The air shimmered just slightly near the center of the room, and Mason loosed a Power Shot. Purple magic sizzled as the missile struck and fell. The goblin hissed in surprise, still mostly blurry as he swiped his hands and shot back a horizontal line of knives. Mason didn''t bother dodging. With his increasingly super human reflexes he just swat down the two knives that might have struck him, loosing arrow after arrow back at the goblin wizard. But the creature vanished again, probably warping away this time as a trace of the purple seemed to follow in the air. Mason followed tiny traces in the magic and kept loosing at any possible sign, not concerned with arrows or exhaustion in the slightest. Then he heard Streak whine in pain. He dropped off the tform to find the other hooded figure had walked up and thrown a knife straight into the wolf''s shoulder. "Attack!" Mason growled, activating Shared Pain for the first time and feeling fire stab into his arm as he loosed two arrows at the knife-thrower. It seemed he wasn''t the only one with superhuman reflexes. The goblin dodged and deflected Mason''s arrows before vanishing like the wizard, just as Streak leapt and slid through where he''d been standing, looking very confused. "Shit." Mason activated Speak with Nature to be sure he was clear. [Keep moving, and never stop. Run around the cavern until you see one of them, then attack.] Streak growled and ran off to obey, and Mason ran in the opposite direction. His shoulder was already feeling better, so apparently his newly upgraded ''Transformation'' power was no joke. Sharp painnced through Mason''s thigh and back, but he knew instantly it wasn''t him. They were still attacking Streak. He turned and followed the wolf with bow at the ready, loosing two arrows at the goblins before they simply warped away and vanished again. Fucking sneaky cowards, he thought, enraged that he couldn''t seem to defend the wolf. Streak looked perfectly fine, however, and kept on runningps around the cavern, once or twice growling and leaping before a goblin vanished just in time. "How long can you keep that up?" Mason shouted, feeling his wounds already healing. "Because we can go all day." The answer seemed to be¡ªawhile longer. Again and again the goblins threw their knives with spell or a flick of the wrist, ignoring Mason entirely as they hunted Streak. Soon the wolf''s fur was a blotchy patchwork of blood, but Mason checked on him and found his wounds were closing, too, as Mason absorbed the damage. Mason may have said he could do it all day, but the blood loss was taking its toll. He felt slightly drained, and pain red from multiple wounds all over his body. And there didn''t seem to be a damn thing he could do about it. He activated Speak with Nature again, and told Streak to get in one corner of the cavern. Then he stood in front, and waited. "Come on, then," he called, throwing traps out randomly. "Finish the job." Eventually both goblins appeared, and Mason loosed a Power Shot before another cluster of knives came whirling towards him, forcing him to summon a w and activate his Shield gem. His shot hit, and this time he watched the wizard''s purple shield flicker and diminish before the creature growled and hid behind a pir. So it was definitely costing him. He dropped his own shield, deflecting one, two, then three of the rogue''s throws with his Sleeves. Then he summoned his other w and stepped forward. "Come on, then. Let''s see how fast you really are." The creature''s crooked grin shed inside its hood. Then it drew two long des and spun them as it came forward. Mason activated Speak with Nature again. [Pretend to be frightened. Wait. Even if you''re hurt. Do nothing until I turn on the wizard. Then kill this knife-thrower.] He Ranger Marked his enemy, seeing rather familiar human anatomy without seeing much to interest him. It would be a battle of speed and skill, certainly, because if Mason connected this creature wouldn''tst long. He and the goblin circled each other, then struck. w and dagger shed and sparked as they connected with feint and lunge. The goblin red in annoyance, and Mason realized in their exchange the ridiculously fast creature had sliced his forearm, but did nothing to his Sleeve. It hadn''t hurt him, but it had also been so quick and well executed Mason had hardly even perceived it. So that was bad. Again they circled, and struck. This time the goblin threw his dagger as he pulled away, the de slicing across Mason''s cheek as he withdrew. [Title activated: Poison Schmoison.] [Poison resisted: Nature affinity.] [Power activated: Duality of Strength.] The goblin grinned and ran a hand across his own cheek. Mason nced at the text but didn¡¯t have the time or attention to spare to give it thought. He just waited until he felt the wound closing, then matched the goblin¡¯s grin and charged again. He tried moving side to side, using his slightly longer reach to jab with his long de. But the goblin parried easily and withdrew, seemingly in no hurry. Mason felt the attack above him without seeing it, throwing himself to the side as a piece of the goblin tform fell and crashed loudly into the ground, the wizard cackling above. Before Mason had recovered the rogue was on him, shing and jabbing as Mason scrambled to recover his feet. He was stabbed shallowly twice before he got his smaller de inside the rogue''s reach, then pulled back and cut off at least one of the goblin''s fingers. [Title activated: Poison Schmoison.] [Poison resisted: Nature affinity.] Mason grinned, then held up and wiggled his five fingers as the goblin backed away, staring with pure malevolence. Streak was whining in the corner, which sounded like fear but Mason knew was really incredible impatience and desire to attack. But he did what he''d been told. "Enough ying with him," hissed the rogue. "Use all your magic. We kill both of these ones." The wizard made a tut tutting sound. "You know the rules," he chastised from above. "Only one. But don¡¯t worry, I shall save you." Mason saw the wizard''s hands sticking out from his cover above as he began drawing energy like ke. He was ¡®channeling¡¯. "Now!" Mason called, then unsummoned his ws and activated Aspect of the Cheetah as he ran for the support pir. With all his might he leapt as high as he could, then scrambled up towards the wizard at full speed. A knife sunk into his back but he didn''t care. The rogue called out to the wizard in warning. Then Streak growled and leapt on him. Mason knew he only had a second or two before whatever that spell was got off. It was enough. He hurled himself up to the wizard''s tform, grinning at the utter shock on the creature''s face, its hands still glowing and held out with growing power. Mason re-summoned his ws, activated Predator''s Strike, and severed the confused face of the wizard in a single blow. More painnced into his side and shoulder, and he practically fell off the tform. He knew he could turn off Shared Pain, but this thing was too fast and too dangerous and better him than the wolf. He had to get to Streak. He slid down the pir like a fireman''s pole, another jab of pain seeming to bounce off his skull. Then he was on the ground, about to yell to Streak he was almost there when he heard the goblin scream. The sound of cracking bone and chewed flesh cut them off, and Mason found Streak pinning the goblin face first to the floor with his massive paws, chewing chunks of flesh off his back. "Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you," Mason said,ing forward and waiting a good few seconds to let the goblin scream. He wasn''t sure if it was mercy or just distaste, but he soon used his sword to finish the poor bastard off. Streak gave him a quizzical look, then went right back to chewing. "I''m fine by the way," Mason said, slumping to the ground with a groan. "Maybe next time try and dodge a couple."
Chapter 167: Is that all you can do? Chapter 167: Is that all you can do? ke still couldn''t exactly see the demon, and his attackmand was tied to sight. A mistake, no doubt, but there wasn¡¯t a terrible amount he could do about it now. First things were first. He mentallymanded all his constructs to leap off the tform and start flying. They obeyed without reserve, and soon ke saw the red eyes glowing in the dark. He ordered them to attack just as a gout of me erupted from the creature, and flew straight at ke. Psionic Shield activated but he honestly had no idea if it would protect him. There was nowhere to hide on the tform, and ke mostly just put his arms in front of himself and stood there as the fire arrived. A greenish shield red and he wasn''t even sure what the hell was happening. For a moment, at least, the whole cavern was nice and visible. And the fire didn''t hurt ke at all. He looked around the cavern and realized there was a small ledge surrounding the entire thing. If he wished, he could follow the wall in either direction. But at the moment he saw very little reason to move. Instead he activated his long neglected Arcane st as his constructs struck. As hoped, the Psionic affinity went straight on, raking at the demon with their ws. Except the sheer size of ke''s enemy was nowing into view. The demon''s wingspan must have been at least thirty feet. Its body was plucked right out of myth¡ªlike a Balrog from Lord of the Rings, or a Pit fiend from D&D. The only things it was missing were a whip or a il. But the long, dark ws on either hand seemed deadly enough. It swiped back at ke''s constructs, sparks ring as it raked one''s spherical body and knocked it flying. ke kept his Arcane st short and sweet, wanting to see the result. With the minimum of mana he swiped a line across the demon''s face, watching the energy crackle uselessly against the thing''s skin. He frowned, cursing himself for not bringing something to throw with Telekinesis. All he had was a small knife in his pocket, which seemed not at all adequate to kill a giant demon. But beggars couldn''t be choosers. As the constructs swarmed in their deadly, demonic dogfight, ke lifted his de into the air, moving it closer before channeling as much kic force as he could into theunch. It struck and rammed straight into the demon''s flesh, but the creature hardly seemed to notice. It swiped with its ws but seemed to struggle to actually connect, not particrly graceful in the air. Its huge fangs were showing in an angry snarl, and again its eyes turned to ke. It ignored the statues, and came forward. I''m going to eat your brain, mind mage, a voice whispered in ke''s ear. I''m going to feed you to your pretty little prize before I break her mind, and then her body. Apparently demons were pretty much what you''d expect. ke put the vaguely overwhelming animal terror of having his mind infiltrated away as best he could, and focused. [Psionic Affinity: Mind Bend resisted.] ke backed away as the demonnded on the tform, just barely able to stand to its full height under the cavern roof. His wings folded back like Goliath from that Gargoyles cartoon, and ke''s constructs came flying in behind. The Arcanes tried somewhat unsessfully to grab the demon as the Psionic kept on raking shallow wounds into its apparently very thick hide. "Die." mes seemed to erupt from everywhere, the whole tform whooshing in a fiery explosion that swallowed ke''s world. He covered his face, but again he saw a translucent green shield covering his body, and felt almost nothing. As the fire cleared the demon growled and came forward, but was forced to turn and swipe at the constructs raking and grabbing at its back and sides. ke had no idea what to do except turn and run. He tried pulling the knife from the demon''s chest and ramming it in again and again with Telekinesis, then gave up and just used it to push the demon. It staggered back a step or two but otherwise came on snarling, grasping and throwing one of the Psionic constructs into the wall so hard it shattered. "Insects," the demon growled. "A fool and some wasps against me?" The air itself seemed to solidify around ke''s head, crushing him like a vice. He screamed. [Psionic Affinity: Mental Break partially resisted.] It was like an earthquake in ke''s mind. Like a fissure opened and began swallowing his thoughts and perception. He couldn''t seem to focus, to breathe and stand at the same time. In panic, he tried to take that open chasm and move it to his Partition. Instantly his mind returned at full force, and again he activated Telekinesis to push the demon back. It roared in outrage, fighting the spell as it slid him back a few more steps. ke''s mana was maybe 25% and dropping fast, and he didn''t seem to be actually hurting the damn thing much. The wings, he thought, looking at the more vulnerable looking bits of connecting flesh. Maybe we can at least damage those. "Is that all you can do?" The demon growled as it tried toe forward, again thrashing at the constructs attacking it from behind and sides. "Dy? You came to kill me with parlor tricks?" ke''s Partitionmands were in total disarray from the demon''s spell. He focused on his Arcane constructs and directed them actively. They had to get a grip on those wings, and use their touch power. But they needed help. ke activated Psionic Making and blitzed through the options at full speed, dropping the duration down to almost nothing. He only needed a distraction. And it was time to find out what Duality of Ambition did. He chose arger humanoid construct with an armored front and started casting, using every drop of remaining mana and activating his prestige power. He''d still have his gem. As he started casting, the demon seized the other Psionic construct and mmed it into the wall, again smashing it to pieces. It half spun as if to deal with the Arcanes, clearly deciding ke was no threat. Then his spell finished, Duality of Ambition glowing and making a new, audible crackle as the air before him shimmered, and something appeared from nothing. It was twice the size of his other constructs. ke had no time to inspect or celebrate, and directed his new construct to attack instantly. The ground shook as it charged. The demon''s red eyes narrowed in surprise. It spun to face the new threat and they seized each other''s arms and twisted, the construct unbelievably holding his ground. ke stopped watching andmanded the Arcanes, which leapt on the demon''s back and grasped at its shoulders. ke''s spell only had seconds. The demon growled, muscles bulging with power as it slowly overtook the construct and forced it to its knees. It roared in triumph, pressing in and grasping the construct''s head, ripping it from its body in a moment of insane power and violence. Dust and debris exploded around it. Then it screamed. ke''s Arcanes sunk their hands into the demon''s flesh, pulling at the base of its wings. It reached up and grabbed at them, pulling chunks and pieces from their bodies but unable to reach them well. One of its wings sagged as the flesh almost came apart, and ke seized his gem, activating Telekinesis. He pushed the demon back. Step by step the thing stumbled and went snarling towards the edge of the tform, soon realizing its peril. [Psionic Affinity: Mind Rend resisted.] [Psionic Affinity: Mind Bend resisted.] The demon focused all its attention on ke¡ªeyes ring with magic as it bared its teeth. More fire erupted around the room, again sizzling against ke''s mystery shield, though this time getting a little warm. ke''s gem drained to nothing as he pushed with desperate strength, getting the demon to the edge of the tform just as he wentpletely dry. It grasped one of his constructs and threw it off before stabilizing itself, wings now sagging uselessly. It looked up at ke with pure hatred, the air between them seething with mental and arcane energy. ke''s mind was throbbing with effort, his Partition mostly crumbled and useless, his mana pool gone. He didn''t have enough left to push the giant creature. And though it seemed vaguely insane, he saw no other choice. He charged. The demon readied its ws. But as foot followed foot forward, ke felt stronger and faster than he''d imagined possible. Was it just adrenaline? It was like he was growing with every step, like he''d triggered some hidden spell he didn''t know he had. The demon seemed to recognize it, too. Its eyes widened and it tried to move forward rather than just catch ke with its ws. It moved toote. ke mmed into its massive chest as it raked into him, his mana too low to activate Psionic Shield. His thigh sprayed blood and ripped open to the bone, the other w slicing down his head and shoulder as he pushed. The demon grunted in surprise, staggered back as it tried to find another step and found only open air. Then with a slight wave of its bloody ws, it fell back, and tumbled into the pit. ke slumped to the edge of the tform, and watched his blood leaking down and pooling on the stone tiles. He tried tomand whatever constructs were still able to go break Ilya''s cage and fly her out, but his vision was going dark fast. He''d never been particrly good with blood, especially his own. It was hisst thought before darkness.
Chapter 168: Bomb bait Chapter 168: Bomb bait [Eventplete: Dueling Duos. Experience gained. Please wait for the other duels to bepleted.] After a few seconds of wallowing in the pain and feeling sorry for himself, Mason groaned to a sit and checked his wounds. Not only were they closing, with a confused squint Mason saw the wounds were growing some kind of...giant scabs? He touched them and startled when he found skin so hard it might have been bone. Was this something to do with his ''transformation'' power? Duality of Strength? What the hell exactly did they do? And were they ever going to go away? He was feeling much better already, and whatever exactly his new powers did, his physical regeneration was getting incredible. It made him realize that he might have to change his thinking¡ªthat short, brutal fights were not really to his advantage. As long as he could take his time and heal, it seemed almost impossible to lose. But he rarely had the luxury of time. He looked to see if he could find the others in their own duels, and certainly hoped they were easier. Everything around him was kind of blurry and unreal, like he was in some temporary, otherworldly version of it. But even so he found Phuong and Alex battling what looked like a giant goblin. Apparently the duels weren''t even the same, which he hoped meant the others had it easier due to level or something. He couldn''t see very clearly, but it looked like Phuong had cut the big goblin about a hundred times already, and was practically fighting in a red pool of the thing''s blood. That was probably a good sign. Eventually he found Mai and Seamus. The fire mage was basically surrounded in mes,unching all kinds of projectiles without very much concern at targets Mason couldn''t quite make out. Mai seemed alright as well, holding her ground against a hooded goblin much like Mason''s, swinging her glowing pan like a club. "I think they''re alright," he muttered to Streak, and probably himself. Then in only a few seconds the big goblin dropped, and Phuong and Alex sat down in obvious exhaustion. "One more," Mason said, squinting and trying to make out exactly what Seamus was shooting at... Then Mai dropped her pan. The hooded figure stepped out from behind her with a hand covered in red, and Mason saw Seamus''s mouth open and scream. [Dueling Duo''s eventpleted. Congrattions on your ongoing survival.] The ''ghostly'' yers returned to the cavern floor as if nothing had happened. Including a prone and bloody Mai. "Alex!" Mason shouted as he ran to the small woman''s side. "What happened?" he said to Seamus, who was still staring from nearby, making no move to check her. "I was...I mean she...I couldn¡¯t hit it¡­the thing was so fast..." Alex dropped to Mai''s side and turned her over, and the second Mason saw her face he knew she was dead. Her pretty brown eyes stared up at the ceiling, a peaceful expression on her face. The Brussian touched her chest and his eyes pulsed with light, then he looked at Mason and shook his head. "God damnit." Mason clenched his teeth and leaned against a pir. He wanted to yell at Seamus about the teams, but he was just as to me, and what the hell good did it do anyone. He walked to the Irishman''s side and put a hand on his shoulder. "There was nothing else you could have done. Now let''s finish this." The caster blinked away thest remnants of his fire magic, then his face twisted with anger before it cleared. "This fecking ce. This whole fecking thing," he said, regaining himself as he met Mason''s eyes. "We can''t even take her out, can we? This fecking tree has to be her tomb." He walked off into the cavern without waiting for an answer, and Mason let him go. He was probably right. They couldn''t take her out, couldn''t bury her. What happened to a corpse in a dungeon he had no idea. With a terrible thought, he realized it was likely the same thing that happened to everyone the system deemed ''too old to y''. He fought a shiver, and with Phuong and Alex beside him, followed Seamus towards the apparatus. * * * The tforms up were as chaotic and unreliable as they looked. Ropes anddders dangled over everything, as the workers clearly didn''t bother using the lifts except to take down carts full of crystals. The yers climbed and asionally lifted their way up, tossing the asional arrow-struck corpse out of their way. Mason decided he''d have to leave a growling Streak at the bottom. "I''lle back for you once we know where we''re going," he promised. "I can probably get you up with these lifts..." But the wolf kept whining and growling and eventually Mason took out his damn rope and tied a harness around the animal''s torso, then to himself. "You can''t be serious," Seamus stared as he worked. "There''s no way...I mean, he''s huge, mate. You can''t possibly." Mason didn''t bother answering, checking his work than using the lifts until he couldn''t. Finally he started to climb, lifting Streak off the metal tform as he pulled them both up the poles and beams. He heard Seamus whistle from below. "Jesus Mary and Joseph, man. That''s unbelievable." He supposed it sort of was. Honestly it wasn''t even that heavy anymore, and he wondered just how bloody strong this system was going to let people get. At some point you''d have to think physics was going to interfere. Bone density. Tensile strength. Something. But then he was living in a world with fantasy creatures and magic spells, so he supposed physics wasn''t really a problem for old roboGod. "Christ, we''re getting pretty high, and there''s not much light. How did you even see this one to shoot it?" Seamus said as they passed another dead goblin. Mason shrugged. "I can see well enough." He nced at the apparatus structure and tried not to be worried the whole damn thing would copse. But he supposed these creatures had been using it for quite some time, and the carts were surely heavier than a few men and a wolf on a rope. "Where''d they all go?" Phuong whispered as they kept climbing. "I see no tunnels. No where to run except up." As if summoned, the mystery was solved not long after. The huge cavern split horizontally with metallic corridors dug straight into the tree. Mason saw the openings and climbed up as quickly as safety allowed, intending to get Streak up before they found any trouble. He was almost at the opening of the wide corridor when several goblin heads poked over the drop wearing goggles. Their wed hands held...some kind of metallic devices that looked conspicuously like... "Grenades!" he yelled to the others. "They''ve got some kind of bloody grenades!" The goblins dropped them instantly after. * * * God damnit where is ke when I need him! Mason imagined how easy this might be as Telekinesis simply threw the explosives right back at their users. Instead Mason leapt from his metal pole to another nearby, jerking as Streak''s weight shifted and swung. Somehow he had to get his bow off his damn shoulder and shoot while also holding himself up, and keep Streak from falling to his death... Explosions rocked the cavern. Someone yelled "jump!" from below, and Mason just hoped they could somehow manage to save themselves. He was damn near useless until he could get his feet on solid ground, or get to the tunnel. The goblins were shrieking and arguing above, yelling at their assistants something about needing more bombs. Great, just fucking great. "Alex?" Mason shouted. "How are your shields doing with the bombs?" "OK," shouted their support ss, which with his wry humor and deadpan might have meant anything. "I''d fry them but I can''t bloody see them!" Seamus shouted, apparently fiddling with a tform rather than try and climb up himself. At least no one had yet been exploded. Mason stopped thinking and made for the tunnel. He went hand over hand with brute strength at full speed, closing the gap just as another round of goblin heads and hands poked over the chasm. "Shiiiit..." One of the bombs bounced off Mason''s face, and fell. It hurt, no question, but it didn''t explode. He shared a brief look with an equally rmed goblin engineer, than powered his way up and threw himself onto the metal floor of the tunnel. There was nothing to hold, and with Streak''s weight dragging him back he pulled and pped at the slippery floor in vain trying to get himself up. The goblins were getting more bombs, and finally Mason just pushed himself straight up at the edge, got a foot up, then pushed straight up until he could touch the roof. Using the top and bottom he stabilized and walked forward, pulling the rope and praying it didn''t snap before he got Streak to the edge. The goblins threw their bombs, and there wasn¡¯t a damn thing Mason could do about it. He closed his eyes and prayed Apex Predator saved him. The world filled with fire and explosions. Mason''s body jerked but he could still feel the metal roof and floor, and didn''t stop moving forward dragging Streak. When the smoke cleared and Mason could vaguely hear again, he saw the goblin engineers fleeing for their lives down the tunnel. Mason found a couple pieces of shrapnel stuck in his clothes and body, but at this point that was practically a love tap. He wasn''t entirely sure how he''d been so lucky, but turned to get Streak up so he could chase the little bastards. Alex was half up into the tunnel, sweating and puffing as he held himself up and grinned. "You see? Shield works not bad. Maybe we call you bomb bait." Mason let out a long, tension filled breath.
Chapter 169: Brick into marble Chapter 169: Brick into marble Ilya watched the demon fall with wide eyes. It roared in fury and scratched at the stone, beating its mangled wings uselessly until a huge crash made Ilya jump. Then nothing. [Hidden Objectivepleted: Assist ke Nimitz to destroy your captor. Reward: The line of Vori bes a Highborn bloodline.] [Title gained: Tower Highborn. +2 to all statistics. Improved resistance and power potence against all demons. This is a lineage title.] Ilya dropped to her knees and stared at the Gods'' message, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. To be considered Highborn amongst her people was to be a part of the ruling caste. It meant living in the high towers with the elite. It meant prestige andfort and all the best her people had to offer. The tower lords themselves would seek her as a mate for no other reason. That she was now an Oracle as well...she would be the matriarch of a great n. The tower lords would cast aside their first mates just to im her. Or, she thought with some horror, King Gromsh would take her himself. But she blinked this away and focused her eyes on ke, who had fallen and copsedpletely on the stone. Shielding him with Protection and using Fortify Body had taken much of her mana, but she had enough for Healing Wind. She closed her eyes and focused, unable to see his injuries and so letting the spell wash over his whole body. Just as she finished, the cage nged and shook and despite the message from the gods Ilya seized the bars in terror, thinking the demon had somehow risen. Instead she found two of ke''s...living statues...ripping apart the iron bars. They tore a hole, then marched into the cage and seized Ilya roughly. She only managed a small shriek of protest before they pulled her out and leapt into the air. * * * ke licked dry lips as he woke on something soft. "Drink this." Ilya was apparently holding him in herp. She held a small sk to his lips, and he practically grabbed it and yanked it before holding himself back and taking sips. "Your stupid...servants, won''t go get more water from my cage, so this is all I have." ke looked at his now only slightly mangled leg and sighed with a smile. He patted Ilya''s knee. "Nice to see you, too." The orc girl smiled and wiped at a tear, then put a hand to ke''s face. "How did you...I mean, thank you for saving me." "My pleasure. Well not really, it was kind of terrible. There''s a river of boiling blood just back there, and an open portal to literal hell." Ilya shook with a littleugh. "Are you alright, Master? This Orc cast Healing Wind on you. She also Cast Fortify Body and Protection during your fight with the demon. I believe she is an ally." Ilya startled and stared at the floating orb. It urred to him he could have turned the thing into a bat mode¡¯ and winced at the stupidity. "Don''t worry, she''s with me, and quite harmless. For now anyway.¡± ke sagged into Ilya¡¯sp. ¡°Thank you, Navi. And apparently thank you, Ilya, for the well timed magic. I''d guessed it was something." He groaned as he tried to sit up, then decided he was rather happy to rest where he was. "When did you start casting spells powerful enough to fight demons, anyway?" "During my year or so of imprisonment in that cage," Ilya teased with still slightly wet eyes. "Oh I''m sorry," keughed. "I was busy killing a different demon and building a small magical army to save you. Did it take longer than I expected?" ke sent his constructs back to gather Ilya''s things from the cage, then closed his eyes and examined the damage. His Partition was still pretty fucked up. ''Closing'' it didn''t seem possible, so he hoped it would just heal or that he could fix it with Meditation or something. Then he finally nced at his notifications... [nar Entity: Lesser Cavaszu killed. Experience (moderate) gained.] [Objectiveplete. Rescue Ilya Vori from the ancient orc mine. Reward: Forgotten Fifth Oracle Stone.] [You have earned enough experience to reach Level 10. Please select a secondary ss.] [Title gained: Cavaszu you, too. You have in a lesser lieutenant of hell. +1 to all mental statistics. Increased nar Entity Killer aura.] Well. ke stared. Holy shit. Warmth flooded his body, and he groaned in pleasure before opening his eyes to see Ilya illuminated with a dull green silhouette. He sighed and decided in that moment she looked like a green angel. "The touch version is more efficient, but this will have to do," she said, focusing as she put her hand next to ke''s leg. Then she did the same with his head and shoulder, and the unpleasant waves of pain finally went down to a dull ache. "That''s the second time you''ve saved me," he said, looking into her amber eyes. "I''m not sure who saved who this time," she said, hand still on his cheek. He took it and kissed her knuckles, and grinned when her skin went slightly yellow. "Let''s not bother keeping score," he said, wiggling slightly to get morefortable on Ilya''sp, and closing his eyes again. "I always win in the end." * * * After a small rest, and making sure his ¡®Oracle Stone¡¯ was for now secure in his pocket, ke decided to search the demonic cavern. He had plenty of questions about the stone for Navi before he revealed it to Ilya, not sure exactly what it all meant. With the help of his flying constructs, he floated down to the bottom and tried to see into the gloom. Ilya waited on the tform, and he lowered slowly to make sure there wasn¡¯t any more demons waiting to pounce. Fortunately, there weren¡¯t. Or at least none were obvious, and the ¡®Cavaszu¡¯s¡¯ body was twisted and crushed enough to have lost its threat. He had his constructs rip out some ws as a souvenir, then noticed the demon wore some kind of amulet that had been too buried in its hide and fur to be seen. "Navi?" he gestured, and the little orb red with dull light as it stared. "nar Mind Amulet. Enhances Presence. Also has a Mind Rend power gem. Currently drained." "Well well well." ke picked it up and almost had it over his head before Navi chirped. "I should probably add, demonic items are often considered cursed. There''s no arcane evidence I can see to suggest that''s true, but many races...frown upon that sort of thing." ke paused to consider that, then put the damn thing on anyway. Power was power, and he didn''t much care what anyone thought about it. He lowered his voice to a whisper and took the stone from his pocket. ¡°Identify this, too, but keep your voice low.¡± ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Navi said in a hrious attempt at deepening its child-like voice. ¡°No I mean...¡± ke rolled his eyes. ¡°Just tell me what it does.¡± The little construct grinned as its eyes widened. ¡°This is an Orc Oracle Stone, Master! A powerful artifact made for settlement use. I can¡¯t tell you the particrs, but if used to enhance a settlement, it will have powerful effects.¡± ke cringed at the wave of greed that rippled through him, not at all sure how he felt about that. Mason had told him about the natural ¡®theme¡¯ he¡¯d added to Nassau. Would this create some kind of orc ¡®theme¡¯? Would it help bring the two people together? Or maybe it had more to do with being anti-demon. He wasn¡¯t sure, but decided the thought could wait. He put the stone back in his pocket, especially as he realized he had a rather short timer now to make his ss selection since he was no longer a patron. Looked like three hours, a little less. How unfair and unnecessary, he thought. But rules were rules, so he scrolled down the list of new sses. It was considerably shorter than first level, which he suspected was because of his Affinity and more specialized ss changes. But there was also obviously new options. Before he even looked and got distracted by new shiny, he decided the best route was to consider his strengths and weaknesses. His list of weaknesses was obviously...long. He had very little physical ability to speak of, couldn''t travel quickly, could hardly defend himself, and frankly didn''t have much offensive ability either, at least personally. Yes he had Arcane st but it was slow as hell and didn¡¯t always work. Telekinesis was proving incredibly versatile, and he could likely make better use of it with some better preparation. So that was certainly a path to consider. He was clearly a ''specialist'' with his mind powers, though his constructs had vastly increased his capabilities. But he decided what he truly needed was raw power¡ªthe ability to destroy his enemies, and to protect himself, when he was alone or the chips were down. Mason was annoyingly right about this world so far. Allies were useful, and ke still believed that would be the difference in the end. But for now the ¡®game¡¯ was too full of strange and unexpected dangers, empty ofrge groups, and you just couldn''t always have your friends there to help. There would likely be multiple ways to increase his blunt power, or possibly something that synergized with his ''Making''. But he knew now he was going to have to kill this ''Gromsh'' with only minimal support from orcs. The reality was¡ªhe couldn''t truly trust his Mind Control powers. It had been a Hail Mary when he took it, and though it still might work, it was better to be sure. He took a deep breath, and scanned the list. Many were original sses he¡¯d rejected at first level and rejected now for the same reasons. But there were some obvious new stand outs¡­ Psionic Knight, for example, sounded¡­kind of awesome, if not very well suited to ke personally. He didn''t want to be in the thick of the fighting. He didn''t really want to fight at all. Killing he didn''t mind. But fighting something that hit back? No. Altogether unpleasant. Kicist caught his attention. The flexibility and power of Telekinesis was not to be underestimated, and this ss seemed to lean in to the ¡®physical¡¯ manifestations of psionic power. Tempting. Very tempting. Mastermind made him stare and clench his teeth with an unpleasant desire. It was obviously a further specialization of his mind controlling powers, and he could hardly imagine what going beyond Mind Control looked like¡­ But he fought the impulse. At least for now. He was about to look at another promising ss called ¡®Artificer¡¯ when he realized his new familiar might actually be useful with things like picking sses and powers¡­ ¡°Navi¡­what can you tell me about sses? Like the Kicist." The little robot blinked. "Quite a lot, master. The Kicist is a Psionic/Arcane caster ss that focuses on Intellect and Vitality. It is capable of considerable mental protection and destruction of the physical world. But can be very mana intensive and vulnerable to magic." ke smiled, increasingly pleased with his little familiar. Picking a ss was a huge decision and every scrap of information helped. ''Mana intensive'' sounded like a problem. Because of ke''s lower mana pool due to his constructs, he knew he needed to be as efficient as possible. "And the Artificer?" "Another Psionic/Arcane caster ss, Master, which requires Intellect, Presence, and Will. It can produce and modify an almost unlimited number of magical objects. Very powerful in theory, but requires the correct recipes, preparation, and resources." ke let out a long breath, not really needing a more detailed description of Psionic Knight or Mastermind. There were other options, of course, all of which he''d seen at level one. But the real choices were really Psionic Knight, Artificer, or Kicist. All had pros and cons, but ke remained confident that specialty was the right choice in a game like this. What synergies might he find? What enhancements might an item based ss give him to modify his constructs? It may not be the sexiest choice, but his gut told him Artificer. He chose, and watched the text scroll. [Gained ss: Artificer. Synergy discovered: Psionic Making ===> True Making.] [Gained Power: True Making: The art of turning brick into marble. Can you outshine the Makers of old?] The power glowed slightly in his vision, and he considered opening it right there to see how it had changed. ¡°ke?¡± Ilya called from above, sounding somewhat concerned. He supposed he¡¯d been gone awhile without calling to her. ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± he shouted, ¡°just exploring the bottom.¡± He left the power alone for now. There¡¯d be time to test his suddenly upgraded-upgraded creation abilitiester. Instead he walked the filthy walls of the demon¡¯s pit, finallying to a simple altar covered in runes. He blinked at the symbols, for a moment no idea what they meant before they almost glowed and burned into his sight like he was staring at the sun. Then just like that, he understood them. [Hidden ss Feature Discovered: Runic Identification.] He saw the text and decided it wasn¡¯t terribly ¡®hidden¡¯, but supposed circumstances were just right. Turned out the altar had an Arcane enchantment of Teleportation, and would take him to the entrance of the dungeon. He knew it as inly as he knew the alphabet or decimals, just as he knew how to activate it. As he made the realization, a pleasant voice intoned in his mind. [Please leave the dungeon in twenty four hours or less, or you will be transported.] He ignored it as the excitement of discovery still raced through him, feeling as if he¡¯d gained a new sense that would tell him how reality truly was¡ªlike Leeuwenhoek discovering microorganisms, and a whole world beyond human eyes. But if faded quickly, reced by a sobering reminder of his own ignorance. And of his powerlessness in this insane new world. It¡¯s just a game, he told himself, clenching a fist. A game with rules that are getting clearer to me by the second. There were no ¡®Makers¡¯, no world history, because it was all invented a couple months before. He wasn¡¯t sure anymore what his goal was. Before it had been so clear¡ªto form some kind of kingdom and ¡®win¡¯. But win what? And how? ¡®Biological imperatives¡¯, the machine had said. ¡®Survival and procreation¡¯. But those goals were so basic as to be almostughable. Just being ¡®alive¡¯ wasn¡¯t adequate. And procreation wasn¡¯t difficult for a man like ke, even before he had mind powers. So what exactly to do? It was still a game, yes, and he still wanted to win. But he wasn¡¯t sure anymore what the teams were. Who the enemy was. Mason thought anyone that wasn¡¯t him or ke or maybe their lovers were the enemy. But ke wasn¡¯t so sure. He looked up at Ilya, thinking of all the orc minds he¡¯d touched, then of the horror of the demon lying not far away. Whatever the enemy was¡ªit wasn¡¯t orcs, not when things like that demon existed. He clenched the stone in his pocket, then gestured for his constructs to go get Ilya and bring her down. Killing Gromsh was still his n because the system had taken away his choice in that. Likely first he had to understand his powers and do what he could to master them with the time he had left. But after that¡­after that, he just wasn¡¯t sure.
Chapter 170: Discovery Chapter 170: Discovery "So," Ilya tried and failed to push ke''s construct away at the bottom and straightened her...robe. "We''re both in a pit." She looked at the corpse of the dead demon and shivered. "What do we do now?" "Now, my dear, we go back to the orc tower." He pointed to the altar. "That little rock there will take us. But I thought we''d better talk first. Do you think we can go back to your house safely?" ¡°I don''t know.¡± Ilya frowned in thought. "The king knew my name. He called for me when we ran. I''m sure he learned where I lived." ke nodded, thinking the same. Though it didn''t mean they kept guards there watching, and the secret little alcove by the river had served them well before. He looked at Ilya fidgeting slightly with her hands and raised a brow. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just¡­¡± she looked away before meeting his eyes. ¡°After the demon, I was given a¡­bloodline, by my Gods. It changes things.¡± ¡°How so?¡± She gained a little tinge of yellow, and ke was struck by the rather inappropriate thought of what exactly was under that robe. ¡°There are very few orcs left with such things," Ilya exined. "It doesn¡¯t always pass from parent to child, it¡¯s just...a possibility. From the ancient days, the children of the great heroes who slew the demon that ruled us carried a bloodmark, or title, the gods called Highborn. Now I have it.¡± ke raised a curious eyebrow to spur her on. ¡°It means¡­¡± Ilya went even more yellow. ¡°It means I''m now part of that legacy. It makes me something like a princess of the towers.¡± She turned and swore, the color fading slightly. ¡°If only I was male. I would be owed allegiance of all the Stoneblood. As it is the most I can do is im the tower lord as a mate.¡± ¡°Forgive me, but I¡¯m rather pleased you¡¯re not a male.¡± ke grinned, but turned more serious. ¡°I don¡¯t think it changes anything, Ilya. King Gromsh doesn¡¯t care about tower lords or ns or probably bloodlines. As we¡¯ve seen, he¡¯s happy to kill leaders who disagree. We can¡¯t rely on anyone helping us.¡± Ilya nodded sadly. "You''re probably right. Do we...go back to your previous n? Preparing orc warriors to fight him?" ke had been giving that considerable thought and shook his head. "No," he said, staring at nothing as he considered. "I can''t trust it to work. And I''m afraid he''ll ughter them. There''s no reason to throw away your people''s lives. We need to find out his routine, ambush him when he''s alone. Kill him together." He looked up to see Ilya''s eyes were glistening slightly. "All my life I was taught humans hated us. That they thought of us as animals and vermin." ke said nothing and Ilya lowered her gaze. "What will you do? When he''s dead?" Good question, he thought, still not sure himself. "Let''s not get ahead of ourselves," he said. "I''m not ready to face him. I need time and privacy and this ce is going to kick us out in twenty-four hours." He stopped and considered the Maker''s Hall...Lumiere and his new Artificer ''sense''. "Start thinking of somewhere we can go. We need to make one little stop before we leave." He stepped towards his remaining constructs and Ilya sagged. "We have to fly again, don''t we?" ke grinned as he rose into the air. * * * "Lumiere!¡± ke said as he entered the Maker¡¯s Hall. ¡°I''m delighted to see you again." The floating torch seemed entirely less enthusiastic. Ilya stepped in behind him with wide eyes, grinning like a girl as she ran and stared at the incredibly high ceiling and metallic walls. "This is amazing!" she shouted, obviously delighted with the echo. "Pest control...wee...wee back." Lumiere zipped towards them with an even more fake than usual smile. "Would you and your...guest, like a tour of the Maker''s Hall?" "We would absolutely love one." ke grinned. Then he ''activated'' his new runic Artificer sense and inspected the little construct, smile widening as enchantments red over the creature as obvious as the words in a book. Though ke wasn''t sure exactly what he was seeing. He understood the alphabet, even the nguage'', but not the meaning of all the words. "Navi, can you identify everything I''m looking at? The enchantments I mean? Can you see them?" "Yes, Master." ke and his familiar both stared intently at Lumiere until the creature''s fake smile dropped and his eyes flickered back and forth. "If you would not like a tour now, I really must insist you..." "True Making Construct,¡± Navi intoned. ¡°Practical Object. Bound with a Maker''s Mark and enchanted with Perpetual Light." True Making? Ha! That meant ke could create something just as sophisticated as the floating tour guide! "What''s a Maker''s Mark?" "An option of True Making, Master. It binds the construct permanently to whatever the creator''s purpose, butes with certain limitations." ke frowned. "Can it be broken?" "Apologies, Master, that is beyond my knowledge." ke expected it was also beyond his knowledge. But he was getting more eager to test his power properly by the second. It likely meant he couldn''t take the construct out as he''d nned, but it was worthing and worth taking a look at the other constructs as well. Who knew what he might learn if he just... "You can, however, always deconstruct it, Master,¡± Navi suddenly chirped. ke blinked. "I can what?" "A special function of your True Making is ''Unmaking'', Master. There will be a variety of conflicting impediments, but you need only focus on the construct and..." ke instantly activated his power and focused on Lumiere. "Wait...what? Stop! What are you? I am the special property of the Curator, and he will..." Lumiere stopped as if frozen in time, and ke''s vision swirled with options and messages. A thrill shot through his body as he realized what it was saying. It appeared ke could pull apart literally any object he wanted, not just magical ones. Size and substance mattered, of course. When it came to constructs specifically it seemed the ''type'', and the creator''s attention also mattered. Unfortunately for Lumiere, being a ''Practical Object'' apparently put him at the lowest tier, as did aplete absence of his creator''s attention. The only thing that helped him was his ''Maker''s Mark'', but that looked like it added a per cent cost. And the base cost was too low to matter. ke triggered the effect, and watched his mana drop by less than 5%. Lumiere shimmered, than shattered, his pieces vanishing before they struck the ground. [True Making Discovery! Enchantment: Perpetual Minor Effect.] [True Making Discovery! Maker''s Mark.] ke smiled as he watched the text scroll, very pleased he''d thought to return. Apparently he had a great deal of learning to do, and almost simultaneously as he considered this more text appeared before his eyes. [Objective: Discover another Maker''s Hall and learn its secrets. Reward: a random Major Enchantment.] "Damn you, roboGod," he muttered, feeling unbelievablypelled to do exactly that. He wasn''t very pleased about dancing to an alien''s tune, but he wasn''t sure what choice he had, either. He also reminded himself to guard his thoughts. Always. "Did you see these pictures?" Ilya shouted from somewhere ahead in the hall. "This is amazing! It looks just like people! Do all humans make things like this?" ke smiled, enjoying her enthusiasm, thinking this wasn¡¯t made by humans. Then he walked towards the armory, whistling with his hands behind his back. He had twenty-three hours left in this ce, and he intended to make use of every single one of them. * * * [True Making Discovery! New Form Type: Defender] [True Making Discovery! New Enchantment: Auto-Renewal] ke first pulled apart every statue left in the armory, slightly annoyed that he¡¯d wasted two inbat and testing. He tried de-constructing the broken parts but this proved a waste of time. "Wonderful find, Master! Your constructs have different archetypes, each with strengths and weaknesses. Currently you are limited to a ''standard'' arrangement. But this new body type will give you new options. You''ll have to discover the details through trial and error." ke nodded, very pleased with the find and exnation. As he''d tried to design the constructs it had seemed like he had infinite possibilities in terms of shape, and yet most of his ''models'' came back with errors. He was guessing these new types would give him more real flexibility. When he was finished with the armory, he took Navi over every square inch of the Maker Hall, scanning and looking for hidden doors or secrets. But he found nothing useful. They still had twenty hours, though, so he told Ilya he was going to practice some new magic. "We should leave herepletely ready, though. So I''m thinking about twelve hours of practice, then we make a n, sleep and leave." Ilya nodded, clearly a bit taken aback. "Do you need so much time? To practice I mean?" ke smiled politely and withheld theugh. He suspected he could use twelve weeks without getting bored, such was theplexity of the construction magic. "I''m afraid so." ke finally opened True Making to build something new, and on something of a whim, decided the first thing he''d make would be to entertain Ilya. As before he could select the ¡®form¡¯, the duration, and affinity. But there was an entirely new category¡ª¡®Practical Object¡¯, like Lumiere, vs ¡®Combat¡¯ as seemed to be the standard option from before. He chose Practical Object, which apparently gave him an empty canvass to imagine literally anything he wanted. For a moment he nked in astonishment, then imagined a chair. It took blurry form until he forced his imagination to get clearer with the details, which were instantly represented with the power. ¡°My God,¡± he mumbled, then cycled through a dozen objects as quick as thought. Most were blurry and misshapen until he forced his brain to get more detailed, but the flexibility was astonishing. And he suspected he¡¯d get better. For now he tried to imagine a little robotic house cat, and was instantly prompted with which ¡®stats¡¯ to add¡ªMental, or just Physical? Well, that was new. He chose both, and instantly received yet anotherplex list of personality and features. Fortunately there were some ¡®temtes¡¯, and he picked ¡®Friendly Animal¡¯, then slid the duration to twelve hours. Just like that, his power locked his body into a brief channeling power, the energy shaping and focusing until the thing he¡¯d imagined looked up at him from the floor. And meowed. ¡°Ha!¡± ke grinned as Ilya covered her mouth. "What is it? It looks like...a tiny ins cat!" "That''s what it is,¡± ke said. ¡°We humans have cats as pets sometimes." He could control it directly if he wished, and mentally gestured for it to wander. "Off you go." He waved. When the little creature found Ilya it ran straight for her, purring and rubbing like a real cat. "It''s so cute!" Ilyaughed, looking almost frightened to try and touch it, but eventually kneeling and letting the thing leap into her arms. ke smiled, then turned back to his profile. The power to amuse women and probably children¡ªcheck. Definitely worth giving up super enhanced mind-bending Professor X potential, right? He joked, but he knew the potential of these constructs was incredible. Though the actual use of the ss was bloodyplicated. He started again, this time with a Combat model and to try this new ''Defender''. His options were quite a bit different than before as well. He could give the Combat constructs personality just as he could with the Practicals. Hopefully this meant far less detailed instructions and micro-managing, with something more like ''Commander''s Intent'' like the army. Or, he supposed with a grin, Constructor''s Intent. Damnit that was a good one, he thought, where was Mason when you needed him? Well, maybe Carl. He went with the basic temte of ¡®Obedient Bodyguard¡¯, arcane affinity. Then he flinched as the prototype model appeared before his eyes. Holy hell. He blinked in surprise. Defenders could be bloody huge! Without worrying too much about the detail, ke made something that resembled a giant ape tost about ten minutes, and for his own amusement, created it pretty close to Ilya. This time his mana dropped a good 15%, which actually was pretty damn fantastic. However he realized he was also able to control the speed of the cast, and making it faster seemed to double or even triple the cost. But since he was in no hurry, he set it to the minimum and remained basically frozen for damn near two minutes. Then from nothing at all, a swirl of blue particles formed next to Ilya and her cat, spinning and growing until the seven foot blue ape was a couple steps from the unsuspecting orc girl. She looked up and shrieked in panic. ke couldn''t help butugh.
Chapter 171: They’ve got a troll Chapter 171: They¡¯ve got a troll It took less than a minute to get Streak and the rest of the yers up and into the metallic tunnel. But that was plenty of time for the bomb-throwing engineers to make a clean get-away, and Mason didn''t bother trying to chase. It didn''t bother him much. "What the hell is there exactly to be smiling about?" Seamus said with a bit of tone, and Mason cleared his throat and reminded himself the man had just lost someone. "We survived," he said, "that''s enough." But in truth it wasn''t the sessful climb or Alex''s shield saving him from a face full of fire and shrapnel. It was the fact that these goblins had bloody tanks and bombs. They might actually have some damn guns. "Let''s go," he said, a bit more careful with his expression, keeping his bow held firmly in hand and ready. There was plenty of noise up ahead. The goblins seemed mostly tomunicate with high pitched shrieking sounds, or at least that''s how it sounded when they yelled. Mason could hear all kinds of nks and hisses, clicks and thuds. God only knew what the goblins were preparing to loose at them next. But he didn''t see much choice except to find out. The metallic tunnel opened up intorger hall, equally constructed of maybe concrete and something like bronze. How they''d managed to dig all this and get such heavy material up high enough, Mason had no idea, but he supposed they hadn''t. Everything was just popped into existence by roboGod. Anyway, they had bigger concerns. Several engineers ran frantically around the hall. In the center was what looked like a green giant half covered in metal armor and gadgetry, propped up asleep or dead against a vertical tray. It was maybe a huge goblin, or some other kind of green, fantasy creature Mason was sure there was a word for, and it was surrounded by little piles of multi-colored crystals. "It''s a troll," Seamus said beside him. "A ''Corrupted Troll'' to be exact." Mason nced at the Irishman and really wished he had an identify power. But he supposed a rose by any other name... "Let''s kill everything and ask questionster," he said, drawing his bow back to take the first shot. He didn''t bother waiting for the others to give their two cents. His first arrow took an engineer in the shoulder, his second the creature''s throat. The goblins got a little more animated after that. Little green bastards in goggles ran in every direction, some poking and prodding the troll with seemingly no affect. Mason avoided the creature as he murdered, hoping maybe it just wouldn''t wake up at all. Then a goblin crawling on its shoulder seemed to stick some kind of connector into its ear and leap off with a shriek. ¡°That looks bad,¡± he shouted and tried to point. ¡°Kill things. Break things.¡± Another goblin behind pulled a crank, and the whole chamber practically hummed with some kind of arcane or maybe electrical surge. Mason ran sideways looking for a shot, trying to put an arrow in the goblin at the back. "Seamus!" he yelled. "Start melting things!" "What in particr?" the fire wizard shouted back, eyes lighting with me. "The machinery! I don¡¯t know! Just burn it all!" It seemed to be the kind of task the man preferred, smiling as he startedunching projectiles and shouting various curses and promises of death. Streak and Phuong were already running forward, but Mason ignored them all now as he kept hunting his target. The little bugger was quick and kept dropping behind his metal desk, so Mason just activated Aspect of the Cheetah and ran straight for him. A few steps from the desk, another surge of energy coursed through the room, centered on the troll and the desk and strong enough it sted Mason from his feet. He sat up and shook the blur from his vision before he heard the roar. The giant, armored troll held up its arms, which were apparently severed and reced with a buzz saw and possibly something like a tank mer. It stared at itself in rage, or maybe horror, then pulled and easily ripped the straps that had been holding it in ce. With a few quick motions that sttered the closest goblin engineers, it roared in triumph as it kicked and hacked them with the devices they''d made. The rest ran towards more tunnels leading out of the cavern, and the troll eventually turned and looked straight at Mason. It roared again with equal, and certainly misced, outrage, and lifted its arms. * * * "Why do things always have to be difficult," Mason said as he outran the first spray of orange me. "Seamus, you''re pretty much immune to fire, right?¡± he shouted. ¡°Can you make yourself obvious?" The wizard just walked out into the open in answer, holding out his arms until the troll turned its weapon on him and kept on roasting. It gave Mason a second to breathe, at least. He activated Ranger''s Mark and gave a quick inspection. The power didn''t seem to have anything to say about the ''modifications'' the goblin made. However the various metallic parts worked it had no idea. But at least it showed the basic anatomy and gave an idea of the troll''s weaknesses. Which was to say...there weren''t really any. Apparently it regenerated like Mason did, had about as much bone around its organs as an orc, and could¡­survive without its brain¡­for a few minutes? ¡°I hate this ce,¡± Mason muttered. ¡°I really hate it.¡± Apparently a troll was like a giant, green, angry chicken. With a methrower. He gestured at Phuong to go in and do...something, and for the moment just tried redecorating the thing with arrows. His first, somewhat lucky shot actually hit the thing right in the eye, and he stopped for a second just to watch the result. The troll blinked in confusion, the shaft bouncing up and down in its blood-oozing eye. Then it shook its head and just kept shooting me with a growl, apparently not needing to see, or not really caring what it shot. Mason tried a Power Shot and at least sunk the shaft into the creature''s side, followed by a Crippling Strike which for once didn''te back with an error. Phuong was at the thing''s...well, upper thigh, and started slicing away flesh with his glowing blue sword. The troll finally seemed to notice its targets hadn''t actually burned, and literally shook its methrower like it might be broken. With something like a annoyed roar it spun and swiped at Phuong with the gun, its eye opening and spitting out the arrow, apparently already healed. Mason dropped his bow and epted reality. He was going to have to hack this thing down to size, hard and fast and enough to get it on the ground so they could all chop it to pieces. As Phuong danced and dodged away from the creature''s swinging gun and buzzsaw, Mason whistled for Streak and circled to its back. He summoned his ws and watched the creature move, looking for weak spots on its legs. The knees, he decided, were about as good as anything. [We need it on the ground] he said to Streak with Speak with Nature, then charged at the giant left tree-trunk of a leg and led with a Predator''s Strike, followed by a series of cuts at the only partly exposed flesh. Again the troll seemedrgely oblivious to its own damage. It just kept on chasing Phuong as Mason sloughed off meat and blood as he worked his way to bone. Seamusunched a few projectiles at the thing''s face, searing off one of its cheeks to reveal an almost skeletal jaw of fangs. Streak made his move, chomping onto the troll''s other leg between metal tes, growling and pulling away from Mason''s other wounded leg. The creature wobbled and finally looked at its legs, briefly trying to jab its saw at Mason before seeming to realize its own body was in the way. It turned, stumbled, and fell to the floor with a huge crash. Mason wasted no time. He ran to the thing''s head and started slicing for the neck, but soon found the damn thing had a metal gorget. He worked at the edges, des bouncing off metal and bone as he sought for the soft fleshy connecting tissues. The troll wasn''t quite sure what to do, apparently. It tried rolling over. When that didn''t work it started spraying more fire and waving its de around, which Mason and Phuong had to dodge but didn''t stop them from attacking. It was still regenerating, but not fast enough, and Mason had a very strange, probably paranoid thought that this was entirely too easy. He forced himself to nce around to make sure there wasn''t any moreing, or some giant army of goblins building in the tunnel beside. But he didn''t see anything. In fact all he saw was a single goblin still hiding in the corner, with what looked like a metal wire running all the way to his desk... Mason met the creature''s goggled eyes. There was sweat leaking from the edges, a kind of resolved madness on the thing''s lips. Mason followed its eyes to the pile of crystals sitting all around the troll, mere feet from all the yers. "Run!" he shouted to the others. "Get back! Get to the caver..." An arcane hum grew so loud and so fast it drowned out Mason''s words. Everything went blue, then white, as the crystals became too blinding to look at. Mason closed his eyes and leapt for the metal support beam at the edge of the hall. Then everything exploded.
Chapter 172: Good day Chapter 172: Good day ke learned a considerable amount over the next twelve hours. First, he''d made his old constructs¡­very stupidly. His ''defender'' form had taught him just as much from what it couldn''t do as what it could. At first it had seemed just vastly superior in every way¡ªit was much bigger and stronger, basically, thicker and obviously more durable. But it explicitly couldn''t have stabbing or shing parts. It was limited to some form of big brute, smashing or grabbing with whatever version of limb or head it had. This taught him his other constructs could be made with shing or piercing parts, and not just wimpy little ws. He could give them sword arms, spears as long as a man, spiked maces and picks. No wonder they hadn''t been able to hurt the damn demon, he realized. He hadn''t given them any weapons! If it hadn''t been for the innate power of the Arcanes, and the height of the pit that eventually killed the thing, ke would have died in that room. And it would have been his own damn fault. When his twelve hours were up he waspletely mana drained and exhausted, still Meditating and just wishing he had more time. More or less he''d been ying battle bots with himself, sending temporary construct against temporary construct over and over before Meditating and doing it again. But he hadn''t tried team fights, flying, more ''animal'' constructs, and a thousand otherbinations. Ilya mostly just watched from the wall, sometimes wandering, sometimes ying with ''Bibi''. "You know it''s going to disappear," he told her after she gave it a name. She stared like he was about to...well, kill her kitten. "I could make a permanent one. I just...didn''t. He''s not alive." "How do you know," she said, but obviously wasn''t too upset. She gave the ''cat'' another good pat on its smooth skin, then seemed like she was about toe up with some borate goodbye when the thing fell apart and vanished into dust. "Guess that means it''s time to sleep," she said with a sigh. "Oh, can you make a bed? Er." She went slightly yellow. "Beds?" ke looked at the hard, cold floor and supposed that should have urred to him. With eight hours he had plenty of time to regain, though, so he drew a little mana from his gem and created a fairly simple,rge mattress. "Yes, yes I can," he grinned, testing to find it at least reasonably soft. But the brain pain of being manaless was real, and he more or less just slumped onto it and closed his eyes. "You don''t have to worry," he said. "I won''t...bother you. Let''s get some sleep." Ilya sat on the far side of the other mattress, bouncing on it and smiling as she finally settled in. Her robe rode up one shapely leg to reveal there wasn''t much underneath. But new ke was a man of his word. A respectable man of¡­honor. Or something. So far at least. He closed his eyes and did his best not to think about kissing and touching her back in her friend''s tent, closing a hand around the magic orc stone in his pocket. "I think we should try to get to my house," she said after a few minutes. "I doubt they''re guarding it. And we could hide in the secret alcove, and at least I know some routes to escape there. I...don''t know where else to go. I don''t think we can trust any of the chiefs." ke heard the fear in the girl''s voice and turned to face her. "OK. That''s what we''ll do." He smiled until she met his eyes. "We''re going to be alright, Ilya. I promise." She smiled back, and it wasn''t just politeness in her exotic, beautiful eyes, he decided. He hadn''t used Mental Influence or tried to trick her, because he truly believed they would survive, and they''d win. All he''d had to do was show her that belief, and she believed too. Because she trusted him. "Get some rest," he said, fighting his attraction andying down. First he opened his still damaged but repairing Mental Partition and pulled back his Influence and Control powers, knowing he may need them in the tower. He wouldn''t use them on his friends or allies anymore, that much he''d decided. But he''d sure as hell use them on his enemies. He also realized this wasn''t just about him. RoboGod could say whatever it wanted¡ªcould give him whatever objectives it wanted. He didn''t care about Gromsh and never really had. No doubt he was just some orc as screwed up and overwhelmed by the power of the system as ke and the others. But killing him both meant escaping this trap, and now saving Ilya. So King Gromsh was going to die. ke closed his eyes, Meditating and focusing on his Partition. In the days ahead, he was going to need every tool in his arsenal, including Duality of Ambition, which had seemed to do absolutely nothing except boost his constructs overall. But ke knew that wasn¡¯t how these things worked. Mason had warned him of a price for his mental powers and he¡¯d been right. He had suffered when he used his own ¡®Duality¡¯. And ke no longer had any illusions that he¡¯d escape his own. He just didn¡¯t yet know how, or when¡­ * * * "Ready?" ke said, standing at the demon''s altar with Ilya, Navi, and two new Arcane constructs as thest few minutes ticked down. "Ready," she said, holding onto his arm. It had urred to him that she wasn''t able to ''teleport'' in, and that maybe she couldn''t teleport out. But he also figured the dungeon just sort of ''ejected'' them when the timer ran out, so he figured he''d try the altar and see. Then if it didn''t work he''d be out just ahead of her. That it might not send her out at all he refused to contemte. Finally he touched the altar and looked at the prompt, which seemed to indicate it knew he had a group. That was promising, at least. He epted the exit, and the world vanished as Ilya squeezed his arm. Then he was standing at the front of the ''ancient orc mine'', and Ilya was still holding his hand. "That was amazing!" she whispered, looking around the cavern. His constructs hade too, which was somewhat expected but also a relief. Why Ilya should suddenly get to interact with the dungeon like a yer now he didn''t know, but guessed it might be because she hadn''t had a proper ''ss'' before and now did. But then with roboGod you just couldn''t know. Maybe today the ''subsystem'' in charge just felt like it. "I expected guards," ke said quietly, a bit shocked, and still ready to make liberal use of Mind Control. The wooden boards he''d broken to get inside were back up, suspiciously identical to the way they''d been before. He was starting to think the dungeon had sort of ''reset'' itself, and that the orcs had no idea they''d actuallye in here. He turned around and tried to get back inside. But there was no prompt now. Just a blocked mineshaft covered in rubble. "Damn," he muttered, looking out from the few gaps in the wooden boards. "Could we just hide here?" Ilya said, and ke tapped his chin. He decided on a resounding ¡®maybe¡¯. There were too many holes in the boards, and the wood was too thin. He could maybe plug them with magic, but the damn orc city was just outside, and they could hear the creatures moving constantly. There was also absolutely nowhere to run if they were found. "Let''s go to your house," he said, focusing on his constructs until they copsed and vanished. "I''m not getting used to that," Ilya said, then gestured at her robe and threw up her hands. "I need something...less conspicuous. Could you go first and find me something? There''s cloth sellers. Fur. If you can..." ke grinned and focused as he created a pre-nned outfit with True Making, hoping it wouldn''t be thest. "Enjoy. But they vanish at midnight," he said, holding out some in clothes much like she''d worn when they first met. "You¡¯re just like Cindere." Ilya shook her head then gestured for ke to turn around, which he did only slowly and with a wink. Apparently he was getting horny enough just the sounds of her clothes hitting the floor was enough to get him going, and he let out as much thirst as he could with a deep sigh. "And what''s Cindere?" Ilya said, stepping up beside him as she tied back her hair. "Human princess," ke said, inspecting his handiwork with pride. "And she woremon rags like these?" Ilya stared, obviously far less impressed. "No, not the...nevermind. Are you ready? Remember¡ªif we''re challenged, don''t run, don''t make a scene, just stop and do what they..." "And you''ll control their minds, I know." She sighed. "Sometimes I can''t believe I''m allied with a human mind mage. My father would turn in his grave." Her tone was light at first, but darkened as she spoke of her dead father. ke took her arm and have it a squeeze, pulling up his hood. "Let''s go end the monster that put him there." Ilya nodded, then ke opened just enough of the boards with Telekinesis for them to stroll on through, like they were just out for a pleasant walk. A homeless orc sat right outside, staring as ke hovered the boards in the air as he and Ilya passed. The orc gaped with an open mouth, broken tusks hanging as his eyes went back and forth between ke and Ilya. "Good day," ke said, taking Ilya forward without hurry. Then he put all the boards back where they''d been, floating them Fantasia style as he walked off without another word.
Chapter 173: Should have thought of that Chapter 173: Should have thought of that [Apex Predator activated: Arcane Affinity] Mason blinked and wiped his hands across his face, but still couldn''t see. "Streak?" he called, hearing only a muffled version of his own voice. The pain was rtively minor, as far as Mason getting blown up and nearly killed went. He could feel a few sharp pulsing wounds that were probably shrapnel. Most of his skin felt raw and slightly burned, particrly his face. But that wasn''t so bad. As long as his eyes started healing. But Streak and Phuong had been just as close to the st as him...and maybe closer. Mason focused on his still dulled hearing, trying to make out friend or foe and hoping to God that troll was either dead or down. Mostly all he could hear was his own pulse. Then after the fiftieth blink or so, it actually worked. Light appeared in the darkness, blurry and blue and without much shape, but light. He instantly pulled up his profile to find Streak in thepanion tab. He was still there. That was a start. Mason used Speak with Nature. [Where are you? I can''t see you.] The wolf whimpered from not far away, and Mason didn''t bother trying to find him and see the damage, he just activated Shared Pain. Then he copsed. The sound of his own bones snapping pierced his dulled ears. Whatever mild burns he''d been suffering from became an overwhelming agony that swept the front of his body. Hey there gasping, mind nked and thinking of nothing except the next breath, the next moment with a tiny break from the pain. [Power activated: Duality of Strength] "Oh shite Mason is done." He heard Seamusing closer. "How the feck are we supposed to finish this without him?" "Mason?" Phuong''s voice. "Can you hear me?" "I''ll heal," Mason managed through bleeding lips. "Alex?" ¡°Jesus Christ.¡± He practically heard Seamus cross himself. But Phuong¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t phased. "Alex is fine. He was too far away." Mason nodded and closed his eyes, probably passing out awhile before he blinked again and managed to sit up. "Jeeeezus" Seamus was sitting nearby and looked at Mason like he''d seen a ghost. "You were fecking sausage, mate. You both were. I could see your skull." Mason was about to ask for Streak when the wolf came padding over and slumped down. He grinned and found a spot on the wolf that didn''t look burned, and gave him a scratch. "Sorry about that, buddy," he said. "Should have thought about the crystals exploding." Then he looked over at Phuong, who seemed damn near unscathed. "How the hell aren''t you in about five pieces?" "Alex," he said, his face still grave. Then he gestured with his eyes and Mason turned to see what he was looking at. Mason''spound bow was lying on the floor, broken into at least three pieces. "Ah hell." He didn''t currently have the heart to go see exactly how destroyed it was. Instead he rose up and moved closer to the still body of the troll. Well, the main piece, anyway. The creature''s various parts had obviously been fueled by the crystals, which apparently also exploded. Mason looked it over with Ranger''s Mark, and saw its organs were very, very dead. "Well that''s something, I guess," he sighed, then looked down one of the tunnels. "You guys take a peek while I was out?" Phuong shook his head. "I''m more hurt than I look. The st knocked me flying." Mason frowned and swapped his ranger''s mark to Phuong. "Don''t freak out if you get some kind of power warning," he said, inspecting the man with his x-ray-like view. "You look OK. No internal bleeding. Organs good. But I think you cracked a rib." The older man winced and touched his side. "Sounds right." He looked around like someone might be listening. "Today I''m feeling too old for this nonsense. But don''t tell Miss Reba or A." Mason grinned, just d the man was OK. "Not a word." Phuong still looked troubled and opened his mouth once wordlessly before seeming to figure out what to say. "Patron, I don''t know how else to say this, but, you''ve...grown scales." Mason blinked and put a hand to his face, finding skin that felt extremely hard and slightly cool to the touch. "And some kind of film over yer eyes," Seamus added as if he didn''t much care anymore. "And your bones are still showing, mate." Mason continued the self-inspection to find a kind of...carapace where his legs had been most hurt. He blinked and kept touching hard patches of skin and tissue before thinking it had to be either his ''transformation'' power, or Duality of Strength. Or both. Did that mean the more punishment he took, the more he''d react with...adaptation, or something simr? Was it permanent? The thought was vaguely disturbing, but he didn''t see a damn thing he could currently do about it. He¡¯d gone from being not in control of his mind to being not in control of his body. But he supposed if he had to pick, he¡¯d still pick this. He took a few breaths and walked around the room, finding nothing but sttered troll and goblin and smashed apart machinery. He finally built up the will and walked to his bow to find it just as destroyed as he expected. The riser, or central body of the bow, was totally broken. There was no way in hell he could salvage it. Maybe they had some kind of civilian in town who could do such a thing, but he sincerely doubted it. With a sigh, he dropped the pieces to the floor and summoned his ws. Whatever the hell was going on with his powers and body would just have to y out without his worrying, because he didn''t have the time or energy. He had a damn tree to save, and at least he didn''t have to think about what to do inbat anymore. No more running around being cute. Now it was just charge, and cut. "Two more minutes to rest," he said, mostly to himself. "Then we go finish this thing." * * * The tunnels all seemed to lead to the same ce. All were now empty of goblins, but covered in an assortment of crystals, contraptions, mining and lumber equipment, all of which were scattered and abandoned along the walls. Mason''s senses had returned to normal, and he could hear the creatures all shrieking and scampering around somewhere ahead. The metal corridors were disappearing now, giving way to cut wood that smelled of rot and the acidic scent of the infused crystals. Whatever mercy was left in Mason''s heart at the start of all this was entirely gone. He didn''t rightly care if the engineers were armed, or if at some point they surrendered. For what they''d done to Mai, and for what they were doing to this tree, he intended to make them all pay. The smell of rot got worse and worse, until even the others noticed andined. Then finally the tunnel ended in another small cavern, with a glowing green orb in its center. No, Mason realized, not an orb. It was a heart made of nt flesh. Another tunnel that looked like a garbage chute was at the back of the cavern, with a few goblins still leaping down clutching what looked like green crystals. Some nced at Mason and yelped to hurry, only a few staying and holding their crystals like grenades. "Back!" one screamed. "Or we destroy tree!" "No." Mason said, swinging his ws in a little circle and as he stared at the goblin. "I think you''re greedy little cowards, and you''d rather live. Run, for all I care. But if you destroy the tree, I''m going to kill you all, and nothing on this earth is going to stop me." It was hard to read the goblins due to their goggles. But after a second or two of a very weird staring contest, the little creature turned and ran for the chute. "Should I kill them? Seamus said, eyes starting to kindle with me. "Don''t bother," Mason said, moving closer to the heart. As he did he felt a kind of nausea and danger, like he was nearing a wounded animal that yet may strike. [I''m going to try and cleanse you] he said with Speak with Nature and his hand on the wall. [I have Gaia''s blessing. It may not work, but there''s a chance.] The heart beat and pulsed with light, and Mason walked forward to touch it with his hand. "Sorry mate," he heard from behind him. "Quest says burn the heart. Can''t have Mai die for nothing. It''s nothing personal." Mason blinked, gut dropping as he turned to call out to Phuong or activate Aspect of the Cheetah or do something. Seamus'' fiery bolts streaked over his shoulder, straight into the heart.
Chapter 174: Just like Cinderella Chapter 174: Just like Cindere ke and Ilya walked along the wall of the orc city like countless others. They seemed far less empty than before, and ke wondered if the tower orcs were starting to get tired of their permanent state of martialw. If the ¡®economy¡¯ of the ce was anything like human cities, he expected they simply couldn¡¯t do it. You couldn''t just keep an entire society of healthy men and women from going about their lives without expecting derangement, rebellion, and probably starvation. But whatever the reason, it was very good news for ke and Ilya. They blended easily into the crowd, wandering with the throng without a second nce from anyone. There was still the asional warrior patrolling or looking half-heartedly around the crowd, but ke doubted they¡¯d even be able to pick his face from any other. He still didn¡¯t know exactly how Adaptive Veil worked. He got the impression his features didn¡¯t ¡®change¡¯, though, because he always seemed to look the same to Ilya. Nor did he see any way to change them intentionally. Though that would surely be good to figure out if it was so. They stood outside Ilya¡¯s house for several minutes pretending to shop at the nearby merchants. It had clearly been ransacked, the outer door torn off its hinges, an empty room visible inside. Not only was there no obvious guards, it looked like there was squatters inside. "Well," ke frowned as he watched the few orcs move about. "We can''t clear them out without getting unwanted attention. We could join them, but I can''t exactly practice making constructs with an audience. Is there more to that secret stream? Can we explore it?" Ilya nodded. "When I was younger I crept through it a ways. There''s many passages.¡± Her tone darkened. ¡°But we shouldn''t let any of those filthy degenerates in there see us enter it." Apparently Ilya wasn¡¯t much pleased about her childhood home being looted and upied. ke took her hand and walked through the broken door, paying no attention to the dozen miserable orcs lying down in different rooms. They went to the secret tunnel and found it was still hidden behind the family tabard, which didn''t seem likely tost forever either. A single big orc sat in the room, one armed and with broken tusks, he looked up at ke and Ilya with a scowl. "Room''s taken. Get out," he said gruffly, and ke sighed. He couldn''t allow this orc to talk or arouse suspicion. A corpse wasn''t ideal, either, which left his choices pretty clear. He knelt and looked the orc in the eye, activating Mental Influence and Mind Control and quick session. ¡°The King ising back here,¡± he said, voice sounding strange to his own ears with arcane enhancement, ¡°and he''ll kill anyone he finds in the traitor''s house. You need to get far, far away, as quickly as you can.¡± The orc''s eyes widened with fear and anger, but he groaned to his feet and pushed passed ke in silence, bumping their shoulders roughly as he went. As soon as he was gone, ke found a ripped curtain and hung it in the doorway. "There we are," he said with a smile, holding back the tabard to reveal the tunnel. "Ladies first." Ilya gave him a slightly concerned look, and he was reminded about Mason''s warning and people''s feelings about mind control. No doubt she couldn''t help but wonder if he used such things on her. But he wasn''t sure how to reassure her. Either way, she walked on and ducked under the tabard, disappearing into the tunnel. * * * Exploring the secret tunnels behind Ilya''s home was dark, cramped, and altogether unpleasant. ke finally stopped and made himself antern with True Making, dulling it slightly when Ilyained. The stream wound and vanished through holes and crevasses far too small to be followed, but other narrow passages usually took them back to find it again. By the time ke was getting so ustrophobic he was ready to give up and return to the somewhatrger area right outside Ilya''s home, a tunnel expanded. Then it expanded again, and again. ke and Ilya found themselves standing in a small cavern with several more passages leading out. It even looked like there was arge patch of mushrooms growing near the stream that ran through a corner. Ilya pped her hands excitedly and half hugged ke before she got self-conscious and calmed down. "This will do, yes?" "It''s perfect." ke smiled. "I like mushrooms as much as the next guy, but we still have a food problem. I guess we can make our way back and bring in as much as we can carry. Can I...put you in charge of that? So I can focus?" Ilya nodded. "I''ll look around some more. But if I have to go back the way we came and get food, that''s what I''ll do." ke wanted to bring up the mind control and say she didn''t have to worry¡ªto thank her for everything she did for him. To tell her how d he was to have herpany. Instead he just smiled and met her eyes. "Let''s get to work." The world disappeared as ke focused on his powers. Every now and then he heard Ilya enter or exit their new little home, but he paid no attention. All his focus went towards fixing thest bits of damage to his Partition, and designing new constructs. He couldn''t know the exact nature of his enemy, but monstrous strength was a clear enough bet. His basic ''n'' was a single Psionic defender to keep the king busy, then several Arcane damage dealers covered in weapons to rip him apart. He summoned several variations of the damage dealers and forced them to fight in the limited space, hiding himself in the tunnel. The clear winners used something like a pick-axe, but then breaking constructs wasn''t the same as breaking an orc king. Still, it seemed a good bet against something tough or armored, and he focused more on piercing weapons than shing. It would also be easier to stab in a confined space against the same target, so he gave them one spear arm, and one pick arm, with a third smaller arm on the front to grab and arcane burn if it came to it. When he finally looked up from his final design, Ilya was sitting by a small fire surrounded by food and cooking utensils. He blinked as he stared. "How did you?..." "Could you make us some nkets or furs or something? I didn''t much like the mattress. Oh! And we need some bowls. I couldn¡¯t find any." ke grinned and set to work, able to set the duration of Practical Objects for several days without much mana. Then they were sitting by the fire eating some kind of typical orc stew, and ke groaned at the warmth and the salt and the quiet, peaceful dark. "A day to test some tactics," he said, "then I''ll be ready enough. But I need to figure out this king''s routine. They''ll know your face, but very few will know mine. So I''ll go out snooping." Ilya nodded, then scrunched her face slightly. "Can''t you...I mean you''re a human who looks like an orc. Can''t you change it? Your face I mean?" ke shrugged. "I''m not sure, to be honest. I guess I could...turn off my disguise, and wait a day. Maybe tomorrow try it again, see if that matters. It won''t...bother you, to see me as a human?" Ilya shook her head slowly, and ke dropped his Adaptive Veil. "Boo," he said with a wink, trying not to feel too ufortable as Ilya stared. She shook her head as if in amazement. "Your eyes are so...blue. Can I..." she shifted herself slightly towards him. "Can I touch your skin? I just want to...feel what it''s like." "If you wish," ke said, not sure what else to say. Ilya kept sliding towards him, then reached out like he was some kind of rattlesnake. "I don''t bite," he said, grinning, and she went a little yellow. Her hands were very feminine looking just like the rest of her, but her skin was somewhat rough. She ran her fingers along his cheeks and chin, giggling when she yed with his ears and eyebrows. "You''re so smooth," she said. "Like baby''s skin." "I have no idea if that''s ttering," ke said, making Ilya giggle. Then he noticed a shing timer in the corner of his eye and grinned. "What?" she said, still obviously a little embarrassed but not enough to stop touching him. "You''ll see, Cindere." She narrowed her exotic amber eyes, then looked down as her clothes started to fade, then copse entirely in a heap, leaving her topless and in nothing but a loincloth. She froze in something like panic as ke inspected her with no attempt at subtlety. "Can I touch your skin?" he said, running a finger over her hand. "If you¡­wish," she sort of squeaked back, still blushing as she bit her lip. ke was no stranger to the curious and amorous looks of women, and frankly, as gentlemanly as he wished to be, he had run entirely out of reasons to ignore it. He trailed his fingers down her arms and sides, then leaned forward and kissed her.
Chapter 175: Human Magic (NSFW) Chapter 175: Human Magic (NSFW) Ilya¡¯s lips were thick and soft. She made a slight moaning sound and didn¡¯t move as ke came forward until her breasts squished against his chest. She pulled back for air with closed eyes, and ke trailed kisses down her face to her neck as he ran his hands up her back. Ilya moaned just at that, and ke was getting harder by the second. He soon cupped her ass and moved his lips lower, making a path down her corbone and shoulder to her full breasts. She gripped his open shirt with both hands, and held her breath when he finally found her nipple. She shivered as he licked and sucked, so engrossed she clearly didn¡¯t notice that he was pulling down her underwear. He nced down to see she was hairless, her sex the same as a human woman¡¯s and swollen already. He ran his hand eagerly between her legs as he kept working her nipples, unable to help himself. ¡°ke¡­¡± Her eyes were still closed as she covered his hand with hers, chest heaving with breaths. ¡°I don¡¯t know how humans¡­is it¡­the same?¡± ¡°Not sure. Don¡¯t care,¡± ke said, moving up to kiss her again. ¡°I say we just¡­do whatever feels right.¡± She opened her eyes and nodded, spreading her legs slightly and pushing on his hand. ¡°I want to. To be with you. To please you. Very much.¡± ke practically shivered with lust. He buried a finger inside her as he watched her eyes, then put a thumb to her lips. She opened her mouth and sucked as he fingered her, wetness soon coating his fingers. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re going to,¡± he breathed hoarsely, exploring her and finding exactly what he¡¯d expect from a human woman, if slightlyrger. But then his size was often an issue. "I''m...I''m ready for you now," she said, suddenly turning in his arms and going down to her hands and knees, lowering herself and sticking her ass up. For a moment ke just stared in shock. The view, of course, was amazing. But it had been so sudden and jarring he was pretty sure he''d just encountered a cultural sexual disconnect. It urred to him that orcs might not exactly be the tender loving type. Were she just another conquest, ke might have been thrilled. But she wasn''t. And he was pretty sure she was a virgin or else had very limited experience. He moved behind her as if to do what she expected, but instead trailed kisses up her ass and back. She shivered, and he again reached between her legs, this time to y with what he hoped was her clit. She made little noises that told him he was on the right track, so he kept himself pressed against her as he worked, moving up to kiss her face as he stroked. "What..." she said breathlessly, obviously confused, but also obviously enjoying herself. He pulled her up just to her knees, turning her head to kiss her lips as he kept going. "Just go where I move you," he said, and she nodded as she gripped his thighs. He worked her slowly and gently, loving her sounds and increasing breaths as she closed her eyes and squirmed against his hand. "I feel...I think...something''s happening." She was writhing against him now and he loved every second of it. Her opening was soaked and making little sucking sounds as he fingered and rubbed, rubbed and fingered. Then she literally screamed, the sound echoing through their little cavern as she practically bucked him back. ke couldn''t help but chuckle as she came down shaking, eyes fluttering as her body flushed and she sagged in his arms. After several long, very intimate seconds with his hand still inside her, her body wiggling against him, she licked her lips and opened her eyes. "Was that...human magic?" she asked, so innocently he smiled. "Maybe," he said, then slowlyy her down on her back. She was still flushed, amazing breasts and body on disy, legs spreading instantly as he pulled them apart. She looked at his cock and bit her lip as he lined it up. "I''ve never seen...I didn''t know it could be done this way." ke grinned and took his time. He used his hard length to y and tease her opening, soon causing her to put her hands on her face as she trembled. Finally he pushed inside, and she took every inch of his veryrge member, feeling like a perfect fit around him. Hey on top of her and kissed her slowly, intimately as he kept still inside her. "This is what you deserve," he said, pushing some of her dark hair away from her face. She stared up at him, looking between his eyes as she wrapped her arms and legs around him. "Please," she whispered, "take me. Mate with me.¡± ke didn''t exactly need encouragement. Ilya felt amazing¡ªthe contrast of her strength and sometimes rough skin, to the warm, wet softness inside her, her lips and breasts and curves. He thrust slow and deep, watching the pleasure and need on her face as she watched him back. She wasn''t just saying words. She wanted him, to please him, desperately. He wasn''t sure any woman had ever looked at him like that, even Seul-ki. There was no guile, no ulterior motive, no social climbing or convenience. She had made the choice to be his, and was loving every moment of the reality. He kissed her and touched every part he could as he kept a steady rhythm of pounding her into the furs. She was gripping his cock with an almost inhuman strength, squeezing so she felt so tight and hot he was struggling for the first time in years just not to physically lose control. Or maybe he just wanted to. Ilya was staring into his eyes, as if not wanting to miss a moment of his pleasure. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was orc women in general or just Ilya, but it didn¡¯t make much difference, it was hot as hell. She ran her hands through his hair, gripped his ass, touching him as much as he touched her. He twitched inside her as he started to lose control, and she felt it. "Please," she kissed him fiercely, panting. "I want it inside. To feel your warmth in me." ke sped up and stopped fighting, letting his body open and flow. The tension and pressure squeezed up his balls instantly, his desire and lust for Ilya so natural his mind had stopped working entirely. She was practically sucking and squeezing it out of him, pulling him deeper as she kissed his neck. He buried his hands in her dark hair as he came. Without a shred of reservation or self-consciousness, he just pounded into her wet, eager body, spraying into her again and again, his balls draining every drop deep into Ilya. When he was finally done he copsed on top of her, her hands still roaming his body like she couldn''t get enough. "You''re so soft," she breathed, clutching him. "I can''t stop touching you." "I''m hard in a few ces," he muttered into her neck, and she giggled. "Mmm, yes you are." She squeezed him with all her limbs as if to trap him inside, wrapping herself around him. He closed his eyes, no intention of moving, and after a very long day, slept in moments. * * * A wild animal attacked them in the night, growling and leaping through the dark before ke''s constructs caught and sttered it against the wall. "Jesus Christ." He woke up in a hurry and stared at what looked like a badger from hell. Ilya was somewhat equally disturbed, and looked a little sheepish. "I should have thought of that. There are some dangers down here." Then she frowned. "What''s Jesus Christ?" Her furs had slipped down around her waist, and she looked so cute and sex-ruffled ke felt the tension drain as heughed. He pushed her back down and started trailing kisses down her body, and the orc girl looked utterly shocked. "You needn''t, um, pleasure me until you''re ready again in a few days!" "A few days?" ke looked at her, then took her hand and curled it around his hardening shaft. "At my age, and your hotness, darling, we''re talking minutes." She fondled him as if she''d forgotten what they were talking about, then shook her head. "That¡¯s impossible. Human men must have countless wives." ke grimaced slightly at that. He had no idea what the future might hold, and he knew he might be about to ruin things, but didn''t want to lie to Ilya even for a moment. "I...do have a woman, back in my human town. I should have told you about her." Ilya squinted, and if anything, stroked his cock faster. "Good," she said, as if it turned her on. "My mate is desirable. I''m not surprised." "Your mate, huh?" he said, the small concern he had vanishing and reced with lust. "Yes," she said, a little shyly, looking up at him. "I don''t know if orcs and humans can..." she flushed a little. "But I would like to try." "Then we''d better try the orc way, too," ke said. "For science." "For what?" Ilya squinted as ke activated Telekinesis and spun Ilya around with a shriek. She adjusted quickly, arching her back like a damn gymnast, giving him a perfect view of her tight little ass and incredible pussy, and he yed with both with his tip. As before Ilya clearly loved to be teased, opening for him instantly. Then he took a handful of her hair and pped her several times, hoping to give her the full orc experience. She was wet and wiggling by the time he pushed inside, this time moving up to jackhammer speed as soon as she was ready. Then her ass was pping and bouncing against him, her whole body pushing back to take him deeper and harder. In control now after his first orgasm, he just kept fucking her, lost in the moment and not wanting it to end. She started making little moans every thrust, panting and pushing against him with her arms stretched forward, sweat beading on her skin. Then she was crying out with abandon again, quivering on his cock and mping down harder than any woman in his life. He wanted to fill her in that moment, and let the pressure go. Then he was yanking on her hair as he exploded in her from behind, gripping her ass and pulling her back to cum deep inside. When they finallyy down to their sides, ke was still inside her, groping her tits as she pressed into his arms. "I feel so...alive," Ilya said, putting her hands over his. "I can''t believe...well, any of this. My life since...since I met you. I don''t want it to end." "Neither do I," ke said, and meant. She sighed and turned in his arms. "I''m your mate, now. You can have me whenever you wish, however you wish. We can''t know how...if our n will work." ke held the beautiful orc girl, knowing then she didn''t expect to survive their encounter with Gromsh. He supposed he didn''t me her. Normal people judged risk based on evidence, and everything in this tower was stacked against them. He''d had some setbacks, of course, but ke''s faith in himself, in his fortune and destiny, remained. He just wished he could tell her, wished he could exin. He was going to win because he had things to do, because his ambitions were far grander than this tower. And though he knew that same grand destiny for him didn''t protect her, he could keep her out of it, keep her safe until the end. He stroked her cheek until she met his eyes, hoping she could see his unshakable belief, and findfort. "We have plenty of time," he said, and kissed her. "But don''t worry. We''ll ''mate'' like we don''t." Ilya grinned, and squeezed him hard. He sighed and closed his eyes. A little more sleep, perhaps, before another round¡­
Chapter 176: That felt good Chapter 176: That felt good Mason froze as he watched the ming missiles strike the tree''s heart. It was like seeing someone drop a ss, or slip on some ice. You knew where things were likely headed, but still hoped it was otherwise. It didn''t explode, or rip apart, at least. Instead a chunk of the beautiful green flesh darkened, and a noise like a strong wind through a woods rattled in the air. The heart ''closed'' like a flower, covering itself in a thickyer of dark flesh almost like a walnut. It all happened very fast. Seamus too just stood there as if wondering what would happen next. He didn¡¯t have to wonder long. The room shook. A deep groan again like a ship creaking in the waves followed, then something emerged from the wooden wall. That something had a face. An angry face, followed by limbs and a body the size of arge truck. It ripped and squeezed from the cavern like a thing being born, eyes locked squarely on Seamus. The fire wizard didn''t waste time. He fired another series of fiery sts at the creature, which seemedrgely to shrug the magic off. It was slick with moisture, flesh green and far too new to burn properly. "Shit." Seamus kept shooting as he started to run around the room, and Mason and the others just stood watching. Phuong and Alex crossed their arms as they waited for instruction. The green giant lumbered on, chasing Seamus slowly around the room, asionally shooting some kind of thorn that burned up on the wizard''s shield. "Come on, mate, you''ve gotta help me!" "I don''t have to do a God damn thing," Mason said, pretty bloody pissed and obviously not the target of the creature''s wrath. "Frankly you''re lucky I don''t help it kill you." "Awe on!" Seamus loosed another series of sts, almost waiting too long as the walking tree practically swiped his head off. But it missed, and the Irishman ran on. Mason shook his head, not sure what he wanted to do. Nassau was desperately in need of casters. The man had tricked him but he understood why. System quests weren''t the kind of thing most people could just ignore. Which made him wonder what the hell the game had in store for him in the future in terms of yer betrayal and cross purposes. "You''ll agree to serve me and my settlement," he said after a little while. ¡°With no conditions.¡± "What?" Seamus ducked another murderous swing and fled. "Are you bloody ckmailing me?" "Yes. And you''d better stop wasting time. You''ll sign a contract, whatever the fuck I say. For one year. And after I save you, there''s no more burning the tree, or I''ll kill you myself. Or," he shrugged, "you can stop this thing on your own." Seamus loosed yet another fire st, with about as much result as the first one. He tried shooting the ''walnut'', which did exactly nothing. He was pale and sweating now, already tired with obviously no idea what to do. "Fuck''s sake!," he shouted. "My friend is dead. I''m a person and this is just a fucking game! You''ve gotta help me!" "One year,¡± Mason said again. ¡°Agree and we''ll sort out the detailster. I''ll take you at your word. Better hurry, or I''ll make it longer." Mason could see Phuong grinning now and supposed it was a little funny. The Irishman clearly didn''t have the greatest physical stats, and by his wheezing breaths he¡¯d probably been smoking most of his life. "Christ Jesus!" The man tripped and nearly got stomped to death before leaping and scrambling away. "OK! Whatever you say! Just help me God damnit!" Mason put a hand to the wall and closed his eyes, activating Speak with Nature. [I won''t let him hurt you again. Call off the guard, and I''ll still cleanse you as I promised.] The same burning warmth touched his hand, full of regret and maybe...apology? With the same overarching feel of helplessness. Mason understood. It couldn''t call off the guard. It was too weak to control such things anymore. They just happened. Mason was going to have to stop it himself. He shook his head, angry again. He knew the thing was alive, probably little different than the ''defender'' he''d made with the nymphs. He tried to tell himself this was all just a nonsense invented by some god-like AI. It wasn¡¯t ¡®real¡¯. But he found he couldn''t quite believe that anymore. "Alright." He summoned his ws and looked to Alex and Phuong. "We have to put it down." * * * Mason dropped three snaring traps, walked behind the thing, then started with a Crippling Strike. It roared in outrage, spinning instantly to clobber Mason before he leapt away. "Oh thank Jesus." Seamus basically copsed a little ways away, and as if sensing vulnerability the tree-man turned and lurched towards him. He shrieked like a little girl and rolled to his feet to run, but Mason''s Crippling Strike had done its work, and the creature could barely move. Phuong and Streak took two new angles¡ªthe swordsman shing at the defender''s arms as the wolf chomped at its ''knee'' and pulled. Mason held his ground and kept slicing with Predator''s Strike on cooldown, trying to hold its attention. Instead, the creature drew into itself and seemed to stop fighting. "Watch out!" Mason shouted, activating his Shield gem. The thing somewhat unsurprisingly erupted in thorns. Mason activated Shared Pain just in case, and felt a couple spikes dig as phantom wounds into his side. He heard Alex''s shields sizzling and assumed the others were safe. Then he charged back in and started shing. Phuong did the same. Streak threw his increasingly heavy weight into the tree and damn near knocked it over on his own. Huge trunk-like arms waved back and forth at them angrily, but they were too fast and too many. Bits and pieces of branch and nt flesh dropped to the floor as the thing got smaller and smaller. But it also seemed to get faster. Finally it managed to grab Mason with a brutally strong grip, face twisting in an expression of betrayal as it squeezed. [Duality of strength activated.] Mason hacked at its arm but it was still too thick to cut. Then he unsummoned his swords and grabbed its ''hand''. The hard wood was trying to crush his whole neck, but the harder the thing squeezed, the less afraid Mason felt. It was like lightning coursed through his body, focusing on his neck and pushing his muscles out like an inted balloon. Mason pried the creature''s fingers apart, a hand on each side pushing the fingers off his waist. The tree-man''s face nked in obvious confusion, then anger as it brought in its other arm, ignoring the damage caused by the others to its back. It put both hands to Mason, and crushed. And failed. Mason growled and pushed it back, finding every moment it squeezed the resistance got easier. And easier. When holding the thing''s hands away became almost simple, he forced them away, then leapt forward and re-summoned his ws. With a brutal stroke, he shed a Predator''s Strike at the tree-man''s neck, smashing as much as cutting the de all the way to the hilt. He used it to climb onto the creature''s shoulder, grabbed its head, and started pulling. Like roots ripping from the soil, he yanked the thing''s head inch by inch from its neck, getting underneath and pushing with his body until he had it six feet in the air. Then he pulled his sword, and sliced thest few tendrils holding it together. The treeman copsed. [Killed Great Tree Guardian. Group experience awarded.] Mason stood and dusted himself off. He walked to the creature''s separated head and closed its ''eyes'' with a sigh. He knew he would dream of that look of betrayal etched across the treeman¡¯s face, and it would not be a pleasant dream. He looked at Seamus, whose gaze went back and forth between Mason and the treeman''s head like he couldn''t quite understand what he was looking at. "That innocent creature¡¯s death is on you," Mason said. "It was just trying to protect life. Protect this great tree that does nothing but spread life." "It''s not...real," Seamus said. "It''s just a game, mate." Mason was on him in a blink. He lifted the scrawny little Irishman with one hand on his throat, working hard not to squeeze. "Shut the fuck up and listen. If this..." he gestured at the walls. "If nothing means anything, if this is all just some sick twisted world, then the only thing that matters, the only thing we can control, is what we do.¡± He set the man down and took a breath. ¡°Don''t let it turn you into a puppet. Or a monster. Don''t burn something good because it says so. Because that''s on you." "Alright, mate, Jesus," Seamus rubbed his neck and stepped away. "Whatever you say." Mason shook his head and walked to the ''walnut'', putting his hands on the hardened flesh. "It''s alright," he said, activating Speak with Nature. "Open. No one will hurt you now." The protective coating slowly receded, and Mason put his hands gently on the green heart and turned on Blessing of Gaia. Then he gasped as the corruption struck him. It was like being back in the red pool in the first great tree, but far, far worse. Something sucked at his mana, at his strength, his energy, his life. He heard himself moan and soon fell to his knees, repeating again and again in his mind that he could take it, he couldst. "Mason..." Phuong was saying behind him, obviously concerned though Mason had no idea what he was seeing. "I''m alright," he said, not sure that was true. "Just a little more. Then I¡¯ll¡­" Through the link in the tree he could feel the despair. The concern. The hopelessness. "Stop that," Mason whispered. "You''ll make it. We both will. We go together. Keep drawing more." The draining pressure increased and Mason gasped as something cold spread through his limbs. "Streak," he whispered. "I need you." The wolf came to Mason''s side, and he stared into his friend''s eyes. He activated Shared Pain, and Streak growled and whimpered as it buried its face in Mason''s chest. A little warmth came back, spreading like water from Streak''s nose down his body. He shivered and reminded himself he needed to live for ke, for Nassau, for the girls. Then it was done. The connection with the heart was gone, and he lifted his hands and sat beside it taking long, deep breaths. [Objectiveplete. Cleanse the Great ins tree. Experience awarded.] [System Message: There is one more tree to cleanse toplete {Objective: Cleanse the holy trees of the Great Forest. Earn reward: Wyrdwalking.}] [Dungeonpleted. Experience awarded. You have earned enough experience to level to sixteen!] [Please select a new power to enhance. As a patron, you have twenty-four hours.] "Oh shite it finished my quest. Ha! Guess I just had to ''cleanse'' it, not necessarily ''burn'' it." The Irishman grinned like they were all good friends again, the trouble he''d caused no big deal. Mason found he couldn''t do anything but stare at the man. Then he heard a sizzle as Phuong waved his sword in a figure eight, and the Irishman''s eyes rolled back as he dropped, very stunned, unceremoniously to the floor. "That felt good," said the older man, sheathing his de and rolling Seamus roughly with his foot. "But I leveled too. Thank you for bringing us to the dungeon, Patron. That was very¡­interesting." Masony back with Streak and grinned.
Chapter 177: Level Sixteen Chapter 177: Level Sixteen Level sixteen. Mason had sure as helle a long ways from a panicked level one in the tutorial, barely able to kill a goblin. On the other hand, back then at least he¡¯d had a bow. But moaning didn''t help anything. He pulled up his profile.
Mason Nimitz Level: 16 Primary ss: Ranger (tier 2) Secondary ss: Druid Prestige ss: Avatar of Cerebus Strength: 19 Dexterity: 24 Vitality: 23 Intellect: 12 Will: 16 Presence: 10 Luck: 9 Essences: Essence of the Wolf. Titles: Killer, Early Lead, Soloist, Crazy like a Fox, Burnt the Boats, Patron, Progenitor, Hit the Ground Running, First Blood, Defender, The Prestige, Tiering it up, Phase Jumper, Front Runner, What Is Dead May Never Die, Poison Shmoison Powers: Power Shot, Crippling Strike+, Transformation, Predator¡¯s Strike, *Nature Affinity, Ranger¡¯s ws (T2), Endless Quiver+, Trapmaking, Aspect of the Cheetah, Blessing of Gaia, Ranger¡¯s Mark, Duality of Strength
Another power enhance. Extra time was pleasant, and God knew he couldn''t get enough of those. Now the question was what. He looked at what he''d enhanced and what he hadn''t, and it urred to him he wasn''t sure how the ''synergy upgraded'' powers worked with enhancement. It hadn''te up before, but he''d enhanced regeneration before it turned into ''Transformation''. Was that just...wiped out? Or was the enhancement part of the upgrade? He guessed it was thetter, since the former seemed supremely unfair. Of course with this game unfair wasn''t exactly unheard of. But still, he believed it carried over. Which meant he could upgrade the power again¡­ But best to consider all his options. Aspect of the Cheetah was a staple, but frankly it already worked pretty bloody well. If he moved much faster and he might fly out of control inbat. Trapmaking would be an excellent choice, especially now that he didn''t have a bow and realized he could ''charge'' thrown objects. On the other hand, it was situational. A power like Transformation was always in use and vital. He also had his new ''prestige'' power, Duality of Strength, which was still a little vague but proved itself incredibly against the treeman. What the hell might enhancing it do? Out of curiosity, he clicked hispanion tab and saw Shared Pain and realized yes, he could enhance that too. Was there a chance he might be able to use it on someone other than Streak if he enhanced it? The thought practically made him pick it instantly, but he just couldn''t know unless he tried. It might just slightly improve the thing, which frankly he didn''t seem to need at all. Indecision was getting real. The stakes were just so damn high, the challenges getting intense. But Mason knew his ''build'' was made for something like adaptation. If things were stronger than him, he got stronger. If he got hurt, he started to change to deal with it. Regeneration had saved his life over and over, and it seemed ''Transformation'' was now potentially the key aspect of his style, especially until he found a new bow. He didn''t have any direct evidence yet, but he knew in his gut the ''transformation'' wasn''t permanent, that it coulde and go and wouldn''t consume his body and life. And maybe he could even learn to control it. He stopped thinking and chose. [Transformation enhanced: Increase the speed and control of both the regenerative and adaptive aspects of the power.] Another enhance without a choice, but when he saw improved control he couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡®Improved¡¯ implied he already had some control, and determined himself to try and focus the next time it was working. The thought gave him considerable ease, and he knew he''d made the right choice. Mason finally stood, Streak hopping up beside him, apparently no worse for wear despite the painful cleansing. Mason looked at the healthy looking heart of the tree and smiled, then remembered back to the first great tree. They''d cut that heart in two, hadn''t they? And then the damn thing had copsed all around them. On the other hand it hadn''t been green and healthy looking like this one. Did that matter somehow? Mason had no idea how to ask. He tried activating Speak with Nature and putting his hand on the heart. Feelings of intense joy and gratitude flooded him, this time with no burning pain between the connection. Something tickled Mason''s mind, insistent but not painful. [Apex Predator Activated: Entity ''Great ins Tree'' has attempted to use a Mental Power on you. Do you wish to stop it?] Mason frowned, but felt no malice from the creature, and could likely change his mind once the power was effecting him. For now he let it through. Then his vision blurred and swam, until he was looking at himself in a valley he recognized as just outside on the rocky terrain. The great tree loomed before him, no longer rotting and half barren. It had a face, like a kindly old man with mischievous eyes and a bulbous nose. It grinned at him, and all around them little saplings were sprouting from the earth. Mason smiled and knelt to touch some, looking up at the bright sun and the smiling tree. "Good," he said. "I wouldn''t want anywhere not covered in trees in this world." The great tree''s face raised a curious eyebrow, and Masonughed. "Nevermind. Thank you for this vision." He clenched his jaw, not sure how to ask except to ask. "I cleansed another great tree before. Except, it had a pool of water, and a heart more like a man, or a beast, and I...destroyed it, to stop the corruption. What will happen to the tree?" The old face smiled, then its eyes turned and Mason heard womenughing in the valley. What looked like nymphs ran through the woods and waved, green magic surrounding them as they leapt into the great tree and disappeared. "I think I understand," Mason said. "The nymphs will keep it alive." Tree-face smiled. "One more question," Mason said. "I''m looking for a druid, taken prisoner by a giant. I need to find him to free him. Can you help me?" The ancient tree stopped smiling, shifting its face and back and forth as if to shake its head. The expression was hard to read, but Mason thought it looked less empathetic than he might have expected. But whatever the issue, he decided to drop it. "Then we''ll leave now. I''m d we could help you. I''ll cleanse the other tree, if I can. I promise you." The old face smiled again, a little moisture building in its ''eyes''. Then the vision faded and Mason was back with the heart, blinking as his eyes adjusted. As before with the heart''s defender, the walls shook and cracked and groaned, and three much smaller tree-men emerged carrying bundles of leaves. "Patron?" Phuong summoned his sword and stepped into a fighting stance, Alex moving behind him. "It''s alright," Mason said, feeling no threat from the creatures. They came forward and ced their bundles rather purposefully at each yer¡¯s feet, then stepped back until they vanished again into the walls. "Gifts," Mason said. "They''re thanking us." He lifted his own, unraveling the leaves until he found a single...acorn? And a small pouch full of the green crystals he''d seen the goblins take. The acorn felt warm to the touch, and he had no doubt it held some magic power, as did the crystals. But he had no idea what. Phuong lifted his, which was considerablyrger, and practically gasped when he found a thin ''vest'' that looked like bark, with vines and leaves engraved in some kind of cross between art and forest camouge. "It''s so beautiful," he said, then frowned. "It can''t be to wear? It looks so...brittle." Mason very much doubted that. He helped the man put it on, being as careful as possible but it soon became clear it was the perfect fit. "Well," he said with a grin. "You look a hell of a lot fancier. Even if it doesn''t do anything." Phuong grinned, inspecting himself and seeming rather pleased. Alex picked out a ne that looked like flower petals. The stoic Brussian put it around his neck and looked at the others, his heavy face turned down in his resting scowl. Mason and Phuong burst outughing. "What?" Alex nced at himself. "Does it break already?" "No." Mason wiped his eyes. "It''s perfect. Whatever the hell it does." "Feels nice." Alex poked at it but seemed to like it around his neck. "Like warm towel." Mason couldn''t help but notice the trees hadn''t left a gift for Seamus, but he wasn''t particrly surprised. He lifted the still half-unconscious, slightly mumbling Irishman up to his shoulder and somehow knew the exit to the tree was a touch away. "Time to go," he said, closing his eyes and touching the far end of the room, a final nce at the heart. He thought of ke and his girls and the druid dreams and the other trees and the giant he didn''t know how to find, ending the thought with a sigh. "We''ve got a lot to do. And probably not much time to do it." Then he epted the prompt to exit the dungeon, and vanished with a blink.
Chapter 178: Nekosh Chapter 178: Nekosh Seamus woke up about a minute after they left the tree. He shook and twitched and started cursing until Mason set him down. "What bloody happened, eh?" He turned and red at Phuong. "Don''t you think I''m not onto you, you nty eyed bastard. It told me I was bloody stunned. I should..." "Shut up before he kills you, Seamus," said Mason non-chntly, Phuong yawning behind him. "Your life is mine for a year, after that you''re free to be careless. Now where''s that friend of yours?" "I''m here." The big man stepped out from behind the great tree. "What''s the damned idjit done now?" His dark eyes inspected the yers, then narrowed. "Where''s Mai?" Seamus was slowly backing away now, as if to get behind Mason for protection. "Sorry," Mason shook his head. "She didn''t make it." The big man''s eyes widened, moved to Seamus, and without another word, he charged. "You stupid God damn fool, I''ll kill you, I''ll kill you!" Mason caught the tree-trunk arms, and found himself yet again stopping someone from killing the Irishman. He was beginning to wonder if it was worth the trouble. "It''s not his fault," he said, holding the man''s wrists fast. "He fucked up in there, but it had nothing to do with Mai. We all did our best for her, but the dungeon...it just..." he shrugged. "There wasn''t anything we could do." After a few long seconds of struggle, the taller man rxed, and Mason let him go. "She saved my life," he said, slumping to the ground. "And I never repaid the favor. Now I never will." "That''s horseshit, Mac," said Seamus. "We''d neither of us be here without you. She wasn''t some flower, she was a warrior like you and me. And she went down fighting." Mac red at the man but didn''t have anything to say to that, looking at the dirt with sullen eyes. "Was it worth it?" he said finally. "You''re stupid quest, and this stupid tree?" "Aye," Seamus grinned, holding out his hands. A kind of metal staff appeared out of nothing with a burst of me, growing out of Seamus'' fingers. He tried to twirl it. And dropped it. "Shite. But yeah I finished my quest, got this beaut of a thing. I think it enhances pretty much every..." Mac was on his feet again, spitting mad and swearing at the Irishman about Mai being dead and ''all for your stupid fucking stick?'' and simr sentiment as Mason held him back. "Gentlemen, I really don''t have time for this," he eventually interrupted. "Mac, is it? We have a settlement to the West. Lots of yers, civilians, houses and walls. You''re wee to join us. You never have to talk to Seamus again, if you don''t want. But we need to leave." The big Scotsman stopped fighting and took a deep breath. "Sorry, nothing personal. And it''s John. McGregor. But he''s a prick Irishman and I''m big so he calls me..." "I get it. John it is. Well we''re going to..." Mason stopped and turned, looking back in the direction of the orc fortress and Sanctuary beyond. He exchanged a look with Phuong, who grinned, and Alex, who...well as usual made no expression at all. But at least now he had some pretty flowers around his neck. "If you''re all up for it. We''re going to go take over that town." * * * The men, as it turned out, were up for it. Seamus more or less bounced around the group, ipetently swinging and spinning his staff, asking what amazing rewards they''d get for taking a settlement. "Probably nothing," Mason said honestly. "But I''d feel a lot better killing any orc inside every time we passed by." "Aye, we''ve tangled with orcs before," said Mac, er John. "Tough fellows. Especially in numbers." Mason nodded, but Seamus rolled his eyes. "Ain''t nothing. Just watch as old Seamus starts shooting mes, the cowardly bastards run like their Momma''s callin¡¯." That was likely true enough, and arge part of why Mason wanted the annoying man alive. If it helped him save ke somehow, he could tolerate a great deal. They went to the fortress first, Mason checking the gates again just to be sure. [Error. Please try again in 24 hours.] He took a moment to hold back his frustration and anger, appreciating Phuong''s hand on his shoulder. "It means he''s still alive, Patron. He''s clever, he''ll find a way out." Mason nodded, knowing it was true. "Christ Jesus look at this ce," Seamus whistled inspecting the towers. "Should we try another dungeon? We''re here, right? Just imagine what kind of rewards must be in a ce like this. We''ve got the muscle, a crack team, no problem! Just leave that wolf to do whatever, and we''ll bring in Mac here." It wasn''t great timing. Mason grabbed the Irishman by his cor and mmed him hard enough against the wall to knock out some breath. "I''m starting to dislike you. Your friend just died, so why don''t you at least pretend to give a shit for another minute. And the wolf is Streak, the man is John. I''m also starting to think you don''t realize I own you." He put a hand to the man''s neck and squeezed just hard enough Seamus'' eyes showed actual fear. "If we''re going to go into a dungeon, I''ll tell you. If we''re going to go for a nice pic lunch, I''ll tell you. Until then, you''re going to treat everyone you meet with respect. Then maybe you get to be a person with dignity and not my whipping boy. Got it?" Seamus made a sound that seemed close enough, and Mason dropped him to cough and sputter on the ground. It was pretty clear John enjoyed the experience, and though Mason winced at going a bit too far, he couldn''t say he felt too bad about it. There was still no obvious sign the orcs hade out since the attack outside the tower, but Mason took a few minutes to look around. In fact it seemed they''d cleaned the whole ce up, removing all their dead and fallen equipment just as any human military would. He looked back at the dungeon, feeling vaguely desperate to know exactly what the hell was happening in there. Sooner orter, ke would dreamwalk and tell him. But he needed to actually sleep. "OK," he thought, looking at Sanctuary. "Let''s go clear it. Then we go home." * * * Nekosh, newly made Chief of the cktusk n, finished a second helping of his mid-day meal, and took a minute to appreciate his good fortune. "Should I bring more from storage, husband?" asked his new, young bride, eyes lowered in respect and fear. It was close to gluttony at this point, but Nekosh pat his growing belly with a shrug. "Why not. Then ready yourself. If I don''t sleep, I''ll want you today." "Y-yes, husband." The little Stoneblood female went off to fetch his food, and Nekosh let out a long, satisfied smile. "Thank you, Graak," he said, looking out the window of the chief''s hall. When he''d agreed to join the raid on the human settlement, never in his wildest imagination had he imagined gaining a chiefdom outside the towers. But the unfortunate raid leader had died in battle, leaving Nekosh inmand. The grey tower had nearly locked down in some kind of fresh civil war. And none of the lords, it seemed, had the attention or interest to appoint anyone else or fight over the settlement. So the verymon born son of a grunt, with no ambition beyond raiding, had kept his position by default. In the past week he''d epted the fealty of dozens of new warriors, taken two brides, and begun to modify the settlement to suit him. He''d seen not a single sign of the cowardly humans, nor any other creature that could hope to dislodge him. So now he ate what he wished, and rutted when he wished, and soon his new tribe would be fat and healthy and full of his brood. Life, in other words, was very good. Nekosh choked on his own spit as an rm red in his mind. The settlement warned of danger at the walls on at least two sides. He smashed the table as he rose up, grunting and striding through the door as he yelled. "We''re under attack! Get to the walls! We''re under..." At least two humans stood at the top of the East wall. One was tossing down a tower guard in two pieces, a green sword in one hand, staring down at the settlement with predatory eyes. Nekosh growled and used his patron power to send an alert to every warrior in the settlement. Then he lifted his axe leaning against the hall, and charged out to meet his enemy. The East gate, it seemed, was being opened. Nekosh growled and shouted at the defenders there, but realized they were already dead. The gate cracked open, and the biggest wolf he had ever seen came running through. "Chief!" His captain and bulk of his warriors ran out from the mess hall, armed but not in armor. "About time," Nekosh barked, gesturing at the enemy. "There''s only two of them. And the wolf. Where''s Videk and his scouts?" "Here, Chief," the dangerous archer stepped from gods knew where and raised his bow. "Who is my target?" "The wolf, obviously!" Nekosh hissed, and his scout drew and loosed. The arrow struck just as the wolf had leapt on a hapless, shouting guard at the wall. It stuck into the creature''s nk, drawing out a low growl as the creature looked up and red. "You missed the heart. Keep shooting it!" Nekoshmanded. "And the rest of you, form a line and start moving." Three more humans came through the gate. Videk''s arrows started bouncing off some magical defence, then one of the human''s literally lit on fire and started shooting mes. Nekosh''s bowels sloshed with ice. The gate guards were all ughtered in moments, his line of warriors still standing there, clearly too afraid to attack. The big human and the green-eyed swordsman wereing forward as if without a care in the world, the huge wolf behind them. "You can all surrender, if you like. Except that one." The swordsman gestured at Videk. "Go ahead, Streak." The wolf growled and charged, leaping on the scout and easily throwing him to the ground before chewing and thrashing him with monstrous strength. ¡°Oh! But don¡¯t break his¡­¡± The man started until they all heard the sound of the scout¡¯s bow snap beneath the wolf. The human sighed. "Is this all of you?" he said over the sounds of the chewing, looking around the settlement with almost glowing green eyes. Nekosh found himself lost for words. His warriors had clearly decided it was hopeless, standing frozen with only the barest pretense of being ready to fight. Then they dropped their weapons, and even the illusion was gone. "Yes." Nekosh said miserably, feeling himself dete. How quickly fortunes could change. To the orcs of the towers, surrender meant very. He would be taken to some god-forsaken human settlement and worked and starved until his death, mocked and whipped like a pig. He lifted his axe, and felt warmth move through his body as the decision was made. "But unlike these cowards," he spit. "I am not afraid to die." He roared and charged at his enemy, axe held high for a brutal swing as he raced for the swordsman. The big man beside him stepped forwards first, huge fist crackling with a strange sound as it struck him without touching him. Nekosh blinked as the world shifted, and he found himself looking up at the sky. As his vision darkened, all he could think was: what just happened?
Chapter 179: Baron Chapter 179: Baron "That was pretty cool," Mason said. "What do you call that power?" "Shocking Fist." John grinned. "I went with a kind of weaponless, tanky ss because I figured I couldn''t rely on finding weapons. Anyway, it projects out a bit and surprises people, so the name makes meugh. He''ll live. Probably." Mason nodded, pretty damn happy he''d found someone else who seemed made to soak or prevent damage up close. He''d have to talk some more about the man''s ss, and try and get him some levels quickly if he was still really low. With the leader dealt with, Mason made the orcs sit in a circle as he gathered up the rest of the town. Most were male and looked like warriors, but there were a fewborers and females. They all stared at the ground despondently, clearing expecting to be butchered or God knew what. "Alright," Mason said, gesturing at the gate. "Go back home. And tell your people we didn¡¯t want a war, but we¡¯ll sure as hell finish it. Go." The creatures stared as if dumbfounded. Theborers looked to the warriors with open mouths, some daring to raise themselves up a little and inch away. Mason decided to ignore them. He opened his profile and looked at the messages from the system bombarding him. [Settlement ''Sanctuary'' is now without a patron. Do you wish to im it?] "Hey, uh, what''s this about me iming a settlement?" said Seamus, his tone considerably subdued after the tower incident. "I''m guessin'' I...shouldn''t do that?" Apparently it was just up for grabs for anyone. How interesting. "Well, you could," Mason smiled. "But I expect the system is going to make anyone who epts that prompt fight to the death to settle it. This is me epting." He clicked the option by thinking about it, and the system seemed to wait to find out if anyone else was also interested. They were not. [Title gained: Baron. You have gained patronage over a second settlement. +3 presence.] [Current settlement detected. What would you like to do with settlement ''Sanctuary''? Maintain, or Deconstruct?] Uh, what the hell did ¡®Deconstruct¡¯ mean? Mason clenched his jaw and really wished he had Haley or maybe a bunch of civilians to possibly exin with their ''extra'' knowledge. He looked around the settlement, finally settling his gaze on the still mostly unconscious orc leader. "Alex, heal him for me. I need to ask him something." Everyone looked surprised except the Brussian, who Mason was pretty sure just couldn''t look surprised. He knelt beside the orc and put a hand on his chest, and in moments the creature sputtered and blinked his eyes open as he stared. "You''re the patron here?" Mason said. "Or you were a few minutes ago?" The orc looked at most of his people slowly limping out from the gates. "Yes," he said in a subdued voice. "I am Chief Nekosh of the cktusk n. Or I was." "Great. How the hell does patronage work? What does ''maintaining'' or ''deconstructing'' a settlement mean if you''re already chief of a settlement?" ¡®Nekosh¡¯ stared with an open mouth, clearly baffled by his situation. Mason snapped his fingers. "Answer my questions and you walk away free and clear. How does it work?" "I...it''s..." The orc shrugged. "You decide to rule two settlements, or to take one and..." he shrugged. "Move it. Add its value to another. I''ve not seen it, but the gods waste nothing. It cannot be ''destroyed''." Mason nodded, rather pleased with the answer. He clicked ''deconstruct'', and some kind of error message red in his mind. [Settlement must be clear of yers and civilians. Please remove them and try again.] "Right." Mason waved at the gate. "Everyone out. We''re going to Nassau." He yelled towards the orcs. "Hurry it up, or I''m going to use terrible magic. Get moving." Every orc in earshot bolted except the chief, who stood slowly and stared at Mason with a strange expression. "Why do you let us live? Why free us?" Mason snorted, then stepped to meet the creature''s eyes. "Because I don''t care if you live or die. Leave us in peace, and we won''t hurt you. Oh and if for some strange reason you ever meet a human named ke, tell him to hurry up ande home. Alright? Now get out of my settlement." The orc blinked in utter confusion, but turned and walked towards the gate where it looked like two females were waiting. With a final lingering stare at Mason, the big orc turned and walked away. "Alright, roboGod," Mason said as he got the yers out and turned back to the walls. "Show me another magic trick." He clicked ''Deconstruct'' again, then even he cringed as a sound like thunder sted from ahead. In about five seconds, with shaking earth and a swirl of dust, ''Sanctuary'' and its giant walls and many buildings pulled into the ground and vanished, covering over with mostly dirt, and a few patches of fresh new grass. Alex whistled from behind him. "Jeeezus," Seamus said. "What the hell happened to it? Seriously?" "Probably what happens to anything roboGod doesn''t need anymore," Mason said without pleasure or enthusiasm. "Now I hope you guys have been doing your cardio. Nassau is two days away at a fast march. And I intend to do it in one. So follow me, and get running." With that he whistled for Streak, and headed for home. * * * The boredom let him examine his settlement options, at least. Turned out the orc leader was right¡ªhe could ''ce'' Sanctuary again, though it seemed it couldn''t be ''anywhere'' and had to meet a bunch of criteria. Alternatively, he could ''add it'' to another settlement, giving him a whole shitload of patron points and some new options. This seemed an entirely better choice, as he had no idea where he''d put a new settlement, and why he''d do it anyway. The only thing that gave him pause at all was awareness of his own ignorance. But maybe the civilians would know more. After half a day of the slowest, smoker''s jog known to man, and a great deal of whining, Mason lost his patience. "Phuong, can you lead them to Nassau while I run ahead? You can take all the time you want, but I''ve got a lot of things to do." The older man grinned, and Mason practically begged him with his eyes until he nodded. "Go on, young master. I''ll make sure these two get back safely. But don''t wear yourself too thin." "Thank you," Mason felt himself sag with relief. "Keep Streak." The wolf whine-growled but Mason gave him a stern look. "Watch out for them. I''ll see you at home." He pointed as he started running. "Stay with them!" Then he was stretching his legs and finally exerting himself, letting frustrated muscles fill with blood and carry him like wind across the open ground. He touched the odd rock or long grass as he went, camouging himself with his Sleeves. He tried not to think about his broken bow, or the disfigurations that still hadn''t entirely disappeared. Or about ke or his dreams or being in charge of hundreds of people in a post-apocalyptic fantasy world¡­ Even before everything changed, life was just easier when Mason was running. He breathed for what felt like the first time in ages when he got to the trees. The sounds of the forest made him close his eyes and just listen, and even at full speed he found he could navigate through without his vision. Like he just knew where to go. Sometimes it was like he''d been born here. Like he''d grown up in every patch of woods in the great forest, and knew every fallen branch and cluster of roots. He ran all day and through half the night, until the vine-covered walls of his newly themed settlement came into view. There were still lights and voices inside so he thought maybe it wasn''t toote. There was life andughter and happy people doing more now than just surviving. Mason stepped to the East gate, and it opened instantly. It seemed he had no time limit to decide what to do with Sanctuary, so he could speak with the civilians and maybe just hold off for awhile. He went in still camouged, not wanting to be seen or bothered until he found Haley and Reba. He could see they were both in the hall with Wayfinder, and snuck around to the side entrance. He crept inside, managing to avoid detection all the way to his ''wing'' of the chief''s hall, then slipped in and closed the door. The girls were on the couch, cuddled under a nket andughing at whatever movie they were watching on the screen. For awhile Mason just looked at them and smiled. Reba wore the standard white system pajamas, her hair in a in ponytail, pure authentic joy in her voice and face as sheughed. Haley just had one of Mason''s shirts, long blonde hair loose and around her shoulders, leaning on Reba and ying with her hair. Then she sat up and screamed, putting a hand to her chest as her eyes rolled back and she put her head against the couch. "Oh my God, Mason! You scared me half to death!" Apparently his camouge had worn off. Reba was off the couch in seconds, running straight at him before leaping full speed into his arms, wrapping her legs around him. Heughed as she kissed his face again and again. "You''re home," she grinned, and squeezed. ¡°But what¡¯s wrong with your face?¡± He looked over her shoulder at a smiling Haley and squeezed back. "I''m home," he agreed, ignoring thement as he whispered in Reba''s ear. "And I need a shower. So start taking off your clothes."
Chapter 180: It’s a long story (NSFW) Chapter 180: It¡¯s a long story (NSFW) Becky was naked before she reached the bathroom, tossing her clothes back at Mason with little grins and an adorable attempt to seem like a stripper. "There''s not enough room for three," Haley announced from the couch. "It''s always too cramped in there. I''m going to cook." As with all things Haley, Mason knew it would be some kind of stratagem, which meant Becky probably needed some alone time. He epted it with a grunt and followed the Arkansas girl towards the shower, shedding his own clothes en route. She stopped and turned, putting her arms around his neck as she bit her lip and flushed a little. "I missed you." "I missed you, too." Mason sunk into her arms, warm lips and soft breasts pressing against him and instantly turning him hard. "Shower," he said, a little hoarsely, then pushed Becky in as he turned on the water. She shrieked when it came out cold, but he justughed and held her there until it warmed up. ¡°Your skin..¡± She looked at his body with some warringbination of lust and concern, but Mason growled it away. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s temporary.¡± She started washing him off, closing her eyes and breathing in his scent as the Blessing of Gaia really kicked in. "Oh God I can''t wait," she said, cleaning a particr area of his body with increased attention. He just let her keep stroking him, painfully hard now but very happily still in control. He put a hand between her legs, not surprised to find her wetter than the shower. "I haven''t been gone that long," he said, chuckling as Becky squirmed against his hand. "Please?" she said, gripping his shaft. "Don''t make me wait another minute." Mason growled and turned her around, running his hands over her amazing ass as she thrust it out and arched her back. "Spread your legs," he ordered, and she did instantly, whimpering slightly as he ran his hands down and touched every nook and cranny from back to front. As much as Mason was enjoying teasing her, he couldn''t wait either. He lined up his cock and pushed in the tip, still enough discipline to keep Becky from ramming him in to the hilt. "More," she begged. "I want it all. Please." He slid himself in slow, hands gripping her breasts, then running up and down her body, all exposed and slick with water. And all his. Then he was buriedpletely inside her, so warm and wet and eager. He just stayed there, still and lost in the moment, lost in her. But she was still squirming, still desperate with need, and he gave her what she wanted. Wet flesh pped against flesh as Mason rammed into Becky, her ass bouncing against him. He gathered up her long brown hair and pulled, arching her back even further as he mmed into her harder and faster. "Oh God," she moaned, eyes rolled back. "I''m so wet for you. All the time." He knew it was true, that she wasn''t just saying it. What little control he''d started with slipped with every thrust into Becky''s wet pussy, with every moan and look of ecstasy on her face. Then her hands syed on the shower wall and she held her breath as he pumped. Her walls crushed around him and she cried out with abandon as an orgasm shook her body. Mason was full of lust and saw no reason at all to hold back. Lost in the girl''s moans and eager pushing against his cock, he let the tension loose to build and squeeze through his gut and balls until it sted inside Becky. When she realized he was cumming she pushed back even faster, eager to milk him and take every drop deep inside. He let the waves of pleasure and warmth roll over him, until all he felt was Becky''s wet flesh and the water, his lips against her ear. She sighed, and giggled, still pushing back against the cock inside her. "Um, also, I wanted you too bad to say anything, but, and I''m just wonderin''," she said. "Do you have a giant...callus on your chest?" Mason nced at the few ''additions'' he still had from Transformation, and chuckled. "It''s a long story." * * * By the time Mason and Becky left the shower in their towels, Haley had finished cooking as promised. She received them still in just her t-shirt, a te in each hand, and a smile. "It''s an experiment. You''re to be brutally honest." "OK," Mason said, eyes moving mostly over Haley''s legs. "I don''t care about the food. I want to bend you over the couch." "About the food," Haley said, not reacting at all as she held the tes forward. "Now try it or you will have offended me." "Well. We can''t have that." Mason tried both, groaning at the salty, creamybination. But he suddenly had other things he''d rather taste. "Now bedroom," he said, and Haley frowned as Reba tried the food. "You were supposed to..." Mason took Haley''s head in his hands and kissed her, her hands trapped on either side. Soon her eyes closed and she melted into his lips. Then Mason and Reba took the tes and set them down on the counter, and Mason was pushing them both towards the bedroom. "We have things to discuss, you know," Haley was saying as she shuffled inside with a mischievous grin. "Decisions to make. Civilians to mollify. Also there''s birds constantly swarming our fountain." "I''m sure we do," Mason said, throwing both of his girls back onto the bed. Becky was all smiles in her barely held together towel, Haley still ying hard to get. That is until she scooted back and put her feet up on the bed and spread her legs, showing apleteck of underwear under that shirt. Mason practically felt pulled forward. He dragged Becky toy directly beside Haley, putting a hand under her towel to start fingering and circling her clit. Then he dropped and stuck his tongue into Haley before slowing down and tasting her, licking her in the same circle he yed with Becky. Soon they were almost moaning in unison. After a few minutes he swapped and tasted Becky, too. She came against his mouth almost instantly. "Shit!" she went pink and gripped the bed, then put her hands over her face and squirmed as Mason kept on licking. "Oh my God I can''t!" she tried to crawl away but he held her and forced her through it. Then she was panting and slumped on the bed with eyes closed, and Mason chuckled as he stood. "Your turn," he told Haley, pulling her to the edge and holding her legs in the air before lining his hard cock against her opening. He slid inside nice and easy, giving her long, slow strokes and enjoying every sensation. "Our uncivilized caveman," Haley grinned and gave a little moan. "Comes home and...takes us both, just like that." "Just like that," Mason agreed. Then he lifted Haley up and held her in the air, giving her a few hard pumps before he turned andy on the bed, putting her on top. "Now put that ass into it, and get your caveman off." He smiled and pped her hard enough she yelped, then started dutifully riding him. He heard poorly tranted French curses as she moved faster, soon biting her lip and getting into it as she worked her hips. Mason sighed and held her tits in his face, taking turns with her nipples. Becky scooted up beside him, and he pulled her in for a deep, passionate kiss as Haley rode. "Look how pleased with himself he is," Becky said teasingly when she came up for air. "Fucking two women like it ain''t nothing." Mason grinned as he looked into Becky''s beautiful eyes, giving Haley''s ass another p of encouragement. "You just want your turn, is that it cowgirl?" "Maybe," sheughed, running her hands over Mason''s chest and stomach, ying with his little transformations. Haley was still sliding up and down his shaft like a sex bot, getting a little sweaty now and breathing hard. "She might need help," Mason teased, giving Haley''s nipples a pinch before guiding Becky''s mouth up to suck on one. Haley moaned and clearly lost her focus, movements getting less smooth. "Not fair," she said closing her eyes. Then Mason grabbed her ass and held her still, thrusting into her from below with increasing speed. "How''s that?" he said, speeding up. "You just be a good girl and sit there and take it," he said, spreading Haley''s cheeks as he pped and squeezed. It didn''t take long before she was panting and getting shaky, and Mason knew he had plenty more to give. The second she mped down he let himself go, watching her face and body tighten with orgasm, loving every noise and eager squeeze as he released another stream of cum deep inside his other woman. He pumped into her straight through his own orgasm, and when he was finally finished she dropped down and took him all the way, wiggling as if to squeeze it all inside. She dropped down and kissed him lightly on the lips, Becky kissing his neck and cheek. He pulled them both in for a squeeze, loving the feel of their bodies pressed against him. "OK," he said, closing his eyes. "Now I can sleep. Probably. But don''t get toofortable." Both girls groaned and slumped against him.
Chapter 181: Sitting peacefully (NSFW) Chapter 181: Sitting peacefully (NSFW) Mason could not, in fact, sleep. After what felt like a reasonable, mostly human, amount of time, he kissed his way up Reba¡¯s body. ¡°Haley,¡± his country girl said breathlessly. ¡°I think he¡¯s fucking me again.¡± The Canadian groaned sleepily, and Mason grabbed Becky, feeling like a mindless, lust filled animal. He sucked on her amazing tits as she gasped, then spread her legs and pushed inside. She moaned and mostly held on for dear life as he ground her into the bed. Then there was just Becky¡¯s warmth and wetness, the taste of her mouth and trembling body until he finally growled and came inside her again. She clung to him almost desperately in the afterglow, still shaking and making little noises. He eventually slid out andy beside her, breathing hardly changed, body still ready for more. Sex, violence, something, like he was filled with some unnatural energy he couldn¡¯t quench. Becky cuddled up next to him and kissed his chest, asleep in seconds. He wanted to get up and run out into the night, maybe hunt in the woods with Streak for a few hours to push his perception and limbs. But he also knew ke might be trying to reach him. Plus he¡¯d been running all damn day and why couldn¡¯t he just sleep like a regr human being? ¡°Not done?¡± Haley mumbled, giving him a half-awake side eye, and all he could do was shrug helplessly. ¡°Come on, sleepy girl,¡± Haley bumped Becky as she crawled over. ¡°I recruited you, now do your job.¡± The girls eventually both roused, tossed off their tops again and tied back their hair,ughing a little as they came over on hands and knees. Then they took turns licking and sucking as Mason leaned against the headboard and wondered if there was a more amazing sight in the world. The girls were all business this time, swapping blowjob ideas and taking turns, deciding who should suck and lick what. Mason justy back and enjoyed the feel of two mouths sharing his cock. When he finally came back to his senses, Haley was gulping him down with abandon, Becky underneath and sucking on his balls. He grabbed his first lover¡¯s blonde hair and came, twitching in sensitive spurts as he filled her mouth and throat. ¡°Hey we had a deal!¡± Becky came up and gripped Mason¡¯s shaft, waiting until Haley came up to pull her in for a kiss. Mason watched them making out, fighting over his seed with their tongues. He let out a deep breath, thanking roboGod as usual for Blessing of Gaia. Finally he slumped down and felt drained, and Haley hugged Reba as they both looked over at him. ¡°You see? We need a third. Now I¡¯m awake and my morning is ruined.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Mason mumbled, eyes drooping as he slid further prone. ¡°No you¡¯re not,¡± Haley teased. ¡°I guess,¡± Becky mumbled, or something equally petnt. Then their voices were just white noise that didn¡¯t matter, and Mason finally managed to close his eyes and sleep. * * * Mason woke with the dawn and remembered a few things. First, he¡¯d broken his God damn bow. Second, he had weird magic crystals and an equally magic acorn without really knowing what they were or what to do with them. But it did ur to him Haley and a variety of others in town had identify powers. That was likely the right ce to start. He sat up and stretched, discovering both girls were already out of bed. He heard faint singing and smelled something cooking, and leapt up to walk to the kitchen. ¡°Do I drain it like this?¡± Becky asked, holding up some kind of cup Mason couldn¡¯t identify. ¡°Mmmhmm.¡± Haley nodded and grinned, tossing her head and blowing some hair from her face. They were both in some version of Haley¡¯s special silky pajamas, side by side and disying their amazing asses. It urred to Mason he was stark naked, and there were no monsters trying to light the settlement on fire¡­ But he shut down the thought. He still had plenty to do, and if he started something who knew what time he¡¯d be out the door. He went back in silence and threw on the clothes Haley had obviously set out, then walked back to the kitchen with louder footsteps. ¡°There he is.¡± Reba turned and beamed. ¡°We¡¯re makin¡¯, um, I can¡¯t pronounce it¡­¡± She blushed a little. ¡°I¡¯m better at the cookin¡¯ than the names.¡± ¡°You can say it just fine,¡± Haleyughed, then nced back at Mason holding up his acorn and crystals. ¡°Can you identify these?¡± he said. She squinted, then shook her head. ¡°Out of my wheelhouse I¡¯m afraid. You should ask Rosa, I think.¡± Right. Rosa. Mason took a deep breath and tried not to notice Reba¡¯s stink eye. Then he came forward and gave his girls both a good grope and a kiss on the cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll be back to eat. See youter.¡± ¡°Oh, Patron,¡± Haley called. ¡°There¡¯s some admin waiting. I can deal with most of it, but Seul-ki wants to talk. It might be about ke.¡± Mason nodded, anxiety spiking through him at the mention of ke. Thest time they¡¯d spoken in Mason¡¯s dream had been¡­not good. He hadn¡¯t seen ke so down, so tired looking, so negativein years. He sped out the door, feeling slightly strange when he didn¡¯t hear Streak leap after him from the porch. But still, the natural theme letting him move and full speed and strength was wonderful, and he bolted across the settlement so fast a few civilians screamed in panic as he passed. He knocked on Rosa¡¯s door, only to pull up Wayfinder and discover she wasn¡¯t actually home. For a moment a spike of jealousy shot up his spine until he realized she was just outside the chief hall, right next to Seul-ki in her garden. Then he was racing across the settlement again, yelling ¡®sorry¡¯ in advance as he flew past the same civilians. Seul-ki and Rosa were both inspecting some nts in the Korean¡¯s growing garden. Mason dutifully avoided noticing anything but Rosa¡¯s ridiculous bent over profile, clearing his throat from the edge. ¡°You know, we have a giant temple full of nts now,¡± he said. ¡°And I¡¯m pretty sure we can make giant buildings full of nts, too.¡± Both girls spun at his voice before they rxed, Seul-ki bowing slightly as Rosa inspected him and looked self-conscious. He realized it was one of the few times he¡¯d seen her looking not at all dressed up, but it made her not even a little less beautiful. ¡°Wee back,¡± she smiled, clearly ufortable. ¡°It¡¯s further to the temple,¡± Seul-ki exined. ¡°And I like to be alone. Did Haley tell you I wanted to speak with you?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m hoping it¡¯s ke rted. I checked the fortress maybe twelve hours ago and still couldn¡¯t get in. Do you have news?¡± Seul-ki was so damn hard to read Mason had basically stopped trying. But if he had to take a guess her expression seemed ¡®vaguely concerned¡¯. ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry. I haven¡¯t spoken to him in¡­quite some time. I was hoping you had.¡± Mason felt his shoulders drop, and he shook his head. ¡°But if the fortress is still locked, that means he¡¯s alive. It would open if he¡­well, it would be open.¡± He sat for a little while, feelingly slightly dejected and numb before he remembered his tree gifts. ¡°Can either of you tell me what these are?¡± Both squinted with the increasingly tell-tale look of magical inspection,ing forward to examine the objects. ¡°A Great Tree Acorn,¡± Rosa said. ¡°And Nature-Infused Mchites. The Acorn, I¡­¡± she shrugged. ¡°All I can tell you is it¡¯s above my pay-grade. But the Mchites are for civilian craftsman. We can use them to make items, potions, all kinds of things, usually as part of recipes that frankly¡­we don¡¯t really have.¡± Mason nodded. ¡°But you can get them?¡± ¡°I assume so. We can all buy things with our system points, which we mostly earn making things. Speaking of which you should probably head down and talk with some of the craftsman, they¡¯ve been making progress.¡± ¡°Soon enough.¡± Mason took the gems and went to hand them to Rosa before he stopped and met her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s looking like I might need another trip to the nymphs.¡± He waved the acorn. ¡°If we find Calypsa, er, the other one. I expect there¡¯s plenty of recipes to find.¡± Rosa gave him a veryplicated look. They stared at each other in silence long enough Seul-ki turned away and went back to gardening, probably in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m probably not the only one who¡¯d benefit from that,¡± she said finally. No doubt some wiser, message-decoding charmer would have understood exactly what that meant. Mason had no idea. ¡°One day we can take whole groups of civilians to get Gaia blessed, but for now I want to keep it light. I need to track down a giant afterwards.¡± Rosa blinked and rolled her eyes. ¡°We have ridiculous conversations.¡± Mason grinned, because that was true. ¡°I¡¯ll take a yer or two to escort you back after,¡± he said, turning to head back to the hall. ¡°Reba?¡± Rosa said, her tone too neutral to read. Mason turned his face slightly back. ¡°Is that a suggestion or a question?¡± After a rather long pause, Rosa said: ¡°Yes.¡± Mason sighed, then nced at the still rising sun through a break in the canopy. ¡°A few hours, then we¡¯ll go. I¡¯ll swing by your house and pick you up.¡± With that he walked back into ¡®his¡¯ hall, looking forward to whatever Haley and Reba were cooking, and just sitting peacefully with his women. It was thus far entirely too rare.
Chapter 182: Destiny Chapter 182: Destiny ke woke with Ilya asleep and naked, arm draped over his chest. He moved some of her dark hair from her forehead, smiling as he inspected her beautiful face. It had been the most meaningful, honest sexual encounter he''d had in his life, and the girl wasn''t even human. Life in the post-apocalypse remained very strange. Speaking of which... ke extricated himself from his lover and sat up to find one construct vaguely staring at him, like an extra creepy guard dog. The other sort of wandered the small cavern as if looking for more of the rge cave rats¡¯. Though ke still refused to believe that thing was any kind of ¡®rat¡¯. Looking at them cooled any thought of waking Ilya for another round. He had unfinished business, and a considerable amount of work to do. He quietly moved out of the furs and created himself a new set of orc clothes, then stared at his Adaptive Veil power. He still didn''t know how it worked, but the idea that he couldn''t look like a different orc made no sense. He wasn''t a bloody orc at all. Looking like one was already an illusion. Surely he could just adjust it slightly... First he wrote, well, created Ilya a note, and left one construct to guard her. Then he took the other back on the winding path towards her house. He waited until he''d reached the crack in the room covered by her family tabard, peeked through until he saw an orc vagrant inside, then re-activated Adaptive Veil. He sent his construct back to Ilya, then stepped out when no one was watching. Whether he looked different or not he had no idea, but he''d just have to ept that. He walked through the rooms, ignoring the asionally confused re from the others, then went back out into the street. He''d prepared clothes that made him look like one of the wealthier merchants outside. He figured that would let him go most anywhere, as surely trade and goods flowed from the city to the tower. He wandered towards the ramps and stairs leading up, mostly following a crowd of other orcs without concern of being noticed. Warriors and guards mingled amongst them, seemingly just there as a presence more than anything. Only the guards at the actual ramp checked any wagons or goods, and it didn''t seem like they checked them very thoroughly or with much interest. ke watched the merchants and other travelers move between, getting as close as he could to overhear any conversations. Most who went had actual goods with them, or else were warriors or a kind of low-born servant or ve. It seemed rare for someone like a merchant to go alone and carry nothing, so ke soon wandered into a nearby alley. A pair of young orcs stared at him with some mixture of fear and loathing, but he ignored them and stripped off his clothes. "For you," he said with a wink, "trade them before tomorrow." Then he created a new set of clothes that made him look like a ve for n Stoneblood,plete with the markings on his back. Then he stepped back out and wandered into the crowd, straight towards the ramp. * * * His heart quickened as it neared his turn. He still didn''t know what he actually looked like. When he looked at himself he saw a human, and in fact had nothing to indicate anything else except for ack of orcs murdering him on sight. Finally he reached the gate, and arge, pale-skinned orc with a milky eye grunted at him and waved him on. And that was apparently that. ke nodded with as much servility as he could, shuffling through with head lowered and a desperate attempt to keep the grin off his face. Then he was free of the lower city and moving up towards the tower with a less cluttered crowd of orcs. He spent the whole day wandering the path, exploring the different halls and rooms. There were plenty of other orcs looking as ufortable as he felt, wandering the halls to find other servants or make deals or run some mysterious errand for their masters. ke was entirely ignored. Only when he neared the exit of the tower¡ªwhich was guarded by hundreds of warriors¡ªdid he get looks that seemed to indicate ''fuck off'' long before he got close. He touched a few minds with Mental Influence just in case he wanted to see through their eyes, but then happily obliged. He went to the ''cafeteria'' he''d killed orcs in when he first arrived, seeing no sign of the previous carnage. Instead orcs sat around at tables eating andughing, and ke went so far as to get his own bowl of mystery slop and sit with them. He ate mechanically and listened, using more Mental Influence to hear them speak. A quiet tension hung between the orcs. It was clear there was trouble between the ns and tribes and everyone expected violence. They spoke of the losses to the humans, and feared attack woulde. They feared for their ''holy stones'', and ke resisted the urge to palm the one in his pocket. They grumbled about restrictions to their lives, worse food, less food, too much time at home with their mates and children. ke eventually tried moving higher into the tower. Again he wasrgely ignored, until he reached a floor where the guard held out his hand and sneered. "No low born. Go back unless you''ve a writ." ke Mind Controlled the guard, making him believe he had the writ, feeling it was a very ''these aren''t the droids you''re looking for'' kind of Jedi moment. Then he went on through like he had important business and belonged, and once inside was ignored again. Above this level there were only well-dressed, clean looking orcs, warriors, and what looked like shamans or their servants. Still he climbed, feeling sweat trickle down his armpits as less and less orcs were obvious from the lower levels and city, more and more from the warrior caste. But he wanted to see. Finally he reached what must have been the peak of the tower, a final staircase winding up with several guards out front. The tabard of n Stoneblood stretched overhead, but this one rested below another g with a simple yellow crown dangling from a lone tusk. ke turned and slowly made his way back down the tower. His n was either brilliant or insane, but that wasn''t entirely new. He went without being bothered, none of the guards interested in someone leaving the tower, only entering it. He knew he should probably do the same climb a few more times, or control some more minds to discover Gromsh''s exact schedule. But he had a feeling the new orc ''king'' rarely left his tower now. After so long without even a trace of ke the orcs under hismand had bex and probably not sure he existed at all. They likely doubted the king''s words andmands, unsure why they were even trapped in the tower, except by their king''s orders. Without lifting a finger, ke realized, he had already damaged Gromsh badly. Now it was time to finish him. * * * Ilya sagged with relief as ke entered their little cavern. She came across as if to hug him, but stopped short and looked somewhat awkward. "I got your note," she said, "wee back." Her tone was pretty cool, and ke fought the impulse to use mind powers to understand what she was thinking. Mostly he was just d roboGod''s trantion services included text. "I learned a great deal," he said, deciding to just power through. "All I need now is a day to summon my constructs, maybe another to rest. Then we can go." He blinked and realized she''d known instantly it was him. "Do I...look like the same orc as before?" "Yes," she said, as if confused, then a little quieter. "I prefer you as a human." He crossed the gap between them and took her in his arms, and she practically melted into him with relief. "You''re not...angry with me?" she said. "Why on earth would I be angry with you?" he said, genuinely confused. "I should have been awake¡­to make breakfast. To help you. I slept all day." keughed as the tension melted. "I deliberately didn''t wake you." He breathed in her scent and whispered in her ear. "Anyway, you definitely earned some restst night." Ilya flushed a little and grinned. "Well I can cook us something now." "That''d be great. I have work to do. I''ll be just..." he gestured towards the middle of the cave. "I''ll eatter." Then he opened True Making and took a deep breath, scanning down theplex list and designs. No room for errors now. A day, maybe two, and his little game with the system and with its unholy creation was going to end. What happened after that, he still had no idea. * * * By the time ke was finished with his work, his head throbbed from concentration and manalessness, and he more or less copsed and chewed Ilya''s now lukewarm stew in silence. When he was finished she helped him into his furs, where he half closed his eyes and stared at the dark roof, numbers and constructs still running through his mind. Ilya just cuddled next to him and stroked his skin until he slept. When he woke he finished his final Construct¡ªa much smaller Arcane humanoid with both arms melded into a single spike. It was his ''holy shit'' n if all else failed. He Meditated, running through his Mental Partition to make sure everything was working perfectly again. It was, but it had taken a great deal of time. It reminded him that apparently Mind Rend was pretty good at fucking a person up, and he now had a gem of it on his amulet. He fingered the item and grinned. Gromsh would no doubt be resistant as a ''boss'', but likely not entirely immune. ke would use it first and early and hopefully throw the creature off its game while the constructs attacked. After that...well, he supposed he''d see. As usual, first things were first. "We''re going to have to make you look a bit less obviously radiant," he said to Ilya when his mana was full. She smiled at thepliment, then frowned. "What exactly does that mean." He constructed her a brand new set of ve clothes, opting for as dirty and disheveled as possible on the outside, but scant and sexy underneath. Ilya scowled but put them on in silence, and ke refrained from watching her undress to keep his mind focused. Then he made himself a new set of merchant''s clothes, and finally inspected his row of constructs. One Psionic Defender (made, somewhat reluctantly, with Duality of Ambition), three Arcanes with spears and picks, plus his back up n, all set to permanent. They took basically half his mana to maintain. He wouldn''t necessarily need them long just against Gromsh, but he couldn''t know what problems he might encounter, or what would happen after. He decided not to put himself in the situation of watching the clock and feeling rushed. Better to be careful. They finally made their way through the tunnels and back to Ilya''s house. There were two vagrants sleeping in the room, and ke sighed. He didn''t want to kill them, but he didn''t want to waste much mana or risk discovery either. He used True Making instead, then stepped out quietly and nudged the orcs awake with a boot. "All of you! Out! I''m buying this house," he said. "Take this and go, or I''ll call the guards." He handed them several of the orc''s bronze coins, and the squatters took them and bolted. He did the same with every other orc he found in the ce, then debated if he should create or buy a cart. Large things took considerably more mana, so ''buy'' ultimately won out, and he went to the streets and spoke with a few merchants until he found one who''d sell. Then he pulled it back to the house, covered it with a giant tarp, and hastily snuck his constructs inside one by one. He produced a series of items like the ones he''d seen in the upper tower floors¡ªmostly pottery with borate designs, drinking cups and jewelry. Ilya grinned as she watched at first, then helped him pack it away and look somewhat natural. ke looked around to make sure they weren''t being watched too carefully, which it didn''t seem like they were. Finally he found a couple of the vagrants he''d chased off nearby, and offered them more coin to pull his wagon up to the tower. Two agreed, and he strapped them in. They all walked with the crowd towards the gate, ke trying to look confident and perfectly at ease, or slightly annoyed at the dys. His two wagon pullers definitely helped pull it off, and when ke arrived at the gate the guards looked genuinely uninterested. "Go on," one waved him through, not even bothering to flip up the tarp to take a look. Then they were inside and moving towards the ramps, and the rest of the tower. And of course a vicious battle to the death. ke took a deep breath and trusted in his destiny.
Chapter 183: Let’s get running Chapter 183: Let¡¯s get running Mason chewed his...whatever it was called...and grinned. Just watching and listening to his girls calmed him down, made him feel something approaching...normal. Though he knew his life was far from it. "Oh!" Becky turned to Haley and pped her arm. "I went down to the temple yesterday lookin'' for yer thyme, and I smelled this...amazin'' thing, so I went over to see some flowers. And I was gonna pick a few to bring home, and one spit at me! Hit me right here.¡± She gestured to a little patch of red skin on her hand. ¡°I was so surprised I just turned and ran like hell." Haley gave a sympathetic face. Masonughed. They both looked at him with disapproving res. "Ohe on. The mighty Reba, who can charge a line of murderous orcs, defeated by a flower. It¡¯s funny.¡± Haley slowly smiled until Becky looked at them both with an open mouth in mock offence. "Some sympathy I get!" "I''m sorry, you''re right," Mason reached across for her hand. "Show me where the little rose hurt you. Are you OK? Do you need the infirmary?" She pped his hand and clearly fought a smile. "I''ll remember this. You''ll rue the day." "Very intimidating." Mason chewed and grinned, then cleared his throat. "So, I need another nymph visit." He could see both girls were about toment about not being enoughst night so he held up his acorn. "I need them to tell me what to do with this, and a bag of little magic gems." He stopped and wished he was as clever as ke but just gave up and said what he meant. "I need to take Rosa to Calypsa, but I don''t want toe right back after. I was thinking you coulde with us Becky and take her home. Maybe...get to know her a little." Becky mostly just stared. "With you and Rosa,¡± she said finally. ¡°To the nymphs." "Um, yeah," Mason said, and Haley nudged Becky with her shoulder. "It''s a good idea, no?" "Peanut butter and chocte is a good idea," Becky mumbled. "This is more like¡­whatever the hell¡¯s in dynamite." "We won¡¯t...stay," Mason winced, "I just need their knowledge. Rosa needs recipes from Calypsa. And¡­you and she need to get to know each other." Reba quirked her head as if to say ''oh do we?'' "Just me and her in the woods?¡± she said. ¡°Alone?" "I¡¯ll know if you kill her," Mason said deadpan. "She¡¯s in my contract list. I¡¯d technically have to punish you. Or the system would." Reba red and stuck out her tongue. "I don¡¯t...dislike her," she sighed. "I just don¡¯t like to share is all." "You share with Haley right now," Mason countered. "That¡¯s different. Haley¡¯s the best." Haley grinned at that and the girls exchanged another shoulder check. "Rosa is good people," Mason said. "Get to know her, it¡¯ll be good for you both. For me?" Reba rolled her eyes and squirmed a little. "Fine." "I¡¯ll take that as an excited yes." Mason leaned across the table and lifted Reba''s chin, then gave her a good long kiss until she was getting into it. Haley winked at him beside her, and Mason kicked her a little under the table. "OK," he said when he finally sat back, scooping thest of his food and washing it down with coffee. "Breakfast with girls, check. I''m supposed to talk to the craftsmen, right? Anything else I''m forgetting, Haley, before I run off again?" She smiled. "Nothing that can''t wait. I''ll tell Rosa to be ready to go." "Right. Thanks." Mason stood to leave before Reba gave Haley and then him rather meaningful, judgmental looks. ¡°Um, yeah, you forgot to ask how Haley is doin¡¯,¡± she said, and for a long moment Mason just stared, literally no idea what she was talking about. Right. Pregnant. With my child. He looked at Haley helplessly, and she just winked. ¡°It¡¯s still very early. I¡¯m fine. Some weird cravings.¡± Mason had no idea what else to do except pull her up and give her a squeeze. He also had no idea what to say. She put a finger to his lips before whispering in his ear. ¡°No need, master. I already know.¡± He gave her a good, long kiss, then stuck his tongue out at Reba over her shoulder. ¡°OK. Leaving. See youter.¡± He turned and left the house without another word, feeling slightly iplete when Streak didn''t leap off the porch and chase after him. He went down to the crafting quarter to find people already hard at work. He shook hands with several civilians whose names he didn¡¯t know, all of whom took turns showing him their various projects. Apparently they were making actual weapons and armor now. "It''s not pretty, but it works," said a shy, middle-aged leatherworker. "We''ve gotyered linen. Gambeson, I think it¡¯s called? Which is stronger than you''d think. And we''ve got boiled leather we¡¯re trying now. Main problem is supplies. We need more hides and materials to work with, sir. But we''ve got the yers who are here to get sized in some of it. Can we make you something, Patron?" ¡°Good work¡­Cynthia, was it? Sorry I¡¯m terrible with names," Mason said, impressed with the efforts. His instinct was to tell her to just call him Mason, but he fought it. Maybe titles and hierarchy would make people feel better, would help keep control. "I''ll try and deal with the supply side. In the meantime, I''d be happy to take some. Prefer the leather, if you''ve got it. Talk to Haley about measurements, OK?" "Sure, boss.¡± The woman smiled. "Just let us know if you..." "Any chance you can make a bow?¡± Mason said to the general group of civilians all watching. ¡°I mean¡­I sort of know how to make myself something, but ''crude'' likely wouldn''t begin to describe it." The big cksmith, Peni, put a hand to his chin. "The system has knowledge on just about anything from the old world. We could...look into it. I expect it''d be a group project." Mason smiled, certainly not expecting anything as fancy as hispound bow, and trying not to be angry about the loss again. But something was better than nothing. "I''d be grateful. I''ll be back in a few days and we can talk about it then." "Sure, chief," said the smith absently, clearly lost in thought. "See youter." Mason talked to the builders, too, who said they could make new tools to start moulding metals and sters and all kinds of things. But they toocked supplies, especially material to practice with. He told them he''d try and do something about that, though not yet entirely sure what. He looked into more patron options and definitely had some things he could do. But it seemed something like a ''mine'' was not possible until they found actual resources and locations in the real world. He nced over the walls towards therge mountain not far in the distance, knowing it was very likely time for a visit soon. And not just for materials, but because thest dungeon implied he might find a certain ¡®guild¡¯ of goblins there that might need a lesson in consequences. Streak¡¯s excited howl interrupted his thoughts, and the increasinglyrge wolf bound inside the settlement walls ahead of Phuong and the others. Some nearby citizens and yer guards went to greet them, but John and Seamus were clearly awkward as they mostly stared with open mouths at the settlement. "Sweet merciful Jesus," Seamus said, frenzied eyes moving from trees to buildings to houses. Then Mason realized Haley hade out and walked down to greet them in her more formal clothes, and Seamus'' eyes finally found something to focus on. "Wee," she said, with a nce at Mason to make sure they actually were. He nodded, and she smiled. "I''m Haley, Mason''s assistant. I can help get you settled." "We''ve found bloody paradise, Mac," Seamus beamed as he smacked the bigger man''s arm. Then he pointed a finger at Haley and lowered his voice. "Are you single, darling?" Her smile strained ever so slightly. "I am very not. This way, please. You must be tired. But you''re in luck, we have free houses again." "If he gives you any trouble," Mason called without any indication he was kidding, "just let me know. I still debate killing him asionally." Seamusughed with exaggerated volume. "He''s a funny one, that one. But nevermind, sweetheart. We¡¯re good pals now." Mason sighed and turned to Phuong. "Can you¡­ "I¡¯ll keep an eye on him, Patron. Don''t worry." Mason put a hand on the man''s arm and gave it a squeeze. ¡°The trip back was uneventful?¡± "Quite peaceful. You¡¯re off again?" Phuong added, eyebrow slightly raised. "Need any help? I wouldn''t mind a bite to eat but..." "Watching Seamus is more than enough help. I''ve a lot of ground to cover this time, but I''ll take a few people to the great tree first. Take care of everyone for me." Phuong nodded and smiled, then walked off towards the ''restaurant''. Mason told Haley he was ready, then soon found himself at the gate with an awkward and obviouslypetitively ''sexy hiking'' dressed Reba and Rosa. Streak came loping over chewing on...something, obviously no intention of being left behind again. "OK." Mason put on whatever small charm he had. "I''ve still got a lot to do. So let''s get running." The girls both looked rather determined as they stepped out into the trees, and Mason legitimately wondered if they¡¯d both run until they dropped. ¡°I bet we can make it today,¡± Reba called back, rolling her shoulders and lifting or bending her limbs. Rosa was simrly preparing, both of them unintentionally giving Mason a leg and ass show from his position at the gate. ¡°Possibly,¡± he said, knowing if he offered either woman a ride at the moment they¡¯d be telling him to go to hell. ¡°But let¡¯s not overdo it. You¡¯ll need to actually be able to walk back.¡± Reba and Rosa gave each other the briefest nce before looking back at him with a ¡®well let¡¯s bloody go¡¯ sort of intense stare. Mason sniffed and clicked for Streak, leading the way as he set the pace. He wanted the women to get along, of course. But if he was honest, thepetition wasn¡¯t entirely turning him off¡­
Chapter 184: Blake vs Gromsh Chapter 184: ke vs Gromsh The climb towards Gromsh was excruciating. Or at least it probably was. For the pullers. ke didn''t help them at all. Instead he focused all his attention on the battle ahead as he walked. They reached the end of the city and the beginning of the tower floors without challenge, climbing floor after floor with their hired orcs grunting and once or twice asking what the hell was inside the cart. "A gift. For the king," ke said with as much haughty attitude as he was capable. Which was a lot. "You should count yourselves lucky just to carry it." They made it all the way to the top levels before anyone seemed to really care about them. Then the same guards who had stopped him a day before and asked for his writ held out their hands. "Where are you going?" "To King Gromsh," ke said confidently. "Gifts from the Stilek tribe." The guard sniffed and lifted the tarp, inspecting the constructs and everything else with impassive eyes. "What are they? Statues? They look...weird." "Sculptures," ke said instantly. "Basalt sandstone, very colorful, yes? For the great king''s hall." The guard frowned but clearly didn''t want to be the one to interfere with such a thing. Finally he looked to Ilya, nostrils ring and eyes squinting as he gestured at her clothes. "What would the king want with this one?" ke smiled, and slowly lifted Ilya''s tattered coat until her shapely leg was exposed, showing the obviouscy fabric beneath. "Couldn''t have the riffraff in the city pawing at her, could I?" The guard grinned, but dropped it quickly. "On your way, then. Don''t stray from the main hall." "Thank you." ke nodded with respect and snapped at his pullers. "You heard him, move it, we¡¯re blocking the way." The orcs growled and pulled, and soon they were rolling through thest few halls and ramps to the top of the tower. Then they¡¯d reached the final stairway and the two guards standing at attention at the base. One approached the cart without concern, no doubt receiving such things frequently. ¡°Is the king avable?¡± ke asked like he expected a greedy, ambitious merchant might. ¡°Who wants to know?¡± said the guard, flipping open the tarp to inspect with squinted eyes. ¡°Wee with gifts. I¡¯d hoped I might go and¡­meet the king myself, introduce myself. Hmm?¡± He produced a few coins from his pocket and rolled them between his fingers. The guard looked at the coins and snorted. ¡°No chance. But I¡¯m not carrying these fucking things up those stairs. Your half starved runts here look ready to keel over. So what¡¯s your n, then?¡± ke felt his gut clench as the moment arrived, his mask dropping. He nced back to see there was no other orcs anywhere near. ¡°Oh, it''s not going to be a problem,¡± he muttered,manding his constructs to rise and gather. ¡°Eh? How is it¡­wait, what?¡± The guard stepped back with wide eyes as the constructs crashed and ttered their way out. Then the guards were shouting in rm and battle as the constructs ripped them apart. ¡°You can go back now,¡± ke said, turning to meet Ilya¡¯s wide eyes as she looked at the mangled corpses of the guards. She blinked again and again then met ke¡¯s eyes. ¡°I''m here to avenge my kin, and to help you,¡± she said. ¡°To the end.¡± ke nodded, both thrilled and saddened at the expected answer. He smiled, and took her hand. ¡°Then let''s go and meet our destiny.¡± * * * The wagon pullers stared at ke and the constructs with huge, uprehending eyes. "Off you go," he waved, and after a small dy they turned and bolted so fast they tripped before running again. "Shouldn''t we...stop them?" Ilya said as ke scrolled through his powers and Partitionmands again and again, knowing it was more like a nervous tick now. "Won''t matter," he said. "This will end quickly. One way or another." Ilya''s fearful eyes suddenly hardened, and she pulled back her hood and collected her staff from the wagon. "I''m ready," she said, and nothing more. ke gave her a fierce grin, then started climbing thest steps to his enemy. The Defender in particr clomped his way to the tower like a clydesdale. These weren''t flying constructs with little ws anymore. They were solidly built murder-bots, armored particrly at the front with as much weight as ke could fit. He felt very strange ascending those stairs with the constructs at his side. For the second time since he was five, he was going to face something obviously terrible and final without Mason beside him. All his life he had learned to trust in that single rock, to build himself around like the bottom pirs of a fortress. It felt terrible and lonely, but also¡­exhrating. It was only him and the things he''d prepared. There was no authority to appeal to. No great protector to call if he lost. He reached the top of the stairs, and there across the room stood the giant orc king. He was staring out the window, a cloak around his shoulders, a crude crown upon his head. "I''ve been waiting," he said, voice deep and filled with menace. He turned slowly, gaze moving over ke and Ilya and the constructs with little more than cold assessment. His eyes were red and held up by bruises. His tower room stank like rotten food and old urine, like he didn''t ever bother to leave. "I sent away so many guards I feared you¡¯d recognize I wanted you to. But sooner orter, I knew you''de. And I''m very good at waiting. Now take off that disgusting mask." ke grit his teeth and dropped his Adaptive Veil, clutching his amulet as if it had been the source. "You''re clever,¡± said the orc king. ¡°But then I expected no less of a human targeted by the gods. I will kill you cleanly as a worthy foe." The orc''s tired eyes moved to Ilya, and his mouth curled in contempt. "You, though¡ªyou will die badly, traitor. You will beg for death before the end, and piss on the banner of your kin." ke felt the orc girl practically vibrating at his side, and decided that was probably enough talking. "No, Gromsh," ke said with no pleasure or malice. "You''re just one piece of my story. I''ll forget you existed before the dawn." He activated Mind Rend, and sent his Defender charging. Gromsh threw back his cloak to reveal a body armored in leather, and a pair of glowing knives in his hands. Well. ''Knives''. They were about the length of human longswords, just curved like scimitars and jagged at the back. He roared as ke''s amulet red with dark, red light. The moment he used it the metal ne seemed to mp and squeeze around his neck, but he had no time for distractions. His defender struck with a massive, two-fisted blow to Gromsh''s chest, knocking him sliding back as he ignored it and held his head in pain. Two Arcanes moved to either nk, stabbing with their spears and poking holes in the king''s leather armor. They struck once, twice, the defender bashing again before the giant orc finally roared and opened his eyes, face curled in fury. He mmed his des into ke''s defender, pushed straight into its shoulders to the hilt. If it was a man, it would have been exceptionally dead right there. But it wasn''t. The Defender grabbed Gromsh by the wrists and held on as the Arcanes moved in stabbing and swinging their picks. Gromsh wrestled with the defender, roaring and twisting before he side kicked it and yanked, ripping off one of its arms. ke lifted the first of his bundle of constructed spears, andunched it with Telekinesis. It sunk into Gromsh''s leg, but he flicked it out with the barest movement, twisting and shing at the Arcane''s spears with his free de, still kicking and pulling at the Defender. Then his eyes glowed with arcane power. He muttered words too soft to hear before the room shook and a sound like thunder deafened ke except for a high pitched ring. His Arcanes lifted off the ground, flung several feet back. But his Psionic Defender hadn''t budged. Gromsh fought on, obviously surprised and even more enraged as ke started tossing spear after spear with Telekinesis. ke sent the other untouched Arcane just as Gromsh spun and cleaved his Defender''s head from its shoulders. The giant construct crumpled and fell before exploding into dust. Gromsh stared at ke with victorious eyes, and charged. * * * The Arcane constructs were up and attacking, but Gromsh smashed them away and ignored them. He was covered in blood, his armor pierced and ripped to tatters. But he was stilling. Ilya growled and seemed to grow as she chanted and held out her staff, then lifted one of ke''s spears and intercepted the orc king. She thrust well and skewered his side just above his hip, and Gromsh roared in rage. He swiped a de at her face, and ke almost called out in panic before a green shield appeared and stopped it. keunched spear after spear with Telekinesis, draining every scrap of mana from his bar and most of his gem. Gromsh''s chest was like a porcupine''s back, javelins sticking out and oozing with blood. But the bastard just wouldn''t die. Gromsh tossed his weapon, pushing his hand forward slowly through the shield until he managed to seize Ilya''s neck. ke grabbed his amulet, and forced it to Mind Rend again. It tightened further, seeming to press into his flesh a searing him with agony, and he knew he''d have to figure how what to do about itter. But he needed it now. Gromsh''s head lolled as the magic hit him. He released his grip on Ilya, who fell to the floor gasping and pale. The orc king backed away, only one Arcane construct healthy enough to follow and stab before the giant creature smashed it away almost instinctively. He wavered on his feet, finally dropping to his knees. He sneered before he opened his eyes, which now dripped with blood. "Now I know why the gods want you dead." He spat more blood and showed his teeth. "That''s demon magic. You are the servant of the Kazikdra." ¡°No!" Ilya managed to growl from the floor. "He saved me from them. To kill you!" Gromshughed, another spurt of blood dripping down his chest. "Who do you think enved our people, daughter of the Stoneblood? It wasn¡¯t the demons. It was their yer, the great hero, corrupted by their magic." Ilya red. "A lie." The orc kingughed again, then twitched, as if the magic of the amulet was still attacking his mind. "Shut your mouth, betrayer,¡± he growled. ¡°Ignorant whore. Who turns against her own people for a human, a mind mage, a servant of the enemy?" Gromsh roared and stood with what seemed an incredible feat of pure will, stepping over a puddle of his own blood to stagger forward towards ke, one de still in his hand. ke used everyst scrap of mana in his gem, lifted his Arcane construct built as a spear, andunched it into Gromsh''s gut. It skewered straight through to the other side. His Mental Partition red, and the moment his minion made contact it activated its Burning Touch, smoke rising from the horrific wound. Gromsh staggered, pulling briefly at the construct before realizing it waspletely through his body. He lurched further and further away, gave onest malevolent stare, then turned and leapt from the tower through one of therge windows. He fell in silence into the dark.
Chapter 185: Error survivor Chapter 185: Error survivor [/Sys_error. Mortal Challenge: defeated. Reward: Unspecified. //Error.] [//Experience gained.] [You have earned enough experience to reach level 11! Please select a power to enhance.] [Title gained: Error Survivor. Thank you for your patience. +2 luck] The block of system text floated before ke¡¯s eyes, but he ignored it. "Are you alright?" He went to Ilya and found her neck was already red and bruised. It seemed even with her magically enhanced strength and protection, the orc king had nearly killed her with just a moment''s effort. She smiled and stood with a groan. "We did it." Her eyes glowed with wetness, and she sagged into ke''s arms. "My family is avenged." "Yes we did." ke smiled, then walked to the window and looked down at Gromsh''s corpse lying mangled on the stone below. A variety of orcs were down there already inspecting and looking generally panicked. He sighed, still not sure what to do. His instincts told him to go down there and start taking charge, but he didn''t quite trust himself as he once did. Perhaps, he decided, he should take a page from the Mason book and just take Ilya and run. He could go back to Nassau and Mason and the others and keep ying the game as they''d been ying. Or¡­ He could go to the orc lords and exin himself as ''Thrall'', continue the lie and perhaps collect some kind of reward. Or he could try and be like Gromsh. He could take the minds of the orcs he needed, use his constructs and his magic and make himself a more subtle king. "What are you thinking?" Ilya said, watching his face. "What do we do now?" "Exactly what I was wondering," he said, drumming his fingers on the wall. "I figured you had a n," she said. "You always have a n." He smiled and met her eyes. "Yes. ns. I have to pick one." She furrowed her brow in thought, then seemed to make a decision and held his arms. "Whatever it is, I''ll help you. I trust you, ke. I don''t care what Gromsh said. He''s the one who betrayed his people. Who cared nothing for their lives. I owe you everything." ke smiled, surprisingly affected by the orc girl''s trust. Most people who believed in ke believed in a facade. His parents. His friends and old schoolmates. They saw his carefully constructed persona and thought they understood who he was, and what he wanted. Only Mason had ever known the real him¡ªthe scared little boy who''d re-built himself, like the constructs he now made. But maybe in this strange fictional world designed by a robotic alien, he could find others he could trust. He could be honest with himself, and therefore with them. "I don''t want to go home," he said, a little surprised at his own words. "Not yet. And I don''t want to lie to your people anymore." Ilya looked at his eyes and nodded, maybe slightly happy, maybe slightly concerned. "Alright. Then we''ll have to talk to the chiefs we can trust...if we can exin to them, if we can..." "Wait." ke¡¯s level had regained him some mana, and he took Ilya''s hand and activated Telekinesis, floating them out through the window and down towards the body of Gromsh and the gathering crowd of orcs. His intuition was returning in full force, his trust in himself regained the moment he''d spoken the truth. With a smile on his very human face, he floated down to gamble again. * * * "ke, what are you doing? We can''t just...they''ll kill you." "They might," ke said, realizing he wasn''t afraid. Mostly he was just tired of ying this game like he was supposed to. He''d been in the minds of these orcs and seen enough to know they were sentient, that they were more than whatever programming they''d been given, whatever script they''d been fed. Ilya proved that more than anything. Maybe roboGod had conceived of every possibility. Maybe no matter what ke did he was just making another pre-determined choiceid out like all the others. But maybe not. Maybe it would react to him, too. And he would much rather forge his own path, keep this system at least a little on the defensive. ke had always liked to break the rules and get away with it. Hended softly next to Gromsh''s broken corpse. Orc warriors wereing out from their tower posts with their weapons clutched and ready, but they didn''te any closer. They all stared at ke and Ilya. "Go on and fetch your tower lords," ke called in his regr tone and voice. "Tell them King Gromsh is dead. Tell them his human killer would...like a word. If they aren''t too busy." The orcs looked rather stunned. Some whispered and argued back and forth before messengers were sent scurrying into the portals. ke created himself a chair with True Making (to an audible gasp from the orcs), then sat and meditated. His level was extremely easy so he finished it now. True Making was obviously the only choice to enhance. It glowed slightly but gave no option, simply telling him what it did. [True Making enhanced: all option mana costs decreased.] He smiled, perfectly happy with the result. Then for a moment he pictured the exact image of the great orc hero he''d seen in many of the tower halls, wondering if he could clone it exactly with Adaptive Veil. But he discarded the idea. What he¡¯d said to Ilya was true¡ªhe didn¡¯t want to lie, very tired of always living a deception. He let Navi float out beside him and gave the construct an affectionate pat, then looked at Ilya standing awkwardly beside him and made her a chair, too. "Thank you," she said quietly and sat, looking not much less awkward. ke had a good 15% of his mana back by the time the portals had red a few dozen times. A veritable army of orcs came through covered in iron. Behind them ke could see a cluster of shamans, and finally several well-dressed and half-armored orcs covered in different symbols, all with wary bodyguards close at their sides. Therge group of orcs stopped maybe thirty feet from ke, eventually opening with enough space for what he assumed were the tower lords toe forward and inspect the dead orc ''king''. One¡ªclearly a much younger lord¡ªsmiled. The rest looked somewhat grim. "Who are you?" asked arge, white-haired orc with a simple staff that was likely anything but. ke refrained from using Mental Influence to get all their names. "My name is ke Nimitz," he said, knowing it would have been spread by the king in his search. Some whispering passed through the orc ranks but silenced quickly. "So you have killed your enemy," said the younger, much fiercer looking grey-skinned orc with the cktusk tabard. "Why would you ask for us, when you know we might do the same to you?" ke nodded, very pleased at how reasonable they seemed. He stood, also very pleased when practically every orc in sight startled or gripped their weapons, some sparing a nce at the very mangled and bloody corpse of Gromsh. "Because I wanted you to know you''re not my enemies. Only Gromsh was. And now he''s dead. But the other humans you attacked aren¡¯t so forgiving. And they''lle back for the rest of you." "We''ll be waiting," snarled the youngest tower lord, which seemed to garner almost an eye roll from the other lords. "He waited, too," ke gestured at Gromsh, then sighed. "I wanted you here to show you not only am I not your enemy, I wish to be your friend." Even the older tower lords sneered at that. "Humans have always been our enemy. Why should we believe anything you say?" "Because of this." ke pulled the holy stone from his pocket, and the orcs stared with wide eyes. ke knew he must act quickly or risk violence. "Navi," he said, "please identify Ilya, daughter of Dralok." The little construct twirled without hesitation. "Ilya of the Vori, Stoneblood Oracle, Tower Highborn Bloodline." Still the orcs stared, lost in the spectacle, as ke handed her the stone. She stared with equal amazement as he closed his hands around hers and whispered. "Use it. It will make a new orc tower, I suspect, and you the lord. And who knows what else." "I..." she blushed and stared, ncing quickly at the other orcs before ke squeezed. "Do it, Ilya. Quickly, now, before anyone gets a chance to do something foolish." Ilya met ke''s eyes and clenched her jaw. The stone hummed with power and glowed with bright light between their fingers, and soon ke had to look away. The earth shook, the sky darkened, and many of the orcs fell to their knees in terror. The nearby walls expanded, pushing out like stone could move of its own ord. Some of the nearby orcs fled in panic, the walls moving closer and closer as if to crush them, until suddenly all of it stopped. Then with another roar of natural power, a tower grew from the earth itself, huge and white as it jut higher and higher to reach the size of all the others. When it was finished, a giant tabard fluttered from its side with the image of Ilya''s family crest¡ªan amber eye. ke smiled when he saw it, watching the orc''s watery gaze as she clearly struggled to hold herself together. "I told you to trust me," he whispered, and she covered her mouth with a hand to hide a shuddering sob. "No time for that," he added, d the orcs were all still staring, gobsmacked, at the tower. "You''re a tower lord. Er,dy, now. You''ll need to be strong. And I don''t really know what happens. Do you get warriors? Or can they just kill us anyway? Really not clear on orc politics. Should I be running?" Then the noise ended, and the sky grew a little clearer, and the tower lords stared at Ilya and ke with all the other orcs in obvious wonder. "It is a miracle," whispered the older lord, a little wetness in his rheumy eyes, too. "We live in a time of myth. Of legend." With that he came forward on his staff, a slight smile on his lips as he walked to Ilya and took her hand. "Wee, Lady of n¡­Amber Eye, Oracle of the Vori,¡± he smiled. ¡°Your wisdom will be most wee on the council." The other lords looked equally pleased, and not backstabbingly murderous at all, which pleased ke greatly. They came forward one by one to congratte and wee Ilya, all clearly amazed still as they stole nces at the tower. She epted in silence but with considerable grace, and when it was over the orcs all turned to ke, clearly wary. ¡°What do you want from us, human?¡± said the cktusk lord. ¡°For this...incredible gift.¡± ke clucked his tongue. What did he want? He¡¯d hardly thought it through, if he was honest. It was a strange feeling that sat in his gut like a new food. He had helped Ilya, and helped these orcs, without any thought to his own benefit. He didn¡¯t much like it, if he was honest. Like some exotic new dish, it was good to try now and then, he supposed, but only sparingly. He nced at the tower. ¡°I''vee to quite like it here,¡± he said. ¡°I was thinking, if you have any extra, I wouldn''t mind a room. I could use a little space, and time to study.¡± The orcs looked surprised, but turned to Ilya for an answer. She smiled, and clearly wanted to throw her arms around ke, but kept it together. Verydylike, he decided. "There is always room for you in my tower, Wizard." "Well then.¡± ke smiled. ¡°I''ll talk to the other humans, and we''ll see about calling off the whole ¡®fight to the death¡¯ thing. If that''s eptable?" The lords looked at each other. Most shrugged helplessly. "Yes...Wizard ke,¡± said the older lord. ¡°If¡­it¡¯s possible. We would ept peace." "Very good.¡± ke stood and let his chair crumble to dust, just to startle the orcs a little. He held out an arm for Ilya. ¡°Should we go take a look at your new tower, mydy?" Ilya grinned, and took his arm, and together they walked towards the new gate. ¡°If you don¡¯t have a key,¡± ke whispered, ¡°I can probably animate the thing to open.¡± It opened instantly as Ilya touched it, a beautiful smile spreading across her face as the double doors revealed inside. These too had the image of a huge, amber eye, staring as if watching any who entered. ke and Ilya walked towards it without looking back. Only after they''d touched it and vanished, re-appearing in an empty hall of stone and plush carpet, with busts of dozens of orcs lining the walls, did Ilya turn. She threw her arms around ke as she wept. He held her and put a hand to her hair, no reason at all to stop the smile. He supposed in that moment helping others for nothing wasn¡¯t so terrible. Not so terrible at all.
Chapter 186: Why don’t we go inside? Chapter 186: Why don¡¯t we go inside? Mason probably worked the girls harder than he should have. He''d picked a reasonablyfortable pace at first, but they kept pushing him (each other, really) beyond until he more or less said ''fuck it'' and went at ''human fast run'' speed for two hours. It wasn''t a remotely fairpetition, either. Reba was a yer, Rosa was a civilian. Mason wasn''t sure what Reba''s Vitality was but considering she was a defensive yer he was guessing it was pretty damn high. But Rosa was incrediblypetitive, and also in great shape. At the two hour mark she was dripping with sweat, skin a little pale and breathing frantic. Still she hadn''t said a word. Mason was about to turn and snap about this being ridiculous, and that they needed to have a conversation like grown ups, when Rosa tripped. She went down with a shriek, and Mason just saw the blue shield sh as Rosa smacked into a fallen log. She stood up looking somewhere between pissed off and exhausted, checking herself for injury. "You alright?" Mason hunched down and pulled some dirty leaves off her sweaty shirt. "Fine," Rosa said, obviously embarrassed. "We can..." she closed her eyes and wobbled as she tried to stand, and Mason had enough. "OK that''s it, climb on." He grabbed her and forced her to his back, giving Becky a ''don''t act like you''re not involved'' sort of re before he continued. They ran mostly in silence after that, but took a little break to eat and drink before they reached the grove. "I''m getting a little cold," Rosa said after putting on a sweater from her bag, but still shivering. Mason flinched, forgetting the weather was actually getting quite cool in the forest and that it bothered the others more. He ended up sitting next to her and putting his arm around her, getting Becky to do the same on the other side. They sat awkwardly until Streak clobbered into them from behind trying to get in on the action. "Yes, yes, everyone loves you most, Streak." Mason pulled him over and flipped him semi-violently, and at this point he was so big all three of them could hug a chunk of his increasingly long body and thick fur. He stuck out his tongue and closed his eyes happily. "No offense, big guy," Rosa said, hugging him for warmth. "But you really need a bath. You stink like wet dog and dead orc." She pulled up at the realization and crinkled her nose, and Mason decided it was time to keep going. He carried Rosa the rest of the way, and after their group hug things at least felt a little less awkward. But as they approached the grove Mason heard voices on the wind. He felt something in the trees that didn''t belong, and held up a hand as he set Rosa down. "Stay here," he said to Becky, "watch Rosa. I''ll be right back." Before she couldin, he touched the nearest bark and camouged himself with his Sleeves, then gestured Streak on as he slipped through the trees. * * * Itzit, Third Circle Wizard of the Mountain Guild, stared at the empty, mist-filled grove. "Ley line seer said between river and valley on Western forest edge. This must be ce, Prospector. It''s on map. But I see no tree." He gestured at the colored cloth provided by the Guild and shrugged when his client frowned. "It''s here, Wizard, I can smell it. This is nymph magic." Itzit sneered at the word. The forest whores had been trouble for goblins since the dawn of time. Always interfering, always opposing. They brought trees to life to destroy their machines, tricked and even seduced them only to cut their throats and leave their bodies drained like insect husks. Itzit stepped to the edge of the ''clearing'' and closed his eyes, invoking a rare incantation taught beginning at the Third Circle to destroy or at least suppress magic. The more time and mana he gave it the more powerful it became, but he thought it best to try a test. Perhaps he could at least break the illusion for a moment to see if the Prospector was right. His spell finished, filling the air with a dull purple glow as it nketed over the clearing. For a moment, just a moment, he thought he saw something physical in the mist. He smelled it, too. Tree sap and pine, just like all the forest life he hated. He nced at the Prospector, who met his eyes and grinned. "Can you end the spell?" "I think so, Prospector. But I will need time." "Time is something we have, Wizard. The rest of you, make camp. Scouts, find us something to eat. I¡¯ll take anything that isn''t salted or dried." "There you''re wrong," whispered a foreign voice from somewhere very nearby, and Itzit squinted and stared as he looked for a source. "You''ve a lot less time than you think." "Who is that? Show yourself! Wizard, tell me who''s speaking before I..." Prospector Snarsk gasped as the tree beside him seized his neck. Then the tree shimmered and became a thing with arms and legs and... "Humans!" Itzit screeched a warning then turned and fled behind a rock before starting his spell. He had many destructive tools in his arsenal, and usually preferred speed, but decided better to reveal himself with a first, brutal surprise. The human had mmed Prospector Snarks against a tree trunk several times before it finished, tossing the merchant dead to the ground. But Itzit cared nothing for the Prospectors. He¡¯d already been paid, and only served his own order. Besides, the tree had been found. All that mattered now was returning the knowledge before somehow the nymphs moved it, or tricked them. Boil Flesh swirled green andunched in spray of acidic venom that filled the air in a wide, deadly cone. The ooze stuck to anything it touched¡ªcovering trees and sending steam rising as it burned and melted even wood. Itzit watched long enough to see his target half covered before he smiled and turned to run. Hot breath hit his face. He pulled back as what must have been white teeth rose above and below his vision, like the pretty stctites of the cave Itzit called home. "Oh," he said, mostly just surprised. Then they closed. * * * [Apex Predator active: Elemental] [Title activated: Poison Shmoison] Mason growled as the foul substance covered most of his body. He''d underestimated how many goblins there actually were, but ducked and ran as darts and arrows zipped and thunked all around him from the trees ahead. He wiped some ooze off his face, beginning to feel the sting. It was some kind of contact poison, apparently, but felt more like acid. It seemed little worse than the pit of the Devourer''s stomach, though, and maybe not even that bad. It wasn''t too easy to get off, apparently, but if these goblins thought it would stop him before they were all dead, they were very wrong. Mason activated Aspect of the Cheetah, summoned both his ws, and sprinted after any creature he could see in the gloom. The first stood with a blowgun and wide eyes as Mason almost cut it in half with hisrger sword. He instantly moved on, finding another with a short bow. He took its throat with his sickle, then its bow as he unsummoned hisrger de. "Thank you," he said, then turned and drew, activating Endless Quiver for the first time in quite awhile. He blinked in surprise at the drop down list. It looked like it had way too many optionspared to normal. But there was no time to inspect. He quickly epted some random barbed tip and loosed at a goblin with Power Shot, sting it flying. Then he heard Streak growl and leap on some poor little bastard and start thrashing it like a dirty rug. He ignored them and moved through with his camouge active, putting arrows into anything green and moving. The bow wasn''t particrly good, the draw too light to pierce much but flesh. But then it didn''t need to be. The goblins soon broke and ran. Mason followed and hunted them down without mercy, telling Streak to do the same. They moved well and fast, but not fast enough. Mason soon had thest of them lying in the dirt, looking up at him with terrified eyes, remaining hand quivering in front of its face. [Greenblood Prospector Team defeated. Experience gained.] Mason had heard enough to understand this ¡®Prospector Team¡¯ was here looking for the great tree. After what he''d seen in the dungeon he knew more than he wanted to about why. "Tell me where your mountain entrance is," he said, grabbing the goblin''s severed stump and hovering a thumb over the wound. "And I''ll make your death quick and painless." The goblin sneered, grabbing for something at its waist before Mason used Predator''s Strike and took its head. He sighed, and found the rusty knife before tossing it away. Then he went back and collected as many of the bows and blowguns and darts as he could carry, whistling for Streak on the way. He found a crude map on the goblin leader, some strange coins made with at least rudimentary craftsmanship, and a staff on the wizard. Then he walked back to the girls and almost panicked for a moment when they weren''t where he''d left them. "Thank you, druid," said a feminine voice from the mists, and Calypsa stepped out with her spear and bark-like armor covering her from neck to knees. She was leading Rosa and Becky with the other hand, and gave Mason a bloodthirsty smile. "I enjoyed watching that. Very much." Mason cleared his throat and tried not to enjoy her enjoyment of his murdering things. "Nice to see you again, Calypsa. Why don''t we go inside?" The nymph''s smile only widened, and before Rosa or Becky could say anything, she turned and disappeared back into the mist. Mason took a deep breath and followed.
Chapter 187: The gift of magic (NSFW) Chapter 187: The gift of magic (NSFW) "The hell just happened?" Becky whispered as she and Rosa took Mason''s arm instead of Calypsa''s. "Goblins," he answered. "Dead now. Don''t worry." "I ''ain''t worried, just confused. All I saw was trees and bloody mist and then I heard screamin''." Calypsa vanished, but Mason paused as he went to touch the tree. "You girls alright? Any...concerns before we go inside? You, uh, know what they''re like." "Yes, we know what they''re like," Becky said, flushing a little. Then after an unreadable nce at Rosa. "We should...avoid all that." "Avoid it. No problem." Mason let out a breath then gestured for Streak toe closer before taking the prompt and vanishing them all inside. As usual the warm moisture of the nymph grove and the smell of fresh life brought him calm. Thea stepped instantly from her pool with a wide grin to greet them, first embracing Calypsa with a sort of European kiss on each cheek. Mercifully, she was entirely covered in a leafy green dress. "Wee, druid. And to your mates as well. Oh I dohope you''vee to stay for longer this time." Some kind of ''they''re not my mates''ment seemedpletely useless and basically not true anyway. Mason just smiled politely, aware of the considerable amount of feminine energy and beautiful women now surrounding him. "Sorry, but no. We were hoping Calypsa could teach Rosa what she knows of poisons, er alchemy...OK I don''t actually know but whatever the hell Thea mentionedst time. And I have some questions." "Oh, my apologies druid, I''ve not even invited you in. Please,e and sit and drink and eat, you must be tired." After much protest and assurance they were in fact all fine, and no didn''t need to disrobe and bathe in the pool, thank you, they managed to sit in magic nt seats and drink the always refreshing grove water. Then Calypsa took Rosa aside and did some kind of magic brain download thatsted quite some time. Thea sat with Mason and Becky and crossed her very shapely, exposed legs. "So," Thea smiled and bit into a grape in a manner Mason could only describe as...lewdly. "How can I assist?" For a second, Mason forgot entirely. "Uh, this." He drew the acorn from his pocket. "I''ve cleared another great tree. It gave me this." Thea''s eyes focused slightly and she maybe pulled her chest in...a little. "Incredible," she said, standing toe closer. "Is that...? May I?" Mason really hoped she meant touch the acorn. He held it up and, fortunately, she took it. The thing glowed with a pale green light, and Thea made a kind ofughing snort before covering her face and getting teary eyed. "What had they done to it?" she whispered. "The tree?" "I don''t know, exactly," Mason answered in a serious tone, sensing the nymph''s change. "It was goblins. From some kind of mountain guild. The same ones that we..." Thea made an almost growl and threw her arm, spraying green mist as her eyes red and ripples formed on the water. nt life burst into action all over the grove as if sensing a threat, vines curling down and grasping as thorns grew from their sinewy limbs. Thea closed her eyes and held out a hand, and the waves and nts calmed as quickly as they''d angered. "I''m sorry, druid," Thea said sadly. "I know you don''t understand." She came back and took her seat. "This acorn...is the final gift of a great tree. It means...it means it has been damaged too much to renew itself again. One day it will die." "It..." Mason frowned. "It seemed to be healing when I left it. It felt like things were getting better." "Oh they will," Thea smiled. "It may live for many years. Centuries, even. But the spirit of Gaia that renewed it as it renews us is lost. One day the tree will die like any other living thing." Mason felt a horrible sense of loss he couldn''t easily exin, like he''d found out a loved one had cancer. Reba seemed to notice and put a hand on his thigh. "Is there nothing we can do?" Thea shook her head, but seemed more at peace. "Life and death is the way of things. There are many great trees in the world, not just in our forest. And with this acorn, we could grow another." Mason sighed, relieved at what he''d hoped was the case. "Good. Then let''s do it. Any ideas on where?" Thea''s eyes only grew more watery, then she looked at the floor. "Before we...I have to tell you, druid, growing a new great tree is not the only use for such a gift." Mason lifted a brow and the nymph sighed. "The magic of the acorn can be used in many ways. I don''t know them all. But, many powerful beings seek such things. It might be...consumed for power. Used with great magic. Or to create an artifact." "I see," Mason said, feeling slightly more ufortable. Using the acorn for any purpose except growing new life felt vaguely...wrong. On the other hand, he wasn''t here to grow new forests in a world filled with bloody forest. He was here to protect the people he loved. To ¡®win¡¯. "And can you help me do any of those things?" Thea shrugged and handed Mason the acorn. "To consume it is simple. You need only boil it in water until it glows, then drink. What will happen will depend on you, and the great tree you took it from. But you could expect to be made stronger in some permanent way. It can be channeled to make a spell more powerful, but only once, if you use it just like you would any other focus item." "That seems...incredibly wasteful," Mason said. "A single spell? For such a rare gift?" Thea turned her head as if she didn''t quite agree. "There are many spells in this world withsting consequence. With the power of the acorn, I could..." she looked away, clearly excited at the prospect, "I could make life to protect our grove from almost any threat." She smiled and nced at Mason shyly. "You are still young I know, druid, but one day you may find a powerful spell to augment." Mason squinted. "Can you teach me? More magic, I mean. Right now all I can do is shoot lightning, basically." "I..." Thea pulled back as if surprised. "Of course I can, druid. But...it would take considerable time and practice. Months, certainly, maybe years." Months? Years? Well, that was out. Mason didn''t seem to have daysof free time, especially not now. He smiled politely, trying not to imagine a life of peace and learning and banging nymphs in a magic forest instead of his current life of blood¡­ "One day, maybe," he said. "I think for now I''ll just keep the acorn. There''s no rush. Maybe I''ll find the perfect spot to nt it." Thea smiled, then they all flinched as Rosa cried out and sagged into Calypsa''s arms. The nymph frowned as she looked at them. "I gave her too much.¡± She shrugged. ¡°She will need to rest and recover for some time." Mason nced at Becky, who took a deep breath and took a bite of fruit before ncing at her boots. Thea was smiling anding forward, dropping to her knees before both of them. "If your mate wouldn''t mind terribly, could we ask for a gift of magic? Since...you''re here...and need to stay awhile..." Thea tossed her hair and ran a hand up both Mason and Becky''s legs, green eyes shining. And Mason was starting to wonder how ¡®identally¡¯ Calypsa¡¯s little blunder with Rosa was. He lifted Becky''s chin a little and moved some of her long, brown hair behind her ear as he stroked her cheek. "Well, country girl, how about it? Shall we go make a...contribution?" Becky grinned and bit her lip. Then she took Mason''s hand and slid it up her other thigh, eyes closing slightly in lust. "Let''s go." * * * Thea flicked her dress off her shoulders, letting it drop to the floor as she walked away with hips and ass swaying. "Come, sister," she called, "the druid and his mate will generously give us some life." "I''ll be there shortly," Calypsa called, still moving Rosa to a leafy bed and settling her. Mason took Becky''s hand and followed Thea, trying to fight the vaguely overwhelming excitement building in his gut. Frankly he felt a little like a kid in a candy shop, not even sure where to start. Between phase 2, his ridiculous stats, and the amount of beautiful women about to line up for him, his lust was getting vaguely out of control. He didn''t make it far. Instead he just turned and grabbed Becky''s ass and hair, pulling her in to kiss her and taste her tongue. She moaned slightly, then he was pulling up her stretchy sports-bra...thing, watching as both tits bounced out before he shoved a nipple in his mouth and sucked. "I''m in...trouble," Becky panted, eyes zing already as Mason ran a hand up her thigh between her legs. "You mean because you''re about to be fucked by me and two nymphs at the same time and love every second of it?" "Uh huh," she said, spreading her legs for his hand. "That''s what I mean. Also I''m still all...sweaty." Mason didn''t care at all but wanted herfortable. He stripped off both their clothes then lifted her squealing over his shoulder, carrying her to the pool. He gave her ass a few good hard ps en route, then stepped into the water until they were submerged to the waist. He gave Becky a great ''cleaning'', running his hand between her legs and touching every part of her. She soon clung to him like a life raft as he fingered her and turned on Blessing of Gaia. She breathed in the scent with a groan, and he shoved his tongue into her mouth and let her suck. Becky being Becky, he knew she was already close to cumming, but he had no intention of making it that easy. She whined pitifully as he stopped and carried her back out of the pool, tossing her down to the leafy bed beside a naked, waiting Thea. Without another word or any warning, Mason spread Becky''s legs and pushed himself inside her very wet and ready opening. She gasped and held her breath as Mason worked his way deeper, loving how responsive and sensitive she always was. Thea came forward on her knees and pushed against Mason''s chest, incredible breasts squishing against him as she smiled and kissed his lips. He grabbed her ass and yed with her clit as he fucked Becky, then turned her around and set her over Becky''s face. "Get her nice and ready for me," he said, pushing Thea down until her pussy was pressed into Becky''s mouth. The Arkansas cowgirl made a muffled moan of surprise, but soon started licking and holding the nymph''s hips as she obeyed. Mason just kept fucking his lover, and enjoyed the view. The nymph was soon veryinto it, bending down to her elbows as she shimmied and ground herself into Becky''s face. Mason could feel his lover close to cumming around his cock and slowed down again, still denying her. She whined again but he pulled out entirely and lifted Thea back until she was straddling Becky like a lover. Then he pushed his cock into the nymph from behind, smiling as she gasped and pushed back to take him deeper. Becky and Thea started making out as Mason fucked both of them. He swapped back and forth, loving the little gasps of surprise of whoever he entered, and the sound and feel of their bodies both smacking against him. Back before the insanity of the post-apocalyptic world, he''d have held out as long as he possibly could. But he knew his body was now almost a never-ending source of lust and energy, and didn''t bother. With a growl he pulled Thea back by her long hair, arching her back enough to kiss her while he pounded into her. Becky was watching him from beneath, squirming and holding Thea''s tits while Mason fucked her. He gave her a thumb to suck eagerly as he took the girl on top of her, moving faster and faster until the wet pping sounds of Thea''s cheeks hitting him overpowered her moans. Mason let the pressure build and build. He felt what must have been Becky''s hand underneath ying with his balls, and the thought of his lover helping him fill the nymph with his cum drove him wild. He exploded with a cry, feeling Thea mp hard around him as she bucked back wildly and screamed in pleasure. Between her hot, tight pussy and Becky still massaging his balls, he felt like he came forever. When his vision finally cleared Becky was kissing his knuckles and smiling up at him, wiggling as Thea copsed on top of her. But Mason wasn''t done. He pulled back and swapped to Becky, sighing as he slipped into her hot wetness. She put her head back and closed her eyes, and Mason grabbed Thea and turned her until she was sort of sixty-nining Becky. They didn''t hesitate. Thea started licking Becky''s clit as Mason fucked her. The country girl went down on Thea, too, licking and clearly sucking to try and get some of Mason''s seed for herself. He pounded into her hard and steady, once or twice pulling up and grabbing Thea''s hair to drive into the nymph''s mouth just because he could. As usual she had no gag reflex whatsoever, and he held her steady as he sunk himself balls deep into her throat. But Becky deserved her turn, so he quickly went back and gave her every inch. When he could feel both girls trembling again he sped up. He couldn''t seem to get enough, and just kept pulling Becky closer with her hips as he rammed into her. She was squirming now under Thea''s tongue, body getting red as she cried out. Mason didn''t hold back. He came again, pumping himself inside her with abandon, watching her pussy quiver and take him as deep as he wanted. Her legs shook uncontrobly in Mason''s grip, but he just kept pounding until she made a series of gasping cries and finally stilled. She practically gushed juices all over him, pussy going as ck as the rest of her as she sighed. Thea sat up with a slick, wet face and grinned at Mason, and he kissed her to taste both girls at once. Then he grabbed Thea and set her down beside Becky, watching his cum leak out of both of them. "Very good girls," he said, letting out a long breath, giving them both a finger to suck on. Then he copsed on top of Becky, still inside her, absolutely no intention of moving.
Chapter 188: Don’t look at me like that Chapter 188: Don¡¯t look at me like that ¡°Ready to go?¡± he said as if nothing happened as he came towards the table. Rosa looked back at him and smiled, and he felt some tension drain away. ¡°I actually need, like, days, to absorb all this,¡± she said, tossing a hand with her usual expressiveness. Then she stood up and took Mason¡¯s arms and beamed. ¡°But I can make potions! Like actual heal injuries with magic potions! Isn¡¯t that amazing?¡± Mason smiled and pulled her in for a hug. ¡°Yes, yes it is. I told you it was the right ss. At least now I have a reason to keep you around.¡± He winked, and Rosa spared a nce at Becky with the usual jealousy. She lowered her voice. ¡°I missed my turn, didn¡¯t I?¡± Mason shrugged helplessly before the Mexican came closer and whispered in his ear. ¡°I need to stay here awhile. When youe and get me,e alone.¡± ¡°We headin¡¯ out then?¡± Becky said from behind him, obviously hoping to change the subject. ¡°Apparently yes, just not Rosa,¡± Mason said. ¡°But you can go back to Nassau.¡± He frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t really like you going alone.¡± Becky rolled her big, green eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just fine, thank you. I don¡¯t need you protectin¡¯ me, y¡¯know. In fact I¡¯m usually the one¡­¡± ¡°I can take her, druid,¡± Calypsa said with her hands buried in Streak¡¯s fur, then she looked up and smiled. ¡°It would be the least I could do for your gifts.¡± ¡°There you go, then,¡± Mason said before Becky could respond, then gave her a p on the ass as he walked towards the edge of the tree. ¡°If you¡¯ve had enough spoiling, Streak, we have a giant to hunt.¡± The wolf gave him a side eye but didn¡¯t move, tongue out as the nymphs scratched his neck and ears. Mason whistled, and the wolf jerked like a soldier who¡¯d heard an order, then gave a whiny growl as he padded over. Thea stood with a frown, waiting until Mason met her eyes. ¡°Be careful, druid. I¡¯d rmend you not face this creature on your own. But then you do have a way of surprising me.¡± Mason winked, then took a moment to look at the four beautiful women all watching him, memories of being inside them shing before his mind¡­ A very strange masculine prickle of annoyance reminded him he hadn¡¯t managed toplete the group properly, which seemed a very ridiculous feeling he shot right down. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon,¡± he said, not even bloody sure who he was talking to and trying to make it sound like he meant all of them. Each of them? How the hell did ke do this for years¡­ Then he turned and touched the tree, trying not to overthink it, and vanished back into the woods. * * * ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± he said to Streak after a couple miles. All it took from the damn wolf was a quick nce these days and he usually knew what the creature wanted. This one was a little new, and Mason felt his brow raise. ¡°We can¡¯t really find you a mate without some other wolves, can we?¡± he said. ¡°Yes I know it¡¯s not fair. Yes I know I have a lot, but there¡¯s lots of humans around. Well, if we see any packs we¡¯ll take a detour? OK?¡± He shook his head, d they were alone, realizing he probably sounded crazy. ¡°Jesus Christ,¡± he muttered. ¡°I can¡¯t believe my life is dealing with horny, semi-talking wolves now.¡± He soon stopped and activated Speak with Nature again, getting a sense from the trees around him if the giant was close, or thest time they¡¯d seen it and going which direction. The nymphs had given him an idea if where it wandered, and his only real ¡®n¡¯ was to follow that path until something gave him better directions. It let him run full out, at least, flying through the trees with joy as the wind and branches whistled past him at incredible speed. Streak was keeping up almost easily now, huge strides made with grace and power as the animal loped along and sometimes wandered, clearly confident he could catch back up. He thought about the great tree and the gift of the acorn still burning a hole in his pocket. At first he hadn¡¯t even considered using it except to nt another tree. But the more he thought about Thea¡¯s words, the more unsure he became. A great tree would take many years to grow. Probably decades. But Mason needed strength now to protect the settlement, to protect those he loved. As he ran on and time passed, he found it harder and harder to resist that logic. Especially since he might be running to face something beyond him. He¡¯d lost hispound bow, and now carried a goblin recurve that shot with about a quarter of the power. Then he remembered Endless Quiver and seeing more options thest time he used it. He drew his bow, and pulled up the list. Apparently he could shoot bloody fire arrows. Actually he had a whole range of elements, as well as poison, acid. He grinned and couldn¡¯t help but stop for a test, cycling through the various kinds and sticking them into trees. Most had some obvious effect but weren¡¯t all that fancy. But his fire arrow lit the damn thing on fire. ¡°Ah shit.¡± He scooped handfuls of dirt and managed to put it out, clearing his throat as he felt a little judgment from the slightly burnt tree. He tried not to think about how long ago he could have been using them. Hadn¡¯t he upgraded Endless Quiver a few levels back? He just hadn¡¯t bloody checked! But at least he knew now. The upgrade to ¡®Tier 2¡¯ had changed things for sure. He tried Trapmaking next, but it didn¡¯t seem wildly different. He expected he had to upgrade it specifically as he had his ws to have a bigger impact. His stats were increasing, his defensive and adaptive powers were getting obscene. But his offense was suffering. Even his prize bow hadn¡¯t been keeping up with his strength, the max draw made for a normal man. His goblin bow was like a toy. It could deliver his special arrows and worked on unarmored flesh at poor range, but that¡¯s about it. His ws were much better, and the flexibility was as important as he¡¯d expected. But there was just nothing like the effective killing power of a ranged weapon, especially a bow that produced its own arrows. Mason decided he would have to start collecting javelins he could throw with more weight and at full strength. But he didn¡¯t see any option with Endless Quiver there. The bow was much faster, obviously, but sometimes you just needed a big piercing spike to throw. Probably against a rock giant¡­ But there wasn¡¯t much he could do before the fight. He kept going, kept looking, as night passed and day came again. He asked the trees and some of therger ones kept directing him south or east. He finally decided to rest and eat a little, then got halfway through building a fire before cursing and using a fire arrow. He wasn¡¯t cold, but staring into a fire helped him think. And when he started staring at the acorn in his hand, he knew why he¡¯d really started it. He needed more power, and he needed it now. Making an artifact sounded great, but he didn¡¯t know anyone who could remotely do that. The craftsmen of Nassau struggled to make basic items, and he had no idea how to get them leveling faster. He boiled water in the single can he carried in his pocket, then dropped in the acorn until the water sizzled and turned green. ¡°Come here, boy.¡± The wolf smelled it and made a disinterested sound. ¡°I don¡¯t care if it smells bad,¡± Mason said. ¡°We¡¯re drinking it.¡± He drank his half, feeling just fine as he helped (forced) the wolf top up the rest. But a minuteter, it started to burn. He remembered the pool of wisdom and the crone and winced. ¡°I¡¯m detecting a theme here,¡± he sighed as Streak started whining. ¡°Ah yeah, that¡¯s bad.¡± He groaned and sat as he felt himself sweating. ¡°Yep. Not good.¡± He curled up and groaned at the agony in his gut, and somewhere in the trees he could have sworn he heard the croneugh.
Chapter 189: Bold strategy, Cotton Chapter 189: Bold strategy, Cotton Streak looked and sounded how Mason felt. The wolf was soon slumped over to his side, staring at Mason with something like wounded betrayal, a constant whining growling from his gut. "Sorry, buddy," Mason clenched a fist and braced against the pain. "Yes I should have thought it through better. But it won''tst long. I hope." He was right. It got worse. Then pain became nausea, and he held it together right until Streak started dry heaving with that horrible dog puking sound, and Mason instantly dropped down and followed. His vision swam, and went dark. But he was still conscious, and he blinked again and again until the world transformed to a familiar hollow of rock and water. The crone stood at her cauldron. "Back again, young buck? You certainly are a glutton for punishment." "Fastest path to wisdom, right?" Mason spit and tried to stand, but after sharp painnced through him, he found his limbs were broken again as they''d been in the cave. "Lovely," he said, giving up and slumping over. The crone kept stirring her cauldron, but smiled. "So you do listen. What wonderful news. Listen now, young buck, we don''t have much time. You''re going to need to..." Streak emerged from the water with another whine, padding right up to Mason before deciding to shake himself and spray water directly in Mason''s face. "God damnit, Streak." Mason was in too much pain to cover himself or move, and just let the water drip down his face. He nced up at the crone. "Need to...what? Eat a poisoned tuna sandwich? Drink my own urine? Ready for anything." "You fed..." the crone seemed at a loss. Her face flickered strangely and Mason could swear he saw little numbers shing in her eyes. "Why did you share such a gift with...an animal?" Mason shrugged, not sure he liked her tone, but tried to answer as honestly as he could. "He''s my friend. My ally. He needs to keep up to me in strength or I''ll get him killed. And I don''t want him to die." The crone nodded, seemingly mollified, as if the world made a little sense again. But then she stared at Mason and squinted. "You''ve rejected Gaia? In favor of Cerebus?" Here she rolled her eyes as if entirely less surprised. "What did he promise? Endless strength? A herd of submissive females?" Mason winced since that wasn''t far off. But it wasn''t really why he''d chosen it. "Duality of life...felt wrong. Like I was losing myself. I might have taken anything to switch away, but this was good enough. I might have lost power, if I''m honest. But I did what I had to." The crone stared and stared. "You surprise me again, ranger. And at my age you don''t get many surprises." She smiled with her almost toothless mouth, and motes of green and brown light sparkled above her cauldron as she stirred. Streak was whimpering again, clearly disturbed by the woman and her magic. "I thought all you''d want was the power to take, to hold," the crone''s voice grew like a storm, "the power to spread your seed. I was wrong." Not entirely, Mason thought, forcing himself to rise enough to see the contents. The wind buffeted him and the magic grew but he wasn''t afraid. He wanted to see. "A man can be both," the crone almost ''whispered'' but the sound carried everywhere. "Why is the cat so curious, I wonder? Opportunism? The joy of discovery? Another duality, perhaps. Or is it more like generous greed?" "I don''t know what you''re on about," Mason said, feeling a little like he was being talked about in the third person. The crone shook with a silentugh. "Even so. Even so. You cane closer." She waved him on. "Look, my young friend, tell me what you see." Mason stared into the swirling waters and blinked as he saw the ckness of space, broken with a thousand pin pricks of starlight as he stared into endlessness. It turned with the crone''s spoon, spinning and spinning and spinning... "I see..." Mason''s eyes lost focus until the darkness grew color and form. Then it was two distincts circling a yellow sun. One was earth, the other...not. He drew closer and closer until he plunged into the atmosphere, burning harmlessly and passing through until he struck the earth like a meteor. Except he wasn''t him, he was...watching. ¡®He¡¯ rose as some other version of himself, glowing green eyed, body so muscled it bordered on inhuman, rising from the crater like superman. He looked maybe a little older. Bearded and wild haired. Mason could hear voices in the distance calling for help, crying out in agony and pain. He watched himself and knew he heard. ''Mason'' turned and looked right into his own eyes, then looked into the trees. "They always die anyway," he said, voice hoarse as if withck of use, no tone at all. "Better not to give them hope. Better not to...get involved. It doesn''t hurt that way." He looked at Mason again, face drooping and eyes growing slick. "I can''t take it anymore." "What should I tell him?" The crone''s voice pierced the world, but Mason knew only ''he'' could hear. "Should I let him rest? Give him his long earned reward?" Mason shuddered as if he''d learned something he couldn''t articte¡ªa kind of insight without detail. In the eyes of this ''Mason'' he saw countless generations born and die, over and over until they''d forgotten their beginnings and all the lessons of the past, no matter how they might try to remember. ''Mortality makes life hopeless and meaningless'', he felt waft off himself in nihilistic waves. He shuddered and shook his head, angry and refusing such a thing though he could see the truth and had no argument. Why go on? He saw the question in his own eyes. Why do anything? "If this is all a game, then there''s only two ways you''re out," he whispered, maybe to himself, maybe to this listening God. "You give up, or you die. I''m only going to fail in one." He wanted nothing more to do with this miserable creature that looked like him. Life didn''t need a purpose, it didn''t need continuity or perfection of the ages. To be alive was gift enough. To choose what to do with the time you had. "You think too much," he yelled to roboGod, or the ''crone'', or whatever the hell he was dealing with. "Now let me out. I''d rather eat your damn poisoned salmon." He blinked, and the world vanished and returned until he sat against a tree next to Streak. The wolf snorted and lifted its head, tongue soon hanging as it obviously felt better. "I''m starting to think I should have just nted that acorn," Mason said, not feeling any different and not sure what it had done for him. Then the text started to scroll... [ss Upgrade: Feral Druid. All druids are shepherds of living things. This one hides amongst its flock. +2 to physical stats. New powers avable on level up. New immediate ss Power: Shapeshifting.] [Title earned: Post-Secondary. You are among the first yers in the world to upgrade your secondary ss. +2 to a random statistic.] [Title earned: Bold Strategy. You have upgraded your secondary ss rank above your primary ss. Increased secondary ss power selections on level up.] [ss synergy detected: Transformation ===> Increased control and speed of adaptability.] Mason looked at the new ss with shock, then instantly opened the Shapeshifting power, which seemed currently to have either a ''full form'' or a ''half form''. He just managed to keep his jaw closed as he stared. * * * It seemed about time to pull up his full profile.
Mason Nimitz Level: 16 Primary ss: Ranger (tier 2) Secondary ss: Feral Druid Prestige ss: Avatar of Cerebus Strength: 23 Dexterity: 26 Vitality: 25 Intellect: 12 Will: 16 Presence: 13 Luck: 9 Essences: Essence of the Wolf. Titles: Killer, Early Lead, Soloist, Crazy like a Fox, Burnt the Boats, Patron, Progenitor, Hit the Ground Running, First Blood, Defender, The Prestige, Tiering it up, Phase Jumper, Front Runner, What Is Dead May Never Die, Poison Shmoison, Baron, Post-Secondary, Bold Strategy Powers: Power Shot, Crippling Strike+, Transformation+, Predator¡¯s Strike, *Nature Affinity, Ranger¡¯s ws (T2), Endless Quiver+, Trapmaking, Aspect of the Cheetah, Blessing of Gaia, Ranger¡¯s Mark, Duality of Strength, Shapeshifting
¡®Bold strategy¡¯, he thought, looking at the title. Sure, all part of the n. Like he had any damn clue what he was doing. At least more druid power options sounded good. But he¡¯d rather some more ranger options. Shapeshifting had little videos of its forms next to the power, and apparently Mason could now literally turn into a wolf. Oh. And some kind of¡­horror-flick werewolf looking¡­thing. After he recovered from the ck-jawed, uprehending shock, he assumed he had to have the ¡®essence¡¯ of an animal before he could take its form. Or half form. Or possibly he just needed to learn more, or spend time with them¡­OK he didn¡¯t have a damn clue. But frankly the idea of doing any of that currently scared the shit out of him. Instead he gave Streak a good scratch and pet while he tried to forget the whole thing. But it also urred to him, since he''d gotten a ''ss upgrade'' out of the deal, what the hell did the wolf get? No change was obvious, but he popped open his pet profile and things got clearer pretty quick. It used to say ''Young Taiga Wolf''. It now said ''Young Great Forest Shifter.'' And under his list of powers was now a rather familiar looking ''form'' list that currently included a single entry¡­which looked something like the hunchback of Notre Dame¡­with a wolf head. "Oh Jesus," Mason said, closing the menu. "OK, I need to be ready for that. Promise me you won''t just randomly chang...." Streak shivered and growled as his body contorted. His hind legs thickened and extended as his back arched, and in seconds he leaned back to stand on two legs and flex his forepaws, which now looked very much like hands. His head, thank God, was the same. He looked at Mason with a quirked expression as if confused at his difort. "You look...great, buddy," Mason said, horrified. "Just great. Not at all like a deformed, mutant, circus wolf boy. Nope. Very handsome." Streak yowled slightly and spun, then shifted back to his wolf form with equal speed and ease, though the option greyed out and seemed to be on a long timer. Mason fought the shiver and refused to try his own. Obviously he would, but he just...needed a minute. And maybe alcohol. OK a lot of alcohol. Yet another upgrade to his new regenerative power was certainly interesting. He hadn''t actually used it for much yet, but definitely wanted to see what it could do. Did it only work if he took some punishment first? That''s sort of how it seemed. Not ideal, perhaps, but if it was increasing his regenerative abilities he basically couldn''t imagine much more important to his survival. "It better not increase my damn libido," he said, then sighed at Streak. "Enough wasted time. Let''s keep moving." * * * Mason and Streak followed the rough guide given by the nymphs of the giant''s path, asking the asional tree if they''d seen him. The answer was always the same vague version of ¡®nottely¡¯, so when arge spruce finally said ¡®yes¡¯, Mason almost ran off "Wait, what?" Mason stopped and opened his mind again to the nearby forest. "Which way did he go?" Trees weren''t the best conversationalists. They could say yes or no and convey a feeling or two, mostly interested in discussing sunlight, fire, and if it would rain soon. But the old tree bent its branches and pointed vaguely southeast. Mason put his hand to the bark and smiled, expressing his thanks through the very bizarre but increasingly natural ''bond'' he had with simple living things. Then he took off running at full speed watching for signs, soon realizing what he''d thought was a small stream was actually the giant''s path. Apparently it sunk the earth wherever it went, producing new pathways for water. It was a strange realization, and one Mason wasn''t sure how to handle. This giant wasn''t like the orcs, that was certain. It belonged in these woods and was part of the natural order of things. Destroying it, he realized, might affect more than he intended. And yet the nymphs hadn''t warned him or expressed any doubt. Of course they maybe had no idea. Thea never left her tree at all, and Calypsa only to defend others. Obviously there was more than one ''god'' of nature, and the nymphs may care nothing for what they saw as beyond ''Gaia''. Mason supposed, as a druid, and maybe even as a ranger, it was up to him to decide such things. Maybe he could release the druid without destroying the giant? But he put this from his mind for now. First he had to find it, and to see what he was dealing with. Once he''d had a look at the creature he¡¯d trust his judgment more. So he ran. He was going further South than he''d traveled before, his Wayfinder map soon covered in grey as he traced a single line into the unknown. It made him think of Kiaan, the scout he''d sent to explore the edges of the continent about...had it been a month already? He shook his head, not sure if it felt like no time at all, or forever. Life changed fast in the apocalypse. ke was still missing, leaving Mason alone, yet not alone. His rtionship with Haley and Becky was stronger than ever, and his rtionship with Rosa was getting...moreplicated. He''d made friendships, too. Carl, Phuong, Alex, Garet. He didn''t know many of the others well, but he liked plenty of them, too. Even now he could look at his ''patron'' list and see the many options of governing his own settlement. Hundreds of people were depending on him for leadership, for protection, for...what? Hope? The idea should have been appalling, and almost certainly would have been for the Mason of only a few months ago. Now he felt...what? Responsibility? Pride? He knew in some ways he was the right man for the job. He really could protect them, lead them, look out for them. He wasn''t sure what the hell a leader was and still didn''t think he wanted such a thing. But he cared about the people who depended on him, and would die to protect them. That meant at least something. Nevermind the women who shared his bed, or the children they might soon share. Nevermind the nymphs or the creatures of the forest. It had been a strange few months indeed. But for now, at least, he could put all that from his mind. He was a hunter again and exactly where he wanted to be. This giant no doubt moved quickly with its long strides and seemed never to stop in its endless march. Mason would just have to be faster. "Come on, Streak," he shouted, pushing his limbs even further with a smile as the woods weed him through. "I thought wolves could run!"
Chapter 190: Piece by piece Chapter 190: Piece by piece Mason heard the giant before he saw it. Dull, thunderous booms echoed through the trees like a deep bass drum with perfect rhythm. Mason had reached what seemed the Southern edge of the great forest, beyond it more mountains and arid ground that looked almost like desert. It was a stark and vaguely unnatural contrast, at least on earth, but apparently not in roboGod''s new world. As he emerged from the denser trees he found the giant''s head sticking up from a nearby patch of young spruce. It looked exactly as it had in his dreams, and for a moment he stopped and stared with a strange feeling of dejavu. He ran a hand over his goblin bow and winced, wondering exactly what the hell he was going to do if it came to a fight. The giant must have been thirty feet tall and almost solid rock. Even with magic swords, could Mason really expect to hack apart a walking hill? Not that arrows would do much better, he supposed. Though with his new arrow types maybe he could slowly blow chunks off the thing. Take out a leg, he told himself and sighed, then began the chase. When he finally caught the thing it was crushing through a fallen tree like it was kicking away a child''s toy. It didn''t slow or even seem to consider going around, massive leg just moving with a kind of inevitable force that broke the trunk andunched it away. And there, just below its ankle, was an ancient man who might have been a corpse, running with what looked like pure misery at its side. A silver chain was wrapped around his chest and waist, the other end emerging from the giant¡¯s rock. The sight of that helped harden Mason''s heart. Even if this were some evil man or criminal, no punishment deserved such an endless torture. And if he were a good man or just an enemy of the giant, such cruelty demanded an answer. Mason activated Ranger''s Mark on the giant, already missing Nature''s Wrath. As usual a kind of x-ray image formed of the creature''s body. It didn''t help much. The thing had no organs whatsoever. It seemed to be exactly what it looked like¡ªa giant pile of rock and y, impossibly animated in a mockery of physics, carved with vaguely humanoid features. The only exception was an obviously magical rock of some kind in the very center, looking like what might have passed for a heart. No problem, Mason thought. Just dig through 10 feet of solid rock, and break the gem. He expected lightning magic to do exactly nothing. Option two was try and break a joint or two and leave the giant sprawled on the ground. Otherwise, he could just smash the chains on the old man, and run him the hell away. Option 3 seemed the sanest choice. "Help me!" The old druid had apparently spotted Mason. Red veined, desperate eyes looked out from a face mostly hidden by white, scraggly beard. For a moment the old man stopped to face Mason, then gasped as his dy yanked the chain and pulled him off his feet. He screamed in pain as his emaciated body was dragged along, the giant seemingly without the slightest interest. Mason grit his teeth, pulled his goblin bow, and braced himself mentally for insanity. "Get nowhere near it," he called to Streak. "If I want you to do something, I''ll call. But don''t get stupid." Streak made a sound like a sneeze, but he¡¯d obey. Mason circled to the thing''s nk, then without much in the way of a n, selected a fire arrow andunched a Power Shot directly at the giant''s hip. It struck, and exploded, sting off a chunk of rock. "Ha!" Mason shouted, a bit surprised it actually worked. The giant stopped walking. It turned, lifeless grey eyes pointed in Mason''s direction before it looked down as if to check on the old man. A voice boomed from its head, though it made no indication of speaking. "It warned your kind. Not to interfere. Daughters of Gaia. Sons of Cerebus." The voice rose steadily as if enraged. "A thousand years. Promise made, promise kept. For his arrogance: six hundred and three walked. Three hundred ny seven left. Run away, whelp. Run away or it makes a new promise. Broken and bound beside him: you too will walk a thousand years." A chill shivered down Mason''s spine. First of all, he hadn''t expected such an eloquent walking pile of rocks. He thought of the nymph''s warning not to underestimate the giant and face him alone. Now that he''d found him and listened to him speak, he was feeling entirely less sure he wanted to ignore that advice. On the other hand, his arrow had harmed the thing. It might take considerable time more or less waiting for Power Shots and explosive arrows, but Mason saw no real way for the giant to actually hurt him. It was far too big and slow. Of course he knew it might have tricks. Maybe magic. Maybe some kind of hidden allies. Mason''s gut told him to be extremely wary. But he was also very fast, healed endlessly, and was in the open in his woods with plenty of room to run. It was also getting clear to Mason this giant was exactly the thing he hated¡ªsome powerful thing that used its strength to crush anything it considered weak. It may have been a walking, magic mountain, but really, it was a bully. Mason looked at the poor man who''d apparently been tortured for six hundred years, and ground his teeth. Still. Maybe they could be reasonable. "He''s had enough," Mason called. "Release the druid, and I''ll go on my way. What you do is your business, but not when it tortures a man for so long, even an enemy. Let him go, or I''ll put an end to it." The dull light behind the giant''s eyes hummed like electricity. "Arrogance. No different than the other. Earth gods do not bargain. Tremble before its might." The ground shook as the giant held up its arms, gently for a moment, then worse than the small quake Mason had felt when he lived in Houston, until it was so terrible he could hardly stand. Fissures opened up in the earth, splitting like cracks and opening wider and wider as they coursed along the ground. Mason saw one heading straight for him, and tasted bile as he tried to rise. "Ah hell." * * * Mason gave up trying to stand, activating Aspect of the Cheetah and literally run-crawling on all fours as he threw himself away from the growing fissure. Trees copsed everywhere the earth broke, vanishing into the darkness Mason decided he should definitely avoid. Then the tremors finally ceased, and Mason stood andunched another exploding Power Shot into the giant''s exact same hip, watching more rubble fall to the ground. "Last chance," Mason called. "Let him go. Or I break you apart piece by piece." The old druid''s mouth hung open, and he cringed slightly as he looked up at his jailer. The giant stomped his foot and screamed. Mason winced and almost covered his ears before it was over. "Well that''s a little childish," he muttered, waiting for whatever lovely bit of magic was about toe his way before hearing something like...scratching? He looked back at the chasm and soon realized it wasing from that direction. He wasn''t sure, exactly, but if he had to guess, he expected something, or some things, were climbing up. "Great,¡± he muttered. ¡°The mountain has friends." Mason started tossing exploding traps at the edge of the chasm for whatever came out, then went down his list of cool-down arrows and tried everything at the giant. Frost did shit all. Electric same. Acid did a little better, and at least knocked off some dust. Out of thoroughness he used Crippling Strike but it had exactly as much effect as anticipated. Then his traps were exploding and Mason looked back to see smaller versions of the giant getting blown back into the chasm. He grinned, then felt it drop when he saw about thirty more. ¡®Smaller¡¯, in this case, was an importantly rtive term. The ''little giants'' were about ten feet of solid rock, and when they reached the surface they began charging at about the speed of athletic sprinters. Mason decided it was going to be a very long day. A brutal, rather chaotic, and deadly game of bow tag began. Mason used Hunter''s Mark but mostly just learned they were ''elementals'' and not giants, with about as much vulnerability as their massive sire. Everything worked on them, though, except electricity. He could cripple them, explode them, freeze them, blow them up with traps, or just draw his ws and hack at them. They were much slower when it came to actually hitting him with their fists, and Mason soon gave up his bow and just hacked and shed the shit out of them while doing his best to avoid getting sucker punched. After enough whining from Streak he let the wolf join in. It couldn''t actually bite them, but soon learned a game much like cow tipping, involving running at the creatures and throwing itself into their backs or sides to knock them over. Before they rose, it usually managed to leap and paw at a joint enough to damage it, or at least give Mason time to take a few cuts. It was all going rather well, really, until Mason realized he wasn''t make an inch of progress on the giant itself. Then as he was running from a small pack of the elementals, he happened to look at some he''d broken and saw them...re-assembling themselves. "Oh this is some horseshit." He stopped and flexed a wrist. It wasn''t that much fun smashing your sword into rock over and over, but at least he¡¯d seen his Transformation power ticking away. Apparently killing the elementals was useless, unless it drained the thing¡¯s mana. It probably did, but he had a feeling it would take about a decade to drain it all. He needed to just outrun the bastards while he kept shooting the giant. "Streak, just distract them," he called. "No more tipping, there''s no bloody point." His new strategy was making passes at his giant friend, emptying his cool downs, and running away again. The first couple shots, at least, were fairly satisfying. As more of the giant rained down and thunked on the ground, the giant looked down and back at Mason, who gave him a winning smile before vanishing back into the trees. It was four or five rounds of that before the now sedentary giant finally reached down to the fallen bits of itself and pulled them back into its body like in that fucking terminator movie. Mason stopped and gaped, breathing slightly harder from his exertions. The giant just stared impassively, uncaring as the sea.
Chapter 191: At least we’ll be together Chapter 191: At least we¡¯ll be together Things were getting, in a word, ridiculous. The giant and his minions seemed pretty much unkible. One of the smaller elementals had actually managed to catch Mason and knock him slightly dazed. At which point Mason had run off and entirely regenerated. Now they were back to running around uselessly again, and Mason was getting pretty ready to change things up. On one of his many passes, he altered his trajectory, ran right up to the old druid, and gave a screaming Predator''s Strike with his longer de on the silver chain. He created a slightly green spark, but not a dent, earning a somewhatzy and entirely too slow swipe from the giant, which he easily dodged. "Any bloody ideas?" he yelled as he ran by the old druid. "I''m sorry..." the old man wiped at his eyes, kneeling now by the giant''s foot. "There''s nothing...I shouldn''t have asked...there''s nothing..." Mason was starting to think he needed back up like the nymphs once told him, though he wasn''t sure who had the firepower to actually hurt this thing. Maybe it was a matter of speed¡ªenough damage iing he couldn''t put himself back together. The only other option seemed to be to dig down and get that glowing little heart. But how the hell... The giant growled and stomped, sending another crack fracturing through the earth. If that meant more bloody elementals Mason was getting pretty close to just turning around and... Fire erupted from the opening chasms. Andva. Lovely, Mason thought, as he realized the cracks weren''t entirely random. They seemed to be forming something of a triangle trying to trap him in. "Streak," he called, then ran for one of the smaller cracks and leapt over it to escape. The wolf got the idea and jumped over ratherzily behind. Lava expanded out of the crevasse but at least didn''t get far. For someone who couldn''t move so fast and jump so far, it would have been a decidedly bad situation, but didn''t much frighten Mason. Still, he was getting nowhere. He supposed he could try and dump the giant into one of the cracks in the earth, but the druid chained to his leg wouldn''t exactly be ''saved''. A terrible thought entered his mind that maybe ¡®saving¡¯ the druid meant just killing him, saving him from the terrible punishment. But Mason refused to do that, unless the old man asked. But better not to nt the idea in his head. He decided it was worth one hail mary attempt at cutting into the giant''s torso. The huge creature was big and slow and probably couldn''t reach its back, so if Mason could hang on maybe he could just dig his damn way through. If not, he told himself he''d leave, ande back with more help. And maybe after more power. "OK," he looked around to make sure there wasn''t any charging elementals, then knelt for Streak. "I''m going to do something a little crazy. Just stay back...and if something goes wrong...go back to Nassau. Understood?" The wolf whined and Mason gave him a scratch. "Oh I''ll be fine. I''m just saying. Here we go." He rolled his shoulders and took a deep breath, plotting his path around the giant. It wasn¡¯t like it turned particrly well, so he suspected he just needed to run a circle, line up, and leap with Aspect of the Cheetah. Which is exactly what he started to do. The little elementals were still chasing him. They could charge fairly quickly, but they turned about as well as a zamboni, so Mason mostly ignored them. The giant sort of stomped and gestured and looked vaguely ready to start walking away, probably deciding this was pointless, too. Well let''s just see how you like a sword in the back, Mason thought. He vanished into the trees, then turned and got ready for his approach. Nothing to it, he thought, just climb up the back of an earthquakemanding, elemental summoning giant, and dig a tunnel through solid rock. No problem. It seemed vaguely crazy, but less crazy than leaping into the Devourer. He ran full ahead until the creature''s back came into sight, then activated Aspect of the Cheetah. He sprinted at a good,fortable speed to make his leap, and jumped. He ran chest first into the giant''s ass. His breath knocked out as he clung on for dear life, and if the creature even noticed him, it wasn''t at all obvious. Mason hoped for good luck and looked for hand holds as he pulled himself up. There were quite a lot, actually, including some arrows lodged in the thing, and Mason soon scaled the giant''s back with a grin. Then he summoned his shorter w, wishing suddenly it was a pickaxe, and started hacking. It didn''t go particrly well. But it did cut the stone, which at least included bits and pieces that were more like y, or at least softer stone. He started using his hands as much as anything, cutting into chunks and then pulling them away. He''d gone in a good two feet before the giant growled and seemed to notice him. "That''s...right," Mason said as he pulled off another piece. "And what...the hell." He smashed a few more times. "Are you going to do about it, you big fat bastard?" The giant turned and reached with its arms almostically,ing nowhere near far enough to get at Mason. He just kept on breaking and pulling, breaking and pulling, expecting some kind of magic at least before it was over. But magic rarely frightened him. The giant sort of...rumbled, like he was having a personal earthquake, and for a moment Mason couldn''t do anything but hang on. It finally ended, and he pulled himself back up to strike at the hole he was making, and discovered...it was gone. He looked up and realized he was looking into the face of the giant. Apparently, it had re-arranged, and reversed itself. Mason felt the danger before he saw the armsing. He unsummoned his swords and tried to drop, but the huge stone hands caught him first, one seizing his arm. In a panic he summoned his w and tried to cut his way out, but the giant''s fingers were too thick and too strong. They held him fast. [Duality of Strength activated] "Work faster," Mason groaned as the giant tried to grab his other arm, then gave up and smashed him with its fist. It was like being hit by a truck. Mason''s vision darkened and he tasted blood, still pulling as he felt his arms gaining strength. He watched the giant''s fist pull back and ram towards him again. He roared and lifted his legs, bracing to catch the thing. And seeded. Sort of. His own knee smashed into his face before the force stopped, the world exploding again with something like stars as pain took over Mason''s head. But he knew he couldn''t dy, couldn''t stop pulling. He roared in trapped rage, yanking with all his increasingly inhuman might. But still the giant was stronger. The world spun as Mason was lifted and swung at the earth. He felt his arm dislocate as he smashed into the dirt, agony and unconsciousness warring before he saw the giant lifting a foot. "I''m sorry," he heard the druid weeping as he watched from his knees. "I''m sorry. But at least we''ll be together. I''m sorry." Mason scrambled to get under the giant¡¯s fist before the footnded, but his arm just wouldn¡¯t move, and his body felt slow, and sluggish. Mason pulled and twisted to break free, feeling like he was trapped in an hourss as the sand covered him from above. He heard the air whistling above him like a bomb dropped in some cartoon. Then the giant''s foot struck. Mason didn¡¯t feel much pain. He clung to consciousness as he yanked and wed at the dirt, only a tiny circle of green and brown remaining in the pool of darkness that was his vision. He focused on it with all his attention, and still he pulled and fought, nothing left in his mind but the endless will to live, to fight, to win. A metallic ringing jangled near his ears, a swinging chain like a swaying snake moving past his eyes. It was thest thing he heard.
Chapter 192: Still alive Chapter 192: Still alive Mason walked through an endless field of wheat, not a tree in sight nor a cloud in the sky. He felt a warm hand in his, and smiled as he looked to see Haley walking beside him, her golden hair more vibrant than the field. ¡°You have to get home, my love,¡± she said, squeezing his hand and putting the other to her belly. ¡°This is no time for druid dreams.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He sighed and looked out towards the horizon, seeing a man running towards him in the distance. He was too far to make out, but he was moving quickly, a storm of dust and cloud behind him. Mason squinted and thought he recognized the runner but couldn¡¯t quite ce it. ¡°Haley, do you see¡­?¡± He looked over and flinched, Haley reced by the old, broken druid, their hands connected by a silver chain. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, tears running down his filthy face. ¡°There¡¯s no escape. Your magic won¡¯t work. The chain binds our affinity. Our essence. Our spells. You¡¯ll be helpless now. Helpless.¡± Mason looked back towards the runner and the storm and clenched his jaw. He heard a growl¡ªa snort of contempt. He turned and saw Cerebus standing in the field, antlers rising above the horizon. He stared with green and golden eyes, lips back to reveal a mouth full of jagged teeth. ¡°Druids,¡± he almost spit. ¡°Is this what you would be? Old? Passive? Useless? Wake, ranger. Dreaming is for the weak and afraid. Take what is here. Act. Do it now.¡± Mason shivered in painful reality, waking as his body struck a fallen tree. He cried out as his dislocated and probably broken arm tugged and dragged him over, the chaintched to his wrist taut and dragging him behind the giant. ¡°Please, he¡¯ll die,¡± he heard the old druid beg. ¡°He needs time. Or I can heal him! Please. I won¡¯t try to run. Just remove my chain and let me heal him. I can¡¯t escape you. You know that. I won¡¯t. I can¡¯t. I promise.¡± Mason heard himself snarl as he righted his body, twisting until he his feet touched the earth and he wobbled to his feet. The old druid looked at him with mouth gaping and wide eyes. Mason put a finger to his lips. The giant ignored them both in any case. On he walked through the forest, slower than before, maybe, but not by much. Mason and the old druid followed, stepping over roots and fallen trees, avoiding rocks and doing all they could to match the pace and keep their feet. Mason felt Transformation and Duality of Strength rippling through his body. He could sense the magic of the chain, and its uselessness against him. Apex Predator flickered with light and had obviously altered his affinity. It also seemed to protect his powers from the chain¡¯s magic, but the giant didn¡¯t seem to know, or perhaps care. Already he sensed changes altering his body¡ªcovering wounds with who knew what, thickening and repairing the mangled arm. He thought of the description of the power¡ªWhat doesn¡¯t kill you, really should have¡ªand grit his teeth. He stared at the rocky back of the giant, a strange kind of anger almost overwhelming his mind. It wasn¡¯t vengeance¡ªMason hade here and started this. He knew that. It wasn¡¯t hatred because he wasn¡¯t the type to hate his enemies. He blinked and saw the eyes of Cerebus staring into his own, face twisted in contempt. Then he knew. It was pride. Mason looked at the chain on his wrist, and the back of his enemy¡ªthe disregard and dismissal of what the creature now thought was no threat to him. But he was wrong. Very wrong. Mason nearly nted his feet and pulled then and there. But he knew he wasn¡¯t strong enough, that he¡¯d fail and probably alert the giant to his resistance. But if he couldn¡¯t pull and struggle and fail, would his powers build him the strength he¡¯d need? After a few miles of following, unsure the best way to proceed, Mason knew what he had to do. He took slow, deep breaths, readying his mind. And then he stopped moving, stopped trying to resist. The giant ripped him from his feet, dragging him in its wake. He slumped to the ground and grit his teeth as the forest floor ground away at his flesh. He ignored the rocks and branches, doing nothing to protect himself. He pulled at the chain dragging him enough to lift his body, then dropped, moving between the pain and futile resistance. He could hear the old druid weeping as he watched, but Mason said nothing. He closed his eyes, flexing his muscles over and over to tug against the metal, no matter how much it hurt. He cleansed his mind with the pain. * * * Mason lost all track of time. There was only the next pull, the next wound to heal, the next small victory. He focused on the strength of his limbs. The weight of his body. He didn''t know if Transformation could do such a thing, but he imagined it making him denser, and denser, his bones hard as rock. No, iron. Mason knew there was only one way to get his body strong enough to endure the strength and hardness of the giant. The same way the crone had taught him, the fastest path to wisdom. Pain. He tried not to feel the numb agony that was his shoulders. He wasn''t sure how many times they dislocated, or how many muscles ripped and tore to mend again. He fought, then gave up, then just let the tears of agony stream down his face with only the rule that he could not cry out¡ªthat he could do nothing to alert the giant he was awake and fighting. Had it been minutes? Hours? Days? He didn''t care. By the time he started wondering if the druid ever ate or drank, and how he could survive if he didn''t, he realized the pain had be almost...tolerable. Not trusting it, he slowly opened his eyes to find he was still being dragged, nothing different than before. Well, almost nothing. Mason looked at the arm he supposed belonged to him. It was like a thick, pale, cable. Every shred of flesh seemed tightened, hardened, stripped bare. Mason slowly tried to put some strength into it, and easily lifted his body up closer to the chain. His knees struck a fallen log, the sound a dull thud and the only real sign Mason had done so. He felt almost nothing. After the suffering, his mind felt still somewhere else, vaguely watching him now with only the barest interest. He pped his face hard and blinked against it. Again. And again. Until he woke. When he had enough consciousness to start thinking he turned to find the druid staring at him like some alien thing, eyes wide and aghast. "What are you?" he whispered. Mason thought about the ridiculousness of this world. Of being asked what he was by some robot-created fictional character¡ªtested by insane events and situations, from giant worms to green skinned murderers to talking mountains. He supposed the answer hadn''t changed since he was a boy, and a strange feeling of unity, or rightness¡ªlike a pattern of numbers that lined up and made sense. "Still alive," he rasped. Then he pulled himself up and stood, feet dragging two deep lines in the dirt. The giant walked on, and Mason wrapped the chain around his arm, seizing it with the other hand. He followed along a little ways, waiting for somewhere to brace and catch the chain. The ground was varied here and they were close to the mountain now. It didn''t take long before he found arge crack in a rocky rise, slipped the chain through it, and held his ground. The chain jangled and went taut. The metal tugged against the stone and yanked Mason like nothing he''d ever felt. But still he held. With a huge crack, the chain pulled at the giant''s leg and ripped, spraying dirt and stone at the connection. Mason activated Aspect of the Cheetah, then pulled with all his might. The giant finally stopped and turned. His lifeless eyes flicked downwards but Mason stopped watching. Step after step he pulled the chain from the giant''s body, hearing the tearing, snapping stone and earth that pulled until the metal slipped free, and Mason went flying forward. He stood and looked back to see the giant staring at the loose chain, then at the slight damage to his leg. As soon as it disconnected, the glowing silver color drained until it was a dull grey, no different than any normal chain of iron. Mason grabbed the length and growled as he pulled at the links until he felt the metal bend. Then he tossed it away with just a small length dangling from his forearm. He looked at the giant and cried out with some animal sound, wordless, made of nothing but challenge and all that suffering rage. After a few calming breaths, he managed to speak. "Round. Two."
Chapter 193: Rochmananoch Chapter 193: Rochmananoch The giant seemed at a loss. So Mason acted first. He ran forward, feeling incredibly slow despite his obvious strength, increasing the length of his strides. He increased it more and more, until he was practically leaping forward in long bounds. And he didn''t have far to go. With a final push, he practically flew at the giant, panicking as he felt his own momentum hurling forward with incredible force. The giant finally started to raise its arms to fight, but Mason smashed shoulder first into its hip. The sound wasn''t flesh hitting stone. It was more like a miner''s pick. Mason grabbed on before gravity took him down, digging his fingers into the giant''s rocky body with ease. He climbed and dodged the first blow, trying to get somewhere the bastard couldn''t hit him. The neck, he decided. Then he¡¯d dig down to the heart like a Roman execution. He almost lost his grip as the giant or maybe the earth started to shake. He saw the ground was opening with another fissure, and more elementals were crawling their way out. He ignored them and kept climbing, bashing his fists against the giant partly as a test. And partly because he enjoyed it. It kept on trying to grab him, and he kept on avoiding its fists and hands, crawling over the rocky surface like a spider. "Free me!" the druid cried from the ground. "I can help you!" Mason sort of wished he''d thought of that a minute ago. But since he hadn''t, he kept on bashing and moving, all the way to the giant''s shoulder. Then he found himself a good hold, pulled back, and smashed a fist into the stone. Then again. And again. Chunks of rock and earth broke and tumbled, far faster than before. The giant reached for him but the angle was awkward, his flexibility terrible. Mason just kept on bashing and ripping away pieces of the creature, throwing it far away when he could, hoping it would be harder to regenerate. "Look out!" The druid yelled in an almost hysterical voice. Mason ducked and nced around but wasn''t sure what the hell the man was talking about until he saw the elementals were climbing up after him. "Ah hell." He stomped on the first and knocked it flying, then went back to smashing his way into the giant''s chest. Another tried to grab him from behind, and he took the time to stand and grab it back. They both pushed and struggled for a moment. Then Mason grinned, nted his feet, and threw the bastard like a shotput. He went back to bashing. "Think you can ignore..." Mason ripped off a chunk, "me?" He was deep enough now he could drop in the hole, which he did, then kicked the side until it cracked and crumbled. "Son of a bitch talking rock." He kept kicking until the wall broke, then he kept smashing downward. "God damn druids,¡± he was still muttering. ¡°And Gaia. And giant...rockmen. Regenerate...this." It seemed easier now¡ªas if the hardest piece of the creature was the exterior, with something more like dirt and mud beneath. He supposed it made sense. The elementals were stilling, though apparently not great at climbing. Or bncing. The few that reached him he yanked off just by grabbing and pulling out their legs. The giant was re-constructing itself, shifting and trying to bury Mason with dirt and stone as he dug. "Go ahead," he shouted, digging now mostly like a dog. "I¡¯ve been buried before. By a lot worse than you." At some point he was pretty sure the giant tried flopping over. The whole world spun, then crashed, and Mason went face first into dirt so hard he tasted blood. Then he held himself up, and kept on pounding. Soon he was so deep the outside sound disappeared, and all he could hear was his own heart, his violent hammering, and the humming of the gem he could still see with Ranger''s Mark. He was getting close now. Finally a voice echoed in his ears. "Stop. Or it will kill the druid." Masonughed. He could almost see the green and gold eyes of Cerebus sitting in his throne, asking if Mason had the strength to kill his own young, or a young rival. He probably didn''t. Or maybe didn''t want that kind of strength. But you didn''t give a bully an inch. Not for anything. He smashed and pulled and dug until he broke through to thest, muddyyer before the gem. As he did, it was like an animal ying possum. The giant stilled and stopped shaking, the ever-closing and crushing weight of the earth around him leaving Mason alone. He had to squint as the bright light of the gem broke through the dirt. He touched it with his hand. "It will serve. For a thousand years," rumbled the giant''s voice. "But must not harm the gem." Mason hesitated at that. This thing was incredibly powerful. Could he use it to simply walk up to the orc towers and smash his way inside? Tobat whatever nonsense roboGod was about to throw at him? Out of curiosity, he pulled up his profile and tried to activate some kind of contract with the thing, but saw no option. He was about to ask the creature how he could trust it, then stopped. He thought of the druid outside being dragged around for eternity. Of how he had been dragged and would have certainly died if it wasn''t for his powers. No. Whatever this thing was, it was evil, or close enough. You didn''t torture anything like that, even an enemy. You just ended it. Or else you were nothing but a tyrant who¡¯d won. He felt the length of the extremely warm gem in his strange, scaly hand, knowing it would have burnt his flesh to the touch before. If the giant had just killed him, as he it should have killed the druid, instead of its obsession with punishment, it would have survived. The justice of it felt right. Mason squeezed slightly, then ripped the gem from its bed of stone. He heard the giant gasp like a mountain breeze. Then the world spun and shook as it copsed. * * * [Killed Greater Elemental. Experience (major) gained.] [You have received enough experience for level 17! Please select a new power, and upgrade a previous power to tier 2.] [Title gained: yer of Rochmananoch. +2 Will.] Mason held on as the giant fell. When he was sure it had stopped moving, he pocketed the gem and went back to digging through mud, this time in the other direction. As he got closer he heard something digging from the other way, and smiled a little when he heard Streak''s whines. He wasn''t sure how long he''d been holding his breath, but certainly no longer than when he was stuck inside the Devourer. And with his ever increasing stats, it was getting easier. Mostly he just focused and tore at the giant''s stony corpse with his bare hands, trying not to think about how insane it was that he could do it, or how inhumanly long he could go without oxygen. Then light struck his sensitive eyes, and he burst out with a spray of dirt and rock to gasp the air. Streak yipped and bit his Sleeve, trying to drag him out until he pat the wolf''s head and waved him off. "I''m alright," he said, extracting himself than giving the wolf a hug and a scratch. He had no idea what he looked like, but Streak didn''t seem to care. Mason finally stood and sighed with relief when he found the elementals all lying like puppets without strings. Then he turned to the druid, who sat staring at the dead giant and the dull iron chain around his ankle with disbelief. "You alright?" Mason called as he leapt down, giving the man a once over with Ranger''s Mark. He looked like a meth addict about to expire, but that was how he looked before. "Yes." The old man slowly shook his head, red eyes blinking repeatedly as he stood. "The chain...can you...I think it''s not...but it''s still..." Mason seized the now dull colored iron, and slowly ripped it out from the giant''s body with a grunt. "Kinda long." Mason frowned. "I can probably rip it apart like I did mine without tearing your arm off. But maybe if we brace it on a rock, or..." "Why?" The old druid stared at him with glistening eyes. "Why did you save me?" Mason looked at the broken man and didn''t expect much of a reward wasing. Whatever powers he''d once had were clearly diminished, maybe even gone. But surely he had knowledge of the world that could be useful. "Couldn''t let it stand in my woods, could I?" He seized the chain and cracked his neck, preparing to pull the links apart. ¡°We have a settlement. It¡¯s safe enough, andfortable. You can live there as long as you want.¡± "Don''t bother." The old druid dropped to his knees, and as Mason looked at him he saw he looked¡­increasingly worse. His skin seemed to be shrinking. His bones were sticking out even more than before. "Shit." Mason ran to the man and caught him before he toppled over. "What''s happening? How do I help you?" The old druid weezed andughed like a maniac, then calmed. "Already¡­helped me, young man." He looked up at the sky and smiled. "I go to the earth. At longst. I can''t believe...I can''t believe it''s real." Mason just held him and smiled, letting out a long breath, trying to remember what the nymphs had called him. "You made it. Sleep. God knows you''ve earned it." The old druid met Mason''s eyes and clutched his arm with failing strength. "A gift," he whispered. "Knowledge. All...I have left." Mason didn''t expect there was time for a 500 year dissertation. He just held the old druid up and patted his arm. Then green light shone from his eyes. His skeletal fingers mped down with renewed grip. "Witness...the past," he whispered, and Apex Predator squawked in Mason''s vision about blocking out a foreign mental power, which he winced at but ignored. Power struck him like cold water. He shivered and watched Wayfinder spring up in a grid before his eyes. He saw the druid and the giant walking through the grey of his map. Clearing it. Time seemed so slow. Mason felt the breath in his lungs trickling in, out. He watched the old man walk the forests of the world alone, then as the giant¡¯s prisoner, slowly at first, then like a video at three, four, five, a hundred times speed. As they did, Mason saw all. The unexplored grey of the great forest gained color and shape. He saw rivers and mountains, valleys and hills. The forest expanded, burned, changed. Beasts and tribes of humanoids moved in and out, birthed and died. In moments the entire length of the great forest was mapped in Mason''s mind, the pathways of the giant as familiar as the street he''d grown up on. [Received Blessing of Echtra. Passive power. Enhanced knowledge and insight in every forest in the world.] He blinked when it was over, then saw a tear drip down Echtra''s cheek as he slumped, lifeless, into Mason''sp. Mason sat there for a time, breathing and listening to the forest, struck at the horror and beauty of this insane ''game'' and perhaps just at being alive. Finally he rose and dug into the earth with his hands, just as he''d dug into the giant, until he''d made a pit at least six feet down. He set Echtra¡¯s body inside and buried him, tempted to leave the giant''s gem in his grave. "You''d understand," he whispered, palming it instead. "I¡¯ll use it to help the living." Not being a man of words, and certain that the dead didn''t need them anyway, Mason called to Streak and turned back towards Nassau. He only hoped he hadn''t been gone too long.
Chapter 194: Fang brothers Chapter 194: Fang brothers Mason decided the first task was to deal with his level. As a patron he had more time, but he saw little point in waiting. A new power was no trivial thing, not to mention tiering up another. He went over the list, and soon saw his Feral Druid ss and enhancing ¡®Bold Strategy¡¯ title was no joke. On top of some of the familiar power choices, Mason now saw an extensive list of powers highlighted in green with a kind of transparent w to indicate the source. They had a new ¡®category¡¯, too, called ¡®Symbiotic.¡¯ Mason could only assume that meant it worked with Streak. ¡°Holy shit,¡± he mumbled, a bit overwhelmed. There were powers to see out of an animal¡¯s eyes, to alter his shape to more creatures and without an essence. There was some kind of damn magic bite? Streak gave him a quizzical look, and he just shrugged. Tier two decision first, maybe, he decided. That would be a lot easier. He briefly scanned his powers for the sake ofpletionism, then took Transformation without a second thought. Regeneration had been the best choice he¡¯d made in the apocalypse (with the possible exception of saving Haley¡­), and he didn¡¯t see that changing any time soon. Whatever else a person¡¯s ns in this ¡®game¡¯, they didn¡¯t much matter if you were dead. The description read something generic about being faster and more potent but he didn¡¯t much care about the particrs. He looked back over the powers and slowly started to narrow it down. ¡°Still no innate bow,¡± he muttered. ¡°Fucking ranger.¡± He had a lot to choose from, and at this point was pretty open to whatever he thought might be good in itself. Already he could kill, he could take a hit. He had his traps and his resistances, his speed and his impressive physical stats. What he needed now was¡­more options. What that meant exactly he wasn¡¯t sure. There were other druid powers, all of which looked incredibly useful. On the other hand, after giving up his Avatar of Gaia prestige ss his mana loss had been obvious. He had still gained some with Avatar of Cerebus, but not nearly as much. Also many of the druid powers were basically ¡®spells¡¯, and he just couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he could somehow learn more spells in the right circumstances. Either with a druid elder or ¡®god¡¯, or with creatures like the nymphs¡­if he ever had the time¡­ But wasting an incredibly important power choice on something he could maybe just ¡®learn¡¯ seemed wasteful, no matter how useful it might be in the short term. A new Feral Druid power called ¡®Fang Brothers¡¯ caught his eye. He read it again and again, trying to understand. [Fang Brothers. Share reduced forms of innate items and passive abilities with any animal you have have an essence or bond with.] Innate items and passive abilities. Did that mean¡­his Ranger¡¯s ws? His Sleeves? Transformation? Duality of Strength? What about his Blessings? Somehow he doubted thatst one, but still¡­the possibilities¡­ There were of course plenty of Ranger shots and attacks that looked good. There were the old stealth options, too, but after his Sleeves he didn¡¯t think he needed much more. And anyway the ¡®subtle¡¯ approach wasn¡¯t often avable. Or maybe just not his style. In the end, he stopped fighting his gut, and took Fang Brothers. Streak needed to be more powerful and less vulnerable, and he hoped this line of thinking would aplish both. After the new text swirled to life, he knelt and watched Streak as he pulled up his pet profile. ¡°Let me take a look,¡± he said, trying to pick up the creature¡¯s paws. Streak snorted and swatted at his hands with a little leap, but when he set his paws down Mason saw they were longer and slightly green, just like Mason¡¯s swords. And he was pretty damn sure he saw the faint outline of tattoos running up the wolf¡¯s legs. ¡°Oh hell yes buddy,¡± he said, pulling at the wolf¡¯s lips next to try and see his teeth. Streak apparently had enough inspection and pulled away with a slight growl. ¡°Stop being a baby,¡± Mason said, trying to wrestle him steady. Pretty soon the wolf was ramming into him with a yful yip, enough weight and strength Mason went downughing but still pulling at the wolf¡¯s lips to see. The teeth had an ever so slightly green tinge, too, and Mason just about hooted with sess. ¡°Alright, alright!¡± he said, standing up with his hands raised. He knew he should cut the animal too just to test Transformation, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it. Anyway, he had little doubt they¡¯d find out soon enough, and in the meantime he always had Shared Pain. ¡°You¡¯re wee by the way,¡± he said, half smacking half petting the wolf as it huffed and turned in impatient circles. ¡°Can we run back to Nassau now, or do you want to keep making a fuss?¡± Streak literally stuck out his tongue, and bolted straight towards Nassau. ¡°Why is it always a race,¡± Mason muttered, but couldn¡¯t help the grin. He took off after his friend. * * * Mason had apparently forgotten his body was morphed into something¡­inhuman. And it wasn''t much good for running. He felt like a misshapen anchor, limbs imbnced, body unnaturally thick and impossibly heavy. After tripping several times and crashing through the vegetation, he finally stopped and looked at his profile, particrly pulling up his bond with Streak. He''d seen before he could take on some kind of half-wolf form. Would it fix his current...transformations? And if so, could he easily change back to ''normal''? "How the hell does this power work?" he said out loud. Streak stopped and quirked his head and licked his lips, ignoring Mason¡¯s problems with the distinct message of hunger. "I''m having a crisis here and all you can think about is food," Mason grumbled, then rolled his eyes as the wolf''s thoughts came back. "OK food and mates. That''s not better. The point is you''re supposed to...why am I even bothering. OK." Mason took a deep breath and braced himself. "Here goes." He attempted to ''shift'' to his ''half-wolf form'', then narrowed his eyes when it seemed nothing happened. Then his body twisted. It felt somewhere between a yawn and a sneeze¡ªapulsive bodily function you could maybe try and stop but probably shouldn''t. Fortunately it didn''t hurt, though Mason was afraid that may yete. After several moments of vague resistance, he let go and basically copsed as his body contorted. Then, it actually started to feel kind of good. It was like a full body stretch he''d neglected to take his whole life. He felt his limbs bending but into a shape that felt...perfectly natural, perfectlyfortable. When it was over he stood and looked at his hands, which now ended in curved, dark greenish ws not so different than Streak''s, but with the flexibility of human fingers. He breathed, then shivered at the huge array of scent that struck him from every direction. He looked down at his body and found considerable fur and new flesh that felt warm and thick like armor. He touched his face but pulled away. "Jesus." He looked at Streak, who stared at him seemingly without any interest or surprise. "Why doesn¡¯t this freak you out?" He checked his manhood, and found that pretty much normal. It was strangelyforting. "Now how do I turn..." Apparently he could just do it the same way, but the thing had a cooldown. Unlike Streak, apparently, he was stuck in his new form for a little while. At least he felt...symmetrical. And fleshy. And not like a person bent into the shape of a rock-smashing pick. Without much further thought, he turned and ran on towards Nassau, still amazed at the knowledge of the woods ahead¡ªthe of his Wayfinder power. He knew now where thest Great Tree was¡ªa fair distance to the North, a few days travel from Nassau even at Mason''s speed. But he could sense Streak''s excitement at the prospect, because another thing he knew they''d find for sure¡ªbesides giant animals like the huge moose Mason had seen those months ago¡ªa great deal of wolves. Running as a half-wolf seemed about as good as running as a man. Mason felt an urge to hunch forward, and even tested running on all fours a little but found it awkward. He stuck to a basically normal gait, letting his senses drift, amazed at the smells and sounds of the forest. Once or twice he caught himself so intrigued and overwhelmed he almost followed, thenughed at the constant distraction of dogs. "OK. Yes, I get it," he called to the nearby loping Streak with augh. He ran all day and night with only a short break to hunt and eat. He was about to start a fire before his stomach kept on rumbling, and he stared long and hard at the sight of the dead grouse before simply tearing into it raw, right next to Streak. It tasted fantastic. And he realized with his ridiculous vitality and regeneration powers he had no fear at all of getting sick. It made good logical sense, he decided¡ªbetter to avoid the light and smoke of a fire. Better to eat quickly and efficiently and not worry about butchering it or waiting. But he also knew he wouldn''t do it if he was with other people. It seemed a step in a direction that would almost certainly frighten them, just like his...new form. He shifted back to fully human when he reached Nassau, breathing a sigh of relief when his various ''transformations'' were entirely gone. At least now he knew how to get rid of them, and wouldn''t have to worry no matter how strange or severe he changed to suit a fight. "It''s Mason! Mason''s back!" A voice called from the top of the gate before it opened, and the call was echoed in various forms throughout the settlement. Mason took a deep breath and hoped he''d only been gone a few days. But he honestly had no idea.
Chapter 195: Blake of the White Tower Chapter 195: ke of the White Tower ke and Ilya ran through the newly formed ''White Tower'' hand in hand. Most rooms were already filled with basic furniture¡ªthe simple orc sleeping furs, various chairs and tables and stools. They had all kinds of useful, everyday items, from bowls to cutlery, bronze trays to...shitting buckets. The orcs didn''t exactly have modern plumbing, which was especially odd considering the human settlements did. "I''m going to have to build a toilet," ke muttered as he inspected. "What''s that?" Ilya met his eyes, and her face was so radiant with joy he temporarily forgot what he wasining about. "Nevermind, my love. Shall we try and find the hall?" Ilya nodded enthusiastically, and they ran up the central spiral looking for some sign of arger space. It didn''t take long. About a third of the way up the tower, theyout obviously changed to reveal a more open, public space. ke had to send his constructs to push open the huge doors leading in, and Ilya gasped as the hall was exposed. A huge banner covered the far wall¡ªthe amber eye of Ilya¡¯s tribal lineage, surrounded by purple lines that might have been an orc interpretation of magic. Smaller on the wall, with obvious space for more, was the crest of Ilya''s family, the Vori. ke blinked as he stared, realizing that the orc lord had seemed to almost randomly name Ilya''s new n ''Ambereye''. How could a random orc joke have be the actual theme of the tower? He asked Ilya as much. "Oh, it wasn''t random," she said with a chuckle. "All oracles and shamans have amber eyes, and are sometimes called that. It''s a sign of being magic-touched. It was a very informed guess." ke nodded, still feeling a little like the orcs were affected by the system in a way humans were not¡ªlike they were reacting to possibilities they knew in their bones instead of topletely new information. It was, in other words, in a possibly very real way, predicted by the system that all this might happen. Exactly. ke clenched a fist. If there was one thing he truly hated, it was being predictable. "I''ll have to try harder," he thought, and not for the first time, ying with his Mental Partition to try and bounce his thoughts back and forth, creating a kind of barrier even to himself until it was relevant. But how to shield your mind from a god-like overlord that had given you every tool you used in its experiment? A being that could shape the fabric of existence at will? ke did his best not to feel the idea hopeless. There was always a way. And of course he didn''t have to beat the system¡ªat least not anytime soon. He just had to beat its game, and give himself leverage. To be, in the words of every bureaucrat and middle manager since the dawn of time, irreceable. "ke?" Ilya was apparently staring at him. She had sat on a in throne at the end of the hall, and stretched out her hand. "I''m sorry, my dear, I was far away." He stepped forward and took it, about to create his own chair beside her to sit in before realizing it might have been a terrible cultural mistake. He was not her ''husband'', or whatever orcs called them. He was not an orc, nor anything official at all, and certainly not a lord of the tower. She seemed to recognize the moment¡ªthe difficulty, perhaps, of identifying exactly what their rtionship was, officially and unofficially. Ilya''s face lost all expression. "Wizard ke," she said, her tone equally serious, and slightly emotional. "As my first official act as Lady of the White Tower, I offer you permanent residence on a floor of your choosing. I also offer you a position in my court, as First Wizard. You will receive an ie, servants, and act as my advisor in matters of rulership. Do you ept?" ke kept the frown from his face. It should have urred to him, he supposed, that Ilya couldn''t just leave him as ''random human guy in my tower''. She had devised a way to keep him close, giving him official title and therefore honor, while also presumably preserving her own. The problem was¡ªwell, ke''s ego. He was not destined to y out the game as ''First Wizard'' to some orc tower. On the other hand, he was not currently the patron of Nassau. And in many, many ways, these orcs were more powerful than Nassau. They certainly had more resources. He didn''t yet know how, but he also wanted somehow tobine the orcs and humans to the benefit of both. And he couldn''t very well do that without being himself part of both. "I ept," he said, smiling a little. Ilya practically sagged with relief. She dropped the serious expression and stood, throwing her arms around ke and squeezing with her head against his chest. "So you''ll stay?" she whispered, and he gave her back a pat. "I''ll stay," he confirmed. "I don''t know how long, exactly, but for the foreseeable future. And if I leave, I''lle back." Ilya shook a little with what might have been a sob. "Good," she said, defeating it quickly. "Because I have no idea what I''m doing. I have all these contracts and Tower decisions and bleeping noises in my head. And I don''t have a clue what to do about any of it. Also I¡­have no guards, as far as I can tell. I''m not even sure what''s to stop some ambitious lord from bringing his warriors here and taking the tower." "Nothing." ke shrugged. "Except the murderous, human champion who just finished executing the orc that terrified them all into submission. That ought to buy us a little time." Ilya just kept on hugging his chest like a life raft. * * * ke and Ilya explored more of the tower after that, though it was sorge they soon realized it would take a few days. After a brief inspection of the top level, they came back down with much more practical and ordinary thoughts, like food, and in ke''s case, possibly sex. "It''s going to take a long time to properly break in all those rooms," he said, wiggling his brow at Ilya as he slid a hand down her back. "What do you mean?" she said. "It''s all brand new. You and your big oaf moving statues aren''t to break anything in my tower, wizard! Well, except your room, of course." ke sighed and was about to exin that he meant to try and screw her in every tower room, when the tower red a kind of audible warning as the outer doors sprung open. ke spun in rm, but Ilya seemed entirely at ease as a small cluster of orcs came walking through. There was a mix of male and female, workers and something like a merchant or slightly upper ss. They all walked in with varying levels of terror as if propelled forward. Then they found Ilya and ke and either dropped to their knees or bowed or stood there looking utterly awkward. A few dered their undying loyalty. "We''ve broken through from the warrens, yerdyship," said an orc about the size of ''Smith'', with skin that looked like sandpaper. "We''ll dig it all out nice and proper," he added. "But for now a few cane through." "Thank you, Digger," Ilya said as if this all made perfect sense. "Tell your kin they will eat from the tower supplies for two days if they have it dugpletely by tomorrow." The big orc''s eyes widened. Then he scratched his ass slightly as he bowed, turned and walked for the tunnel. "The rest of you, wee," Ilya called, taking a small but noticeable step away from ke. "The tower floors are marked with symbols. Go to yours and im rooms. For now the choice is yours." In ones and twos they eventually all went on their way, until ke and Ilya were alone again. She seemed to understand the strangeness of the moment, and stepped closer as she met ke''s eyes. "My people...they won''t understand...I have to be careful. At least for now. It''s not that I..." "I understandpletely," ke said, because he did. Bringing Ilya back to Nassau wouldn''t be a pic, either. Hell, just telling them he meant to be friends with the orcs who had otherwise been hunting them down like dogs might not be awesome. And God only knew how Annie would take it... "We''ll be discreet," he added, making sure Ilya knew he had no intention of cutting off their affair. "That''s eptable?" she said, obviously hopeful. "It doesn''t...dishonor you? Or insult you?" "Not in the slightest," ke assured. Then he thought about secretly banging thedy of the tower after a day of orc snobbery, and had to fight the erection. "I assume you''ll be staying at the very top of the tower? Away from everyone else?" "I will," she said, biting her lip and clearly understanding his meaning. ke came closer and ran a finger down her cheek, then winced when he thought of how far that actually was from the ground level. "I''m going to need a room near the top. And probably have to build an elevator." She gave him an utterly confused expression he was beginning to know too well, but he waved it away. "We''ll figure it out." He also noticed her expression was more or less matching his own, and opened his mouth to suggest they go and break in thedy''s room right now when another group of orcs came through the gate. "Lady Vori." The leader nodded more than bowed, and wore dramatically decorative armor and carried a small, polished sword. "You have been invited to an urgent meeting of the tower lords. As soon as possible." Ilya nodded and thanked him, then he left with the rest. She turned to ke and her breathing was quick and shallow and he doubted it was from lust. "I''lle with you," he said, patting her hand. "You''re going to do fine." She nced around, then basically smashed her lips to his and made a little moaning sound. He had a feeling it was going to be a very, very long meeting.
Chapter 196: I’ll sort that out Chapter 196: I¡¯ll sort that out "Don''t. Ever. Do that. Again." Becky was clutching Mason and trailing kisses down his face and neck before he got inside the chief''s hall. "Seven days," Haley exined, giving him a hug and a quick peck on the lips. "Carl sent out a team to look for you after four. We tried talking to the nymphs, but they wouldn''t even let us see their damn tree." Mason sighed and nodded. "Sorry about that. Things got¡­a little out of hand. But I managed. And I got this." He held up the green gem and saw Haley''s eyes go far-away as she scanned. "Can''t tell you much," she said. "Rosa might know more. But it has two options. Settlement or yer. You should be able to just activate it." Mason nodded, not entirely surprised. He had the feeling he could make some kind of servant out of the giant, or maybe the elementals itmanded. So now the question was, did he make them serve him specifically, or serve the settlement? He supposed before he used it he should talk to Rosa. Oh shit. Rosa. "Is Rosa still with the nymphs?" "I am not." Mason turned and found a very sexy, very neutral faced Rosa leaning on the door frame, her hips straining the fabric of the settlement¡¯s white uniforms. "I took the liberty of inviting her over the moment you arrived," Haley said, a little twinkle in her eye. Mason didn''t even try to judge any subtle reactions or expressions, and just held up the gem. "Greater Earth Elemental Essence," said the Mexican ''Herbalist'',ing closer as she squinted her dark eyes. "Unfortunately I can''t tell you much more than that. But the settlement option is called ''Earth Addition''." Mason nodded, then nced between Rosa and Haley, Becky still holding onto him rather possessively, he decided. "You got back from the tree alright? Did Calypsa bring you?" "She did." Rosa confirmed. "And I learned a great deal. You and I have a lot to discuss. Tonight, maybe? At my ce?" Reba''s nails dug slightly into Mason''s skin. He knew he had several women to keep promises to and give some attention, but he also had absolutely no time to do it. "I''ll try," he said rathermely. "But there''s one great tree left to clear, and time is ticking. I might even head out again right away. As in instantly. Now that I know things are safe here." Reba practically whined in his arms, but Rosa just nodded, if obviously a little disappointed. "I have some potions made. You should at least take a look before you go. They might be useful. They might keep you alive." She gave him a look that sted away a lot of his concern over drama, and reminded him this was the post-apocalyptic new world and not high school. The stakes were as high as they could get. Mason had to do what was needed, not what he or anyone else wanted. "Thanks, Rosa. I''ll be taking other yers, too. So once I''ve figured that out, we''ll alle by." Rosa nodded again, clearly a bit ufortable as she looked around the home Mason shared with Haley and Becky. Then she knocked a hand on the wall and walked off. "I''ming," Becky said instantly. "To the tree, I mean." Mason gave her a little squeeze. "Sounds good to me. I''m not sure who else to take. Probably with your shields we don''t need Alex. Maybe Phuong or Carl. Maybe..." "Seamus." Becky and Haley said in unison, and Mason raised a brow. "If he''s here much longer he''s going to get killed," Haley said without a trace of sarcasm. "He harasses the women constantly, doesn''t matter if they''ve paired up." Mason put a hand to his face and shook his head, then stopped and met Haley''s eyes. "And you? Does he bother you?" The French-Canadian rolled her eyes and came closer to give him and Becky a proper hug. "Nobody bothers me, Mason. They know I''m yours." That calmed him down a little. But the bloody Irishman was apparently as annoying as anticipated. "Oh and we had a few more refugees. Civilians from some settlement to the south that said they''d met Kiaan. Mateo isining about voting rights or some nonsense. Oh and Tommaso and Garet got in a fight over a Sanctuary girl. Carl broke it up, but he tossed Garet in a make-shift prison. Says we need a stockade. Or a drunk tank, or something." Mason sighed, remembering he didn''t just have great trees and a brutal new world to deal with. He also had people. And people were dangerous and unpredictable. Then he felt himself tighten slightly, almost angry that he''d practically forgotten. "Any word from ke?" Haley gave him a tight-lipped smile. "He dream walked to Seul-ki a few nights ago, told her he was alright. That was all." "That''ll have to do," Mason said, then took a deep breath. "I''m going to go check on things, and get people ready." He felt a hard edge rise. ¡°And sort them out.¡± "Will you really not stay? Even for a night?" Haley met his eyes and he remembered for a moment she wasn''t just his post-apocalyptic assistant, but his pregnant woman. Becky tried and failed miserably to not watch him with equally expectant eyes. But he thought of Cerebus and his contempt for softness. Of tigers and bears and a hard world that needed hard men. And finally of druid dreams and the dead rising to take everything he loved. He gave no expression as he met their eyes. "We¡¯ll see." * * * Mason decided to deal with the yers, first. He met with Carl in the chief''s hall and went over the events of the past week. "d to see your alright, kid," the older man smiled. "I wasn''t really worried. But I figured it wouldn''t hurt to send out a party. Plus it gave the restless bastards something to do." "Smart." Mason nodded. "Tell me about the fight with Garet and Tommaso." "Oh. That." Carl shook his head. "Some sort of love triangle. Girl''s as much to me as anyone. It''s this damn phase 2. I can hardly keep Silvie''s hands off me. Not that I''mining. But between that and the pregnancy hormones, it''s a lot." He met Mason''s eyes and cleared his throat. "Anyway. They went off right in the middle of the street. Figured we couldn''t have that, so Phuong and I...sorted it out. Stuck ''em both in houses and kept ''em there a few days. Seems OK for now, but it''s still a powder keg." Mason nodded. "Good work. Anything else?" "We''ve been fishing and hunting with some sess. Hank has figured out the river fish are nocturnal, so we just fish at night. But we''ve...seen things. Watching us in the dark." "What things?" "Not sure. Eyes. Not animal. Might be orcs. I tried to sneak up on a couple and I thought I saw green men. But the bastards are quick and clever and I think they heard me. Couldn''t see me, but I guess I need to work on my stealth." Mason took a breath, not at all sure it was orcs, and in fact worried it was goblins from the mountain. But he didn''t see much point in voicing suspicions yet. And it wasn''t like it made much difference. "Just keep plenty of protection. We don''t need anything so I don''t want to take risks. If it feels off, get back to the walls, and don''t go far. We''ll deal with it but I can''t yet." Carl nodded. "You''re off again?" "I need to clear thest tree," Mason said with a sigh. "I was going to take you with but I think I need you here more. If that''s alright." Carl smiled, clearly genuinely pleased to be needed. "No problem, kid. Anyway it helps that I''m a little older around here. Gives me, uh, gravitas. With all you young pups, I''m basically an elder statesman." The men shared a grin, and Mason felt a little of the weight easing from his shoulders. He wasn''t alone, he knew that, even if it felt like it sometimes. "Take Seamus and Phuong," Carl said more seriously. "Seamus might not survive it, but at least that problem will be sorted." Mason sighed and shook his head. "How''s the other one doing. Mcgregor." "Oh, good. Nice fe." Carl gave a genuine smile, then winced. "Likes to drink, though. He and Alex are pretty much in Billy''s pub every night. Actually, the general alcohol consumption is getting a little out of hand. I suspect it''s part of the fight problem." Mason wasn''t exactly surprised. Sure, the new nature themed settlement was beautiful, but people still didn''t have much to dopared to the old world. And it''s not like there was a city with millions of fresh faces. It was small-town mentality, repeated gossip and jealousy and dislike with frontier rules. Frankly they were lucky it hadn''t got more out of hand yet. "I''ll sort that out," Mason said, knowing it was going to be a rough day. "Now go gather all the yers up for me and bring them to the hall. We''re having a meeting. I''ll do the civilians next, but Haley will take care of that." Carl nodded slowly, then stood and went to his task.
Chapter 197: Go home then Chapter 197: Go home then Mason waited in a chair like all the others as the yers filed in and took their seats around their circr table. My motley crew of knights, Mason thought, knowing the old Arthurian legends were always horseshit. It was supposed to indicate ''equality''. But soldiers and kings weren''t equal, no matter how round you chopped the wood. When it came to men and violence, someone had to be in charge. And if that person was too weak or too lenient it meant people got hurt, and killed, both soldiers and civilians. Mason sat in silence until the mood got right. He''d brought Streak and had the increasingly giant wolf sit behind him, gnawing on a few bones with teeth so sharp now the bones usually just snapped. People wereughing and joking as they came in. Pretty soon they found Mason''s eyes and stiffness and the sound of Streak chewing and the smiles withered away, the conversation died. When they were all seated and quiet he finally looked up, meeting the eyes of the yers one by one. Even Reba. "You all having a good time?" He kept his voice subdued. A few yers exchanged looks. A few fought nervous smiles. Mason nodded and shrugged. "Let me tell you how I spent my week. I crossed about three hundred miles. I tried to save an old druid from a giant the size of this hall. But it caught me, beat me near to death. Then it chained me and dragged me across the forest, which I guess it nned to do for a thousand years." He tried not to see the horror and concern in Reba''s eyes. "It''s dead now." Everyone jumped as Mason ttered the green gem on the table. "This is going to upgrade the settlement again." He closed his eyes and activated it. The two options shed before his eyes, just as Rosa said. The first was a power just for him¡ªthe ability to summon some elementals like the giant had. The cooldown was huge, and the elementals didn''tst long. He''d suspected it''d do something simr and knew he wouldn''t really need it. In the long run, they wouldn''t matter much. Already he''d been able to destroy them or avoid them. He suspected his power would only grow until he could rip such things apart in seconds. They''d be a distraction, but little more. Option two was something like a mine. Mason saw elementals moving in and out of the earth carrying ore and dirt, stacking it in piles. He wasn''t sure exactly how they''d operate, but the possibilities were obviously incredible, and it meant they didn''t have to build it themselves, or risk the dangers of the mountain. He clicked ept, and the system red across the settlement, warning of imminent changes in an hour. Mason let the silence linger, then looked at the others. "This isn''t actually a game. This isn''t a summer camp or a work trip or a weekend get-away." He stared long and hard at Garet and Tommaso. "The behavior of the people around this table is going to be the difference between life and death. For you. For the civilians. For all of us. We need each other at our best. Not drunk. Not idle. Not fighting over fucking girlfriends." Garet clearly wanted to say something, but he met Mason''s widening eyes and mped his mouth shut. After another little silence, Mason sighed. "We''re making official guard duties. You''ll get rotating schedules and when you''re on duty there''s no alcohol, there''s no fraternizing. Even when you''re off duty I suggest you keep the drinking to a minimum except for special asions. Don''t worry, I''ll be talking to Billy, so you won''t have to manage yourselves. It just won''t be avable." A lot of eyes were finding floorboards now. Eventually Tommaso cleared his throat and spoke up. "No offense, eh boss? But ke always gave us a say. Are you patron permanently now? Some of us can handle our drink better than others, and no reason to lose our cool over a girl..." "This isn''t a discussion." Mason cut him off, then, for the first time with something approaching eptance. "ke might not survive that tower. So you''d best stop worrying about what ke said." He fought the emotion that wed its way up from his gut, blinking it away. "You people didn''t want the CEO. Well now you get the general. Army rules. Army punishments." He leaned forward. "There''s three times more women in this camp than men. At least. That should be enough to keep things easy, but now it''s time for some fucking order. There''s no sharing. A yer picks a willing civilian, that''s it, the civilian is off limits until that yer says otherwise. You break the rules, you get punished. Let me summarize: you¡¯ll be getting new duties, no alcohol or women on duty, and no sharing civilian women. Any questions?" Garet finally met Mason''s eyes. "And what if a bunch of civilians pick one yer?" Mason frowned at that. Monogamy had been invented for a reason. It more fairly divided the most important ''resource'' a society had, and made more loyal men. It beat the other systems, simple as that. But for now they had plenty of women to spare... "Three max," he said. "If you''re some kind of masochist who wants more women than that, hell, I don''t know...we''ll put it to a yer vote." He got a few smiles at that, fortunately. But the mood was pretty somber. No one liked getting their ass spanked, especially the ones who hadn''t deserved it. Mason took a deep breath, knowing he needed something positive to end with. "We have a real chance here," he said, meeting as many eyes as possible. "To survive. To make something worth surviving for. But we need to get serious. I''m going to clear thest tree, and then I''m pretty sure I can literally teleport. I have more knowledge of the forest now. We''re going to set up leveling teams. Dungeon teams. Recruit more people. I know I said it''s not a game but it also sort of is. And we''re going to fucking win. But I need every single one of you at your best. Sharp. Focused. Loyal. You understand?" "Amen." Carl said with an encouraging smile, and Phuong, Alex and the new man McGregor gave the table a few knocks. "Alright. Well. Dismissed, or something. Carl will have the schedule in a day or so." The room cleared out, with Carl throwing Mason a wink and Reba giving him a e bang me'' look he desperately tried to ignore. The bloody civilians were next. * * * The civilian meeting was an absolute clusterfuck. First of all, there was way more of them. Second, Mason didn''t know half their names, and was pretty sure he hadn''t even seen a quarter of them. And of course they were 80% women. The general tone of violence and hierarchy was very much non-existent. The civilians were clearly broken up into factions, some ording to new world profession, others ording to old world culture or ethnicity. There was essentially three main ones: a very obvious ''European'' group, headed by the always annoying Mateo and his partner; the ''Sanctuary'' girls led by Silvie (with some add-ons); and then a diverse group of craftsmen, who had the bulk of the civilian men, with no clear leader except maybe Hank the fisherman, or the cksmith whose name Mason forgot. The civilians entered with a cacophany of voices, and no matter how Mason scowled or stared (or how many bones Streak snapped), they just kept chattering and mostly ignoring him as they settled. He eventually tossed a hand and looked at Haley, who shrugged helplessly. "Shut the fuck up!" Rosa''s apparently drill sergeant loud voice finally shocked the room into rtive silence. Mason tried not to imagine the same volume calling his name in ecstasy, and gave her a grateful smile as he stood. "Thanks foring. There''s a few new rules we need to discuss." "New?" called Mateo. "We thought we were here to provide you with feedback. To voice ourints about the yers, the settlement, the ''rules'', such as they are. We have many legitimateints about housing, food distribution, and patron points, which haven''t been used at all, or indeed..." "All that can wait," Mason interrupted, trying not to let his anger show. There was more than enough bloody housing, and now food. They had clean water and plumbing and even entertainment. They were in the safest, most beautiful ce he''d seen in the damn apocalypse, surrounded by other people. And all they wanted to do wasin? "It has been waiting, patron," said Mateo. "It has been waiting and waiting and pretty soon it will feel like I''m back dealing with the Spanish central government." A few of the Europeansughed at that, and Mason''s patience reached its very limited end. "Then by all means, leave," he said, without the hint of a joke. "Take your friends, and go. You''ll all be given food and water and clothes. I rmend South. Winter ising, and it''s going to get cold. Avoid the mountains, also, they''re filled with goblins. There''s a few smaller settlements. I can draw you a detailed map." Finally the room was quiet. "But not a single yer is going with you," Mason said with finality. "Different rules, you see. yers are soldiers. And as far as I''m concerned, a yer leaving Nassau after everything we''ve been through is desertion. Deserters will be hunted down, and killed." He sat and took a breath. "Oaths have been made. Words have been said." He had their attention now, he could see. And that was good. They needed to hear him. Really hear him. "Civilians are different. But it''s fair to say if you leave these people, this ce, which has clothed and fed and housed and protected you, I won''t be impressed. In fact I won''t raise a single finger to help you. Ever again." The strangled silence gave way to whispers before Mateo had the gall to keep at it. "I don''t much like threats, Mason. You¡¯re a very young man, and we don''t appreciate the kind of..." "It''s not a threat, Mateo. It''s a guarantee. The yers here are going to be risking their lives for you. Over and over. Some of us already have. We aren''t your countrymen. We aren''t your family or your friends. If you don''t sign on the dotted line with us. If you aren''t willing to sacrifice and suffer beside us in whatever way is required. Why the fuck should I care what happens to you? I''m not ke. I don''t give a shit about patron points or power. I care about loyalty." That finally did the trick. So Mason exined the new yer rules. He exined that civilians could pick each other, too, and be off limits, but they had to make it clear, make it like a marriage. The more traditionally minded cultural types epted it as only logical, and probably wise. The European types rolled their eyes and called it medieval and ridiculous and why should live by all the old sorts of norms when... "It''s note a debate," he said yet again, a fist on the table and his tone getting deadly. "These are the rules. Live by them, or leave Nassau. Clear enough?" Mateo was still, incredibly, defiant. "We''re pretty tired of kings where I''m from, Mason. And we don''t like tyrants." Most everyone else looked understanding, or at least cowed, and Mason was out of words. He stood and walked towards the door, missing his brother terribly and sort of wishing he could lift Mateo and crush the life out of him right there. He stopped and looked at the man, and all the rest of them. "Go home, then." Then he walked out into the sun.
Chapter 198: You think too much (NSFW) Chapter 198: You think too much (NSFW) Mostly Mason just wanted to be alone. Well, really he wanted to sit with ke and hear about histest conquests or ridiculous stories of screwing with rich kids or breezing his way through school. He wanted not to be in charge, stared at by every pair of eyeballs, especially by women who shouldn¡¯t, his every word important and hung on by maniptive, ambitious, stupid, little... "Mason!" Haley''s voice was one of the very few things that could have kept him from a long walk in the woods. He stopped and couldn''t help the little smile as his blonde beauty came jogging towards him, a little pink in her cheeks. "You even walk ridiculously fast. I''ve been chasing you for two minutes!" Mason grinned. "Your shoes probably didn¡¯t help." Haley had gone full on corporate executive assistant for the meeting, with a dark blouse and skirt, sporting heels that could kill a man. She matched the grin as she came closer, and Mason took a deep breath of her, rxing as she sunk into his arms. "Was it chaos in there when I left?" "More like a funeral," Haley said as she pulled back. "But I think it was the right thing. End of the day? They have nowhere to go and they know it, and things are pretty great here. Just remember they haven''t seen the things you have. A lot of them haven''t even gone through anything¡­how do you say? Nasty. They don¡¯t understand." "Yeah I know." Mason sighed. "But get it or not, they''re still going to die if we fail." Haley was running her hands up and down Mason''s chest, her cheeks still a little colored. He raised an eyebrow. "It''s been days, Mason. And after watching you in there...I''m...well I''m going to explode soon if I don''t..." "Mason?" Haley and Mason both turned at the sound of a woman''s voice, and Rosa stepped out from behind a tree wearing a tight ck dress. She opened her mouth then closed it, clearly unsure what she intended to say. "I, um," she actually went a little pink, then closed her eyes and opened them with resolve. "I had the same thought as Haley." He looked between them, not entirely sure what to say. His own libido was currently just barely trapped behind a wall of responsibility and mild rage, and he sure as hell wouldn''t mind getting a little out. He needed to go back to the yers and figure out the schedule with Carl, and the team for the tree...but they could wait...at least a little while... "Promises were made," Rosa said, getting a little pink again. "I¡­can''t wait anymore." Whatever hesitation Mason had was crumbling fast. He looked at Rosa, and then at the barely contained grin of Haley¡ªeven if she was also clearly a little annoyed. Mason nced around the houses, figuring out which were still empty with Wayfinder. He had several options. "I''m not sending Haley away," Mason said, meeting Rosa''s eyes. "So you cane with me now, or you can wait." The Mexican beauty went through a range of emotions and expressions too fast for him to possibly keep up. She might have cursed silently under her breath, too. But then she met his eyes without shrinking in the slightest. "Fine. Now where are we going?" He held out his hand, making sure not to look too pleased. "This way." * * * The air was practically electrified as Mason got Rosa and Haley to the random door of an empty house. They were all horny as hell, but Mason knew with Rosa there was no guarantee he couldn''t screw this up and say or do the wrong thing. Of course Haley was firing on all cylinders. She was practically vibrating as Mason closed the door, and started working at the buttons on his shirt. A good stiff drink might have helped, but that wasn''t likely an option. No doubt there were useful words to say in some magicalbination, but Mason had no idea what they were. He decided to just do what he wanted, and let the chips fall where they may. He pushed Haley up against the door with one hand, and Rosa beside her with the other. Haley was staring at him with an undisguised grin, Rosa with something like challenge. He kissed Haley first, holding Rosa back from squirming away, or maybe pping him. When Haley had practically swallowed his tongue, he pulled back for Rosa. Her hands were slightly balled into fists, and he decided the p would actually be a punch. Mostly he was worried about her hand. But he moved in and pushed his lips against hers, and after a moment of hesitation she kissed him back. "This doesn''t mean it''s always a thing," Rosa said when they parted, eyes closed as she quickly licked her lips. "And it doesn''t mean I''ll do it with the other one." Mason fought the smile, knowing if he seemed too smug she might just change her mind. "The other one has a name, you know," he said, running a hand up Rosa''s exposed leg, gripping her inner thigh. He pushed his knee between Haley''s legs, letting her start squirming against him. "God. And this one''s already pregnant," Rosa said, putting a hand to her face and looking up. "You think too much," Mason said, moving his hand closer until he could swipe his fingers across her panties. "Now I want these off." Rosa hesitated, then met his eyes, and started shimmying her panties down. He couldn''t wait and cupped his hand between her legs when they were still at her knees. She groaned and leaned against the wall as he slid his hand back and forth, tracing every part of her with increasingly slick fingers. She was already soaked. Between Haley basically riding his leg, and Rosa starting to ride his hand, he wasn¡¯t sure what to do with himself. Where the hell did he even start? But he''d never get another chance to take both girls together for the first time, so he decided to pace himself. He undid Haley''s belt as she worked at his, and soon she''d yanked hers down along with her panties, practically leaping back to his leg. He sighed at the feel of her smooth skin and wetness against him, and Rosa too as he started sliding his fingers inside her. He practically growled at the sensory overload, his ever increasing senses swamping him with the sight and scent and feel of two beautiful women ovee with lust for him. So much for pacing himself. "Turn around," he growled at Haley, still working Rosa as his blonde turned and smiled at him over her shoulder. He pulled her dress up to her stomach, then pped his painfully hard length between her cheeks before lowering it down. He slid it over Haley''s tight little hole, enjoying the flinch that was not at all rejection, but kept going until he found her dripping sex. He pushed slowly into her, inch by inch until she lost patience and pushed back to take him all. "God." She arched her back until her head was all the way to Mason, and he kissed her with all the tenderness he could muster. Then he slid inside and moved in steady strokes, working his fingers in Rosa faster and faster. The Mexican had her eyes closed, her hands over his, in her own little world. Haley of course was watching everything, smiling back at Mason and loving every second. He wondered suddenly if somehow she''d arranged this. A few choice words to Rosa. A well-timed little ruse. He wrapped his hand around her ponytail as he kept on fucking her, leaning forward to kiss her neck as she grinned. "Enjoying yourself?" he whispered, and her smile spread across her beautiful face before she reached up an put both hands on his head, opening her mouth and taking his tongue with abandon as she pushed back against him. Were he a normal man and not utterly infused with ridiculous robot magic, he would have held off the orgasm as long as possible. But he knew he didn''t need to. He waited until Rosa was shaking slightly and moaning. As soon as she heard the other girl getting close, Haley instantly joined her, ramming her ass back against Mason with wild abandon. He stopped moving and let Haley get them both off¡ªthe slick, hot, tightness of her pussy gripping him now as she panted and fucked. Rosa was working his hand like a sex toy, trying to speed up his fingers and writhing against it. The moment the Mexican cried out was like a chain reaction, sending Haley over the edge as Mason released his own resistance. He let his blonde beauty work his cock, taking wave after wave of his release as he came deep inside her, wet flesh pping against him. When both girls were groaning and mostly still, just wiggling slightly against his hand and cock, he pulled them closer together and whispered in Rosa''s ear. "Now it''s your turn." * * * He had her dress off before he reached the couch. Her eyes were still drooped in post-orgasmic bliss, and she just put up her arms as Mason stripped her. For a moment he trapped her arms, squeezing her incredible tits and ying with her nipples while she was helpless. She moaned as he ran his hands over her body and pped her thick ass before tossing away the thin fabric. "I want it like that, too," Rosa said, biting her lip, and going slightly pink again. "Fuck me like you fucked Haley." Mason saw no reason at all to deny thedy anything. He turned her around and practically threw her over the back of the couch, pushing his still very hard cock straight into her. She gasped slightly and gripped the couch for dear life as Mason started pounding into her. Then Haley was behind him, kissing his neck and sliding her hands up his chest, naked body pressed against him. It felt a little like they were fucking Rosa together. Haley asionally pped the girl''s ass and giggled against Mason''s ear, her excitement obvious. He just enjoyed Rosa''s tightness and moans, her amazing body bouncing against him, the softness and lust of Haley against his skin. But he wanted more. He eventually lifted Rosa and flung her over his shoulder, fingering her as he carried her to the bed. He tossed her down and crawled on top of her, spreading her legs before burying himself inside. She was looking up at him almost helplessly, lost in the lust, no resistance left. He ran a thumb over her lips, and she closed her eyes and sucked as he pounded into her. He only slowed when she started to shake and moan. But not by much. He thrust straight through her orgasm, watching her face as she twisted and cried out beneath him. He reminded himself of her constant challenge, implying he couldn''t handle so many girls and somehow leave her wanting. It made him want to go harder, to totally overwhelm her. He pulled her legs in the air and trapped them with one hand, hammering into her as he groped her and yed with her clit. Her skin was red in patches and streaks, partly from being flushed, partly where he''d pped and probably wed her. In the corner of his vision he saw [Duality of Strength] had at some point activated, which he didn¡¯t exactly understand and might have made him burst outughing if he wasn''t so horny. What it was doing he didn''t precisely know, but he suspected if the girls had ever had a chance of ''wearing him down'' first, they were now utterly incapable. Haley was waiting on her knees beside him just watching, and he pulled her in for a kiss as he kept hammering Rosa. He wanted them touching, wanted both their bodies pping against him and ready for him. He let down Rosa''s legs, picked Haley up and set her on top, pulling both girls closer. He took turns fucking them both, pushing them together, hands and eyes all over them. He could hardly tell who was moaning but didn''t care. There was just his own lust and the women who were his to take. Eventually he pulled them apart,y down on his back and set Rosa on top, fucking her from below more than letting her ride. She was already a sweaty, sex-addled mess and hardly could. So he gripped her ass and pounded into her until she was making an almost constant, mindless moan. When she finally came again it was like a shock through her body as she let out a feral cry. Mason let go and filled her, pumping days worth of lust and terror and anger from his fight with the giant. Rosa slumped against him as he buried deep and growled in pleasure, spurting every bit of himself inside her and moving her body against him however he pleased. When he was finished hey back and smiled, running his hands down Rosa''s back. She was practically passed out, and he grinned as he thought back to the nymph grove. It was definitely not just the magic. Haley was biting her lip and as she ran her hands over Rosa''s body, too, giving her ass an affectionate pat. "That was very hot," she whispered, dropping down out of view until Mason felt his cock pulled out of Rosa, then slipped into Haley''s warm mouth, and sucked for everyst drop. Yes, he thought, fighting gravity as his eyelids drooped. Yes it certainly was.
Chapter 199: Mine complete Chapter 199: Mineplete [New Settlement Addition: Elemental Mineplete.] Mason blinked awake to find Rosa and Haley cuddled against him on either side. The ring warning of the system woke them, too, and Haley yawned with a luxurious stretch. Rosa nced at them both with a slight look of embarrassment. "Stop that," Mason said, rolling over and holding up her chin for a passionate kiss. She resisted for a moment, but soon sunk into it. "Do you feel good?" he asked when he pulled up. "I¡­do." She hugged him, then stretched too and made the cutest little squeak, which seemed to embarrass her again. He tried not to consider another round. "Good. So do I. Now off we go. Well, off I go. You two are free to lounge around in bed if you want." "Not me," Haley sighed, clearly wanting to y with the Mexican¡¯s body a little but resisting. "People to see. Problems to solve." It urred to Mason then that if he didn''t stay the night, he wouldn''t get a chance to spend any time with Reba. He really, really hoped Rosa didn''t take the opportunity to rub this in her face, or make things awkward...but he couldn''t say with certainty that she wouldn''t...which meant he really needed to get ahead of that to prevent... "I''ll go collect your tree team," Haley said as she and Rosa both got up and started dressing. "Becky, of course. Phuong and Seamus. Anyone else?" "I''m not sure if I can take four or five. And it''s a fair distance away." Haley just stood there waiting for instruction, for him to decide. "No," he said. "I''ll just take four, and Streak." Haley stepped forward and gave him a quick peck on the lips, then with a wink she stepped in and gave Rosa a kiss on the cheek. The other girl looked a little shy, but not displeased. "OK. Bye bye." Haley tossed her blonde hair and had it wrapped back in a pony tail in seconds. She straightened her clothes and puckered her lips, swiping actual lipstick with incredible precision, soon looking like nothing at all had happened. Then she blew a kiss and was out the door, Mason and Rosa both staring for a moment. "She is...something," Rosa said, and Masonughed. Unlike the French-Canadian, Rosa looked like she''d been banged six ways from Sunday. Her hair was a bedraggled mess. Her knees and ass cheeks were still red. She had a kind of half-alert, sort of drunk, fifty mile stare as she struggled to get her clothes on. It was ego boosting, and sexy as hell. "You''re something, too," Mason said, pulling her into his arms. She didn''t hesitate at all now that they were alone, and he gave her another good grope as they made out like teenagers. "Did you get what you wanted?" "Umm." She shook with a littleugh, and put a hand to her face. "I think I could sleep for a week." "Good." Mason started buttoning the top of her dress. "I might be that long going North. You''ll have to be patient." Rosa nodded, clearly fighting the urge toe in for another hug. "Oh!" Her eyes unfocused, and from nothing a tray of small, stic vials were in her hands. "I''ve got some, um, generic anti-venom. A decent vitality booster that should work like a healing potion. And this one''s acid. You could, I don''t know, throw it at something? Or melt a lock. OK I don''t know what these ''dungeons'' are like, honestly. But it''s strong. Don''t identally drink it. Ibeled them all so you won''t get..." Mason couldn''t stop kissing her amazing, thick lips, or apparently groping her. She very clearly didn''t mind, melting again against him and nearly dropping her tray. He practically growled as he remembered the mine. "These are amazing." He took the vials, which were thankfully quite small. "Now I suggest you go shower and change before you catch too many eyeballs. But I''ll see you when I get back?" She nodded, looking a little vulnerable. Under all that toughness and bravado, it very much suited her, and reminded him she was young and he was the only man she''d been with. "I''ll see a lot of you when I get back." She smiled and kissed him, eyes slightly closed as she brushed his face with hers. When he opened the door for her, she sighed and wandered off like she wasn''t sure exactly where she was going. For a moment he just watched her wander away, unable to fight the smile. It had been a hell of an afternoon, exactly what he needed, and exactly what he wanted to give Rosa. But now it was time to get back to work. * * * "How far down does the main shaft go?" Mason yelled over the din of the inhuman workers. "Not sure," Carl called back. "There''s a kind of digital map, though, if you look over here." Mason had arrived somewhatte to the mine. Already several of the yers and many civilians were wandering around the new settlement addition, all very excited and amazed until the first six foot rock man had appeared and caused a wave of panic. Mason had assured them they were perfectly safe and part of his patronage. Or so he hoped. But actually he didn''t see any way at all under his options to actually control the things. All he could do from his list was turn the mine on or off. Other than that, you had to physically go into the mine and interact with several digital screens. There was a map, as Carl was now demonstrating, as well as different categories of resource you could increase or decrease in desirability. You couldn''t specifically demand a certain thing, just say that''s what you preferred. The mine had a number of standard, easily recognizable substances like iron, or copper. But it also had obviously game themed, vaguely magical sounding things like ''Earth Ore'' or ''Water Ore''. "Oh I need that!" yelled the smith, gesturing at the list. "And that! This ce is a..." the big Polynesianughed. "I was going to say gold mine!" Mason grinned as the various crafters all huddled around the screen and shook each other''s shoulders or high-fived. They would obviously need some kind of system to work out who got what and when, but Mason expected with round-the-clock elemental workers, they''d soon have far more than they could use with their limited workforce. He had no regrets at all at creating the mine, expecting it would pay huge dividends both for Nassau and himself, once the civilians started figuring out their sses and materials. Not everyone had ss-oriented innate magic weapons, and they all desperately needed armor. Defensive shields and minor healing had carried them thus far, but it clearly wouldn''t always. "I''m d you''re excited," Mason called over all the noise, getting his people to stop and pay attention in a way he still found ufortable. "I''m going North for several days. When I get back, I want a full update on this ce and what we can do with it. We''ll make rulester. For now, use anything you can get your hands on." Most of the crafters grinned and nodded, and Mason walked back out into the settlement. The walls had expanded to surround the mine, which meant it was entirely protected like everything else in Nassau. But he knew he desperately needed to create more actual defenses, and considered choosing something now before he left. But better not to hurry. And he was leaving arge number of yers behind to defend, including Carl. They''d be alright. He used Speak with Nature and touched the earth, sending a message to Violet that he was leaving, but she should stay and defend the settlement. Then he called for Streak and his team, waiting with Haley already at the gate. He took the supplies Haley had gathered and packed perfectly, shaking his head as he found some extra clothes for everyone in case it got cold. The bloody woman thought of everything. Then he nodded to Phuong, winking at a very excited Becky before stopping at Seamus. "Afternoon, boss," the Irishman grinned like they were old friends. "Thanks very much for bringin'' me along. I won''t let you down." "I wouldn''t thank me yet," Mason said, his expression stony. "We''ve got a long ways to go, and Phuong and Becky have a lot of vitality. It''s likely I''m going to run you half to death." Without looking to see how the man responded, he turned to Haley and the busy settlement, throwing his pack over his shoulders. His woman met his eyes and smiled, and he knew there were words they could say that all meant ''pleasee back alive''. But he knew, too, with Haley they weren''t needed. "Come on you slow bastards," he said, breaking into a jog as he pped Streak''s side. "I want to see mountains by sunset. Let''s move." "Mountains, aye chief," Seamus called. Then in a slightly lower voice, perhaps to Reba. "How far exactly are the fecking mountains?" Mason smiled as he breathed in the forest air, and ran. * * * Mason kept one eye on his Wayfinder map, the other on the yers in his wake. "Come on, Seamus," he called for the fifteenth time, with more than a little pleasure. The Irishman was drenched in sweat. He stumbled along gasping, red hair stered to his forehead, skin even paler than usual. He''d stopped making quips about an hour ago, and just tromped along in silence. "Maybe we should take a breather," Becky said beside him, with a slightly concerned look at the fire wizard. Mason activated Ranger''s Mark and took a look at the man''s organs, then sighed. "Alright. Fifteen minutes." Seamus copsed, Becky leaned forward with hands on knees, and Phuong sat against a tree. Streak whined and yawned in boredom. "I know you''re excited," Mason said loudly, giving the wolf a good pet and scratch. "Yes I know the other humans are slow. But at least one of them is very pretty. Another is very old." "ttery isn''t necessary," Phuong said with his eyes closed, taking deep breaths as he crossed his legs. Then slightly more sternly. "And I''m not old." Becky grinned and came over to pet Streak, and also push herself against Mason. He wrapped an arm around her and breathed in her scent with a sigh. He knew she was likely horny beyond reason, and he sort of regretted bringing the other men along¡­ But of course there was no choice. This wasn''t a pleasant stroll in the woods, it was a desperately needed attack to gain a critical resource¡ªincreased mobility. Mason felt time like a growing tide, stronger and stronger as it moved its way up the beach. Soon, he feared, it would drown them all unless they were ready. "Time''s up," he said, knowing it was more like five minutes. The others groaned, except Seamus, who made something more like a shuddering sob. "Seamus, I''ll just carry you. But that means I''m picking up speed. Think you two can handle it?" He looked at Phuong and Reba, who nodded with determined eyes. "You could have been fooking carrying me?" The Irishman sat up and wiped some sweat off his face. "I''ve no pride at all, man. There''s no need to test me. I''ll ride you like a bull on a bridge." Mason looked at the sweat covered, already stinking man and winced. "Well that''s officially the worst offer I''ve ever had." He shoved his shitty, unstrung goblin bow in his bag, and re-arranged it slightly. Then he lifted Seamus off the ground and tossed him on his shoulders. Reba put her hand over her mouth to hide the ill-concealedughter, and Mason red. "Careful," he said. "I''m vengeful." She wiggled her eyebrows. "Well, I wouldn''t want to get punishedter." Phuong cleared his throat. "Don''t add to an old, er, middle aged man''s difort, please. Shall we?" Mason and Becky grinned, then took off back into the trees. * * * They traveled northwest at first around the huge mountain. Mason thought it best to stay far away and avoid any issues with this ''Greenblood Order''. But as he ran and considered, he realized it wasn''t likely he''d have a group of powerful yers at his side again anytime soon. Maybe it was worth a quick look to scout the ce. He exined to the others, who were quickly on board. His only concern was that he wouldn''t so easily be able to run if he wasn¡¯t alone. But still, the yers could move fast enough, and if the goblin chased them into the woods, Mason would soon demonstrate why that was a mistake. They turned slightly and spent a few hours watching the mountain peak out from the canopy, loomingrger andrger until the ground got steep. "I don''t want to backtrack, so we''ll just explore about half then keep on going north,¡± he exined. The others nodded, and it did ur to him that if he was somehow separated from them they may have no idea how to get back to Nassau. So he stopped and drew a quick map, handing it to Phuong. "Not to worry, young man," the ex-gueri fighter smiled as he took it. "I''ve found my way in worse jungles than this. But still, thank you for the map." "You ¡®ain¡¯t leaving us and running off, are you?" Becky sort of twisted her hands nervously and Mason shook his head. "No. But just in case. Do you think you could get back to Nassau on your own if you had to?" "Maybe?" She nced at Phuong a little shyly. "He tried to teach me how to climb trees and get my bearings. And to make marks and all kinds of things. I could...probably do it. Eventually." "I''m sure you could." The older man smiled. "Miss Reba is too modest. She did very well when we were lost for many days." "Well I fecking couldn''t." Seamus looked at everyone like they were crazy. "Oh! But I could start a fire, and the rest of you coulde find me." For a moment Mason found himself speechless, then realized the idiot wasn''t joking. "Are you..." he put a hand on the man''s shoulder until he met his eyes. "Do not. Burn any trees with magic fire. Ever. It could light half the damn forest for all we know. The forest we live in. Get it?" "OK, OK!" Seamus held up his hands. "Just an idea, mate, no need to be so touchy." He''s useful. He''s useful, Mason repeated in his mind, then shook his head and started hiking upward. He wasn''t sure what he expected to find, exactly. Probably a giant caveplex filled with goblins, likely ending in another ''dungeon'' filled with even more. He hoped the wizard and rogue he''d fought in the dungeon event had been exceptional, and that the ce wouldn''t be filled with them. He''d grown in power since then, but the idea of chasing teleporting goblins around still wasn''t wildly exciting, especially since thest batch had killed someone. Anyway, they wouldn''t go in. They''d take a quick look, scout it out forter, then move on to the tree. And Mason would finally be able to warp across the damn forest, solving problems God knew how much faster. And easily checking on ke every day.
Chapter 200: I’m going to need some help Chapter 200: I¡¯m going to need some help A hundred pairs of multi-colored orc eyes followed ke and Ilya across the hall. A special ce had apparently already been created for the White Tower¡ªa collection of tables and chairs for kin and n. They were, for the moment, entirely empty. But ke brought several constructs. These ttered and thumped in a steady rhythm behind him, quickly drawing the wide stares of the attending orcs. ke had convinced Ilya, since she currently had no warriors, a show of strength would be a good idea. "Wee, Lady Ambereye," said the same older orc lord who had ''named'' Ilya''s n. She smiled politely and took her seat, and ke sat down beside her hoping it wasn''t some terrible cultural blunder. His constructs waited beside him in a line. "The human," said the young lord of the cktusk, red eyes moving over everything with distaste. "Friend though he may be. Is it...appropriate he join a meeting of the tower lords? With¡­those things?" ke gave no expression, knowing he had to give Ilya a chance first to deal with the challenge. "Perfectly," Ilya said, her tone calm. "I''ve made him First Wizard, a member of my council. Can we get on with this, please? As you can imagine, I have much to do." ke fought his smile, and the older lords snorted or grinned as their younger colleague scowled. "I realize this is only your second council meeting, Thek," said the elder lord with obvious pleasure. "But how a n manages its affairs is none of our business. I''ve asked you all here to discuss a problem dyed by...recent events. But first, perhaps, formal introductions. Thedy may not even know us." ¡°Let¡¯s get on with it,¡± grumbled a huge orc in red armor, but the elder orc tutted with his tongue and called for patience. Ilya nodded and the older orc smiled as he gestured to himself. ¡°I am Malik of the Earthsoul n.¡± He gestured to the young lord he¡¯d chastised. ¡°Thek of the cktusk. The impatient scowler is Kavuk of the Bloodfist. And our other new lord is Ailen Stoneblood, whom I assume you know.¡± Again Ilya nodded, as her people were originally from the ¡®grey¡¯ tower where the Stonebloods ruled. She thanked the elder Earthsoul lord and introduced herself unnecessarily. ¡°Good,¡± called the Bloodfist. ¡°Now we know we are in fact all here and have names. Can we discuss your recent events, Malik?¡± ke assumed ''recent events'' meant ''this human wizard in a divine duel against our temporary tyrant orc king''. But since it seemed the orcs were keen to forget the whole episode, ke was rather happy to join them. "The ancient mines," continued Malik. "There have been...disturbances. For the past several days." A palpable wave of nervous energy swept the many other orcs in attendance, meaningful looks swapping between them as some whispering broke out. But no one spoke out, so Malik went on. "I know my tower isn''t alone in this. Wordes to me from the warrens, and from friends and allies. There are...animal attacks. Unexined deaths. Dark whispers amongst theborer ss." Wee to Phase Two, ke thought. Apparently it didn''t just effect the humans. The orcs went back and forth, arguing about superstitious peons and rumors that went back centuries, never with any merit. Not once was the word ''demon'' used, and it went on so long ke began getting a little bored. "If I might speak," he finally shouted, waiting for the orcs to notice him and calm down. With a nce at Ilya, who nodded her approval, he stood and smiled. "May I assume you have had no such attacks or reports, Lord Stoneblood?" The new lord of the Grey Tower had been quiet throughout. He nced around at his many powerful, curious kin before he met ke''s eyes. "I have not." The whispering threatened to start up again so ke spoke quickly. "That''s because I entered your mine, cleared out the nest of demons, and killed the pit fiend at its end." You might have heard a pin drop after that. If orcs had pins. Then as if some secret bell had rung, silence became cacophony as a hundred incredulous orcs rose up to call Lord Stoneblood and ke fools and liars. And possibly pig fuckers. Lord Earthblood smashed the hard end of his staff into the stone until the room quieted again. "Can you prove what you say?" he asked, his tone already sounding defeated, as if he believed, and the news devastated him. ke shrugged. "Where do you think I got the holy stone that built the new tower?" He gave that a moment to sink in, then remembered the ne. He wasn''t entirely sure he should reveal it at all, but decided unless he meant to hide it permanently, it was better to get the reveal out of the way sooner rather thanter. He held it up slightly. "Oh. And I took this from the demon''s corpse." The orc lords soon demanded an inspection. They sent a gaggle of ancient shamans to poke and prod both the amulet and ke. They cast some spells. They sniffed him. They shook some charms and their staffs and sometimes made hissing sounds. About the same time ke was ready to threaten them with dark magic, they melted away and dered the amulet genuine. Again the room erupted and took some time to settle. The orcs argued and whispered amongst themselves, the mood far more somber and quiet now. "You shouldn''t wear that ursed thing," hissed the young cktusk lord when it was clear the council were ready to speak again. ke raised a brow, ncing around the staring orcs. "No doubt I shouldn''t use sorcery, either, or fraternize with orcs. I certainly shouldn''t build them a whole new tower. My people would be as scandalized as you. And yet here we are. A dead tyrant. One less demon-infested mine. You¡¯re wee, I suppose." It had the desired effect. For their part, the orcs seemed admirably practical and epting of their current reality. They argued about what was to be done, generally epting that very few orcs could resist the mind magic employed by powerful demons. One by one the eyes turned back to ke, and Ilya. "You destroyed one, human. Could you destroy more?" A system message shed before ke¡¯s eyes, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile. [Objective gained: Destroy the demon pits and portals within the orc towers. Reward: A potent gift from each lord when their towers are cleansed.] ke knew then it was time to go back to Mason and the settlement. Though only God knew what he''d say. Was he ready to see Mason? To tell him all he''d been through and figure out what happened with Nassau? To see Seul-ki and figure out what he was doing? To ask them to somehow form an alliance with the orcs who''d tried to kill them? He was a very lucky man, he knew that. And yes clever and growing more powerful all the time. But he had no idea what was in those dungeons. He''d been exceptionally lucky to survive even the ''Grey Tower'' mine, which seemed the least of the dungeons. They would certainly get harder. And he had a feeling the orcs wouldn''t or maybe couldn''t actually join him to go inside. So it seemed he only had one choice. He smiled at Ilya, then met the eyes of the Earthblood lord. "I can. But I¡¯m going to need some help." * * * "Can''t you just...dreamwalk?" Ilya started fretting the moment they returned to the tower. "Or send one of your statues? It could be this is all some grand scheme to get you to leave. I''m still almost defenceless." They were standing in ke''s crafting hall, Navi floating nearby, ke''s constructs waiting with a few bags of supplies. The orcs had eventually agreed to allow ke and a few human champions¡ªunder strict supervision¡ªto enter another orc mine and clear out the demons. ke held Ilya''s face and kissed her. She was wearing the beautiful furs and robe of her station, a small tiara buried in her dark hair. Silver rings hung tastefully from her ears, and her skin was covered in painted loops and whorls. She looked very much the orc noblewoman she now was, and ke enjoyed just looking at her, very pleased that she was his. He smiled. "It''s not a scheme, the lords really do need help.¡± He didn¡¯t bother adding that he¡¯d taken a peek in a few of their minds. ¡°They''re not going to give you any trouble." He shrugged. "At least until it''s over. And no, I can''t send my ''statues'' or Dreamwalk. This is going to involve somewhat...delicate conversation, with more than one person. I have to go myself." He could tell she wanted toe with him. But of course she couldn''t. With some dismay he realized, asdy of the tower, she may never be able to leave it again, possibly for ''system'' reasons that might bend her mind or who knew what. But then she''d been able to use the teleporter out of the dungeon. Maybe his rtionship with her allowed her to break the rules? Behave more like a yer? For now, he could only hope. "I''ming right back," he promised. "And when I do, I''ll have a group of humans as powerful as me." When Ilya''s eyes widened, he shrugged. "Almost as powerful. And I can leave you a couple guards," he said as it urred to him. Though it would make for a somewhat less impressive return to Nassau. But egotistical reasons aside, ke knew he''d feel better if Ilya had some of his protection. He stepped back and opened his pet prompts, filling them with a sweeping, genericmand to obey Ilya in all things. As he did, the constructs simply vanished from his profile. His total mana increased as the constructspletely left his control. Ilya''s eyes widened. "They''ve transferred to the tower!" she almost shouted. "I can see them! It says I have room for...." her eyes widened further. "Forty-eight more?" Her eyes were a little watery as ke grinned. "Well then. Looks like I have considerable work to do when I get back. Though I''m thinking maybe we give the tower a slightly different design. Something a little more obviously ''n Ambereye'', you know? A new aestheti..." Ilya practically leapt at him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she kissed his face again and again, eventually moving to his lips. It got passionate fast, and ke chuckled as the orc girl finally pulled back to catch her breath. "How then should I reward you, First Wizard?" Ilya grinned, leaning forward to nibble his ear. "What gift is sufficient when you return?" "Oh." ke looked away as if lost in thought, the teeth on his ear somewhat frighteningly sharp. "I''m sure we''ll think of something." He gave her ass a good squeeze, then winked as he turned away. "But I''ve things to do. And so do you, mydy," he gave the word the seductive tone it deserved. "Come along, Navi. And you too hired goons." Of course the verbalmands weren''t necessary, but ke thought his exits should contain as much drama as his entrances. And his control was constantly getting better¡­ Without another word or nce at Ilya, he lifted himself with Telekinesis, his remaining three minions thudding in his wake. He floated down the tower stairs.
Chapter 201: Good human Chapter 201: Good human Carl yawned and waited in some bushes. Or maybe became the bushes. Since the whole ''nature theme'' had transformed the settlement and put trees and things everywhere, hiding with his Reflection power had really be too easy. Not for the first time, he watched some of the others having one of their little ''secret'' meetings on the edge of the settlement. People thought they were so sneaky. "...listening to a word we say. Why should we help these Americans build their settlement when there''s nothing in it for us? Don''t civilians have the final say in a democracy?" It was Mateo, of course. Amongst the civilians he was the lead rabble rouser, sewing dissent at every turn when he didn''t get his way. His female counter-part, Cindy, stood at his side nodding like every word was worth writing down on stone tablets. Mostly Carl watched the others. Usually it wasn''t important members of themunity, but Carl''s breath caught in his throat when he recognized Peni the smith. He was the unofficial leader of the crafters, and what he said could sway the rest. It was hard to read the big man''s stoic face. He stood with arms crossed, mouth set hard and a bit puckered, like he was chewing a lemon. Eventually he put up a hand. "Let''s say I agree. So what? You see any other settlements? Cuz I don''t." "We don''t leave," Mateo said as if the idea were ridiculous. "We strike! We show the yers how badly they need us. That without us, they won''t get their precious weapons and armor or anything else." A long pause, and then: "We''d need almost everyone. Silvie and her people. Bill and his. Otherwise they''d ignore you." "I''m here." The voice of his pregnant lover froze Carl''s breath. Silvie stepped out from behind a nearby tree with a few of her girls. "I can speak for everyone except maybe Rosa. We just want more of a say. More respect. Maybe some...I don''t know, civilianws." Carl realized he was digging his fingers painfully hard into his thigh and rxed his hand. What the hell was she thinking? Mason had saved her life. All their lives. And asked them for what? Nothing! And now, in the middle of this insanity, they wanted what...guarantees? Some kind of town bureaucracy? He shook his head, thinking it must be some kind of ruse. Except she''d been awfully skittish around the topic of town patronage since they''d arrived. She hadn''t liked ke, now she didn''t like Mason? Carl was starting to wonder if she''d be happy with anyone other than her. It sat in his gut like ice, rolling back and forth until he closed his eyes. No. He knew her, and he loved her. He refused to believe this was ambition, but something more like fear. ke and Mason were young and maybe foolish in her eyes, unable to make good decisions. She probably even had a point. But Mason was practical. A survivor. And that''s what they needed now. He''de to Carl and Phuong, which meant he took advice from older men. Just not from preening morons like Mateo. He maybe wasn''t the perfect man for the job but who the hell was? They didn''t have a five star general around. Kicking ass and bing top tier in this strange new world was pretty much the only qualifier. If you weren¡¯t a total psychopath, that was pretty much good enough. Mason is trusting you, Carl reminded himself. He put you in charge while he was gone. In fact, they''d made it official. Haley had written up a formal contract specifying Phuong and Carl were co-patrons in Mason''s absence. Which meant Carl actually had patron powers. He could even spend points, technically speaking. He opened his eyes to see another group of civilians were entering the clearing with the others. Carl heard nothing but more belly aching about ridiculous things, the kind of talk that maybe belonged six months from now if life wasn''t just about preparing for the difficulties ahead. People could be so damn...myopic. "Mateo." Carl stepped out from his hiding ce and dropped his stealth. Every eye went wide and shot his direction, a few people spasming in rm and looking like kids caught with sweets. Carl met the very few eyes that stayed steady, and lingered for a long time on Silvie. "We just..." she started. "Not now, Silvie. We''ll talkter." Carl felt actual sweat running down his sides. This was so far outside hisfort zone it was everything he could do not to run away, or smooth a hand over his fresh baldness (Silvie had insisted they shave his head) which he recognized had be something like a nervous tick. "Is it a crime for civilians to meet in public now, Carl?" Mateo said with disdain. "To express their disagreement, to criticize our wise new king? I don¡¯t remember inviting you." Carl just shook his head, struggling to believe where they were. "Jesus, you people. How many of you would even be alive without Mason?" "And we''re grateful," Mateo said. "But that doesn''t mean we''re his ves." "What the hell do you even do around here, Mateo?" Carl literally didn''t know the man''s ss. "Is your ss Chief Whiner?" He thought that was pretty good, but nobodyughed. Mateo scoffed and shook his head. "You see? The yers don''t even know what we do. I''m an Enchanter. With the right resources, I can improve all kinds of things. Houses. Tools. Weapons. But none of you will listen." Carl shook his head, a decision getting very close to being made. He was in charge. And Mason didn''t have the time for this shit. He''d put his trust in Carl and he wasn''t going to let him down again. This needed to be dealt with. "You''re wrong," he said. "I''ve been listening. And I''ve heard enough. Mateo Estrada," he said, trying to sound official. "You are no longer wee in this settlement. I want you to leave. Get your stuff, you''ve got an hour." He raised his voice. "And that goes for anyone else who doesn''t want to be here. You heard Mason. There''s the gate. Go ahead. Find your utopia." He forced his eyes to Silvie, who at least looked a little ashamed. "Or stay here and just do your damn part and help us. That''s all I''m going to say." Mateo scoffed as if this were all ridiculous. He looked ready to start a fresh speech, then the timer popped up in Carl''s small patron profile. By the look in Mateo''s far-away eyes, Carl knew he saw it too. "Now I''m guessing," Carl said low and slow, "when that timer runs out, the rules about yers and civilians might be slightly different until you get the fuck out of this settlement. So I''d get moving." "You can¡¯t do this." Mateo was looking a little panicked now. "You''re what? Going to kill me? In cold blood?" "No." Carl shrugged. "I expect I''d just pick you up and drag you, then toss you outside the walls. But that''ll be unpleasant enough." "Where the hell will I go?" The Spaniard''s eyes were going wide with fear now, his usually condescending bearing curling inward. "It''s a death sentence. You can''t just leave me in the woods." "I just did," Carl snapped. "And you should have thought of that before actively causing trouble every second of every day." He met the man''s eyes, hoping the others were paying real close attention. "Mason''s too damn heroic and maybe too young to see a snake like you for what you are. But I''m neither. You got 59 more minutes. If I were you, I''d get moving." With that he turned his back and walked towards the center of the settlement, hoping his face wasn''t as flushed red with heat as it felt. Mateo ran right past him. Pretty soon he was yelling yer names, and a few like Tommaso and Garet came out with curious expressions. Mateo told them he was being executed by Carl ''the Tyrant''s Lapdog''. That if they didn''t stand up to him they were no better than him. Mostly, the yers looked amused. Except Annie, of course, who stood in her doorway with frazzled hair and dirty feet looking more than a little crazy. Since ke left, she hadn¡¯t been doing particrly well¡­ But when that failed miserably, Mateo went back to Cindi. He called to the civilians. He said they should all threaten to leave, to show solidarity, or toe with him. When most turned away or went to their homes, he finally collected his things. "Let¡¯s go, darling, these idiots don¡¯t understand or appreciate us," he said. Cindi didn¡¯t even answer him. She just went inside her house, and closed the door. Carl took no pleasure in any of it. With a final re of hatred, but mostly terror, Mateo walked out the gate with his head bowed, nothing left but a backpack and a spear. Carl closed the gate. He knew it would be a long, and probably lonely night. Silvie would be angry, maybe even never forgive him, and things might not be the same. But still, he felt something like relief. In his old life he¡¯d never done the hard things he knew he should. He''d lived his whole life ying it safe, keeping his head down, not ruffling feathers. Not this time. This time he''d do what was necessary, and keep those he loved safe, keep the world from going to shit, even if people hated him. Since the underground, when Mason leapt into the mouth of that worm, Carl knew what a real hero was. With his second chance, he intended to be one. * * * Cliknik, Scout First ss of the Greenblood Order, watched as his target''s gate opened. A single human worker came out shuffling his feet, holding a spear awkwardly with soft, weak hands. Cliknik nced at his squad mates, clicking a warning for everyone to stay sharp and ready, then made a bird call to warn the other scouts on the far side of the settlement that there was movement. They answered back with a single squawk: nothing here. The scouts watched, and waited. The human seemed to be talking to himself. Then he shouted and waved his fists and seemed distressed as he paced along the wall. Finally, he slumped his shoulders, and started heading into the trees. They let him go about fifty paces. Then Cliknik blew a poisoned dart into the man''s chest, and his scouts had him roped and silenced before he fell. They woke him a bit deeper into the forest with a torture w dipped in salt and lime. "Oh God! Oh God, oh God! What''s happening?" The human blinked awake and stared with huge eyes, failing miserably to move his bound limbs. He tried to scream when he saw the scouts, but Cliknik smothered his mouth. "Shhh. It will be very quiet, or it will be silenced. Hmm?" Cliknik dragged the dull side of his knife across his throat. "Answers. Answers will be the human''s salvation. Yes?" The human shook with terror, but soon nodded as if he understood. "Good. Good!" Cliknik removed his hand, ready to smash down hard to stop a shout. But he smiled when none came. "I can help you," the human babbled. "I know things. Lots of things. About the settlement. About the yers." "yers, hmm? You mean the warriors?" "Yes." The human gulped with a dry throat. "The warriors. I know their strengths, their weaknesses. And the settlement. It''s vulnerable now. Most of the strongest are gone. It''s weak now, if you strike quickly." Cliknik looked back at his squad mates with an amused grin, and they returned it. "When will they return? And how many remain, hmm?" "You have to promise." The human swallowed at nothing again. "Not to kill me. I hate the settlement. I''ll help you. But you have to keep me alive." "Cliknik is scout," Cliknik soothed. "Knowledge is his goal. Not blood. We take you. To Greenblood caves. They decide. But tell Cliknik what you know, and he will speak for you. Oh yes, he can be very persuasive. He is Scout First ss. Best amongst best." "I trust you," said the human. "I''m Mateo, Cliknik. And I can make you look good. Eh? Good prisoner. Good friend. Your masters will be pleased. If you just..." "Answers now, please," Cliknik dragged the dull edge of his knife across the human''s throat. "Quick now, oh so quick. When do warriors return? And how many remain?" "It will be days," said the human. "Several days to return. There are..." he swallowed. "Ten left, maybe. Less. I''m...frightened, I can''t think clearly. But I can tell you how each of them fight. All their powers. Everything. I just need a little time." Cliknik rubbed his fingers along the human''s face tenderly, and put away his knife. "It shouldn''t be frightened. It has done all Cliknik asked." He gestured to his squadmates. "We take. Double quick." Hemunicated with bird sounds to inform the other scouts, then cut the human''s bonds. "Don''t worry, we carry." He smiled, hoping to put the man at ease. It was true. He would make Cliknik look good, and he was very pleased. When the Order first sent Cliknik to scout the human settlement, he had been most unhappy. Powerful warriors, he had heard, who killed many orcs of the towers. But Cliknik had done his duty, and seen clearly the settlement was blessed by the hated tree witches. Then he had witnessed the creation of the Elemental Mine, which was already a great prize on its own. Now he had captured a traitor. And maybe a useful one. If the Order conquered the settlement, Cliknik would be rewarded greatly. "Good human," he pat his captive on the head affectionately, and removed a strip of dried flesh from his pouch. "Eat, hmm? Keep healthy and strong. Good human. Very good."
Chapter 202: Sending a message Chapter 202: Sending a message Mason had yet to find any goblins, but he did find a giant, green... "What in the name of Christ is that?" Seamus whispered, much too loudly, apparently having crept out from where he''d been told to wait back in the denser trees. Mason sighed. "I think it''s a different kind of troll.¡± "Sorry, Patron," Phuong said as he crept up next to them. "I figured stunning him was more disruptive than just letting him go." "I thought we were waitin'', what are ya''ll doing up here?" Beckypleted the trio of loud crawling humans next to Mason''s position, but it seemed the troll hadn''t noticed them. In fact it didn''t seem very interested in anything except the rocks it was smashing together, shaking with what might have been a giggle. "Like a huge, terrifying baby," Seamus whispered, and Mason snorted. He was beginning to suspect these Greenblood goblins used the creatures like stupid guard dogs. Really stupid guard dogs. On the other hand, the thing was maybe twelve feet tall and covered in regenerating tissue, sporting long ws and jagged teeth. Leaving something like that to just wander around while he kept scouting didn''t seem wise. But he didn''t much want to fight it and attract attention, either. He sighed. "Time to move on, I think." He nced back at the others, then felt the wind slightly change. He froze as the troll stopped bashing its rocks and sniffed the air. "Shit. Get back to the trees. I think it..." The troll let out a high pitched, mewling sound as it stood. Then it charged headlong in the yers'' direction. "Kill it." Mason lifted his now strung goblin bow, chose Fire Arrows, and prepared to cycle shots. "Everything you''ve got, Seamus. Hit it now." Crippling Shot worked just fine¡ªspraying fire as the arrow shattered and stuck to the troll''s legs like burning splinters. Seamus'' fiery missiles mmed into the beast''s chest and face, causing it to raise its hands to cover itself. Between the pain andck of attention, it soon tripped and crashed down the hill in the least graceful roll imaginable. Mason and Seamus hit it with arrows and ming balls the whole way down. By the time it stopped it was dripping blood and burning flesh. But it still got up. Phuong raced forward and stunned it. Or at least tried. The sizzling magic struck and knocked the troll back a step. But it just shook its head and came on. Mason dropped his bow and summoned his ws. "Keep shooting it, Seamus. Becky - don''t worry about me or Streak, just protect Phuong." Mason charged with Streak on one side, Reba on the other. This troll was much faster (and smaller) than the one in the tree. Not at all ''small'', of course, just smaller. He roared and shed at Phuong, barely missing as the efficient Vietnamese swordsman just pulled away from the edge of the ws. Then the others struck. Mason shed two bloody lines in the troll''s right leg, Becky sting the troll back a step with some kind of projected shield. Then the ever growing Streak smashed into the troll''s other leg, sweeping it out and barreling the creature over. With a deep, vicious snarl, Streak leapt, wed, and chomped down on the side of the troll''s neck before it could recover. The new power ¡®Fang Brother¡¯ proved its worth. Blood and flesh stripped off the creature like the wolf was using steel. The troll gasped and tried to push the animal away, but Streak just kept chewing and raking as it swung its head back and forth and sprayed troll blood everywhere. Mason and Phuong didn''t waste the opportunity. They hacked at the troll''s arm when it tried to lift itself, then stepped around it cutting flesh and bone away from the thing''s head and chest until it sagged back down. Still it ignored them, managing to swipe a w across Streak''s back. But the huge wolf just shrugged it off and held on. The troll''s eyes were closing, red pupils rolling as it lost either too much blood or air. When it finally copsed entirely and stilled, Mason took its head in a few grisly cuts. [Mountain Troll killed. Group experience awarded.] "Streak''s hurt, Mason. I could have shielded him." Becky looked a little pissed. "I don''t have a damn clue why you''d tell me to..." Mason grinned when he saw the wolf was already healing a little on his own, but it was clearly much slower. He activated Shared Pain and absorbed much of the wolf''s wound. It stung, of course, but what the hell was new. Streak just licked his bloody lips and chewed some troll fat, seemingly oblivious either way. "Wait...what..." Reba watched Streak''s bloody gashes close before looking back at Mason. "My God, your shoulder! How did you...I mean why..." "It''s fine. I heal. And so does he, actually. Now quiet." Mason listened for any sign of movement or voices on the wind. He heard nothing, but that didn''t mean much. And the forest was too damn quiet. "Time to move," he said, giving the troll a quick check for something other than a loincloth. It didn''t carry anything, though he could see it was branded several times with various marks. Definitely not just a wild animal. It was a bad sign of the power of the creatures living inside that such a thing was just a guard. Mason was beginning to suspect the teleporting ''duelists'' he''d dealt with in the tree were a more average representation of the ''Greenblood Order'' than he''d hoped. But that was a problem for another day. Hopefully. "Lead them on," Mason said to Phuong and Streak, showing the man on the map where he meant, and more or less ''willing'' the thought into Streak. He was beginning to wonder how much the animal could sort of ''feel'' what he wanted, but ever since the bond it had begun to do things without anymand. "Take these," he said, stripping off his shirt and pants and tossing them to Becky. Then he took his bow and sprinted into the trees without another word. If the goblins tried to follow them, they were going to learn to fear the forest. * * * The goblins tried to follow them. Mason found his first scout waving several others on, telling them he''d spotted the human''s trail heading southwest. "Wait." The goblin quirked its head as another scout approached. "I think it..fake trail. Same foot. Just pressed lightly." "Good eye," Mason whispered, then stepped out from his camouge and sunk his w straight into the goblin''s face. It spasmed and fought before he tossed it aside, grabbing the other beside it with his increasingly ridiculous strength and simply crushing its throat with one hand. Darts or arrows zipped from the others, and Mason just vanished back into the woods. He dropped traps and circled away from his hastily made trail, then found a tree to climb and listened. He sted the next scout off its feet with a Power Shot, loosing a dozen arrows at the others before dropping down and giving chase with Aspect of the Cheetah. One fled into a trap and got skewered by a swinging spike. Another he caught and shed down with a w without slowing. Then he guessed correctly and turned towards the mountain: the rest ran. He caught them all. One by one Mason shot or shed his enemy down, only once having to swat away a de with his Sleeve [Experience awarded: Greenblood Scout group] He gathered up the corpses and found nothing of value, then piled them next to the troll and wrote a message in the dirt with their blood: Stay in your caves. After that he ran full speed to catch the other yers, finding them waiting at the river fork he''d picked out. They were all staring across the fifty feet or so of fast moving water, as if enthralled by something they''d seen on other side. "What is it?" Mason stepped out beside them and grinned when they all jumped. Becky''s eyes moved up and down his body and she sort of sighed as she waved a hand. "Whadda ya mean what is it? Look!" Mason looked again and blinked as he realized. The trees beyond the river were slightly covered in snow. In fact, it was snowing slightly now, the phenomenon stoppedpletely as soon as it reached the water. The trees where they stood didn''t have a single ke. "Exin that, Mr. Druid." His cowgirl raised a brow and stepped towards him with a frown, rubbing a hand over his arm. "Ain''t you cold? It''s bloody freezing already." Mason couldn''t help but notice her concern was mostly with the muscle in his bicep, but he didn''t mind. And it was a good point. He wasn''t cold at all. In fact as he took a breath and felt the cold, crisp difference in the air, he felt downrightfortable. He nced at Streak, and saw the wolf''s tail was wagging as it looked between him and the other side. "Yes, yes," Mason said and shook his head. "We''re going across. But we should probably find a better spot, I doubt everyone will..." Streak sshed as he hit the water, paddling and vanishing beneath as if just as happy to be there as thend. "Or dive right in." Mason muttered, looking at the others. "If you don''t want me to try and carry you, we''d best start looking for a better way across." Becky shrugged and kept groping him. But Phuong and Seamus started walking down the bank.
Chapter 203: A good fish deal Chapter 203: A good fish deal There was no sign on Wayfinder of any kind of bridge or obvious crossing. That didn''t mean there wouldn''t be smaller sections, however, and Mason and the others wandered down the river bank for a few minutes before Streak practically came flying out of the water. An image of something big and scaled shed through Mason''s mind, and his ws were out as he readied for a fight. "God damnit, Streak," he muttered. Becky and Seamus looked confused, but Phuong just drew his de. Streak grumbled and shook off some water, meeting Mason''s eyes. "It can''t leave the river," Mason said with a little relief. "But I think swimming is probably out. That is unless..." He stopped as the faint scent of troll hit him on the wind. Streak growled and confirmed it, and Mason swept the trees for movement. "Perfect. We''re still being chased, apparently." He looked at Phuong. "Fight the goblins, or cross?" "A bridge seems unlikely. If we fight..." The old warrior frowned after a slight pause. "We still have to cross. But if we cross now, we may not have to fight." Mason nodded. It wasn''t what he wanted to do, but that was likely just a refusal to ept reality. They didn''t know how many goblins or trolls wereing, either. Better to run when they weren''t getting shot at. He wasn''t concerned for himself, but the others... "Let''s go, then. If you don''t feel confident in the water, drop your pack right now. Seamus..." Mason knew the man didn''t have the physique to handle a freezing, fast moving river. "Just hold onto Streak, he''ll take you." The wolf whined but Mason ignored him. "Becky, Phuong¡ªwe distract whatever the hell is down there. Try and stun it but I have my doubts. Either way, don''t worry about killing it unless there''s no choice, we just get across. Any questions?" Becky took a deep breath and clearly wasn''t sure about her pack. Mason pulled it off her shoulders. "We can hunt. I''d rather you survive to be cold and miserable." She nodded and grit her teeth, and with a nod to Phuong Mason leapt into the water. [Apex Predator - Elemental activated.] [Duality of Strength activated] Mason exhaled as his torso sunk into the freezing water. It wasn''t nearly as bad as it should have been, and he knew his powers and vitality were doing wonders. He''d hunted in winter in a few Northern States with a kind of unofficial ''end of the world'' club once or twice, so he wasn''tpletely ignorant of cold. But none of that made it pleasant. And it would be far worse for the others. He kept his eyes open and dipped beneath, searching for whatever had frightened Streak. He couldn''t see it, so he grabbed Becky and started helping her forward. Streak and Seamus were moving quick, and Phuong swam like a fish. They didn''t need much time. Just a good minute or so without attention and everything would be just fine... Bubbles floated as somethingrge swam below. The river was deep, though it was hard to tell precisely how deep. Mason guessed maybe twenty or thirty feet of sediment-swirled water, too murky and dark to see the bottom. His heart pounded as he pushed Becky along and summoned his longer w. He didn''t much like deep water. But he liked someone he loved being in it and hunted by a giant fantasy fish a lot less. He stuck close, ready just to get himself in between and stab whatever approached. In that moment he sure bloody wished he had a spear, or a javelin. "Bloody here! Oh feck me!" Seamus literally tried shooting a fire missile into a river. The mes sshed and hissed, aplishing nothing except spooking Streak, who yipped and took off with the fastest dog paddle known to man. The Irishman lost his grip and called out as he floundered. "Becky, shield him, now." Reba''s eyes stilled as she raised a hand. Then Seamus yelped, and disappeared beneath the surface. * * * Mason was getting tired of saving this man. He pushed Reba on and activated Aspect of the Cheetah, not sure if would actually help him swim. It did. He slipped through the water with incredible speed, not entirely sure where to go. He tried to see or hear or feel any change, any indication of his target, his senses struggling in the water. He knew he was close to where Seamus had gone down, but he didn''t detect a God damn thing. Then he cursed himself for a fool, clutched his nymph charm, and activated Speak with Nature. [I''ll feed you. But not that. Very bad food. Very sick. Come to me. I''ll feed you.] Nothing at first. Mason kept swimming down, soon finding the bottom of the river and deciding it was maybe twenty-five feet. He turned with open eyes and practically screamed in surprise as the ugliest bloody fish he''d ever seen stared at him with Seamus clutched in its...tentacles? The Irishman looked like an extra from a horror movie. His eyes were wide in sheer terror, mouth gaping as octopus-like tentacles drifted all around him. [I''ll feed you,] Mason said again. [More than you can eat. Little, juicy green meat balls.] The ''fish'' had another little tentacle over its head with a kind of spherical, fleshy... The damn thing actually lit up, just like a lightbulb. Mason felt the creature''s impatient agreement as the tentacles ejected Seamus forward. Mason seized the man and swam up, getting him close to the bank before Phuong found them and grabbed him. "I made a deal with the fish," Mason said, then shrugged, no idea how to soften how insane that sounded out loud. "Just get across. Tell Seamus to get a fire going, you all need to..." "I understand," Phuong interrupted. "I''ll get them safe, and warm." As usual Mason thanked God for Phuong, then turned and started swimming back. He felt the fish below him, watching, waiting, not far from breaking their bargain out of hunger. But he also began to realize he felt no danger personally anymore. It was as if the thing considered him off limits somehow. Or else more useful alive. He told it again he was going to feed it, just needed a moment to hunt. Then he slunk up the bank of the river, camouging himself with his Sleeves before sniffing the air. He could still smell the trolls, and now something else. Leather and iron. Cured wood and cooked meat. More civilized little green monsters. Mason dropped his traps as far out as possible, strung his bow, and waited. A troll came first. It had several marks and brands just like the other, but this one had clipped ears like a domesticated farm animal, and a rope around its neck. Two goblins came out just behind it holding the rope and some kind of prods in their other hands. They soon saw the others across the river and scowled. ¡°They die in the Evercold now, yes?¡± whispered one. ¡°No need for us. We tell bosses they¡­¡± ¡°Not our orders,¡± hissed the other, then nced back at the trees. ¡°Trolls good swimmers. Not problem. We let off leash. Use whistles.¡± It started rummaging through its pockets, soon removing what looked like a big clump of meat or fish, and a literal whistle. Mason resisted the urge to put an arrow in its eye, and kept watching. The troll obviously understood the situation. It practically bounced back and forth as it stared at the food, the sight of this giant murderous creature obeying the goblins almostical. But then Mason supposed an alien might think the same with tigers and bears and men. ¡°Good big boy,¡± the goblin fed the creature by hand as it untied the leash and blew its whistle gently. The troll ate and practically panted like a dog. ¡°Go. Kill.¡± The goblin pointed across the river. ¡°Bring back meat to whistle. Go!¡± It blew the whistle again, this time twice quickly, and the troll blinked and looked like it had been pped. Then it raced towards the river. Mason grit his teeth. He heard more of the creatures moving through the trees. Goblins, certainly, but also likely more trolls. He hadn¡¯t tried to cast a lightning spell since he¡¯d switched sses, but decided it was likely time. And there had to be a way to exploit the untamed nature of these trolls, and maybe that whistle. But whatever he did, he knew he had to think fast¡­
Chapter 204: The lone wolf Chapter 204: The lone wolf The troll practically stepped on Mason as it stomped to the river. It paused slightly, clearly smelling him, then just went on, too focused on its task to care. He let it go, and waited. Mason was pretty sure his fish friend wasn''t going to risk attacking a troll. Especially when it had been promised a risk-free meal. Of course, Mason wasn''t entirely sure the best way to deliver said free meal... More goblins were emerging from the trees. Thankfully Mason only saw one other domesticated troll waiting patiently on its leash. The troll-master goblins who''de first were busily exining themselves to the others, all of whom seemed content to sit back and watch the beast swim towards Mason''s friends. They were also extremely close together. A juicy little pack of goblins practically shoulder to shoulder... Mason held up a Sleeved arm, clutched his nymph charm, and started channelling his mana into a lightning bolt. He winced as he noticed his pool had definitely shrunk and was draining faster now that he''d changed prestige sses. But nevermind. He didn''t need to leave much, and decided to drain a good two thirds, shivering as the energy practically crackled around his body. He hoped his fish friend appreciated fried food... The bolt arced and struck in an instant, shing with a brutal release of energy as it sparked between the goblins. Some screeched and leapt away. Several dropped where they stood. [Killed Goblin Scout x4.] [Killed Goblin Troll Herder x1] No experience yet, so he assumed it woulde at the end. And these goblins weren''t tough orc warriors. No doubt they were sneaky and fast and clever, but they had the build of a high school long distance runner. They were not designed to take punishment. Mason grinned when he saw the troll-master fall. The troll reacted with panic to the lightning. But with something like horror to his dead handler. He roared in confused rage, wing at the closest tree before leaping on the surviving goblins nearest his master''s corpse. Glorious. More goblins wereing from the trees, no doubt straight towards the huge crash of Mason''s spell. He stood, and greeted them with arrows. Perhaps just to stay on theme, and perhaps because the spell had worked so well, he picked a brand new, as yet unused, tier 2 ''lightning arrow''. Then he Power Shot the first unlucky bastard into oblivion. It felt good. He missed the satisfying shrieks of fear and agony that followed the ever-increasing speed and uracy of his archery. Some of the creatures managed toprehend his position, and a few arrows and darts were flying back. Some he ignored, or brushed away with a Sleeve, others he just let hit him. "Come on," he shouted, stepping forward and loosing arrow after arrow at anything stupid enough to stand still. "Shoot me!" Two archers obliged, growling as they stepped out and loosed. One passed just over his shoulder, the other hit his thigh directly, but still didn''t go in far enough to stick. Mason shot back and put an arrow through the first creature''s throat, two more into the other''s chest. He heard more goblins scattering back into the trees. Maybe from the troll. Maybe from Mason. The troll chased them, though, and Mason let them all go. He turned and ran back towards the river, leaping into the water and swimming full speed to help his friends. When he came out he found Phuong and Streak standing on a smouldering troll, Seamus surrounded in fire, eyes zing, apparently having basically melted the thing''s head. "I love this staff." He grinned, twirling it and practically dropping it before Phuong managed to chop off the troll''s shriveled husk of a head. "Good work." Mason said, letting out a very relieved breath before looking at Becky. "Everyone OK?" "Aye, chief." The fire wizard beamed. "Just leave it to old Seamus." Phuong and Becky rolled their eyes, but both gave Mason aforting, if slightly blue-lipped grin. He turned back and swam the river again, no longer bothered by the cold, or the effort. Then as a few mortally wounded goblins stared, he grabbed the arms or legs of their dead tribesmen, and dragged them in silence to feed the fish. * * * It was bloody cold across the river. Unnaturally cold, as it turned out, with a ridiculous wind that hadn''t existed moments ago, and a light snow with big, fat kes. Everyone but Mason was pale and shivering by the time they''d gathered wood and Seamus lit it all. Mason had them all strip down to their underwear andy out their sleeping bags to dry, then they sat as close to the fire as they could without getting burned. "We don''t go anywhere until you''re all dry," he said. "Cold is no joke and it''ll kill us just as sure as goblins. Eat. Drink. You''re burning a shitload of calories." They all munched on nuts and tore at jerky in shivering misery. Mason wrapped himself around Becky as best he could, hardly bothered by the cold. She clung somewhat desperately to him for warmth, sitting in hisp and putting her head on his chest. Between the contact and herck of clothes, he mostly just tried not to get turned on. "You want to cuddle like that?" Seamus said to Phuong without a trace of sarcasm. The older man looked somewhat helplessly at Mason, who gestured for Streak toe between them. "Hold onto the wolf. This is still basically too warm for him." Both men practically threw themselves into Streak''s sides, and Mason and Becky had a chuckle. For his part Streak just yawned andy down by the fire, his tongue slightly out, growling a little until he got a scratch. Mason left them soon to get more firewood. He kept his senses keen for any sign of something to hunt, but found the forest eerily empty of life. Soon he reached out with his strange, new, druidic sense, using Speak with Nature as he drifted his hands along the trees. Silence. Thick and oppressive. Mason shuddered and inspected the trees, which looked alive and even healthy to him, save stripped bare as they endured the winter. It was like...they were asleep. What had the goblins called it? The ''Evercold''? He wondered what strange magic was at work, and if it was some kind of quest that yers could interact with. Perhaps it wasn''t just a Great Tree he needed to save. But now wasn''t the time for spection or increased ambition. He was worried enough about just getting his friends through the damn ce and to the tree, which he saw was a ways yet with his newly enhanced Wayfinder power. He took the others more firewood, then went back to the river and tried to find Becky''s pack for awhile before giving up. The speed of the current had likely carried the damn thing too far, and it could have gotten stuck on something beneath the surface, or picked out by some monstrous humanoid, or who knew what. Mason had no expectation of finding it. Instead he gathered more firewood, went back to the others, and happily held Becky against his skin. When the sleeping bags were finally approaching dry enough, the group gathered in for the night and slept. "Do you think it''s safe here?" Becky whispered, pressing herself very warmly and pleasantly against his skin. "Not really," Mason whispered, holding her and kissing her head. "But Streak and I will be watching. And listening. You don''t have to worry." She squeezed him tight and nestled her face into his neck. "It''s going to be a long night," she said, squirming slightly against his leg between hers. "If you keep that up it will," he agreed. "Just close your eyes. Think about food." Becky giggled, and sighed as he stroked her hair. He took a minute just to look at her against him, vaguely stunned as usual that she was real, and with him, and all his in this ridiculous new world. He grinned when she fell asleep in seconds, then looked up to see Streak''s attentive eyes and perked ears. He smiled, soonying Becky down and wrapping her tight before crawling out. "I was thinking the same," he whispered to the wolf. "We don''t need sleep, do we boy?" The wolf just stared, and Mason looked out into the trees, really running his eyes over his Wayfinder map. "I''d try straight North," he said, then closed his power. The moon was out, looming over the canopy of the forest like some great eye watching the night. Mason had told Becky the truth. This ce wasn''t safe, as no wild ce was ever safe. But Mason was beginning to realize, he and his might be the most dangerous thing in them. "Go." He gestured at the trees with his chin. "Hunt past the magic cold. Find your kin. I''ll protect them, and call you when I need you." The wolf blew a puff of steamy breath, then sniffed the air. With ast, appreciative nce into Mason''s eyes, he turned and vanished into the woods. "Good luck, my friend." Mason whispered, looking at Reba asleep nearby. He felt a strange anxiousness for the creature, though he wasn''t afraid for the ever-increasingly powerful wolf''s life. There was opportunity here. They could both smell it. To make Streak''s life moreplete, to give him family beyond Mason, to give him mates and children and purposes of his own. And, Mason couldn''t help but think, Nassau could sure as hell use a pack of mutant dire wolves.
Chapter 205: At least it’s not snakes Chapter 205: At least it¡¯s not snakes Becky woke when Mason started cooking. "Mmm." She stretched like a cat, then seemed to panic a little until she saw Mason by the fire. "Come back to bed," she tried to whisper, ncing at the others still in their sleeping bags. "Maybe if we''re quick and quiet we can...wait, where did you get the meat?" "It''s not goblin, if that''s what you''re worried about." Mason grinned and rotated his sticks. "I went across the river. Hunted some more birds. Swam them back. Nothing fancy." "Swimming back and forth across that awful river is more fancy than you think," Phuong said, quickly rolling up his sleeping bag and joining Mason by the fire. "Sorry Miss Reba," he winked. "I was already awake." ''Miss Reba'' went beet red, then hid under her nket. Mason chuckled and handed the older man a stick that was mostly cooked. He bowed slightly in thanks and took it, soon gorging on the steaming meat with a few appreciative groans. "How on earth did you vor it?" he asked. Mason sighed, unable to fight the grin, while also knowing the answer was ridiculous. "Haley, uh, puts seasoning in my pack. In little stic bags." Phuong sort of choked on a stifledugh. "She''ll make a good mother one day," he said, and Mason met his knowing eyes with a nod. "I expect she will." They left it at that. Soon Seamus was up to piss and swear and be his generally foul self, Reba dressed in her clothes plus whatever extras Mason had. They ate and put on every scrap of clothing they had, save for Mason who stripped down to his underwear to give the rest to Becky. "Are you sure you''ll be alright?" she asked for maybe the fifth time. "I mean you''re practically in yer damn birthday suit. And it''s cold!" She shivered for added effect, but Mason just shrugged. He wasn''t even entirely sure what was protecting him. His level, or stats? His sses? His powers or titles? Somebination of them all? Whatever it was he felt only a bit cool in the frigid air, despite knowing it was below freezing. "Where''s Streak?" Becky asked as they were picking up their camp, and Mason shrugged. "He''s...busy. He''ll find us when he can." "He''s alone?" The cowgirl''s green eyes widened a little. "We can''t just leave him. He might get in trouble, and then what the hell..." "I''m pretty sure Streak is the trouble here. He''ll be fine. And if he isn''t, I''ll know. We good? There''s plenty of miles yet to the tree." The others nodded and Mason got ready to start jogging before Becky pped her face and rolled her eyes. "Christ Mason you''re bare foot. You don''t even where shoes now?" He''d actually forgotten, and nced at his feet slightly buried in a bit of snow. "Took ''em off for the swim." He shrugged. "But, uh. I guess not. Shall we?" God only knew how she''d react if she saw him take on a half-wolf form or severely Transform. Not that he could me her. It all sort of freaked him out, too. Or at least it used to. But he was getting more and morefortable with his increasing stats and powers and ridiculousness. It was a bit like getting seriously hurt, or ill, he supposed, you just had to ept it and move on. Wasn''t much point in stewing. The yers ran north through a seemingly never-ending light snow. The forest remained unnaturally quiet, with no sounds at all save the crunching of their feet, and the howl of wind through the trees. They''d crossed maybe ten miles when Mason finally heard something different, something new. He held up his hand to stop the others, turning all his senses towards the strange noises ahead. "Quiet," he whispered, then touched a tree and activated his Nature''s Sleeve camouge, creeping forward as the noise increased. Soon the light snow became a blizzard. In an increasingly unnatural ''wall'' of weather, Mason''s vision obscured into a swirling maelstrom of snow. It seemed to sit unmoving, cutting a line through the trees in some kind of magical separation just like the river, but with no obvious geographic marker. "Let me guess," Seamus muttered. "We''ve gotta go through that fecking thing." "Good guess," Mason said, pulling up his map with Wayfinder. They could try and go around, of course, but Mason fully expected to find the unnatural barrierpletely encircling the Great Tree. "Not much else for it," he said, mostly to himself. "We go back. Or we go through." He nced at the others. Phuong and Reba clenched their jaws or hands and looked ready for anything as they nodded in response. Seamus mostly just sighed. "Least I can light on fire," he said. "You other buggers are fecked." Mason frowned, then gave Becky an encouraging hand on her back. "I''ll move slow," he said. "Stay with me. And if you get lost, uh, yell. I''lle get you." Then he walked into the immobile storm. * * * Heightened senses didn''t help much when the whole world became loud and white. Texas didn''t get too much snow, but hunting up North Mason had certainly heard stories of Canadian farmers getting trapped in some blizzard, getting lost and freezing to death on their own property. That''s how this felt. His onlyfort was Wayfinder. He soon had everyone link hands, walking them all forward a tentative step at a time towards the tree on his map ''ovey''. His actual eyes couldn''t see a damn thing, and he knew if it wasn''t for the map it was extremely possible to get turned around. For what felt like many long, disorienting minutes, Mason pulled the others along, grip tight and secure on Ba''s wrist. "Everyone good?" he shouted over the storm, rxing a little when all three shouted back. On he went. It was a little colder here than outside, at least enough his mostly naked body fought with the asional shiver. But he soon realized Becky''s arm was starting to shake in his grip, and suspected it was worse than he realized. He sped up his pace. They''d gone far enough now he knew he couldn''t easily go back. They could run, but it wouldn''t help much, and for all they knew they were surrounded by pit traps full of spikes and just picked a lucky path. Still, distasteful as it might be, he knew if things got bad enough, he''d pick up Reba, run her to safety, then do his best to save the others. He expected Phuong would know as much, and probably approve. And, well, who really gave a shit what Seamus thought? It was unpleasant thoughts like these in Mason''s head when the blizzard ended. Just like that, Mason stepped from swirling wind and snow to a world so bright and green he squinted, so warm he practically gasped at the change. Then the others were through and shaking from the cold and from relief. They looked like snowmen. Every speck of clothing was covered in snow or frost, and they all raced forward and dropped down together as they pulled off clothes or shook themselves. Mason knocked some out of his hair, but mostly focused on the view. A huge spruce tree rose into the sky, its needles covering the ground everywhere, the scent incredible, almost overwhelming. It was warm here, warmer than before the blizzard, with green grass and vegetation, and even the sound of birds. Two rivers ran right past the tree to the north and south, and Mason suspected the running water was also somehow connected to the warmth of the tree. It was amazing. Beautiful. But Mason knew he was here for a reason. Something was harming it, threatening it. Was it the cold? Or was that somehow ''natural''? Was there something else inside? "Can we...build a...f-f-fire?" Becky said, still shaking off snow and flexing her fingers. Mason dropped to his knees and took her hands in his, cupping them and blowing hot air. "It''s warm here," he said. "You''ll feel better soon. Come here." He stripped off wet, mostly frozenyers then pulled Becky against him and pushed as much of his skin against hers as he could. She shuddered at the feel and clung to him. Seamus roared into mes beside them. "Ahh Jesus that feels good." Mason turned Becky to face him, and Phuong stuck out his hands like you might at a bonfire. "Tree looks fine," said the Irishman. "Suppose we''re here to stop the blizzard? If so it might like me more than thest one." "Speaking of which," Mason felt his eyes narrow. "If you have any ''burn the tree'' quests, I promise it''ll be thest thing you ever do." "Calm yourself, mate. I''ve nothin'' of the sort. Just here to help." The Irishman''s glowing eyes went up and down Becky''s mostly exposed body until Mason red hard enough he cleared his throat. "Well." His fire sputtered out. "I''d best save me mana. Shall we?" Phuong shrugged, and with ast, sort of annoyed shiver, so did Becky. "Alright," Mason said, slowly stepping towards the tree. "Be ready for anything. I''ve no idea what actually..." He stopped when he found footprints. Familiar footprints. These were bigger than thest time, with a wider shape that resembled a bear print save for the more humanoid marks. "Gnolls," he said, gritting his teeth and fighting the memories of his tutorial dungeon. "What? Like grassy knolls?" Seamus said before he cocked his head and looked at the footprints. "Well those are bloody big." "Yeah," Mason said, mentally preparing himself for another round with the vicious creatures. "Expect big wed brutes and probably some casters with elemental magic. Unless these one''s are different, of course." He stepped up and stopped with a hand near the tree before muttering to himself. "At least it''s not snakes." Then he pressed his palm to the trunk.
Chapter 206: The walls have claws Chapter 206: The walls have ws [Do you wish to enter the dungeon: Great Tree Of the North? Please note, there is a special event urring, which will add additionalplexity, risk, and reward to this dungeon. yer limit: 5] Mason winced, knowing somehow Streak wasn''t finished with his kin and wouldn''t be soon. That meant he could have brought another yer and didn''t. And, he suspected the ''event'' had to do with getting to this treest. But unless he was willing to turn around, go back and get someone else, it seemed they were just going with four. He epted the prompt. The world faded to ck, and as Mason blinked his eyes back to focus he expected small, wooden halls and a generally ''tree like'' setting so far seen in all the other tree dungeons. Instead he saw only ice. "Wow. It looks like Elsa''s pce." Mason raised a brow and nced back at Reba. "Y¡¯know? From Frozen? The Disney movie?" When Mason said nothing Becky just rolled her eyes. He turned back and inspected what looked like a ramp made of smooth ice going up, and a tunnel going down. He moved closer and tried to listen, hearing clear growls that were probably gnolls from above, and vague sounds of scratching or digging below. Then he smelled it. Sour. Acidic. The familiar scent wafting clearly from below. Just like the Devourer''sir. "Did your Disney movie have six armed giant bug men, by chance?" he asked. "Umm. No." The others all leaned forward to try and look down the hole over Mason''s shoulder, and he sighed. "Go underground and deal with humanoid bugs? Or climb up ice ramps and deal with hyena men?" "Master salesman is our Mason," muttered Seamus. "I vote, emm, up? I guess? Figure I can deal with cold. Course I might melt through a ramp and fall to me death...ah hell." "Hard to fight with a sword in a tunnel," Phuong said. "I vote up, too." Becky just shrugged, and Mason sure as hell preferred to avoid getting buried alive again. "Up it is." He took a tentative step onto the ramp and winced slightly. It was slippery for his bare feet, and rather unpleasant. But he kept going, and saw Duality of Strength and Transformation flicker in the corner of his vision. He suspected it wouldn''t be a problem long. Together they climbed and stared at the crystalline insides of a spiraling circr tower. It was the inside of the tree, Mason supposed, but he hardly saw how that was possible. Then the ice ramp ended, though above them the hollow structure continued on and on. There was no way to go. The way up just...stopped. "Emm." Seamus nced around, then peeked over the edge and pulled back with a cringe. "Am I missing something, then?" "A great deal of things, I expect." Phuong gestured, and Mason soon saw a nearly invisible tform of ice or ss maybe five feet away and slightly higher than the tform. "Ah Jesus. I change my vote." Seamus shook his head and stared as they all took turns spotting a series of the tforms leading up. "No fecking way can I do that. Not a chance." Reba didn''t look wild about it, either. Mason took a deep breath and decided he''d scout up a bit first. "We have rope. Phuong and I can lead, and we can go slow. But maybe first I''ll take a look." "Aye, take a good, long look, I''ll be right here." Seamus hunched slightly and stretched out his hands, like the thought of going up was already giving him vertigo. "Ah bloody hell mate look down. You can see through the ramp a little. We''re already pretty high." Mason gave Becky''s shoulder a squeeze, then without much more than the thought to do it, leapt to the first tform. It was pure ice, and he slid. He dropped instantly and ttened himself as he heard the others gasp, quickly slowing and soon stopping the slide. His heart did a bit of a tango, and it urred to him he probably should have tied a rope first because actually...Seamus was right. The drop was already a good fifty feet. He very much doubted it would kill him, but he might wish it had for a minute or two. Then he''d be back climbing up...probably with, well, flying squirrel ps, or thicker bones. Or who the hell knew what. The tform ''ice'' seemed surprisingly sturdy, at least. Mason really didn''t want to test the limits until they had some safety ns in ce, but he''d leapt to it without any hint of a crack or sign of weakness. He stood back up and looked for the next tform, spotting at least two or three he could likely reach. Options were good, that was for sure, though he suspected it might be some kind of maze going up. What they really needed was some way to mark the damn things and keep themselves from just slipping all over the ce. Rope was better than nothing, but the people they tied it to might just slip and fall off, too... "Sand," he said as it urred to him, then nced back at the others. "We go down to the tunnel. We get sand or dirt or whatever, and I''ll go first and cover the ice sheets with it." "Clever." Phuong said, Becky grinning as Seamus closed his eyes. "Thank God. I thought I was going to shit myself." Mason leapt back and slid into the wall to stop himself, looking at his strange, barely visible reflection with a curious stare. He almost looked...hairier? Had he already started to transform into something more useful? Surely it wasn''t so cold that he''d need to be covered in... A huge crack sent him a step away from the wall, and he summoned a w. Ice split all along the frozen ramp, the wall next to it rattling with crashes and scratches and breaking ice. "They''re in the walls," Mason said, feeling a deadly calm take over his mind as the others summoned weapons and stepped around him shouting in confusion and panic. The bloody gnolls were in the walls. * * * The crystalline structure shattered in patches, revealing another ''mirrored'' ramp on the other side, covered in white-furred gnolls. Like their previous kin, these stood slightly taller than a man, their hands ending in long ws, their mouths open to reveal two rows of sharp teeth. They cackled and growled as they charged towards the icy tform, and Mason ran to meet them. Reba stepped up beside him. Every instinct in his body told him to push her away from danger, to keep her far in the back while he handled the threat. But he knew he had to trust her. She was a yer, like him, and a hell of a lot tougher than she looked. With the limited width of the connecting ramp, the gnolls could only cross two at a time. "They''ll get close, then leap," he said. "I''ll wait for them to hit your shield, then hack them apart." Becky nodded, her breathing fast. At least ten gnolls were lining up to take their turns. Behind them, even more were moving to other ramps going up and down, and Mason suspected would have ways to reach them. The first two crossed the ramp, then roared and charged with ws extended just like the gnolls Mason fought in the tutorial. Both hit Becky''s shields and slowed like they''d struck water. They raked their ws and gnashed their teeth at the translucent blue barrier, but looked like dogs pressed against a window. Except it wasn''t a window. And it was only one way. Mason shed straight through the shield, feeling only a tiny loss of momentum as his ws carved two lines of blood. The gnolls howled in surprise as they pulled back, and Mason followed hacking limbs and torsos until one then both dropped and slipped off the tform, falling the good fifty feet to the bottom. Then Mason stepped back behind the shield and waited. "Two down," he said. "Maybe thirty to go." He nced up to see more gnolls were breaking through above them, leaping to icy tforms with wed feet and impressive agility. Something about it confused him and felt wrong, but he was too busy to grasp it. "Seamus." Mason shed at another gnoll as it struck the shield. "Start making the lives of those tform leapers miserable. Phuong, get ready to rece Becky, I think we can just cut them apart." Seamus grinned as his eyes zed. His staff materialized in his hand, and he held it up and started loosing fiery missiles above. "But don''t..." Mason kicked a gnoll flying back and started to remember he wasn''t a normal human in a tutorial anymore. "Don''t break or melt any tforms. We might need to use them still." "I''ll do my best, chiefy," Seamus said, loosing more fire just as Mason saw a ming gnoll drop in his peripheral vision. Becky and Phuong swapped in the narrow space, and Mason gave the older man a wink. "Let me know if you get tired." Phuong red, then weaved his sword through the air, making a purplish glow and a building hum like an electric generator. As the next two gnolls charged, the glow solidified and loosed, smashing into them with enough force the first sted backwards like he''d been hit with a truck, the second flying sideways off the tform. Mason raised his brow, and the old soldier grinned. "New power. I''ll use it in our next duel." Mason grinned, but it faded as he watched the next group of gnolls climb over the body of theirrade without hesitation. "Save your mana for Phuong and Seamus," he said in Becky''s direction. "I think we''re going to need it."
Chapter 207: The crazy tree Chapter 207: The crazy tree Little hairs rose on Mason''s neck. Then the increasingly familiar smell of arcane power being channeled hit his nostrils. "Becky, help Phuong." He couldn''t see the shaman but felt somehow he was ahead and not above. He couldn''t shoot what he couldn''t see, nor did he have time to exin to Seamus. So he stepped back and dropped his bow, activated Aspect of the Cheetah, and ran straight for the broken ice wall. Time seemed to slow. The awaiting gnolls braced themselves and readied ws, surprised but not unhappy as Mason rushed to meet them. Then he leapt and soared above them, only one of the creatures acting fast enough to rake upwards, though still miss terribly. Mason saw the shaman from the air. A gnoll at the back was covered in dangling bones, fur stained and colored with nts and maybe blood. Mason smashed a knee into the face of a wide-eyed gnoll just waiting for its turn at the ramp. The sound of bone crunching was fortunately not his, and the creature bounced away like a limp doll as Mason rose and summoned his des. Gnolls leapt from multiple angles but he just shed and ran. A w raked down his shoulder but he didn''t care. He sliced thest gnoll between him and his target, finding the shaman with arms held wide, a sizzling power building between them, locked in concentration. He nced up with utter confusion. Then Mason cut off his hands. Things got a little wild after that. First, the power spiraled out of control. It was like a top that crashed on its side, blue and white energy previously in a tight, growing spiral, not unleashed in messy threads all over the room. Mason saw a huge wave of text in the corner of his eye. [Nature Affinity: Spell Effect partially resisted.] [Apex predator activated: Elemental affinity gained.] [Elemental affinity: Spell Effect partially resisted.] [Apex Predator activated: enemy''s affinity resist removed x12] Crackling energy and blistering cold erupted with enough force it sted Mason two steps back. He covered his face until it ended, then stood and saw the shaman sprawled on the floor against the wall, his face half bone, his fur seared away. The air rang with a high pitched whine that Mason expected was just his ears expressing concern. All around him gnolls were trying to stand, looking like they''d been hit with a mortar round. Mason didn''t seem particrly hurt, and a piece of him felt pity in that moment. The rest of him told that piece to shut the fuck up. He raced across the room shing anything in reach, spraying blood as the disoriented creatures desperately tried to recover enough to fight back. He had six killed or crippled before the first charged into him, swiping feebly as Mason growled and smashed his forehead into its face. It reeled back in shock, canine-like mouth mashed and broken against Mason''s skull. He cut its throat and ran past. "Mason!" Becky''s voice pierced the whine in his ears, and he kept shing his way towards her. He tossed deadly traps in random directions just to make chaos, spinning as something wed his back, but dropping low to cut off a foot before spinning away again. A gnoll leapt on his side and bit his face. He roared and unsummoned his swords, grabbed its jaw with both hands and pried until he''d pulled it entirely apart with a terrible cracking, then tossed the creature away. He roared and spun on the others as he re-summoned his des. "Not in a tutorial now, are we?" he yelled, spinning his des. "Come on, then. Come on!" Another gnoll charged, and Mason hacked off an arm before caving its chest with a front kick, knocking it flying away. The others turned and fled. Mason ran back towards his friends, finding Reba staring at him from the ramp, clearly trying to get to him. Phuong and Seamus remained on the tform, the wizard yelling insults as the gnolls fled from him, the swordsman kicking a few corpses off the ramp. "Are you OK?" Reba was staring with a strange expression as Mason came forward. She cringed slightly as he stepped towards her, and he realized, she was afraid. "I¡¯m OK," he said unsummoning his des. "Are you guys alright?" She nodded, clearly still disturbed, but he didn''t have the time or inclination then tofort her. No doubt Transformation and Duality of Strength were making him...interesting to look at. But she was a yer, just like the others, and she had to get used to seeing him in battle. He looked around, heightened senses detecting gnolls everywhere still, moving up and down the ramps and crawling through other walls. "Good, because there''s a lot more," he said, then ignored her. Something was bothering him about the creatures. He was trying toprehend how they seemed so...at home in this tree. Feeling almost natural to it. It wasn''t like the others, and he had the feeling he wasn''t understanding something important. He walked to a crystalline fragment of the wall, holding his nymph charm as he activated Speak with Nature. It was time to see what the hell was going in. * * * Cold. Nightmarish cold. Mason felt like he stood on a mountaintop, naked as a gale pierced his flesh and stripped his bones. He shivered and almost pulled away his hand, but fought the urge as he closed his eyes. It got a little easier. [I''m here to help] Mason ''spoke'' with his mind and not out loud. Probably. [What''s hurting you? How do I protect you?] A guttural scream of horror pierced Mason''s ears, and maybe his heart. He shivered at the suffering in the sound. Then images shed before his eyes of a tiny sapling growing on a frozen tundra. Time sped up, days turning to months then years as the tree grew and changed the world around it. Life and warmth radiated everywhere as the Great Tree grew. Other trees sprung up around it, expanding and expanding until they joined the forest to the south. When thend faced drought, it lowered the earth and turned it into a valley, carving a path for rivers to flow from the mountains. It saw constant birth and death, the images shing so fast Mason couldn''t keep up. He saw humanoids warring to live near it, to use pieces of it, to worship it. Predators and prey lived and died in an endless procession in its branches and shadow. Then came the endless frost. Time slowed as the tree showed Mason some kind of cabal of wizards. They were all humanoid, but not necessarily human. They wore dark cloaks and carried staffs or rods, and seemed to draw life and magic from the tree. As Mason watched he realized he saw symbols on the men he recognized from the Devourer''sir. From the Maker''s vault. Were these wizards ''Makers''? Their spell grew in power, and though Mason didn''t know what they were doing, he knew it was harming the tree. Suddenly the snow erupted all around them¡ªdefenders with white fur and ws and fangs, roaring as they charged to protect the tree. Mason blinked. They were gnolls. The wizards shed with shields, chanting and swirling with energy as they held back the gnolls or ripped them apart with magic as they continued. For a moment it seemed apletely one sided battle, the wizards all but ignoring the creatures. Then the tree shook and red with green light, and the wizard''s shields popped and flickered. The gnolls renewed their attack, fearless and relentless, leaping over the sshes of their own blood, staining the snow. Still the wizards sted them apart, but Mason could hear the panic in their voices as they shoutedmands. Then one screamed as a gnoll''s ws raked his face. What happened next reminded Mason of interrupting the gnoll shaman''s spell. But multiplied a thousand times. Arcane energy exploded outward in a sphere, ripping the wizards and the gnolls apart as it projected. The power struck the tree, spraying bark and cracking wood, cutting off branches and moving further and further as it sted the surrounding forest apart. Time increased again. The area was forever changed, some kind of perpetual winter forming from the failed spell that re-shaped thendscape and trapped the season in arcane energy. But the Great Tree survived, maintaining life as best it could, adapting to thend and giving shelter to life as before. The gnolls were invited inside. Mason saw them bring their young, vanishing inside the trunk just as yers did. Mason felt...appreciation, warmth, respect. Then anger. It echoed and filled his mind as time froze until he realized....it was for him. There was more to the story, more images, Mason knew, but they shed forward until he saw himself entering the tree, killing gnolls in a murderous frenzy. Then his vision filled with two white eyes rimmed with red, pulsing with blue and green energy like a heart beating. [I didn''t know] he tried to say, feeling the energy building with malicious intent, creeping towards him. He tried to apologize, to exin, but the tree was injured, inarticte, nothing like the great tree he''d spoken to before. He yanked his hand and mind away, seeing Apex Predator trigger to sever the connection. "Mason? Is everything OK?" Mason blinked back to reality and found Reba''s concerned eyes watching him. He tried to smile a little for her, then rubbed some of the cold out of his hands. He looked to Phuong and Seamus, too, trying not to think about being buried alive. "Well. The tree is maybe crazy. And we need to somehow avoid killing all those hundreds of gnolls that want us dead while we go down to that tunnel. Any questions?" Phuong and Becky shook their heads. Seamus just sort of slumped.
Chapter 208: Sacred law Chapter 208: Sacredw Mason led the others back down the icy ramps, feeling sweat form on his brow. The sounds of the gnolls re-grouping bombarded his senses, and he knew it was only a matter of time before they attacked again. Becky shrieked behind him, and Mason spun ready to summon his ws until he saw her sliding straight towards him. He braced himself and caught her, feet already changing to grip the ice like he wore some kind of climbing spikes. Becky grinned and went a little pink in his arms. "I slipped on the ramp." "Don''t worry," he whispered. "Just keep moving." Gnolls were emerging now from above them, following them down the ramps but obviously wary. Mason was d for that. He didn''t see much they could do except maim or kill the things if they attacked again. Phuong could disable a few. But after that? They couldn''t just waste all of Becky''s mana. Especially since they had no idea what was in that tunnel... "Almost there," Mason said, trying to watch his surroundings and the others as he moved. Then he saw a dozen gnolls waiting at the bottom of the ramp. "Shit." Appealing to the tree again didn''t seem likely to work. Could he talk to the gnolls? He''d never really tried. But when he''d saved Haley the flying wizard at the end had been plenty chatty before things kicked off. "We''re trying to save the great tree," Mason called, holding his hands out to stop the others. "I''m a druid, and I''ve helped others. We''re not here to fight. We only killed the others because they..." "It is forbidden," growled a huge, scarred gnoll at the bottom of the ramp, his voice guttural but clear. "You have broken sacredw. Your lives are forfeit." Right. Sacred gnollw. Should have expected that. ke might have been able to wiggle his way out, but Mason didn''t really think winning theological debates with gnolls was part of his skill set. He stuck to his strengths. "Well. We''re going down that tunnel." Mason summoned his ws. "And I''m going to kill anything that gets in my way. Decide now if the lives of your people are worth nothing." The gnoll bared its teeth. "We will not fail the Great Tree again. Take them." The gnolls were getting closer behind them now. They stood on a wide tform with ramps leading up and down, and nowhere to go except to leap the fifteen or so feet to the bottom, where of course they''d be mobbed. "I can hold them off," Reba whispered. "I''ll jump down, distract them. Then y''all make for the hole, and I''ll follow." A perfectly sensible n, if risky for Reba. He met her eyes and hesitated, knowing he only did because it was her, and that when she met his eyes she knew that just as well as he did. She gave his hand a squeeze, clearly not angry at the knowledge. "I can do it." He winced, but couldn¡¯t think of a better idea. "Alright." Before he could add details that probably didn''t matter anyway, Becky turned and slipped off the tform, hanging before dropping and rolling smoothly to her feet. The gnolls growled and most went to circle her, a few stilling up the ramp. As he saw a good ten of the creatures move for Reba, he lost a little pity. "Fuck dropping. We go through. With me, Phuong?" "I''m with you, Patron." They charged together. * * * Reba practically pissed herself when she hit the ground. She''d had to go now for a good fifteen minutes, which was maybe just mostly nerves, but also notpletely. Dungeon rule #2, she decided, always pee before you go in. She stood and lifted her disc, watching damn near three quarters of the gnolls on the bottom move to circle her. It was the n, of course, and apparently working beautifully. But it was also terrifying. "I can do this," she repeated, hoping they didn''t have any tricks she didn''t know about. Then she activated her Arcane Shield and went forward. "What we waiting for? Ya''ll afraid of a girl?" Warnings shed as the creatures tested her defenses. Some wed at the translucent barrier, others just tried to push their shoulders through. Reba preferred the former. She channeled Kic st and zapped the closest gnoll from his feet, then shrunk her shield to its closest, personal form. She wasn''t protecting anyone but herself, after all. And that made things a hell of a lot easier. The gnolls snarled and moved in as the shield ''copsed''. They were so big and tall she couldn''t see much, and she hoped Mason shouted when they''d reached the tunnel. Meanwhile, she put on a good show for the gnolls. As they tried to kill her she leapt back and forth swinging her disc or kicking them back, but didn''t really give it much effort. She could attack all she liked with her shield up, but the more she did the more it drained her energy. And she was just here to hold them off for as long as possible. Considering she was basically invincible while her resources held, it was actually kind of boring. She heard fighting back towards the ramp, and focused on that. The familiar sizzle of Phuong''s sword; the terrifying growl of Mason. She tried not to think about that. Was it kind of sexy in a ''your man is a werewolf'' kind of way? Sure. But she''d also seen him pulling living creatures apart with his bare hands and a smile. She watched him lick the blood off his lips and was pretty sure he didn''t realize he''d done it. And that was before he started...changing. Now he was getting bigger in battle. Angrier. Colder. He was growing fur, scales, God knew what. She mostly tried not to think about it. She knew some of it was just responsibility for everyone. Some of it was from getting used to getting hurt, getting used to killing. She knew it was just how things were. But she was afraid of how he might change. How they''d allchange. She hardly recognized herself already. What would it be like in a year? "Becky! Can you get to the tunnel!" Reba blinked back to reality, seeing a very charged Arcane Shield, and a clogged up path to her escape. "Sorry, boys," she said, channeling her mana into the release portion of the power. "You might want to run." They didn''t run. Reba grunted with effort, taking all that pent up energy and throwing it with whatever new muscle she''d gained that flexed her ''arcane'' strength. Her personal shield exploded outward, charged with all the violent efforts of her attackers. The creatures next to her sted away, tossed several feet to m into walls and shatter some of the ice. The gnolls a little further back just toppled. Becky leapt straight past them, and sprinted towards the tunnel. A few gnolls still stood in her way, and she was ready to charge right past them too before she saw arrows and fiery missiles streaking at their backs. The creatures howled and spun or ran away, and Becky jumped straight into Mason''s arms. He threw the others down first, then practically crushed Becky with an arm around her waist before leaping into the dark. No matter her concerns, she felt safe in his arms. She trusted him, and just held on.
Chapter 209: What could go wrong? Chapter 209: What could go wrong? The tunnel copsed moments after Mason pulled Becky down. The earth trembled and he felt himself freezing in terror, fighting for calm and pushing back the memories of being buried as he held onto Becky for dear life. The ground broke beneath them, their little tunnel dropping into a brief freefall before they all struck hard ground again. Only Seamus screamed. Quite a bit like a little girl. Then they were all panting and spitting dirt in the dark, Phuong and Mason on their feet with swords out. "That''s quite the pair of lungs you''ve got there, Becky," panted Seamus. "I doubt you even realized you''d screamed." "Shut up." Mason scanned and listened for danger, at first seeing nothing except that they stood on a kind of tform surrounded by more drops to who knew what. All around the outside he realized there were something like...chains. And bloodstains. From somewhere below he could smell rot and death. He could hear things scurrying around. Coming closer. "Get ready," he said. "We aren''t alone. Can any of you see anything?" "No," Becky said, her voice getting increasingly panicked. "I can''t see a damn thing, Mason." "Leave it to old Seamus." The Irishman snapped his fingers, and dull but insistent light red above them, revealing everything with flickering me. "Oh thank God." Becky''s breathing steadied a little, and even Phuong seemed to take a breath. "Good work. Can you keep that going for quite awhile?" "No problem," Seamus said. "Can keep it up forever, more or less." Well that was something, and the fire wizard remained incredibly, annoyingly useful. But the skittering sounds were stilling, and Mason knew he had to make a decision and act soon. He still didn''t know exactly what was going on here, but he suspected those insectoids were nearly always the viin of the piece. He took a closer look at the walls and saw lines running through them, recognizing them quickly as tree roots. Were they digging under the tree? For what? He doubted it was anything good. "OK," he said, stepping forward to look off the edge. "We consider these things all hostile. No more worries about holding back." He nced over and nearly leapt away, realizing the drop wasn''t nearly as far as expected. There were little insects scurrying all around them in narrow worn paths. Something like ants the size of cats or small dogs carrying dirt and who knew what. Down below Mason saw slightlyrger corridors, big enough for a person, even one Mason''s size, as long as he hunched. "I fucking hate the underground," he muttered, then turned back to the others and saw Becky and maybe Phuong staring off into nothing. He squinted, then saw Becky turning somewhat pink. "What is it?" "Um." Sheced her hands nervously. "I think I got a quest." Mason gestured to go on and exin and Becky continued looking awkward. "I ain''t so sure about the whole ''not holding back'' thing. I''m supposed to protect, um, the ''ves''? I guess?" "I have the same objective, Patron," Phuong said. "I think there''s multiple species down here bound by something else." "OK." Mason threw up his hands, not sure why they didn''t all get the same objective. "Protect them from who?" Becky looked down and bit her lip, but Phuong looked him in the eye. "From you, Patron." * * * "That makes no sense." Mason crossed his arms and paced. "I have no objective except save the tree. And what do I care about a bunch of ves?" "Sorry, Mason, but we don''t know anythin'' else," Becky said, still a little pink. "You get that quest, Seamus?" Mason nced at the Irishman. "Not me, boss. And I learned me lesson. No going against Mason. Don''t you worry about Seamus." He winked, which was extra annoying. But Mason didn''t have time or patience for any of this, really. It was time to move. "If ites up, we''ll start worrying. Ready for the tunnel?" The others nodded, so Mason led them down into the ''ant'' paths after the creatures went by. He didn''t bother telling them to be ready since he could see sweat on every brow, the danger in the air palpable. They ducked and went deeper into tunnel, and Mason felt like he was exploring some kind of ancient mine. The tunnel went on quite a ways before it split in about five directions. ke''s ''in a maze, just keep left'' strategy hadn''t exactly been going wonderfully for Mason, so he stopped and looked to the others. "Who has the highest luck? Mine''s not great." "Thirteen," Phuong said instantly. "Eighteen," said Becky, going a little pink again. "That''s pretty damn high. OK Becky, you just pick whatever path you feel, and we''ll..." "Emm." Seamus cleared his throat. "Mine''s...a wee bit higher." Mason red, not at all inclined to believe the man under normal circumstances. But then all their lives were currently at risk, including the Irishman''s. "Alright. Which way, Seamus?" "I''ve got a lucky dice." The man grinned. "Let me just..." "A dice might screw up the whole luck thing. Just pick one. It''s something like intuition as far as I can tell. Don''t think. Do it now." "Alright, alright." Seamus tossed up a hand and gestured. "Just trying to add a little fun to the adventure. Uhh, that one." Mason went straight down the selected path, trying not to think of Seamus as a bargain bin ke. They followed the new path until Mason felt a change in the air. More moisture, more warmth. He heardmotion ahead and gestured caution to the others. Fortunately the tunnel was widening slightly now and he could at least stand up. The warmth and moisture increased, and soon a new light source wasing from the other end. Finally they emerged into a cavern filled with glowing...roots? The cable-like strands jut from the ceiling maybe twenty feet above, drooping like octopus tentacles, hanging everywhere around the cavern and pulsing with dull, multi-colored light. At the end of every root was a living creature, or a corpse, the roots buried in and sometimes through their bodies, then back into the soil beneath. The little ant-like insects were everywhere. Some brought the creatures food and water. Others took away the dead. A few humanoid insects paced across the cavern as if guarding or observing, very simr to the creatures Mason had found in the Devourer''sir. [Objective Gained: Stop the Corruption of the Great Tree: Remove the infestation. Cleanse rotten roots. Reward: Increased friendliness with gnoll tribe.] Mason looked again at the many living creatures being...used somehow by the insects and the tree. Some were gnolls. Some were orcs and goblins and other humanoids Mason didn''t recognize. Some were human. But even without the objective, Mason''s overall feelings as he stared around the cavern were horror, and disgust. He wanted to kill everything he saw. He wanted to cut apart every scrap of this ce, to find every creature responsible and rip it to shreds, and to cut out the corruption root and stem. He nced at Reba, whose eyes were wide as she took in the scene. "OK," he said. "Your objective. We might have a problem." * * * The insects had yet to notice the yers. "How the hell are we supposed to keep the ''ves'' alive? Look at them!" Mason whispered angrily, pointing with a w. "I don''t know," Becky said in a soothing voice. "Maybe if we just cut the roots first, we can go from there?" "Yeah, what could go wrong," Mason muttered, shaking his head as he tried to count the potential enemies. "This feels like a shit show," he added. "Something tells me these roots aren''t as passive as they look. And God only knows how many reinforcements are going toe. We need a holy shit n." He nced at the old soldier. "Anywhere in particr you''d like to stand and fight?" Phuong frowned. "Nowhere near the roots. I think you''re right about that." He shook his head as he nced around the cavern. "Right here might be as good as anything. At least we can escape down the tunnels." Mason nodded. "But they mighte from both sides. Fight back to back. I''ll roam and try and cleanse the ce. You guys just stay alive. Good enough?" "A fine n." Seamus grinned and summoned his staff. "Shall I burn everything in sight?" Mason nced at Becky and frowned. "No. Stick to the bugs. I''m going to try and figure how to keep these people alive." She gave him a tight-lipped smile, and he touched the wall to camouge as he stepped into the cavern. "Here we go," he whispered, then dropped some snare traps and started moving further out. Even if it wasn''t for the damn system messages he would have expected a problem. But to be put at cross purposes like this...well. Mason knew in his bones things were going to get messy.
Chapter 210: Plan A Chapter 210: n A Cleanse the roots. Don''t kill anyone. Sure, Mason thought, no problem. He got as close as he dared to inspect the ''root ves'' with his camouge, and it became quickly apparent there was two different kinds. The first looked like those desated addicts in an opium den, horribly unhealthy, but not trying to get away. The second looked like ves chained to the hull in some Barbary galley. Type one weren''t bound at all, just lying in the dirt with vague expressions of bliss or oblivion. But the second was bound or chained, their hands usually tied, some of them gagged. These ones didn''t have roots sticking through them, just in them, and Mason guessed it took time for the process to get to the other stage. His task seemed obvious enough. Kill the bugs as fast as possible before they realized what was happening; hack apart the rotten roots; try and save everyone who was chained; ignore, or maybe kill the addicts if they attacked. Whether that would both satisfy his quest and Reba he wasn''t sure, but he called this n A. n B was ughter everything and everyone until there was nothing left moving. This n brought him a kind of warmth in his gut, but was probably not very moral or conducive to his rtionship. He supposed n C was flee down the tunnel. But he didn¡¯t intend to need n C. He crept to a good, central location with a clump of roots blocking him from half the cavern, then counted walking insects. Seven. Maybe eight. Not counting the hundreds of ant-dogs, of course, but they seemed like workers and not a threat. If that changed, well...he''d deal with that when the time came. For a few moments Mason waited and imagined his attack in his mind. He wanted at least three of the insectoid guards reasonably close together. If he was lucky, he could maybe bring them all down before the others were alerted. Unless they had some kind of bug hive mind, or something, but he doubted it. Back in the Devourer''sir they''d made a lot of noise, very likely to warn the others. No doubt these would do the same. So he had to be quick, and deadly. He fingered his shitty goblin bow and winced. Maybe the first thing was to pick the right arrows. He opened his very neglected Endless Quiver and scrolled, seeing the list of ''elements'' like fire, acid, electricity. Fire was his usual but he didn''t want any light or attention. There was also poison. Mason was no expert on bugs, but that seemed the usual way to exterminate them. Maybe it would hold true for the walking kind? He chose and waited, watching as the creatures patrolled, wanting a few close together, and the others as far away as possible. "What...are you?" Mason blinked and realized one of the nearby root-ves was staring in his direction. It was the second kind, and a human¡ªa young Asian man with his hands tied, his face bruised and bloody. Mason was still camouged and probably looked slightly confusing, and maybe terrifying. He didn''t want to attract any attention and tried to just stand absolutely still. "Help me," whispered the young man. "Please. There are others, too. I can see you. You must be a yer. Are you alone? Did youe..." "Quiet," Mason hissed, very seriously considering putting an arrow in the poor bastard''s eye if his voice got any louder. Fortunately the angrymand did the trick, and the young man slumped a little and silenced, though hope still shone in his eyes. Mason waited, and waited. There! Two of the guards stopped and seemed tomunicate, a third not far and standing still. It was now or never. Mason raised his bow, and cycled a Power Shot. * * * Power Shot didn''t much care about the quality of Mason''s bow. It streaked from his hand like a thunderbolt, literally slicing off the head of his first target. But he didn''t spend any time celebrating. Before the thing''s corpse had even fallen, Mason was pulling back and loosing another arrow. He struck the first, then the second with torso shots, and both mostly just stumbled in surprise as Mason kept shooting. What he needed, he decided, was some kind of bloody silencing arrow. The thought was reinforced when the first creature shrieked. Mason''s arrow took out its throat less than a secondter, and all three insectoidsy dead or dying. For a still moment he just stood waiting, wondering if the sound had been heard, and if it was enough to warn or concern the others. In the silence, he heard skittering ws across the cavern. Well shit. Mason stepped out slightly from the roots and searched for the other targets. Some were running across to investigate, but others were disappearing into tunnels. That didn''t seem good. But there wasn''t a damn thing Mason could do about it, so he started demonstrating what curiosity did to cats. Another insectoid dropped after a Crippling Strike and a follow up to the gut, and Mason decided his poison was indeed putting in some work. "Fuck yeah!" said the young man in the dirt, obviously watching, and Mason couldn''t help but wince. Another insectoid turned at the sound, and charged straight at the root-ve. It was running at an angled cross, and Mason missed with two shots before dropping his bow and summoning his swords. The young man cried out as the creature leapt with three sets of wed hands extended, then Mason reached him. He hacked off all six ws in two sweeping shes, then sort of identally met the thing''s continued charge...with a headbutt. It hurt. It also exploded the air with an awful sound as insect carapace met human skull. The skull won. "Holy shit, that was badass." The young man wiggled and stuck out his leg, apparently thinking Mason couldn''t see the giant root slowly growing into his thigh. "Can you cut it out? And the things on my hands. They aren''t that strong. I''ve been wearing them down just with a rock." Mason winced, already regretting his decision, first cutting the sticky bonds, then the vine about a foot over the man''s leg. "Oh man, th-thank you, that feels amazing. I''ve only been here a few days. We have to help the others. There''s at least¡­three more..." The cavern shook from above, and Mason looked up with a sigh. As usual, he decided, his very worst instincts were correct. He grabbed the young man and lifted him to his feet, which prompted a slightly girlish cry andints about his leg. "Shut up. If you want to live, run that way, right now, until you find people. Do what they say. Go now." The kid said something back, but Mason had already dismissed him from his mind, his life no longer a concern. He walked forward as rubble and dirt fell from above, trying to see what was happening. More roots were emerging from the cavern ceiling. These were ck as pitch with purple barbs, the stink like rotten death and clearly what Mason had been smelling since the start. He heard himself growling. He felt the sneer creeping across his face, the pure disgust shivering up his spine. The sensation was strange, but not unnatural, like it was real feeling deep in his gut, reacting to something he knew but didn''t yetprehend. It wasn''t the druid in him, he expected. It was the same thing he''d felt in Cerebus'' test. The urge to eat the animal''s hearts. The urge to fight, to kill. As he saw and smelled and felt the rotting husk of what was once a beautiful thing, now corrupted and despoiled, Mason knew why the ranger existed. Some things could be saved, could be cleansed, could be restored to bnce. No doubt that was why the druid existed. But some things were too far gone, too unbnced, too rotten. Some things you just culled.
Chapter 211: Plan B Chapter 211: n B Rotting vines thrashed from above like writhing tentacles. In every direction the sounds of vine-ves screaming filled the air. From across the cavern, insectoids were skittering out in twos and threes, some even armed with jagged des that looked like obsidian. Apparently Mason had kicked the ho''s nest. But he no longer cared. Every creature involved in this corruption was going to die. Without pity. Without question. There was only finding every scrap of the rot and ripping it out root and stem, then butchering the cause. That''s all there was. Mason didn''t bother with his bow. He ran through the cavern hacking at the vines attached to victims, no longer concerned with what happened to them after, or at least not concerned enough to stop. The insects soon saw him, screeching as they raced on varying numbers of legs to attack. They came one or two at a time, and died the same way. The ones without weapons had almost no reach, and did little but sh with an impotent w before Mason took off their heads or giant pieces of their torsos. His tier two ws sliced through carapace without the slightest resistance, butchering the creatures without even needing much speed or strength. And Mason had both in abundance. The next wave was smarter, and slightly different. The creatures were simr from the waist up to the other insectoids, but their lower halves were more like centipedes. They moved more quickly, and could shift sideways and strike with surprising speed. They died equally quickly. Though one of them managed to rake a w down Mason''s chest, and when they died they sprayed acidic goo that Mason didn''t even try to avoid. He and the next group of insectoids watched the acid steaming uselessly off his skin, his w wounds healing in real time. Then he killed them, too. Time blurred a little after that. He saw his Transformation and Duality of Strength were ticking along, his Apex Predator fluctuating and affecting his enemies as he moved, changing his affinity back and forth to resist poison or acid several times. His Poison title shed in and out. Some of the insects shot spikes or barbs at him, and he deflected some with his Sleeves, ignoring the rest. He blinked in surprise as some cross between an orc and a goblin came howling with rage. It was almost all skin and bones, gut dripping blood and ooze from a severed root sticking all the way through. Mason didn''t hesitate. He shed his longer w in a deadly arc, killing the pitiful creature instantly. "Damnit, Mason!" He heard Reba''s voice from across the room. Frankly, he wasn''t in the mood. "If you think I''m saving anything but humans, embrace disappointment," he shouted back. Then a tentacle-like root grabbed Mason''s left arm and pulled. He wasn''t sure if giant corrupted great tree roots could be surprised, but as it tugged uselessly trying to lift him into the air, he imagined that''s what it felt. He sliced the thing off and kept stalking around the room disconnecting victims. The others followed in his wake, talking to people, trying tofort or hold them back, asionally shooting fire or killing insects on their own. A little piece somewhere in the back of his mind was d for that. d he could bring people with him who could afford the softer things. But he knew in this world, out front there had to be a man like him. He was starting to realize his girls had been right. He was suited for this. Not because he liked to lead or knew all the best ways to bring out the best in others. But because he understood the harshness of life, and didn''t shrink from it. God damn you, Cerebus, he thought, but without any bitterness. Was that what he''d be one day? A pitiless creature sitting on a throne of skulls, looking down on everything and everyone not as strong as him? The stink of rot and death was soon reced with smoke and burning flesh. Seamus was following Mason lighting everything on fire. Whether he had some quest or just decided it was the right thing to do, Mason decided he was d for it. He turned back once just to give the fire mage a nod of approval, then kept on murdering his way through the cavern. A few of the bugs managed to get by Mason, but soon ran into Phuong and Becky. Shields and crackling bursts of sword-infused sts easily dealt with the stragglers, and the team soon had the cavern cleared. [Cavern of Roots eventplete. Group experienced awarded.] [You have earned enough experience for level 18! Please select a new power to enhance.] Mason felt his brow raise. Apparently the giant had been worth a shocking amount of experience. His previous level had taken considerable time, which made him wonder if most of the things he was facing, with a few exceptions, were getting too ''low'' for him. No doubt with how this game worked, he''d need ever bigger and more frightening challenges. Which meant his time in the great forest would soon have toe to an end, or else he''d stagnate and fall behind. It was a strange and not particrly wee thought. But at least in theory he''d be able to teleport soon... "Thank you, thank you! Oh God. I thought...I thought I''d die down here." A filthy, disheveled middle age woman was falling down at Mason''s feet, trying to take his hand as she wept. She had a raw, ugly wound on her arm from the root, but seemed otherwise healthy. "You''re alright now," he said, lifting her up. "The others will look after you. I..." Mason''s voice caught in his throat as he recognized her. It was his next door neighbor from childhood. Mrs. Friedsman. The woman who''d caught him and ke joy riding Mr. Nimitz''s car. Who''d never smiled once at him in his whole life. Who he''d once heard call him ''the bad stray'' at some party as he¡¯d hid on the stairs. She met his eyes and clearly didn''t recognize him at all. He was older, he supposed. And had glowing green eyes. And who knew what other transformations. She thanked him again as she stumbled over towards Reba. Finding her seemed unlikely to the point of impossibility. Not that he cared about the woman one way or the other, but with all the billions of people on earth, what were the chances he''d find his neighbor? He couldn''t imagine she had 42 luck like ke. And even if she did, why should it lead her to him? Mason expected the answer was part of the game. He was beginning to understand how roboGod worked, and it put a very bad feeling in his gut. The neighbor very likely didn''t matter at all. She was just a tool. A plot device. A clue. "What is it, Patron?" Phuong asked, watching him. Mason took a deep breath, not sure he should say anything but not the type to hold things back from people he trusted. "I know that woman," he said quietly, then met the older man''s eyes. "There might be others." He was a little worried what might happen when he finished the thought. "There might be people you all know down here. If so, the dungeon''s going to use them against us." * * * The news that roboGod might be holding the party''s loved ones for ransom didn''t exactly go over well. "Oh God." Reba ran her hands through her hair. "I''ve got a giant family, Mason. Friends. Neighbors. What if it has my little sister?" Her eyes welled with tears. "I''m not like you. There''s people I love." When he didn''t react she realized what she''d said and closed her eyes, putting her hands on his arm. "I didn''t mean it like that. I just mean..." "I understand," he said. "Right now it''s just intuition. And it won''t have your little sister, she''s too young for the game still. We need to stay calm." "Yer damn intuition is always right when it''s about somethin¡¯ bad!" she said, throwing up her hands. But she breathed a little easier so his words must have had some affect. Mason didn''t bother to deny thement. Though he mostly thought the worst of everything. And when you assumed things would always go terribly, sometimes you were right. "Good things happen too," he said. "I saved Haley in a dungeon. I saved you in the woods." Reba calmed a little more. "Yeah. We''ll save more, too. Like these nice folks." She smiled at the three new civilians clumped together nearby, but they mostly looked exhausted and hardly paying attention. "Speaking of which," Phuong raised a brow. "What do we do with them?" "They can probably stay here.¡± Mason shrugged. ¡°We''ve cleared the roots and..." "No!" Mrs. Friedsman practically shrieked. "They''lle back. They''ll stick those¡­things in us again. We have to stay with you. Please, please don''t leave us. Please, I can''t...I can''t..." "It''s OK," Reba was saying, "we won''t leave you." She gave Mason a quick re, and he sighed. As long as it didn''t put his people in danger, he''d bring them along. But the brutal truth was, if it meant protecting his yers, he''d give them all up in a heartbeat. "OK. We keep moving. Stay with Reba here. Do not get in front of me, Phuong, or Seamus," he gestured as he said the names. "If we tell you to do something, don''t ask questions, just do it. If you have to run, run back here." He took a breath and nced down the closest tunnel, which was just one of many. "Let''s get moving." "Um, sir?" The young Asian man who''d seen Mason camouged raised a hand. "We''re not in school, kid, if you need to say something just go ahead." "Um, right. Sorry. But, that tunnel goes to the um, bug barracks? I don''t know what it''s called. But there''s a lot of bugs. Like a lot." "You know your way around this ce?" "Uh, not really. Well, kinda? I''m a cartographer. I can like...draw maps. Create maps. Memorize things to put in maps." Mason waved a hand but felt a jolt of hope. "I know what a cartographer is. Do you have a map? Can you make one now?" "I...well, no. Not until I get some uh, points. Like, you know, the system points, or whatever." Mason winced until the young man pointed at his head. "But it''s in here. Maybe two thirds of the ce. They moved us around a lot at first. I saw quite a bit." Mason grinned, putting a hand on the young man''s shoulder. "Good work, kid, that might be incredibly helpful. What''s your name?" "Hieu, sir." Phuong choked and spasmed with a cough, then failed miserably to pretend everything was fine. Mason nced at Becky, but the kid looked just as confused as them. "OK, Hieu. Where do we find the bug queen?"
Chapter 212: It’s a trap Chapter 212: It¡¯s a trap "I don''t, um. Shouldn''t we just...maybe...escape?" said Hieu, his pale skin getting a little paler. "Do you have anything to eat?" asked Mrs. Friedsman. "I''m starving. What they''ve been feeding us, it''s...horrible." Becky was saying ''of course'', and she should have thought of that, and Mason¡¯s neighbor and the other woman who was maybe forty were thanking her and fumbling for dried meat with shaking hands. Mason felt his patience getting thinner by the moment. "We don''t leave until this tree is safe," he said in a tone he hoped ended the discussion. "Now can you lead me to the leaders of these bugs, or not?" "I...c-c-c" the young man''s lip trembled a little as he stuttered, and Mason just blinked as he realized the guy was close to tears. "If I could speak to you a moment, Patron?" Phuong was practically pacing beside them, and Mason put a hand to his face in frustration but nodded and followed the man a little ways away. "I think the kid might be useless," Mason said. "We might as well just..." "He''s not useless," Phuong snapped, then calmed but still looked more agitated than Mason had ever seen him. "OK, Phuong, let''s clear this up. You know this kid or something? What am I missing?" The swordsman''s eyes shed to his, then he looked down as his shoulders slumped a little. "He''s...my son." Mason took a few beats to process that. He cleared his throat. "I don''t mean to sound insensitive. But he doesn''t recognize you, so I''m guessing you wouldn''t win Dad of the year. I''m also guessing there''s more than a couple Hieu''s in Vietnam, so what makes you so sure he''s..." "I''ve seen pictures," Phuong hissed, ncing around to make sure no on was listening as he let out a breath. "I''ve been giving his mother money for years. She sent me pictures. Postcards. It''s him." Here Phuong paused and clenched his jaw. "He has a stutter. It gets worse when he''s nervous. But he''s a smart boy and did very well in school. He''s not useless." "OK," Mason said, fighting his own baggage of fatherly absenteeism. "I apologize. Do you want to talk to him? Maybe you can exin, tell him who you are, and we can..." "Not now. Not¡­all that." Phuong''s tone was as decisive as Mason''s. "But, I''ll talk to him. You can be a bit...intense. Just wait here. I''ll find out where to go." Mason walked over to Reba, his eyes and ears mostly focused on the cavern entrances, fully expecting more insects toe charging in to try and kill them at any moment. She gave him a look and clearly recognized his impatience, leaving the new civilians to stand beside him. "I know this ain''t exactly...ideal." Becky took Mason¡¯s hand when he snorted. "But we''re the only chance these folks got. They''re people, and they need us. I''ll keep ''em safe." Mason shook his head. "You look after yourself, Phuong, and Seamus, in that order. If you''ve got time, you look after them." "This ain''t math ss, Mason, I can''t just..." "It''s not a game, either," Mason cut her off. "Your lives are worth fifty times theirs because you''re yers and powerful and that''s just how it is. Who knows how many lives depend on us?" Mason clenched his jaw, knowing he was still treating her special because she was, well, her. He lowered his voice. "This is like the army, Becky, and I''m giving you an order. Do your job and protect my yers." He met her eyes. "Understood?" She stood a little more rigidly, looking somewhere between turned on and pissed off. But then what the hell did Mason really know about women. "Sir yes sir," she said, in a tone that matched, then walked back to the civilians. "Women, eh?" Seamus said, apparently practically leering over Mason''s shoulder. "Can''t live with ''em, can''t reason with ''em, can''t..." "Are we ready?" Mason called to Phuong, and the older man put a hand on Hieu¡¯s shoulder and gestured at a tunnel. "That way, Patron. There''s some kind of hatchery. Lots of guards, then air. Hieu only saw the outside, but he says if there''s leaders, they''re in there." Mason nodded, wishing Streak and ke were with him, hoping both were surviving and maybe even thriving in their own challenges. But he had his own problems to deal with. "Let''s move," he said to the others, keeping his manner calm and matter of fact, though he couldn''t help but be afraid for Becky and Phuong. Even if they just lost the civilians, he knew the loss would be hard. "Stay behind me. And stay sharp." * * * The bugs seemed to be avoiding them. Mason heard their chittering, their scampering feet, like roaches vanishing with the light. But the further Mason and the others went down the tunnel, the faster the things fled from their path. He would have preferred they tried to stop him. His paranoia festered in the tense quiet. Was it possible Hieu (and maybe all the civilians they saved) were actually pawns of the rotten roots? Some kind of mind control that lingered? Maybe they were being led into a trap. Of course they might be heading to a trap even if they hadn''t been betrayed. Hundreds of the creatures might be grouping up to attack them from every direction at any moment. Or they might have a giant worm creature like the Devourer. But then there was no tunnel like he''d seen before. These ones were big enough Mason didn''t feel cramped, but still no more than enough space for two or three people (or insectoids) to stand side by side. Tree roots grew through everything. Fortunately, they weren''t corrupted like the others, just aplex part of the terrain. Most of them were slightly chewed, poking out from the walls or criss-crossing the ground, asionally swarming with tiny bugs. The whole ce made Mason''s skin crawl. Insects were of course just as normal as every other part of life, but their desecration of the great tree was something different. Something...unnatural was at work here. Mason supposed he should have been curious to understand what had caused this behavior, but he wasn''t sure he cared. Even if the insectoids were hapless victims, or pawns in some other creature''s game, they had to be dealt with. Finally their tunnel opened up, widening into another cavern that stunk again like death and corrupted life. Mason saw the dog-sized ants scurrying everywhere. They crawled all over the floor, the walls. There was several hundred at least. Most of them carrying what looked like...eggs. "This should be the hatchery," Hieu whispered. "What''s that movement? It looks like..." Seamus entered the cavern and raised his light, and everyone but Mason shrieked or covered it as they saw the creatures crawling over everything. "Seems like they''re trying to save the eggs from us," Mason said. "Why wouldn''t they defend them instead?" "Perhaps they know they can''t stop us," said Phuong. "They might be smarter than we think." Mason frowned. "So if they knew they couldn''t stop us, what would they do next?" "In my country, we know this very well," said Phuong. "Hide. Set traps. Ambush." "Yeah. That''s what I was afraid of," Mason muttered, walking further into the room. The ground here felt...soft, almost spongy. He looked closer and clenched his teeth when he realized it reminded him ofpost. The eggs wereying on a bed of rotten things, and Mason really didn''t want to know what those things were. He stopped when he heard the constant scampering sounds change, hushing the others as he tried to listen. Then he drew his ws. "They''reing," he said. "Becky and Phuong, back to the tunnel. Hold them there. Seamus at the entrance, civilians in between. Stay there if you want to live." He sighed, not entirely sure if he should fight in the cavern or stand in the entrance to the tunnel with Seamus. But he suspected he could take whatever they threw at him. His eyes flicked over Duality of Strength and Transformation, and he decided it was time to do his level. Transformation was already double upgraded and tier 2. It was time to work on Duality of Strength. He enhanced it without reservation, and watched the text flicker with ¡®enhanced rate of improvement¡¯. If his enemies meant to wear him down, they were about to learn a very painful lesson. But he supposed you didn¡¯t learn if you died. He let the others take their positions, then stepped out into the center of the cavern as he rolled his neck and swung his des. His heart was beating fast, but he wasn''t sure anymore if it was fear, the urge to risk his life, or the urge to kill. "Come on," he whispered, feeling a very inappropriate smile as the skittering turned into a stampede of wed feet. "Show me what you''ve got."
Chapter 213: Mantis-saur Chapter 213: Mantis-saur A handful of humanoid insectoids came through therge tunnel at the far end of the cavern. Then the walls started bursting apart. And the floor. Hundreds of other varied insects poured out behind them with a terrifying chittering howl. Mason was struck by some deep mammalian instinct to turn around and run for his life. Instead he dropped deadly traps behind him, and started charging his mana into lightning. He let the storm between his hands build until he''d drained at least half his pool, then released. A thundering crash of power shook the cavern, the noise itself apparently enough to cause many of the bugs a problem. Smoke and a bit of me rippled from the cave wall where the bolt had struck directly, a sizzling sound of cooking insects all around it. Mason''s spell apparently inspired Seamus. A series of fiery missiles arced past him on either side, frying ant legs and bursting carapaces like popped pimples. For a moment things were going swimmingly, though Mason sorely wished they had either another archer like him, or...a tough melee up front, he thought, trying not to reprimand himself for keeping Becky back. The bugs may stille from the other side, he knew, and if they did they¡¯d need Becky to hold them back. Or so he kept telling himself. After the initial devastation of the magic, the insects recovered quickly. Dozens and then who knew how many swarmed over the corpses, rushing towards Mason in a skittering mass. He wasn''t really the right man for such a job. But then that''s how war usually was. He decided the little ones probably couldn''t even touch Seamus when his full on ''fire aura'' was up, and decided to focus on anythingrge. He activated Aspect of the Cheetah and took off, racing past the first swarm to get at the few insectoids behind. The first seemed rather shocked. Its head quirked until it realized Mason''s path was taking him straight at it. Then it waved its three pairs of ws in an almost frantic pattern before Mason cut it in half. The second learned quickly. It ran. Then it was Mason''s turn for surprise. So far he hadn''t seen much from the creatures except mindless violence. He wasn''t sure if smart bugs or mindless drones were more disturbing, but for the moment his problem was more concrete. The dog-sized ants and apparently centipedes were rushing at him, barbed legs and snapping mandibles cutting skin and drawing some blood on his legs. He kicked them off and spun as he hacked with his ws, just as happy to smash them with his Sleeves or stomp them into the ground. Pretty soon all thoughts of the bigger bugs went away, and all he had was the next spin, the next source of sharp pain sinking into his flesh. A few months back he would have felt himself in a horror movie. Swarmed in the dark, deep beneath the earth, huge insects cking and chittering as they tore at his body in an endless wave. But frankly, at this point, things had been worse. Sweat or maybe blood ran into his eyes. His poison title was pinging like a pinball machine, Apex Predator shing like a broken light. Mason just kept swinging, kept moving, trying to clear himself enough space to check on Seamus and the others. But he could hardly see. Whether it was bugs or acidic clouds or just blurred vision from the intensity, he couldn''t seem to quite figure out which part of the cavern he was in. Something roared its challenge not far away, and for a moment the insects scattered. Mason could hear iting down therger tunnel with steps that sounded like metal drums. It didn''t take a druid to understand it wasrge, and unhappy with intruders. He took the pause to get his bearings and run back to the others. Becky and Phuong were at the front of the tunnel with a giant mound of dead bugs. They stared at him for a long moment before Phuong spoke. "There''s none from behind, Patron. We switched sides. Are you alright?" "I''m fine," Mason said, hearing something like a menacing rasp in his own voice. "Good work. Keep holding them here. I think there''s something worseing." Phuong pointed, and Mason turned to find what could only be described as a preying mantis mixed with a dinosaur. wed feet crushed the smaller insects both dead and alive as it hunched to leave its tunnel and enter the cavern. Huge snapping ws extended from segmented arms. Huge, dark eyes shed from Seamus'' light, its mouth a hard line of fangs. "Well that''s¡­awful. What do we do?" Becky said, wiping some sweat from her forehead with her arm. Was it awful? Mason felt a disturbing but not unfamiliar kind of...anticipation. As far as he was concerned, it was the most exciting thing to happen all day. "I think I''ll put its head on a spike," he said, mostly joking. Becky was looking at him funny again. "Light it on fire. Cut it into pieces.¡± Mason shrugged. ¡°Try not to die. Any questions?" "Guess not," Becky mumbled as Phuong stepped out and cracked his knuckles. "Ready when you are, Patron," the swordsman grinned, perhaps showing a lesser version of the feeling building in Mason''s chest. The giant mantis shrieked again, ws thumping as it started running across the room. Ready or not, Mason thought, here we go. * * * About halfway across the room, the giant mantis started channelling mana. So that wasn''t great. "It''s casting a fecking spell!" Seamus yelled, rather needlessly, as the now familiar blue strands of arcane energy started filling the air around the creature. Apparently, unlike yers, the massive insect could casually hunt its dinner down as it prepared to cast. Mason activated Ranger''s Mark, which mostly let him see an armored body with nothing particrly vulnerable. But for a giant bug, it sure as hell had aplicated looking brain. He loosed an opening Power Shot at its face, and soon learned the point of the spell. His arrow vanished into the blue strands of magic. Seamus tried next, a series of fiery sts sizzling as they struck but ultimately not seeming to get through. "Sword work, then. The head looks the weakest, go for that," Mason said, gesturing for Phuong to go right as he curved to the left. Becky stepped forward as well, though obviously unsure what to do. "Look after Phuong!" Mason shouted, "don''t worry about me!" As if it understood his words, or was just annoyed by them, the giant mantis turned and charged straight for Mason. It at least doubled in speed as it lunged, arms stretching out with mp-like ws ready to snip Mason''s limbs off. He swung his own ws right at the joints of both pincers, not shocked when both bit but didn''t sink in far. It closed them regardless, the first narrowly missing Mason''s head, the second mping on an offered Sleeve. Mason winced as he felt the thing cut flesh. It kept on squeezing, and he didn''t really want to find out if it could manage to cut off his arm. He hacked at the w with his free sword again and again, throwing his body back and forth and pushing away from the other. Transformation and Duality of Strength red but Mason mostly ignored them. He could hear Phuong attacking from the other side, and the mantis-saur skittered away, apparently dodging without even looking at its attacker. Mason gave up cutting, grabbed the pincer on his arm, and started prying. A few weeks ago it would have seemed bat-shit crazy. Like watching someone try and lift a truck. But Duality of Strength was upgraded and tier two and not remotely a joke to begin with. As he strained now he felt something like electricity shivering through his limbs, filling him with power. Transformation was also gaining control. It was like a conversation happening in his mind¡ªevery injury, every failure of reflexes, of physical ability, was like a question his power began to answer. The only variable seemed how it would attempt to do it, and how long it would take. If Mason ''said'' nothing, it would just carry on with the conversation without him, and he''d get whatever he got. Or he could try and direct it. It was a bit like Speak with Nature. He tried ''talking'' to it, exining the skin didn''t matter, even the flesh. He needed something to pierce that carapace. Something hard, and brutally sharp. A spike made of Mason''s bone. But the thing trying to rip his arm off needed attention. The huge creature was carrying him as it danced and leapt around the cavern, mostly avoiding Phuong. "Mason!" Becky was shouting, clearly growing frantic. "I can''t shield you! It''s not working! I don''t know why!" I do, Mason thought, feeling and smelling the magic all around him. The thing had some kind of anti-magic, anti-projectile aura. You could get through, but you had to get close. Mason was doing slightly better by the moment. He finally managed to pull the w apart and away from his arm, watching blood drip and seeing exposed bone. The mantis stopped moving and watched, head quirking almost quizzically as Mason managed to pry the scissor-like hands away. Then it released him and spun, tossing him away and speeding back towards its tunnel with incredible speed. In only a few seconds it had crossed the cavern, ducked low, and vanished into the dark. Mason nced back at the others, hearing them call his name, was he OK, and maybe they should fall back and re-group. He could almost hear Cerebus mocking him, mocking the vulnerability of his concern for weaker things. But that wasn''t what really bothered him. He only wished Streak was beside him, mind and senses bent to the same purpose, the same understanding: The hunt wasn''t over. Mason ignored the others, activated Aspect of the Cheetah, and chased his prey into the dark.
Chapter 214: This isn’t a negotiation Chapter 214: This isn¡¯t a negotiation The size of the tunnel slowed Mason''s enemy. Though not by much. At first he could only hear it running ahead, huge ws raking dirt and stone as they propelled the creature forward. He followed at full speed, knowing his foe was intelligent, and expecting to be ambushed. He wasn''t disappointed. The tunnel wall crumbled, several giant beetles smashing through, these also crackling with arcane energy. Mason struck the first out of instinct as much as anything. It exploded. [Apex Predator activated: Arcane Affinity] [Apex Predator activated: Removed from enemy [Arcane Beetle x5] Arcane Affinity] [Title activated: First Blood] Mason couldn''t do much to react except close his eyes. Heat and force knocked him against the other side of the tunnel, ears ringing, struggling for a moment to breathe as his skin tingled with something like numbness. Other explosions followed, and if he''d had the time and air he might haveughed as he expected Apex Predator just fucked them all. But then came the pain. A burning rippled up and down Mason''s whole front, so sharp and intense he felt himself shaking as he gripped the pommels of his swords. It faded quickly, at least, and he opened his eyes to get his bearings, only to see a giant w reaching straight for his face. He shed and rolled as the mantis struck. It was hunched and facing him, body filling the tunnel as it reached and tried to close a pincer around his head. His de tore off a chunk of the thing''s exoskeleton, and he avoided the first blow. The insect shrieked but kept grasping, pincers snapping with incredible speed as Mason ducked and shed and sometimes just caught or pushed them away. It pulled its arms away, and for a moment Mason and the creature just stood across from each other staring. The mantis turned and fled again, and Mason chased. Insects skittered all around him in the walls and tunnels, following, watching. They didn''t attack, and he suspected it was for the same reason the scent on the air had changed, as the mantis'' pheromones leaked like the pus from its wounds. He''d been right¡ªthese insects weren''t mindless drones. Their behavior hadn''t been some grand strategem, some cunning plot. They''d probably never been attacked like this. Challenged like this. They were afraid. Afraid of him. And for what they''d done, what they were still doing to this tree, and the people they''d caught. Punishment hade. And they were right to fear. * * * Mason caught his quarry in another, much smaller cavern, with only ant-size tunnels leading in or out as far as he could see. It had backed to the far side, then turned with its ws raised as if ready to strike. Mason stepped inside slowly, inspecting the cavern for danger or tricks. He could see eggs in the corners, could smell rotten meat and vegetation and a far more intense odor of the mantis. He was certainly in itsir. With every step he felt stronger. Even if the creature grabbed him now, he felt he could take it and keep shing until his enemy was dead. He paced slowly across the room, but stopped when he heard more skittering from the little tunnels. "They won''t save you," he said. "I don''t care how many of your little friends you bring." The creature just stared with its ck, empty eyes. Then a small cluster of the dog-like ants came into the room in lines. Mason didn''t see the point or understand why until he saw a sh of color, and a very un-insect-like shape. The ants were carrying people. Mason realized he was holding a breath until the creatures lifted them up as if in disy. Two women and a man, all young, all strangers. He slowly let out the air in his lungs, cutting off whatever piece of humanity in him might let the cruelty stop him. "This isn''t a negotiation," he said as he kepting forward. The mantis raised a w, and with blinding speed, cleanly severed the first young woman''s head. The others screamed. Mason advanced without a word, swords ready, about to activate Aspect of the Cheetah and charge to maybe save the other two when he heard human feet shuffling behind him. "Willy? Sarah!?" Mason''s feet froze as he heard Becky''s voice. The remaining two people looked behind him, recognition and maybe love, horror and hope all shing in their increasingly familiar eyes. "Ah feck," muttered Seamus. For once, Mason and the Irishman agreed. * * * Mason didn¡¯t know which was stronger: the urge to protect, or the urge to kill. But he was guessing he was about to find out. Becky and the others came running up behind him, and as the mantis raised its arm Mason held them back. One look at Becky and he knew he wasn¡¯t going to reason with her here. He needed to get this under control, and he needed to do it fast. He looked at Phuong, who met his eyes and at least seemed to understand. ¡°This thing is smart,¡± Mason whispered. ¡°It might be able to hear us, even now, and understand our words.¡± He nced briefly at the giant insect, but having apletely dead face was something of a poker advantage. ¡°Those are my cousins,¡± Becky said, her hands in her hair. For now Mason ignored her. That he had to try and save them was just a fact he had to ept. But how the hell did you deal with a hostage taker when his only demands were ¡®leave and don¡¯t kill me¡¯? Oh, and when hemunicated with clicks and shrieks? Speak with Nature was the only possibility, so Mason prepared to try that. He wished he could n some kind of ruse with the others, but there probably wasn¡¯t much time, and he honestly didn¡¯t know if this thing could understand him. He decided he had to risk it. And to trust the others, or this wasn¡¯t going to work. ¡°We¡¯ll only have a moment,¡± he whispered. ¡°Becky, you have to shield your cousins.¡± ¡°I was tryin¡¯ with you before,¡± she said, ¡°it wasn¡¯t workin¡¯. I don¡¯t think I can¡­¡± ¡°It was touching me. It¡¯s not touching them. You have to try, Becky. Can you do that?¡± He met her eyes, knowing in his heart the damn power might not have a chance¡ªthat maybe the mantis could slice right through her shields no matter what, and if it did and she felt responsible it might crush her. But he saw no other way. She nodded, and he smiled. ¡°The second I say the word ¡®go¡¯, we charge. Act like we¡¯re just trying to kill the mantis. Throw everything at him. Then Phuong and I will get your cousins back. Any questions?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try blowing the wall behind it. Shrapnel might hurt the bastard,¡± Seamus said, and Mason nodded his approval. When the others said nothing, he unsummoned his des and stepped forward, eyes locked on the mantis¡¯ still raised, deadly ws. He activated Speak with Nature. [The others want your captives. Give them to us, and I won¡¯t kill you today. That¡¯s the best I can do.] The ck, dead eyes didn¡¯t even twitch. Mason stood and waited as long as he could tolerate, no movement at all from the insects or their leader. A strange warble echoed from the far side of the cavern, as if projected from somewhere else and sounding down the little tunnels. With Speak with Nature active, Mason understood. The human lies. They¡¯ll kill you anyway. ughter them all, starting with the captives. It seemed this giant mantis wasn¡¯t the ¡®leader¡¯ after all. ¡°Go,¡± Mason yelled, summoning his des and activating Aspect of the Cheetah. He heard Reba cry out in panic as the mantis struck. People were screaming, purple shields shed and fiery missiles streaked across the cavern, sting chunks of dirt and rock just as Seamus nned. For Mason, there was only his target, and he supposed he answered his earlier question. Becky¡¯s cousins had tried to run and gone down, and he had no idea if they were alive or dead. He couldn¡¯t be distracted. The mantis would run if it could, he knew, no matter what that ¡®voice¡¯ said. If they gave it a chance and a path, it was going right back down the tunnel it came from. As soon as it struck it looked back to Mason, beady eyes locked on his path. It shrieked and he could smell its fear. He tried not to take too much pleasure. Then he was leaping over a rock formation with ws aimed. It couldn¡¯t kill his friends or Becky¡¯s family if it was dead. The mantisshed out with its much superior reach, but Mason was ready. He used Predator Strike and hacked the w with all his strength and speed in the air, finally cracking through the carapace with enough force to sever the thing to the joint. He flew through a spray of pus, straight into the creature¡¯s chest, jabbing his other de to the hilt. It screeched and tried to pull away, twisting and turning as it seized his back with the other w and crushed. He was forced to grab the pincer and keep it from cutting him down to the spine. Already the serrated edge was a few inches into his flesh and maybe guts, the pain excruciating. He roared and pushed the w apart, then twisted and wrenched until the edge snapped off in his bloodied hands. The mantis panicked. It iled at him with injured arms and broken ws, too frightened or clever to put its head anywhere near him to try and bite. But Phuong was on him now. The old soldier rushed its nk with a sword crackling with energy, crying out as he shed at the huge insect¡¯s legs, spraying carapace and goo. The mantis tried to turn, tried to wave the wreckage of its arms at both of them, but failed to hold off either. Mason and Phuong ran up the creature¡¯s long limbs hacking off pieces until it got desperate enough to bite. Predator¡¯s Strike was re-charged, and Mason was waiting. He shed down and gouged the thing between its eyes, taking off enough of its face that one ck eye slopped to the ground. He heard the arcane shield crackle and die. Not that he cared. Two more swipes and it was done. [Corrupted Giant Mantis killed. Group experience awarded.] The mantis fell, and Mason and Phuong both leapt to the ground and shed at a few of the dog-ants until they fled in panic back down the tunnels, no attempt to take Becky¡¯s cousins. Mason didn¡¯t know if they were alive or dead. He turned with wobbly legs, knowing he¡¯d lost a lot of blood and was still healing. For Becky¡¯s sake he hoped her family was alright. But his objective hadn¡¯t shed. The dungeon wasn¡¯t finished. Whatever was corrupting the tree was still ahead.
Chapter 215: Decisions Chapter 215: Decisions "The shield worked! I know it worked!" Becky came yelling about the same moment her cousins sat up and proved they weren''t dead. Pretty soon they were all on their feet, crying and hugging and andughing before the endless questions started. Mason didn''t have the heart to put a stop to it, and he wasn''t sure what the n was anyway. "So what''s the n?" Seamus said, because of course he did. Mason was inspecting the walls, but he didn''t see much of anything except the ant tunnels. He sure as hell wasn''t going to try and crawl down any of those, but other than go back to the bigger tunnels and explore, or dig, he didn''t see a way to progress. "And this is Mason, he''s my...boyfriend." Becky''s excited voice trailed off as Mason turned. She stared along with her cousins as he faced them and stepped forward. "Mother Mary and Joseph," Willy whispered as Mason came closer. "He don''t, um, always look like this..." Becky said, going a little pink. "It''s just his powers. He''s a, uh, well, I don''t rightly know what he is, but he turns back and all and he saved me before you, and plenty of other folk, and..." "Hi." Mason said, putting out his hand for Willy to shake. The younger man took it, and Mason tried not to notice what looked like darktex coating his own skin. He also had a jagged piece of spike-like bone sticking out of his forearm, which was dripping with bug goo and he vaguely remembered stabbing things with. He also felt a bit too...tall, andrge. Willy''s hand looked somewhat small in his. He gripped it, but did his best not to squeeze. "I, uh. Nice to meet ya," said Willy after a swallow. He was a good looking kid but skinny as a rail, with a sickly pallor and lips so dry he looked half dead. Mason took out a water bottle and some rations, and Phuong and Becky started doing the same. "Ah hell I should have thought of it, you must be starving," Becky said, going even more pink as they made a collection. It would have all been very logical except that Sarah was a good hundred pounds overweight. She didn''t look sickly at all, though she attacked the rations with the same enthusiasm as Willy. She had a good deal of Becky''s prettyness underneath all those extra pounds. But something about her restless eyes made Mason distrust her instantly. "How long have you been trapped down here?" he asked as they gorged. "Don''t rightly know," said Willy, eyes closed as he chewed. "Any chance you have something a little...stronger?" he said, holding up the water bottle. Mason exchanged a nce with Phuong. He tried to meet Becky''s eyes but she was too busy watching her cousins. "No," he said, then activated Ranger''s Mark and started inspecting. He wasn''t a doctor, though he suspected the power was giving him an intuitive understanding of whatever vitals he was looking at. Willy''s organs looked about a hundred years old. His lungs were dark, probably from a lifetime of smoking, his heart a little swollen, his liver not quite right. When Mason''s power touched Sarah, she froze like an animal in headlights. Then his power¡­shut down. "That''s a bit rude," she said, looking up briefly before her gaze bounced back to the rations. "Becky, can I talk to you for a minute? Alone?" "No. You can''t," Mason said, his natural suspicion ring into full on paranoia. "I want both of you to take off your clothes. Now." Becky stared at him with wide eyes, and her cousins just stared. "What sort of...who the hell do you think you are?" Sarah turned from Becky to Mason and backed away. "Phuong, strip Willy." Mason stepped towards Sarah. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. But I need to see if they''ve stuck those tree roots into you. So strip." "Yes, Patron." Phuong stepped towards the younger man, and despite some protest soon had his ragged shirt over his head. "Now just a damn minute." Becky was getting red as she stepped in front of her cousin. "What the hell is wrong with you, Mason? You don''t just strip a girl in front of a bunch of men. Who cares if they...what difference does that make? Hasn''t she been through enough?" Mason grasped for the piece of himself that Becky loved¡ªthe softer thing he could be back in the settlement behind walls and feeling a moment of safety, and not whatever Cerebus and this bloody apocalypse was turning him into. "You have to trust me, Becky." He waved at the others to all turn around and look away. "She''s resisting my...inspection. And there''s something wrong here. I feel it. It might not be dangerous to us. But there''s something." Becky didn''t look much happier, but she slowly nodded and turned to her cousin. "OK, honey, we can just cover you, and I''ll stand right here. It''ll be quick and then..." Sarah reached out and grabbed Reba''s throat. Mason was moving in a blink, not sure what he nned except to remove any part of Sarah he had to, in whatever way he had to. A wave of arcane energy burst out from the pair of them, strong enough it knocked Mason back a step and probably tossed the others. [Title activated: First Blood] "Stay back," whispered the same voice that had spoken to the giant mantis. Sarah''s eyes rolled back, and Becky cried out as she put her hands to her temples. "Stay back or I''ll break your mate''s mind." Mason felt a real stab of fear. His hands clenched as he struggled to decide. The thing could be lying. Buying itself time or just trying to trick him long enough to escape. "What are you?" he said, activating Ranger''s Mark again with just as much effect. ''Sarah'' stepped behind Becky, putting her between them. For her part, Becky looked suddenly drunk and struggling to stand,pletely unable to resist whatever was being done. "Your mind is strong. Hers is weak," hissed the voice. Mason heard more skittering sounds, then the ant-creatures were again emerging from the tunnels. "If you try and take her," Mason said, a cold thing in his gut taking over, "I''ll take my chances and kill you. You''re not taking her out of this room." ''Sarah''s'' eyes narrowed as it watched him. It paused and stared, maybe calcting its next move, maybe judging if he''d really do it. He hoped it figured out he would. "The Great Tree is mine," it hissed. "I''ll give you your mate if you leave, and promise never to return." Mason truly missed having ke beside him in that moment. Maybe his brother''s mind powers could protect Becky, or maybe he could negotiate or bluff his way out of this. Mason kept his face neutral. He didn''t know how to be anything but what he was. The soft piece that Becky loved was screaming for attention, to do whatever he had to. But that wasn''t the piece of him this new world demanded, the piece that kept him and everyone else alive. "Your time in this tree was over the second I stepped inside," he said because that was the truth. "You can''t stop me. You can''t hide from me. Stay here and I''ll ughter my way through your brood, your ves, and then I''ll kill you." He let that hang in the air a moment, then shrugged. "Or you can leave. I don''t care where you go. Give me the girl, and run for your life, and I won''t hunt you down. That''s your choice." ''Sarah'' snarled, and another seething wave of arcane energy spiraled through the air. [Apex Predator activated: Mental Domination resisted.] Mason didn''t even move, and ''Sarah'' visibly slumped. "I require this body." Mason hesitated, but not for long. No doubt it was because he was an orphan, but his views on blood family wasn''t nearly the same as most people''s. Becky was his family by choice. Sarah was not. That she was rted to Becky meant she mattered to Mason more than a stranger, but not by much. The choice wasn''t hard. He nodded. "What?" Willy said behind. "You can''t just...it can''t just have her!" Mason ignored him. "I go through the tunnels," hissed the creature with Sarah¡¯s mouth. "Do not follow." Mason knew how this game worked well enough to know this thing couldn''t escape without his permission. It was all a test, all a drama made by roboGod, and whatever the window dressing there''d be rules to how it worked. His decision was already made, and he''d ept the consequences. "You''re boring me now. Go quickly, or die." Even so he readied to move. If he detected any more magic, any harm to Reba, he''d chase this thing as far as required. He followed as the creature backed away, step by step to the tunnels before it finally pushed Becky forward and vanished behind a cluster of the ants. [Queen event:plete. Congrattions! You have cleared the Great Tree of the insectoid infestation. Group experience awarded. Reward: Friendlier rtions with the North Tree Gnolls. Note: the Great Tree is not yet cleansed.] Becky copsed, and Mason caught her. The soft part of him practically copsed with her, but he couldn''t let it out. Not yet. "You let it...take my sister," whispered Willy, dropping to the ground. "It was her or Becky and I chose." Mason turned. "And if you think you''re safe you''re wrong. Because I''m guessing you knew, or at least suspected. So I have questions. And depending on the answers to those questions, you might wish you''d gone with your sister." The young man put his face in his hands, and Mason turned back to Becky, sshing a little water from his sk on her cheeks. She soon sighed and opened her eyes, smiling when she saw him. "I had the strangest dream," she said, cuddling into his arms. He looked away and brushed some hair from her face. He suspected he now had to tell her a mind-controlling insectoid queen had taken her cousin, then exin they had to climb up through a giant pack of bloodthirsty gnolls. "We aren''t done," he said to Seamus and Phuong, still cradling Becky. Both men nodded without a word, and he was thankful for that. "I hope you''re doing better than me," he whispered, thinking of both ke and Streak. Then he put away the weakness and stood, getting Becky to her feet. There was still work to be do.
Chapter 216: Think like Blake Chapter 216: Think like ke Becky wandered beside Mason in something of a daze, like she was drunk or high or half asleep. He hoped she recovered, but for the moment was mostly just d he didn''t have to exin her cousin was gone. Again. He''d spent a few minutes questioning Willy, and the man finally admitted he''d known his sister had been ''infected''. Apparently the brain bug was some kind of giant leech they''d put down her throat. Once they had, she''d been at ease and treated like a queen by the other insects. "But I didn''t know it was their leader, y''know? I didn''t fuckin'' understand any of this shit!" Willy seemed to Mason somewhere between ipetent, moronic, and maniptive. He didn''t have any corrupted root wounds, but he had what looked like tract marks, and Mason was pretty sure he''d been a junkie pre-apocalypse. How the hell the idiot survived the tutorial he had no idea, but he quickly lost interest. Willy was apparently some kind of crafter, too low level for his ss to matter much. Mason just collected the others and started back towards the tunnel entrance and the tree. "Will we have to find the heart, Patron?" Phuong asked. "You can call me Mason, you know," Mason said, and the old man smiled. "Call it old habits. I could use sir instead, if you preferred." "You can call me sir, if you like," Seamus chirped in from the other side. "Sir Seamus the Red," he said and grinned. "I bloody like the sound of that." Mason shook his head, guiding Becky around some clumps of dirt before letting out a sigh. "I think the answer is yes. About the heart. And we can be pretty sure those gnolls are going to try and stop us. Except killing the gnolls angers the tree. So. All around a great situation." "Will the tree''s anger prevent you from cleansing it?" Phuong asked, and Mason frowned. "It shouldn''t." He threw up a hand. "Though I can¡¯t know. And it just feels...wrong. They''re defending it, and have been for a long time. I''d like them alive and continuing." They walked on mostly in silence, Mason asionally finding a rotten root to cut before they reached the room they''d first entered. It took a little doing to climb back up after the floor had broken apart, but they had rope and Mason could mostly climb anything. He looked up the hole into the dull glow of the icy tree beyond, and sighed again. Not for the first time, he decided, it was time to think a little more like ke. They hadn''t been interested in talking before, but maybe after the quest reward they would. "I''ll be back," he said, taking a length of rotten root he''d collected on the way. He passed Reba to Phuong, though she tried clinging to him and made a few upset noises until the older man managed tofort her. Then Mason climbed using his fingers like ws, ripping bits of dirt away as he made most of his own handholds. Negotiating with gnolls, he thought bitterly. Not exactly a thing he expected after his tutorial. A little piece of him hoped it didn''t work, that they proved themselves mindless killers and forced him to violence. But he didn''t much like the thought, or the piece of himself that had it. Better not to kill anything if he didn¡¯t have to. Except probably that insect queen he¡¯d let go¡­ Who knew what sort of trouble such a thing might get up to next? Maybe for the good of everyone he should have just risked Reba and attacked. But he''d been selfish. He cared more about her life than whatever evil that thing might do, that was the truth. He pulled himself up thest grip to the tunnel''s entrance, taking a moment to listen for gnolls. Several of the creatures were close by, their breathing audible up top. Others walked in circles nearby. God knew how many were beyond that. If you''d all prefer to just fight to the death, Mason thought, I guess I''m good either way. But he hoped, for the sake of his conscience, they gave him a second to talk first. * * * "Ie in peace," Mason said, holding his hands up dangling with the corrupted roots. Gnolls growled in chorus all around him. He didn''te out all the way, remembering they''d considered the tree sacred and just his presence some kind of vition. "I''m not in the tree," he said, "See? I''m just in the tunnel." The creatures yipped and maybe barked as they bared fangs and surrounded him, a dozen pairs of ws forming a lovely little circle around his head. He forced himself not to drop. Or charge out murdering. They waited, at least, until the big gnoll Mason had seen before returned and stared. And stared. "What do you want, human?" it finally growled. "We''ve cleared out the insects," he said, then tossed over the roots. A gnoll nearly swiped his face for it. "They were corrupting the roots. Not sure why. But I dealt with that, too. Things should improve." The gnoll picked up the reeking roots and sniffed it, looking about as disgusted as Mason. "Good. Then you can leave. We will take you directly out." "Yeah, about that," Mason cleared his throat. "The heart of the tree is still...infected. I need to cleanse it. Which means I need to touch it." It was a bit like he''d tossed a cat into a kennel. Barks and growling gnoll guffaws bombarded him in surround sound. He just waited it out until the gnoll ''chief'' stared with narrowed eyes. "That is impossible." "As in...you won''t let me? Or, it''s literally impossible to reach the heart?" "Both, human," the gnoll sneered. "Eabha¡¯s heart is behind a wall of magic ten feet thick, surrounded by living frost that could rend the flesh from your hairless body, and freeze your bones to ice." Mason pursed his lips and shrugged. "Doesn''t sound so bad. Lead the way." The gnoll chief let out a low rumble but said nothing more, and Mason lifted himself a little more from the hole. ws ttered closer all around him. "I''m a druid,¡± Mason said, holding himself steady. ¡°I''m here to help the tree, not to harm it. Isn''t that clear by now? I''vee a long damn way to do it. You understand?" The chief just kept staring, quick and clever eyes obviously calcting. It urred to Mason he might be prevented by his followers and their beliefs as much as anything, even if he secretly agreed. Maybe Mason needed to give him a win, give him a reason. He tried desperately to think like ke. "If you let me try, and I will owe your tribe," he said. "Guide me, give me your blessing, and I will be in your debt." He lowered his eyes, trying to think quickly. "And you will be paid for the gnolls who died in battle. Whatever you want." He couldn''t see the creature''s reaction with his head down, but thought it best to keep looking duly humbled. He heard a few of the gnolls walk away and speak in low voices, whispering so well even Mason couldn''t make out the words. They came back and the chief spoke again. "You alone. A druid is eptable in Eabha¡¯s glory. But the others...none of them are¡­they are...unclean beyond tolerance." ¡®They are not nature affinity¡¯, Mason tranted, but kept his smile hidden as he bowed his head lower before he raised it. "Thank you, great chief. I''m ready when you are." "This way," the big gnoll gestured. "Follow. Walk nowhere else, or the time for words will end." Mason nodded, then took a moment to call down to the others to tell them to wait. Then he climbed up and followed the growing pack of hostile looking gnolls, doing his best to seem non-threatening. When the creatures got a good look at him and all his recent ''transformations'', they were clearly as disturbed as the group below. The chief¡¯s eyes went up and down Mason''s body, but he gave no other indication. "The druids of the great forest have done nothing for Eabha for two thousand years," he said, voice dripping with disdain. "You will be no different. But if death is your desire, then I will show you." With that, the big creature turned and vanished into a snowy wall that seemed to break apart into mist as the gnoll touched it. Mason took a deep breath and followed.
Chapter 217: Let’s get this over with Chapter 217: Let¡¯s get this over with The gnoll chief led Mason through secret wall after secret wall, through a maze of ramps and misty barriers and staring gnolls. When they were finally high up and alone on a ramp colder than the rest, the chief turned. "Thank you," he said, looking like he''d aged a decade since the start of the climb. "For destroying the insect gue. You have saved my people from certain destruction." Mason blinked in surprise. "You''re wee.¡± Then, after a pause. ¡°How did they get in? Get so powerful?¡± The chief shrugged. ¡°They came from the earth. By the time we knew, they had bred a Mind Queen. My people are strong and brave, but¡­we cannot resist such a creature. We had no choice but to stay away.¡± The gnoll seemed to shrink, staring at the wall. ¡°We have failed Eabha so many times.¡± Then, softer: ¡°What will happen if you cleanse her?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Mason said honestly. ¡°Will the endless winter go?¡± ¡°Possibly.¡± Mason quirked a brow. ¡°Would that be¡­good for your people?¡± The gnoll chief eventually nodded. ¡°Yes. Difficult to change. But, yes. We lived once without it. We prospered.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­not here to help you,¡± Mason said, feeling somewhatpelled to tell the truth. ¡°I¡¯m here for the tree. I would have killed you all if I had to.¡± The gnoll...grinned? "My people have never seen a druid. But I learned their stories as a pup. Much knowledge is passed from chief to chief. Once I saw you, I knew you came to help." Mason blinked. "Then why did you try to stop me?" "My people are alone," said the chief with a bit more fire. "They must be strong, and faithful. They must never believe some savior wille. For none ever has." He calmed a little and took Mason the rest of the way up the ramp, the slight mist in the air thickening and turning colder. "I did not exaggerate," he said as he stopped. "I can go no further. Beyond the mist there is a gate of ice guarded by frozen defenders. Survive that far, and inside you will find the heart." He sighed and met Mason''s eyes. "None have survived the Avatar¡¯s wrath. She does not trust even us toe closer. But..." his eyes glistened and he looked even older, then. "She suffers. There is a wound in her heart. It drives her mad. If I can help you, druid, I will do it. Even if it means my death. Call to me, and I wille." Mason was surprised by this, and felt strangely moved by the creature''s words. "You aren''t the first gnolls I''ve met," he said with a wince. "We got off on the wrong foot. But, I respect your people, and you. I don''t know if you can help me, but thank you for bringing me this far. I''m d we didn''t fight." The chief nodded, then grinned. "That is because you know we would have ughtered you." Mason smiled and gave the chief a once over. "Oh. I''ve taken gnolls bigger and meaner than you." "But none as cunning," said the chief without missing a beat, and Masonughed. "No. Maybe not." He looked up at the magical energy swirling on the tform above and shivered at the cold. He said much more seriously: "There¡¯s something you can do for me, chief. If I die, promise to take my friends out. I don''t know if you can leave, but if you can, they could use a guide through the ¡®Evercold¡¯, too." The chief nodded. "I, Maoet, so swear." Mason clutched his nymph charm and took a breath. After everything he''d been through, freezing to death would be a hell of a way to go. ¡°Thank you, Maoet,¡± he said. ¡°Goodbye.¡± With a final nod to the chief, he took thest few steps up the ramp, and vanished into the mist. * * * The gnoll really hadn''t exaggerated. It felt a bit like the Evercold, just cranked up to eleven. With an extra helping of awful. It was like standing in a walk-in freezer with a hundred fans blowing at your face. [Apex Predator activated: Affinity elemental] Mason breathed a sigh of relief. But not for long. The moment he stopped dying, a new and improved gale-force wind erupted and seemed to center on him, blocking most of his vision with swirling snow. He trudged forward shivering, focusing on Transformation as it triggered to adapt him to the cold. Then he almost slipped off the ramp and fell God knew how far down the tree. His heart pounded as he caught himself, grasping with numb and slippery fingers at the icy floor. It woke him up, reminded him to pay attention and not just suffer. And it kind of pissed him off. He scrambled onwards on all fours, using his slight ws to grip the ice. Whether he was getting slightly warmer or just so cold he was going numb he wasn''t sure, but he assumed it was thetter. Faster and faster he followed the tform, hardly able to see more than a foot or two beyond his grasp. All at once the mist and cold ended. Mason dug in as he emerged, gripping the floor in panic at the change before he realized it was a far more open tform covered in snow. At the far end was a huge double gate that looked like blue steel, with two statues of ice on either side, just as the chief said. Neither moved or made any indication of life. Mason stood and nced at himself, seeing fur now covering most of his skin. His feet and hands were wed, a bone spike still protruding from his elbow. He supposed he could have shifted into his more wolf form but still wasn¡¯t all thatfortable with the form, and doubted it would help much anyway. For a moment he regretted not arguing to bring Seamus, thinking the fire mage could likely survive the mist and help deal with the problems ahead. In fact Becky probably could have shielded herself and Phuong too, he decided, even if he''d had to drag them up the ramp with rope. He sighed. Better not to kill the gnolls, he reminded himself. They didn''t deserve death. This was the right path. He walked towards the gate, eyes locked on the frozen guards. He considered Ranger Marking them, but feared the power might trigger them instantly. They didn''t move even when he reached the gate, so he took the opportunity to examine the ''metal'' and try and see through the gaps beyond. A white spherey inside, surrounded in anotheryer of green mist, a sapling very much like the one in Mason''s settlement growing from the sphere. A jagged streak of purple ran throughout the room, and Mason felt the unnatural aura of it even from outside the gate. This was certainly the heart. "Don''t suppose you gentlemen will just let me inside," he said to the frozen guards. "I''m a druid. Here to help. Cleared the bugs. Faced certain death. Et cetera. Et cetera." They still didn''t move, and Mason sighed as he rolled his shoulders. "Alright. Fuck you, then. And you too, roboGod," he muttered, then nced back at the snowy ground. Unless there was something he didn''t see, it looked like a straight fight without much room to maneuver. He''d get one Marked, then try his swords and spike and just do his best to fight one at a time. But it wasn''t the greatest n he''d ever made. "Alright boys," he said, summoning his ws. "Let''s get this over with." He took onest moment to enjoy the peaceful silence, then shed the gate and backed away. At least they didn¡¯t make him wait. He heard a cracking sound, first. Then the snowy floor trembled as the guards twitched and glowed with a dull blue light. All around him white powder erupted as smaller versions of the creatures burst up and emerged from what looked like glowing blue symbols beneath the snow. All turned towards Mason and advanced. He sighed, knowing it was never as simple as it looked. He scanned the rows of symbols, expecting it wouldn¡¯t be much fun to step on them. Then he prepared to attack the closest creature.
Chapter 218: Eve Chapter 218: Eve Apparently the little elementals could shoot ice spikes. The first sunk into Mason''s back before it broke off. He cried out and spun, seeing a few drops of his blood stain the white floor. Then he growled and charged the shooter, stepping over symbols as he deflected another spike with his Sleeve. Then he Predator Struck the little bastard into oblivion. Ice and bits of stone shattered as Mason''s longer de severed straight through its torso, then heunched the lower half flying with a vicious kick. More spikes were hissing in his direction, so he rolled on a spot without symbols and activated Aspect of the Cheetah to keep moving. He''d left his bow behind, expecting it didn''t have the punching power to help him much. But he suddenly wished he could try some fire arrows. The bigger guards were moving now. One lumbered straight in his direction, hands extended like a giant zombie about to cry out for brains. Mason grabbed the closest elemental, tore off its arm with brute strength, and hurled the damn thing at the guard. It broke apart as it struck, which was satisfying, and reminded Mason vaguely how insane his strength was bing. But it didn''t seem to hurt the big guy much. Still, he decided the tactic had potential. He jogged in careful circles around the tform, dodging ice spikes, avoiding symbols, grabbing little elementals with his bare hands, and tossing them. By the third throw he started to wonder¡ªcould he infuse them with an exploding trap? The answer, unfortunately turned out to be no. But then he wondered: what about their pieces? The heads were good and round and looked fun to throw. Mason grabbed an elemental, ignoring its arms and getting ready to pull. It punched him square in the chest, fist smashing so hard it made an echoing sound in the cavern. He supposed it hurt. In a pathetic, pre-apocalypse kind of way. Mason snorted, and ripped off its head. He infused it with an exploding trap, which worked just fine. Then after a useless Ranger''s Mark that pretty much told him he was fighting a giant piece of moving stone, he tossed it at the guard''s hip. This time the thing exploded, sending shrapnel flying, one even hitting Mason in the cheek. When the smoke cleared, he looked at the slow-moving guard and saw a few cracks in the stone on his leg. Then he grinned. "Alright, boys, here we go." Mason spent the next few minutes turning murderous living rockmen into baseballs. They just kepting, and shooting, asionally sending an ice spike shallowly into Mason''s flesh. Once or twice he stepped on a symbol, which unsurprisingly sent a shocking burst of cold energy ring up his leg. But it was just more pain and a bit of numbness that didn¡¯t stop him. The big guards seemed to have no way to hurt him unless he got closer. And the little elementals were almost cute. He cheered when the first guard''s hip broke apart, the creature crashing to the ground. After his experience with the greater earth elemental, he half expected it to re-construct itself. But all it did was try miserably to crawl. A few more minutes of adrenaline-fueled work, and Mason had knocked both guards to the ground. He summoned his ws and circled them, shing their heads in bits and pieces as he avoided spikes and symbols. In short order, the crawling guards stopped crawling, too, their giant bodies still as statues. The hum of arcane energy vanished, the symbols on the floor fading as the smaller elementals copsed and stopped summoning. [Heart Guardian event:plete. Experience awarded.] The gate opened with a creak. * * * Mason knew the tree sensed his presence. As he entered its inner sanctum, he felt its turmoil and terror, anger and confusion. He put a hand to the wall and activated Speak with Nature, trying to soothe it, to tell it he was here to help. Frozen fury burned his skin. The ''connection'' he had felt with the previous trees wasn''t even attempted, the tree''s mind closed and guarded. Perhaps with more skill, or the right spells, a druid like Mason could ovee such a thing, but he had no idea how. So he walked towards the heart, his hands stretched out like he was trying to approach a skittish horse or a wild dog. A scream stopped him. Horrible and feminine. It echoed throughout the cavern, and Mason''s mind filled with more images¡ªthis time insects burrowing into his body, using his warmth and life to grow their eggs, to grow the corruption that would kill him. He blinked it away. "I''m not like them," he called, turning on Blessing of Gaia. "I''m here to help you. I want nothing from you." The voiceughed. Sick and desperate, full of bitterness and hate. The image of a beautiful woman¡¯s face shed in Mason¡¯s vision, skin white as snow, eyes a light and lifeless blue. Another wind erupted around the sphere, this one glowing blue and swirling with shards of ice. "You can hurt me," Mason said. "But you can''t stop me." He stepped into the frozen maelstrom, covering his face as the debris smashed into him at incredible speeds. Some of it cut, but most broke against his flesh as he pushed step after step towards the sapling and the sphere. Then he was through, and the wind stopped. Instead Mason felt the warmth and life of the tree. He touched its stem gently, his other hand on the scarred sphere as he concentrated on his power. The tree recoiled, then seemed to sense his power, and grasped it. Mason stilled as he felt like an icy fist clenched around his chest. The voice became the muffled gasps of a starving animal, a creature dying of thirst gulping at a ss. "Easy," Mason hissed, trying to fight it and keep the process steady. He failed quickly. The tree''s desperation was like nothing he''d ever experienced. He felt suddenly starving, frozen, exhausted. And the test had just begun. It sucked the strength from his body so quickly, so hungrily, he barely noticed his powers shing, his hand on the sphere instead grasping his nymph charm. He imagined Becky and Haley and ke all alone. The settlement without him, overrun by goblins or walking dead, a silicon god watching from above as itughed. Not today, he thought. A God damn tree won''t kill me. Won''t make my child an orphan. I have more to give. Just a little more. He charged his mana without knowing why, no spell imagined, no purpose except for something else to give. But as he did he felt warmth flow from his arms. No, his Sleeves. He trembled as it spread, channelling into a spell he didn''t know or understand, except maybe deep in his bones in some nameless, ancient way. The words Inner Fire trailed across his eyes, and he knew it was a natural protection spell he could channel. It protected him from magic, from cold, and even burned away poison and disease. As his mana drained he could sense the urgency of the tree diminish. It was slowing its pull at him now, like an infant that had eaten its fill, blinking sleepily as it watched with curious eyes. He saw the white sphere was gaining color¡ªa dull green returning also to the walls, to the floor. His mana ran dry, head thrumming with warning as he ended the spell. But it was over now. He¡¯d made it. He could feel the tree awakening. The sphere opened, and the same pale-faced woman he¡¯d seen in his mind stood and stretched like a cat from a long sleep. A fleshy pallor returned to her face, blue eyes gaining contrast and life, finishing in a beautiful grey. The ice all around her feet began to melt, and she stumbled forward. Mason caught her. "A druid?" she said, voice fearful and confused. She shivered in Mason''s arms and clutched herself to his chest. "Thank Gaia for your warmth. What''s happened? I''m so weak...I don''t...my memories are...confusing..." "Eabha?" Mason used the gnoll¡¯s word. ¡°Is that your name?¡± The woman¡¯s mouth split with a radiant smile, and something like a giggle at his expense. "You can call me Eve," she said. "It would suit your tongue better." Mason smiled sadly as she looked at him, seeing a haunted intuition behind her beautiful, deep eyes. "Do you want to remember, Eve? I can show you." She clenched her jaw, then nodded. Mason did his best to ignore the creature''s full, half naked figure pressed against him, her long, golden brown hair spilling over his shoulder. It felt wrong to cause something so beautiful so much pain, but he tried to open his mind, activating Speak with Nature as he held the woman''s hand. "I would want to know," he whispered, not sure what else to say. "I''m sorry." He used Speak with Nature, and watched as the images flickered, this time from his mind to hers. Eve shuddered and stared, pupils flicking back and forth as water formed in her eyes. When it was over the tears leaked down her cheeks, her body wracked by a sob as she wrapped her arms around Mason. "Thank you, druid," she managed, and Mason sat and held her in hisp. [Objectiveplete. You have cleansed all the divine trees of the Great Forest. Reward: Wyrdwalking. Experience gained.] [Druid ss power gained: Wyrdwalking. Step easily between sacred trees and groves. Walk in the paths of the ancients.] [Title gained: Shepherd of the Great Forest. You have restored the great forest¡¯s divine trees. +2 mental statistics.] "You''re safe now," Mason said with a small smile, no intention of moving until she was ready, soaking in the currently muted pleasure of his rewards as well as his sess. For the first time maybe, as the millennia of images had flickered again for Eve, he felt the insane reality of immortality. He too could live so long, could see the rise and fall of countless lives, countless tribes. Whole civilizations. "We''ll make it right," he whispered, trying to ept that reality, that burden¡ªand the purpose of his growing strength. "We''ll make it right." Eve wept and buried her face in his chest, clinging to him like a liferaft.
Chapter 219: The nymph queen (NSFW) Chapter 219: The nymph queen (NSFW) Mason wasn''t sure how long he held Eve in hisp, but when he started noticing his surroundings again he saw the ice had nearly all melted. "You work fast," he said, gesturing at the dripping green walls with his chin. The beautiful, maybe early 30¡¯s appearing woman shook with a chuckle. "Not fast enough. It will take months, maybe years to renew what was lost. Much of me is still frozen." Mason shook his head. He wanted to say it was weird talking to a tree-avatar, but since he was a druid he figured it would seem weirder to Eve that he found it weird. He shifted slightly, getting more and more aware Eve was ratherfortably in hisp and not making any attempt to move. As he shifted, she turned to face him squarely, extending both long legs, straddling him like a lover. She draped her arms over his shoulders, her eyes moving up and down his face and body as she briefly picked at some of his transformations. Mostly Mason was trying to figure out what to do with his hands when Eve leaned forward and inhaled, closing her eyes. "You have met the daughters of Gaia," she said, running a finger over Mason''s cheek. "I have," he agreed, most of his attention now waging war against his erection. "Many were born here, in my image," Eve said smiling. "In a way, you might call me their... inspiration. Maybe even their queen." Now that she said it, she did bear a striking resemnce to Thea and Calypsa¡ªlike abination of the two. She had Calypsa''s sharper facial features, the strong posture and almost regal bearing. But she also had Thea''s warmth and curves... Eve leaned forward and put her lips to Mason''s ear, squirming slightly in hisp. He began to lose his battle. "You have the power to speed my recovery," she whispered, then bit her lip as she nestled her face against his. "You''ve done so much already. And I have no right, but, can I ask my savior for just one more favor?" Mason didn''t bother ying coy. He could almost hear Cerebus telling him to take whatever he wished, to be like the tiger or the bear. To rule like a king without shame. Eve was unearthly beautiful. She was wrapped around him and hungry for him. She also didn''t seem to care for one second that he was half transformed into something monstrous. And nearly dying always gave him a lust for life... * * * Mason''s eyes drifted over Eve''s ragged, leafy clothes. A t-shirt and shorts might have been the closestparison, though they were far tighter and skin-like in texture. The woman had also just woken up from maybe a thousand years of sleep. But there wasn''t much mistaking what she wanted. "Here? Now?" Mason asked. He didn''t bother pointing out he was covered in blood and only God knew what kinds of insect ooze. Not to mention he was trying not to identally stick his arm-bone-spear into something. Eve smiled and stood, pulling Mason''s hand. "My pool is thawed," she said. "And you''ve more than earned the privilege." Mason followed, eyes locked on the sway of Eve''s hips, her eager eyes when she turned back to smile at him. For a moment there was no settlement, no other women, no endangered brother or synthetic God. She walked him through a thick mist, then stepped into a steaming pool still surrounded by snow, like some dic hot spring. As she did she simply pulled her clothing apart like paper. "Join me," she said as she turned, exposing her toned, pale body, herrge and now floating breasts. Mason didn''t hesitate. He took off what was left of his shredded clothes, then shivered at the warmth of the water. Step by step he went to a waiting Eve, who pulled him close and kissed him without another word. Mason feared he''d hardly be able to feel her touch with all his changes. But he was soon lost in her soft lips, and with every passing second he sensed the heat all around him, the ''nymph queen'' pressed against his chest. When he opened his eyes he realized his skin was normal. He looked down to see his body was returning very rapidly, the feeling strange but not unpleasant. "There you are, my champion," Eve soothed. ¡°And so young. How can it be possible?¡± A single tear ran down her cheek as she ran her hands over Mason''s chest. "Did I...hurt you? Before...?" "I''m not easy to hurt," Mason said, intoxicated by her softness, her concern. He felt adored, which was a heady enough potion on its own, but by a creature like this? He could sense her magic growing stronger with every moment, tingling as she touched him, pure life filling his senses. "You should stay with me," she said, a hand drifting down his stomach. "I sense your hunger, your inexperience. Yet you are filled with such power already. I could teach you to wield it. I could teach you so many things." "One day," Mason said, knowing if he''d been single and not responsible for so many lives, he''d have been utterly unable to resist. "I have obligations. We only have a little time." He kissed her and held her more roughly than he intended, concerned for a moment she might still be weak and he might hurt her. She shook with a littleughter against his lips, then pulled back with half lidded eyes as she slid her fingers around his manhood. "You can''t harm me, champion. At least nothing that willst." She stroked him and moaned as he ran his thumbs over her nipples. "I want all your roughness. All your strength. I want it inside me..." She didn''t quite finish the thought before Mason''s tongue was in her mouth. He gripped her ass with both hands, giving her just enough space between them to keep stroking him. He groaned at the feel of the warmth and the magic, of this beautiful woman working him with both hands and sucking his tongue. But he wanted more. He intended to give her everything she wanted, but first he wanted to be calm, to rx, and enjoy his reward. The pool had many seats and steps, and he pulled her with him as he sat far enough out for his erection to be exposed, then pulled Eve on top of hisp on her knees. "I liked you there," he said, sliding his fingers between her legs to find a hairless sex more than ready. Before Eve had a chance to respond, he lined her up and and pushed the tip of his cock inside. She practically froze in ce, incredibly tight despite her wetness. She shivered as she slid inch by incredible inch down his shaft, gasping slightly and pausing as she went. "It''s been...a very, very long time," she muttered, clutching his hair as she worked him deeper. Mason didn''t mind in the slightest. Quite the opposite. He just watched her doing everything she could to fill herself with his hardness, his hands again on her ass, leaning forward to take turns sucking on her nipples. She felt and tasted incredible, her body responsive and eager. When she finally reached the bottom, she sighed and pressed herself against him, motionless with him buried to the hilt as she kissed his forehead. "Do I please you?" she whispered as Mason put his head back and closed his eyes. "You know you do." He sighed, resisting the urge to start thrusting. "I am yours, however you wish," she said, hands on his face. "You need not ask. The answer is always yes." Mason opened his eyes to meet hers. Her words and body and probably magic were turning his dick to concrete, but he wanted to see her ride him. He helped her move with his hands, showing her what he wanted. Her silky wetness slid up and down his shaft, and soon he wasying back again as she took over. It wasn''t like with the nymphs. With them he felt...affection, and lust of course, but not much more. With Eve¡­he had seen her mind, her past. Even if he knew it was all some construct plucked from the database of a God, she existed. She had thoughts and feelings. So what the hell was she if she wasn''t ''real''? Mason let his mind drift as Eve rode his cock in the warm water. She seemed lost in the moment too, a smile fighting to rece the open mouthed moans, a glowing sheen of sweat on her glistening body. He soon gave up any thought of swapping positions. He just explored her body with his hands, letting her move until her breaths came faster as she ran her hands through her hair and ground her hips into him. Then she was panting and riding him at full speed, gripping his cock until she stopped and shook with orgasm. Mason was still on the edge. "Keep riding," he ordered, and Eve fought through her own pleasure to obey. Her pale skin was flushed red, her pussy dripping down his shaft. He just watched, still unmoving, wanting her to give him the release on her own. He pped her ass red in encouragement, groaning in relief as she worked him over the top. When he finally started to cum she leaned her tits in his face and twerked on top of him. He gripped her ass and exploded deep inside her, feeling her whole body seize up and shudder at the sensation. He was reminded, then, she was some kind of nymph queen, desperate for the magic in his body. She rode him until he''d drained every drop inside her, and then a little more. When he was finished she slowly eased him out, dropping to her knees to suck him absolutely dry. "Jesus," he said, hardly able to stand it as she worked him, his hands on his face. "I''ll make more, you know." Eve giggled and trailed kisses all over his cock, finallyying her head in hisp with a sigh. "I''ll want that, too." Mason looked down at the goddess still ying with his dick like a toy, and vaguely remembered a life of kinesiology sses and quiet evenings alone. But only vaguely.
Chapter 220: The long road home (NSFW) Chapter 220: The long road home (NSFW) Eve wasn''t kidding about wanting more. After giving assurances, then finally relenting and showing Mason images of his bored friends still waiting in the tunnel, she made them a bed out of nts. He tried not to feel any guilt when he saw Reba. She looked back to her usual self now, and perfectly safe. Mason told himself he was actually helping the great tree recover, and anyway he was...allowed other girls. The thought was strange, because she sure as hell wasn''t allowed other men. Not that she''d shown the slightest interest. Still, Mason was pretty sure he''d murder any man who tried, which he understoodpletely as unfair. But there it was. Take what you want, said Cerebus in his memory. You should rule that forest like a king. Mason wasn''t sure Cerebus knew the difference between a tyrant and a king, but still, the son of a bitch had a point. And right now living like a king meant fucking the brains out of the nymph queen. Mason tried to make his new god proud. Already Eve was covered in scratches and bite marks he didn''t quite remember leaving. At first she''d seemed insatiable, asking for more and more, harder and harder until the ps of their flesh were echoing in the sanctum as Mason pounded her missionary into the bed. That had been a good two orgasms ago. For him at least. He''d stopped paying attention to hers after a solid minute of animal screaming. Now he was pounding her from behind, her eyes rolled back, her face a mask of mindless lust as he drove it into the bed. Her amazing body moved wherever he put it, like he''d fucked her into some kind of sex-zombie state. He arched her back, gripped her by the hair, and enjoyed the view as he thrust deep into her for as long his ridiculous body could. He supposed he should have been above the ego of such a thing. [Title gained: Adam¡¯s Heir. You have exhausted Eabha, queen of the nymphs. Improve the effect of Blessing of Gaia.] Mason practically groaned when the text shed, but also fought the smile. If he was honest, he''d been kind of expecting something, and might have been going for it. So much for being above the ego. But the idea of having an even better tool to bring his girls more pleasure was just not something he was above. In any case, it was time for his little sex escape toe to an end. He pulled Eve up and kissed her cheek. "Ready to take a little more seed?" "Yes, druid," she mumbled, but not with the confidence and eagerness she''d shown at the start. Now she was more like Becky in a threesome with Haley, overwhelmed and just trying to hold on. Mason grinned, held her up by pulling both her arms back, and jack hammered on. Her hips were sexy and wide, her ass was amazing, and it didn''t take Mason long to build to a crescendo. When he finally let go of her arms, she instantly bent over even further, reached underneath herself, and started ying with his balls. It was a very good surprise, and Mason went off instantly. He no longer questioned the ridiculous stamina. He just groaned and enjoyed the release as he pumped Eve''s slick pussy full of seed for the fourth time. Her ass looked even more amazing the way she was bent down, still ying with his balls and squeezing him for every drop. The sensation was fantastic, and he silently decided all his girls would soon be learning the technique. When he finished he slumped on top of Eve''s back before rolling them to their sides. She eventually turned, squeezing herself against him with a long, satisfied sigh. "I didn''t expect...thank you, champion, for your many gifts. I can never repay you for all you''ve done." "Oh, we''ll think of something," Mason said, giving her ass an affectionate pat. Then he remembered his rewards and got alert quickly. "Actually, you can answer some questions. How the hell does WyrdWalking work?" Eve frowned. "I''m...not exactly sure, druid. I cannot leave my tree. I have seen many nymphs and druids do it, but, I could not tell you the details of how." Unfortunate, but at least he''d asked. "Two more things¡ªone, do you have anything you can teach, uh," what the hell did he call ¡®civilians¡¯ to ancient tree avatars?, "humans who aren''t warriors? Or, hell, humans who are warriors, for that matter. I have¡­allies, and they could use gifts, knowledge, anything. I''m a patron, also, do you know what a patron is? We have a lot to do and I feel like there''s never enough time, or resources, and frankly we''re a bit lost in the...what?" Eve was staring into his eyes, a wide smile on her beautiful face. "Nothing, druid. I keep forgetting how young you are. How full of passion and excitement." He quirked a brow. "Forgetting? You''ve been experiencing it all day." Eve giggled and even blushed a little. "True. And I¡¯ve enjoyed it very much. But I''m sorry, I''m afraid in my current state I have¡­little to offer. Though," she smiled, "if you stayed and kept seeding me so...vigorously, that may change." "I can''t. But I''lle back." He frowned. "If you needed me, is there some way you could contact me?" Eve took Mason''s hand and kissed his knuckles. "Ever the champion. If you can walk the ancient paths now, returning will not be difficult. The druids of old could always walk between the great trees." "Right." Mason grinned. "Then I suppose we''ll have toe up with some kind of regr schedule." "I would like that very much," Eve matched it, a little wetness in her eyes. "Now go to your friends. I''ve never liked goodbyes." Mason kissed her and stood, trying for a moment to put on his ripped and somewhat disgusting clothes before Eve pped at his hand. "That I can help with, at least." She put her hand on his chest, and skin-tight fibers grew down his body, covering him like green leather from chest to knees. [You have gained item: Eabha''s basic liveries. Innate.] "You can remove and reform them at your will," she said. "For now they''re just clothes. But, soon I will be able to reward you properly." "These are actually really helpful. I¡¯m always ripping everything. Thank you." It seemed like the moment for a goodbye, so Mason just took Eve in his arms and kissed her deeply onest time. Then he smiled and turned without another word, walking out to the previously frozen hollow that now looked to be emerging into an early spring. It had been a good day, and a pretty damn good start. * * * "Jayzus fecking Christ he''s here atst." After a few warm words with the gnoll chief, then a guarded escort back down to the tunnel, Mason dropped down to the others. Phuong bowed slightly, his bastard son quiet beside him but copying his bow. Seamus said his Seamus things. And Becky came running. Despite his...intense afternoon, Mason wrapped his arms around her dly and breathed in her scent, not a hint less attracted or attached to her no matter what else was in his life. "You''re alright?" he said, inspecting her with Ranger''s Mark. "Yes, Dad," she rolled her eyes. "You¡¯re the one who just fought a damn boss on your own. And you''re back to normal! And you have...green spandex?" "I thought it looked more like leather," Mason said, wincing. He leaned in a little and spoke quietly in Becky''s ear. "You can call me Daddy, if you like, but maybe wait until we''re alone." "Oh my God," she whispered back, then Mason remembered her cousin and turned more serious. "They told you about Sarah?" She nodded, surprisingly calm. "Yeah. Willy said she escaped. Damn clever girl. I''m thinking she might be outside by now? Do you think we can go get her, make sure she''s OK?" Mason looked at the younger man, who was casually strolling away from the group. Then he looked at Phuong, who shook his head. "They talked. I hadn''t realized what he said. Sorry, Patron, I should have made sure." "It''s alright," Mason said, and Reba looked between them, clearly about to ask what the hell they meant before Mason held up a hand. "I''m sorry, but Willy lied. The insect leader took Sarah. It''s...using her somehow, living inside her." Reba covered her mouth with her hands, but Mason knew she needed to hear all of it. "I let it escape. It was that or risk losing you, Becky, and I chose you. I''m sorry, but if I had to do it again, I''d do the same thing. No one else got a vote. It was just me." Becky took a step away and twitched with a sob, then came back and put her head against his chest. He let out a sigh of relief, and just held on. "Whatever you did, I''m sure you had to. Poor Sarah. Do you think we can find her?" "I''m not sure," Mason said honestly. He didn''t bother adding that it wasn''t even on his top 5 priorities because what the hell good would it do. And his gut told him he hadn''t seen thest of that insect queen. It was a dangerous foe, but he expected ke could help him track it down and deal with it. If he ever got out of that God damn tower. Meanwhile, he needed to go get Streak, and...whatever the hell came with that. Then he needed to secure Nassau because it was still too unprotected, and yes get ke, and test Wyrd Walking, and explore more of the damn world, and keep getting more experience and more knowledge, and... Mason sighed. He had too much to do, and never enough time. But he had allies, too, and felt warmth when he looked around at the others waiting on hismand. "Good job in here," he said, meeting the yer''s eyes one by one. "I think clearing this tree was more important even than I realized, and it''s done. Now lets go home." With that he held Becky close to his chest, and walked back towards the tunnel, and the long road home.
Chapter 221: Waiting on you Chapter 221: Waiting on you "So, em, why are we waiting in the bloody snow again? I''m freezing." Mason spared a quick re at Seamus and put a finger to his lips for silence. His ''bond'' with Streak apparently gave him a kind of intuitivepass as to which direction the animal was. So after they''d left the great tree, he''d taken them a little ways to the northwest until he''d found a sign. It was snowing, so there were no tracks, but Mason saw scavenger birds circling not far in the distance. And he heard the quiet of the forest as prey animals hid or ran in terror in every direction. The pack wasing. "It might not be them. But I think it is," Mason whispered. "Stay here. I''ll be back shortly." "Can Ie?" Becky said, mostly unwilling to let go of his hand since the insect tunnel. He smiled and nodded. "If you''re up for a ride." She climbed onto his back andy tight against him, and he held her legs as he ran. For a moment he reminded himself these weren''t like wolves in the real world. They wouldn''t just run away or keep their distance if they smelled or heard him. They weren''t afraid of men here. But he had bonded with a wolf. His ranger ''essence'', whatever the hell that was, brought him an understanding of the creatures beyond anything he could exin, and Apex Predator had already demonstrated its effectiveness. So he had no fear of them, either. He found the corpse of a giant antelope about the same moment as the wolves. Three youths stared from the trees, waiting to see what he''d do. He set Reba down and came forward, squatting down next to the corpse to wait. More and more wolves gathered around. At least ten. Maybe more. They looked healthy and strong. "Um, Mason?" Becky whispered, getting closer to his back. "There''s a lot of them. Do you think Streak is actually here? I mean, what if he isn''t? Are we just going to..." The pack growled, and a wolf twice the size of the others padded out from behind, green eyes shining in the gloom. Mason grinned as Streak rushed straight to him, smashing his enormous head into Mason''s shoulder and practically leaping into his arms as he sniffed and whined. "OK," Masonughed as he was forced to catch his friend. "OK. OK. I''m happy to see you too." The pack transformed their posture, most sitting, others flopping right down with tongues out to rest. "Better let them eat," Masonughed, giving the giant wolf a good scratch and wrestle, even Becky rxing enough to join in. "They''re waiting on you. There''ll be a mutiny." Streak didn''t look very concerned. He bounced around like a pup, then walked back and nuzzled a female until she followed shyly. Streak walked her back to Mason and sat, sticking up his nose with hrious pride. "Well done, very impressed," Mason chuckled, keeping a respectful distance for now. The female took her time but approached, giving Mason a good sniff before wandering away again, not terribly enthused. Finally Streak went to the carcass and started eating, and the pack followed in their proper order. Mason shook his head as he watched them all. "I think we''re going to need a kennel." "What?" Becky''s eyes widened. "We''re bringing them? Back to Nassau?" "We are," he confirmed. When he nced at her and saw she still didn''t really believe, he shrugged. "We need guards. There''s nothing better. I''ll sleep sound and set no watch with Streak''s pack protecting us at night." Becky let out a breath and shook her head. "What if we get more refugeesing in? Won''t they...I don''t know...eat people? Like, you know, they tried to eat me?" "Well...I..." Mason winced. "Haven''t worked out all the kinks." "Kinks?" Becky''s eyes widened and Masonughed as he pulled her closer. "We''ll domesticate them. Probably. Look, we''ll figure it out." Mason and Becky sat down and ate some dried rations, having a make-shift pic on a sweater in the snow. If he was honest, though, he was tempted by the smell of the raw meat, and to join in and eat with the wolves... When the pack was finished, Mason and Streak led them south to the others. For their part the wolves seemed excited to be on an adventure, their trust in Streak already obvious. "You did good," Mason said, a hand on his friend. Then, mostly to himself. "But how am I going to teach them not to eat people..." The civilians panicked briefly as the pack found them. It was the exact wrong thing, and the wolves growled and circled the moment the group started acting like prey. "It''s a good thing they''ve already eaten," Mason chastised. "This is..." he grinned, "our honor guard back to Nassau. You''ll all need to learn how to behave. Which is fearlessly when they''re around. They need to learn some respect for people, so please do your best to help teach them. Don''t challenge them, but never act afraid. Alright?" After a lot of ''what the fecking fecks'' from Seamus and clear difort from Willy and Huei, they all got moving south towards Nassau. Phuong and Becky asked a lot of questions about clearing the tree, what the ''boss'' was like, and what they needed to do now. Mason answered...carefully. He decided for now not to discuss Eve at all, exining just that it had been thest great tree and now they needed to look out further, beyond the great forest. "There''s a big world out there," he exined. "This is a game and there has to be a way to win. I don''t think it''ll end until we do. So we need to figure out how." Phuong nodded in agreement, and Mason was pleased when they stopped asking questions. It wasn''t that he was ashamed or wanted to lie to Becky about Eve, he just wanted the timing to be right, and for some actual need to discuss it. Eve couldn''t leave her tree, and for all Mason knew may take decades to recover enough to even be useful. As far as Mason was concerned, she was just another of his ''druidic'' obligations. A bloody good obligation. The ''Evercold'' seemed already transformed. In many ces that had before seemed lifeless, Mason could see and hear many signs of living things hunting for food or building nests. He wondered if they had somehow been hibernating, or if the usual rules of the world just didn''t apply, and they''d been ''created'' from nothing the moment the tree was cleansed. He supposed for now it didn''t matter. What mattered is that the horrifying frozen mists were all gone, the coldness of the winter not so harsh. They were protected from the wind in the trees, and for Mason at least the snowy trek was downright pleasant. Eventually they reached the river back towards the mountains and home. Mason checked but didn''t find his fish friend, then went to help the others cross the rapid waters one by one. He was pretty sure his old neighbor had finally recognized him, staring at his face awkwardly until he nced her way. But he didn¡¯t really care or acknowledge it. He just helped her across the river like the others without a word. Phuong and Becky stripped down to their underwear then went on their own. Mason tried not to growl as Huei and Seamus stared at Becky, the former with wide eyes. "Don''t be rude," Phuong muttered, and the teenager went red as he averted his gaze. Then the old man winked at Mason and pped the boy on the back. "Not that I me you. But don''t worry, you''ll be happy where we''re going." Mason rolled his eyes but smiled, and this time the group made it across the river without any issues. The wolves all swam like fish across, and Mason was reminded many of their kind (and maybe this pack, too) actually had gills. They built a fire for the warmth on the other side, but after everyone was dry and ready they began the journey towards Nassau. This time Mason intended to go around the mountain with plenty of distance, not interested in another pointless scrap with goblins until the civilians were safe. They traveled quickly, but not frantically. Mason considered running ahead on his own, but thought it best he stay with the wolves to make sure there weren''t any...incidents. He also didn''t want to leave Reba. She was still clinging to him, and he knew the incident with the bug queen had affected her more than she was letting on. When night fell he took her a little ways from the group''s camp to talk. "I''m alright," she said, hugging him. "I''ve just never felt..." she closed her eyes. "It was in my mind, and suddenly I wasn''t in control. Like I couldn''t stop it. I couldn''t do anything. I''ve never felt so...helpless. And I keep thinking about Sarah." Mason nodded, understanding again the terror people had of his brother''s powers. If he didn''t have his own incredible protection through Apex Predator, he knew he''d feel exactly the same way. And who knew how long that would even protect him? Every level he grew in power, so surely ''mind controllers'' would too. What happened on the day their ability to control outstripped his defense? Mason shivered at the thought, just holding Becky, mind wandering until he felt her lips on his neck. She looked around and bit her lip, and soon Mason had her pressed against a tree. When he pulled up for air she almost stomped her foot as she pouted. "I feel gross and cold. I want a shower and a warm bed and to be pressed up against you. Not..." "Not banged against a tree?" They both grinned, and Becky nodded. "I want that too," he said, wanting desperately tofort her. "We''ll wait," he said, taking her hand. "Tonight we''ll just sleep in the sleeping bag, then tomorrow we''ll be home in our room, and we''ll open some wine and stay in a warm bed all day." Becky nodded and hugged him, and he breathed her in and smiled. "Can the great Mason take a break from the world for a day? Just for li¡¯l old me?" she asked. Mason wasn''t exactly smooth, or great at saying the right thing, but he wasn''t stupid either. "For you I can," he said, hoping it was true. That night he did what he promised, holding Becky in their sleeping bag until she slept soundly in his arms. He saw some of the others struggling to rx with the predators wandering around them. But the sound of Streak and the pack nearbyforted Mason exactly as he thought it would. Nothing in this world would slip by a pack of restless wolves, and for the first time he felt a little of thefort he sometimes did behind Nassau''s walls, even in the wild. Someone he trusted was finally watching those he loved while he slept. * * * The morning came too quickly, and Mason struggled to leave the warmth of Becky''s arms and rise. Every natural instinct in his body wanted to rip off her clothes and wake her up with his mouth between her legs. But there were, well, other people around. And things to do. Too many bloody things. He checked on the wolves and found they''d made a few kills in the night, but fed them pretty much all the rations he had left. Streak allowed him to hand it to each wolf personally, helping to form a bond of trust. He thought it best they got used to that, and would have everyone in Nassau take their turns feeding them. The camp eventually roused with the dawn, and after a brief breakfast and some grumbling, the party was back on the ''road'' to Nassau. Mason walked with Becky hand in hand, but eventually grilled both her and Phuong to make sure they knew where they were going without him. Phuong passed, Becky failed. "OK so I haven''t been paying attention!" she rolled her eyes. "But I know that''s south and I''d figure it out eventually!" Phuong tsk''ed and shook his head in silence, which seemed to generate more shame in the poor girl than anything Mason could say. Mason put his arm around her. "We''ll give you a pass this time. But look forndmarks. You can see some mountains pretty clearly there in the distance, especially if you climb a bit. We should probablye up with some names and descriptions to tell them apart. Mount Nassau? The Nassau range? OK, someone creative should, hey maybe our cartographer here could..." Mason froze as he heard wood snap. He nced to find several wolves with their ears ttening, then heard foliage whipping back, loud footsteps crashing through the trees. He summoned a w and gestured to Phuong, who nodded and summoned his sword. "Mason? Is that you?" a young voice echoed through the trees. "It''s me! Billy! Oh thank God. Thank God." Mason unsummoned his de and ran towards the voice. Young Billy the Brewer fell to his knees a few steps from the group, and Mason lunged forward to catch him. He was trembling with exhaustion, eyes bruised and skin pale, covered in what looked like tree branch scratches. "What''s wrong?" His gut flipped in fear. How and why in the name of God was a civilian so far out and alone in the woods? "It''s goblins," Billy said, gasping for breath. "I was out...it doesn''t matter. I saw them. Outside the walls. They chased me, but I tricked them. And I got away. I think they''re attacking Nassau. There were so many. Hundreds. I don''t know. I just ran North. I thought maybe...I just ran." Mason lifted the civilian to his feet and put both hands on his shoulders, amazed he''d survived, nevermind reached them. "You were incredibly brave, Billy, and smart. You did good. Real good." He handed him to Phuong, then met the man''s eyes. "Run to Nassau with Seamus. Don''t stop for anything. I don''t care if a civilian drops, we''ll find them after. You understand?" Phuong nodded, and Mason didn''t look to see how anyone else felt about it. He activated Speak with Nature and gestured for Becky to get on his back. [Follow me] hemanded Streak and the wolves. [We''re hunting goblins. A lot of them.] Then he opened Wayfinder, aimed directly at Nassau, and ran at full speed.
Chapter 222: Cliknik Chapter 222: Cliknik Cliknik, First Scout of the Greenblood tribe, was not prone to anxiety. But today he felt his guts twist, and his dder shrink. He grunted and pissed where he stood, then pulled along his human ve and clicked to the other scouts. He had to watch everything, to be perfect. The attack would begin soon. A High Wizard of the Order hade, along with his Nightde bodyguard, and a Captain in charge of a massive raiding party. They hade all on the words of Cliknik that the human settlement could be taken. And they were not pleased when they arrived. Of course the disaster was not Cliknik''s fault. But none of the raiding party had seen it that way. A single human ve had been out gathering nts, and managed to spot the raider''s camp about a mile from the settlement. He had fled, and the ipetent orzy raiders had either failed to catch him or didn''t bother because they figured he couldn''t go back to the settlement without being caught by Cliknik''s scouts. But the ve had been clever, or else terrified, and in either case didn''t go back. And so they had lost him entirely. Stupid brutes and raider fools! Whether he''d run off or died made no difference. Cliknik knew humans were cunning. They were also greatly attached to their ves. No doubt the escaped ve had a master, even a name like this ''ma-tay-o'' now roped at Cliknik''s side. He was probably well fed. He probably slept by his master''s feet like a pet. You didn''t underestimate a human''s sentiment for his animals and ves. Everyone knew that! Cliknik had expected a rescue party, and was intending to ambush it, but none ever came. Instead the humans ced more guards on their walls. Then several hours before the raiders intended to attack, the outside of the settlement had transformed. Specifically: the walls had gained height, and be covered in vines. To the untrained eye these vines might be wee. Good, could say the foolish raiders. Why not use them to climb? But Cliknik did not be a Scout First ss by being a fool. Oh no. He knew tree witch magic when he saw it. The Creeper vines would snatch you and snap you quick as pan. They weaved like cobras. They crushed like pythons. But the attackers had not brought the Engineering Guild to help them. The raiders hated them and wouldn¡¯t share glory, the damn fools. Now they''d have to burn the vines, or dig under the walls, or usedders and take their chances. Cliknik told the Captain as much. All he''d gotten for his trouble was angry shouts and me and stupidity. "We''vee at much price!" the Captain shouted with bulging eyes, spittle flying free. "You said it would be easy! No problem, didn''t say clever Cliknik, ''easy''?" Cliknik knew you didn''t argue with Captains, so he said nothing. The wizard saved him. "I can burn your fearsome vines, First Scout. But we must wait three more hours. Then the moon will be in its zenith, and our attack will please the gods of blood and gold." "As you say, great wizard," Cliknik had bowed and tried not to sweat as the eyes of the silent Nightde inspected him. Then he left themand tent as quickly as possible. He still thought to dy was very foolish, but there was no arguing with wizards, either. Now the raiding party was finally rustling through the trees. The wizard was preparing his magic, the raiders were drinking their mushroom brew and working themselves into a frenzy. Atst, the moment had arrived. Cliknik allowed himself a smile because the other human warriors had not yet returned. If Cliknik''s human ve was correct, that meant they were missing their chief, and almost all of their most powerful warriors. If the attack seeded, when the attack seeded, Cliknik would gain his reward. He could live fat andfortable for years, if he wished, in the pleasure caves, no more captains, no more wizards or their killers. "Good day today, hmm?" Cliknik shook his ve''s shoulder and grinned. The human nodded, mostly silent now unless directly called upon. Human ves were very spoiled, and this one was no different. Cliknik had been trying to train him properly, which meant not quite enough food and just the right amount of beatings. But he proved very stubborn. No matter, Cliknik thought, I''ll break him in yet. And maybe get some more! Because after today, a day of days, he would have all the time in the world. * * * Carl slipped back into the settlement, dropped his Stealth, and wiped the sweat from his brow. "How many, then?" said the new Scotsman yer John, and all the waiting yers stared. Carl had no idea what to tell them. He couldn''t be sure, but he''d seen enough to get an idea, and the truth was terrifying. "Maybe a hundred," he said, downying it a little. Even so the others practically sagged in unison. "Any sign of Mason and the others?" asked Tommaso. Carl just shook his head. "What the hell do we do?" Garet said, walking back and forth with his hands twisting. "Can''t you spend more points? Buy more defences? We can''t fight a hundred on our own!" Carl shook his head. "It only let me spend a small per cent, I can''t do anything else. We''re going to have to just defend the walls as long as we can. Maybe they give up. Maybe the otherse back." "OK," said Alex, the only one not panicking. "We get bows. Spears. From civilians. Maybe they help. We shoot, we throw. We do our best." Carl nodded, giving the man a tight lipped smile. "You''re right, the civilians can help. You don''t need magic powers to stab someone climbing a wall. I''d better go gather them and exin. If these things start attacking, sound the rm, OK?" The others nodded, still looking mostly terrified. Annie in particr was white as a sheet. She was leaning against the wall, looking down and muttering to herself. "You OK, Annie?" Carl said, getting closer but not too close. The petite but terrifying redhead looked up and sort of spasmed at being addressed. "Uh huh," she said, ncing around as if worried Carl might be trying to ambush her. "Why wouldn''t I be? Why ask me? I''m just as OK as anyone else." Then she turned and ran towards her house, scrambling inside before mming the door. "I think maybe Little Red is not doing so OK," Alex said, with his usualck of expression and tone. Carl gave the man a look, then walked towards Sylvie with a sigh. * * * Carl found Sylvie with Rosa and a few of the other girls. Things were still awkward between them, and Carl had gone to the second bedroom ever since Mateo and the aborted civilian uprising. "Things are pretty bad," he said, not wanting to sugar coat it. He exined about the size of the raid, the n, and how they wanted every able civilian to take a spear from the crafters and get ready to help on the wall. When he''d finished talking, they all stood in stunned silence. "I can make some explosives," Rosa said, a delicate hand to her chin. "Nothing too fancy, mind you. But I wouldn''t want it to go off anywhere near me." Carl smiled, feeling very grateful for the girl, and maybe even a little hope. "That would be amazing. Get to it. Can you handle the civilians, Syl?" The woman who would be the mother of his child met his eyes with a hard to process look. "Yes," she said. "We''ll be ready as soon as possible." Carl nodded and turned to leave, but Sylvie stopped him. She waved the others off, then closed her eyes and looked at the floor. "I hate this." She was clearly fighting tears but Carl wasn''t sure what to say or do about it. Truth was, she''d been wrong, dead wrong, and he was still angry about it. Finally Sylvie stepped towards him and met his eyes. "Mateo was a selfish idiot. But he had a point, and I got so caught up in perfect and trying to make a good future for our...girls. I wasn''t thinking straight. I''m sorry. I''ve made such a mess of things." Carl resisted a moment, then practically sagged with relief. If there wasn''t a couple hundred goblins trying to murder them all, he might have drawn it out and had a longer conversation, but this was the bloody apocalypse. "Apology epted." Sylvie mmed into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. "God I wish we had more time," he said, breathing in her scent, remembering the almost endless nights with her in the other bed. "Go save the day, and we''ll have plenty of time," she said, kissing him passionately before breaking away. "Now we''ve both got jobs to do. I''ll see you at the walls." He watched her walk away, still not believing sometimes that a woman like that was his. That she was pregnant with his child, and miserable when he was mad at her. He took a deep breath and scrolled through his profile, letting the nonsense start to fade. Sylvie was right. He had a job to do. For her, for the girls of Sanctuary, and all the other people he''d grown to love. He was going to hold this ce, thisst little paradise for all the survivors who''d made it. "I won''t let you down, kid," he whispered, grinning when he wasn¡¯t sure if he meant Mason or his child on the way. Then he walked out towards the gate, flicking down the list of his powers.
Chapter 223: F around and find out Chapter 223: F around and find out ke was pretty sure he was lost again. It was embarrassing, really, considering Nassau wasn''t that far from the orc towers, and since he was previously the patron of said settlement. But it was bloody easy to get turned around in this endless woods, and the sky was so overcast ke couldn''t actually see the sun. "God damnit." He stopped and turned in a circle. "Navi, which way is West?" "Sorry, Master," the little familiar pouted. "I don''t possess that kind of knowledge." "Yes, yes." ke mentally linked with his constructs. "Hired goons, go West." They stared at him nkly and he sat down on a fallen log. "Well this is quite a mess. I''m d I didn''t bring Ilya, I''ll tell you that, Navi. Not good for a woman to see you wandering like a lost puppy, or a..." ke blinked and thought about the little cat he''d created to amuse her with True Making, then realized he was an idiot. He opened the power, swiped to Practical Objects, then imagined apass. In less than 30 seconds he was holding a perfectly serviceable lookingpass in his hands, though he had no idea if it worked. He stood and held it out, then watched the little needle swing until it pointed West. "Ha!" He beamed then looked at his stone-faced constructs and sighed. "Next time I''m going to make you with more enthusiasm. The asional smile wouldn''t hurt, you know? Maybe a fist bump." They said nothing, and he rolled his eyes. "Yes I know I could have made you with wings and we could have just flown there. But I didn''t want to re-make all of you, did I?" Of course his five constructs said nothing, and ke shook his head. "Come along, Navi,." He followed thepass at a leisurely pace, stopping now and then to drink or eat what he unenthusiastically called ¡®orc trail mix'', or swat at mosquitoes. "I''ll be covered in red spots when I get to Nassau," he said. "It''ll ruin the whole mystique." Eventually he had to camp for the night, vaguely dreading it until he realized he could construct himself pretty much whateverforts he wanted. Soon he was lying pleasantly in a double bed,pletely surrounded by a stic box, only a mosquito like opening at the top. His constructs stood guard outside, vignt sentinels that could surely stop most anything in the forest. He closed his eyes and slept, feelingpletely safe andfortable for the first time in the great woods. The sun was rising when he woke. Despite his physical stats improving slightly, he still felt no enjoyment whatsoever for ''hiking'', and thought of little besides the end of the journey. Then there was all the time he was wasting when he could be experimenting with True Making. He made designs as he walked, at least, storing them in a kind of mental file marked ''forter''. His most exciting prospect was a Defender with four arms and a head designed for ramming. But he''d also tried making standardbat models that could shoot spikes. At least that was the theory. It seemed equally possible it wouldn''t be allowed or just not work, and that he needed some new archetype to create ranged versions. Mostly he just tried to distract himself from the anxiety and excitement of seeing Mason and everyone else in Nassau. He''d have to figure out what to say to Seul-ki. How to convince them to y nice with the orcs, and even help them. He winced slightly when he wondered how Annie was doing. She was the one person in Nassau who weed and indeed desperately needed his mind powers. Hopefully she''d figured things out on her own. In fact ke''s mind was so busy, he hardly even realized the air had slightly changed. Only when he stopped for a drink did he realize he smelled smoke, then looked up above the canopy of the forest and saw a dark plume rising not far from the West. He blinked and tried to think how close he should be now to Nassau. Could that be it? Yes. It certainly could. But the smoke was strange, and too thick. The buildings didn''t have chimneys, except Billy¡¯s restaurant. Unless they''d started some kind of big bonfire in town there was no way it would produce that much smoke... ke''s intuition told him to take this seriously. And to hurry. He winced and looked at his constructs. It wasn''t flying, and it wouldn''t befortable, but he knew they could move a lot faster than him. He willed the closest to scoop him up in a princess carry, then lumber forward towards the smoke. "How embarrassing," he muttered. "My entrance will bepletely ruined." * * * Mason charged through the trees with Streak and his pack of wolves like cavalry in formation. Before long he saw smoke rising in the distance, and he clenched his teeth with impatient rage. He tried not to let his imagination run wild. Did smoke mean the settlement was already burning? What else could it be? It could be Carl and the others were lighting the trees on fire on purpose, either to get Mason''s attention, or to harass their enemy. It could be the attacker''s had made a fire outside the walls. Or that they were using it in a fight and it got out of control. Mason had to believe there was still time, that the enemy wasn''t inside and destroying everything he cared about. That it was goblins and not humans reminded him how brutal and pitiless this new world was. And how stupid anyone who didn''t work together. It wasn''t just the yers who would die. Civilians had no protection at all from the creatures of this world. Like so many times in history, Mason expected those without weapons would be killed, or enved when the fighting was over. He increased his pace. The wolves were falling behind but they''d catch up. He hoped he wasn''t putting them in too much danger, but the thought of Haley and Rosa hiding and terrified, or worse, temporarily stripped any concern. If he and Streak and every single wolf had to die to protect them, he would do it. The smoke grew and Mason stared at his position again and again on Wayfinder. He was close now, only a few minutes of full speed through the woods. He started to hear them. To smell them. There were goblins scattered throughout the trees. There were many more clustered around Nassau, and Mason could smell trolls. And magic. And burning flesh. He clenched the bow in his hand, and sprinted. The first goblin entered his sight. A scout, looked like, hiding and watching from behind a tree. He turned and saw Masoning, eyes widening as he reached for something on his belt. And died. Mason didn''t even slow down. He just took half the creature''s throat with a sh from his off hand, his w summoning mid swipe as he charged straight past. Another scout not far away made a shrill sound of warning like a bird call, then Mason loosed a Power Shot and watched blood stter from the thing''s back as it pierced. More creatures burst into motion from several hidden positions. Darts and arrows streaked through the air, most missing but one dart burying into Mason''s chest. [Title activated: Poison Shmoison] He flicked it away, then put an arrow in the shooter''s gut and ran on. The scouts didn''t matter. Mason ran past them for therger force, ready to start a lightning bolt the second he found arge group. Killing them was useful, but not the purpose. He needed them to know. To know they were no longer alone in the woods, that they weren''t the predatoring here to feast on their prey. A thing seeped through Mason''s veins, not hot and urgent like rage looking to be spent on the closest object or living creature that got in his way. It was more quiet, more final, more like hatred. Whether the people of Nassau were alive or dead, whether the goblins turned and fled now, or fought, or tried to speak, it made no difference. Mason was going to find and kill every single one of them in his woods. Then he was going to go back to their mountainir, and he was going to obliterate them from elder to child. More arrows and darts followed him, one bouncing off his sleeve, another hitting his back but not even piercing enough to stick. He heard growls and screams behind him now as Streak and his pack leapt on the scouts. One ran before him, clearly trying to get word to the attacking force. Mason activated Aspect of the Cheetah and ran him down. Then he was at the clearing and outside the walls of Nassau. They''d grown somehow, and all around the sheer stone were writhing green vines. At least fifty goblins waited at the northern gate, which were half destroyed and revealed defenders inside. Two trolls smashed at them with giant clubs like battering rams. All around their position the vines were burning with ck smoke, a goblin in robes still spewing mes. It wasn''t over, then. Mason''s spark of hope red through the cold thing that he let take over. Later, if it was true, he would let that warmth and joy inside. But not now. Mason charged his Sleeves with mana, and pointed at thergest cluster he could see. Maybe these goblins thought they could destroy Nassau and somehow avoid him. Or maybe they didn¡¯t understand patrons or yers or what they were dealing with. But it was time they found out.
Chapter 224: The siege Chapter 224: The siege Carl had made sure the other yers were at the wall and ready to defend, then he¡¯d slipped through the other gate and walked into the trees with Reflection active. Soon he was creeping past goblin scouts, doing his best not to step on any twigs. Sweat leaked down his body as he searched for the goblin leadership. From his many, many sessions of Dungeons and Dragons, Carl figured he knew a thing or two about goblins. They weren''t exactly depicted as the bravest, most loyal creatures in the fantasy monstrous pantheon. He hoped roboGod made them ordingly. If so, he figured, maybe if he could kill their chief, or whatever the hell it was, the army would simply pack up and go home. When he¡¯d realized how many there were, and seen the trolls, he decided it was worth a shot. Because the truth was he wasn¡¯t sure they had a chance otherwise. So he ignored the fear, and kept moving. The goblin numbers around him swelled, and he controlled his breathing as he snuck onward. Then the trolls started smashing at Nassau''s gate. A few goblins tried to climb the walls and got strangled or crushed by the vines. Then Carl stopped and stared as a goblin in a robe moved to the walls, and started burning the vines with magic. Was that his target? It certainly might be. Carl moved closer and watched, torn between killing the thing before it did too much damage, and waiting to see if there were other leaders. He soon saw arge goblin watching the wizard¡ªthis one wearing a metallic breastte, neck and ears bejeweled, a fancy scabbard on his hip, wearing a helmet with a red plume. "Tell the damn trolls to pick up the pace!" this goblin shouted, pacing back and forth at the edge of the treeline. A few of the nearby scouts came to whisper in his ear, then run off again. If they had a leader, Carl decided, this would be him. But he knew as soon as he struck his stealth would drop. He would have to decide which to kill, unless somehow he could manage both with Simcrum and a well ced warp or two... He began to n his powers, and his route. He would have to be quick and brutal and probably lucky just to kill them, nevermind escape. But if he seeded, he might break apart the attack in one fell swoop. After some self-debate, he decided, it was worth a try. The wizard was a question mark. He might have some magic shield or unseen defense. Did Carl try and kill him personally, or send his simcrum, kill the chief, then warp over? The chief would be an easy kill, he expected, but only from ambush. Once it came to a fight it might be far more difficult. The chief, then, he decided. Better to kill one for sure then fail to kill both. He moved to a central spot between them, preparing to activate Simcrum. Then he saw red eyes in the shade of a nearby tree. Carl turned as a figure wrapped in shadows appeared almost next to him. He stepped back in surprise and panic, and as he did the red eyes shed towards him. The figure made a sort of tsking sound, held up a finger, and waggled it. "Impressive," it whispered in a raspy voice. "You should join our Order, human. You needn''t die with the others. Your talents will earn you gold. ves. Honor. But choose quickly." Carl¡¯s mind and heart raced. He¡¯d been caughtpletely off guard. Could the thing actually see him, or just perceive him some other way? "A fair offer," Carl whispered back after a dy. He summoned his weapon, and prepared to Shadow Leap. "But I''m afraid I must decline." The red eyes squinted, and the creature''s hands raised with ck ded knives. "A waste. But now you die." Carl blinked instantly, and still hardly made it. The creature''s knife shed through his clone''s throat as Carl moved at magical speed to another spot nearby. Usually when he blinked, the whole world and everyone in it slowed to a crawl until he finished his move. But this creature was hardly affected. It whipped a knife into a nearby tree, then turned and charged straight at him. Carl activated Color Spray, then ran in for the kill while his enemy was disoriented. He saw the red eyes close, the goblin killer obviously affected and probably blinded for a moment. But he showed no other sign. Carl sliced his Mirror de for the smaller creature''s chest, but it pulled back, then flipped, another knife whipping forward at Carl''s face. He turned his head, the de just slicing his cheek as he kept up the chase. He hacked twice, three times, four, as the goblin scrambled and leapt away without its eyes. It grunted as it struck a tree, and Carl caught it. It tried to parry a blow with a curved de, but Carl''s Mirror de sliced straight through the metal, then half the goblin''s wrist. It grunted and vanished, and Carl¡¯s power warned him of danger so he Shadow Leapt instantly, not caring where. On the other side he spun but saw nothing. He activated Reflect as quickly as he could and ttened against a tree. His heart was still pounding and he tried to calm it, fearing the thing might somehow hear. But it wasn''t slowing, it was speeding up. Carl put a hand to his chest and took deep breaths, then touched the blood leaking down his face. Terror struck as he realized: he''d been poisoned. Fuck, he thought, looking to see the wizard was still burning vines, the chief oblivious of the deadly duel happening not far away, eyes still on the gate. Carl knew then he''d failed. He needed to escape this killer and get back to Rosa, and judging on the speed of the poison, he needed to do it now. With one final failure to find his new enemy, he nned his path, and started to warp back to Nassau. * * * Rosa scanned the list of ingredients in her storage space and mumbled a string of curses. The thing she was making had some dumb fantasy name but she knew it was basically naphtha, or kerosene, or who the hell cared it burned bright and hot. ¡°Why am I always rushing to save everyone?¡± she muttered as she poured and snapped the lid shut on her container. When she was finished she just left her supplies where they were and ran for the wall. Up on the ramparts there were yers shooting at goblins with crude bows, ducking as arrows flew right back. Some civilians were up there too, but most just ducked down and looked terrified. The gate was breaking. Peni and some other craftsmen were building it up on the other side, calling for more wood. Alex stood near them looking bored, but probably keeping them all alive. "Alex!¡± Rosa shouted, holding her concoction carefully as she came forward. ¡°Can you help me?" The Brussian blinked, eyes slightly zed, like he was focusing on something. "What can I do?" Rosa swallowed and took another sk from her invisible storage. "I have to..." she pointed. "Go up there, and we have to throw these down. Like fire, or grenades, or, I''m not really sure. But the arrows..." "Ah. No problem," Alex said. "Youe to right ce." Rosa smiled gratefully, then the Eastern European gestured to follow and took her up some stairs that led up to the ramparts. The wall seemed to shake as the giant creatures kept smashing at the gate, and Rosa couldn''t stop her heart from pounding out of control. Alex took her hands in his, which surprised her enough she met his eyes. "You''re OK. Out there? Not important, yes? One thing at time." Rosa nodded and clenched her teeth, pulling the first batch of fiery mixtures from her storage. "One thing at a time," she said, handing one to Alex. "Just throw it. The liquid will mix when it breaks." He shook his head. "Can''t. Or shields won''t work." An arrow zipped through the wall and deflected off one of Alex''s purple shields, and Rosa flinched and nearly dropped the mixture. Alex raised a concerned eyebrow, then stepped aside so she could get closer to the trolls. Rosa took a deep breath and moved above them, not even sure what the damn mixture would do. But there was only one way to find out. She took a deep breath and stuck her head above the rampart, then froze as she saw a line of green creatures standing in the trees. Smoke rose from the walls all around her, one of the creatures loosing fire in great gouts at the vines. Her breathing threatened to spiral out of control as a few arrows deflected off Alex''s shield. "One thing at a time,¡± she whispered, then focused on her task. With a final grunt of effort, she reached over the rampart, and threw her first potion straight down at the trolls. And hit. It struck the thing''s shoulder, liquid spilling down its body. For a frozen moment Rosa feared it hadn''t worked at all. Then the liquid seethed with blue mes, roaring to life as it covered the troll so thick with fire the creature was hardly visible. Rosa almost shouted in triumph, but just gripped the stone. The creature didn''t run or scream. It just stopped and seemed confused, the other troll staring with equal curiosity. "Keep smashing!" shouted a voice from the clearing. "Stupid beasts, it''s just a bit of fire! We¡¯ve protected you! Keep smashing!" Rosa watched in horror as the burning troll shook and patted at its head, skin ckening slightly as it lifted its ming club and struck the gate again. She took out another vial with trembling hands, not sure what else to do, feeling a hopeless terror welling in her gut. How is that possible? She thought. How can we stop such creatures? She wondered if Carl was already dead outside those gates, and how long the gate defenders would hold. But she''d do what she could, as long as she could. Rosa held the next vial of liquid fire and prepared to throw. Maybe with enough it would ovee the things. And she didn¡¯t see any other choice. She met Alex¡¯s eyes, and he gave her the smallest of smiles, putting a hand on her shoulder without a word. She felt her eyes welling with tears because she saw a hopelessness there, an eptance of their fate. They both flinched as a boom echoed in the trees. Rosa looked over the ramparts to see several goblins lying on the forest floor as if sted. Then she choked back the sob and swept the forest with her eyes until she found him, the hopeless terror quenching in her chest. Mason stepped out from the trees.
Chapter 225: This one is strong Chapter 225: This one is strong Mason followed in the wake of his lightning, bow infused with fiery arrows as he stepped into the open and started shooting. The goblins were shoutingmands up and down the line, many loosing their own arrows once they saw him. He didn¡¯t mind. He wanted the attention. Darts and arrows zipped around him. Others struck. He watched weak poison messages re. Most of the missiles that hit him fell, piercing maybe only half an inch into his flesh. It hurt, but pain was nothing. His own arrows worked rather better. Goblins fell with every shot, his arrows sinking into guts and chests as he stalked forward loosing with Endless Quiver, maybe a release a second. Maybe faster. He stopped to deflect a javelin, seeing more of the raiders were gathering now anding for him. He activated Aspect of the Cheetah, summoned a w, then ran straight towards his true targets. The trolls had all but destroyed the gate, but it seemed the defenders had stacked up a giant pile of wood behind it. Good work, Carl, Mason thought, only a few seconds from the giant beasts. Apparently one of them was on fire. Though it didn''t seem to stop it. Both creatures wore metal breasttes and guards on their limbs, with thick gorgets around their necks. Mason activated Ranger''s Mark as he approached, but found pretty much what he expected: magically-protected, regenerating, giant murder machines with organs surrounded by bone. Ten feet from his target the air around him seemed to thicken. Mason''s movement slowed like he''d struck water, every step a struggle as he felt he dragged his body through mud. [Apex Predator: Arcane Affinity activated] The air sizzled, then shed with light. Mason growled as pain arched through his body, and he realized he''d hit some kind of magical trap. He turned and scanned the clearing, soon seeing a robed goblin with hands outstretched, attention now entirely on Mason. He''d been too focused, he realized, too rushed, and hadn''t seen the damn thing. He banished his w and lifted his bow, loosing a Power Shot that seemed to struggle with the same spell he was trapped in. The missile moved about a foot a second, and the wizard crackled with growing power as Mason watched helplessly. So he closed his eyes and focused on his own spell, preparing Inner Fire, not sure if it would help. The wizard''s spell finished. A pir of fire erupted from his hands, spinning across the clearing like a bullet train,ncing straight into Mason''s chest. [Apex Predator: Elemental Affinity activated] The force of it pushed him back, and Mason at least felt the trap that had held him break. His whole front red with pain, then numbed, and Mason just covered his face and twisted, trying to escape and advance. When the mes finally subsided, he saw his goblin bow was burnt to a crisp. He dropped it and walked forward as he summoned his ws, but struggled to hold them. He looked down to see his whole torso was severely burned, his hands half charred, the smell of his own roasting flesh in his nostrils. "Still alive," he growled hoarsely, watching Transformation re and get to work. The wizard''s eyes widened as he charged. "Kill him!" it shrieked as it fell back, and Mason saw an armored goblining to intercept with a handful of guards. Aspect of the Cheetah was down. Mason was still fast but not fast enough to catch what was surely another teleporting wizard. He considered turning back and working at the trolls, but he couldn''t let that bastard channel. He had to get past the guards, and keep pressure on him. The armored goblin came in like a boxer with a de, weaving to both sides before slicing a vicious arc at Mason''s face. He stepped back and let the de just miss, then countered with a thrust from his shorter w. One of the goblin''s nking guards parried it down, and Mason faked another attack on their leader before turning and slicing the guard from shoulder to hip. It blinked, then dropped. The leader sneered and attacked again. He was fast and hard to predict, and Mason had to fall back or parry to keep from getting stabbed. He saw the wizard had stopped running and turned again, hands raising to no doubt channel some fresh horror. "I don''t have time for you," Mason said, then lunged at his foe, letting the creature stab him full on in the gut. The creature red with something like victory, then disbelief. As its de pierced Mason''s flesh, he banished his de, grabbed its throat, and crushed it with his hands. He tossed the creature away and stumbled past, pulling out the de as he staggered towards the wizard, preparing for a throw. Danger red in Mason''s mind, and he twisted and leapt to the side as another creature wrapped in shadow appeared from nowhere. A dark de shed and just touched Mason''s burnt chest, terrible pain ring from the wound. Mason rolled away and focused on this new foe, knowing the wizard would finish his spell soon but not sure what the hell he could do about it. There was growling and screams in the trees, and he knew Becky and his wolves were wreaking havoc. There would be yers just inside that gate if he could just get their attention...or, he thought, maybe I should run, heal,e back. The wizard finished his spell, and with some relief Mason saw a blue shield re around the robed goblin. Of course then he started another... The crashing of the troll''s rams sounded like drums as the dark-d figure attacked. Mason''s hands were healing already and he parried the shorter de once before forcing his enemy back. Mason smelled blood and realized one of his enemy¡¯s hands was ruined, held uselessly at his side. They exchanged twice more before it became clear that Mason''s speed and longer des made the oue inevitable. If he only had time... Anther re of arcane energy burst from the wizard. [Apex Predator: Psionic Affinity.] [Title activated: First Blood.] A gong went off in Mason''s mind. He cried out in shock as much as anything at the overwhelming sound, then tried to focus on the attacking rogue. His vision blurred but his body seemed unaffected, and he fought for a moment on pure, mindless instinct. The ck de touched him shallowly again, but his foe leapt back rather than risk Mason''s counter. [Title activated: Poison schmoison.] "This one is strong," called the wizard. "Be wary. And he heals. We need to bring him down quickly. Guards, attack now!" A dozen more goblins emerged from the forest with spears,s, and axes. Mason blinked and kept the far more dangerous rogue in his vision, knowing he had to do something to change the dynamic or he was in serious trouble. New thumping sounds joined the trolls'' constant pounding, and he nced briefly behind to see what fresh problem he was dealing with next. Then he blinked, for a moment unable to process the sight of what looked like five...walking statues, one of them carrying a young, blonde man that looked extremely simr to... ke hopped down from the creature''s arms and straightened his ruffled pants. For a moment all the goblins just stared, as if they too were dumbfounded, unsure what the hell they were looking at. ke grinned, and his eyes zed as arcane power swirled around him. "You heard him," he said, voice modted as with some electronic device. "Guards. Attack. Now." * * * As was often the case with the arrival of ke, bem followed. Mason watched half a dozen goblins turn on the wizard, throwing theirs and bouncing javelins off his arcane shield. "Weak minded fools!" the creature shrieked, then vanished in a puff of smoke. Another armored goblin was shouting in the trees, and dozens of the creatures were charging out to join the fray. The ck-scarfed rogue took the opportunity to reach into his pocket, and throw a cloud of dust in Mason''s direction. No doubt he should have dodged. But Mason was pissed off. He charged right through it with his eyes closed, watching his titles re and opening his eyes just in time to see the de thrusting for his throat. But he''d activated his Shield gem as he charged, and the de stopped short. Mason bowled his opponent over with weight and speed. Then he dropped the shield and just tried to grab the slippery bastard. He ripped dark clothing but the rogue managed to roll away. He should have kept going. Instead the goblin stopped and shed, and Mason simply took the blow on a Sleeve before tackling his foe to the ground. He curled a hand on the creature''s wrist, and squeezed. Bone snapped as Mason held the dagger at bay, then summoned his smaller w and pushed it wordlessly into the creature''s chest. It gurgled and spat blood, but otherwise died in silence. [Greenblood Nightde killed. Group experience gained.] Then Mason was up and ready to be swarmed by goblins, but when he turned he saw ke''s...statues...were surrounding them in a semi-circle, ughtering anything that got too close with spears and maybe picks wielded from multiple arms. Streak howled in the trees, and his pack took up the hunting call as the sounds of tearing flesh and goblin screams grew louder. "You see where that wizard went?" Mason said to his brother, banishing anything but practicality for now as he re-summoned his ws. "Behind that pack of trolls, I expect." "What pack of...oh." Mason watched as a wall of armored green flesh emerged from deeper in the woods. They were surrounded by armored goblins with prodders and whips, led by yet another armored goblin, this one with a plumed helmet like a damned Roman centurion. "I''m here, y''all," Becky shouted as she came panting out of the trees. "Did I miss it? I''m too damn...aw hell." Mason sighed, but felt better by the second, his Transformation power doing its work. The armored goblin cracked his whip, and along with dozens of ''handlers'', at least six more trolls roared and charged.
Chapter 226: A decent entrance Chapter 226: A decent entrance After the failed attempt to burn a troll, Rosa used her inspection power and realized they''d somehow been given protection against fire. She muttered a string of curses involving roboGod and real God and the troll''s mothers, then collected herself and tried to think of another way to help. "It''s OK," Alex said, patting her knee and putting a¡­flower gand around his neck? "I go down. We help Mason." "Take these!" she pulled a handful of the newbat brews from her storage and shrugged, feeling useless. "Give them to all the yers. It''s not much...but it''ll help." Alex nodded and raced down the steps, then nearly crashed into a pale-skinned Carl, who as usual appeared out of nowhere. "Hi, friends," he said with a bit of a slur, then sagged as the Brusian caught him. "Carl!" Rosa tried not to trip down the stairs, putting a hand to the man''s mmy forehead. "Poison," he rasped. "Don''t suppose you could..." he winced, then muttered something iprehensible. Rosa blocked out the world as she summoned her alchemist''s kit. "Contact? Injested? How''d it happen?" Carl groaned then gestured to a cut on his cheek, which Rosa swabbed aggressively. "Ow," Carl managed, but Rosa ignored him. Alex¡¯s eyes went far away, then he frowned and shook his head, muttering something about needing a poison cure spell. Rosa just focused. She analyzed the venom with her kit, which wasn¡¯t precise but having several antidotes already on hand she hoped this one would be simr to¡­ The solution went clear, and Rosa practically sagged with relief. It was something she¡¯d seen before. Or close enough. "What the fuck is even happening," she muttered. "Fucking yers scattered. Fucking goblin army. Fucking giant green creatures that can''t be burned." She shook and held the now cloudy antidote to the sun, looking for a bit of light to shine through. It would have to be eptable. "Fire and acid," Carl muttered, licking his lips again and again. "yed, uh, video games where they¡­¡± he stopped and sighed, then took a deep breath. ¡°Protected ''em from fire. So you just use acid." Rosa blinked and shoved the antidote into Alex''s hand as she understood. "Make him drink it, then get the hell out there." She turned back to her kit and scanned the recipe list. She''d seen several kinds of acid but hadn''t paid much attention. There was something for wood. Something for metal. There! She¡¯d seen one that might have been perfect. It didn''t burn metal but in theory would melt flesh just fine. "Wait. Give me a minute," she said, then met Alex''s eyes. "I think I can put acid on all your weapons. Maybe we¡­dip them in a vat, or something. Then you can kill those trolls." The older man nodded, forcing the vial into protesting Carl''s mouth without even looking. "Big baby," he said, then took the fight brews and ran for the gate. ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± he called. ¡°Make acid.¡± Rosa started pulling ingredients, mind racing as she realized she didn¡¯t have any clean sks or beakers left. After a moment of panic, she went to her general storage and took thest big, clean container she had. The man who''d quickly be like a father to her groaned and rolled over, maybe dying if her cure hadn¡¯t been right. But she suspected she had no time to try again if she¡¯d failed. She dumped the first solution into her crock pot, and prayed. * * * ke was pretty pleased with his entrance, all things considered. Oh sure it wasn''t good that Nassau was under attack. And Mason looked a little like three pounds of shit in a one pound bag. But that was basically Mason''s new style. And sure, the trolls weren''t ideal. Or the wizard. Alright things could have been better, he admitted. But at least he''d have good reason at the end to be covered in sweat and grime. A minute ago he was a dirty traveler riding a weird statue. Now, he was a hero! "More mind control, or a temporary construct," ke muttered, honestly not sure what made more sense. His new goblin allies were already getting ughtered by their fellows, which unlike orcs, seemed to have no hesitation or really even surprise at the betrayal. It also took about as much mana to ovee their minds, maybe even more. ke frowned as Mason ran forward to face the trolls, mentallymanding two of his arcane constructs to follow. He really didn''t like that wizard lurking about. His Psionic Shield wasn''t made to stop magic, and he didn''t have Ilya here to save him. For now he kept his psionic constructs immediately beside him, and stayed ready with Telekinesis to do...something. Mason sttered troll blood all over the ce. ke''s constructs helped protect his nks, but ke was careful to pull them back for now, identally exposing Mason enough for a troll to charge in and swat him with a massive club. ke cringed as Mason just barely turned his arms to absorb the blow, but still got knocked flying back. He slid and sort of rolled across the dirt and rocks, stopping just in front of ke. "No time for a rest, brother. Hip hip. Off you go." Mason groaned and stood, muttering something rather hard to hear and probably rude. Several goblins beside the red-plumed leader tossed their spears at him, and ke caught them with Telekinesis, then charged a good 5% of his mana and skewered their throwers. Mason raised an eyebrow and nced at him. "Should have locked you in a tower¡­weeks ago." ke grinned. Though he wasn¡¯t sure he should have spent the mana. Goblins weren¡¯t exactly that hard to kill, and his constructs would likely butcher them all if ke didn¡¯t get blown up by the wizard, or the trolls didn¡¯t smash them¡­ He started Meditating with his Partition''d mind as he watched for danger. His constructs were trying to keep the trolls busy, but at least one lost an arm, the other''s torso looked a little cracked. The trolls were hurt, too. But they looked like they regenerated as fast as Mason. "Any chance we have a n?" ke said as Mason nced towards Nassau. "Stay alive. Kill the leaders," Mason said, then rushed back towards the green giants. "Right." ke looked back towards the fancy helmeted goblin and clutched his demonic amulet. He¡¯d worried a little about using it at first, but it always ckened again after the initial constriction. So he figured as long as he didn¡¯t get carried away it wasn¡¯t a problem. Also, apparently the range of Mind Rend was rather short. He could only sense the capability to affect a couple of the closer goblins. So if he wanted to get to those leaders he was going to have to get up close and personal. He would just have to go introduce himself. "Come along," he said needlessly to his psionic defender, then decided it was probably time for Navi''s bat'' debut as well. He made the shift mentally, then walked alone towards the goblin army.
Chapter 227: A generous rival Chapter 227: A generous rival Carl really wished he had a regenerate power. After his near death experience, all he got was a quick cup of coffee and a hug. Now he was staring into the frightened, hopeful eyes of every yer left in Nassau. His cheek hurt. Well, most of his body hurt. "OK," he said. "Drink and dip." The yers all choked down their awful tasting ''fight brews'', then dipped their metal weapons in Rosa''s vat of acid. Now they just needed to open the gate. "Mason needs our help," Carl said. "Nassau needs our protection. This is our job, it''s why we exist. The two trolls first. Then we go out there and do what we can. If you''ve got any questions, now''s the time." The yers all shook their heads. Well, except Annie. After she drank her potion she seemed to shake or maybe twitch with her whole body, then she started making concerning growling sounds. Still, she had her axe clutched in both hands and seemed ready to point herself in the right direction. That was about as much as Carl could hope for. "OK," he said again, nodding to the civilian at the gate control. "Let''s go." The bent and broken metal frame of the now burning door creaked and swung aside. Without that strength, the two trolls pushed and rammed their way through the stack of wooden support beams, both stumbling inside with something like confusion. Garet and Jason yelled and stabbed first, ramming both their longer weapons into exposed thighs with acid-coated spear tips. Then they leapt back, and everyone stared. A little blood leaked from the wounds, then the flesh began to cken like it was being burned, with no sign of healing. The troll roared in pain. Carl and the others cheered. "It works! Kill the bastards!" Carl waited until the others had them engaged and busy, then he Shadow Leapt behind them. With a grunt of effort and a giant push, he jumped up behind the first creature and sliced his Mirror de down the straps and fasteners on the side of the thing''s breastte. He also struck flesh, and the thing twisted and elbowed him without looking, knocking him flying back to bounce to the dirt. He rose with a groan, but smiled as he watched the already healing troll''s chest armor droop and fall. That should do it, he thought. The armor didn¡¯t bother his de, of course, but now the others could take it from there. Getting up felt like a Herculean feat. But he had one more troll to expose, then he would stealth out and do what he could. It¡¯s just one more time, he thought. One day of suffering and then I can rest. As he readied himself for round two, he stopped and blinked as two young women ran straight between the trolls. It took him a moment to recognize Seul-ki and Rosa. His mind seemed unable toprehend what on earth they were thinking before they raced past him without a word. He shook his head, thinking maybe the poison was giving him hallucinations. "God damnit," he muttered, preparing himself for another leap. "I''m too old for this shit." * * * Mason blocked another club swipe with his Sleeves, but still got knocked hard enough he mmed into a tree. It was sort of what he wanted. Every hit hurt a little less. Every time he shed or ripped flesh off a troll he felt himself getting more, getting deeper. But they just kept healing. If he could have focused on one he could have managed it. But between the trolls and their handlers taking their shots, he wasn''t sure if Transformation and Duality of Strength were enough to actually kill them all. Time would tell, but he wasn''t sure how much time he had. Finally he saw wolves flickering white and grey between the trees, leaping on goblins with gory enthusiasm. He was pretty sure he smelled Becky with them, hopefully protecting them. And he really hoped Seamus and Phuong were close. He dodged and weaved through the slow, stupid, but relentless trolls, taking the time to slice down a handler who got too close before bashing his own head and shoulder straight into a troll''s leg to trigger his powers. He shook off the pain as he backed away. "That''s right, keep hitting me," he said, "let''s see whosts longest." Then he heard the gates of Nassau creak and crack open, and looked back when he had a moment to see yers attacking the trolls. He grinned, but kept fighting, hoping ke was handling himself alright nearby. If he''d had more time he might have dwelled on how things had changed that he feltfortable letting him. "Mason!" he turned when he heard a feminine voicee from Nassau. Seul-ki and Rosa were running straight towards him. Rosa was carrying what looked like a pot of stew. Seul-ki had a sk in each hand. That running out towards a goblin army as a civilian and a support was crazy he didn''t bother saying. Instead he turned and sprinted at full speed towards Seul-ki. "Two powers!" he shouted. "Duality of Strength and Transformation. Everything you''ve got. For as long as you can!" A goblin handler yelled behind him. "Those two! Bring them down! Now!" Mason cursed himself for a fool, though he supposed it would have happened even if he hadn''t shouted. He felt it in slow motion, knowing all he could do was keep running and hope he reached them... A dozen arrows streaked past, straight on target. And by the look on Seul-ki''s face, she didn''t have a damn thing to protect them. * * * Rosa knew she should have thrown herself to the ground, or ducked, or something. But when the moment came she just stood there frozen, clutching her pot full of acid, cringing with her eyes closed. A very small piece of her brain told her casually she was probably going to die. A series of sizzling and pinging sound followed, and Rosa opened her eyes to see a purple shield in front of her, a bunch of arrows t in the dirt. She saw Reba at the edge of the trees, and their eyes met for a moment before Mason arrived. "Be quick, Seul-ki, they''ll follow. Rosa what the hell are you doing?" Rosa forced herself to act. She put down the pot and pulled off the lid, keeping her face away from the deadly steam that rose out. "It¡¯s acid. Dip your swords, and the trolls won''t heal. Or at least that¡¯s what Carl said. Oh and drink those potions. They''re...whatever, just drink them." Mason raised both sks and drank them one after the other without a word. As he did, Rosa actually took a good look at him. He was wearing some kind of¡­green spandex, though it was mostly ripped to shreds. And his face...and underneath...she couldn''t tell if he was covered in blood and bruises, or...were those scales? "Um, Mason?" "No time," he said, gasping as he finished the liquid and dipped his des in the acid. Then Seul-ki put her hands on his arm, and a pulse of energy shed. Mason closed his eyes, and when he opened the already bright green irises shone with light, and his smile was vaguely terrifying. "You did good. I¡¯m impressed. Now run to Becky and the wolves. It¡¯s going to get bloody here." "The um, wolves?" Rosa said, but Mason was already gone. He sprinted back towards the trolls, practically bounding forward in leaps rather than run like a normal person. When Rosa tried to pick up her acid, Seul-ki grabbed her and pulled. "Leave it. Just run!" Half a dozen more arrows bounced and sizzled instead of killed her, and Rosa realized a terrible fact she had to ept: Mason''s other lover, who Rosa had made a special songposed of curses for, had just saved her life for the second time.
Chapter 228: Stop hitting him Chapter 228: Stop hitting him Mason didn¡¯t know how long Seul-ki¡¯s boosts wouldst, but he intended to make the most of them. He jumped andnded on one leg at a time trying to boost them with his Duality. Every leap seemed easier, further, and he knew it was not only working, but working fast. The first troll reached him and swiped downwards with a vicious blow, and Mason didn¡¯t dodge. Instead he held up his arms and took the hit with his Sleeves. His knees and back almost buckled, the huge club still carrying down with enough weight it sagged his arms and bounced off his skull and shoulder. Mason stepped back with a growl as the world spun. He felt the damage, and he felt it healing. The next swipe came from the side, and he didn¡¯t even move. It knocked him several feet to bounce along the grass, and he didn¡¯t rise. Goblin voices were shrieking in victory, though at least a few still stabbed him with spears on the ground. He didn¡¯t move. He embraced the pain, watching his augmented Transformation with closed eyes, imagining himself growing harder, heavier, stronger. Finally he sat up and grabbed one of the spears stuck no more than an inch into his side. The goblin wielding it went wide eyed as Mason vaulted to his feet, grabbed it, and smashed its head like an egg on the closest tree. He hacked away the others and kicked another tree with full strength, again, then again. The third time he heard a crack. The trolls wereing now, heavy thuds shaking the ground as they readied their clubs with the same mindless enthusiasm. Mason epted another hit, then another. He dropped his swords and threw his body against the next troll¡¯s leg and tried to lift it, tried to rip its knee apart with his bare hands. He knew his des had Rosa¡¯s acid, and he¡¯d use it soon enough. But he could hear Phuong and Seamus with Becky now in the trees. He could hear his yers bringing down the trolls at the gate, and he could hear ke doing shockingly well against a ridiculous number of goblins. This wasn¡¯t about victory or survival anymore. Mason had faith in the others to handle themselves and kill the goblins with a little time. Now it was about sending a message. The troll grabbed Mason and tried to lift him in the air. And failed. It tried to pry him off its leg, even leaning down to bite his back. He felt the fangs sink in and did nothing, pulling and pulling until he felt the creature¡¯s thick bone starting to move. Then the thing¡¯s tibia snapped, and Mason roared and ripped it out like a chicken bone. He pried its bite off and smashed its jaw with his fist before another troll raked a w down his chest. He kicked its knee so hard the leg bent backwards, then raked his fingers down the thing¡¯s chest the same way until he felt his own ws and saw five paths of blood. The other trolls attacked, and so did their handlers. Mason no longer cared. A club struck his chest and knocked him a step back. He felt his ribs bruise and crack, and heal just as fast. ¡°You¡¯re strengthening him, you fools!¡± He heard the wizard shriek from somewhere nearby. ¡°Stop hitting him. Leave him to me.¡± The wizard was still invisible. No doubt he thought that made him safe. But Mason could smell him. The sharp pang of arcane power, of ink and paper and fear. He backed towards the creature until he heard the mumbling of his spell, then pounced. Purple energy red as Mason collided with his shield. But he was learning that such things worked far better against projectiles. Few casters had shields that helped them in melee, or at least when they did, they didn¡¯tst long. Mason was through the wizard¡¯s shield in seconds. The goblin¡¯s spell ended as Mason¡¯s hand wrapped around his neck, his mouth still moving as he kept channeling his spell. ¡°Finish it,¡± Mason whispered in his foe¡¯s ear as he waited. The wizard¡¯s eyes went wide as the energy built between his hands. Then they zed as arcane power released all around them. [Apex Predator activated: Psionic Affinity] [Title activated: First blood] Again Mason¡¯s mind nked from a sound like a gong. This time it died down in seconds, and Mason lifted the goblin in the air. ¡°Haven¡¯t you got anything else?¡± he growled. ¡°You came here to kill us. To kill me? And this is all you brought?¡± The wizard blinked and grasped at Mason¡¯s hand, gaping like a fish. ¡°What¡­are¡­you¡­¡± it rasped. ¡°The end,¡± Mason said, then snapped its neck and tossed it to the dirt. In the few moments of stunned silence from the surrounding goblins, he walked back to his swords, and looked at the trolls and their handlers. ¡°Now. Where were we.¡± * * * ke¡¯s mana was running dangerously low. Every few seconds another goblin managed to hit him with an arrow, a javelin, a rock, and possibly one shoe. Psionic Shield proved itself incredibly efficient and amazing, but it still had its limits. On the other hand, ke¡¯s constructs were ughtering a few generations of goblins. The poor creatures seemed both unable to hurt the statues much, or to figure out some kind of alternative strategy to charging into their spears and shing arms. It was a bit like a fight between vegetables and Ginsu knives. Finally the red-plumed fancy goblin joined the fray, and things changed. He was wielding something like an oversized machete, which looked kind of stupid until it chopped off an arcane statue¡¯s arm, then its head, with rtive ease. ¡°That¡¯s quite enough of that,¡± ke said,ing forward to get in range. He held up his amulet, and activated Mind Rend. It seemed fancy goblins fared no better than magical orc kings. The creature cried out in agony as it dropped its sword, clutching its head and swaying like a drunkard. As usual the amulet seemed to ¡®constrict¡¯ around ke¡¯s neck on use, but it had released previously and he assumed this was just a quirk of its function. Anyway, he really couldn¡¯t get enough of watching the targets squirm. ¡°It¡¯s terrible, I know,¡± he said. ¡°But you needn¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t feel it long.¡± He mentallymanded his constructs to end the poor bugger, but as he did it was like every goblin left charged from the forest. He was forced to make a¡­tactical withdraw. Facing backwards. At full speed. Arrows and spears followed him, a few obviously deflecting off his shield as his mana drained to the dregs. He clutched his mana gem and abandoned his constructs,manding them to chop their way back to him if they could. Only Navi remained. She was in her ¡®Combat¡¯ form, which turned out to be a four foot tall, vaguely child-like looking robot swinging a simple mace. ke didn¡¯t think he could exactly rely on her to stop a goblin army. To his considerable pleasure and surprise, a ragged line of yers wereing straight towards him. ¡°Alex!¡± Carl shouted, and ke sensed a wall of force surround him. It felt like a warm hug. Then beautiful, slightly mad Annie was screaming as she raced straight into the pack of goblins, a giant, bearded man ke didn¡¯t recognize behind her. The goblins didn¡¯t seem frightened until the first got near cut in half by Annie¡¯s axe, and bolts of lightning seemed to crackle and zap them from the big guy. Carl warped and vanished. Garet sprung up a wall of phantom spears and stood between ke and the attacking goblins. Tommaso lobbed some kind of potion, which hit the ground and erupted in mes. Finally ke turned and started charging Arcane st with his gem. Suddenly the goblins were trapped between yers and constructs. There were also what looked like white wolves continually attacking them in the trees, which ke had to assume was Mason¡¯s doing. He also saw the asional goblin simply vanish in a sh of purple, and was pretty sure that giant worm was out there somewhere. He finished his spell and cut down two goblins at the back. His constructs had finished the leader, and ke saw a red-plumed head roll across the forest floor. The sight of it seemed too much for the raiders. Goblins shrieked and ran in every direction. ke and most of the others soon gave up the chase and cheered (or jeered) at their backs,ughing or slumping over or giving each other happy grins. Mason flew past them all like a violent blur. His swords were in hand, a pack of wolves sprinting at his side. He was too tall, too alien, his limbs longer and more sinewy, his flesh too tight. But it was Mason. A very angry, very frightening Mason. He hacked down fleeing goblins left and right, his huge wolves pouncing on others and ripping their flesh to a chorus of screams. [You have helped defend a settlement from attack. Group experience gained.] ¡°Well,¡± ke said, turning and smiling at the wide-eyed yers. ¡°It¡¯s still nice to be home. Should we all head inside for a drink?¡± Carl appeared beside him and slumped to the ground. ¡°Something strong.¡± Then he gripped his stomach and went slightly pale. ¡°Er, maybe just water.¡± Annie came running at ke so fast he almost activated Telekinesis. But she slowed down and dropped her axe almost shyly, before burying her face in his chest and shaking with a sob. He smiled, patting her on the head as he met a few of the yers¡¯ eyes. ¡°I missed you too.¡±
Chapter 229: Good for awhile (NSFW) Chapter 229: Good for awhile (NSFW) [You have helped defend your settlement from attack. Group experience and patron points (moderate) gained.] [You have earned enough experience for level 18. Please select a power to enhance, and a power to upgrade to tier 2 within twenty-four hours.] Mason butchered goblins for miles without pause or rest. Only when both he and the wolves couldn¡¯t hear or smell any more of the creatures running towards their mountain home, did he stop and consider. Levels were painfully slow now and it should have pleased him. But as patron he had time to decide. And a piece of him still wanted to run the rest of the way to the ¡®Greenblood Order¡¯s''ir, and finish the rest of them right then. In fact, he certainly would have if he wasn¡¯t the patron of Nassau. But his people had been attacked. There might be dead and wounded. The gate was mostly destroyed. No doubt the people inside were shaken and would want exnation, orfort, or just leadership. Mason, in other words, couldn¡¯t just do whatever he wanted. And as his more rational mind returned he thought of ke home and alive. They should talk. And he thought of Reba and Rosa and Haley, who needed him too. He nced at the exhausted wolves, only Streak still beside Mason with the same hunger in his eyes. ¡°We go back,¡± he said, as much to himself as them. ¡°We gather ourselves. Then we finish them.¡± He crossed the distance back to Nassau without thought, the trees flying past him without even feeling the wind. Only when he arrived at the battlefield, staring at the many corpses and the broken gates did he look at his hands, his arms, his legs. He hardly looked human. What the people of Nassau would think when they saw him he wasn¡¯t sure. Would they turn on him next? Ask for a new patron that didn¡¯t frighten them? That didn¡¯t lose himself in the hunt, and the blood? And the suffering? He couldn¡¯t deny a piece of him loved the violence, and not just dishing it. He wanted to know how far it would go. How much punishment he could take and survive, how much he would change, and adapt. ¡°Mason!¡± He blinked as Becky came running from the gate. She¡¯d obviously been waiting, and her tired, beautiful eyes took him in with some hesitation before she smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s get you inside.¡± ¡°The wolves,¡± he said, feeling suddenly very weary. ¡°They need food¡­¡± he stopped and nced at the goblin corpses, meeting Streak¡¯s eyes with a nod before he shrugged. ¡°Nevermind. They¡¯ll be good for awhile.¡± She took his hand, and he didn¡¯t even feel her skin against his. She also barely stood past his waist. He must have grown to eight, maybe nine feet tall. ¡°The fountain,¡± he said, remembering what Eve had taught him. ¡°I can be myself again, I think. I just need to¡­submerge in water.¡± Becky nodded and took him inside, where apparently Rosa was waiting in one of two chairs covered in a nket. She too looked him up and down, putting a hand to her mouth. ¡°Maybe¡­the civilians shouldn¡¯t see me like this,¡± Mason said. ¡°Not yet at least.¡± Rosa wordlessly came forward and helped cover him with the nket, then the three of them made their way carefully to the fountain. Mason saw the infirmary was rather popr, with all kinds of people lingering outside. He hoped it was because of injuries and not deaths. Using Wayfinder, he picked his way through the cluttered settlement until the fountain of Gaia was in sight, then dashed forward and slipped over the edge, sinking into the water with his eyes closed. He activated the Power of Gaia, then for a long moment just floated there with his eyes closed, focusing on Transformation and trying to remember he was a man, not a beast. Soon he felt his body change and shrink, felt magic infusing and diffusing all around him, his power cleaning the water just as it cleansed him. He stood feeling renewed, running his hands over his face and hair as he felt the cool evening air enter his lungs in deep breaths. When he opened his eyes, he saw Rosa and Becky standing together awkwardly, their eyes moving over his body in an entirely different fascination. He stepped from the water and walked towards them, checking to see they still hadn¡¯t been spotted. For a moment they all just stood in tension filled silence until Mason took both their hands. ¡°Come with me.¡± * * * The chief hall looked busy, too. Haley was out front with Carl and Sylvie and ke, clearly trying to calm people down. Mason felt a little bad, but not bad enough to stop. ¡°My ce,¡± Rosa said, swallowing and clearly still on the fence. ¡°It should be free I mean.¡± Mason nodded and pulled both girls towards it, once or twice running them from tree to tree before they reached the door and wentughing inside. Mason pushed both of them against the wall, shoulder to shoulder with his hands on the outside. He could see the life or death struggle, the days of waiting, and his scent after the water already had Becky¡¯s eyes consumed with lust. Rosa was breathing hard but still struggling. He kissed her first. She closed her eyes and kissed him back, moaning slightly and licking her lips when he pulled away. ¡°Maybe we should¡­make some rules,¡± she said, opening her eyes. Mason kissed Becky next, who didn¡¯t hesitate to take his tongue and run her hands up his chest. ¡°I don¡¯t like rules,¡± Mason said, eyes moving down both girls¡¯ bodies. ¡°Now take off your shirts before I rip them off.¡± Becky started instantly, and Rosa followed, both working the buttons down. Rosa was wearing a loose ck bra that Mason pulled down instantly, Becky wasn¡¯t wearing one at all. Once their breasts were free he lowered himself slightly and took turns sucking nipples and groping as they groaned. ¡°Umm, maybe she¡¯s right,¡± Becky panted. ¡°Once we¡­you know¡­get to the bed. Maybe we should¡­¡± ¡°Who says we¡¯ll make it to the bed,¡± Mason growled, spinning both girls until they put their hands against the wall. ¡°This has gone on long enough. You¡¯re both mine. So you¡¯ll do what I tell you while I take you however I want. I promise you¡¯ll enjoy it. Clear enough rules?¡± He took Becky¡¯s hair and she closed her eyes and moaned something like ¡®uh huh¡¯, then he met Rosa¡¯s eyes. She bit her lip and nodded. Well that apparently settled that. At least for now. And looking at the two of them waiting patiently, their little rivalry at least temporarily put aside, so horny yet so obedient¡­it was already driving him wild. He reached under Rosa¡¯s skirt and pulled down her panties as he worked at the waist of Becky¡¯s sweatpants. Turned out she wasn¡¯t wearing panties, either, and in a few moment¡¯s work she was standing naked save her socks against the wall, Rosa in nothing but her short ck skirt. The sight alone was amazing. Keeping any discipline was going to be hard, but then maybe with his ridiculous powers and body, also unnecessary¡­ He put his already hard cock between Rosa¡¯s legs and used it to y with her opening while he fingered Becky. The cowgirl tried to put a hand down to his while he worked, but he growled and pped her ass hard. ¡°No moving. Hands on the wall.¡± She whined but obeyed, and without warning he slipped the head of his cock inside Rosa and started working himself deeper. ¡°Tell Becky what I¡¯m doing,¡± he said, and Rosa went a little pink. ¡°He¡¯s¡­fucking me.¡± Mason snorted. ¡°Not yet I¡¯m not. But good girl.¡± Becky opened her eyes to look, and Mason took one of her hands and put it down to hold the base of his shaft as he bounced Rosa¡¯s ass against him. He sped up his fingering and slipped a second inside Becky. ¡°Does that feel good?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes.¡± She was writhing against his hand now, watching and squeezing his cock as it moved faster and faster into Rosa. ¡°y with each other,¡± he said, slowing down until both girls put a hand between the other¡¯s legs. The more he fucked Rosa, the more she got into it, and pretty soon both girls were rubbing each other with abandon. Becky¡¯s juices running down Mason¡¯s hand. Rosa¡¯s down his shaft. Becky came first. She clenched and put her face against the wall as she went red and held her breath. Rosa watched her, obviously intrigued, obviously enjoying it. A few secondster she was panting and moaning as her body mped down on Masons¡¯ cock. He knew he had plenty to give. He let the pressure build, let Rosa¡¯s incredible pussy milk him as he came inside her. As he did she opened her eyes and cried out as if in shock, then shook and spasmed as her orgasm intensified. Mason thought on his improved Blessing of Gaia and grinned, wondering if his seed had some new magic property that made things even more intense. Rosa was thrusting her ass back against him as her eyes rolled, and pretty soon Becky was watching them with a very curious stare. When it finally ended Rosa pushed back against Mason and let out a huge breath. The girls were still touching and rubbing each other, as if they¡¯d basically forgotten. Mason smiled and pulled Becky closer for a passionate kiss, then swapped back and forth between her and Rosa as he groped and caressed them both. ¡°OK,¡± he said. ¡°Now we¡¯re going to the bed.¡± * * * When they didn¡¯t move, Mason lifted a girl over each shoulder and carried them to the bedroom. On arrival he pulled off Rosa¡¯s skirt, tossed her on the bed, then spread her legs and pushed Becky between them. ¡°Umm,¡± Rosa looked unsure until Mason pushed Becky¡¯s face down and she started licking. Then Rosa dropped her head back and put her hands over her face as she moaned. Mason lifted Becky¡¯s ass and gave it a good pping as he watched and fingered her. When her cheeks were nice and red with handprints, and her pussy was wide and dripping, he slid his cock inside and buried it to the hilt. Pretty soon he was pounding Becky hard enough she struggled to work on Rosa, her face bouncing around as she stuck out her tongue with closed eyes. ¡°Help her,¡± Mason said, ¡°spread your legs more and hold her hair.¡± Rosa was almost as red as Becky now as she helped the cowgirl eat her out. He wasn¡¯t sure if he enjoyed Rosa¡¯s awkward pleasure or Becky¡¯s pussy and obedience more, but either way he drifted in and out of a state of pure lust as he lost himself in the moans and pping of flesh. After several minutes of pounding Becky¡¯s face into Rosa, he came hard inside the cowgirl, not sure if the girls had cum again and no longer caring. His release sted into her from behind, his cock buried deep as he spurted every drop with no thought of pulling back. When he finally finished he saw Rosa had clearly cum again, which meant Becky had given her an orgasm entirely on her own. Mason pulled out and dropped down beside Rosa with a chuckle, pulling Becky up and holding one girl in each arm. ¡°That was¡­unexpected,¡± Rosa said, resisting a little until he pulled her harder into another passionate kiss. Then he did the same with Becky and grinned. ¡°I can taste you on her.¡± Becky wiggled her eyebrows and Rosa covered her face with a pillow. ¡°Dios mio. What would my Abu say.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Mason said, inching his fingers down both girls stomachs, already feeling another round. ¡°I think your grandma best sit this one out.¡±
Chapter 230: Unanswered questions (NSFW) Chapter 230: Unanswered questions (NSFW) Mason knew he¡¯d never be with Becky and Rosa for the first time again, and that he also didn¡¯t have all night. So he didn¡¯t waste a minute. He was fingering them both again in minutes, grinning as they squirmed. He considered some kind of ridingpetition, but decided that better wait until the girls were more¡­ with each other. Instead hey them side by side, spread their legs, and took turns fucking them both. Rosa looked at him intensely, expression a bit like she still couldn¡¯t believe this was happening. Becky just closed her eyes and moaned at every touch. They both looked and felt so damn amazing. Mason eventually turned them around, keeping them close as he took turns fucking and fingering them from behind. Once or twice he saw them exchange a shy look or a little smile. Then when Rosa started clenching and moaning louder, Becky took her hand and theyced their fingers as she came. It was exactly what Mason was hoping¡ªthat the experience would get the girls closer and remove some tension. And it definitely made things hotter. When he was close he pulled them both up to face him, and stood on the bed. ¡°Finish me together,¡± he said, resting his hands on their heads but letting them figure out how. They exchanged another look then went in, mostly licking and sliding his shaft between their lips. Frankly the sight of them sharing his cock was so sexy he really didn¡¯t care what they did. But soon enough they got over the awkwardness and started working him harder¡ªBecky gulped him down while Rosa licked from underneath, and Mason gathered up Becky¡¯s hair and started fucking her mouth. She struggled not to gag, her hands against his thighs as he slid further and further down her throat. Then it was Rosa¡¯s turn, and he gave Becky a breather as she just panted and watched him throat fuck the Mexican girl. She couldn¡¯t handle it too deep either, and he looked forward to giving them both plenty of practice. But for now he couldn¡¯t take it much longer, and groaned as he felt the pressure build. He didn¡¯t warn them, but was pretty sure Rosa already knew as he twitched inside her mouth. She¡¯d been focused but now looked up at him with her big, brown eyes, and it sent him over the edge. He sent the first stream into her mouth, but then pulled back and pushed the girls faces together cheek to cheek. He did his best to cover both their faces, spraying again and again until he pulled Becky forward to suck thest few drops. ¡°Clean each other up,¡± he growled, knowing the taste was draw enough from Gaia¡¯s Blessing. After a little hesitation, then a giggle from Becky, the girls started licking each other¡¯s faces. As they got into it, they even kissed a little before they turned and gave Mason very sultry looks. ¡°Was it everything you hoped?¡± Becky said with a little sass, putting her arm around Rosa¡¯s back. ¡°Yes.¡± Mason grinned, caressing both their hair. ¡°Sorry, I know you didn¡¯t enjoy a second of it.¡± ¡°We¡¯re creating a monster,¡± Rosa sighed, leaning her head on Becky¡¯s shoulder, then with a little ¡®oh¡¯ wiping some cum she found on the other girl¡¯s breasts. ¡°And, um, thanks for saving my life out there.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Becky sighed. ¡°I think we¡¯ll have to save each other from Mason in the bedroom, too.¡± They were both staring in something like wonder because Mason¡¯s erection didn¡¯t really go down. But his little break from reality was over. He sighed and hopped off the bed, knowing it was time to talk to the others. And he expected his dick wouldn¡¯t ever go truly soft, because now that he was home, things weren¡¯t right until he had Haley, too. ¡°Time to go,¡± he said, raiding Rosa¡¯s closet for one of the more androgynous, system-generated outfits. He settled on something like a sci-fi white uniform, then realized Rosa and Becky were basically staring with half-lidded eyes as he dressed. He grinned, and gave them both a good long kiss and grope, watching their nipples go hard. Rosa looked ready to climb up for another desperate ride, but Mason pushed her back, and both girls flopped onto the bed with exhaustion. ¡°To be continued,¡± he said, devouring both their sweat covered, amazing bodies onest time with his eyes. Then he stepped out into the grass and trees, and turned his mind to the settlement. * * * As Mason crossed the settlement towards the chief¡¯s hall, he realized he had no idea what he was going to do if ke wanted to be patron. The reality was, very few people living there wanted that, and Mason had no interest in forcing them to ept it. If it came down to a conflict between ke and Nassau, then Mason decided he would just take his brother, and his women, and leave the settlement to its fate. Except¡­he wasn¡¯t sure he could do that, either. Would he just leave Carl and all the girls from sanctuary to whatever end? Leave Alex and Phuong and the other yers who¡¯d trusted him, who¡¯d risked their lives for him? No, he realized. He wouldn¡¯t. The thought struck him like a p across the face. That meant he had to convince ke to stay without being patron. He had to re-assure everyone he wouldn¡¯t use his mind powers on the yers or civilians. Ever. How the hell they proved such a thing Mason had no damn clue. He stepped out to the final path that led to the chief¡¯s hall lost in thought, and decided now was as a good a time as any to do his level. An enhancement and a tier upgrade were certainly no joke, if not quite as exciting as a new power. He¡¯d given himself time to think, but the tier upgrade was actually very easy. Duality of Strength was upgraded but still tier one. It wasn¡¯t as ¡®vital¡¯ to every fight as some of his other powers, but he knew now it made him more powerful in a way that was hard to describe and define. With enough time, Mason was pretty sure Duality of Strength made him practically unstoppable. Unless his enemy could either shut it down, kill him quickly, or in some other way avoid triggering his Transformation and Duality, they were in for a whole heap of disappointment. [Tier 1: Duality of Strength===> Tier 2: Duality of Strength. Increased speed and variables.] He wasn¡¯t exactly sure what it meant by ¡®variables¡¯, but he was guessing it would trigger in even more situations. With a grin he tried to Enhance Wyrdwalking and found out it wasn¡¯t eligible. That was a bit strange but he supposed Apex Predator wasn¡¯t either. After a little internal debate between offense or defense, he finally settled on Aspect of the Cheetah. He¡¯d left it all this time because he was worried his perception wasn¡¯t keeping up to his speed, but his stats were getting higher and higher and he could likely handle it now. The power red as he picked it, promising a boost to both the passive and active speed of the power. He grinned, and pulled up his profile to take a look.
Mason Nimitz Level: 18 Primary ss: Ranger (tier 2) Secondary ss: Feral Druid Prestige ss: Avatar of Cerebus Strength: 24 Dexterity: 27 Vitality: 26 Intellect: 14 Will: 20 Presence: 16 Luck: 9 Essences: Essence of the Wolf. Druid Blessings: Blessing of Gaia. Blessing of Echtra. Titles: Killer, Early Lead, Soloist, Crazy like a Fox, Burnt the Boats, Patron, Progenitor, Hit the Ground Running, First Blood, Defender, The Prestige, Tiering it up, Phase Jumper, Front Runner, What Is Dead May Never Die, Poison Shmoison, Baron, Post-Secondary, Bold Strategy, Shepherd of the Great Forest Powers: Power Shot, Crippling Strike+, Transformation++(T2), Predator¡¯s Strike, *Nature Affinity, Ranger¡¯s ws(T2), Endless Quiver+, Trapmaking, Aspect of the Cheetah+, Ranger¡¯s Mark, Duality of Strength+(T2), Shapeshifting, Fang Brother, Wyrdwalking
As usual he was struck at how things had changed, and how drastically the ¡®game¡¯ affected him in the real world. He still felt like ¡®him¡¯, but both the mental and physical changes of his powers and experiences had altered him in ways he knew were permanent. And he knew it would be the same for everyone. He wandered Nassau lost in his thoughts. A lot of people were still out there, the talks apparently going on so long people had set out chairs and started a barbeque. Haley saw him first, and gave the smile that was just for him. He returned it, and she gestured him forward with a finger gesture he¡¯d rather have seen her use towards their bed. ¡°There he is!¡± ke stood and a good twenty pairs of eyes glued to Mason. He matched a few and nodded to ke, trying to appear perfectly calm as he approached. ¡°How many dead and wounded?¡± he asked, turning his attention to Carl. ¡°Two dead, both civilian. A lot of wounded.¡± Carl winced, his expression heavy. ¡°I asked everyone to man the walls. That was why¡­they were fighting up there.¡± Mason walked to the older man and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You did good, Carl. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± He raised his voice so everyone could hear. ¡°You all did. You fought for our homes, for the people we love, and you won. I¡¯m impressed, and I¡¯m proud.¡± He saw a few smiles, even a few glistening eyes. ¡°Where the hell did those thingse from? Why did they attack us?¡± shouted one of the craftsman Mason didn¡¯t know. He saw more than a few suspicious res turn towards ke, which certainly wasn¡¯t fair, and also not a very good sign. ¡°They came from the mountains to the North,¡± he said, his tone getting harsher without effort. ¡°They won¡¯t be thest creatures that threaten us. But I promise you, it will be the veryst time for those goblins. For now, though, it¡¯s over. We¡¯re safe. We¡¯ll re-build the walls and put more effort into defense.¡± Mason was afraid they¡¯d all startining, that they¡¯d say it was his fault for always being gone, for stirring up trouble outside the settlement. Hank the fisherman came forward and stuck out his hand. ¡°Thanks, son, for keeping us safe.¡± Mason was so surprised he paused, but then took it and shook, choking back a little emotion. He nodded rather than speak, and the gathered civilians went around thanking and shaking the hands of the yers and the civilians who¡¯d stood on the walls. Most people looked dirty or tired, but in far higher spirits than Mason expected. They looked relieved, but also proud. Most soon walked back towards their houses or Billy¡¯s pub, but many lingered and talked about the battle as if re-living it. ¡°Shit,¡± Mason put a hand to his face. ¡°The civilians in the forest. Did Phuong and Seamus¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯ve already arrived safely,¡± Haley said,ing closer until Mason pulled her in for a hug. ¡°Wee home,¡± she added quietly, putting her forehead to Mason¡¯s cheek. Then she gave him a subtle sniff, and raised a conspiratorial eyebrow before giving him some space. It was clear the remaining yers and civilian leaders were all waiting to see how Mason and ke would interact. Mason looked in his brother¡¯s eyes, seeing the same impish twinkle he¡¯d known and loved since he was a boy. ¡°Well,e here, idiot.¡± ke grinned and hugged him, then made a slight groan of pain until Mason eased off. ¡°You have very good timing,¡± Mason said, putting a little skepticism in his voice. ¡°Maybe I was just waiting in the forest. For the opportunemoment.¡± ke grinned. ¡°Like you¡¯d spend one hour longer than you had to in a forest.¡± keughed like no one was watching. He was a bit pale and dirty, but he looked healthy. There was some kind of amulet around his neck, and he had a floating sphereover one shoulder. Mason looked at it then met his eyes. ¡°I have a lot of questions.¡± ¡°So does everyone else, it seems,¡± ke sniffed and shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve been resisting answering them until you arrived.¡± He inspected Mason with the same look Haley had, and no doubt the annoying bastard knew what he¡¯d been up to. ¡°These fine folks have been extremelypatient.¡± Mason cleared his throat, then put an arm around ke¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s go get a drink.¡±
Chapter 231: You’re not alone Chapter 231: You¡¯re not alone Mason led his brother into the chief¡¯s hall, where they found Seul-ki waiting. She and ke embraced and spoke a little while, and he promised toe to herter. ¡°Thank you for the boost, Seul-ki,¡± Mason said. ¡°Outside the walls. That was incredibly brave. If maybe a little foolish.¡± The Korean girl smiled and bowed a little, then walked towards her room. ¡°You haven¡¯t been aplete and utter manwhore in my absence, have you?¡± ke said when she was out of earshot, his tone perfectly light. ¡°No,¡± Mason hissed. ¡°Jesus I wouldn¡¯t¡­and you¡¯d better not ever consider, or I swear to God¡­¡± keughed and put up his hands in surrender. Then the little orb over his shoulder started bloody talking. ¡°Master, this yer has a shocking aura of yer destruction. He also resisted identification, but not before I detected extreme danger. Please be very cautious.¡± Mason quirked a brow, and ke gave the orb aforting pat. ¡°Navi, meet my brother Mason. Mason, this is Navi. She¡¯s my familiar, really, but I guess you could call her my pet.¡± ¡°Oh that¡¯s wonderful, Master!¡± the little thing twirled. Then it grew a face and smiled. ¡°I was afraid he was going to murder us!¡± ¡°Never say never,¡± Mason said, then led ke to a table. He was about to try and remember where the coffee machine was when Haley whisked inside with a pot and tray of finger food. She gave ke a brief one-armed hug, then Mason a quick peck on the lips and walked out just as fast. ¡°I see nothing much has changed,¡± ke said with a grin. ¡°You look good,¡± Mason said honestly. ¡°Happy, even. ¡± "Of course I¡¯m happy. I¡¯m alive, aren¡¯t I?¡± ke took a sip of his coffee, closed his eyes and groaned as if it had been awhile. Then he met Mason¡¯s eyes without expression and talked over the steam. ¡°Now I suppose we have to figure out how to divide up the peasants and soldiers." Mason froze, knowing his poker face was certainly terrible. "This isn''t a joke." "Oh dear. I''m aware, brother, but you''re getting entirely too serious." "We¡¯re responsible for those people. For their lives. For their..." "Yes, yes, calm yourself. I¡¯m kidding. I don''t want to be patron." Mason blinked, annoyed his brother could throw him off so easily after so many years. ke sighed before he spoke. "You''re doing a wonderful job, and that''s obvious.¡± ke pat his hand. ¡°Look at this ce! I''m rather tempted to move back." "What does that mean? Move back from where?" ke winced and leaned back in his chair. "I''ve been¡­safe for a little while now. I''m living in a tower. With the orcs. They''re actually quite friendly, in the right circumstances." Mason was yet again temporarily struck speechless. "You didn''t think to...dreamwalk?¡± he said when he recovered. ¡°We''ve been worrying about you. I''ve been worrying about you. For all I knew you were dead, or being tortured. Or..." "You''re right," ke said, looking maybe even genuinely apologetic. "I¡¯m sorry. I wasn''t...ready. I''m still not, I think. But I need your help. Well, the orcs need our help, technically. We can make them allies, I''m sure of it." Mason was beginning to realize he wasn''t dealing with the exact same young man he''d grown up with. He leaned back and took a breath. "Alright. Let¡¯s assume that isn¡¯t the stupidest thing I¡¯ve ever heard. Tell me fucking everything." So ke did. He started with a ''rogue'' system that had tried to kill him with an orc king, about getting stabbed, then talking to roboGod, an orc named Ilya, a new tower, portals to hell. Mind-breaking demons. "Jesus," Mason said at the end, watching his brother''s eyes. "You''ve been through it." "I guess I have," ke smiled a little, and Mason began to realize...maybe his brother was¡­growing up? They sat in a meaningful but not ufortable silence a little while, Mason reflecting on his unpleasant experiences as he knew ke did the same. "So. They''ve asked for our help," Mason finally said, and ke nodded. "And in return they offer¡­what? And what do they owe for trying to murder us all, especially the Sanctuary folks?" ke clearly hadn''t expected this reaction, or possibly tone. He pulled his head slightly back as his mind worked, then he leaned forward and smiled. "I think I like this version of you!" When Mason just red, ke let out a loud, but genuineugh. "I''m afraid we didn''t discuss reparations. But they strike me as the honorable sort who might understand the request. Though they¡¯ll probably call it ¡®blood price¡¯ or something equally medieval. We''ll have to bring it up. As for the offer, I''ve been instructed to negotiate a generousbination of supplies, tools, weapons, armor, and uh," ke cleared his throat, "ves." Mason¡¯s face apparently reacted as expected. ke put up his hands. "I told them we wouldn''t want that, I''m just the messenger. They have a rather...rigid, hierarchical society." "And you think we should make friends with them?" Here ke looked a little ufortable. Maybe even...offended? "They have plenty of good qualities, too. And don''t act like humans are some kind of angels. You might recall a certain chief who was trying to enve us all. And he didn¡¯t exactly invent the idea." "I remember what happened to him, too.¡± Mason felt himself shift at the violent memories. ¡°Frankly I don''t care if they enve each other. And I don''t think I care about goods or supplies." Mason thought back to how hard it was to kill the heavy infantry and paused. "Well. Some of that armor might be nice. What I want is for them to fight for us if I ask. Would they do that?" ke pursed his lips. "They might. It''s not easy for them to leave the towers. They have rules which I don''t fully understand. I think only a certain number get a kind of ''quest'' that lets them go. But I don''t really care, you''re thinking about this wrong. It''s a special dungeon, Mason, and maybe multiple dungeons, certainly unavable to anyone but us. Who knows what kind of rewards? We can level some of our yers. Maybe find more prestige sses. An artifact or two would be nice." Mason clenched his jaw, but knew ke was probably right. On the other hand... "We''re not as trapped as we used to be," he said. "I''ve cleansed thest great tree. I haven''t tried it yet but I should be able to teleport now, to who knows where. We still have no idea how big this world is. We need to figure that out, and fast." ke nodded. "I''m all for it. But this won''t take long. A few days, maybe less if you can warp us to that nearby tree. In the grand scheme of things, nothing at all." "Yeah. Just like ourst quick and painless orc dungeon." "Touche." ke grinned. "But...I want to help them, Mason. These demons...they aren''t like orcs, or goblins, or anything else we''ve seen. They''re¡­evil. I saw a glimpse into one of their minds, if only briefly. All they want is to ruin¡­to destroy. Next to them, those orcs are choir boys." Mason shook his head. His brother really had changed a little, and seemingly for the better. Mason decided he¡¯d best not punish good behavior. He took a deep breath and nodded. "This time we go together. We take whatever team I say. And first we need to sort out these goblins, which you''re going to help with." "As my lord wishes.¡± ke bowed his head dramatically. ¡°I am your humble servant, mighty king. This pitiful wretch lives to serve, please grace us with your¡­er, grace, and..." "Enough, for God''s sake." Mason stood and ke continued with a dramatic bow. "You¡¯re incredibly annoying," Mason said, losing a battle against his own smile. "Yes. And you missed me terribly.¡± ke took Mason¡¯s hand as if he meant to kiss his ring finger. ¡°Your highs might have been higher, your lows not quite so bad. Also I''ve learned humans and orcs are perfectly capable of¡­mating, so a manwhore like you might...re-consider that ve offer." He wiggled his eyebrows and Mason yanked him to his feet. "I''m d your back, and you know, breathing," he put a hand on his brother''s cheek before giving him a good scuff. "Now go talk to Seul-ki. And probably Annie. And if you can do anything useful with your new powers, feel free to do that. But no mind powers. Don¡¯t even turn one on. And don¡¯t touch that chair of yours for awhile, it¡¯s still in your part of the hall." "Any othermands, my lord?" "Sorry." Mason wiped his face with a hand and let out a breath. "These days I feel like I''m always telling people what to do." ke stopped smiling, and looked almost...serious. "Whatever I can do to help, just ask. You''re not alone." Mason smiled, trying not to think about immortality and what it meant, how long this insane reality wouldst or if it would always be this way. He told himself to live in the moment. And in this moment he had ke and Haley and Reba and Rosa and Streak, and lots of others. "I know," he said. "Now go on. I''ll be down at the wall. We''ll spend the night here. Then tomorrow, we go remove another threat to Nassau."
Chapter 232: I can figure something out Chapter 232: I can figure something out As soon as ke left, Mason had Haley bring him Carl and Phuong. They sat and drank another cup of coffee, stuffing themselves with Haley''s pastries as Carl exined what had happened leading up to the attack. Mason told them they''d found Billy the Brewer, who''d been the one to bring them home much faster, and that he''d sent Streak to lead him back safely. "That boy picked the wrong ss." Carl shook his head in wonder. "No idea how he survived out there alone." Mason snorted, but kind of agreed. He expected ss changes would be possible, and also highly suspected there would be some way to transition between civilian and yer at some point in the game. Not that he knew that for sure, or had any idea how. He told Carl about the dungeon and thepletion of the great trees, about the ¡®Mind Queen¡¯ that escaped with Becky¡¯s cousin, and saving her other cousin Willy. ¡°That¡¯s incredible.¡± Carl¡¯s eyes lit up with hope. Mason knew the man had children. But he didn¡¯t want to encourage that kind of thinking because the odds weren¡¯t good. ¡°Yeah. Incredible. Except I want someone watching the cousin we saved because I don¡¯t trust him.¡± ¡°To be fair, you don¡¯t trust anyone at first,¡± Carl said, and Mason gave him a look. ¡°I trust him less. Pretty sure he was an addict, and his sister is currently an insect queen.¡± Carl sighed and shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll put someone on it. Family, eh?¡± Mason snorted, then exined his new ability to ''Wyrd Walk''. "OK. We need to test that right away.¡± Carlced his fingers, that little fire of hope still building in his eyes. ¡°Who knows how far you can explore. Oh, but, I have something to tell you, too." Then his face lost some expression, and he exined about Mateo''s banishment. "I didn''t know what else to do. Every second of that snake''s day was spent trying to undermine this ce, Mason. He even had Sylvie going for awhile. But that''s sorted." Mason nodded, losing more and more patience by the day for idiots who didn''t understand what this new world was. "It was your decision and you made it," he said. "I¡¯d support it either way, but I think you did the right thing. With Mateo, and with the attack. If I had anything decent to reward you with, I''d do it." Carl smiled and maybe even blushed a little. "You''ve done plenty. Happy to help." "Mason?" Haley knocked quietly and stuck her head inside. "Sorry to bother. Apparently...the yers we sent out to scavenge from the goblins...they''ve found a civilian captive alive. They''re saying it''s Mateo. He''s in pretty rough shape." Mason met Carl''s eyes and clenched his jaw. "Tell them I''ll be right down." * * * Mason walked towards the broken gate and pulled up his patron profile to distract himself. It seemed ''repairs'' could be done with points, but the cost was damn near as much as the walls themselves. Better by far, he decided, if they could fix it with their own supplies and craftsmen. The points they''d gotten for the sessful defense was no joke. They could certainly handle the repairs with that, but better to save them for more desperately needed buildings. Like even more defense. Mason was genuinely pleased with Carl for taking the initiative to upgrade. And apparently the ''Constricting Vines'' from the Gaia theme would grow back on their own, so no need to worry there. As he got closer he saw arge group of civilians was already inspecting the gate. An older woman who had arrived with Becky¡­whose name now escaped him¡­Peni the smith, and Hank the fisherman, seemed to be in a heated debate. Most of the yers were there, too, some with wounds wrapped in bandages. ke was talking to Alex and Garet. Mateo was sitting down, back against the wall, filthy, bruised, and silent as a few of the other yers argued over him. The second Mason looked at him he knew¡ªhis civilian ''protection'' was gone. Mason, and any other yer, could do whatever they wanted to him. Whether that was because of the banishment or some kind of betrayal, Mason wasn''t sure. The arguments and conversation died all around as Mason approached with Carl, Phuong, and Haley. Tommaso stepped forward as if to exin the situation but Mason raised a hand for silence. He waited until all the nearby yers and civilians had gathered, waiting for him to speak. Mateo just stared at the dirt. "We don''t know what happened. Maybe he betrayed us. Maybe he was tortured." When he said this he saw Mateo''s dull eyes shed a tear, and he held back the sigh. Whatever softness was inside him he pushed away. It was only for his girls now, and maybe for himself when he was alone. It couldn¡¯t be here. "ke can make him tell us the truth. Do you all trust him to do it?" No one said a word, and Mason felt the condemnation. It helped the hardness rise easily inside him. If they didn¡¯t want the ke method, then they¡¯d get something else entirely. He nced at his brother, who just shrugged. Then he nced at Sylvie and any other civilian that would meet his eyes, which wasn''t many. "OK then." With one motion, he summoned his longer w, leaned forward, and cut Mateo''s head from his shoulders. Blood spattered the wall, and some of the nearby yers. They gasped or shrieked and leapt away, their eyes going wide, locking on Mateo''s slumped over corpse. Mason raised his voice. "Call this thest reminder. You civilians are all free to leave whenever you want. But if you stay: this is not about you, or making utopia. It''s a military outpost and I''m in charge of it. You help, or you get out. You don¡¯t like something? Civilians talk to Haley. yers talk to Phuong or Carl or me. But if we tell you no, then it¡¯s done." He let that settle, feeling the killing urge still vibrating up his arm. "And there''ll be no more ''banishment''," he added, voice quieter now but no less menacing. "You leave Nassau as a friend, or you leave on a day I forget to feed the wolves." He banished his sword and pointed at his brother. "As you can see, ke is back. He¡¯s not patron anymore. And he¡¯s promised me he won¡¯t use his abilities on anyone who lives here." ke cleared his throat and put his finger in the air with a grin. "Unless you ask me to." Mason fought the eyeroll, then just stared, waiting for a challenge that didn''te. He''d intended to talk to people about the gate, but he knew now wasn''t the time. Maybe he could get Carl or Phuong to handle it. He nced at the infirmary, and the two bodies still outside covered in a tarp. "We¡¯re going to kill every single one of those goblins," he said. ¡°Any questions, talk to the people I mentioned. Bury Mateo with the others. You can all decide where the graveyard is. But make sure there¡¯s some space. We might need it." With that he stalked back towards the chief hall, forcing himself not to look back or meet anyone''s eyes. Let them be afraid of me, he thought, then maybe I won''t have to bury more of them for stupidity. When he got inside he walked to his room and sat, wishing his vitality didn''t make alcohol more or less a waste of time. One more day, he thought, then he''d wipe out the goblins and remove another thorn pressing in his mind. Maybe the challenges are almost over, he told himself, almostughing at the fiction. Maybe once they cleared the forest they¡¯d be safe. He might have slept before he heard familiar footsteps approaching. Despite everything he smiled and waited, inhaling as the door opened and Haley''s scent hit him. She walked slowly over, hips swaying all the way to his chair before she sat in hisp and started massaging his scalp. "How was the mood?" Mason asked. "Pretty down. But I think it was good you said it. I think most people understand." "The housingints should stop at least." Haley giggled and put a hand on her stomach, and Mason winced as he remembered. "How are you feeling?" "Oh. Good. I¡¯m craving crepes, and maybe a little maple syrup." Mason put a hand over hers, practically cringing at the sight of his own, muchrger, very rough and callused skin on hers. "So much is happening I forget it¡¯s only been...what, three weeks?" "Every night without you feels very long," she said, kissing his cheeks and the corners of his eyes. He sighed, and she whispered in his ear. "I saw you with Rosa and Becky earlier. That looked...eventful." "Jealous?" Mason grinned at Haley''s sexyugh. "Only that I wasn¡¯t there." "Next time." "Will Rosa be...moving in now?" "To be determined." Mason frowned. "I don''t suppose you can...work a little of your magic? I sure as hell would rather she did. Make my life a little¡­simpler." "Oh I think I can figure something out."
Chapter 233: Your eyes are glowing Chapter 233: Your eyes are glowing "Sorry to bother you." ke''s voice popped into Mason''s mind. "But the, um, scary hot nymph...uh, the tall one. Apocalypsa? God I can''t remember any names without Mental Influence. No, no it started with a C. Callico? Whatever she''s here and she says it''s urgent. I thought this would be less intrusive than bursting into your room. Hey what''s...wait, are you? Well that''s just rude. Unbrotherly, even. I wasn''t..." [Apex Predator activated: Mental connection with yer: ke Nimitz ended.] Mason sighed and rolled over, shifting Haley in his arms. They''dy down for a nap, and she was still pressed against him in nothing but a shirt. Mostly he just wanted to spend the day in bed. And that was before he realized Becky was curled up on the other side... But duty called...and if he was honest, hearing ke''s voice in his mind was annoyingly familiar and sort offorting. Not that he''d ever tell him that... He tried to ease away from Haley but she soon yawned and stretched, smiling up at him as she wrapped the sheet around herself like a snake. "I have things to do," he said, body frozen as his eyes went up and down her body. "Well go do them, then," she grinned, curling the fabric between her legs, then spooning up behind the sleeping Becky. "Morning, ya''ll," Becky sighed and wiggled into Haley with her eyes still closed. Haley was running her fingers up and down the country girl''s shapely thigh with a devious smile. Mason practically growled. But he had people to gather. And goblins to kill. And he needed to see a man about a nymph. Well, OK, he just needed to see a nymph. He was about to throw on some system clothes when he remembered Eve¡¯s gift. He made his green ¡®spandex¡¯ appear with a thought, making both girls blink in confusion. Then he just winked and walked out without a word. * * * "Calypsa. Is everything alright?" Mason found the warrior nymph by the Temple of Gaia, seeing her (and everyone else in town) on his Wayfinder map. She was dressed in her bark-like armor and carried a spear, standing awkwardly next to a chatty ke. "Druid." She smiled slightly, the act always a bit unnatural to her face. "I''vee to ask for your help." "Not really into smalltalk, this one," ke said, tugging slightly at some kind of new ne. Mason took a breath and tried not to shout out his frustrated feeling that he always had more to do than he had time or ability. He couldn''t help but notice there was also a growing number of civilians and yers staring at the nymph. "Of course," he said, gesturing into the temple. He walked with Calypsa a little ways before stopping her. "What do you need?" Calypsa inhaled and closed her eyes, an altogether less wholesome look in her bright green eyes when she opened them. "I''ve no time for what I need, druid. But there are more goblins trying to find our great tree. Thea''s magic has held them off so far, but I think not for much longer. No doubt they know roughly where their scouting party died." Mason tried not to imagine Calypsa naked next to Haley and Becky. Especially since his bed and shower weren''t big enough. "The same goblins just attacked us," he said, anger recing lust. "I was about to gather my...warriors, and go and kill them all." Calypsa''s eyes shed as she smiled. "Then I''ll go with you, druid." She clutched her spear and slid a hand down its shaft as her eyes went over Mason''s body. "It''s been too long since we spilled blood together." Mason nodded, feeling suddenly like he should maybe run for the exit. Not that he had any problem giving Calypsa another donation...but the number of women in his life were getting out of control. And they were in public... "I''ll get my people," he said, taking a step back. "And we''ll go right now." "As you wish," Calypsa said instantly, her tone neutral, her statuesque beauty impossible to read. Mason turned and walked quickly to the exit. ke grinned at him, knowing smirk pulling at the edges of his lips. "A short dy, brother? Maybe the nymph would like a tour of the temple?" "Get all the yers for me," Mason said as he fought the heat rising up his neck. ke''s grin widened. "I''ve already summoned them. They''ll be here aany..." "I''m here, y''all!" Becky apparently arrived first, suddenly making Mason very pleased he hadn''t been found in any kind promising position. He scowled at ke, who seemed ready to burst outughing. In ones and twos the others arrived, until every yer in Nassau was standing outside the temple and making small talk or waiting in determined silence. Mason introduced Calypsa, with an unsurprising wave of attention from the almost entirely male gathering. "I want to bring everyone I can," Mason said. "But we need to leave some decent defenders. I have people in mind. Any objections or input before I name the teams?" "I''ve got my prestige ss already," Carl said beside Phuong. "So I''m happy to sit out of dungeons and protect Nassau till others have theirs." Mason nodded, knowing that was probably wise. He had no idea howmon it was to find the prestige ss halls and suspected the answer was ''not verymon''. But he''d been nning to bring Carl and now started to re-calcte. "I''d, um, like to go where ke goes," said Annie from the back, her pretty eyes practically surrounded in bruised rings of sleep deprivation. "But it'' not..." her voice got quiet and she trailed off. Mason frowned. He didn''t trust the girl, and she seemed to be getting worse. But he supposed it was better to have her with them than in Nassau where she might be a danger to the civilians. "I''d like ta go," said John the Scot, clenching a big fist before shrugging. "I need somethin'' ta do." Mason waited for anyone else to speak but they all seemed content to do what they were asked. He would ordinarily have taken Seamus but the man¡¯s fire magic seemed mostly useless against the ¡®domesticated¡¯ trolls, and he¡¯d be a holy terror guarding the walls. "OK," he said. "Carl, Seamus, Tommaso. You''re on guard duty. You''ll have Violet and a pack of not very tame wolves outside. Haley will help you feed them. But other than that I want you stay inside until we''re back. Everyone else, you''reing with me." It was the biggest ''attack'' they''d made, more yers even than they''d sent at the orcs. He didn¡¯t expect they¡¯d all be able enter any kind of dungeon, but he also didn¡¯t know what sort of defenses would be at the tunnels. It might be a vicious fight just to get inside. And with the new and improved walls, as well as the wolves and continually improving yer powers, Mason expected he¡¯d left more than enough to protect the settlement. "Spend any points you need to," he told Carl alone a littleter. "But I can''t imagine what could get to the walls so quickly to actually hurt you. The forest is getting pretty clear of threats, and..." "We''ll be fine, Mason. Go kill the bastards." Mason nodded as he let out a deep breath, mind drifting to the route to the mountain before Carl punched him in the shoulder. "Jesus kid," the older man shook his fist. "Eat some pie or something, you''re all bone and muscle." Mason smiled a little as he walked away, attention turned to the trees and the fight ahead as he heard Streak howl. He realized his hands were balled into fists, the urge to answer that howl like an itch he struggled not to scratch. His heart was beating faster, the sound of his pulse like a drum in his ears. It''s time, he thought, feeling the urge to bare his teeth, to find something, anything, and rip it apart. He found ke and the others stuffing backpacks with supplies, their civilian girls giving hugs and goodbyes as they strapped their weapons and made jokes. Calypsa watched it all impassively. Everyone silenced when Mason arrived. He could sense their difort in his presence now. Or maybe at his change. He could smell their fear wafting off them, recognizable and¡­yes, he had to admit, delicious as fresh baked bread. But there was respect there, too. And it wasn''t their fear he wanted. They weren''t his prey. Haley came forward to hand him a bag, and leaned in to kiss his cheek. ¡°Your eyes are glowing,¡± she whispered. ¡°More than usual, I mean. Just an fyi.¡± She walked away, but Mason¡¯s attention was already on the bloody business ahead. He wasn¡¯t even sure why his eyes were glowing. Might have been Transformation already changing him for the gloom. Or maybe Streak had some kind of new pack power. He didn¡¯t really care. "Stay with me," he said, opening the gate and fighting his annoyance that he couldn''t run full speed. He looked back and showed some of the growing excitement he felt in his gut. "Tonight I want every ''Greenblood'' goblin huddling in their mountain caves. Because anything outside them is going to die." He clicked his tongue for Streak, then stepped into the forest.
Chapter 234: Clever, beautiful women Chapter 234: Clever, beautiful women ke ran along behind Mason like everyone else. Well, not exactly like everyone else. OK, and he wasn''t actually running. Realizing his brother would soon send them all on another wild hunt, ke had taken the time to try a little experiment. Being carried like a sack of potatoes by a walking construct seemed entirely inefficient. Not to mention undignified. And he certainly wasn''t going to move around himself. He could have used flyers, of course, but he figured he''d need at least two to carry him, and actually that wasn''t a greatlyfortable ride either. Anyway, he wanted to socialize. Particrly with Seul-ki and Annie. And staring out at a bunch of trees would be exciting for a minute, but only a minute. At first he''d tried to figure out if he could build a construct with a seat and wheels, but soon realized he was an idiot. True Making could make pretty much make any damn thing he could imagine. His constructs didn''t need to be any kind of proper vehicle. They just needed to be able to pull one. It had taken a few tries, but he''d basically created a modern chariot. It had far better suspension than its ancient counter-parts, and also more wheels, with a narrow frame designed just to pull ke (and potentially one guest in front or behind him). He''d made some ropes and attached them to his constructs, thenshed them and sent them forward at full speed. It worked surprisingly well. Now he bounced and sometimes rattled along the forest floor almost leisurely, his constructs asionally having to unjam him from a tree root. The other yers were at first amazed at the creation, then somewhere between mocking and jealous as he cruised along. Even the nymph looked slightly impressed. "You should take the chance to strengthen your body," Phuong told him with a frown. "And the noise is distracting. Everything in the forest will hear us." "We have ten yers, my good man. Let them hear us!" ke grinned. But the noise was a little annoying. He soon invited Seul-ki to join him, and she shyly bowed and climbed on, moving all the way forward so he could stand behind her with his arms around her waist. She was still wearing her ''in face'' mask and dressing to hide her curves, though thetter strategy failed miserably up close. Something about being the only one who knew how attractive she was made his arms around her and her body against him even...well, hotter. And it was already hot. It didn''t help that he hadn''t been able to see or touch her in days/weeks. They''d spoken briefly before they left Nassau, but there hadn''t been enough time, and what time they did have wasrgely politeness and breaking the tension. It was clear to both of them that things had changed. It wasn''t un-fixable. There hadn''t been some terrible betrayal. But the reality was: ke didn''t trust her. The second she was physically in his arms and touching him he remembered her power activated through touch, and he couldn''t un-remember it. Was she even now trying to manipte his mind? He had no way to know. Of course as long as his mana was full and he wasn¡¯t exhausted he expected she couldn¡¯t do much. And they''d made rules, but neither ke nor Seul-ki were the type to follow rules for long. Somewhere on that chariot ride ke finally began to realize why the others were so terrified of him. The beautiful Korean pushed back against him as they rode. Maybe on purpose, maybe just forfort. Either way he felt her amazing ass and slender waist no matter how he shifted. It didn''t help that he had plenty of memories of such things in far more intimate settings... Her scent invaded his senses. Images of her kneeling in front of him shed, her thick hair tied so as not to interfere, her bright eyes locked on his as she spent a whole evening doing everything possible just to please him... No. Bad ke. Mind fucking sorceress. Bad! "Are youfortable?" he asked. Seul-ki nodded her head against his chest, but her attention seemed intensely focused ahead, her hands gripped tightly on the chariot''s top rail. "It''s perfectly safe," ke said, sensing her difort without the need for mind powers. Again she just nodded and pushed slightly into him, and he did his best not to get fully erect. God damn phase two, he thought, did you think clever, beautiful women weren''t hard enough to deal with before, roboGod? The thought reminded him Annie was running only a few feet beside him and had been the whole time. Unlike the casters or ''support'' yers, who still had vaguely human physiques, she was something more like Mason. Even after running for hours (and carrying her axe and a backpack) she wasn''t even breathing that hard. She stole a few nces at ke but he didn''t detect any jealousy or problem. She just seemed to want to be...close to him, never moving far from his side. He sighed, not trusting himself to try Mental Influence yet, and anyway deciding it wasn''t the right time. When they camped, perhaps, he could sit with her and see how she was doing. Or maybe after the goblin caves. But he could sense something very troubling there that was maybe burning out of control. So sooner seemed better thanter¡­ The yers stopped to rest and eat lunch after awhile, with only a few of the yers slumping down in exhaustion. "Next time," Alex said, his face red and dripping sweat, "maybe ke makes extra car. Then I save you first, ah? When things go bad. I save you first." keughed without reserve as he chewed a system snack, which was something like beef jerky. He asked Annie how she was doing and she tried to shrug like it was no big deal, but more like spasmed and hunched as she stared at the ground. So probably not super great. ¡°I¡¯m John, by the way,¡± said the new man as he made a point ofing over to stick out a meaty hand in ke¡¯s direction. ¡°Can¡¯t say I know everyone¡¯s names yet. Not that good wit¡¯ ¡®em.¡± ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not neither.¡± ke winked. ¡°I find generous use of things like ¡®buddy¡¯, ¡®darling¡¯, and ¡®pal¡¯ get me through.¡± The big man grinned. ¡°So. You¡¯re Mason¡¯s brother, aye? Like a real one? That¡¯s quite the thing in this ce.¡± ¡°Like a real one,¡± ke agreed, not feeling the urge to exin. They made a little small talk, but the others were mostly ufortably silent and ke felt it had to do with him. John got the message and soon stuck to his food. Eventually Reba (with maybe a quiet prompting from Mason) asked about ke''s experience in the tower. Most eyes locked onto him with rapt, if side-eyed attention. ke appreciated the effort, but felt now wasn¡¯t the time. He knew he needed to regain some trust and friendships one on one. Probably offer a few apologies. He just shrugged and winked at Mason. "That''s a story for when we have more time. And more alcohol. But I promise to tell it." No one tried to speak to him again after that. It was clear most felt a bit like the civilians¡ªintrigued, maybe resentful, slightly frightened. In his absence his arcane mask had been removed, and it seemed they didn''t much like what they found. But he intended to regain their trust. How exactly he wasn''t quite sure. But where there was a will there was a way. And he knew he had plenty to offer. The truth was, he actually cared about them, and wanted them all to live and to thrive. He just had to tell them the right way. Soon the relentless Mason had them all up again, back to running and rolling through the trees, and difort gave way to focused effort. ke held onto Seul-ki and tried to be as content mentally with her as he was bing physically. On a purely cold, calcting level, she remained as useful to him as ever. Who knew what her boosts might do to his creation powers? So he wouldn''t abandon her, that was certain, and already his brain was nning the conversation that would lure her to the orc towers. To re-kindle their rtionship. To bind her ever closer... But he knew in his heart he wouldn''t be..., until he had some kind of protection from her mental powers like Mason. Something irond he didn''t have to question even for a moment, even when he was drained, or sleeping. He understood the irony. Maybe even the hypocrisy. But there it was. The Psion had options, no question about that. But for that he needed a new power. And until then, he thought, his heart rate increasing more and more in reaction to Seul-ki''s little body against his...well, he would just have to be very careful...
Chapter 235: Roll out the red carpet Chapter 235: Roll out the red carpet Mason led his increasinglyrge and powerful pack of yers across the forest, his mind on the battles ahead. He didn''t want to get overconfident, but it was hard to imagine anything he''d seen in the forest posing a threat. The only thing he could think of was another giant pack of goblins and trolls, but he doubted they could make such an attack again any time soon. ording to ke, it cost the tower orcs quite a lot to make a raid, and they could only do so in limited numbers. He expected the goblins would be simr. Still, as he trekked through the forest he kept his senses tuned to any change. asionally he spoke to the trees with Speak with Nature, asking what they''d seen. He sent Streak ahead to scout, but he always came back with no sign of danger. By early evening they reached the foot of the mountain, and Mason turned to the others for a quick inspection. The physically weaker yers looked somewhat exhausted. "Calypsa," he turned to the nymph. "Can you refresh everyone? I don''t intend to camp." The raven-haired warrior nodded and held out an arm, and instead of the acrid fumes of arcane magic, Mason''s senses filled with the scent of fresh life and morning dew. He sighed and almost shivered in pleasure, realizing the magic had affected him as well. "Bloody hell that''s good," said the big Scotsman with a smile. Then he nced around and seemed to realize he''d spoken aloud, turning slightly red as he nodded to Calypsa. "Thanks kindly, miss." Calypsa, as usual, said nothing. That the man''s affinity was likely arcane probably didn''t help. "There''s some kind of illusion right there, Mason." ke pointed at the mountain, and Mason quirked an eyebrow. ke gestured at the little...sphere-thing floating over his shoulder. "Navi here identified it. I''m guessing it''s hiding an entrance." Mason stared at his brother in his...cart, then at the silent constructs. He reminded himself that things with ke had changed quite a bit. They needed to have a longer conversation about his new powers and what all he could do. "Can you get rid of it?" he asked. "Or do we just walk right through?" "Yes." ke smiled, then started forward. Mason held him back. "First things first. I want one group at the entrance. The rest of us are going to do a quick sweep." He quickly assessed the group and decided. "Phuong, Calypsa, Becky, you''re with me and Streak. The rest of you stay here. I don''t want anything leaving that entrance alive. Understood?" ke nodded, and Mason realized he had to leave someone officially in charge. He briefly considered leaving Phuong instead but fought the notion. They didn''t trust ke anymore, and he knew why, but frankly at the moment he didn''t give a shit. He wasn''t going anywhere, and Mason would be relying on him for all kinds of things in the future. They all had to get used to it. "ke''s in charge," he said, then without another word, turned and raced east around the mountain. * * * ke flinched as his brother ran off. He''d rather his ''return'' to any kind of authority waited for a bit more trust to build. But he supposed things never happened exactly when you wanted. He put on a big smile and nced at the others. "Well. Seems we got the easy job. I''m going to get a little closer to that illusion. Feel free toe along." He stepped off his chariot and offered his hand to Seul-ki, which she took with a polite smile. For a moment he wasn''t sure if he should keep holding her hand or not but decided against it, mentallymanding his constructs forward and following in their wake. Annie instantly followed. The others a few beats after that. To the left of their position was a smallke, to the right a series of hills that rose up along the mountainside. Mason had obviously brought them to the entrance on purpose using whatever map power he had, but to the naked eye it looked more or less like a t rise with some cliffs above. "There, master, on the wall," Navi chirped. "There are several kinds of illusion magic. So it may not be runic in nature. But since there is a lingering effect, it will have some kind of physical trigger, or be easily dispelled." "Thank you, Navi." ke smiled warmly at his familiar. Despite ke''s failure to consider how to fully utilize the thing, she really was priceless. Her knowledge constantly increased his understanding of the game, and he couldn''t imagine a more important function. He approached the mountainside without much concern. Between his own shield, Alex behind him, his constructs and all the other yers, he couldn''t imagine being ambushed. Even so his heart beat slightly faster, but mostly from excitement. Here he was in this crazy new world, exploring the unknown with who knew what rewards. He knew it was all vaguely dreadful, of course. How many people had died, he wondered, since all this began? Surely it was in the billions. The fate of the elderly was still unknown, but more and more ke expected they''d been more or less discarded. So much death and tragedy and apathy from their new, synthetic god. And yet here ke was, gaining ever in power and opportunity, enjoying every moment. Life remained, he supposed, supremely unfair. As he moved closer to the mountain, his vision began to blur as if heat were rising from beneath. Then the rock shimmered and blue symbols began to emerge like etched markings on the surface. ke could read them as well as English words, and text shed before his eyes. [Enchantment Identified. Perpetual Minor Effect.] He grinned, and opened True Making. He had already learned this particr enchantment in the dungeons, and with less than 5% of his mana and a few moments effort, he pulled apart the symbols and the rock they were inscribed upon. The illusion vanished with a pop. "Well son of a bitch," muttered Garet, and ke gave him a wink. Where before had been nothing but t, rising stone, now stood huge double doors roughly the height and width of two trolls. The ground around it was covered in filth and refuse, and as the illusion magic vanished the yers were also assaulted with a profound stink of rot and waste. ke covered his nose. "I didn''t expect a red carpet, but this is a bit much." He heard some retching behind him which definitely didn''t help. But as he did his best to keep himself steady, he looked out over the nearby cliffs and started to see what looked like the circr openings of pipes. "They have a damn sewer system," he muttered. "Would be nice if they could teach the orcs." Seul-ki nced at him with a curious brow, and he just sighed and patted her hand. "Let''s...move slightly back," he suggested to the others. "We''ll have to wait for the others. And I''d rather not wait in goblin poop. And apparently Jason''s vomit." "Not my fault," the quiet man wiped at his nose and started walking back to the woods. "Got a weak stomach." * * * Mason found his first troll less than a mile from the entrance. It was another ''semi-tamed'' version without armor or brands, so Mason didn''t bother with any of Rosa''s acid vials. With a silent nce at Phuong and Becky, he moved forward with Streak until he saw the creature smell him. It turned and roared in challenge, and Mason was happy to oblige. The wolf, nymph and yers advanced in a ragged line, then circled the troll as it turned back and forth, clearly not sure who to attack. Finally it roared andunched itself at Mason, who fell back as Streak and Phuong ripped into its legs, and Calypsa skewered its guts with her spear. When it gave up and spun to deal with them, Mason charged with Aspect of the Cheetah and buried his ws into the thing''s back. It roared and spun in angry circles, but it was too slow. Phuong and Streak sliced and tore chunks as Mason climbed the creature with his swords, then started hacking at his neck and face. It soon tripped and fell as it tried to pull him off, and the wolf and swordsmen ripped it apart. [Mountain Troll killed. Group experienced gained.] "Ya''ll didn''t need me at all!" Becky frowned with her hands on her hips, and Mason gave her a fierce grin. "You worried you won''t get any action, country girl?" She wiggled her eyebrows, then her hips. When Phuong cleared his throat and started to protest both Mason and Beckyughed. "Let''s go, old man. I want to get a few miles in both directions. But it looks like the bastards are already hiding." Phuong nodded. "I agree. Maybe they''ve already been informed their attack failed." "I expect so. Whatever else they are, these creatures aren''t stupid. We might be walking into all kinds of unpleasant traps." The thought was sobering, but didn''t change a thing. Mason led the others onwards, finding nothing but another troll or two, equally isted and oblivious with no chance to face the group. Then they turned and made their way back, Mason leading them through some smaller hills that bisected the mountains toe out the other side. They found the exact same situation there¡ªa few wandering trolls with no support or goblin attention. It was a little disappointing, if Mason was honest. The killing urge still rippled up and down his limbs, the cold anger to find and kill every creature that hade to destroy the things he loved. But he knew he''s soon have his chance. The sun was gone entirely when the group returned to the other yers at the goblin entrance. They found themughing and rxed by a fire, in what looked likewn chairs, ying cards on a circr table. "Where in the hell did y''all get any of this?" Becky''s eyes went wide as she inspected, then dropped when ke cleared his throat. "I can make more than chariots, my dear. A quick game of whist, brother?" ke''s smile turned slowly to a frown when he met Mason''s eyes. "Right. Straight to murdering. Just trying to have a little fun in the apocalypse. Off we go!" The chairs and tables crumbled in a circled rotation, everyone rising in time except Garet, who copsed in the dirt. A few yers grinned, but turned serious quick now that Mason had arrived. It was a lonely feeling, in a way, but he knew it was how it had to be. They gathered behind him, and for a moment he stared at the double doors leading into the mountain, imagining a giant maze of bombs and booby traps and me shooting goblin engineers. But he''d brought a lot of firepower. And he knew they wanted revenge almost as much as he did. The ''Greenblood Order'' had killed a yer right in front of him, and who knew how many more. They''d all but destroyed a great tree. And they''d killed two civilians as they tried to wipe Nassau off the map. Now it was time to put an end to them once and for all.
Chapter 236: A trail of blood Chapter 236: A trail of blood "So...ya''ll figure we should just...knock?" ke, Mason, and most everyone else gave Becky a re. "I''m just sayin''." She held up her hands. "Maybe it''s like...a magic door." Navi had identified it already, so ke knew it was in fact not a magic door. Of course that didn''t mean it wasn''t booby trapped. Some kind of trap expert seemed a thing they were missing, and ke made a mental note to encourage someone''s ss in that direction. Maybe Tommaso... Mason grunted as he pushed at the doors. They creaked a little, but actually what had at first seemed like wood turned out to be painted metal. Mason was strong, absurdly strong, but he didn''t really have the leverage or weight to just push open two giant pieces of iron. ke watched in silence a little while. People were already frightened of him and he wasn''t sure how much power he should keep on demonstrating. Ultimately animating the door or unmaking it was fairly benign and straight forward, but it would seem fairly...dramatic, from the outside. Nheless, as the other yers bickered and Mason just kept on pushing, ke cleared his throat. "I...have a couple options, if you''d like." Mason turned and red, then threw up his hands. "If it means I don''t have to start punching until my hands get strong enough to break it down, I''m all for it." ke blinked as he considered that might be possible for his brother. Then he tried to imagine the horror of the goblins inside if they went that route. No doubt they had spy holes. No doubt they''d begin watching the human punch their metal door with amusement. Until it started to bend... But who knew how long that would take. And ke wasn''t sure he could stomach watching Mason''s bones break a few dozen times. So he walked closer to the door and activated True Making. To ''unmake'' the giant iron doors wasn''t so easy as a little talkingntern. Size seemed to be the main contributing factor in the process, and it would not only take some time, it looked like it would cost ke a good 25% of his mana. "Animate it is," he muttered, swapping to the other section of his power. That looked considerably easier. He picked the simplest personality options, with a very brief duration, then took a breath. "Do you need assistance?" Seul-ki whispered at his side, and he at least considered before he shook his head. "Simplicity itself, my dear. Try not to get too rmed." He activated his power, almost closing his eyes in pleasure as the arcane strands of power wrapped around him like a robe. They snaked and chained towards the door until it popped up in his mind as a new minion. "Greetings, Master." A dull, lifeless voice emanated from the iron as magical grey eyes blinked open. A few of the yers gasped or leapt away in surprise or drew their weapons. Mason raised a brow and gave ke a good long look, but he pretended not to notice. "Open please," kemanded, not entirely sure how the door actually worked. Fortunately the door knew very well, and a series of metallic clicks and cks followed the order as bolts and maybe sliding barriers opened one by one. When the noise stopped, ke gestured for Mason to try again. He braced himself and pushed, and the huge doors screeched open with ease. "Jeesus." John the Scot whistled. ke nced at the others with a friendly smile, pretending not to notice the difort. No doubtmanding doors reminded them he couldmand people in a not so different way. "That was far too easy," Mason muttered, poking his head through to take a look. He pulled back in a hurry, and a series of pings and thuds followed as he closed the door and sighed. "Right. That''s more like it. I didn''t see clearly but I''m pretty sure there''s a few dozen goblins ready to shoot us full of arrows. I''m thinking about just charging in." ke pursed his lips. "Constructs aren''t very scared of arrows. Send one in case there''s...oh, I don''t know, a giant bomb?" Mason looked ready to go, then stopped and pursed his lips. "That...actually sounds a lot better than getting blown up. Send one. I''ll follow with Reba. Then you can follow, check for magic, and if it''s safe enough send everyone in. Sound good?" ke grinned. "The dynamic duo. Back again." Mason rolled his eyes, but when his brother was starting to have fun, ke always knew. He activated a psionic construct, waited for Mason to pop the door, then sent it charging. * * * "Yes, you stay too, Streak." The wolf whined but Mason ignored him. Ready?" He gestured Becky to the front and listened to the construct taking a storm of arrows. She grinned with a determined nod. "Thanks for trustin¡¯ me, and you know, not bein'' too scared and all. You big softy." She winked and was so damn adorable Mason almost forgot he was here to murder everything. Almost. "I''ll go right. You go left. Now." He pulled open the gate and ran through, turning right to follow the wall with his ws at the ready. Arrows, stones, and the asional chunk of something less wholesome flew past, at, or around him. Nearly all just bounced away from Becky''s shield, the rest slowed enough they wouldn''t have hurt Mason ten levels ago. Despite the gloom he saw a small herd of goblins shrieking and loosing their projectiles ahead, some starting to fall back as ke''s construct got close enough to worry them. It didn''t seem like much of a threat, so Mason shouted for ke to hold the others back. He activated Aspect of the Cheetah and sprinted forward, flying past the construct in seconds. Then he was on them, swords shing and thrusting every piece of green flesh that failed to get away. He felt like the proverbial wolf in a chicken coop. Or goblin coop. The creatures didn''t even try to fight. They just ran and dropped some kind of spikes on the floor, which hurt but not enough for Mason to stop. He felt several of the triangr metal traps enter his flesh and stick until he had spikes for soles. He growled in pain and kept hacking, kept chasing, leaving the less mortally wounded for the construct dicing its way through his wake. "Shit, Mason," Becky came in behind him looking at the gloomy, blood sttered floor. "You''re leavin'' a trail of blood. You alright?" He sat and pulled out the spikes, feeling Becky''s wide and probably grossed out eyes as he tossed them one by one against the wall. He took a few deep breaths and told himself again that he didn''t sort of like it¡ªthe pain, the anger it made. That he wasn''t bing some kind of murderous masochist. "I''m fine," he said, then called for ke and the others. They came in two at a time, a fewining about the gloom until ke created torches from nothing. "Sorry," he said. "I''ll need a little research to do shlights. It''s hard to exin. I have to know the details." "Oh I¡¯d say making torches from nothing is pretty good," Mason said, still no idea how to process all his brother''s new powers. But it sure as hell wasn''t a bad thing. "Becky, John, you''re up front with me and ke''s minions. Be ready for anything, folks. This is still too easy. They might be surprised, but that won''tst long." Mason could practically¡ªOK, literally¡ªsmell his enemy''s panic in the air. It smelled delicious. But he also knew it wouldn''tst long. He was torn between moving cautiously and racing ahead to exploit every moment, but after a brief debate decided on the former. At the end of the day, he suspected if his yers were united and working together, there wasn''t much these goblins could do to stop them. Rushing was just likely to get someone killed. So step by step they walked further into the darkness, the sounds of goblins always racing ahead, no doubt fleeing for their lives. The tunnels began to branch, but unlike gnolls, the goblins apparently actuallybeled things. One tunnel said ''Wizard''s Order'', another ''Engineering Guild'', another ''Prospectors'', all in nice, clear block letters etched into stone. With a satisfying grin, Mason decided these bastards didn''t expect to get a taste of their own medicine. "Any thoughts?" Mason said as ke stepped up beside him. "Quite a few. I wouldn''t mind getting a good look at those engineering fellows before you went out and ughtered and smashed everything." "Fair enough. You figure all three of these are dungeons?" "A fine question. I expect we''ll find out soon." Mason nodded, no longer sure he could clear the whole ce, or if he''d need three full groups. The thought annoyed him and he put it away. No, he decided. This was ending now. Even if he had toe out of one with the group, send them home, and solo the other. By morning, the Greenblood Order would be gone.
Chapter 237: The left the innocent outside Chapter 237: The left the innocent outside "Good idea," Alex said as they walked down therge ''Engineering Guild'' tunnel. "With Bomb-bait out front, I feel very safe." "That''s because they didn''t blow you upst time," muttered Phuong, sounding somewhat less enthused. "I save you, old man, no problem. Don''t worry." "Wait," said Garet. "Did he say ''bomb''?" "Small bombs," Alex said with a shrug. "More like grenade. Don''t be scared, big man." "Nobody said I was scared. I''m just...well, I like to know what I''m dealing with is all. And..." "Quiet." Mason was straining to hear ahead, and pretty sure he heard something like steam hissing. That probably wasn''t good. "There were also me shooting tanks. And vaguely robotic, re-animated trolls. Oh and exploding crystals. Though they may not have any of those here. I did say be ready for anything." He expected a few people shared a nce, but didn''t look back to find out. Instead he stepped out into a muchrger cavern, which split into two ramps both heading down. On the right side were actual tracks filled with rail cars, most of them empty and just waiting for use at the top of the rise. On the other was a footpath that veered off below into a dozen corridors. On the far side of the cavern was another iron door with letters around it too far for Mason to read. It seemed all paths led there, and before Mason could think it ke was leaning towards his ear. "Twenty bucks says that''s the dungeon." "No bet," Mason said, then started down the footpath. He had the urge to tell everyone to get ready again, but expected that was unnecessary. What he didn''t see were actual goblins, though he could smell them, and abandoned toolsy haphazardly everywhere. He expected they''d had some kind of warning and all fled for their lives. The question was where. Streak was sniffing and growling as he moved ahead, and Mason expected it wasn''t far. "We''re close," he whispered, following his friend. The others trailed behind, then Mason let Streak lead him down the corridors that all had the same, well-cut stone walls. Finally he heard goblin voices and whispering, and dashed into a room behind the wolf. "Mercy!" A thin, half naked goblin dropped to his knees in what looked like a kitchen. All around the walls were more pitiful creatures that looked the same, huddling against one another with their faces hidden behind hands or knees. Mason blinked as he stood frozen, sword raised and arm begging to swing, to kill. He didn''t see a single weapon held by any of them, despite a nearby rack full of dull knives. "Where are your masters?" he growled. "Why aren''t there any guards?" The goblin looked up at Streak''s giant mouth a few feet from his head, shaking as he stared. Mason snapped his fingers and pulled the wolf slightly back. "Focus on me. Where are the guards?" "Th-they ran. Don''t tell us where. Just ves. See?" He gestured to a brown armband all the goblins shared. "ves. No trouble." Mason growled and smashed the knives from the counter, sending the goblin scurrying away with a shriek. He wasn''t angry that the guards ran. He was angry because every bone in his body wanted to ughter these creatures. Because he''d already sworn to do it. But now he wasn''t sure he could. He felt Cerebus'' eyes ring, his mouth twisted in contempt. Such weakness, he heard the voice in his ears. They could be lying. An assassin could even now be hiding in their ranks, ready to plunge the knife. And if not, who cares? They''re the servants of your enemy. They fill the bellies of those who tried to kill you. And if they have children further in, he wondered? Will I kill those too? For a very long few second he stared at the cowering goblins, and he just wasn''t sure. "Might I offer a suggestion, brother?" Mason nced back to see ke smiling politely. He nodded. "The orcs make use of ves and treat them well enough. They work with goblins. Perhaps we can...gather them up, take them over as a gift. Better than death, I''d think." Mason eventually nodded, though he wasn''t sure, and had no idea how they''d manage the logistics of that. But in that moment he wanted any option that wasn''t ughtering the wretches, and turned back to the corridor. "Go on, Streak," he said. "Find me the rest." * * * The corridors and their rooms held nothing but ves, unarmed servants, and the abandoned lives of fleeing goblins. Mason learned all the important ones had fled into the ''guild proper'', which almost certainly meant the dungeon. Soon enough Mason and his team were at the entrance, and he pressed his hand against the door and activated the prompt. [You have discovered a dungeon! Goblin Engineering Guild. You may enter with a maximum of six yers. Please select them and try again.] Mason clenched his teeth and lowered his voice just for ke. "Max six, apparently. I''m pretty sure Streakes with me now and doesn''t count as extra. I want you and Becky with me. Does that mean Annie, too?" "It''s...up to you, but..." ke nced at the redhead and winced. "Preferably yes." "OK. Well with Calypsa we have a total of eleven. I''m pretty sure she''ll only go with me. So that makes you, me, Becky, Annie, and Calypsa. Other team gets six. Agreed? ke nodded, and Mason went back and gathered the others. His nned team meant the other was Phuong, Alex, Garet, Jason, Seul-ki and John, which was a pretty powerful and flexible team save for ack of range. "Do you guys want to wait outside, or go find another dungeon? You have a pretty strong group, but it''s up to you." He resisted the urge to tell them to just wait. He knew he had to get far better at relying on others, and respecting that other yers could take care of themselves. But it was hard. And he couldn''t help but picture the whole lot of them dead because he''d risked it. The six yers all turned and chatted amongst themselves, then turned back. "We''ll go on, Patron. The wizards are likely the most dangerous, so we''ll try the Prospector tunnel. Once we''re done, or if we turn back, we''ll meet you at their entrance." Mason nodded, meeting the eyes of the others one by one. "Good luck. Remember you can likely leave the dungeon. So if things get too risky, don''t be heroes. You can''t get more powerful if you''re dead. Oh and remember Rosa''s vials. There might be poison." Phuong winked, then gestured for the others and all five walked back towards the footpath corridors. Mason pushed them out of his mind as he looked to his own team. They were the only ones he could keep safe now, and he had no intention of being distracted. "Let''s talk powers a minute. I''m pretty much the same as usual, except, if I get hurt or need to get stronger, I...sorta turn into..." "A giant murder hero, we pretty much get it," Becky said with a grin. "I''m sorta the same, too. Oh! Except I can focus my reflect at one thing now. Been meanin'' to hit you with that." He gave her a re and she stuck out her tongue. "I can''t wait. Annie?" "Hmm? What? Me?" The little red head nced around like she had no idea what they''d been talking about. "Any new powers we should know about?" "No. Same old. I mean you''ve seen it." She held up her axe and shook it with a lot less control than one might like. ke and Becky both took a step away, and Calypsa looked at Mason and shrugged. "I have many spells and abilities, druid, I''m not going to list them all." He''d expected as much. "Alright. I think I have the idea anyway. ke?" "Right." ke cleared his throat. "Well, let''s see. I can make about five permanent constructs, maybe six now with the upgrade. But it takes awhile." Mason raised his eyebrows at that. He''d only seen three, and that had seemed bloody impressive enough. "I can do all the uh...old stuff." ke cleared his throat. "I can identify most magic things now. Well, Navi can. That''s the floating round robot here. Oh and I can animate some objects. Like gates, for example. And then I can make new objects. Pretty much anything you can think of, really. But if it''splex then it might be hard. So, yeah. I think that''s it." Mason, along with everyone else, was a little bit speechless. Obviously he''d seen some of these things in action, but he hadn''t quite realized just how...unlimited ke''s powers seemed. "OK," he said finally. "We''re technically a man down. Stay sharp. No more mercy. They left the innocent outside." With that he touched the iron doors again, and vanished them all into roboGod''s void.
Chapter 238: Phuong Chapter 238: Phuong "We don''t have much space, but when we do¡ªJohn with me up front, Garet and Jason on our nks. Seul-ki and Alex behind. Any questions?" They all shook their heads, so Phuong led the others back down the winding ''Engineer'' corridors, back to the main tunnels and the first branch that led to the wizards or the prospectors. He held a strong grip on his innate de,forted as always at the feel, and more and more at the tight feeling of the great tree¡¯s vest around his chest. He didn¡¯t exactly know what it did, but he knew it was far stronger than it looked. As he did he realized he''d hardly ventured out of Nassau without Mason since he and the others had arrived. But the thought didn''t bother him. How quickly things changed! And not just post-apocalypse. Phuong''s life had more hills and valleys than his homnd. A rich life and easy childhood. The loss of all of it and a new name. Rebellion and civil war and foreign ideologies and invasion and years in the jungles before finally peace. Before the alien the others called ''roboGod'' came, Phuong had lost two wives and half a dozen sons to war and turmoil. He had learned first hand the truth of suffering, how to endure, how to escape it and be happy despite it all. His faith had saved him, and even now brought him peace. But he¡¯d thought the twilight of his life hade. Yet here he was, at war again, a handful of mostly young people behind him, trusting him to lead them. So familiar. So terrible and wonderful. And for the first time in years, Phuong had begun to feel truly alive again. "Wait." He whispered and held up a hand as he heard noise ahead. Goblin voices whispered as urgently as Phuong''s. Shit. "They''ve heard us. Go!" He relied on his natural and system-gifted Athleticism, charging past the intersection and straight towards the prospector''s tunnel, soon seeing a handful of goblins setting up what looked like traps ahead. Phuong felt a vicious smile. They were wrong if they thought they were going to trick a veteran Vietkong gueri with crude spikes. These goblins looked better armed than the scouts they''d first encountered. As the yers charged they threw javelins or blew darts. Phuong didn''t even flinch. If there was one man he was beginning to trust to do his job as well as his young patron, it was his surprising new friend in the apocalypse. Alex¡¯s purple shields red and caught the missiles easily. Then Phuong was on them. He activated Lethal Cut and near sliced one goblin in half, then just relied on the sharpness of his Duelist de and his own agility to take down two more. He had many more powers, but didn¡¯t need them. They were already running now, though little hairs rose on Phuong''s neck as he heard one shout for help. The creature hadn''t raised its voice. It was begging something nearby. Something it obviously feared. Something hidden... Dirt crunched as a fast, dark shape shed across the cavern. "Assassin!" he shouted, "be ready!" Air hissed as several knives spun across the tunnel towards Garet, John and Jason. "It''s a distraction!" Phuong shouted, feeling the thing''s true target in his bones. He raced towards Alex and Seul-ki, already starting his Way of the Sword: Stun. Most of his abilities involved weaving symbols in the air. They didn''t charge themselves, though, or do it for him¡ªhe had to actually manage it. This was both very good and sometimes terrible, because while practice and skill could achieve incredibly results, he could also fuck it up and waste both time and effort. But he practiced daily, and constantly. Besides an almost inappropriate and unexpected romantic entanglement, he had little else to do. So Phuong cut patterns in the air for two hours every morning, and for another at night. He dreamt of sword patterns. He sometimes saw them shaped in objects with his waking eyes. The assassin¡¯s steel knives ttered as Alex''s missile shield caught and dropped them. But he had far worse protection against melee, particrly when protecting himself. Phuong saw the assassin run out from his cover, a longer de in his hand. Phuong weaved two circles, then another around them to project a stun. It looked like he had time, but he knew the assassins could ''warp'' like Carl. So he aimed his stun directly beside Alex, counted a half-second, then released. The assassin jumped almost perfectly. In a sh of dark smoke he crossed the room just as a wall of spears appeared to block him, straight past Jason or Garet''s perfectly logical attempt to stop his charge. The moment froze in Phuong¡¯s eyes¡ªhis own power whipping through the air in a satisfying st, sending dust to the air all along the walls. The assassin¡¯s poisoned de rose and fell, sinking towards Alex''s neck before his eyes went wide. Phuong''s stun smashed straight into his chest. The little creature sted several feet and slumped against the wall twitching, his zed eyes fluttering as he slid towards the floor. "Don''t kill him!" Seul-ki shouted, hiding behind big John as Phuong moved to the fallen assassin. "He won''t talk," Phuong said, stripping the creature of every weapon he could find before holding his de to its throat. "I know the type. He''ll die first. And he''s still very dangerous." "He''ll talk," said the Korean girl, kneeling near the assassin as she closed her eyes and started channeling some kind of arcane power. "Start thinking of some questions, please." The assassin shook and foamed slightly at the mouth, and Phuong exchanged a slightly concerned nce with Alex. Other than her ''enhance'' powers, Phuong had absolutely no idea what Seul-ki actually did. But she was certainly always very close to ke... The assassin''s red eyes eventually cleared. He nced around at the yers before bowing low to Seul-ki. "Apologies. Did not know you hired guild. I am happy to serve. What knowledge do you require?" Seul-ki looked to Phuong with her sharp, beautiful eyes, and he tried not to worry as much about her as the goblins and ke. "Tell me everything about the prospector''s," he said. "And tell me how you''d destroy them, if you had to." The assassin seemed almost happy to exin. * * * Phuong cut the assassin¡¯s throat when they were finished. The mostly pampered young yers flinched and clearly didn¡¯t agree, but Phuong didn¡¯t bother to exin himself. As far as he was concerned he was theirmanding officer, and they would do their duty and keep their mouths shut. He led them onwards using the assassin¡¯s guidance, and soon stood at the entrance to the Prospector''s dungeon. "Any other useful powers I should know about?" he said towards Seul-ki with as little tone as possible. The Korean just shrugged. "You know enough. I can enhance your powers or statistics, and re-charge your mana. I can briefly control a mind. But I have almost no protection." Phuong nodded. "Keep Alex charging, constantly, and never leave his side. Use your judgment if his shields need a boost. I''ll call for something else if I need it. John¡ªyou arefortable with me up front? You look tough, but can you take a hit or two?" "Or two." The big man grinned, and Phuong matched it. "OK, friends. We are all soldiers now. Stay with me and do as I tell you, instantly, without question. The assassin told us all we need is their leadership. They sound like a bunch of fat, weak merchants and their guards. So we''re going to try and avoid everything we can to get to them. Ready?" They all nodded, so Phuong touched the gate and read the prompt. [You have discovered dungeon: Prospector''s Guild. This dungeon has a maximum of six yers. Would you like to proceed as a group?] A small stab of excitement struck, calling him back to his first ambush, when he was too young and foolish to know to feel terror. Perhaps he was as foolish now as he had been then, but Phuong had already lived what felt like many lives. He was very prepared to die. He epted the prompt, and felt the world disappear.
Chapter 239: Intruder detected Chapter 239: Intruder detected The entrance to the Engineering Guild was a long, narrow corridor that didn''t even bother to hide its traps. Mason stared at the holes on the ceiling, the arrow slits in the walls, and what looked likerge slots for some kind of des toe out. He sighed. "Send in a construct? Set off the traps?" ke frowned and inspected. "I could maybe deconstruct some of this. Plug some holes. That kind of thing. But it might take me a minute." Mason felt his impatience like a physical thing. But he knew it was unwise and might get someone killed. It wasn''t just him down here anymore, and not everyone regenerated. "Alright," he sighed. "It doesn''t look like we''re in a rush. Go ahead and..." Mason trailed off as the wall slid open at the far end of the corridor. A goblin wearing goggles stepped out holding a giant, gun-like tube. It stopped long enough to smile, then aimed it straight at the party. "Becky, shield!" Mason didn''t waste any more time thinking. He summoned his ws and activated his Shield gem, jut his arms out slightly so his Sleeves were facing the walls, and sprinted straight through the corridor. The engineer spewed enough me Mason couldn''t really see. Apex Predator red with Elemental Affinity. The thunking, whistling sounds of traps springing from every direction filled the air. Two des like circr saws sliced inward from the walls, bouncing off Mason''s Sleeves. He saw Transformation and Duality of Strength spinning up. Then he was through. He mmed Shield first into the engineer, crushing him against the wall so hard he heard half a dozen bones break. The methrower bent and fizzled out, and Mason winced as he expected some kind of explosion that never came. He dropped his shield, and stomped the fallen engineer. Twice. For good measure. The smell of roasting flesh made him wince because he knew it was his. Pain danced up and down his body, punctuating at an arrow apparently stuck in his thigh. Below the shield, his legs had been badly hit, and his shins looked a little like burnt chicken wings. "Good thing Alex isn''t here," he muttered. "Now I''d be ''me-bait''." "Move, move!" He heard ke''s voice behind him, and the rest of the yers all ran past the traps without any problems. "They take a minute to re-activate," ke exined. Then his nose crinkled and he looked Mason up and down with obvious distaste. "I am really not getting used to...this." Annie looked equally disturbed, gagging slightly at the smell as she turned away. Even Calypsa looked him up and down with concern. "Do you require healing, druid?" "Nope." Becky shrugged. "I don''t even shield ''em anymore. I figure it''s good for ''em to pay a price for doing crazy shit all the time." "All you need is the love of a good woman," Mason said, shivering slightly at the pain but getting disturbingly used to it. Becky stuck out her tongue, then he felt the arrow push out of his body with a wet pop before ttering to the floor. Annie and then ke practically vomited. Even Reba made a grossed out face. Mason poked his head through the secret door to see a small tunnel he almost certainly wouldn''t fit in. His mind turned to Streak yawning in the back, but the increasingly big bastard would probably fit even worse. "You know if I''m doing all the work maybe you should Shared Pain just to be useful." Everyone looked confused but Streak, who just snorted, as if allergic to the idea. Mason gave up and went down the main passage. He supposed he could have tried a ''full wolf'' Shapeshift form, but for all he knew he''d be as big as Streak. Also no one knew he could do that and he wasn''t sure he wanted to drop that little bomb just now. And if it didn''t work he''d be stuck in the new form for awhile, probably unable to speak. He sighed. He really needed some kind of smaller Shapeshifting forms, and some more ability to shift back. Problems for another day. The main corridor soon branched and led to a number ofrger spaces. Mason could see a kind of giant tform down one, a rougher looking cave down another. Between both were endless, unmarked, iron doors. "Call it, ke," he said, knowing his brother''s luck was ridiculous. "And don''t just say left. Go with your gut." "Right. My gut." ke tapped his fingers on the wall and clucked his tongue. "I want to check out all the doors. But I expect you want to try the lift." "Your gut said all that?" Mason said skeptically, and ke just grinned. "Alright. You all go with ke. I''ll scout down the hall a little ways with Streak. If you need me, just yell. I won''t go far." They all went without protest, and Mason snuck along the wall as silently as possible. His Sleeves helped him camouge and blend even into the grey metal, but he knew sooner orter he needed some kind of stealth power to help mask his sounds and probably his scent. Of course he needed it far less than he needed a damn innate bow, and maybe a way to identify, or heal the others, or avoid getting shitkicked constantly... There were just so many damn powers and abilities he needed, and so little time or choice. But all things considered he knew he was doing very well. Whether he was still in the ''lead'' he didn''t know, but honestly wasn''t that worried about other yers anymore. The more powerful humans the better as far as he was concerned. They needed to work together to take on everything else. But he recognized the thought as possibly overly optimistic, and maybe even naive¡­but for now at least he forced himself to hope for the best. He soon reached the ''tform'' to discover a giant shaft going up, and a circr hall filled with...machinery, or at least a variety of goblin devices, and several more lifts. Apparently this ce was ridiculouslyrge. A crash and some goblin shrieking made him turn back to see the others vanishing through one of the iron doors. ke had stayed in the hall, and looked towards Mason and stuck up his thumb. "All good. Just a few..." he looked at the room and winced. "Nope they''re dead." Mason really wasn''t very worried about the others. ke by himself seemed disturbingly powerful, and with Reba and Calypsa to protect him, nevermind Annie, it would take a hell of a threat to actually harm them. Unless they got seriously surprised. So Mason crept forward onto the tform, sniffing and listening for any sign of actual goblins. By now he sort of expected to run into moremitted resistance. Not just the asional trap and one engineer with a big¡­ Intruder detected. Intruder detected. He crouched and spun, hearing the voice as if all around him but no sign of anything nearby. Finally he looked up and saw something like a speaker, and a giant...eye, looking straight at him. He pulled his bow and loosed a Power Shot straight into the thing, no idea if that was wise. Intruder detected, red the voice again. Then the room''s dull, white lighting flickered, and the sound of mechanical presses echoed through the cavern. The tform shook, and the middle rose up like an elevator until some kind of robot stood fully revealed. For a moment it didn''t move, and Mason activated Ranger''s Mark as he inspected the thing. It had three legs in a tripod, the torso squat and thick with two arms ending in...guns with bays? Spearunchers? Mason honestly wasn''t sure. He was about to run up and just start hacking the thing when the lighting flickered and dropped again, this time returning with bright red. The ''robot''¡ªand it looked like several more on the other tforms¡ªmade a series of buzzing and cking sounds, then turned and faced in Mason''s direction. The same red light glowed in its chest, revealing what appeared to be a corpse-like, emaciated goblin holding¡­joysticks? There were tubes sticking out of its chest and head, and it looked at Mason with zed, madness filled eyes. He also heard footsteps and goblins shouting from above, from below, from the sides. From everywhere. "ke!" he shouted, moving sideways as he picked a path to approach the first robot, Streak growling and following behind. The thing turned and shot, and at least that settled that. It was definitely a spear-gun.
Chapter 240: Pick a number Chapter 240: Pick a number ke stopped with everyone else when he heard the rm-like re. He and his constructs were busily tearing apart the engineer''s quarters looking for blueprints or runes, but weren''t having much luck. "Was that us?" he squinted and tried to hear the direction of the sound before he heard Mason shout something iprehensible. He nced at the others, then they all ran from the room and looked towards the hall. Flickering red light mixed with the constant whining of a triggered rm. Mason and Streak were battling some kind of giant construct. Oh, and it looked like a kind of security door was closing him inside. "Stop that door from closing," he said, ordering his constructs forward as he ran. Calypsa sprinted past him, Becky and Annie not far behind. His constructs thumped along but weren''t exactly built for eleration. ke basically epted he was going to have to use True Making, but he soon saw Annie and Calypsa get themselves under the security door and hold the damn thing on their shoulders (Calypsa), and hands (Annie¡ª who was considerably shorter). They both grunted in strain, but held long enough for ke''s constructs to arrive and lift the thing in unison. "Good work. Now go help Mason," ke said, starting True Making as the others ducked under and ran towards the sound of fighting. A quick Animation seemed wise, but the damn power took a minute. ke tapped his foot as his channel built in power, then nced at Navi floating beside his head. "Wait. Didn''t you say you can help me with my spells? Can you...I don''t know...channel for me?" "No, Master." The little construct pouted as if ashamed, then instantly brightened. "But I can maintain spells! You need only transfer them to me. Though¡­my mana is limited." ke had almost stopped listening after the word ''no'', but soon fought the creeping smile. That meant he could potentially maintain even more constructs, depending on Navi''s mana. He supposed he shouldn''t be in such a good mood when his brother and friends were out there fighting for their lives, but he wasn''t really worried. "This spell really is slow," he muttered with a sigh, arcane energy building between his hands. "Navi, you know any good jokes?" * * * Mason smashed his foot into what he''d hoped was ss, but apparently was more like...translucent metal. It didn''t even crack. The robot stumbled back but seemed very stable on its flexible tri-pod of legs. The corpse-like goblin inside hardly even flinched, then the robot aimed one of its...tubes. Fire sprayed and Mason rolled away before running around his foe in a circle shing. Streak ducked and threw himself against the thing''s legs, and when it tried to turn it caught itself on the huge wolf and lurched to the side. Mason moved in for another brutal kick, and the robot teetered and fell. Both he and Streak leapt to chew or cut anything with a joint. In a few moment''s work they had an arm half ripped off, a couple tubes bent or twisted. All in all things were going rather well. Save for all the other robots. And the oing horde of goblins. "Keep chewing," Mason said as he jumped to his feet and lifted his crappy bow off the ground. Half naked goblins wereing down lifts, up lifts, others were climbing up ropes ordders. Mason activated Endless Quiver, and started a brutal, rhythmic volley at anything that moved. You didn''t need much draw weight against unarmored targets. Goblins shrieked and fled or dropped whenever struck, but it didn''t do much to stop the oing tide. Mason also noticed in the corner of his eyes that his mana was dropping, and realized this didn''t count as a ''natural'' setting. So that was neat. Then he heard ke and the others at the door. Calypsa, Annie and Becky all raced up beside him and stared at the goblins. "Jesus, Mason, what the hell?" Becky held up her disc but clearly wasn''t sure what to do. "Orders, druid?" Calypsa held her spear without any expression at all. "Kill them," Mason said, forming another fire arrow. "All of them." Annie, at least, seemed enthusiastic. With a high pitched, vaguely cute scream that was probably supposed to be scary, the tiny redhead lifted her fireaxe and charged into a cluster of goblins. "Shit. I got her!" Becky chased after, her shield wrapping around her and the smaller girl like two big, soapy bubbles. Mason just kept on shooting. Unfortunately, the goblins started shooting back. Some had their usual bows and javelins. But apparently here in the Engineering Guild, they had a variety of new toys. Mason jerked as something like an electrified bean bag hit his shoulder. His First Blood title red as a few more struck, and by the sad looks on the goblins'' faces he was likely supposed to be on the ground twitching. He put an arrow in the shooter''s eye, and kept loosing. Something exploded near his feet. A piece of shrapnel bounced off his knee, which seemed small and didn''t do much damage, but actually fucking hurt. He moved a little and kept shooting, and more explosives rained around him or slid off the tform and blew up in the air. He could see more goblins setting up some kind ofunchers that looked like mortars, babbling at one another and stuffing something into the tubes. Mason was still good on mana but wasn''t sure standing around exchanging projectiles was turning out to be a great n. "I''ll go up," he called to Calypsa. "Get over to Becky and Annie and protect them." Then he dropped his bow and summoned his ws, Streak close on his heels as he ran for the ramp going higher. The goblins saw him and panicked, someunching their ''mortars'', which apparently shot some kind of. They missed horribly, then Mason was on them. His swords cut through goblin flesh and bone like it was nothing, taking off limbs and chunks of head and torso with every swipe. One of the goblins cried out and leapt straight at him, surprising him enough he just elbowed it weakly before it grabbed his chest and held on. As he was about to push it off with a forearm, he heard a click. The goblin exploded. Apex Predator red with elemental affinity, and Mason felt his feet slide as his senses numbed. He dropped his swords and grabbed at anything, feeling a kind of vertigo, unsure where exactly he was until a bit of smoke cleared. He was still on the ramp, fortunately, clinging to the metal floor. Bits and pieces of gobliny sttered everywhere. Mason''s ears rang and his lungs and face hurt, but otherwise he seemed mostly fine. He groaned and struggled to his feet, the first sound to return being Streak growling and chewing as he thrashed some poor goblin to the floor. A hit his chest, wrappingpletely around his torso but too weak to hold him back. He moved forward again and searched for targets, keeping his movement erratic to help reduce the amount of missiles still bouncing off his flesh or Sleeves or all around him. Then the around his chest hummed and stank with the acrid scent of arcane magic, and he saw his mana start to drop. He shed the and pulled it off with his shorter de, moving again to hunt the shooters. One by one he cut down goblins or threw them from the ramp as he climbed. Streak was covered ins and darts and arrows. They stuck out from his thick fur with a few splotches of red, but he was just too big and strong to be slowed down much, and the creatures soon fled from them both in terror. When thest of them jumped to their own deaths or escaped up to the higher levels, Mason turned back and raced to the others. He found them back to back (to back) on another tform, Annie yanking apart a construct while Calypsa dealt with the goblins. And ke, apparently, had arrived. What looked like four of his constructs were charging down the ramps, smashing anything that didn''t run. He ignored them and found one of the robots, seeming to have it frozen in ce in some kind of spell. "Oh it''s delightful," he said as Mason approached. "A new enchant. And a new chassis!" He beamed as if this made perfect sense, and Mason sighed as he saw thest few goblins running from the girls. "I''m d you''re having fun," he said, not even sure it was sarcasm. "Is everyone alright?" "We''re good, ya''ll," Becky called, tossing off a with an exasperated huff. "But these damn...things! They pretty much drained me. I can still shield myself, but I can''t do much else for awhile." Calypsa spun her spear and cast some kind of spell on herself, but looked otherwise bored. Streak was eating...something, darts slowly popping out of his flesh. Annie sunk to the floor covered in blood and started rocking back and forth before ke knelt beside her. Mason supposed it hadn''t gone too badly. He picked up a random shitty goblin bow and sighed, looking up and down the huge cavern without much idea of where to go. One for down, he decided, two for up. "ke," he called. "Pick a number. One, or two?" "A little busy here, brother," ke called, but then pursed his lips. "I like one. Number two makes me think of bowel movements." It made as much sense as anything in the post-apocalypse. Mason whistled for Streak, then started heading down.
Chapter 241: Goblin in the mist Chapter 241: Goblin in the mist Mason tried not to cringe at the incredible racket produced by ke''s constructs as they moved down the giant hall. One even slipped down a ramp and slid to the next tform with a metallic screech before righting itself. "Sorry about that," ke wiggled a finger in his ear. "Not really built for subtlety. Or agility. In fact they''re really just built to fight giant, murderous orc kings. I might need to update." "Uh huh." Mason kept on eye on the few remaining goblin robots, who happily seemed content to stay on the tforms unless bothered. They had at least one more to deal with on the way down, but he expected the full group to make short work of it. "Calypsa," he turned to the nymph. "I don''t suppose you have any spells to...make those constructs a little quieter?" The nymph''s bright green eyes turned to ke and his constructs with such disdain it practically dripped. She looked ready to give a speech before she looked away and just said ''no.'' "Secretly, I think she''s in love with me," ke said as he leaned towards Mason and pretended to whisper. "Right." Mason sighed. "Well, just be ready." He lifted his bow and walked a bit ahead with Becky. "How long would you need to recover your mana? Should we take a rest?" She frowned. "I ain''t like the ''casters''. Ites back real slow. We''re talkin'' hours. But like I said, protectin'' myself is different, a thing thates back in like...a minute. I just can''t...well, do anythin'' else." Mason nodded. It wasn''t ideal, obviously, but as long as Becky was safe he didn''t mind. They had plenty of firepower, and Calypsa and ke could protect themselves. Annie...well, frankly he didn''t really know, but he figured she could handle herself too. They took position around the next robot, which didn''t move until they touched its tform. Annie was still shaken from the fight so they let her stay back, but between Mason, Streak, Calypsa, and ke''s constructs, they soon hacked and smashed the lone target to bits. This time they''d broken open the thing''s torso, and some kind of fluid gushed out as the pale goblin spilled. The smell was absolutely awful. "Oh dear God." ke covered his nose. "It''s like that time I locked Mom''s horrid cat in a hamper and forgot before we went on holiday." When Becky gave him a judgmental look he shrugged. ¡°I was seven.¡± Mason didn''t bother to exin how much worse it was for his ever enhancing senses. But he was curious because the goblin hadn''t been ''harmed'', and yet fell out from its protection like a lifeless corpse. He had everyone else step back in case of some kind of damn suicidal explosion, then turned the creature over for inspection. The grey flesh practically sloughed off when touched. Mason winced in disgust, moving the tubes and activating Hunter''s Mark. The thing was dead. Very dead. And it had been for considerable time. And yet he had seen it...move, or at least give some sign of awareness in the construct. shes of his dreams came uncalled¡ªimages of walking corpses fighting men and orcs as the forest around them burned. "Can you identify any of this?" he asked his brother. ke came closer with his floating orb and his eyes zed. "The construct, yes, and I could bore you with details. But whatever''s going on with that goblin...not my thing. Navi here says it''s magic. That''s all I know." Mason nodded and led them on, the downward ramps ending atst in a final tform that clearly lowered to the ground level. There was some kind of mist covering the ground and obscuring a clear look, but it stunk a little like the dead goblin, and Mason felt hairs rising all over his body. "I don''t know what''s down there, but it might not be pretty. Anyone need a minute before we go?" The others all shook their heads, except Annie who just shook. Mason had them stand on the tform in a circle before he walked to the lever. "Alright," he said, taking a breath. "Here we go." He pulled the lever, and with a metallic screech, the giant tform sunk towards the ground. * * * The mist was cold, and unnatural. Mason shivered as it touched his skin, and Apex Predator red as it nulled his Nature Affinity. Streak whined, and Calypsa clenched a hand around his arm. "The mist is death, druid. I cannot linger long." He turned on Shared Pain and at least Streak rxed, but Mason wasn''t sure what to do with Calypsa except send her back up. "How long do you figure you have?" "A few minutes. Then I will have to protect myself with magic until I am drained." "The rest of you? How do you feel?" "It''s unpleasant, but we''re fine," ke said, putting a hand on Annie''s shoulder. "Ain''t nothin''," Becky shrugged, her personal shield obviously crackling around her skin. Mason nodded and gestured for everyone to leave the tform, then he held Calypsa back and pointed at the lever. "Wait for us up top. If you see anything, just call it out. I''lle back and get you if we move on or if the mist ends." The nymph nodded, clearly happy to get away from the effect. She flipped the lever and rose back up, and Mason led the others into the mist. His feet sloshed into something...slimy. Again Apex Predator blinked with Elemental affinity, alongside Transformation. "Lovely," Mason muttered, holding up a hand. "I think there''s acid on the floor. It seems weak, but, yeah." "My constructs can carry us," ke suggested, which seemed a good idea unless they suddenly had to fight. "Just you," Mason said. "Becky and Annie can take it awhile. We''ll keep moving. I doubt it''s everywhere." "But I like these shoes," Becky muttered. Mason ignored her. He followed the wall and stepped around the asional pir, searching for another path or some reason to even be here. He was beginning to wonder if ke''s ''luck'' had just horribly failed them, and if they should get back on the tform and start going up. But finally the pit ''opened'' into another hall, where the mists shrunk to almost nothing, and the acidic pools returned to the usual smooth, metallic surface. "Alright. I''ll go get Calypsa," Mason said. "Wait here and I''ll be..." "Waait!" A hissing, wretched, goblin-esque voice screeched from the mist with the sounds of sshing acid. Mason''s ws were out as he stood ready between the sound and his friends. The sshing slowed until red eyes could be seen staring from the mist, along with the sounds of...weeping? "Must¡­be brave. Must be brave," the thing muttered, then tip toed again towards Mason until it revealed a body much like the lifeless things trapped in the constructs. This one had what looked like rubber boots all the way to its hips, but was otherwise naked. If anything it was even skinnier than the things in the containers, its face fleshless and half skull, sharp teeth revealed in little rows. "You killed them," it rasped, looking like a frightened child as it approached. "The masters. You killed them, I saw." "Whatever you want, make it quick," Mason said, listening for anything else that might be lurking in the mist. "Because I''m tempted just to kill you." A little¡­fluid, leaked down the thing''s leg. It closed its eyes, shivering as if it meant to strike but couldn''t. "Must be brave. Must. For vengeance." Mason sighed, not exactly thrilled to kill the pathetic thing, but he was pretty sure he saw where this was going. "Oh just run away already," he told it, then nced at his brother. "The longer we''re down here the more I''m thinking it''s the wrong choice. Your luck might actually be running out. Maybe we should..." "No! No go up. The bosses hear you, they wait, they kill. Can help you," said the...creature, dropping to its knees and holding out its skeletal hands. "Please. For vengeance. I know...secret ways. To the Big Masters. I know them. I help you. I help you kill them all." Mason winced and stared. He didn''t need to look at ke to feel the grin.
Chapter 242: Undead definition Chapter 242: Undead definition Mason obviously didn''t trust the little half-dead goblin for a second. Still, the thing posed no obvious threat and he did trust in ke''s ridiculous luck to find just what he needed. "Alright," he said with a sigh. "How can you help us kill the ''big bosses''?" "This way, humans," the goblin grinned a nightmarish grin, then sshed back into the mist and acid. "Wait," Mason called, not moving an inch. "How far is it? We don''t like the floor or the mist." "Not far, human," the goblin almost whined. "We leave acid. Mist thins. Not far, I promise. Yes, promise." Mason frowned and nced at ke. "You know what...can you just...control its mind?" The goblin blinked and looked between them like it didn''tprehend what it heard. ke raised a brow as if shocked. "And here I thought I wasn''t to use my mind powers willy nilly. That to employ such drastic, offensive tactics was both terrifying and immoral. That the sacred, invible free will of living creatures was so precious, so..." "Can you do it or not?" ke shrugged. "Nope. I tried right away. Apparently it¡¯s not exactly¡­living. And the semi-dead require...a different kind of magic." "The semi-dead," Mason repeated, feeling something cold crawl up his spine as he stared at the creature. "You mean undead. Like in the movies. Yeah I''m pretty sure I''m just going to kill it." The goblin dropped to its knees again. "No! Not enemies. Must trust. Name is...name is Pil¡­no¡­Pliny! Engineer. Inventor. Much brain. Before¡­change. Many inventions. Rival of big masters. You see? Betrayed. Put in...machine. But survived..." the thing gestured at itself as if to say ''like this''. "Hate. Hate all of them." Its beady red eyes glowed. "Want revenge. Only revenge. Understand? Nothing left. Nothing." "I know liars, and if he''s one then he is very, very good," ke said quietly. "I say we trust him, at least for awhile." "You only think you know liars. You trust everyone because you think it¡¯ll all work out," Mason said with a sigh. "But fine," he said a little louder. "Lead us on¡­Pliny. We''ll follow. For now." The goblin nodded or bowed again and again, then turned and led them into the mist. * * * It hadn''t lied about the distance, at least. Less than a minute of trying to pick their way around the acidic pools, the floor got drier and the mists receded. The hall narrowed into a corridor, then expanded again into a circr room filled with what looked like old furniture, broken down devices, and all manner of nameless garbage. "Dumping ground, see?" said their guide. "Fools think waste. But I know better. So many parts. So many inventions." The smell here was maybe even worse than the acid pits, and it soon became clear why. Mason saw goblin corpses held in all manner of devices. Some were ripped open and operated on. Others had severed limbs reced by bits and pieces of technology. It looked like a torture chamber mixed with a morgue. Annie was making little humming noises and hugging herself. ke and Becky covered their faces. Streak started looking for bones to chew. "OK, y''all, it''s official, this is the worst thing I''ve ever seen." The goblin turned and smiled as they inspected as if he was proud. "Through here, humans. To secret lift. And secret tunnels, with many good things. And then..." The creature paused as a very audible groan sounded from a nearby ''corpse''. It looked as confused as the yers as the dead goblin twitched and pulled at its manacles. Then as corpse after corpse twitched and shuddered and started to move their legs. "What? No, no, no," muttered Pliny. "No move! Why they move?" It looked at Mason with wide, desperate eyes, as more and more of the corpses were rising up from a nearby pile, some more struggling to get down from what looked like meat hooks on the other side. Mason wasn''t sure it was betrayal. But he was sure it was a problem. "I don''t think the other undead like the living as much as you do," Mason said as he summoned his ws. ke''s constructs stepped around him in a circle, and Annie''s humming was getting louder and louder as the creature''s moans rose in volume. Even Streak was making little whimpering sounds, and Mason tried not to consider that maybe roboGod watched too many bad zombie flicks. Would he regenerate if he was bitten? Or would he start to ''turn''? "What are we doing here, Mason?" ke said, his voice surprisingly calm. Mason let out a breath and started walking towards the nearest pack. "ke, start putting them all down. Becky, if they get close, distract them. Annie, stay back unless you''re needed. Streak...could you try avoiding damage for once? For me? Please? Oh, and don''t get bit." With that he charged towards several of the creatures aimed in his direction. They had as many metallic limbs as flesh and bone, but they were so slow Mason didn''t expect much of a challenge. He hacked a few into bits and pieces, spraying coagted blood and rotten parts with gory, reeking violence. But the stench was bad. Real bad. His vision swam and he pulled away when he nearly threw up. Then one of the zombies demonstrated enough dexterity to actually throw something, which Mason easily deflected, then stared at, with a horrible realization. It was a grenade. He kicked it without hesitation, and it exploded a few feet from his foot. The force knocked him a few steps back and sent his ears to a rock concert, but he kept his feet and growled. More zombies were lifting metallic limbs and aiming them like guns, though the vast majority didn''t appear to work. A few sprayed smoke, and bullet-like projectiles zipped and pinged as they bounced off walls, some exploding as they struck walls or garbage. Mason decided it was time to change tactics. He heard ke''s constructs making a mess behind and didn''t much worry about his brother or Becky with their shields. But he really didn''t want Streak or Annie getting bit, and ran towards the middle of the room to get attention. He banished his shorter w and started picking up random pieces of trash, infusing one with an exploding Trap before aiming at the zombie-gunners. It blew apart like he''d tossed a ymore. Bits of flesh and metal fell like the nastiest rain in the world, and Mason shed down a few corpses before falling back and throwing another. It was all going swimmingly. Until a piece of garbage bit Mason''s foot. He stopped and growled, shing and cutting apart what appeared to be a head and shoulders with one arm. Somehow the creature had crawled close enough, though its rotten teeth didn''t do much more than break a little skin. Mason kicked the remaining half across the damn cavern, then spun and used both ws to sh anything even remotely movement-capable as he cleared the room. Apex Predator red a warning, asking Mason if he wished to change his affinity or to try and resist the ¡®potentially lethal effect¡¯ on his own. It was rather strange since usually it just changed him without a second thought. But he was fighting and didn¡¯t have time to read a bunch of text, so he agreed to change his affinity. And practically copsed. [Congrattions! You have discovered a hidden yer affinity: Undead.] [Title gained: Doing it my way. Gain a non-standard affinity. +2 to a random statistic.] Mason wasn¡¯t sure what the definition of ¡®undead¡¯ was, but he definitely felt like he was dying. Some cold hand had reached into his chest, gripped his heart, and squeezed. He didn¡¯t remember feeling particrly different when Apex Predator shifted him to ¡®elemental¡¯ affinity or anything else. So he didn¡¯t have a clue what was happening. Transformation was ticking away, dealing with the bite and some kind of poisonous rot that seemed to be trying to work its way up his leg. Meanwhile, there were still zombies trying to kill him. But there weren¡¯t many left, and these weren¡¯t strapped with goblin explosive devices. Fighting through the heart palpitations, Mason (and ke''s constructs) more or less made the remaining undead just in dead with a few minutes work. Streak looked pretty happy to sit it out, apparently not even interested in chewing any of the bones. Annie had buried her face into Becky''s chest, which was inappropriately eye catching. The cowgirl just stroked the other girl''s hair and gave Mason a re like she knew what he was thinking. Which was sort of true, but also not really, since he still mostly felt like he was having a heart attack. Apex Predator finally red again and the awfulness stopped as quick as it came. Mason growled and stared at the goblin. "Didn''t know! Forgiveness!" The wretched little engineer dropped at Mason''s feet with his arms raised. "Not its purpose. Terrible mistake. Changes nothing. Let Pliny help. Please?" Mason fought the urge to sh the thing¡¯s head from its shoulders and sighed, putting away his ws. ke was right¡ªthe genuine surprise he''d seen at the attack, and the general misery of the creature was enough to make him believe it wasn''t lying. ¡°I''m beginning to see why they tried to kill you, Pliny. But I believe you.¡± Then, to the others as well: ¡°Wait here. I''m going back for Calypsa. Then we go kill these ''big bosses''. Understand?" "Oh yes," the goblin looked at him with something ufortably close to adoration. "Understand. Will help. Will help very much. Till death. I promise, human. I promise."
Chapter 243: D&D Classic Chapter 243: D&D ssic Mason, an unhappy Calypsa, and the rest of the yers followed ''Pliny¡¯ up a winding path from the undead cavern. ke soon had to dissolve two of hisrger constructs, then three, with only one able to squeeze itself through the narrow passages. "Not exactly how we''d like to start a fight," Mason grumbled. "Will we have time to get ready? Or will your tunnel take us straight to the ''big bosses''?" "Yes, time. Hidden rooms and hidden tunnels. Not to worry, humans, not to worry." Mason went ahead and kept on worrying. At least in the confined space he figured he could hole up the others as he ran out and took on the worst of things. Unless the goblins started dropping in bombs. Or napalm. Or God only knew what else. But they followed on for now, moving through the winding passages in rtive silence, until the rock and dirt again transformed into something more metallic. The walls had little whorls and symbols that seemed vaguely familiar. Mason nced back at ke at the same time his brother spoke. "Makers." "At least now it makes sense that they''re ''secret''," Mason whispered, then raised his voice for their guide. "Why are there so many secret tunnels? Why don''t the goblins know about these?" Pliny shrugged. "Ancient. Built before. Didn''t find until I was locked in tunnels." Even if the creature was lying now, the chance of finding more prestige sses was far too much opportunity to ignore. Mason turned to Becky and Annie. "We''re looking for some kind of ancient room. Or there might be colors or symbols with your affinity. If you see something like that, let us know." Becky nodded, and Annie...stared somewhat nkly. Mason and the others walked on, the only sounds their own breathing and echoing footsteps bouncing around the metal and stone. More burrowed tunnels left the corridors in other directions, some small as before, but some...considerablyrger. "What made all these tunnels?" Mason asked, and their guide shrugged. "Don''t know such things. Many other things, yes, but not this." The creature''s voice had changed, almost pinched, and Mason exchanged a look with ke. Then he grabbed the undead goblin and spun him around. "Lie to me again, Pliny, and I''ll rip you in half. What made these tunnels, and are they still alive? Still here?" The goblin cringed, its red eyes rolling slightly in their sockets. "Did not lie. Did not see tunnels dug." Mason red and the creature covered its face. "But...maybe...slimy worms? And...hairy crawlers. See...sometimes. Yes, sometimes." ke groaned and pped his forehead. "Hairy crawlers. I knew he reminded me of something. Gollum. I bet Shelob''s out here somewhere. RoboGod really needs to work on its originality." "English," Mason said, and his brother rolled his eyes. "It''s a giant spider from Lord of the Rings. No big deal. We''ve killed plenty worse." Mason let out a breath and released the goblin. "Let me guess," he said. "You''d always wanted to explore these tunnels more but couldn''t until a certain giant spider got dealt with." Their guide tapped its skeletal fingers together as it nced side to side. "Yes, maybe, human is very clever. But also revenge!" It jabbed one finger in the air. "Did not lie," it whined. "Found big bosses. Secret way. Did not lie." "Is he an engineer or awyer," Mason muttered, then gestured for the creature to keep moving. "Move. Quickly. I''m not interested in your spider. Let''s hope it''s not interested in us." * * * The spider was interested. Not far from the corridor they''d stopped in, Mason heard a gentle, rhythmic tapping of something with many legs. They stopped to listen, then moved on, and the tapping became scraping and skittering. It sped up and got sporadic, then the sound vanished altogether. "It''s somewhere in the walls," he whispered, angry at the situation, though he knew it was just part of the game. "And it smelled us. But at least it''s not a fucking snake." "Think I''d rather a snake," Becky said as she clutched her disc in one hand, and Mason''s arm in the other. "It''s all them eyes." She shivered. "And the way it feels when they''re on your skin." "Don''t worry there," ke said. "I expect if the post-apocalyptic version touches you it will feel different. And much worse." "ke," Mason warned, rubbing a hand on Becky''s back. "Let''s keep moving, but I want to see all these ancient tunnels," he said to their guide, hoping the thing would just watch and decide against the risk. Of course, knowing how this damn new world was, he didn''t hope very seriously. The tunnels, at least, opened up a bit. They soon entered into arger cavern, not so different than the one Mason had found in the Devourer''sir with Carl, if a miniature version. Their half dead goblin guide seemed as amazed as Becky and Annie, staring out into the gloom with wide, almost child-like eyes. "Maker hall," it whispered, and Mason and ke exchanged another look. "You know about the Makers?" Mason asked, and the goblin turned. and blinked. "Pliny is engineer. Tier three. Inventor genius. Of course he knows. What do stupid...why do humans know?" "We''ve found them before." Mason moved into the cavern to inspect, not seeing anything so obvious as a door. "What use are they to goblins?" "What use he says." Pliny shook his head and muttered as he walked out and stared. "Secrets of world? Secrets of existence!" Pliny¡¯s''s horrible teeth spread in a giant smile. "With such secrets, who knows what power? What inventions?" Mason had the disturbing thought that humans weren''t the only ones who could find prestige sses. In fact he was beginning to wonder if the ''game'' was being yed by more than just humans. Were goblins in the same kind of race against the ''system''? Could a creature like Pliny ''win''? The disturbing line of thinking was interrupted by the renewed sounds of skittering feet not far from the entrance to the hall. Mason gestured a warning to the others, then searched the walls for any sign of holes or tunnels. He soon found several. "Keep your eyes open," he said mostly to Calypsa. Streak was growling low in his throat but that wasn''t exactly surprising. Mason held his bow for now, Endless Quiver at the ready despite knowing it would drain some mana. ke was mostly right¡ªit was hard to see how a big spider was going to be too much of a threat. At leastpared to an army of orcs, or a worm the size of a condo. But then even the hint of such a thought brought a terrible, self-jinx-like feeling to Mason''s gut. Who the hell knew what sort of powers creatures might have in theter phases of the game? It was that thought in his head when the darkness vaguely shimmered in front of him. He didn''t wait to consider what he''d seen, to look more closely, or to stop and ask questions. He just put a Power Shot straight through it. The darkness pulsed when struck, blinking with fur and limbs as something like dark water swirled towards a circr drain. "Navi!" ke called. And the little floating orb intoned in its ridiculous, vaguely childish voice. "Summoning Portal, Master. I can''t tell the power level, but from the size I think it''s reasonably..." "There''s more!" Mason called, pointing to two more circles opening in a triangr position around the yers. He didn''t bother to chastise himself for wondering what a single spider could do. Not that he even knew for sure it was the spider. He loosed a few more arrows at the portal ahead but had no idea if it was doing anything. ke started channeling a spell, and Becky, Calypsa, and hopefully Annie readied themselves for whatever came out. Long, almost white ws came first, apparently attached to a thin arm of pale flesh. Mason sunk an arrow into it, and heard a screech before the arm jut forward with more speed. A rounded, almost bulbous creature with spindly limbs and an eyeless head emerged, its huge mouth like a venus fly trap. "Oh shit I think that''s basically an ettercap," ke said, his hands still filling with magic. "Real deep dive right there. D&D ssic." Mason was about to ask what the hell an ettercap was, then he realized he didn''t care. It was about to die. He activated Hunter¡¯s Mark, clicked for Streak, summoned his ws, and charged.
Chapter 244: Annie and Blake Chapter 244: Annie and ke Annie stared at the pretty, spinning dark, and breathed. "Holes in the world," she heard herself say. Like holes cut in a ck curtain letting in moonlight, swirling and swirling and swirling. "Stay together!" she heard Mason say. Why should he say such a thing? Of course they were together. ke was back and he''d never leave again, and pretty soon when things were right he''d blow a gentle breeze through her mind, and she''d sleep so wonderfully again. Then a terrible, screeching sound filled the air and Annie''s whole body clenched in fear. She saw shes of dying students, screaming monsters and bloody halls. She focused her eyes and saw different monsters climbing from the holes in the world, their mouths filled with teeth, their bodies twisted and horrible. Her heart pounded and she squeezed her fingers tightly on her axe, no idea what to do. Don''t give in, she thought, staring at the beautiful, red button in the corner of her vision that made everything better. All she had to do was focus. To go clickety click. The solution to every problem a moment¡¯s effort away¡ªa power called Frenzy that took away her fear, took away her thoughts. It took away everything and made her strong. But then it would end, and everything woulde rushing back like it was all new again. For a perfect moment she''d be free and forget, her treacherous mind trapped like a wild dog in a metal cage. But it was harder to be imprisoned when you knew what freedom was. Better to forget, better to embrace her cage and never think beyond it, never think she could ever be free again. "Annie, I need your help." ke''s wonderful voice drifted through her mind. "Can you protect me while I cast?" "Yes," she said and smiled, meeting his beautiful blue eyes. Her mind screamed no, no, no, don''t risk it, don''t push it. But her mouth said yes, and she took her axe and stood between the only person who cared about her in the world, and anything that meant him harm. The monstrous creature wasn''t alone. One, then two more stepped from nothing, hissing with terrible sounds like that fake t-rex from the museum when she was a girl. Annie covered her eyes and screamed. She heard skittering, too,ing closer all the time. Little legs, wed feet, iron bristles scraping, scraping. The others were fighting now. The amazing Becky, who Annie wished she could be, was putting herself in danger without even a weapon to strike with. Nassau''s terrifying patron was sshing goo and blood and smiling, always smiling, only happy when he was killing, the frightening wolf and the other-worldly creature fighting at his side. They were so brave. So strong. Annie wished she could be like them without her button. But she couldn''t. All she could do was think about blood and screaming, and a different world where she went to school and sat with her friends and talked about boys and the lives they''d all one day have. Gone. All gone. Reced by darkness and terror and nightmares. Wee to the new world, Annie, she thought, maybe still screaming. But salvation and release was just a click away. All her problems solved. A transformation into everything her friends needed. No more fear or weakness. No more Annie the frightened little girl, the crazy kid they¡¯d found in the woods. Just the other thing. The thing that was needed. She pushed the button. * * * ke almost lost control of his channel. The ¡®Ettercap¡¯ scrambled past his construct, huge mouth opening wide to mp down on the closest thing. Which was ke¡¯s handsome face. His Psionic Shield would protect him. Probably. Though he could maybe still be swallowed... His very active non-partitioned mind frantically looked for some kind of answer, and he was about to try activating Telekinesis while also channeling, which seemed not entirely wise but maybe better than getting consumed entirely by a giant, ugly¡­ Annie screamed and leapt at the creature''s side, axe twirling and smashing into the side of the Ettercap''s head with a dull, wet thud. It screeched and swiped at her with its spindly arms, vicious w spraying blood from the girl''s side. Then ke''s channel finished. Arcane power burst from his hands as True Making enhanced with a still-mysterious, but obviously working Duality of Ambition. It formed an arcane, defender construct at least twelve feet tall, and ke couldn¡¯t help but grin. The supercharged construct charged instantly, grabbing the ettercap by the throat, magic ring as its arcane burn sparked and sizzled. The creature squealed and shook, desperately trying to remove the giant hand closed around its neck as its flesh roasted in seconds. It had taken a quarter of his mana, but ke didn''t mind. He recovered quickly. And watching the ettercap p uselessly at the construct''s arms and gape like a fish was a truly rewarding experience. "Help them, my dear," ke said to Annie, "I''ve got this one now." He nced at the little redhead, though, and realized his words no longer mattered. Her eyes were wide and veined as she chopped into the ettercap''s leg, then ripped it off with her bare hands. ke winced and considered using his Mental Influence, but it didn''t work well until she''d calmed a little, and he was rather busy for the moment¡­ Mason had another ettercap well in hand, as did Becky, but she needed someone to actually kill hers. ke sent his one remaining permanent construct to assist her, remembering the undead goblin cowering on the ground. "I don''t suppose you can do anything useful?" he asked, not surprised when the thing just kept cowering. He winced at a terrible popping sound, which was followed immediately by an even worse slop as his defender threw the headless ettercap to the ground. Annie was still hitting it on the ground. "Kill the other one," ke said with a sigh, his defender stomping and crashing across the cavern towards Becky. It had a good five minutes left, which seemed to be about four minutes longer than necessary. ke mostly just watched the fighting now, thinking things were fairly well sorted. As he began to wonder exactly where the summoner was and when it would make its appearance, little hairs rose on back of his neck. Whether it was luck or intuition or insight, ke wasn''t really sure, but when he felt the overwhelming instinct to duck, he didn''t fight it. A violent force flew above him. Something wide and white and filled with energy spread out and hissed across the cavern. ke watched as what appeared to be a giant web covered everything and everyone but him and the cowering goblin. ke looked back towards the source and saw a spider as tall as his defender. It had at least six different eyes with different colors and shapes, two of its huge legs raised to reveal a wide, gaping hole of a maw still dripping with web-like strands. Annie waspletely covered in the webbing, struggling to rise as the spider raced towards her. ke cried out and clutched his demonic ne, running forward, still not sure what else to do. His constructs wereing, but too slowly. Arcane st was far too slow. And the spider was toorge to move¡­but maybe¡­ At thest moment ke seized Annie with Telekinesis and pulled her towards him. The spider''s legs smashed into the floor where she''d been, each ''foot'' opening to reveal a spike at least a foot long. It looked up at ke with several eyes, and waves of heat and arcane energy struck him as quick as thought. He screamed as the second prated straight through his shield. His right arm went numb, and he threw himself aside with Telekinesis, pulling Annie along as he yanked them both towards some nearby rocks. He''d judged the distance well and lost sight of the spider behind them, rising to look at his arm, which hung uselessly at his side. "I''m alright," he mostly told himself, trying to pull some of the webbing off Annie one handed as the girl struggled to break free. He heard the spider''s cking leg-spikesing closer, his heart practically keeping rhythm. Apparently they''d vastly underestimated the thing. But his spells were too slow to do much now except maybe flee again. He pulled at Annie and tried not to fall down screaming at the growing painncing through his arm. The others woulde. That was all he could think as he failed to pull off the stick webbing. Mason was close. Mason woulde...
Chapter 245: Comin’, girl? Chapter 245: Comin¡¯, girl? Mason was seriously stuck in the damn web. It didn''t trigger his titles or Apex Predator, and though Duality of Strength was going crazy it seemed like strength was really not going to get him out. The webbing just flexed like stic as he pushed and pulled, the length of his limbs not enough to actually strain the material. He re-summoned his ws and pulled himself free enough to start cutting. That at least did the trick. But it also took so long the near dead ''ettercap'', which seemed somehow immune to the webbing, staggered forward again. It rakes its ws down Mason''s back as he roared in fury, and he heard its bloody mawing down as it cackled. His left arm broke free of the web a moment before it arrived, and he spun with his shorter w to sh off a chunk of the ettercap''s lower jaw. It screeched with surprise and pain and pulled away, wing across his chest as it fell back. Mason yanked and shed strands of the sticky material away, cutting himself slightly as he freed his legs and emerged. A quick nce showed him Becky was mostly free and holding off the other creature, with ke''s constructs still trying to escape. Calypsa was free and maybe casting a spell. She¡¯d tossed a spear pretty much through one of the ettercap¡¯s chests, and Streak had gotten out enough to trip the thing before it reached the nymph and ate her. ke and Annie were... Mason found a giant, horrible spider skittering towards his brother behind a rock. Adrenalinenced through his body like fire, and he ignored his own target, instantly activating Aspect of the Cheetah. He was slower than he should have been in this damn unnatural ce. But the active portion of his now tier two Aspect still worked well and propelled him forward. But not in time. The spider struck down with its two front legs, spikes long as a ruler clearly sticking from the bottom. They hit, but bounced away from his brother''s shield. Mason roared to get the creature''s attention. Then he jumped into the air with both ws held to strike, slightly surprised and disoriented at how high he actually flew. The creature turned and stared with half a dozen colored eyes, most of which red with light. Mason resisted the urge to close his eyes and turn away. Apex Predator shed a small list of text. [Affinity gained: Elemental] [Affinity gained: Insectoid] [First Blood activated: Daze Prey resisted.] [Title gained: Spider-man. You have somehow gained the insectoid affinity. That''s weird enough to deserve a title. +2 Dexterity.] Several unpleasant feelings hit Mason''s body. The spider seemed to be able to shoot out of its eyes, all of which had locked on and struck with pretty much perfect uracy, their magic exploding in a sh of strange light. Mason was sure it was all very impressive. He ignored it and mmed his swords into the spider''s body. The creature reeled and spasmed as the des sunk to the hilt, eyes rolling and turning in multiple directions. It thrashed with its legs and tried to scamper back, but Mason pulled himself closer and took a handful of the thing''s fur to hang on. He ripped out his longer de, then with a single swipe, chopped off at least four of the eyestalks. The spider screamed with a terrible sound and fled for the cavern wall, but Mason just kept plunging his sword into its body as it ran. For once, Crippling Strike worked on a difficult target. When Mason finally fell from the body as the hair ripped off in his hand, the spider was moving as if drunk. He easily followed and chopped leg after leg, sending bits and pieces of carapace and goo spraying until the spider wobbled and practically copsed. An image of his brother helpless on the floor shed before Mason¡¯s eyes, and with a roar he grabbed the spider and pulled it over. He moved to its head, and it stared with somebination of malevolence and terror with its remaining two eyes. Mason stared right back, letting another spray of energy strike him without flinching. Then he skewered its face with his w. [Large Arcane Spider killed. Group experience awarded. ] Mason walked back to find a very unhappy Streak with his back legs still webbed, chewing angrily on a dead ettercap. Calypsa had apparently cast some kind of spell to destroy most of the webbing on the others, and was still working on the wolf. He hurried to ke and found Annie holding him in herp, rocking back and forth. "What happened?" "Oh I''m fine," ke said, wincing in obvious pain. "I really need magic protection. I think it hit my arm with some kind of...nerve affecting magic." "Good thing it wasn''t your chest," Mason said, inspecting with Ranger''s Mark. He saw no actual damage to anything important, though the muscles in ke''s arm looked slightly¡­discolored. "You''ll live," he said when he was finished. "I can''t." Annie shook her head and jerked with a sob. "Can''t do it again. I can''t." Mason and ke exchanged a look, and ke groaned as he sat up and took Annie''s hand. "What''s wrong, my dear? I know the fighting can be scary. But, we''re all here together. We''ll look after you. I didn''t let it get you, did I?" "No," she said, shaking her head. She¡¯d clearly taken a w wound to the side, but the bleeding had somehow stopped on its own, and she looked like she barely noticed. "It''s not...it''s just...I don''t know how to exin." ke said something like ''there there'' as he took her in his arms, and Mason rose with a sigh. He knew he shouldn''t have brought the girl. He had nothing against her but he had other yers that needed experience and he fully expected she''d eventually break down and be just another person he needed to protect. "Here, human! Look! The rotting goblin called from a nearby wall, and Mason stared as he watched the outline of a door appear in a dull blue glow. "Sneaky maker secrets," the goblin giggled. "But Pliny has tricks. Oh yes, some, he does." The door hissed with something like a hydraulic press, and the rock shook with dust as it shifted and slid apart to reveal a dark room with dim, multicolored light. "Becky," Mason called, then held out a hand until she took it. "You''re up. You and Annie need to go in there and find your affinity. Nothing to it, you''re about to get an upgrade." Reba grinned and nodded with determination, then looked awkwardly at Annie. "Comin'' girl? I''ll be right with you." "Please." Annie wiped at her eyes and stared at ke. "Just make me. Please just make me." ke shrugged at Mason and Becky as he kept holding the girl. "No need for that. I''ll just make you feel brave, alright? You have everything you need. I''ll just bring it out a little." His eyes glowed and Mason tried not to be bothered by the smell of arcane power. He was starting to think one''s ''affinity'' increased as they leveled, or maybe just with time, because he felt increasingly sensitive to it. After a few moments Annie stood and let out a breath, wiping tears from her eyes. "OK," she said, stepping up beside Becky. "I can do this." Mason frowned, not at all happy with the situation. But he certainly didn''t see any better options. For the sake of curiosity and sort of science he stepped towards the now open door to the maker hall, attempting to walk in with the girls. When he got to the door it was like he was trying to squeeze together two mas with opposite charge. No matter how he pressed, an equally powerful force simply denied him at the opening. ke came up beside him with his floating orb, his eyes zed as he inspected. "Interesting. But don''t bother," he said. "There''s some kind of rune in there that denies anyone ''marked'' like us. All I know is it''s way beyond my pay grade. But I''d sure love to get in there and learn it." "I''ll see you after," Mason said to Becky, giving her a squeeze. "Be brave. You''re going to do great." She smiled and kissed him, then took Annie''s hand and led her towards the gloom. Pliny grinned and ran in behind them, too quick for Mason to really even decide how he felt about it. "So...that happened. Is it...bad?" ke asked, sounding genuinely unsure. Mason shook his head, still not trusting the creature exactly, but also not afraid of it. Despite its awful appearance, Mason thought it more entric scientist than evil genius. But he supposed both could be bad. "We''ll find out."
Chapter 246: Ancient defenders Chapter 246: Ancient defenders Reba stepped into the dark and felt the girl freeze at her side. "It''s alright," she said, putting an arm around Annie''s waist. "We''ll do it together." That seemed to help, or at least got the girl moving. As they walked in further little torch-globes lit along the walls, and Reba saw portraits of old, bearded men, as well as beautiful sculptures of athletic bodies. It all felt ancient and gone, like the civilized remnants of a better, or at least more sophisticated age. A doorway ahead led to several paths, each ending in a glowing, colorful symbol. "That''s mine," Becky pointed at the Arcane Affinity. "You see yours?" Annie nodded, gesturing to some red symbol Reba didn''t recognize or understand. "OK," she said. "We have to go our own ways now. Mason said there wasn''t any fight or anythin¡¯, so you just go on in and the system will do the rest. OK?" Annie nodded, but clutched her axe with white knuckles. There was still blood slowly dripping off it, and Reba struggled to square the timid girl with the killer she sometimes saw. But she couldn''t think of anything else useful to say, so she let go of the girl''s waist and started walking her own path. Her steps slowed as soon as she was alone. It had always been easier for her to be strong for others, to go on when she knew people were relying on her. That was true back home on the farm, and it was true here in the damn apocalypse. She tried not to think about all her family dead or at least gone. About finding Sarah and failing her instantly. She''d always been such a sweet girl, ready to lend a hand, never any trouble like her brother Willy. No doubt it was some kind of sick joke that the one bit of family she managed to keep was the one she liked the least. Willy had gotten the wrong friends at school, drinking and doing drugs, even starting some bad fires until he got arrested. Becky didn''t understand him or people like him, and they''d rarely had more than two words to say to each other. But there he was, safe now and back in Nassau when so many better folks were gone. It just wasn''t fair, or right. But nothing was. Focus, do what needs doing, she told herself, or maybe heard Mason''s voice in the back of her mind. She smiled at the thought and walked forward. Not all change was bad. At least she had him, and Haley, and Phuong and A and all the other friends she''d made since...everything. They were her family now. And she needed to be strong for them. The door mmed shut behind her as she stepped into the glowing blue room at the end of the hall. It made her jump in surprise, and she clenched a fist and closed her eyes as she took a breath and stepped further. "You stand in the hall of the Makers," intoned a deep voice from the ceiling. "What makes you think you are worthy?" For a moment she nked. Mason hadn''t mentioned that. Did she have to give it some good reason or get kicked out? "I want to help my family," she shouted, hating the sound of her own quivering voice. It said nothing in return, and she soon found herself drawn forward to stare at a swirling, golden orb. The closer she got, the more she thought she recognized a mile-high view of her family farm. It was like she was looking from an airne, and she stepped closer and closer until the image zoomed in and she saw herself and Mason back on the farm in Arkansas. They were wearing normal clothes, smiling, happy. Mason wasughing as her father showed him up onto a tractor and how it worked. She felt a tear run down her cheek, then she touched the orb, and a spark jolted through her hand and froze her body. [Orb of Transcendence activated. Receiving unique Prestige ss based on all avable data. Please do not drop the orb.] Reba clenched every muscle and couldn''t stop. Something warm flooded over her, and if her body didn''t feel out of her control, it might even have been pleasant. [Unique Prestige ss formted: Sacred Shield. Implementing.] [You have gained a Prestige ss! Sacred Shield. +2 to all statistics.] [Power synergy discovered! Arcane Shield ===> Sacred Aegis. While you live, your sacred charge will never fall.] [Unique ss power gained: Duality of Sanctity. A wall protects, a wall excludes. At least you can decide where to build it.] [Title gained: Powerful friends. You have obtained a prestige ss before obtaining a secondary ss. +2 luck] Reba shivered as the orb broke apart and entered her skin. Finally she could move again, and she stared at her new prestige ss with no idea how to feel. As usual the damn thing didn''t exin itself, but she was getting used to that. An upgrade to Arcane Shield was amazing, though she didn''t exactly understand. As it was, she could protect others as long as her mana held. But she had two resources, mana and energy, and her mana went down faster and came back far slower. Did this ''Aegis'' let her protect someone with the same ''energy'' resource she used to protect herself? What ''Duality of Sanctity'' did she had no idea, but potentially create a shield that just stayed wherever she put it? Whatever it did, it was better than nothing, as was a plus two to all her stats, which was incredible. Speaking of which, it seemed about time to pull up her full profile and take a look.
Reba Weber Level: 8 Primary ss: Arcane Defender Prestige ss: Sacred Shield Strength: 8 Dexterity: 12 Vitality: 18 Intellect: 6 Will: 12 Presence: 8 Luck: 12 Titles: Killer, Hit the ground running, Shields up, Can¡¯t touch this, Defender, Powerful Friends. Powers: Sacred Aegis+, Reflective Burst, Energy Resource, Protective Barrier, Synchronized Shield, Energized, Defender¡¯s Endurance, Duality of Sanctity
Finally she turned to the other glowing item in the hall, which unsurprisingly looked like a shield. But this one was no little stic disc. It was big and silver with symbols on the front, and as she stepped closer she realized it had a kind of glove along with the straps to hold it on the back. She put her hand inside without hesitation, and again the system red a message in her mind. [Item found: Familial Crest Shield. Do you wish to attune this item now?] She nodded and epted at the same time, and again a powerful energy coursed through her as she gripped her hand into the perfect fit of the glove. When it finally ended she opened her eyes and read the text. [Item acquired: Familial Crest Shield. ''Thest line of defense.'' Wielded by defenders of the ancient great houses before the doom. Boosts defensive powers when protecting members of your settlement, house, or group. Can be transformed into a silver-steel mace.] Becky lifted the thin metal as soon as she could move. It was incredibly light, and the glove, which went all the way to her elbow, feltfortable and natural. It fit so perfectly it felt like a hug, and made her feel safe. She smiled, then remembered it could turn into a ''silver steel mace'' and wondered how she... It transformed with a bright sh of silver light, the wide edges shrinking down until Reba held a three foot length of metal club. The head was round and heavily weighted, the whole thing feeling like some perfectly designed golf club made for smashing heads. Becky swung it back and forth with a grin. Most of the time she was very happy to spend all her time protecting her friends. But every now and then she got ignored, and she knew she needed something to...get a little attention. She suspected this thing would do just fine. She changed it back to a shield, then unsummoned it and summoned it again, unable to stop smiling. Mason was right, this maker hall was a hell of an upgrade, and she couldn''t wait to show the others her new toy and powers. "Thank y''all," she muttered, looking up at the ceiling. Then with a little shriek of excitement, ran for the exit.
Chapter 247: Hollow Chapter 247: Hollow Annie closed her eyes and forced her feet forward. She could do this. She''d survived the end of the world and the ''school'' and all the things after. She could do this, too. The door mmed shut behind her, the ''Martial'' affinity symbol pulsing ahead. "You stand in the hall of the Makers," a terrifying voice boomed from above. "What makes you think you are worthy?" Tears formed in Annie''s eyes. She wasn''t worthy. She knew that. She wouldn''t even have been there if it wasn''t for the others. ke had helped her, had given her strength. If she didn''t have him and Mason and the others she would just hide away from everything and nevere out. So what could she say? ''Sometimes I wish I had died in that school'' ran through her head. ''Sometimes I still consider dying, but I''m too much of a coward.'' She stepped forward because what else could she do, her eyes caught between an orb on one pedestal, and a vicious looking weapon on the other. She supposed it was technically an ''axe'', at least on one side. But it was some kind of hammer on the other side, and all along the strange shaft she some kind of handles, and spikes. The orb eventually won. It was dark and deep, as if Annie were staring into the mouth of some cave she could disappear into entirely. As she came closer she could see the rock walls like arms wrapping around her, a fire inside that looked warm andforting. Nothing would find me in there, she thought, I could vanish forever. Then the orb was in her hand. [Orb of Transcendence activated. Receiving unique Prestige ss based on all avable data. Please do not drop the orb.] As if she could. Her hand was frozen, her body constricting more by the second. A warm but unwee otherness moved up and down her body like the stare from some ancient sun god. [Unique Prestige ss formted: Hollow Guard. Implementing.] [You have gained a Prestige ss! Hollow Guard. +2 to all statistics.] [Power synergy discovered! Frenzy ===> Cold Fury. In the hollow expanse of the void, there is no rage, no hatred, no fear. There is only death.] [Unique ss power gained: Hollow Soul. They may stop your flesh. But they will find no other way. Extreme resistance or immunity to all effects except physical, whether positive or negative.] Annie shivered and felt a rightness as she stared at the ss and powers. Her ''Frenzy'' had been the entire source of her strength, but she could hardly bring herself to use it. Would ''Cold Fury'' protect her from the overwhelming emotions? It certainly sounded like it. She decided to inspect her new profile.
yer: Annie O¡¯Donnell ss: Ravager Prestige ss: Hollow Guard Strength: 14 Dexterity: 16 Vitality: 12 Intellect: 9 Will: 7 Presence: 6 Luck: 8 Powers: Charge, Cleave+, Athleticism, Warrior¡¯s Toughness, Cold Fury+, Dull Pain, Hollow Soul Titles: Late to the Game, Star Pupil, Killer, Defender, Powerful Friends
Things had certainly changed, and all for the better. And her new prestige ss power, Hollow Soul...Annie stared and stared, then with a final decision, simply activated it. She blinked as the world seemed to turn grey. Her endless procession of thoughts, images, emotions...it just...ended. The constant stream of her own anxieties emptied and reced with a nk wall devoid of color, devoid of joy, devoid of sadness. She shuddered in relief, infort, in peace. Suddenly it was an easy thing to cross the room and seize the axe. The system blinked messages about the name and attunement and she epted without hesitation, not even bothered as the power locked her body. [Item acquired: Abyssal Axe. A dangerous weapon from the endless deep. Not for the faint of soul. Enhances the affect of any offensive power used through it, but causes pain to the wielder. Improves with blood and death.] Annie knew the description should have frightened her. But for the moment, at least, she felt nothing. She realized there was no kind of countdown on Hollow Soul. She had no mana, no ''energy'' like Reba, no indication whatsoever that she couldn''t simply activate that power for as long as she wished. There would be a cost, no doubt, she wasn''t stupid. She knew that. But what wouldn''t she pay for endless peace? For the strength to help her friends, to help the only people left in the world that mattered? To repay ke for saving her, for looking after her when no one else cared. She held up her Abyssal Axe, staring at a dark, glossy spike jutting from the bottom. Suddenly she was filled with the strange urge to prick her own flesh and draw blood. When she did it, mostly just curious, a small sh of light passed over the weapon. It felt like it had begun vibrating slightly in her hand, as if it hade alive. She smiled, feeling somehow like she was no longer alone. As if even with her Hollow Soul power the axe might give her the will and desire to fight. It was like a hungry child, her baby brother, and she would need to feed it regrly. "Don''t worry," she whispered, sliding a hand lovingly over its de. "You''ll get your chance. I''ll take care of you. We''ll take care of each other." The shaft warmed in her hand, and she wasn''t sure how, but she could have sworn she felt the weapon smile. She turned back for the door, eager to show her friends how useful she could be. This was what they needed from her. What ke wanted but couldn''t say. She would make herself perfect, and seed always where once she had failed. She had been too weak at the school. Too slow, too afraid, and because she couldn''t kill when she''d needed, she had lost everyone and everything. But not again. Now Annie had her true axe, and a reason to swing it. Though she suspected, one day, without concern, she wouldn''t need a reason at all. * * * Mason waited with ke, Streak, and Calypsa for the girls and the goblin, pacing back and forth. "Would you stop that," ke said. "All you''re fretting and brooding makes me fret. And I hate fretting." "I''m not..." Mason stopped and took a breath. "It''s excitement, mostly. I just want Becky to be happy with what she gets." ke grinned. "You big softy." "Shut up." "I agree," Calypsa said, ring at ke from her position by Streak, seeming always to pet him when she was bored. Then she softened as she turned to Mason. "Druid, since we seem to have idle time, would you give me a gift of seed? I''ve used some mana, and I wouldn''t mind a recharge. I can extract it. You needn''t trouble yourself." Mason just about choked on his spit, and tried not to look at ke''s ill concealedughter. "It...shouldn''t take that long." He cleared his throat. "The girlsing back, I mean. Not the...well. Uh, maybeter, if there''s time." Calypsa nodded, clearly taking that at face value and not just as a way to put her off. Mason wasn''t entirely sure which it was. Fortunately, the door of the maker hall soon slid open, and at least two sets of footsteps moved to the entrance. Becky came running out like a schoolgirl. She grinned from ear to ear and leapt into Mason''s arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. "My ss is awesome, y''all!" she shouted, and Mason couldn''t help butugh and give her a squeeze. When he finally let her down she pulled back and stuck out her arm. "Watch this." In a sh of silver light, a huge, metallic shield grew out of her arm and covered most of her head and torso. She made vaguely ninja-esque sounds, with plenty of hai-yas and huhs as she swung it back and forth and even kicked out a leg. "Oh I''m gonna get ya with this bad boy," she said, tongue out. "Them little scratchers of yours? Ain''t got nothin¡¯. You could hardly hurt me before. Now you''ll be like a little kitty cat." "Is that so?" Mason grinned and shook his head, unable to fight his beautiful girl''s enthusiasm. Becky was still bouncing around like a cheerleader when Annie walked out and just stood there, expressionless. "Everything OK, Annie?" ke said with a warm smile. "You got your prestige ss?" "Yes," she said, like it was the least exciting thing in the world. On the plus side, she didn''t look ready to faint. Or kill anyone. "I can fight better now," she added, like the statement was profound. "Should we go?" "I...guess we should wait. For the undead goblin," Mason said, hardly believing the wordsing out of his mouth. "Then wait no longer, humans!" The little creature hopped out from the door with his typically horrible grin. This time, though, he was wearing some kind of goggle/helmet, which covered his eyes in yellow lenses and made him look even more ridiculous. And creepy. "Pliny is much improved. Thank you, humans, for helping me." He dropped to his knees and held out his hands, his voice considerably improved in artiction. "Expected to die. But did not, now vow to return favor. Human friends." Mason was ready to roll his eyes and head out, but ke took the goblin''s hand and shook it as he pulled him up. "We''re honored, Pliny. And happy to help. And we wouldn''t want you to get killed, so stay behind us. OK? We''ll protect you. The world needs more great inventions." Pliny stared at ke like Mason had seen many others in the past¡ªsomebination of amazement and pleasure at having said just the right thing. He pumped ke''s hand like he''d learned a new trick, grinning horribly from ear to ear. "Yes. Yes! Many more inventions, friends. Very good friends." "Great," Mason said, looking at the tunnels and gesturing a hand. "Well, friend. Which way to the big bosses? We''re ready when you are." "Good. Yes. No point in dying. This way, humans. I¡¯ll take you. Together we kill big bosses. And then we rule mountains! Yes?" Mason raised a brow and the goblin¡¯s smile wavered slightly. ¡°Er. Mostly, humans rule mountains. But good Pliny will help!¡± Chapter 248: Decent f’ing spot Chapter 248: Decent f¡¯ing spot Mason and all the others followed new and improved Pliny through the winding tunnels. After the spider they were all a bit on edge, but Mason couldn¡¯t hear anything nearby and frankly was starting to get a little bored. ¡°So, any cool new powers I need to know about?¡± he whispered to Becky. ¡°Um. I ain¡¯t sure, exactly? I think I can shield you better. And make a wall.¡± ¡°A wall? Like a real wall, or a shield wall?¡± ¡°Well I dunno, do I? I haven¡¯t used it yet. The system ain¡¯t exactly clear.¡± ¡°That is a fact.¡± Mason sighed and stepped back as Becky climbed the rising tunnel ahead of him, her hips and ass swaying back and forth enough to keep him temporarily mesmerized. OK, he decided with a blink. With a libido like his, boredom was not good. He needed something to upy his mind or senses that wasn¡¯t Becky¡¯s scent, or her hair swaying back and forth with her ass, or¡­ He forced his attention to the floor, dropping back slightly next to ke as he lowered his voice to a whisper. ¡°How¡¯s Annie doing?¡± ¡°Good. I think. Almost a little too good. Like she came out of there a different person.¡± Mason frowned, not really understanding how the Maker¡¯s hall could do that. As far as he could tell it just amplified what you already were. Not that he was any kind of expert. ¡°How much juice did you give her back there?¡± ke pulled back in mock offense. ¡°Not much. And by now I know what I¡¯m doing, thank you.¡± Mason sighed. ¡°Do I need to worry?¡± ¡°That is a supremely stupid question. You¡¯re going to worry no matter what I say. But for the sake of saying I said so: no, everything is fine.¡± Mason red at his brother than moved to catch up with the goblin, following in rtive silence until he heard a dull hum of activity through the wall ahead. ¡°We are close, humans,¡± Pliny said on cue, which brought Mason a littlefort. He didn¡¯t seem to be trying to trick them. Then the creature winced and looked a bit more reserved. ¡°Tunnels get¡­confusing now. Don¡¯t know exactly. We must look. But there is a way. I have seen a map.¡± "A map," Mason repeated, not exactly surprised after the spider. Since seeing the danger there he''d assumed their goblin guide had either exaggerated his knowledge of the secret tunnels, or made up ess to the ''big bosses'' entirely. But finding the maker hall had put him in a rather good mood. At this point he didn''t even care if the goblin knew anything, the trip was already a sess. Though he preferred not to have to go all the way back, then climb those tforms, then deal with every creature standing in the way. "Don''t worry," ke said, ever the diplomat. "You''ve been very helpful, Pliny. We''ll find the way soon enough." The goblin nodded enthusiastically, and Mason rolled his eyes and walked on. At least leading them forward held his attention. He kept Streak close as he sniffed and listened down every passage, sensing life here and there but nothing like the giant spider. Anything that heard the partying made itself scarce, and Mason expected it was just small rodents, insects and the like. But the sound through the walls was getting louder, and soon the audible nging of machinery, and the sound of countless voices filled the tunnels in a steady hum. At the end of one passage, the party finally found a small hole that looked out into a huge hall from somewhere near the roof. Mason looked through and grit his teeth. There were hundreds of goblins. Supplies, machines, weapons, and all manner of household items were scattered everywhere as if moved in a hurry. The creatures were clearly riled up, crawling about the hall like ants, shrieking and jostling one another for space. At both ends of the hall it narrowed to a passage. One was clearly the focus of the goblin''s attention¡ªwith weapons and guards aimed to protect it, a few trolls chained to the gate. The other seemed mostly ignored. Mason let ke then the goblin take a look, and the creature grinned. "Didn''t Pliny tell you? Sneaky sneaky. Big bosses through there, on other side. Few guards. Just big door." "Avoiding the defenses is better than nothing," Mason said. "But fighting a hundred goblins in a giant hall isn''t exactly awesome." Pliny waved a hand. "Sheep. Won''t help. Not when we go through door." Here the undead engineer held up a wed hand, and an object materialized between its fingers like an innate weapon or something from a civilian storage. ¡°Pliny has key.¡± "That''s...convenient," Mason said. "But that doesn¡¯t look like a key. It will open the door?" Pliny pursed its thin, king lips. "Should be so. So says ancients." Mason assumed this meant it was a gift from the maker hall. That the creature had potentially received the same reward as humans remained disturbing. But there was somethingforting in the knowledge that humans weren''t the only ones getting unclear direction. "And if it doesn''t?" ke smiled politely. "My brother likes to be overly prepared for disaster. Thank you for the help so far, Pliny. We''re going to speak privately now." The goblin nodded and slunk away, and ke leaned in to speak quietly. "Obviously I don''t trust him any more than you do, but he has got us this far, and clearly wants the goblin leaders dead." Mason just stared, waiting for the argument or the point. ke sighed. "I say we do a little prep. We seem safe enough here. I need to summon some constructs, Becky and Calypsa could use some mana. We rest for several hours. Then we find a good tunnel or whatnot. The key opens that door, or not, and I handle it from there. Either way we''re ready for the worst, and if needed we ughter everything." Mason felt his brow raise slightly as he met ke''s eyes. "I half expected you to suggest talking to them. Maybe mix them a drink and swap engineering tips." ke gave him a look, then sniffed. "There''s a time for diplomacy, and there''s a time for...well, you. I think this is thetter." Mason nodded, not thrilled about waiting around in the tunnels. But he suspected ke was right. There was no reason to attack until they were good and ready. "Alright," he said. "I''ll check around to make sure the tunnels are good. But I don''t see a time problem." ke grinned, then drummed his fingers on the wall. "Now what to make," he muttered, mostly to himself. Mason walked down the tunnel and exined the n to the others. Becky wanted a look at the goblins so he gave her one, his eyes moving up and down her body again as she bent over and peeked through the hole. When she turned around she caught his eyes and grinned with a raised brow. "I was thinking." Mason cleared his throat. "We could leave ke to his work. Go explore a little. Make sure the tunnels are safe." Becky nodded and walked up to him, tracing a finger down his arm. "You want Calypsa toe, too?" she whispered in his ear. "She''s awful good at that sort of thing." "I''ll ask her." Mason was a bit concerned about the bulge he was producing in Eve¡¯s tight clothes. But he nced to make sure no one was looking, then pulled Becky in for a deep kiss as he grabbed her ass. She ran her hands over his arms and back with a groan, and for a few seconds he forgot what he was doing. "I''ll be back," he called to ke. "I''m taking Becky and Calypsa, but I''ll leave Streak. He''ll warn you if anything gets close." Mason assumed he''d be busted instantly. But for once ke just waved a hand with a far-away look in his eye, apparently too busy to care. Mason nodded politely to Annie as he passed, then took Becky and soon Calypsa''s hand and pulled them away from the others. Streak made a grumbling sound but plopped down and put his chin on his paws with a yawn, for once just doing what he was told. "There better be a fucking decent spot," Mason muttered, excitement building already in his gut. But as he looked at Becky''s grin and the nymph''s eager eyes, he was pretty sure absolutely nothing was going to stop him.
Chapter 249: Renewal (NSFW) Chapter 249: Renewal (NSFW) Mason hurried through tunnel after tunnel with Becky''s hand in his, looking for somewhere far and private andfortable enough to...settle in. "Druid," Calypsa stepped beside him and held out a hand. "Are you searching for something in particr?" "Ah. Somewhere...slightly nicer." The nymph gestured to a dead end that looked little better than anywhere else, if slightly out of the way. "Not exactly the love suite." Calypsa stared at him with somebination of apathy and iprehension, then her eyes lit with green light. "I will improve it. This will only take a moment." "Are you sure you should be wasting mana?" "You''ll renew me shortly." Mason couldn''t argue with that. And he supposed they had resting time anyway. Reba was pressing herself against his side, hand running up his leg as she kissed his neck. He just smiled and let her do her thing, too curious to look away from the nymph''s handiwork. Vegetation started growing out of everything. The cold, hard stone started turning various shades of green, covering over with moss and leaves. Some kind of film was growing behind them, covering the tunnel entrance like a soapy bubble. "It will hide us from prying eyes," Calypsa exined, "and trap the heat." Becky was now practically mounting Mason''s leg as she slid her hand up and down his crotch. Even the air had changed slightly with Calypsa''s spell, getting cleaner, warmer, more pleasant to breathe. Calypsa had also clearly grown a particrly soft square of vegetation to act as a bed. "Finished," she said, stepping to his other side, her eyes moving down to Becky''s hand. Mason put his arm behind her back and pulled her in, running his hands down both women to rest on their asses. "Oh I''d say you''re just getting started." "How would you like me, druid?" Calypsa slid her hand down with Becky''s, and between the two of them they had him getting harder by the second. Mason kissed Becky and unzipped her light jacket, revealing the sports bra underneath. He pulled it up until her perky tits dropped out, then gave them a squeeze. "Let''s not rush," he told the nymph. "We have plenty of time. And I think Becky would like your mouth on her nipples. Wouldn''t you?" Becky just groaned as Mason spread her legs and ran a hand up her thigh. Calypsa dutifully took one of Becky''s breasts in her hand, slipping the other between her lips to suck. The sensitive cowgirl gasped and tilted back her head, and Mason slipped his hand down the waist of her stretchy jeans and cupped her sex. She was wet, but incredibly tight. Mason worked his hand back and forth, smiling as she wiggled against it, her nipples hard and fully out as the nymph kept licking and sucking. "I want you in my mouth," Becky said, looking at Mason with her big, green eyes as she bit her lip. "Take off your pants first," he said, and she instantly obeyed, shimmying the fabric down her hips in a rush before kicking them off and dropping to her knees. She pulled Mason free and grinned at his hard length, wrapping a hand around the shaft as she gave the tip little kisses like she was greeting an old friend. "He missed you too." Mason grinned, then whispered in Calypsa''s ear. "Get Becky good and ready for me." The nymph walked behind Becky without a word, theny down and slid under her before grabbing her hips. Becky gasped as the nymph pulled her down to sit on her face, and Mason grinned as he heard wet licking and sucking sounds. Becky''s eyes and mouth both opened slightly in surprise, and Mason shoved half his cock inside. Her eyes half closed as she took him in, staying still and obedient as Mason started fucking her mouth, her hands holding his legs. It was a sight he expected never to tire of, and groaned at the warm, wet tightness as she closed her lips and yed with him using her tongue. Becky was panting in minutes, her skin flushing red as she started riding Calypsa''s face. The closer to orgasm the faster she sucked and worked Mason''s cock, until finally she held her breath and froze, losing all ability to focus on her task. "Don''t stop," Mason said, mostly just to tease her. She tried her best but was shaking and moaning as she came from the nymph''s tongue. When she finally started moving again Masonughed and pulled her away, tossing her to the ground next to Calypsa. He climbed on top of her and spread her legs. "Bad girl." He thrust himself inside, taking a handful of her hair as he started fucking her through her aftershocks. "I was...trying," she moaned, wrapping her amazing legs around him as he took her in slow, deep strokes, flesh pping flesh with every thrust. ¡°I''ll have to punish you. How should I do it?" "Umm. Like this?" He shook his head and mmed inside her again. "You like this. I think you better get my sex toy ready." Calypsa was already prepared. She''d strippedpletely naked and now stepped over Becky, kneeling down with her legs on either side of Becky''s head. Before Becky had time to react, the nymph lowered herself down and the cowgirl made a kind of ''mmph'' sound before her face buried in pussy. Mason grinned and kept fucking his girl. He kissed Calypsa and tasted Becky on her lips, then pushed her down to start licking Becky''s clit. Once or twice he pulled out to fuck the nymph''s mouth instead, taking turns between them as he listened to their moans. Becky soon came again, clenching around his shaft, and he felt himself getting close. The sight and sound of both girls getting each other off was already sexy as hell, nevermind the cowgirl''s tight pussy trying to crush him inside. But she was being ¡®punished¡¯, so he just rode it out, then pulled out and mmed into Calypsa''s mouth. She took him without the slightest gag, and as the pressure built he grabbed her hair and thrust deeper, balls soon pping against her chin. He groaned as she deep-throated him over and over, then came fully buried in her throat. He could practically feel Becky''s whine but didn''t care, letting out the increasingly insane lust in wave after wave of cum spraying into the nymph''s eager mouth. When it was finally over, Calypsa pulled back and kept on sucking for every drop, sending shivers up and down his body until she''d drained him. Finally shey down beside Reba with a satisfied smile, but the cowgirl was pouting. "That''s what you get," Mason said as he crawled between them and turned over. "But don''t worry. We have time. You can still redeem yourself." * * * Mason decided it was time to rx for awhile after that. He gave the girls turns sucking and riding him, focusing most of his attention on Becky. With Calypsa, of course, there weren¡¯t really feelings involved. He liked her fine, and no doubt the feeling was mutual. But she wasn¡¯t with him because she cared¡ªshe just wanted his body. He couldn¡¯t say he minded. She had a model-like beauty, with a lithe, strong body, and it made her very, very fuckable. But she wasn''t human, and he didn''t think of her that way. If tomorrow he wasn''t a druid, and no longer had any use to her, she would go back to her tree and never see him again. But Becky...she couldn''t stop looking at him. Touching him. Asking to be with him. She was in some kind of youthful love, and maybe so was he, or at least he would have been properly if he didn''t have a ridiculous post-apocalyptic game to win, and possibly the human species to save. So he was maybe more reserved than he should have been, holding back because of paranoia and because he was ''immortal'' and because she wasn''t and because god only knew what might happen tomorrow. But even so, as he watched her amazing tits bounce as she slid down his cock, a warm smile on her face, her incredible green eyes locked onto his¡ªit was hard not to get in too deep. "Oh God I want you to cum inside me," she begged, which certainly didn''t help. He pulled her down and kissed her soft, eager lips, their tongues sliding back and forth like his shaft inside her. He grabbed her thick ass and pounded into her, not even sure where the nymph was and for the moment not caring. In that moment there was just Reba¡ªwarm and soft and naked, riding him, sliding against him, the scent and feel of her consuming his world and blocking out the nightmare. "Please," she said, gazing into his eyes. "Please fill me. It¡¯s all I want." He wondered if she had any idea what she was doing to him. Not that it mattered. His cock pulsed and twitched, and he could feel Becky tightening around him as she watched his eyes, as if getting him off was the hottest thing in the world. He kissed her again as he came, mming every inch of himself into her trembling body as he sprayed every drop in steady streams. She dropped down and wrapped her arms around him as she cried out, face buried in his neck as he kept on thrusting. Her wetness was all over him, dripping down to practically pool beneath them, and after shuddering uncontrobly she''d gone ck in his arms. He chuckled and gave her ass an encouraging pat, remembering his improved Blessing of Gaia seemed to have some kind of pleasurable after-effect to his orgasms. "You OK?" he said after a minute of veryfortable silence. "Redemption," Becky whispered in his ear, and he couldn''t help butugh. "I could have used the seed," Calypsa muttered from somewhere near Mason''s leg. It was a good reminder of what she was. He almost put a foot on her shoulder to push her away, but held himself in check. "You get what I give you. My ¡®mate¡¯ deserves some, too." Becky squeezed him and sighed like she was ready to sleep, and Mason supposed a little wouldn''t hurt. "Go back to the others," he told Calypsa. "Tell them we''re fine. We''ll join you in a few hours." "Yes, druid," Calypsa said without tone, then dressed in moments and lifted her spear, disappearing through the ''bubble'' without another word. Mason wrapped his arms around his lover, wanting every piece of her against him, around him. He stroked her hair and tried for a moment to block out the world, then closed his eyes to sleep.
Chapter 250: Agree to disagree Chapter 250: Agree to disagree Mason forgot where he was when he woke. He smiled when he saw Becky''s brown hair draped over his chest, pushing a little from her face until he realized they weren''t in bed. Then the reality of the goblins and looming battle came rushing in. A piece of Mason shouted ''we have no room for this softness. For loving women or rxing our guard. We have to be ready to kill. Ready to die. Always. But he shut it down. A man who did nothing but kill and prepare for killing wasn''t a man at all. He was just a killer, and the kind of creature men like Mason had to put down. He had something to fight for, something to live for, and something to protect. It wasn''t wrong to remember that. And only a fool thought that made him weak. "Time to wake up." Mason kissed Becky''s forehead and gave her a gentle shake. She groaned and tried to roll away, so he shook her a little harder, then pped her ass. "Get up,zy girl." She rolled back with her lip in her teeth, apparently quite awake. She ran her hands down Mason''s chest. "Are you sure it''s time? Maybe we have...just another minute. Or two?" They did, in fact, have a minute or two. Mason paused for a moment, then kissed Becky with increasing passion as he moved on top of her. She moaned and spread her legs instantly, her body so soft, so obedient, so entirely his. They made love slow and sweet, Becky often looking up into Mason''s eyes intensely as he took her in deep, intimate thrusts. He lost himself in her warmth, and when he finally came she practically pulled him in with all her might and limbs, as if desperate to have him cum as deep inside her as possible. He finally rxed as the pleasure faded, crushing Becky with his full weight as he copsed on top of her, her long legs still wrapped around him. "OK. That was a good idea." She held on, clearly not wanting him to move. Then a little whileter he was looking for his constantly ripped and usually blood-covered clothes, eventually remembering and summoning his nymph outfit. Becky gave him a once over, still naked, hands drifting over her body, closer and closer to between her legs. "You do fill out that supersuit, don''t you." "It''s not a..." Mason sighed, looking away from her body to keep himself from getting pulled into another round. "You take my innocence," Becky pouted, "now you won''t even look at me? What a cruel, rake of a man you are." "We both know what you''re doing," Mason said. "Now put your clothes on before the game punishes you for being naughty." "Fine, fine." Becky groaned and rolled to her feet to put on her clothes. When she was halfway decent Mason gave her another good, long kiss and a squeeze. "When we have more time, I know," Becky said as she rolled her eyes and grinned. "Actually, I was going to say: you haven''t had your innocence for awhile. You''ve gone down on three other women just because I told you to." Becky bit her lip and looked away. "Don''t remind me." "Embarrassed?" Becky leaned forward. "Wet," she whispered in Mason''s ear. It took most of his resolve not to strip down her pants right there and test the truth of that. But since he could see the rebellious little twinkle in her eye he knew that''s what she was aiming for. "I''m creating a monster," he said, and Beckyughed. "OK. I''ll be good. Everythin'' peachy? Anythin'' we need to chat about?" "No, everything''s ''peachy''. How''s the mana?" "Finer than frog hair split four ways.¡± Mason blinked. "I assume that means good. Now don''t rely on your fancy new shield or powers too much. If things are rough, stick to the things you know work, and protect yourself. Because it might get messy. Alright?" "Yes sir." Becky stiffened with a vaguely correct salute, and Mason decided he might need Haley to find her a uniform forpletely un-military reasons. With ast, slightly nostalgic look at the nymph-created hide-away, Mason took Becky''s hand and pulled her through the ''bubble'' back into the tunnels. "I really need to learn that spell," he muttered as he walked back towards ke and the others. * * * Mason found ke talking to Annie. Or at least talking at her, lounging ratherfortably in what appeared to be an entire bedroom''s worth of furniture. Several deadly looking constructs in various tinges of purple or blue lined the walls, utterly still and rather creepy. Despite several options of chair, Calypsa sat on the ground. "There are the love birds! I was starting to wonder if your back would need a rest." ke announced as Mason and Becky came closer. Mason cleared his throat as Becky squeezed his hand. "We fell asleep. All ready to go? And where''s..." "I am here, human." The goblin popped up from behind arge cushion, tinkering with what might have been a rubiks cube crossed with a torture device. Frankly, Mason didn''t want to know. "Good. Any more ideas? Or are we still just trying that door and hoping for the best?" ke shrugged. "If the key fails, I¡¯ll try and use my magic to open it. Or destroy it. Or there''s n c." At this ke smiled and nodded at Pliny, as if they''d discussed something and it was alright to speak. "Bomb." The goblin held up his cube. "If key one no work. We try...key two." At this it giggled at its own joke, which sounded vaguely like a dying animal. "Right." Mason gestured at the furniture. "Do you need to...un-magic this. Or can we just..." ke stood and waved a hand, and the whole room erupted in the stink of arcane magic fading away as the objects crumbled. "Smells like old piss," Mason muttered, and Calypsa turned and nodded like it was the first intelligent thing she''d heard in hours. "What?" ke frowned and sniffed. "It smells like...new car. Which is to say, delightful." "Agree to disagree. Alright everyone, stay with me and keep sharp. We''re going to look for a way down, then probably try that door. We''ll do our best to get it open, but if it doesn''t work, we''ll likely be fighting and maybe running back through the tunnels. Any questions?" There were none, and Mason, Streak, and Pliny led the way through another series of winding passageways. Most took them vaguely downward, but like the others seemed arranged in a purposefully confusing maze. Mason had no desire whatsoever to try and keep the group together in a fighting retreat through them. He expected they''d be turned around or lost in minutes, though he supposed at least the goblins might be too. Alone he might have weed it, but the strength of a group was sticking together and fighting as one, knowing what the hell everyone else was doing. He expected the wisest thing would be just to stay on the main floor, maybe use a single tunnel, and fight from there if things got messy. A simple n was usually the best. But they''d y it by ear. When they finally descended to what felt like ''the bottom'', once again the sound of the goblins in the hall beyond became like the background of a pub crossed with a factory. Voices and mechanical sounds nged and rose or fell from multiple directions, implying enough numbers to put a little sweat on Mason''s brow. The tunnel emerged into another, much wider tunnel the goblins clearly used, though thankfully not for the moment. It was maybe twenty five feet across, fifteen feet high¡ª plenty of room for machines. And trolls. They were alone, but the goblins weren''t far away from the end of therger tunnel, and despite the noise Mason was sure he heard other noisesing from the other end. Not ideal, but battlefields rarely were. "Good enough," Mason said, looking at the huge, iron doors in view not far in the distance. "Stay with me. We move fast. If I decide it''s time to run,e back here, get in the smaller tunnels. I''ll call it out. Now let''s go." The yers moved behind Mason in a line, and despite goblins lounging mere feet from the tunnel, he walked them straight into the hall, and crept down one side.
Chapter 251: There goes surprise Chapter 251: There goes surprise Mason hadn''t exactly nned on ''sneaking'', but he would have liked to at least gone unnoticed for a minute. ke''s constructs put an end to all that. With the collective gait and volume of a small herd of buffalo, the five living statues lumbered behind and in front of their creator like sumo wrestlers in tap dance shoes. Goblin eyes began to turn from every conceivable direction. Mason picked up the pace. Even so, the sight of the yers, nymph, and constructs suddenly in their midst, seemed to strike most of the goblins as so bizarre and unlikely, they didn''t immediately panic or attack. They seemed to be looking for someone to exin or take charge, and likely assumed someone knew what was going on. A goggle-wearing engineer finally stepped forward and inspected the group before raising a clip board wielding hand. "Where you going? Er, who are you? Er, do the big bosses...wait. Tree witch! Tree witch! It''s them! We''re under attac..." Mason put a Power Shot through the engineer''s face. "Time to run," he said, then dropped any pretense of ambiguity as he ran for the huge iron door. Goblins were mostly scattering to get out of their path, the vast majority seeming like workers or maybe low ranking engineers who wanted no part of...whatever this was. But moremanding voices were shouting, and spreading, and from the general chaos Mason could see other creatures trying to gain some semnce of control. The yers were close to their target, though. Only a single goblin stood at the gate, more like a scout than a guard. When he realized the yers were charging straight at him he turned and vanished through what looked like a doggy door into the gate just as Mason''s first arrow smashed into the metal behind his head. "Shit. There goes surprise. ke, Pliny, work on the door. Becky and Calypsa, you''re with me." He didn''t bothermanding Streak, as the wolf already sensed what he wanted and growled. No doubt the goblins would get themselves together sooner orter to attack, but Mason sure as hell didn''t have to make it easy. A lightning bolt was tempting, but his arrows took mana here and that felt way more efficient than a burst. Honestly, the main temptation was the noise and racket the thing would make, but still, it didn''t feel worth it. Instead he stopped and just started shooting arrows at anything that moved. He especially tried to put arrows into non-obvious targets¡ªinto goblins huddled on the sides. Sure enough, the closest scattered, trying to get to the far end of the hall, scampering over each other as they fled and added to the general chaos. Streak went after them like a shepherd dog, driving a green flock away wherever he went. Mason nced back to see Pliny and ke fiddling with the door and not looking terribly pleased. He was guessing that meant the key didn''t exactly work as intended. Which was just super. The goblin leadership also appeared to have rallied. Machines that looked like the robots they''d dealt with upstairs were being turned on, cking themselves into a group. Engineers were arming themselves with a dozen different weapons, yelling at each other and seeming to decide who got what. Metal screeched as what looked like a giant cannon was being dragged around to face the yers. Mason supposed it should have been concerning, but he couldn''t help but wonder if it might work to knock down a giant iron door... He grit his teeth. "I''m attacking. Kill anything you want except that cannon, but keep falling back to ke. Got it?" Calypsa nodded and spun her spear, and Becky clutched her shield with a determined nod. Then Mason tossed his shitty goblin bow and summoned his ws, and ran straight at the growing enemy forces with Streak on his heels. * * * Gouts of me and various projectiles zipped and roared at Mason as he charged in at an angle. His target was the cannon crew, but he needed them to either load the thing and get it ready, or make it obvious how it would work. But also not shoot it at him. A fine bnce to strike... The engineers were panicking as Mason closed. Most ran behind the robots, but a mer kept on shooting, and Mason ran through the me and cut his attacker¡¯s head off as Apex Predator dinged. The robots shot a handful of their harpoons, which Mason dodged but at least one stuck into Streak. Mason considered Shared Pain, then the wolf shifted forms mid-run. He growled and seized the harpoon with his new, vaguely horrifying, mutant w-hand, pulled it out, and threw it back at the robot. The son of a bitch even hit. It didn''t do much, but everyone took a moment to be confused before Streak dashed forward and jumped on the thing, riding it and wing or biting at hoses and anything else not covered by the main structure. Through their bond, Mason felt mostly the spirit of...fun. He stopped worrying about the wolf. Instead he tossed some traps around the engineers for extra chaos, then turned and bolted for the cannon crew. The engineers seemed to predict it and followed him with a hail of projectiles. This time theyrgely hit. Bits and pieces of metal mmed into Mason''s skin, spraying with what he feared was blood until he realized they must have been filled with various liquids. Apex Predator was having a field day, swapping back and forth as Mason just ran on and reached the wide-eyed artillery loaders. Mason wasn''t exactly an expert on goblin-made cannons, but this one looked vaguely simr to a human equivalent. It looked like the shot was already loaded, and they were working on the charge. They didn''t need four goblins for that. He quickly cut them down to one. But he realized he was now increasingly surrounded, which apparently gave the goblins enough courage to attack. From every direction the mob of creatures came at him with spears. Or shop tools. A wrench bounced off his forehead, a spear jabbed into his back. He spun and cut apart spear shafts, or knocked them flying from surprised creatures hands, whirling back and forth to hunt hands or heads. The engineers clearly didn''t worry about fratricide. More projectiles bounced, exploded, and zinged off everything in sight. A goblin doing his best to attack exploded as something went through him and sttered over Mason. The liquids didn''t bother him, but the direct metallic hits were leaving gouges in his flesh. And they fucking hurt. Still, Transformation was doing its work, and at this speed Mason expected they may never be able to kill him unless they brought something.. A boom roared and echoed through the hall as another cannon red. Mason didn''t even know where it was aimed, but he turned and threw himself at a small pack of goblins just as a gush of wind rushed over him. A brutal force mmed through the goblins, spraying blood and limbs before spinning Mason as some projectile struck his left arm. It didn''t even hurt, just went numb, but Mason didn''t have time to assess the damage. He hacked his way through the surviving goblins with his right arm before looking down. His left hand was missing, the arm severed at the elbow. It should have frightened or at least disturbed him, he supposed. Though he epted his current neutrality might be shock. He nced out at the further cannon already reloading, seeing hundreds more goblins running down from the far side of the hall. Despite the grisly injury, and the pain now starting to shiver up his arm, his practical mind was still in control. Apparently he''d underestimated the forces outside the boss room. He needed to withdraw, but not before he dealt with the cannons, or they''d just keep shooting at them huddled at the door. He turned and smashed the cannon beside him, ruining the barrel before charging a lightning bolt. A few more projectiles struck him, but he saw blue shields sizzling now and realized Becky must have seen his arm dripping blood and ignored the usual ''don''t bother shielding Mason'' rule. He hoped she wasn''t too freaked out. The energy built and built but Mason didn''t have time to correct if it wasn''t enough, so he went for overkill. He waited until his mana was less than half before releasing, the huge build-up crackling with a thrumming crash as the bolt struck instantly. Fire erupted with a blinding white light, and Mason''s ears rang then quieted, the explosion strong enough to send him back a step even from a distance. He didn''t bother to wait for the damage, instead running straight back for Streak and Becky, then towards the door. This sure as hell wasn''t over yet. And maybe worse waited through that door...
Chapter 252: The pan to the fire Chapter 252: The pan to the fire ke failed his Animate attempt for the second time and kicked the iron door. "Ow. God damnit." He nced at Pliny. "Any luck with the key?" "Not yet, human friend. But getting closer." The strange but intriguing creature was intensely focused on his task, and ke thought it best to leave him alone. It turned out the ''key'' was more like an ''Arcane Decoder'' than a piece of metal that turned a lock. The entrance to the engineer leadership was aplex, mechanical and magical marvel, protected from pretty much any kind of mundane meddling. ke expected to learn a new rune or three, at least, if they ever got the damn thing open. But something was blocking his attempts at True Making, or indeed any kind of magic at all. "Navi¡ªany luck?" He''d sent his familiar to identify every part of the door and wall constantly for any change or weakness. So far the three of them were 0-3. "Nothing, Master. The door remains protected from identification of any kind. I think it would require a powerful de-enchantment to remove that protection." "Yeah. Can''t do that. Can I?" "No, Master. The wall, however, is simple stone, maybe five feet thick, and doesn''t seem enchanted." ke grit his teeth and stared at the wall. "OK. Fuck it." He yet again activated True Making, this time to destroy. He wasn''t sure how much time or mana it would take, but if they couldn''t open the door, he''d dig straight through the bloody stone. In fact, he almost sent his constructs to start bashing before he spared a nce at the others. Apparently goblins were swarming everywhere. It was a bit hard to see in the gloom and chaos, but it seemed to ke a veritable army of engineers was sting at Mason and Reba with a delightful array of nastyness. He winced, and nced at the silent girl beside him. "Annie, go help them." Sending her to Mason seemed maybe not that wise, considering his penchant for danger... "Stick with Becky. Do whatever she says." The generally unstable girl just nodded like he''dmented on the weather. Then she extended her arm, and a very violent, very demonic looking¡­axe, formed in the girl''s tiny hand. Next to her petite, cute, and yes attractive little frame, the contrast was ridiculous. But she took off running like she meant business, and ke tried not to think about it too much,manding four of his five constructs to follow. He focused on the wall with half of his Partitioned mind, ready and watching the constructs more personally to join the swirling melee. True Making started and instantly made progress, cutting chunks of stone in steady waves, vanishing it into nothingness. ke grinned. "Navi¡ªgo find Mason and tell him it''ll be four, er...five minutes, then we''re through." "Yes, Master." The orb floated up and shot into the dark, and ke smiled at the useful servant. But he also really missed his Professor X chair. * * * "Master Mason! Master Mason!" Mason cut another engineer in half and ran to relieve Streak. He had no idea what or where the voice wasing from, nor did he have the time to figure it out. Streak, apparently, was leaping back and forth from robot to robot in his disturbing form. He was ripping hoses and getting the things to shoot at each other, still seemingly having a grand old time. He was also soaked in his own blood. Mason whistled and ran for the yers, and Streak abandoned his game of robo-hop to chase after, shifting back to his wolf form as he did. The voice kept chirping but Mason continued to ignore it. He saw Becky and Calypsa were hard pressed between him and the door, trying to hold a swarm of goblins from cutting them off. Mason ran to join them before the cowgirl put her shield to the side and ran straight at a pack of goblins. "Stay back, y''all!" she shouted, and having seen her in action, Mason sure as hell did. She body checked her way into the creatures as spears ands bounced and sizzled. Then the air seemed to suck in towards her, and an arcane power sted with as much as that exploding cannon. Everything in a good fifteen foot radius around her got covered in blue light, then mostly vanished. ''Mostly'' because bits of junk and gobliny scattered everywhere as Becky came jogging back. "You see that? Best one yet." She was all smiles until she saw Mason''s mangled arm up close. "Oh Mason." She covered her mouth with a hand. "It''ll heal," he said, though he wasn¡¯t entirely sure, ncing back at the fresh wave of pursuers on his tail. "Don''t suppose you can do another round?" Becky shook her head. "I¡¯ve got my wall. But they''ve been drainin'' me, and that st used what I had left. No juice, and no build up. But I got plenty of shield left, so I can hold ''em off." Mason was about to say they needed to fall back when ke''s floating orb dropped directly in front of his face and screamed. "Listen!" Mason stopped and stared at the thing''s scrunched up, angry face, and when it noticed his attention went instantly happy again. "Master ke says the door will be four, no five minutes. That was fifty-two seconds ago." Mason was about to say they didn''t have four minutes when he heard his brother''s statues clomping towards him. Plus Annie. "ke says I''m to do what Reba says," said the little read head, a giant and rather frightening looking axe in her small hands. Becky raised an eyebrow, and while Mason inwardly told his brother to go fuck himself, he just shrugged. "OK. Let''s kill goblins for four minutes. Then we run for the door." Annie looked at Becky as if for confirmation, and she looked back and forth. "Uh yeah. Do what he said." The constructs (plus Annie) charged straight on through a hail of gunfire, electrifieds, and sshing cannisters of acid and fire. Mason nced at his already itchy, healing arm, seeing bone and flesh extending slightly as it stitched itself together, building itself anew. He grinned. "Let''s go." * * * Einstein was right. Time was definitely rtive, and the next four minutes of Mason''s life felt like a very long time. He weaved between ke''s robots, charging out to sh apart anything that seemed to be shooting something that could actually hurt them. Then he''d get peppered and sshed and burned by a hail of weapons, and run back to hide behind the constructs. For a moment he really wished he knew where his bow was. And also that he had two hands to use it. Annie attempted no such cleverness. Instead the redhead ran from goblin spearman to goblin gunner, spraying blood and dropping corpses in her wake. Becky followed, babysitting the girl with her new ¡®aegis¡¯. Calypsa mostly waited with Mason, apparently healing him whenever he gave her a moment. "It''s not necessary," he said, spitting blood. And apparently a tooth. "You''re taking considerable damage," Calypsa said. "And we''ll need you fighting again soon." Mason didn''t put up a fight. His body was a throbbing wound, though Transformation was working hard, and Mason saw carapace-like tes forming all over. Still, he took a moment to breathe and heal, and as he watched the progressively stronger other yers fighting, he realized they were catching up slightly in power. He needed to use them more, rely on them more, and the thought took at least a little weight from his shoulders. No matter how it felt sometimes, he knew he wasn''t alone. He didn''t have to rush headlong into every danger anymore. On the other hand, maybe he still should. His progress felt like it had slowed considerably, though he imagined that wasrgely by design. Even so, were there other yers with less allies, focused entirely on their own improvement? And if so, would they surpass him? And did it really matter if they did? Mason grit his teeth at the thought. He wanted to think the psychopaths like Nassau''s first patron were dead and gone, beaten by yers and leaders who worked together with real trust and loyalty. But that just wasn''t how life was. Not in the short term. And the idea ofing across some maniac who''d grown too much for Mason to handle, and what such a yer might do to the people Mason loved and meant to protect...then the thought: what would the great killers of history have done with superpowers? Mason realized in that moment he really only had one choice: to get there first. To be the Genghis Khan of killers in the new world, just to keep the other Mongols in check. He had to make sure everyone knew what happened if they chose a world where the strong preyed on the weak. They lost to him. He''d finally readied himself to charge a new batch of gunners when ke''s little construct chirped in his ear. "The door is open! The door is open! Master sayse quickly!" From the pan to the fire, Mason thought, but it was certainly wee news. He called for the others to fall back, and made his way to the door.
Chapter 253: Break stuff Chapter 253: Break stuff "That''s...not the door," Mason said when he got to the far end of the hall. ke had apparently dug or cut a path through the stone wall, though there wasn''t any trace of rubble. Or even dust. A few long-shot weapons still pinged and knocked bits of rock next to the yers, but ke''s constructs were murdering anything that advanced too far. Most of the goblins didn''t look keen to get closer. "Well, let''s not get pedantic now," ke grinned as he gestured at the open hole. "We got through, didn''t we?" Then his eyes found Mason''s main injury and his smile faded. "Is that...are you missing an arm?" Mason nced at himself and shrugged. "More like a hand." "More pedantry? Really? Are you even able to fight like that?" Mason rolled his eyes and didn''t dignify that with a response. He could hear things moving in the room ahead, and decided speed was likely wise. When in doubt in a battle, the answer was usually charge. "Becky, with me. If we don''te running back out, the rest of you follow. Anything useful to tell us, Pliny?" The goblin winced and eventually shrugged. "Big boss Engineer Toofik is very average. Terrible inventor, surrounded by ipetent, boot-licking, back-stabbing, useless, good for nothing..." "Get to the helpful part, please." Pliny sighed. "Toofik has best machines. Stolen, undeserved. Made by smartest goblins like me. And he has¡­vicious, animal cunning." "Super. Ready, Becky?" Streak pushed his way into Mason''s back as if ready to go, and honestly Mason felt better with the wolf''s presence. Becky nodded and held up her shield, and Mason took a breath as he gripped his longer w. "Go." * * * Mason expected to be bombarded by bullets, or cannon balls, or electrifieds. Instead the second he crossed through the world vanished and filled with text. [You are about to enter a difficult, group, mortal challenge, from which you will be unable to escape. Would you still like to proceed?] Mason winced and looked for Becky and Streak, but saw nothing except empty darkness. Feeling he had little choice, and hoping that the others would do the same, he clicked ept. A huge, spherical hall materialized with Mason on one side. In the center stood a massive robot, or ''construct'' Mason supposed, with rounded features that made it look like a huge abominable snow man made out of metal. With multiple arms. Covered in mystery weapons. Was that a gun-shield? One by one the other yers (and Streak) appeared magically beside Mason. As they did, the dark cavern lit with something like spot lights from multiple sides. Mason looked up to see what appeared to be booths high up in the cavern with dozens of bespectacled or goggled goblins watching like spectators. The final light lit the upper portion of the robot, which apparently had a pilot. "Wee! Wee!" The creature leaned into some kind of megaphone, its shrill voice echoing around the sphere. "You see?" The goblinughed with a kind of sick, desperate sound. "All your minions, your toys. Useless! Worthless. The whole lot of you. Only I, the great Toofik, Chief Engineer of all goblins, can stop the human invaders. I show you. Only me!" "OK," said ke. "I can see why you didn''t like him." The little half dead creature trembled as he stared, maybe with rage, maybe with terror. Chief Engineer Toofik looked down on the yers and went on another tirade about being the greatest engineer ever to live in goblindom, then stopped suddenly and lifted up his goggles. "Is that...can''t be. No. How? That little worm! That slippery, treasonous fool!" The insults continued, and Pliny showed his teeth, then turned to ke and Mason. "Take key, friend humans. Disables shield. My shield. Greatest invention. I run now. Must live...to see revenge. Good luck. Very much luck." The creature turned with ast angry re, scampering back through the little ''doggy door'' and disappearing. "Treachery!" The chief engineer was shouting at the goblins in the booth. "Told me he was dead! Ipetent, useless! Cowards, everywhere I see! But now I show all. End all. Most brilliant. Mightiest. Genius Engineer Toofik!" The robot started whirring to life, and Mason guessed the show was about to start. He activated Ranger''s Mark and was practically overwhelmed with the sheerplexity of the thing he was staring at. It had plenty of weak spots, most of which looked like joints. But it was so damn big it wouldn''t be easy to get at. "n?" ke whispered, and the yers all turned to hear. Mason shrugged and shook his head. "I''ll need a minute. Job number one, don''t get killed. The joints are weak for what it''s worth. If you figure anything else out, call it. I''m going to try and break stuff." "Break stuff," ke repeated, a little sweat on his forehead as he stared up at the monstrous construct. "Got it. Navi, start identifying." "Yes, Master." "Look after the others!" Mason called to Reba as he started jogging around the left side of the sphere. Though if he was being honest, he was worried about himself, too. * * * Some kind of rm red as the construct creaked into movement. The white lights of the sphere flickered and turned red, and the many limbs of the construct started spiraling to life. Mason still didn''t have a fully functioning hand, exactly, though it was very nearly a kind of gross pincer. He used it to hold onto his bow enough to draw, and loosed a Power Shot straight into the ''clear steel'' where the pilot sat. It struck but fizzled as it vanished into some kind of purple shield, which Mason assumed was what Pliny was talking about. Still, the shot had the desired effect. It got the pilot''s attention. Most of the constructs arms turned towards Mason, and fired. He activated Aspect of the Cheetah a moment before, running full speed across the outside of the sphere. Something like a cannon ball struck behind him, spraying rock as the wall broke. Bolts of arcane and elemental energy sizzled and hissed behind him, and what looked like a shooting hand attached to a cable, grabbed at nothing a few feet in front of Mason''s chest. Apparently the son of a bitch was a pretty good shot. Mason summoned a w and sliced at the cable with Predator''s Strike, severing half of it before grabbing the fist just as the pilot tried to pull it back. It screeched, and for a moment went taut, locked in Mason''s grip as he growled and nted his feet. Then he went flying. Duality of Strength rippled across his screen. It felt a little judgmental. But since his stomach was doing flips and the wind was rushing into his eyes, he mostly just tried to hang on and not over think the move. Then he mmed shoulder first into the fist, clinging for dear life and climbing up the arm. "Just need a second,¡± he muttered. ¡°Don''t you shoot it agaiiiiii..." The fistunched, and Mason went with it. He overcame the instinct to hold on, dropping a good twenty feet to tumble backwards twice then flip to his feet on the hard ground and slide. He looked over at Streak watching him not far away. "Well I don''t see you doing any better!" ke had apparently decided to send in one of his blue constructs. The thing charged at its muchrger opponent''s...leg, swinging a pick and a spear and doing a little obvious damage before the pilot aimed a barrel straight at it and fired. The stink of arcane energy erupted as a blue ray melted half of ke''s construct. Still the thing fought on, swinging a pick that looked like a noodle, ring with its own light as it tried to grab therger foe. Mason went for his bow again, loosing arrows with his almost fully regenerated hand at any weak spots he could find. Annie was apparently giving it a try, shing her new vicious looking weapon at the thing''s lower extremities, then dodging away from the dangerous ends of the pointed barrels. Another construct took a direct hit and half exploded. The group was chipping away the their enemy''s armor but it seemed like not nearly fast enough. Mason wasn''t well built to protect others and bring down such an enemy quickly. All he could do was keep taking punishment until he got scary enough to ovee it. But if he waited that long, the others might all be dead first. So it was time to try a Hail Mary. "Give me that damn key!" Mason shouted, running straight for his brother. ke lifted it with Telekinesis and shot it over, and Mason snatched it out of the air. He could see the main power generator with Hunter''s Mark, hidden just beneath a thick te of metal. He would have to climb up and cut his way in. With a deep breath, he pocketed the key to free his hands and activated Aspect of the Cheetah when it came back, then ran in and tried not to get sted.
Chapter 254: System Overload Chapter 254: System Overload Reba followed Annie, keeping her Sacred Aegis active. It was essentially her usual Arcane Shield, except now it fully worked on one other person and still only drained her ''energy'', which regenerated very quickly, especially due to another faster regen power. But the range of the thing was terrible, and she had to stay right on Annie''s heels. This was a problem. The little redhead ran like hell, swinging her somewhaticallyrge axe and gouging chunks out of the robot''s legs. The thing finally seemed to notice her and spun, one of its gun-arms sting with some kind of shrapnel spray. A chunk or two hit Annie, but bounced off Becky''s shield, and the little axe murderer just kept on chopping. Next came a tube spraying mist. Or steam. Or some damn thing. It looked like a fire extinguisher, except everything it touched seemed covered in ice. Becky had no idea if her Aegis even really stopped that. "Look out, Annie! I think he''s trying to..." The ''fire extinguisher'' swept a path right over Annie, and Becky skid to a stop in a panic, ready to hold up her new Familial Shield or leap aside if the weapon kept oning for her too. But it ran out if juice and pulled away, the robot''s attention for the moment diverted to Mason or maybe ke''s constructs. The mist faded slightly, and Annie rose from the path of ice with some skin turned red, some more turned white. "You OK?" Becky said, running to the girl. "I''m fine." Annie''s face was expressionless as she looked up at the huge construct. "I need to get higher." "Uh, right. Maybe ke can toss you," Becky said, entirely kidding. Then Annie nodded and ran straight at Mason''s brother, and Becky winced. "Wait! I need to be close to shield you, girl! Wait for me!" * * * ke was not terribly pleased with how things were going. Heunched Mason the goblin''s key, and hoped that would bear fruit sooner orter. But his constructs were being slowly (and not so slowly) crushed, melted, and shattered while ke mostly just watched. He had a great deal of mana, however, and after watching the battle a bit it was time to act. He decided on a flying arcane version, most of its body designed to swing a big pick. ke hunched down next to his Defender and opened True Making, quickly pulling together the model he''d already imagined, forming the details into reality. Navi finally floated back down near his head while he worked. "I have finished a full inspection, Master. The enemy construct is very well designed, built with a huge array of parts, mana, and effort. But it is made with lesser forms of making. It is unstable." "It looks pretty stable to me, Navi. Exin faster please." ke was getting more and more used to his Partitioned mind, and kept what felt like his full attention on his Making despite being engaged with Navi, and still watching his constructs fight. "The construct is weak to magic, Master. The more mana it uses, and the more mana used against it, the more its core and power distribution will be...vulnerable. I believe that is the essence of Pliny''s n to disrupt it." ke stopped his True Making work, d he hadn''t begun the channel. Maybe it should have been obvious since their opponent was a giant, fully metal creation, but physical damage likely wasn''t the right strategy. ke forgave himself since they had ovee nearly every ludicrous challenge with physical violence before. But with the massive amount of deadly weapons swinging around the sphere, ke decided it was only a matter of time before his constructs and then maybe him and everyone else (except Mason) was sted apart. And it seemed unlikely they''d kill the thing first. "Where should I aim?" ke said to Navi, looking up and charging an often neglected Arcane st. "Just below the pilot is best, Master. But anywhere should be useful." ke was about to channel when he saw Annie racing towards him. "Throw me up top," she yelled as she got closer. ke understood her intention but knew it wasn''t worth his time. At least not yet. "Not now. Keep distracting it. Calypsa, go with them too. I''ll tell you when." The mostly silent nymph gave ke a ''you aren''t in charge of me'' kind of re, but ran off with her spear. ke took his mana gem out, and started channeling. It had been awhile, and it was time to see just how big he could make an Arcane st... * * * Mason was about halfway up the giant robot when everything shook and started ring sound. Warning, shrieked a vaguely automatic sounding goblin voice. Power level critical. Diffuse mana. Diffuse mana now. One of the many barrel-like tubes managed to point at Mason when he paused, and he dropped to avoid it. Then he grabbed on again slightly lower. But the shot never came. Instead a high-pitched whining sound rose in volume, and the barrel shed with some kind of explosion and stilled. Mason grinned, and climbed. His hand was healed now, though it came back more like a w. His body was also now mostly covered in carapace, and he''d taken a vaguely shotgun-like st at close range without going st. So as long as the key worked, or if he could just finish climbing and start Duality-of-Strength-smashing, things were looking up. Mason could hear Toofik roaring in outrage, and the robot stilled entirely as the sound of steam or something hissed. The stink of depleted arcane energy filled the air in an almost oppressive fog that clogged Mason''s senses. But he saw his chance. The robot was mostly smooth metal with very few handholds, but Mason''s strength and agility were beyond reasonable now. He threw himself up with just his arms, grabbing gun barrels and joint cracks until he''d reached the ''power source'' he could see with Ranger''s Mark. Then he took the slightly battered key from his pocket, and stuck it against the smooth metal. Nothing happened. "Come on you piece of shit!" He wiggled and shook it and tried to improve the connection, but still nothing. He was reminded he''d always hated technology. "Fine." The thing had stuck so he left it attached and kept climbing towards the pilot. Apparently he just had to do it the old fashion way¡ªsmashing his fist into the thing until it broke. As he arrived to the clear cockpit, he and Engineer Toofik exchanged a brief stare. The goblin looked vaguely shocked, as if he could hardly believe what he was seeing. Then Mason punched the ''ss''. It hurt. And did nothing. He punched it again and again, not concerned what it would do to his hand. By about the fifth hit he heard the goblin cackling like a madman. "Stupid human! Can''t break with fist. With anything! Now you die. Your friends die. Chief Engineer show you. He show everyone!" As Mason kept on punching, the construct shook and made a sound like an engine humming to life. Mason heard something rattling beneath him and spared a nce at the key. He saw crackling blue light ring as the thing vibrated and pulsed with energy. Warning, screeched the same autonomous voice. Power levels critical. Diffuse mana. Diffuse mana now. "What?" shrieked the Chief Engineer. "I just did it you stupid, useless...levels are fine! Kill now! Kill!" The barrels all started moving again, and Mason saw pulses of energy and renewed projectiles spraying around the room at the others. He saw Duality of Strength ticking in the corner of his eye, so he held firmly to the robot, and kept on punching. Everything seemed to be glowing now. Mason wasn''t sure if it was some kind of light or the key overcharging the construct or what, but he didn''t stop hitting. Finally the ''ss'' cracked, and the Chief Engineer stopped to stare with his mouth hanging open to show broke, yellowed teeth. "Not possible..." he whispered. "Not possible!" Mason struck again, and the crack widened into a spiderweb of fractures. He punched at the same spot until finally the thing broke enough to make a hole, then he grabbed the bottom edge and pulled, not caring how sharp or jagged it was. "No! Kill! Kill!" The pilot was bringing multiple weapons back now to aim at Mason. He heard theming before he saw them, the air whooshing by as huge limbs all raised and started swinging around to face the torso. "I wouldn''t do that," Mason said low to the goblin, getting ready to jump. "Die!" Toofik screamed like a madman as he clearly pulled some kind of trigger. Mason grabbed two handholds and propelled himself downward, hoping to escape the majority of the damage. Instead, nothing happened. System overload, red the voice. Engaging system protect protocol. Then, in a familiar voice. "Warned you, didn''t I?" Pliny cackled from somewhere below. "Now you see. But you see toote. Much toote." Mason had just about enough time to decide trusting the undead goblin might not have been the best decision. Then something pulled him flying away from the robot. The world went white and blue and quiet. Until he struck the hard stone on the far side.
Chapter 255: Wyrd Pioneer Chapter 255: Wyrd Pioneer Mason was tired of getting blown up. And buried alive. And swallowed whole. He pushed at the floor and rose to his knees, blinking at what seemed to be a glowing blue and white mist. He still couldn''t hear anything. "ke," he vaguely heard himself mutter, then felt his heart rate rising. "Becky! Streak?" He swept his eyes over everything, looking for the others, but also for text that told him their enemy was dead, or the challenge was finished. But he saw neither. He was about to activate Shared Pain blindly when Streak came padding through the mist. Mason let out a breath and hugged the creature''s blood-matted fur. "Where are the others?" The wolf turned, and as Mason followed the pain in his body started catching up. He''d definitely broken a shoulder and possibly something in his ass when he hit the wall. Probably his tail bone. His entire front felt like...well, like he''d been blown up, which was a disturbingly familiar feeling. But in the grand scheme of Mason''s official list of mortal injuries, he''d gotten off pretty easy. "That you, Mason?" ke''s voice. One more sigh of relief as Mason found the group clustered together. "I''m here," he said. "Everyone OK?" Annie and Becky were on the ground with their eyes closed, their clothes torn and smeared with blood. For a moment Mason froze as he looked at his lover maybe badly injured, maybe dead. Either way he didn''t want to ept it, to face it. But he knew he had to. He forced his feet forward until he dropped down by Becky''s side and activated Ranger''s Mark. She was alive. "Rosa''s vials," he said, reaching for Becky''s pack. "She said there was healing potions. I gave Becky some." He knew his own was utterly destroyed and didn''t bother checking, but maybe hers was still... All he found was spilled liquid and broken ss. "Fuck. What actually happened to them?" "Not sure, exactly," ke said. "I think they were too close when it...exploded. But it''s not over, Mason. Somehow the engineer lived. We need to find him and finish this." "Go," Mason said. "I''m staying with her.¡± Mason wasn''t a doctor but Hunter''s Mark helped a lot. He gently lifted Becky to check for injuries, finding a whole host of different minor issues from frozen skin to burn marks. He was getting slightly less worried when he didn''t find anything obviously serious, thinking she must have just hit her... He found the obvious dent in the back of her skull. The blood already smearing the back of her hair. "Oh Christ," he said, heart racing again. "Calypsa!" he shouted as ke took what seemed to be hisst construct and started searching. "Where the hell are you?" "I''m here, druid," she said, emerging from the mist with a limp. Her dark hair was matted against her face, her skin pale, her armor torn. He looked her up and down but she seemed like she''d be alright. "Can you heal them? Becky first." The nymph frowned and hovered a hand over the women, then nced around the hall and sneered. "This foul ce. It...makes things difficult. And your mate is close to death. The other I can save easily." Mason blinked. "Do whatever you can. Buy her time. I''ll take her back to Nassau." Calypsa met Mason''s eyes. She had never shown any kind of softness, nor did she show any now. Instead she quirked her head like an animal on the hunt, leaning closer. "It will cost me, druid. So there will be a price." "I saved your trees," Mason growled. "I''ve given you many ''gifts''. I''m a druid of the great forest, and I''m ordering you. Heal her. Now." "I serve Gaia, no other," Calypsa said without emotion. "You have forsaken my mistress for Cerebus, and you have been rewarded for your efforts. You waste precious time. To do what you ask will cost me, and so it will cost you. Agree, or I will not pay." Mason could have strangled her. He was about to ask what the cost was but he knew it didn''t make any difference. "I agree. Do it." Calypsa winced as her eyes red green. Again she held her hand over Becky, but this time the blue mist began to fade, the stone floor cracked as nt-life pierced the surface. Becky groaned as her eyes fluttered, and Mason smiled and put a hand on her forehead. Annie sighed and rolled over, then blinked and sat up. She looked at Mason and Becky, inspecting her surroundings with an almost cold calction. Then she summoned her axe, stood and walked after ke without a word. "You''re wee," Mason muttered, rxing slightly as he saw a little color returning to Becky''s face. "It''s done," said the nymph, sagging slightly. "But there is still bleeding inside her. Take her to your healers quickly." Mason winced, not sure how the hell he''d do that. They were trapped in this ce as far as he could tell. Did he just need to finish the head engineer? Was there more to the ''dungeon'' after that? He was about to chase after ke when he heard a goblin screech in pain and misery. Then text scrolled across Mason''s vision. [You havepleted the Engineering Guild mortal challenge, and cleared the dungeon. Group experience awarded (moderate).] [You have earned enough experience for level neen. Please select a new power, and a power to upgrade to tier 2.] Of course. Now he leveled. And when he saw the option of a new power he knew he could take some kind of healing druid spell to help Becky. But the same feeling of waste tickled his intuition¡ªthe knowledge that he could just learn new spells without throwing away an unbelievably precious system granted powers. Did he take it anyway? Becky seemed saved, and he just had to get her to Nassau to recover. But what about the next time? How long before Mason could actually learn these spells, either from druids or nymphs or great tree avatars. And how long would it take to teach? He felt his teeth grind as another system prompt red, informing him he could leave the dungeon instantly if he epted. ¡°Just a God damn minute,¡± he said, staring at the list of powers. He went back to the new list from Feral Druid, the icons obvious from their green marks with little ws. There was all sorts of interesting things before and he at least needed a look before he chose. As before, many were tempting. The ability to shapeshift more, faster, with more totality and control. Natural weaponry. Closer affinity to beasts of all kinds. Then he noticed a power had a kind of tab or dash or something, and when he focused on it he saw a note that said: ¡®Requirement: Fang Brother¡¯, which was the power he¡¯d takenst. It was called ¡®Strength of the Pack¡¯, and said it permitted the ¡®sharing¡¯ of innates and passives (to an even lesser extent), not just between Mason and his bound animals, but with others. He didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment, choosing Strength of the Pack, trying and failing to upgrade it instantly to tier 2 (apparently you couldn¡¯t do it with brand new powers, so he picked Endless Quiver next in a hurry). Then he lifted Becky into his arms and focused on her as he activated Strength of the Pack. It made him select ¡®himself¡¯ or ¡®other¡¯, which temporarily confused him, but he picked himself and felt an energy link between him and the girl in his arms. He let out a breath he hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d been holding, then took the prompt out of the dungeon. * * * Mason winced as he opened his eyes just outside the Engineering Hall. He''d hoped it at least would take him to the entrance of the mountain. He looked at Becky and clenched his teeth. She didn¡¯t look any different. She hadn¡¯t gained a slight look of tattooed arms or green fingernails or something like Streak with Fang Brothers. He hoped his regenerative powers were helping her, but he couldn¡¯t be sure, and had to assume they weren¡¯t. Now he had to actually figure out how to get to Nassau. It couldn''t be good for her to be jarred and run at full speed across the forest, but what else could he do? "What''s wrong?" Calypsa said beside him, still limping on her spear, and looking slightly annoyed. "Go. Save your mate. Or we''ve both paid the earth for nothing." "I need something to carry her with," Mason said. "I can''t just run her in my arms for a full day. Damnit I should have waited for ke, why isn¡¯t he out? He could maybe build something." Calypsa sighed. "You can Wyrdwalk, Druid. Though your sapling is so young...it will be hard to find. And your mate is...unsuitable. It will be dangerous." "Do you see any Great Trees around?" Mason rolled his eyes around the cavern in emphasis. Calypsa just stared. "You walk to the Great Trees, Druid. But you can enter the Wyrd from any ancient, natural ce. This mountain will do fine." Mason looked at his Wyrdwalk power, then at the stone wall beside him. "Exin ''unsuitable''. And ''hard to find'' and ''dangerous''. Do it quickly." "The Wyrd is the ancient pathways of the gods¡ªthe spaces between dream and reality. It existed before the magic of your mate, and does not look fondly on it. You will hear the songs of the great trees there, and you must find the one you wish." Mason would have asked for better details about...well, all of that. But at this point in the game he expected that was about as good as it would get. "Can youe with me and help?" he asked. "You know the great tree songs." Calypsa shook her head. "I am too weak now. I might be unable to leave. Trapped forever with the fae." Mason didn''t know what that meant, but the terror in Calypsa''s eyes was exnation enough. He took a breath and activated Wyrdwalking, then turned to the mountain wall. The stone seemed to open to his eyes, bending outward like a dark tunnel. He heard music, andughter, and the call of some animal he couldn''t recognize. "Hang on," he whispered to Reba, then stepped into the dark. * * * [Title gained: Wyrd Pioneer. You are the first yer to enter the fends. +2 to will.] The tunnel changed from dark to light in an instant. Suddenly Mason stood under the canopy of a thick forest, light and shadow dancing with unnatural speed and extremity. Everything around him looked blurred, fuzzy, toorge or too small and altogether unreal. He could still hear faintughter in the trees, the calls of exotic animals, the sound of harsh winds through the leaves. He walked forward, readying to cast Speak with Nature before he began to hearpeting songs in the distance. Every step seemed to take him a hundred paces, and soon he was in a clearing with endless paths all around him, all calling. "It is not wee," hissed a voice from the trees. "Take it back." Mason somehow understood that he could only move on the paths¡ªthat whatever was speaking, whatever inhabited the woods here was a native of this ce, and could go in ces he couldn''t. Or at least shouldn''t. He decided the best option was ignore it and keep listening. What the hell did the great tree sapling in Nassau sound like? He hadn''t heard it ''sing'' before. About the same moment he decided this was insane and that he had no chance at all, he heard a soft voice that sent a shiver up his spine. That was it. That was home. He didn''t know how he knew, but he did. He closed his eyes and tried using Wayfinder, which looked utterly confusing and probably useless. He quickly gave up and just listened, trying to block out all the extra sounds that didn''t matter. But more and more voices spoke from the trees, whispering and hissing and telling Mason to leave this ce. He clenched his teeth trying and failing to hear. Then another familiar voice sang words he understood¡ªthis one stronger, more feminine, more urgent. "Come to me, Champion," whispered the great tree of the north. "Learn my magic, stay with me and love me, and be at peace." Mason ignored that, too. It was hard. Other great trees took up the call, some asking for his help, some for a visit, others just calling to him because they were curious. He listened until he heard the weak voice of his settlement''s tree, shouting as if for its parent. He picked the path with his eyes closed, running and feeling the many dangerous eyes all watching, waiting. Would he be leading them to the settlement? Would they somehow look to harm him, and the others? He had no idea, but couldn''t do a damn thing to stop it anyway. He finally opened his eyes not far from Nassau. He could sense the woods, sense his home, and a feeling of relief flooded over him. Whether it was because he was the patron or maybe because he had the Blessing of Echtra, he wasn''t sure. But he''d made it. "A man in the ancient paths? But you...you aren''t fae. Are you a druid? Could it be?" Mason turned to see an old woman wrapped in camouged cloths, her hair and face covered in a scarf. She pulled it down and smiled, her eyes moist as she stared. Unlike the rest of this ce, Mason could see her clearly. "Whoever you are, I have to go," he said, adjusting Becky in her arms. "I don''t have time for this." "Please!" The old woman looked like she wanted toe forward but couldn''t, or didn''t dare. "I''m lost," she said, her voice on the edge of breaking. "My people need me, and I''ve been gone too long. I know I''m close, but I''m afraid to take another step. Can you lead me to a great tree?" Mason practically growled. It didn''t seem to be a difficult request. She seemed like some old, harmless woman, but if she was in this ce there wasn''t much chance of that. His natural distrust red and for all he knew he''d be helping some unnatural creature escape to the world. "Please, druid," the old woman wiped at her eyes. "I won''t survive here much longer." She pulled down her scarf to reveal pointed ears. "I''m an Oracle. Of the Veraden tribes. The elves of the West. I mean you no harm." Mason considered asking if she could heal Becky, but he was close now to Alex and Rosa and the infirmary. Anyway, he didn''t trust her with Becky. He stood there warring with himself for several long moments, then let out a breath, and stepped to the old woman. "I promise you,¡± he said, ¡°if you¡¯re trying to trick or hurt me, you¡¯re going to regret it." Then he pulled the old woman the few more steps towards his settlement. She gasped in terror but he ignored her, feeling the familiar warmth and surroundings of the temple of Gaia as he took the final step, and vanished into a new tunnel towards Nassau. He only hoped he wasn''t toote.
Chapter 256: Success Chapter 256: Sess Mason stepped out in front of the great tree, feeling it radiate warmth and pleasure as his feet touched the temple floor. "Oh, druid, it''s...it''s beautiful." The old ''elf'' woman knelt at the sapling and made some kind of maybe religious gesture, muttering quiet words. Mason thought of all the creatures who seemed to try and hurt the great trees for their own benefit, and couldn''t help but feel a healthy dose of...distrust. He ''helped'' the old woman to her feet. "I''m sorry but I don''t know you, so you''reing with me. My friend needs help and there are healers here." "Y-yes, of course...I...of course. I understand." Mason carried Becky with one arm and half carried the old elf with the other, yelling for Alex the second he left the temple. Then he marched across the settlement ignoring the many civilian eyes, straight towards the infirmary. "Mason!" Carl was apparently out for a walk with Silvie, and both moved to intercept Mason''s path. The older man''s eyes took in the scene, lingering on the old woman and some of Mason''s transformations. "Alex went with you, Mason," he said, looking slightly concerned. Mason blinked. Right. Alex was with Phuong and the others, probably still locked in a dungeon. He practically felt the headache of exhaustion or maybe continual danger pulse through his brain, yanking him back to reality. ¡°Becky¡¯s hurt,¡± he said, his voice raw. ¡°I need anyone who can help.¡± Carl just nodded, and Mason kept on towards the infirmary. Sylvie ran ahead and opened the door, and he carried Becky past a wide-eyed Darlene. A was inside with one of the system tablets, her feet on a stool. She obviously heard the door swing open and leapt to her feet. "It''s Becky," Mason said, which he supposed was obvious but he what he really meant was ''I need help, right now''. "She hit her head. She got a little healing, but I think she''s still bleeding. Concussion. I have no idea." A nodded, pretty eyes wide for a moment as they locked on her wounded friend. Then instinct or habit took over and she was helping Mason set her on a cot. "We have a surgeon. Sort of. One of the girls from Sanctuary. Sylvie can you..." "I''m on it," said the former ''mayor''. "I''ll get Rosa, too." She dashed off and Mason just stood there feeling useless. Did he try his power again? He looked at Strength of the Pack and realized it was sort of greyed out, like he couldn¡¯t use it here. He clenched a fist and cursed himself for a damn fool. Did it only work in dungeons? Inbat? He just didn¡¯t know. "Help me with her clothes," A said, working at some buttons. "I know you said it''s her head, but I should check her, I see other problems." Mason nodded and helped A strip Becky down to her underwear. She had several smaller injuries but nothing major that he could see with Hunter''s Mark or his eyes. He still felt vaguely numb, helpless, and desperate to go kill something. Then Sylvie and a bleary eyed Sanctuary girl he assumed was the surgeon came running in. She and A took turns inspecting, saying some words Mason didn¡¯t follow. A few minutes went by until the A finally kicked everyone out, and took Mason¡¯s hand and gave it a squeeze. "Don''t worry, we think she¡¯s OK. But heads are tricky. We¡¯ll stay with her and try Rosa¡¯s potions, maybe we can put a bit in an IV. Anyway, the infirmary will help. I¡¯ve seen it fix some nasty wounds. And Becky¡¯s tough." Mason had the little Finn in his arms in a crushing hug before he realized. She kind of froze but soon hugged him back, and he let her go with an awkward smile. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she said with a big smile. ¡°It happens. I didn¡¯t mind.¡± Mason took a deep, calming breath, knowing he was in charge and could only ever allow small moments of weakness. "Thank you," he said, letting her go. After that he just paced and mostly forgot about the old elf woman standing awkwardly in a corner. Sylvie came back with Rosa, and the girls set up some kind of bag/potion drip as they intended. Mason eventually walked to the fountain and dipped himself inside, clearing away the blood and transformations so as not to distract and frighten the settlement. He returned to the infirmary, and back in the entrance Rosa gave him a hug then stood beside him with her arm around his. But he''d recovered himself now and felt his own strength help the room. Haley eventually came too, and after letting her visit Becky a minute A kicked them all back out. They all just sat in the ''lobby'', Haley soon on Mason''sp, her head on his shoulder, not bothering to ask any questions. When the feeling of crisis had finally ended, most eyes began to turn to the pointy-eared old woman standing nearby like a statue, no trace of intending to take a seat. "Oh. I saved an elf," Mason said, then turned with a sigh. "I suppose we''d better all introduce ourselves." The old woman came to life, smiling shyly as she bowed. * * * Her name was Dariya, and apparently her people were basically nomads, moving up and down the continent with the weather and migration of game and dangers. They had some scouts, but also an oracle, who helped explore and choose their paths with magic. And apparently with Wyrdwalking. But Dariya had ¡®gotten lost.¡¯ "If it''s so dangerous, why do it at all?" Mason asked. "Our need was great," the elf exined. "A tribe of centaurs trapped us in a marsh. They''ve taken the ins just South of the forest and imed it as their own. They wouldn''t let us pass, but we cannot stay in the marshes much longer. We had to find another way." "How long ago was this?" Mason asked. Here the old woman twisted her hands together and shifted in her seat. "Many days. I must return to my people. Am I...a prisoner here?" Mason still didn''t trust her, but he wasn''t afraid of her, either. And ke was right, they had to at least try and make friends in this dangerous new world. Or at least not treat everyone like enemies. Making allies with basically pointy-eared people was a hell of a lot more appealing than orcs or goblins. "No. You''re our guest," he said, trying not to think of all the yers still at the mountain, or the many, many other things he needed to do. He had to trust the others to handle things without him. He took a deep breath. "I can move quickly, and I know the terrain. I can''t promise what I''ll do, but if your people really just want to travel, and need protection, they seem in the right. Do you want my help?" Dariya blinked, then came forward before Mason could pull away, taking one of his hands in both of hers. "Praise the moon goddess," she said, "for sending you to me. I swear my people mean only to move, to keep safe. Thank you, druid, thank you." [Objective gained: Find and protect the elven oracle¡¯s tribe. Reward: Greatly improved rtions with Western elves, and minor improved rtions with all elves.] Mason nodded at the elf and sighed at the system message. His mind was far more tired than his body. He suspected he could leave immediately and travel for a day or more without rest, but the results might not be pretty. He nced at Haley and Rosa, then at the corridor leading to Becky. He didn''t really want to leave any of them. Before he could speak the old elf met his eyes and pat his hand. "My people have waited this long, druid. Please, rest, if we can go in the morning, it would be more than enough." He nodded gratefully, than asked Sylvie to find the woman a house, or at least a room. "She can stay with us," Carl said, with a knowing nce at Mason that also said ''and I''ll keep an eye on her''. Mason thanked everyone then left for the hall, surprised to find a group of civilians outside the infirmary. They asked about Becky and offered their prayers, and Mason thanked them too. "Everyone loves Becky," Haley exined,ing out beside him with her arm around his. He nodded because of course they did, she was beautiful and friendly and genuinely kind. And in a reasonable world that made any kind of sense she wouldn''t be fighting giant robots and risking her life. She''d be helping her folks on the ranch,ughing at family barbecues, and maybe going to a movie with Mason. Rosa stepped up beside Mason on the other side. She took his other hand and both girls gave him a smile. "Too busy in there," the Mexican tapped his head with a finger. "My abu used to tell me when I was a little girl¡ª''Rosalita, do what you can do when you can do it, that''s all there is. That''s life. So stop worrying.''" She took on an older woman''s voice and expression, and it was so ridiculous Mason couldn''t help but smile. "Everyone''s alive, yes?" Haley said on the other side. "You seeded? At the mountain I mean?" "We did," Mason agreed, knowing they were trying to cheer him up. And doing a pretty good job. "Then that''s all you can do," Rosa smiled and winked. "Some day it will go worse. But not today. And today life here is beautiful, the sun is shining, and you have two very pretty senoritas on your arms." "That''s true," Mason grinned. "And the sun is nice, but I''m tired. I could use a rest." "He''s ruined our surprise," Rosa said, looking at Haley around Mason. "Not entirely," Haley said. Something about the looks they were giving each other was giving Mason a mixture of lust and concern. "I guess we''ll see." Rosa shrugged, then looked forward like they hadn''t said anything, nose slightly tilted in the air. Mason looked back and forth between both girls, no idea what they were talking about, but not entirely sure he cared. "You''re bothing to the hall, right?" he said. Haley rolled her big, blue eyes, then batted hershes at him, the picture of innocence. "Yes, Mason, we''re bothing to the hall."
Chapter 257: Getting friendly (NSFW) Chapter 257: Getting friendly (NSFW) Mason walked arm in arm with Haley and Rosa towards the chief hall, his mind still swirling. A part of him wanted to run full speed towards the mountains to check on the yers, a part wanted to sit with Becky until she woke up. But he couldn''t be everywhere all the time. He wasn''t a god who could go forever without sleep, without downtime. Even if his body needed less and less rest these days, his mind still needed it. If he pushed himself too far he''d end up no good to anyone. And the other yers had to be pushed, to be tested. Going into that orc tower had thus far been the best possible thing for ke. Mason knew it wouldn''t always turn out that way. That sometimes when people were tested they failed, they broke, they died. But it wasn''t up to him. Sometimes people had to save themselves. Haley''s hand was on Mason''s chest, and he stopped abruptly before she leaned up and kissed his lips. She closed her eyes and opened her mouth, and pretty soon Mason was wrapping his arms around her and exploring with his tongue. He blinked and sighed when she finally pulled back, Rosa giving them both a raised brow and an impatient foot tap. "Your mind was too busy," Haley said as she smacked her lips, then grinned as she took his hand. "Nowe. We have a game." Mason just smiled, still slightly numb since finding Becky wounded, his mind still in an exhausted, post-apocalypse, overwhelmed fog. But Haley was right as usual, and just looking at her and Rosa''s excitement and enthusiasm made him feel...better. He followed them to the chief''s hall and inside, past a few curious and possibly jealous looks until they were at their own wing and inside with the door closed. The girls exchanged a grin and pulled Mason by the hands to the couch. "Sit," Haleymanded, and Mason slumped without a fight. They knelt on either side of him as hey his head back, and were soon kissing his face and running their hands over his body. "Mm," he groaned, closing his eyes. "This feels nice." "Wait here," Haley said. "We have to get a few things." "I''m probably going to be asleep," he said, not at all joking. "Then we''ll wake you back up," Rosa said, and the girls leapt off the couch and practically ran off to who knew where. Mason didn''t move a muscle. He woke to warm, wet lips on his neck, and teeth on his ear, and he really, really hoped he hadn''t dreamt it all on some forest floor and was about to make out with Streak. "You can sleep after, my love," Haley whispered, and Mason opened his eyes. Haley and Rosa were wearing matching outfits¡ªnothing at all, except white aprons, and some some kind of frilly maid hats. They had a little tray of desserts or appetizers on a table, and now that Mason was awake, both scooted down to kneel in front of him. He was at a loss for words. "Now just rx," Haley said with an eyebrow wiggle, and both she and Rosa walked forward on their knees to start working at his ¡®pants¡¯. "I think we just pull," Haley muttered, mostly to herself, and the girls tugged until they''d stripped Mason from the waist down. Mason could have just banished the clothes but his brain was losing blood downward. "You two are awfully...friendly," he said as Haley ran her hands in little circles over his thighs. "When did that happen?" "Fucking the same man together helped." Haley grinned, her attention rather...focused, a hungry look on her face. Rosa giggled and rolled her eyes. "We both love to cook. We''ve been experimenting." "And we both like other things," Haley said, biting her lip a little now as she moved her hands closer to Mason''s manhood. "Oh!" Rosa grinned. "And we both think you gringos are ridiculous." "Well I''m d you''re bonding," Mason said, getting harder by the second. "There are rules!" Rosa said, pping Haley''s hands. The Canadian red and narrowed her eyes, but reached back for the tray. "We have made many desserts," she announced. "You are to eat them in pairs and decide which you prefer. Then the winner gets a prize." Mason yet again found himself at a loss. So he just nodded, and the girls grinned and came forward with something small and sugary in their hands, assuring him the selection was random so he wouldn''t know who cooked what. They fed him with smiling poker faces, ying with his lips and tongue with their fingers. Both were delicious. Mason just shrugged, knowing he had to pick. "The second one," he said, pretty much randomly, and Rosa fist pumped and practically shoved Haley over as she leaned over Mason. He groaned and flinched as she ran her tongue up his shaft. Haley muttered some kind of poorly tranted French curse as Rosa started sucking on Mason''s tip, stroking him with her hand. Haley apparently had some kind of timer, which she clicked and set on the table. "Three minutes, and not a second more!" Haley announced, then waited with her hands on herp. Mason went hard as rock, and Rosa moaned and slurped him down. Pretty soon she was going full out, making wet, sloppy sounds as she took him deep into her throat. She kept it up for pretty much the whole three minutes, then the beeper went and Haley rolled her eyes as Rosa pulled back and panted with a pout. "Not a sprint, eh? Silly girl." They fed him dessert number two, and Mason recognized one of Haley''s recipes and picked that. Rosa swore and swapped ces, resetting the timer. Haley met Mason''s eyes with a smile as she licked and teased for nearly half her time. Then she slid her lips like silk down his shaft. He groaned as she moved slowly up and down, then stopped to y with his tip with her tongue. The feeling was incredible, but Mason''s lust was taking over now and he sure as hell didn''t want this game to end. He survived the three minutes. By round four the girls seemed to more or less forget thepetition. They were giggling and covering Mason''s cock with cream, taking turns licking it off before they gave up and shared him. Then Mason was looking down into both girls¡¯ big, beautiful eyes, their lips running up either side of his shaft while Haley yed with his balls. They took off their aprons, naked now except their little maid hats. Rosa''s big, soft breasts slid over Mason''s legs before she rose and swallowed him down, moaning as she bobbed in a slow, steady pace. Mason had moved into some mindless zone, his world consumed with both beautiful women as they worshiped his cock. Haley climbed onto the couch as Rosa sucked, pushing her round breasts against him and kissing him tenderly, smiling as she met his eyes. "You like your surprise?" she whispered, and he ran a hand down her back to grip her ass. "You two are amazing." "Will you cum for us now?" Haley pouted and kissed Mason''s neck. "We promise to keep sucking until you say. We''ll suck you all night if you like. We love the taste of your cock." Mason groaned as he watched Rosa take him deeper, the wet tightness pulling him in, Haley''s warm breath on his skin. "Jesus," he muttered, knowing he wouldn''tst much longer. Haley grinned and put a hand on Rosa''s hair to help guide her. "I want to see you fill her mouth," she begged in a quiet whisper. "And cum on her pretty face. Please, master, please?" That marked the official End of Mason''s Resistance. The pleasure built and tightened in his balls, and when Rosa felt his cock twitch in her mouth she took him faster and faster, her thick lips incredibly tight. Mason exploded in the dark haired girl''s mouth, feeling himself tense with wave after wave as his orgasm drained. She pulled back and kept stroking him with her hand, smiling wide as she swallowed half his load, then took a few sprays of cum to her face with little jerks of surprised giggles. Haley slipped down beside the girl and wrapped her arms around her, licking her face until the girls were kissing passionately, then held each other and smiled back at Mason. "Didn''t she do a good job?" Haley said, kissing Rosa on the cheek. "I''ve been teaching her. With fruit." Both girlsughed, then leaned forward to kiss and suck Mason''s still semi-hard cock again, sending little ripples of sensitive pleasure through his body. He put his head back and just floated in the pleasure and numbness, once again at a loss for words. * * * The girls kept their promise. Mason was pretty sure he fell asleep, though he wasn''t sure how long. But when he woke up their were two mouths pleasuring him again. As amazing as it was, he soon wanted more. He told the girls to take turns riding him. Rosa was trembling as she took him inside, and she came damn near as fast as Becky usually did. Mason just held her though it and smiled, loving how she wanted him, loving her noises, her incredible body against his. "Te amo," she whispered after, almost helplessly in his ear, and he kissed her softly and lifted her up and down his cock using her hips. He kept fucking her, harder and deeper until her ass was pping down against him, her body almost limp in his arms. By the time she came again she was calling his name and holding on for dear life, and this time he let go and filled her with cum. Improved Blessing of Gaia was still doing its work. When Mason came inside her, Rosa''s eyes rolled back and she bit his shoulder as she screamed. He felt her wetness literally dripping down him, her pussy clenching over and over, desperately trying to milk him for every drop. He finally looked over to see Haley touching herself, blue eyes drooped with lust. Mason gestured for her toe closer, and she practically jumped on both of them, kissing and running her hands over everything. Masonughed, and with his ridiculous physical gifts, quickly hardened to give her a turn. She rode him practically as desperately as Rosa, but when she seemed distracted he flipped her over and pounded into her. Haley often liked it rough, but she was pregnant and a civilian and Mason still went easy. With only a fraction of his strength and increasingly animalistic lust, his blonde beauty was soon writhing under him, long legs spread and pale skin flushed as she came on his cock. He could have gone longer, and far more, his lust like a never ending hunger now that constantly demanded. He pulled Rosa beside Haley on the thick cushion, wanting to see both of them, to be inside both of them, the almost depraved urge to have more, to have every piece. With Rosa''s hair held in one hand, and Haley''s in the other, he pumped his first woman''s eager pussy as the girls kissed and writhed under him. It seemed to go on and on, until he finally let go inside her, watching his seed drip out of Haley as it already dripped out of Rosa. He copsed on top of them, cock still in Haley, putting two fingers in Rosa because her body was his and because he could. They were all hot and sweaty and wet with each other''s juices, and clearly loving every minute of it. They both clung to him on the couch without a word.
Chapter 258: The more the better Chapter 258: The more the better ¡°Morning, sleepy. Time for breakfast!¡± Mason blinked awake and found himself on the couch in the chief¡¯s hall covered in a nket. Haley had called from the kitchen, and he nced at the dim lighting through a window and slowly remembered the amazing night with Rosa and Haley. And then¡­ ¡°You slept through the night,¡± Rosa said as she whisked inside carrying a te a cup of coffee Mason could already smell. She was wearing long sleeves and a long dress that covered her from neck to knees, but she still looked amazing. She looked at herself as Mason did and wiggled her eyebrows. ¡°Haley says I¡¯m to be careful with you in the morning. We all have things to do.¡± She set down the te and drink and leaned in to give Mason a quick peck on the lips, but he pulled her in for something deeper and gave her thick ass a smack. ¡°I see Haley was right,¡± she said with a poor attempt to hide her pleasure. ¡°She usually is.¡± Mason sat up and tore into his food without really looking. It was so good he just groaned and ate, but he knew the care and talent of his girls were mostly wasted on him. ¡°Our caveman,¡± said Haley from the kitchen doorway dressed equally conservatively in a in brown dress. ¡°At least he¡¯s conscious,¡± Rosa said. ¡°I thought our surprise was too much and we¡¯d killed him.¡± Mason stopped long enough to nce up, and Haley held up her hands. ¡°She said it, not me. I¡¯m not responsible for what happens to you, girl.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right. We have things to do.¡± Mason shoved another spoonful of something like grits in his mouth and sighed. Then he remembered and met Haley¡¯s eyes. ¡°Becky?¡­¡± ¡°Still asleep,¡± she said, smile fading a little. ¡°The doctor says it¡¯s not surprising. That she¡¯ll wake up when her brain is ready. A¡¯s taking good care of her.¡± Mason nodded, feeling the world creep back in after an incredible night. But Haley and Rosa had gone above and beyond, and he wasn¡¯t even sure how to appreciate them properly. He stood and realized he was naked but didn¡¯t care, then hunted down both girls to give them a hug and kiss and a proper grope. ¡°Last night was exactly what I needed,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re both sexy angels.¡± Rosa rolled her eyes but failed to hide her smile. ¡°Well. It¡¯s probably time I go home. Lexi will think I was kidnapped.¡± ¡°If you moved in, you¡¯d already be home,¡± Mason said, not letting her go. ¡°We could cook together all the time!¡± Haley added. Rosa sort of bit her lip and pushed Mason a little without real effort. ¡°Lexi would miss me. And¡­it would mean living with Becky, too. I don¡¯t dislike her, but it¡¯s not like Haley, and¡­dios mio I can¡¯t talk about this when she¡¯s over there unconscious. I¡¯m going.¡± Mason let her go but Haley kept at it. ¡°Your friend would understand, silly girl. And anyway,¡± she wiggled her eyebrows. ¡°Maybe we should introduce her to Mason.¡± Rosa stopped and red. ¡°You never stop, do you?¡± ¡°Well!¡± Haley shrugged as if wounded. ¡°Does she have a man?¡± Rosa squinted and tossed her hands like this was all ridiculous. ¡°How many women do you think even fit in a bed? And Lexi isn¡¯t¡­I mean she¡­well¡­oh why am I even having this conversation.¡± ¡°Leave her alone, Haley.¡± Mason went to Rosa and held her again. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything, OK? I¡¯m happy as is. The more I get of you, the better. That¡¯s it.¡± She smiled a little at that and gave him another peck on the lips. ¡°OK. Adios. I¡¯ll see you before you leave again?¡± Mason nodded, and the dark beauty waved to Haley and took a bag of things as she left the hall. * * * Rosa walked away from the chief¡¯s hall sore, satisfied, and a little confused. Truth was, she wasn¡¯t amazing with change. She didn¡¯t much like to be surprised or for her ns to get screwed up. And ever since the world exploded that was pretty much how everything felt. All the time. She wasfortable living where she was. Lexi ¡®got¡¯ her. They had a rhythm. A routine. Rosa cooked, Lexi cleaned. They had more space than they needed so Rosa had her own room for alchemical work, and Lexi went off with the other crafters in the day. So she had the whole ce to herself. And it was wonderful. But now Mason and Haley were trying to screw it up. She marched across the settlement trying to be annoyed, but not doing a great job. First of all the sex had been amazing, and she¡¯d slept like the dead. It had also just been¡­fun, in a surprising, wonderful, bizarre kind of way. She liked Haley. She liked Mason. She really liked getting naked with them¡­ So they wanted to live with her. This was a good thing, a ttering thing. It meant she¡¯d get to spend more time with them, especially Mason¡­especially in bed¡­ She felt her skin flushing slightly, a warmth creeping up her thighs, and she stopped a moment to lean against a tree and get a hold of herself. ¡°I¡¯m in so much trouble,¡± she whispered, seeing mental images of the night before like an erotic cartoon strip. And somewhere in the middle of getting her brains banged out she was pretty sure she¡¯d said some things she probably shouldn¡¯t have¡­ Then the door to her house had suddenly arrived, and she pushed it open to find Lexi singing (as usual) as she swept a mostly spotless floor. The little Brit turned and grinned when she looked at Rosa, then started singing some English love song into her broom like it was a mic. ¡°Shut. Up!¡± Rosa was still trying and failing to be annoyed. She dropped her bag, ran at her friend, and tried to wrestle away the broom. Pretty soon they were bothughing as they copsed to the floor side by side. ¡°So you had a good time?¡± Lexi asked with a shit eating grin. ¡°Yes, Lexi, I had a good time.¡± Rosa whacked her friend, which inspired another round of wrestling "I don''t suppose you''ll tell me details. Like super specific, exhaustive details." Lexi had turned over and sort of wrapped her legs around one of Rosa''s. And she was wiggling slightly. "Um, Lexi? You''re kind of creeping me out." "Sorry." Lexi sighed and rolled to her back. "I''m so horny. I''ve started humping random things like a dog. Pillows. Chairs. My friend''s leg." Rosa covered her face with her hands andughed, which got Lexi going too. "Mason and Haley invited me to stay with them," she said when they''d recovered. "That crazy, horny French girl even invited you. Like a package sex duo for Mason." "Oh my God. What did you say?" Lexi turned and clutched Rosa''s arm. "What? I said no, obviously. What do you mean what did I say?" "Oh. I just..." Lexi went a little pink. "I don''t know what I mean. He''s just...really cute. And I don''t know what I''m thinking. Oh I''m a shitty friend, I didn''t mean anything." Rosa let out a long breath and shook her head. "He''s not cute, Lexi, a puppy is cute, a boy is cute. I mean OK yes he¡¯s hot, and he can be sweet. But he''s¡­dangerous. He¡¯s a¡­¡± she threw up her hands, ¡°a monster killing, usually blood-covered, leader of this whole ce, sort of terrifying man.¡± She looked over at her friend, who was mildly humping her leg again. ¡°Oh my God!¡± ¡°Um, sorry. But¡­I don¡¯t think that was having the effect you wanted.¡± ¡°Lexi he''d chew you up and spit you out, OK? You need a nice, young¡­boy, you know? Who''s as sweet as you. Who just wants you." Lexi sighed and rolled back over. ¡°You¡¯re probably right. But that¡¯s not what I want.¡± She covered her face. ¡°I¡¯m a bad friend. I¡¯ll think about something else.¡± ¡°Howe you aren¡¯t dating anyone?¡± Rosa asked after a little while. ¡°I mean, I know it¡¯s hard at night. And you¡¯re so cute and pretty and¡­bubbly. You¡¯re like, what most men want.¡± Lexi put her head on Rosa¡¯s shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s not exactly a wide selection of men around. I was thinking maybe that new guy. John? The Scot. But he¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Old?¡± Rosa raised an eyebrow. ¡°And like, three times your size. And¡­¡± ¡°Anyway he got with one of those European girls.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a European girl,¡± Rosa said. ¡°I am bloody not. They¡¯re all from the continent,¡± Lexi said with something like distaste, then she grinned. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect one of you Americans to understand.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡± ¡°See! That¡¯s what you¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°OK, truce.¡± Rosa stuck out her pinkie and Lexi hooked it with hers. Theyy there a little while, sort offortably cuddled just staring at the ceiling. ¡°Maybe Mason could just¡­service me. You know? Like you could lend him out. Like a pimp. What do they call women pimps? Madams?¡± ¡°You are such a little slut!¡± Lexi snorted and covered her face. "Oh God. I¡¯m not even kidding. I mean, he doesn''t have to like, be my man. I could just borrow him, you know? Like a human vibrator." Rosaughed and grabbed her friend''s arms, rolling her over to try and get at her very ticklish sides. The little brte fought and kicked but she was so small it was almost like fighting a big child. When they''d calmed down Rosa gave her friend a hug. "I like living with you." "I like living with you, too." Rosa sighed on her friend''s shoulder, and Lexi turned to face her. "Seriously, though, about the Mason thing, I''m kidding. But like, if you get him blindfolded, you could just tag me, and I''ll hop on for a little spin, and like..." "Lexi!" Lexi wasughing and soon had to fight Rosa''s tickles off again. But she got serious after awhile. "If you keep getting your brains banged out, you might get pregnant. So you''re going to have to live with him then, right? It can''t be like this forever." Rosa winced, trying not to think about that. Practically every woman in her family had gotten pregnant around her age. But she was different. She¡¯d gotten a schrship, she¡¯d gone to college. She was going to change her future. At least, that was the n¡­before everything. Now it all felt so stupid. ¡°You¡¯re not mad?¡± Lexi said. ¡°I mean, about the jokes. I¡¯d be jealous, if I¡¯m honest. It¡¯s just this stupid game. I¡¯m like a dog in heat.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mad.¡± Rosa grinned, feeling embarrassed to admit the next thought even to herself, let alone say it out loud. But this was Lexi, and she needed to say it. ¡°Mason¡­I mean, he has two other women living with him. He has more, you know, out there.¡± She gestured at the window. ¡°But when I¡¯m with him, it doesn¡¯t even matter. I can¡¯t exin it.¡± Lexi didn¡¯t say anything and Rosa sighed as she went on. ¡°He¡¯s like¡­a force of nature, with a dick. And what are we supposed to all do in this crazy ce, you know? He¡¯d kill for me. He¡¯d die for me. I know that. And he¡¯d be a good father, too, if he ever had the time. So what am I gonna say? All I want to do is see him again.¡± Lexi gave her a squeeze, and it was exactly what she needed. After a little while she said: ¡°So what do we do? About the living thing?¡± After awhile, Rosa sighed. ¡°We probably move into the chief¡¯s hall.¡± ¡°Um,¡± Lexi turned to look at her. ¡°What do you mean ¡®we¡¯?¡± ¡°I mean¡­we already share the bed. I¡¯ll just get us our own room. And then we¡¯ll just¡­figure it out.¡± Lexi grinned, then rolled her head back and put her hands on her face. ¡°Oh girl I can¡¯t listen to him bang you all through the wall. I¡¯ll go insane.¡± Rosa sighed, doubting very seriously that¡¯s how it would happen. She tried to stop the heat rising up her body, not sure if it was embarrassment or shame or excitement or what. ¡°I said we¡¯d figure it out,¡± she said, and her friend shot up like a dog who¡¯d heard the word ¡®walk¡¯. ¡°What do you mean? Like human vibrator figure it out? Because I was definitely mostly kidding. Except not. But still.¡± Rosa closed her eyes and stood. ¡°I¡¯m going to do some alchemy.¡± She walked towards her private room, trying not to think too much about the zero per cent chance of a woman living with Mason and not sleeping with him. But she also couldn¡¯t ignore the little pang of excitement in knowing she¡¯d share that part of her life with Lexi, too. Because it didn¡¯t bother her nearly as much as it should have. She closed the door and put her forehead against the cool wood, muttering to herself. ¡°What would my Abu say?¡±
Chapter 259: Astounding arrogance Chapter 259: Astounding arrogance [You have defeated Chief Engineer Toofik,pleting the mortal challenge and the dungeon Engineering Guild . You have earned enough experience for level 11. Please select a power to upgrade.] ke watched the goblin leader fall with a True Making spear lodged through his skull. The level was a pleasant added bonus, but he¡¯d already ear-marked his next power for enhancement, and selected the probably underused and often underestimated Telekinesis without hesitation. After the destruction of the massive construct, the goblin leader had managed to eject and escape, running through a hidden passage to some kind of inner sanctum. Unfortunately for him, Pliny knew where it was, and how to get in, and had re-joined the fight as soon as the construct fell. So ke used telekinesis and put a spear through the little bastard¡¯s brain. "Yes! Yes!" Pliny fell to his knees and shrieked in delight. He got up and hopped around, then ran to the corpse and stomped on it, yelling variously crazy things about ''telling him so'' and ''who is the smartest now?'' ke let him have his moment. He sent Navi to go check with Mason and exin where he was. Reba had looked badly hurt, but there wasn''t much ke could do about that. He hoped between Calypsa and Mason they could figure out how to help her. Meanwhile, he had a goblin chief engineer''s private collection to explore... The room was filled with devices. ke saw runes, constructs, enchantments, and who knew what else. When Navi returned he had her start identifying everything. Pliny eventually finished bragging to his dead rival and turned to ke with his awful smile. "You see? Good partners. Trusty Pliny helped humans, didn''t he?" "He surely did," ke agreed, ready at any moment to kill the creature with his remaining construct. He didn¡¯t really me the creature for the explosion, though he understood now it had anticipated it without telling them. In its madness it either didn¡¯t care, forgot, or cunningly thought to wipe out everyone all at once and reap the rewards. But that was just the kind of behavior ke expected in people. If anything, he was impressed. He didn''t expect additional betrayal, but then he was no expert on half-dead goblin engineers. Navi was silently feeding ke information about the impressive devices, so perhaps a small test was in order. "What is all this stuff?" ke said, gesturing at the various gadgets. "Is any of it useful?" "Oh yes, human," said Pliny instantly. "Many inventions. Most by...fools, and stupid minds. But...some still...much potential. If refined by genius. Like me." ke smiled, liking the creature. "Well your rival is dead, Pliny, and you remain¡­ unkilled. What are your ns? What should I do about all those engineers up top who were watching?" The goblin shrugged and tapped his chin. "No ns. Only revenge, and revenge is done. Fools up top will scurry to bigger bosses. Greenblood wizards and killers. No trouble. At least not now." "Well," ke shrugged, his own ns forming faster and faster, his greedy eyes moving over the goblin technology as he opened True Making and started building a transport construct. "Since you''re not dead, I was thinking¡ªI could use a genius engineer whose work has gone unappreciated. Who''s loyalty I can expect, and whose creative brilliance will never be wasted ever again. Perhaps you''d like a job?" He turned and met Pliny''s eyes, which seemed even redder than usual with something like emotion. "Human...understands. What would Pliny do?" ke smiled and started channeling, his Psionic Shield ready with Partitioned Mind, his construct beside him and ready to strike. "First, he will help me load all this equipment. Then he will follow where I go, and do as I say. And for that, he will have his own workshop, and build anything and everything he can imagine." The creature stared and stared, maybe at ke¡¯s channeling vulnerability, maybe at its new hero. Either way, it stood perfectly still, wiping at its nose as it nodded. * * * ke left the Engineer guild with three constructs, and his transport filled with goodies. The thing was more or less a walking cargo container with six legs, and wasn''t exactly speedy. But it would do just fine. Calypsa and Annie were waiting outside the dungeon. The nymph ignored ke with her usual contempt, saying she was only resting a little while and would soon return to her tree. Annie just looked at him with her new thousand yard stare. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what to do about her. He was reasonably confident he could trust her with his ns, and that she was ultimately loyal to him. But he wasn¡¯t sure. He also felt a little bad bringing her with him, because that meant risking her life along with his. And while ke had a way of escaping terrible things, the people around him¡­did not. "Come along," he said finally to Pliny, Annie, and his constructs. "We''re going to go for a little walk." "Exit is this way, human," said the goblin. "Sneaky way. Avoid Greenblood." "Oh we''re not exiting," ke said. "Quite the opposite. Take me straight to your wizard lords and killers, please." Pliny blinked, but didn''t ask any questions. Neither did Annie. The goblin just turned and led them on through the tunnels, taking turn after turn with no markings or logic until ke was thoroughly lost. When he finally stopped at an entrance blocked with a in, wooden door, he cringed slightly and gestured. "Outer gate. Secret path for Greenblood killers. Some will be inside. They will kill humans, and maybe Pliny too." "You let me worry about that," ke said with as much confidence as he could muster. But sweat trickled down his armpits, and he knew he was taking a tremendous risk. No risk, no reward, he told himself, smiling a little at the stone faced Annie. And despite a few reality checks and setbacks, ke had full confidence in his own insight and ability to adapt. He saw an opportunity, and he fully intended to seize it. ¡°Annie,¡± he finally said, licking his lips. ¡°What I¡¯m going to do next isn¡¯t strictly¡­¡± ¡°Sane?¡± she said, her voice so coldly matter of fact. ¡°I was going to say agreed upon, by the settlement. But I have a n to benefit everyone with a little patience. Do you trust me?¡± She met his eyes and nodded, and ke took a deep breath as he smiled. ¡°Then wait for me here. I¡¯ll be back soon. But if I¡¯m not¡­head to the settlement. Or go wait for Phuong and the others. Alright?¡± ¡°I cane with you,¡± she said, showing maybe the first sign of her old self at the idea of being abandoned. ¡°I can¡¯t do that, my dear.¡± ke took her thin arms in his hands, amazed as ever how small she was yet how frightening inbat. ¡°You can¡¯t protect me if things go wrong. And I won¡¯t be able to protect you. You said you trusted me, now prove it. I¡¯ll be back.¡± She finally nodded, and ke readied himself for a dramatic exit as he reached for the door. And nothing happened. He''d kind of expected a dungeon prompt. After a good minute of standing there he had a construct push open the door, which turned into breaking the door. He frowned, but walked inside. "Ie in peace!" He held up his hands, Psionic Shield very ready to stop the predicted darts or arrows. But none came. ke shrugged and walked on, moving past clearly inhabited rooms and tunnels until he arrived at a much more official looking door. The little journey hadn''t been good for his nerves, but nheless he reached for the entrance. Pliny warned him onest time, but he ignored him. [You have discovered a dungeon: The Greenblood Guild. Would you like to proceed?] He would indeed. And as he epted the prompt, his vision darkened, then reappeared until he stood in a small...armory. Blowdarts, knives, spears, and bows lined the walls, with little buckets filled with round pellets and maybe some kind of caltrops. "You enter here. Alone?" whispered a voice from somewhere in the dark. "Do you want to die?" "Not really. Now take me to your masters. They''re going to want to hear what I have to say. Or I can kill you and try the next goblin." For a few moments nothing happened. Then a dart zipped through the air, and ke caught it with Telekinesis. The enhancement had improved it in every conceivable way, from speed to total weight and control. His constructs lurched forward to defend him, but he stopped them and held up a hand for show. "Try again, if you like. Though I might not call back my pets." Tiny, red eyes emerged from the gloom as a cloaked figure revealed himself. "If you mean to kill the Masters alone, you will fail." "I do not. But since my friends and I just destroyed all your engineers. And our allies will send your ¡®Prospectors'' to join them shortly, I thought to myself, ''self, maybe these wizards and I can make a deal''. What do you think?" "I think you''re going to die screaming." ke smiled. "I''ll take that bet." He held up a gem taken from the engineering guild. "You hold this." He tossed it, and the goblin snatched it from the air. "If I live, you give it back, and owe me...oh, how about one of those fancy knives." The dark-d figure stared and stared. "You will leave the constructs." ke frowned, but he knew if this went wrong his constructs weren''t going to save him anyway. He nodded, and the goblin hissed and gestured him onward. ke wiped a bit of sweat off his forehead, and ordered his constructs to stay. * * * ke was soon escorted by more shadowy figures than he could count. He made a joke that if the real assault wasing then he''d certainly distracted them enough. He had to withhold theugh when almost half their number slipped away. Once or twice he felt hands try and search him without his notice, but he just clutched his mana gem and didn''t let on that he did. They took him through a series of tunnels often filled with miserable goblins or stuffed with supplies, and it seemed most of the mountain n was hiding here in the main ''dungeon''. The creatures stared at ke with wide or malevolent eyes, but he just smiled back in return. His only ''escape'' n, such as it was, involved relying on confusion and Adaptive Veil, and he figured all these goblins running around would hide him if needed. Eventually he was stopped by an even scarier looking cloaked figure who spoke to the other goblins using some kind of hand signals. Then he came forward with a strip of ck cloth, and ke allowed himself to be blindfolded. They led him on and on, and ke was nearly ready to tell them he was lost before the blindfold when rough hands pulled off the cloth. Five goblins in robes sat on ridiculously sized thrones in a line on the far wall. More goblins armed with spears, knives, and wearing iron armor seemed ready for violence all around the room. ke nced behind to see the cloaked goblins were practically plugging the tunnel, and any hope of escaping with mind control and his Veil flew right out the window. "Hello," he said, still smiling. "My name is ke." The robed goblins stared. They exchanged a few nces before it seemed they''d agreed on who should speak¡ªa particrly fat creature sitting in their middle. "We are the High Mages of the Greenblood Order. And you..." here the creature squirmed in its seat with ill-concealed rage. "You have earned death with your intrusion a thousand times!" "I''m sure I have," ke said, pursing his lips. "But I¡¯ve been ying around in a few goblin minds, and I think you''re practical creatures. You can kill me now, but I think you know that won''t stop my people from destroying you. In fact, it would guarantee it. So I''m here to make a deal." "Your¡­arrogance is astounding." The creature¡¯s fat jowels quivered as it spoke, and it clutched a staff in its meaty hand. "Guilty." ke shrugged. "But it''s your arrogance that led to the destruction of your raiding party. And your engineers. And shortly your prospectors. Your time in this mountain is over, I¡¯m afraid. But we can help each other." "End this farce!" hissed a goblin on the far end. "Kill him, cousin. Then we''ll deal with the others. Just because those other ipetent fools failed doesn''t mean..." "Silence." The first speaker roared, turning to his colleague with narrowed eyes. "You watched the battle in the far-ss. You saw what they did to us in a single afternoon!" The air seemed to suck from the room at the first goblin''s words, and the other wizard sunk back into his seat. "I am Chillik," said the goblin ''leader'', waving a hand as if it wasn''t important. "What deal do you propose, human? And make it quick. I am considering fighting to the death out of spite. At least then I would be finished with my idiot cousins. And my gout." ke smiled, feeling a little like he was back in the old world in a setting he understood. He knew these creatures worked with the orcs and they at least understood one another. "The other humans hate you," he said. "But I know who the true enemy are. Demonic aberrations. Undead hordes. And no doubt other lifeless, nasty things. I don''t care which living thing rules which bit of rock, Chillik. All I want...is a bit of unity. There''s enough space in this world for all of us." "Speak in," Chillik grumbled. "Our gods reward us for destroying you, and I assume yours for killing us. And yet you say we''re not enemies?" "Sometimes survival is its own reward." ke grinned. "But if in the future you think it better to betray me than be my ally, I''ll understand. I''m not a fool. But you¡¯ll need to survive to find out." "And you''re some great friend to us?" spoke another wizard. "Why save us? Why should you care?" "I''m like you," ke said. "An opportunist. And I''ve already allied myself with the tower orcs. I am a High Wizard there, serving the newest tower lord. Or rather, . On her behalf, I invite you to join us. You and all your things and people." He bowed slightly, trying not to be too pleased at the absolute stunned expression of the goblins. "We need time...to discuss," said Chillik, as most of the others practically spit with disbelief. "As you like." ke looked back at the gaggle of assassins behind him and tried not to worry. "But I wouldn''t take too long. The other humans will take time to convince. And they might very well being to kill you. Their patron isn''t your biggest fan." "Mason Nimitz," said one of the goblins, and ke raised a brow. "Our gods warned us about him," he finished, not looking particrly pleased about the fact. "A ranger, and druid!" hissed another. "Allied with the tree witches. He would never work with us." "Just as a human wizard would never live with orcs. Or ally with goblins," ke said. "Yet here we are. Expand your horizons, my friends, and who knows where we might go together." He bowed again, then waited with as much humility as he could muster. The goblins leaned towards each other and hissed and argued, but it was soon obvious ''Chillik'' was more or less in charge, and looked about as defeated as the orc council. "It will be difficult," Chillik said. "We would need...more time." ke nodded. Whether they were just lying and trying to gain time to fortify or retaliate he couldn¡¯t be sure. But it was worth the risk. "Consider it a first gesture of trust,¡± he said. ¡°I''ll dy the others, and buy you a few days to prepare. Then I¡¯ll return, and we''ll go to the towers together." Chillix nodded, and ke bowed again. "Now, if you don''t mind, as a first gesture of your trust¡ªI have absolutely no idea how to get out of here."
Chapter 260: Phuong and Chillik Chapter 260: Phuong and Chillik "Jason, Garet, hold the door!" The warriors nodded and ran to the reinforced gateway with spear and polearm at the ready. Phuong trusted them and turned back to his task: ughtering everything. They were in a timed event and nearly at the end. Phuong almost groaned with relief when his Adrenaline Boost recharged, because they had two minutes left to wipe out a whole damn barracks full of goblins, or reinforcements were certainly going to swarm them. "Now or never Seul-ki," he muttered, watching John pound his way alone through another room of spear-armed goblins with nothing but his fists. The Korean stepped up beside Phuong and put a hand on his shoulder, her green eyes glowing as energy poured into Phuong''s body. The goblin soldiers themselves weren''t the problem. But leading them at the far end of the room was some kind of defensive wizard that functioned much like Alex¡ªblocking the yers with shields and sts of force. They also had some kind of constructs like ke''s, except these were basically just metal statues that carried shields and got in the damn way. The yers were wearing them down and certainly going to win. But their time was up. Because the system told them it was beat the initial force or ''face ''the entirety of the Prospectors'' Soldiers.'' As Seul-ki''s boost finished, Phuong re-summoned his Sword of the Way, ran past a bored looking Alex to John''s side, and activated Adrenaline Boost. The world slowed to a crawl. Phuong''s speed was already enhanced with Improved Reflexes. But his ''Duelist of the Way''s'' ability to temporarily boost him felt like pushing the turbo button. And that was without Seul-ki. He didn''t need anything special for the goblin soldiers. With vicious cut after cut he shed and butchered his way around the outside of the barracks, sword and arms moving too fast for his smaller, weaker enemies to react. He knocked aside spear shafts and short des, taking hands and throats as he slipped right through. Then the wizard''s shield was shifting to keep the new threat away. But Phuong was waiting. He''d noticed the magical force was directional¡ªthat the wizard had to focus on where he intended to block, and shifted it from side to side based on threat. Phuong turned and sprinted to get around. He stopped attacking and narrowly avoided goblin weapons and bodies as he slipped through the room like a ghost. But he knew his Adrenaline was waning fast and he would only have once chance. He kept moving, watching a curved dagger whistle past his cheek, spinning as he weaved through two more and jumped high in the air to get out of the pack. His timing had to be perfect. The iron constructs would be on him when hended, so he activated his Way of the Sword: Stun from the air. It wasn''t automatic. All of Phuong''s Way of the Sword powers required a specific series of cuts, and the faster you could do it, the faster you could trigger the power. All that mattered was your speed and skill. Phuong spent every spare moment practicing. Trying each pattern again and again, faster and faster. The Stun was the first pattern he''d learned, and felt as familiar to him now as running. As his body turned in the air he sliced a triangle then shed it in half, and the always satisfying ping of sess followed with a burst of power. His ''Daoist'' energy just skirted the wizard''s shield, striking him directly. As it did, the wizard''s eyes rolled, and he dropped like he''d been sucker punched. Phuongnded on his feet, cut apart a goblin that thrusted a spear, then made for the constructs. They were tough, but without the wizard, they were still just things. Phuong activated his upgraded and enhanced main attack, now called Soul Slice, and cut the first construct from shoulder to hip. He bowled the rest of it over with a shoulder m, running past the other to get to the tform and stab the unconscious wizard through the heart. It was too much for the remaining soldiers. Most tried to flee in a growing stampede, with John smashing everything in range, growling as he clobbered the poor little bastards with increasingly reckless strikes. Those that made it got to Jason and Garet and ended up skewered. Phuong chased and helped finish the job¡ªeven Alex and Seul-ki hitting or stabbing a few with a club and a knife. Then it was over, the room covered in corpses and blood, as thest few seconds ticked down. [Eliminate Inner Barracks eventplete. Group experience awarded.] "Well done," Phuong nodded to the others and groaned as he took a seat. He''d learned Seul-ki''s boost had a kind of e down'' effect that definitely made him feel his age. Fortunately it didn''tst long, but Phuong was happy to spend it sitting and catching his breath. He didn''t look forward to the day it ended while he was still inbat. "One more room," John said, though he needn''t have bothered. They all knew the score by now. They''d learned theyout from the assassin Seul-ki charmed on the way in. It had helped them avoid the vast majority of their enemies, but the Prospectors were surrounded by their elite troops in the center of abyrinth. By the sounds of it, the Prospectors themselves were just merchants¡ªnot a ''boss'' to fight, just the head of the snake to cut off. The ''real'' boss fight, therefore, was their elite guard. And that was next. Phuong looked at the group of yers who''d followed him thus far, each proving themselves useful and capable here and some of them many times before. He grinned, feeling his strength returning already. "Same strategy," he said, because it had worked for them so far. "John up front with me. Garet and Jason ready to make a safe zone. Seul-ki keep Alex charged. Alex...do your thing. I''ll call for changes." The others nodded, though they didn''t really need the reminder. When it came to life and death, it was important to be clear. Phuong grinned and stood, consigning his fate to karma in any case, not afraid to die now as he had not been afraid since he killed the men who destroyed his first life. "Let''s go." * * * Chillik, High Grandmaster Wizard Lord Supreme of the Greenblood Order, stared through the Seeing-ss with his cousins. It seemed the Prospector Guild was about to be destroyed. "The human was right," he said, losing the stomach to watch any more. In their foolishness, paranoia and greed, the Prospector merchant barons had not even asked the Order for assistance. They had not sent any of their riches or secrets or artifacts. They had not tried to escape to hide in the deeper, more protected caves. They had sat upon their wealth as death came for them a room at a time. His cousins cringed at the Seeing-ss as he poured himself a drink of Orcish Sourbrew. "I''ve always liked it," he said, mostly to himself. "And orc women are fine and fertile. Not to mention orc men are prudish and slothful." "What nonsense are you speaking?" said Thraddik, the most powerful wizard save Chillik himself. "Nothing." Chillik shrugged. "Just that in the towers we would likely be rich and fruitful. Not to mention well protected." "You can''t be serious?" Thraddik gaped like a fool and Chillik had lost his patience with the lot of them. He waved a hand and shut down his Seeing-Stone to get his kin''s full attention. "I am deadly serious, cousin. The human wizard was correct. We''ve growncent and greedy, corrupt beyond reason. Look how our allies fell so easily! Most of their warriors fleeing at the first sign of trouble! Their leaders bickered and turned on each other even as death stared them in the face." Chillik wondered how many of his kin would remain loyal in the final moments. He had been wondering it for many days now. And he knew very well the assassins would not die for the wizard guild. Oh they''d purge their lesser ranks, no doubt, and maybe the few Chillik had befriended over the years woulde to his aid. But maybe not. And if the humans had yed their cards right, had tempted the hooded killers with coin and friendship, they may even have turned. They had always been more loyal to their greedy, murderous god than to their race, or to the Order. Many of their number weren''t even goblins. "This cave isn''t worth dying for," Chillik said with some finality. "We have lost much. But not our lives. We will do as the human suggests. We will go to the towers." His cousins made their drama. But the moment they began Chillik could sense their hearts weren''t in it. They had been bickering reflexively since they were sprouts, but they were wiser and more powerful than than they behaved, and they knew what Chillik said was correct. Once they''d had their fill they sat in a circle and drank Sourbrew and ate dates and chewed mushroom paste for their nerves. But they had agreed. "I have good dealings with the grey lord," said Billek, the youngest. "I never share with you greedy pigs but I''ve been getting the better brews for years." Chillik nodded and smiled gratefully. "You can''t possibly trust this human wizard," said Thraddik, his face more sour than the drink. "He had the stink of mind magic, and wore a demonic charm. And he''s a madman to havee to us as he did." Chillik agreed with all of this and nodded along. "Certainly not. We''ll make our own ns, and get our hooks in the tower lords. But for now we have no other choice except kill the other humans. I think we will fail to do so. Thus, our answer is obvious. We befriend this ''ke''. We take what we can. We wait. We see." The others nodded and chewed their mushrooms, which were also made well by the orcs. "It won''t be so bad," Chillix said with a belch. "You''ll see, cousins! We''ll rebuild stronger than before. Maybe this is just what we needed. A new start for the Greenblood Guild! Without those greedy money-grubbers or too many of those lunatic engineers, yes?" The high wizards gave a muted, ironic kind of cheer.
Chapter 261: Loyalty Chapter 261: Loyalty ke sat outside the Prospector''s Guild on a stolen chair eating stolen rations. He designed and sometimes created with True Making, restoring himself to a fullplement of deadly constructs. "I have finished identifying and listing the full assortment of items taken from the engineers, Master. Do you want me to describe them for you?" Navi smiled with her customary pleasure, and ke returned it. "Not now, thank you Navi. You can rest for a little while." His familiar closed into a sphere and floated over ke''s shoulder in a kind of ''passive'' mode. Annie waited beside him in her new, constant state of silent watching, as if nothing in the world mattered. Pliny chittered and muttered to himself in the corner, making a small pile of loot from the Prospector''s and seeming to try and build something using mostly garbage. ke was beginning to worry he was a little more on the ''mad'' side of ''mad genius''. But he supposed he did find him as a living dead creature in a pit. Finally the dungeon entrance glowed with energy, and Phuong and the others came out one by one. All were alive. All were blood soaked and looked beat to shit. "ke." Phuong smiled when he saw him and bowed slightly. Then his blue sword materialized in his hand as his quick eyes found Pliny. "No violence, please. That one''s with me," ke exined as he stood with an easy smile. "I''m d to see you, friends. Can I assume you were sessful?" "We were, Patron," Seul-ki came forward and bowed, and ke fought the urge to go forward and take her in his arms. "The dungeon triggered some kind of self-destruct. We barely escaped in time." "And it buried all the damn loot!" The big Scot, John, kicked a rock halfway across the hall and glowered. "What a bloody useless waste." "We gained much experience, and escaped with all our lives," Phuong said patiently. "That is far better than a useless waste, Mr. Mcgregor." "I know, I know," said the Scot, shaking his head. "Curse those bastards, though." The yers'' eyes soon found ke''s many constructs, including his walking cargo. "Looks like you lot had better luck," said John. "Where is Master Mason?" Phuong asked, his eyes a bit too cunning and distrusting for ke''s taste. He met the skepticism with a concerned frown, knowing he would quickly send the swordsman to distraction. "Reba was badly hurt. Mason took her back on his own." He didn''t bother adding ''and Annie and I sat here, rather bored, waiting for you''. Phuong''s face dropped as expected, his concern for the girl obvious. "Should we go back? Or wait for Mason and finish thest dungeon?" "You should go back," ke said instantly. "The goblins aren''t going anywhere. We''ll have plenty of time to deal with them once we''re rested." Phuong nodded and seemed ready to go, then stopped with a squint. "You said ''you'' should go back. Are you noting with us?" ke shook his head. This was the tricky bit, but he had been lying all his life and it came just as easily now. It was for their own good. If they''d seen the demons like he had, they''d understand. "There''s still more valuables to collect in the Engineering wing. I need to sort through it, then I''ll make more transports and bring it all to Nassau. But don''t worry about me, I''ll be fine." Phuong watched ke a bit too closely forfort, but seemed to ept this. "Thank you for waiting to speak with us. If the way is clear, we''ll head back to Nassau." "Quite clear," ke said, waiting for the yers to start moving before he cleared his throat and made a decision. "Seul-ki¡ªwhy don''t youe with me and Annie? I''m sure the others can find their way. We wouldn''t mind a little morepany." The other yers looked surprised, but not overly. Seul-ki and Phuong exchanged a nce, then the Korean nodded and stepped aside, and the other yers went on their way with a few brief, exhausted goodbyes. When they were all gone for several minutes, ke pushed through the awkwardness and moved closer until his arms were around Seul-ki, and she was clutching him almost desperately. "I have missed you," she said, and he decided it was genuine. He also noticed she was trembling with fatigue, and he created her a small couch and shared his stolen food and drink. She epted all gratefully andy down, loosening her ufortable bindings and closing her eyes as she curled against the cushions. He let her sleep awhile, then when she woke and met his eyes he pursed his lips and sighed. "We aren''t returning to Nassau," he exined. She watched him, then looked at Annie¡¯s stone-cold expression. But she said nothing. "We''re bringing the goblin wizards to the orc towers to my ally there. I''m going to force a kind of partnership. I don''t know if it¡¯llst forever, but I think it willst awhile. Then I''ll slowly bring Mason around. Perhaps all three races can live in a kind of peace." "I trust your judgment," was all she said after a little dy. ke smiled. "I''ve missed you too," he said, and sat next to her on the couch. With a final nce at Annie she ended her magical disguise, revealing the beautiful woman he''d very nearlye to love, at least in his own bizarre, broken orphan-boy, post-apocalyptic kind of way. Slowly, they came together and held on again, until their lips finally brushed and they kissed softly for a little while. ¡°Don¡¯t mind her,¡± he whispered, referring to Annie. ¡°She¡¯s loyal, and something¡­changed her, in the Maker¡¯s hall. She¡¯s not so different than my constructs now. We¡¯ll have to work on that but now isn¡¯t the time.¡± Seul-ki said nothing, and showed no judgment. ke ran a finger down her cheek. "I have a lot to tell you," he said, thinking of Ilya and the demons, of his own changes and his adapting, endless ns. She listened quietly to everything, including his rtionship with the orc, his fear of things far worse than orcs and goblins, and his goal of changing the very nature of the game. He felt rather exhausted by the end, and Seul-ki smiled and lowered him down to lie beside her on the couch, just resting in her arms. "Fate brought us together in that cage," she said. "I suspected it at first. But now I am certain." "Oh?" ke said nomittally, not entirely sure what she meant. "I have never wished to lead," she exined. "My father had no sons and...it''s what he expected of me as the oldest. To make decisions, to take over the family business. But I never wanted it. He was a great man and it was my honor to help him, as it is my honor to help you. Do you understand?" ke nodded, knowing Seul-ki''s family was a very sensitive subject. "I''ll try to deserve your loyalty." He met Seul-ki''s eyes and kissed her lips again. "But remember the rules. And please tell me if I''m behaving..." he nced at the frozen, silent Annie, and the goblin still in the corner of the room, oblivious and tinkering with nonsense. "...well. If I''m losing my mind." Seul-ki looked at him as if the question waspletely serious, and ke realized it was. She nodded as if she''d epted some solemn oath, then they both closed their eyes. ke activated Dream Walk, rising above himself into the dark canopy of the power to look for the twinkling stars of his unconscious allies. He was going to go back to the goblins soon and speed up his timeline. But first he had one more job to do. * * * Mason knew he was dreaming when ke found him this time. "Reba made it," he said, pushing the logs on his imaginary fire with his imaginary stick. The smoke rose up through the natural chimney of his cave, and he gestured for ke to sit. "You''re a very simple man, brother." ke shook his head as he inspected the in stone walls. "A fire and some solitude. Is that the height of your ambitions?" "Pretty much. But I''d miss my girls." ke snorted and sat. "Phuong and the others beat their dungeon. No losses. They''re on their way home now." Mason grinned, proud of them all. "We still need to finish the job. Whoever''s keen and healthy when they get back, I''ll gather them up and we''ll go. You want to just stay there?" "I don''t think that''s wise." Mason just raised an eyebrow, waiting for the exnation. "They looked...exhausted, and injured. Annie was pretty hurt, too, and I''m not sure what that prestige ss did to her. Not everyone is a murder-machine like you, Mason. They need downtime. Some interaction. A minute to remember they''re human beings and not goblin ughtering savages." Mason winced because he knew it was true. But most soldiers in human history had to go through more and for longer before they got leave. The tutorial wasn''t exactly boot camp, and they would all have to toughen up sooner orter. "Give them a few days, that''s all," ke said. "Between the trips back and forth and all the fighting, they need it. Then you''ll be knee deep in goblin blood again in no time." Mason waved a hand in surrender. "Fine. A few days. Anyway I found some kind of...elf woman when I...teleported. Jesus I hate saying these things out loud. Anyway she''s asked for our help, so I''ll do that while I wait." "Let me guess." ke grinned. "This elf woman is a walking sex dream with pointy ears." "She''s old." Mason rolled his eyes. "And trust me, I do not need more women in my life. It''s already turning into chaos." keughed and shook his head, and Mason had to admit the reversal was kind of amusing. "I can''t believe you did this sort of thing for fun. I don''t know what the hell I''m doing." "I didn''t either, really. But you have to admit, it''s not terrible." ke wiggled his eyebrows, and Mason wanted to punch that punchable face but couldn''t help but grin. "No. It''s not terrible." They sat and watched the fire for a little while, until ke sighed and looked ready to go. "I''ve managed to collect a huge pile of tech from the engineers, so I''ve kept Seul-ki and we''ll just go through it all. I won''t bothering back." Mason was about to say that wasn''t a great idea when ke raised his hands. "It''s fine, all the goblins are gone, and the few that are left are all bunkered down and terrified. I have my constructs. So don''t worry. If you take too long, I''ll juste back." Mason didn''t much like it but losing ke to that tower had changed things. He knew his brother could handle himself now, and he had to trust him to keep doing it. "Alright," he said finally. "But Dream Walk again if there''s any issues. I''m sure you''ll find someone asleep. We''ll be back as soon as possible." "No rush." ke stretched as he stood. He seemed not to move for a little while, and Mason finally looked away from the fire to meet his brother''s eyes. ke''s expression seemed a bit pensive, like maybe he wanted to say something, but then he smiled and winked and was back to his usual self. "Enjoy a few nights with your girls, yeah? You don''t have to solve every problem in the world. You worry too much." Mason nodded, supposing that was true. "The paranoid survive," he muttered, and as ever he felt the clock ticking. But he did need to spend patron points, and see the crafters, and the mine, and...when he blinked ke was gone, and the dream''s intensity faded until Mason''s eyes drifted again. ke was right, it could all wait, at least until morning...
Chapter 262: Things will get better Chapter 262: Things will get better Mason woke from his post-post coital nap, Haley¡¯s blonde hair covering his chest. She was stretched out and naked, taking two thirds of the bed, eyes closed and beautiful face ck in deep sleep. He grinned and kissed her forehead. But he felt Becky¡¯s absence on his other side, or else twisted and tangled up with the sheets, and with Haley. It reminded him just how high the stakes were in this new world. And in the old world, too, really, if just more hidden behindyers of civilization. And it was time to get a few things done. After his Dream talk with ke (and his morning in bed with Haley¡­) at least his immediate priorities were sorted. He dressed and pulled up his Patron options, wondering what he should consider first. ¡°Mmm. I¡¯ll cook breakfast,¡± Haley muttered sleepily. But he held her down and covered her with the nket, and she was back asleep in moments. Then he was out of the house and wandering the settlement with Wayfinder open, all the citizens lighting like Christmas lights on his map. He wasn¡¯t trying to pry, exactly, but he wanted a snapshot of where everyone actually spent their days. Most people were in their houses. The crafters area was busy, at least, and the always popr ''recreation hall'', as well as Hank and Billy''s ''restaurant''. No doubt people were sneaking more alcohol than they were now technically allowed, but Mason wouldn''t be too strict. He didn''t mind people pushing the speed limit as long as it didn''t get out of hand. He could see yers patrolling the walls, which was the main thing he was looking for. Of course with Streak''s wolves outside they had about the best warning system imaginable. Checking on them was priority number one. Streak wasn''t back from the mountain yet, but Mason decided it would be interesting to speak with the pack without him. He wandered down to the main gate, nodding at a suddenly stiff-backed patrolling Tommaso. He was about to push through when someone called at him from the street. He looked back to see Rosa in a in, system-generated id dress, one strap slipping off a shoulder as she jogged towards him. Despite being with her the night before, and spending most of his day draining his lust, the sight of Rosa''s curves and natural beauty practically reset him. He smiled, and she came straight in for a hug, her scent flooding his senses. "You smell like sex," she whispered, and he cleared his throat. "I was about to see the wolves. Brave enough toe with?" The Mexican beauty raised an eyebrow as she pulled away. "You think I''m that simple? Someone challenges me, I rise to it?" "Pretty much." Mason grinned. She punched him in the arm then shook her fist as if it hurt. "Fine. But I don''t need you." She walked straight out from the gate alone, and Mason felt a moment of panic as he saw several lounging wolves leap to their feet and rush her. But they stopped and sniffed even before Mason arrived. Some made slight whining sounds as they circled Rosa as if looking for food. Sheughed and tried to touch them, though most pulled back and sniffed at her hands. Considering they were wild animals, Mason was at something of a loss until Rosa wiggled her eyebrows at him and held out her hands. Arge te of meat materialized, and she set it down with a shriek as the wolves lunged to be first. More came running, and Rosa set down several more tes before sauntering back with a grin. "Well who do you think''s been feeding them?" she shrugged like it was no big deal, and also as if she''d won their little game. Mason supposed she had. Heughed and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her in for a kiss that soon involved a lot of tongue and groping. Rosa was making little moaning sounds, her lids drooping as she sunk into Mason''s arms. "Sorry," Mason said, pulling back a little. "I actually have a lot to do. I shouldn''t be starting things." Her eyes narrowed and she punched his arm and shook her fist again. "We''re moving in," she said suddenly, and Mason nced back and forth. "To the chief''s hall. Me and Lexi," she went on. "But we want our own room. And I''ll join you when I want, and I''ll leave when I want. And Haley isn''t to constantly try to corrupt or pressure Lexi, OK? And neither are you. And...well, that''s it basically." "OK," Mason said, not bothering to fight the smile. "I''m d you''reing." "Don''t look so smug." Rosa sighed, putting her arms around his neck. "I''m d, too." She narrowed her eyes as if he were up to no good. "We should probably have a drink with Lexi. You''ve not even really talked to her since Sanctuary." "I''ve been a little busy. But agreed. Befriend Lexi. Check." "I should warn you, I think she''d prefer a little more than befriending," Rosa muttered, expression and tone too hard for Mason to read. He was about to just give up and ask how she felt about that when she put a finger to his lips. "She''s a sweet girl. And she''s my friend. My only real friend. I don''t mind sharing you, but you''re not to hurt her. Understood? Hurt her, even by ident, and we''re done." Mason nodded helplessly, no intention of really doing anything. Not that he was opposed, obviously. Lexi wasn''t the kind of girl Mason would have ever pursued in the past, but only because in the old Earth she''d have seemed too...removed from his world. Like some kind of foreign rich girl, the sort ke might meet at a party. "I have enough on my te," he said. "You just tell me what to do with Lexi and I''ll do it. Or won''t do it. You''re in charge of that. OK?" "OK." Rosa frowned slightly, then gave Mason another peck on the lips. "Thanks for...making it easy." "Yeah. Post-apocalyptic raging libidos. Easy as pie," he said, then nced back at the wolf feeding frenzy. With his Essence of the Wolf, and probably just from being a druid and ranger, he could sense the mood of the pack¡ªboredom, confusion, restlessness. They wanted to hunt in more fertile grounds, to have their new leader back to help them decide. Their new ''home'' was also a mess, with droppings and dead carcasses half buried nearby. "We need some kind of kennel," Mason said, still asionally browsing his patron options. Fortunately he''d seen some kind of ''menagerie'' option and suspected it was just the thing, if maybe not specifically tailored. "I''m going to leave you to your important leader duties," Rosa said, her eyes sweeping him as she actually grabbed his ass. He gave her a look, and she grinned as she walked back towards the gate. "Tonight!" She pointed a finger at him. "Drinks with Lexi. At Billy''s ce, and no Haley or..." she likely realized Reba was still unconscious and stopped short. "Just us," she finished rathermely instead. ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Mason said, not promising because he didn''t make promises lightly. Then he turned his attention to new structures. * * * He met with Carl and the craftsmen before he pulled the trigger. They told him about the new gear they''d been making, the big smith Peni especially making huge progress with ess to all kinds of new ores. Between the group of them, they''d produced some kind of upgraded forge that could handle far more heat, and with actual precision, able to close it off and control the air and impurities. They were making steel now, and mixing it with new elements from the mine. "This is an ''Earth Spear''," Peni said happily, holding up the weapon. "It boosts strength and vitality just by holding it, even for us civilians." He took a length of wood and whacked it against his forearm with a wince. "OK, that hurt. But still!" The man beamed, and Mason joined him. "Amazing work. All of you." He turned to Carl. "Get a wishlist going¡ªevery yer without an innate weapon gets priority. But Jason and Garet should probably be first." "Will do." "Oh!" Peni gestured at the little Filipino leatherworker whose name Mason couldn''t remember. "And we have your armor, too!" "Here, sir," the older woman pursed her lips towards a leather cuirass hanging from a hook. "Haley had your measurements, but she said it should end..." she looked at the tattoos going up Mason''s arms and grinned in understanding. "She said it should end just below the shoulders." Mason smiled and took the armor. He stripped his shirt and started pulling it over his head before the leatherworker ¡®tsked¡¯ and told him he should wear a clothyer underneath. "Don''t need that," he said, knowing his skin was probably harder than the armor anyway. It was a tight fit, but felt good once he got it on. Then he realized his strength and vitality were boosted and realized it had the same treatment as the spear. "Earth leather," Peni confirmed. "We don''t really know how to use most of the special ores and elementsing out of the mine. But the ''Elemental Earth'' we''ve got figured." Mason was thankful, but also felt a little bad. He expected he''d ruin the armor very quickly. "Thank you," he said, meeting the eyes of the crafters, intending to get the leatherworker''s name from Carlter and force himself to remember. "But nothing more for me. Get to work on all the other yers. I''ll leave Carl in charge of priority, but..." he turned to the older man, wanting always to boost him in the eyes of others, "...make yourself a suit first. You''re too important to risk." Carl smiled and nodded, and Mason couldn''t help himself. "Anyway youe apart like wet paper, I''m not sure how you''ve made it this far." "With my superior cunning," Carl said without missing a beat, and the whole groupughed. Mason looked between the older man and the hard working crafters and felt that now strange, but not unpleasant feeling of not being totally alone. "Well," he said, ufortable with the emotion. "Keep up the good work. I haven''t forgotten about the hides," he said. "We''ll start getting more. In fact the wolves probably have several rotting outside the walls." He waved a hand in dismissal, then walked off staring at the patron menu. "Things will get better!" he shouted over his shoulder, just trying to boost morale. But as he walked away, he whispered it again, and realized: he was maybe even starting to believe it himself.
Chapter 263: Elf friend Chapter 263: Elf friend Mason walked through the further areas of the beautiful Temple of Gaia to be alone, scrolling through his patron choices. He had a few ideas in mind but still wasn¡¯tmitted enough to actually pull the trigger. The list of buildings were endless, though the vast majority were unavable, reserved forrger andrger settlements with way more people and size than Nassau. Mason wasn¡¯t exactly sure how the hell anyone was supposed to make such a thing, since the number of people around seemed incredibly low. It made him wonder if actually the main groups of people were in other ces¡ªif Mason and all the others in the Great Forest were actually in a kind of low density area, a town at the edge of civilization, the Wild West of the new world. If so, was that good or bad? He supposed it made no difference, it just was. It also made him even more impatient to be able to travel faster. Of course he didn¡¯t actually want to deal with a huge number of other people, but if the game got tougher they might need something like an army¡­ Unless the system was really just pitting all the humans against each other in the end. Maybe everything was just a dressed up race for power, a pleasant fiction that resulted in every man for himself. The ¡®biological imperatives¡¯ the game had promised weren¡¯t exactly clear. Could you win together? Or could you only win if everyone else lost? Mason tried not to think about that. Because he could tell himself that if the rules were too terrible he just wouldn¡¯t y. That he¡¯dy down and die for some kind of moral code. But if roboGod put a gun to Haley¡¯s head. To ke¡¯s head. What wouldn¡¯t Mason do? ¡°If you¡¯re listening,¡± he muttered, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t try it. I don¡¯t know much, but I know we all pay for the things we do. Even synthetic gods.¡± Mason scrolled through his options again and again, more often than not finding something new that sounded amazing. All this time chasing Wyrdwalking, and he could apparently take some kind of ¡®Teleportation Device¡¯. Of course it came with warnings about settlement size and usage limitations and ¡®potential undesirable astral attention¡¯, whatever exactly that meant. The short version was that Mason could create a permanent ¡®Base¡¯ in the settlement, then he or someone else could take a ¡®Marker¡¯ outside and warp between the two with a small group and a bit of material. Sounded like it only worked once every few days, but even so, it only took Mason a moment to see how incredible that was. He could Wyrdwalk or travel alone at full speed to a dungeon or a fight, then teleport the others to his location. Or any group could go somewhere, then teleport back to Nassau. How exactly themunication would work, if at all, he didn¡¯t know. But they could set it out just on timing if needed. More defenses were tempting. The list had automated nature-y defenders, possibly like the elemental that nearly killed Seamus in the great tree. He could buy an underground bunker, or a kind of inner fortress, or an escape tunnel. The list went on. But he also found something called a ¡°Training Facility¡± that he couldn¡¯t stop looking at. It looked like a giant warehouse mixed with a gym, that promised ¡®opportunity to test powers, weapons, and tactics, against automated opponents¡¯. It even said it had ¡®experience opportunities¡¯, particrly for people who were low level. No matter what else he wanted, this sounded too insanely important to ignore. Not only would it give the low level yers an opportunity for experience without mortal risk¡ªand the ability to test powers. It actually gave the yers something to do, and feel good about doing, every single day. The cost of the Training Facility and the Teleportation Device almost wiped out his patron points entirely, but he took both and grinned. The Menagerie and the wolves would have to wait. The system red with a one hour warning but at this point people knew the deal and wouldn¡¯t worry. With that taken care of, Mason decided it was time to find the elf. He was about to ask around but instead just stopped and closed his eyes, focusing on his ever increasing scent and¡­something else. Like a new sense from his sses, probably druid, that let him understand Streak and feel the life of the forest. Even now he could feel the life beneath the soil. He could sense the trees, hear them breathing, whispering. The longer he stilled, the further his senses seemed to stretch. It was intoxicating, giving him the feeling of being more than a man, all knowing, all seeing¡­ ¡°Sorry to disturb you, druid, but do you know yet when we might depart for my people?¡± Mason opened his eyes and cleared his throat. The elf was about five feet in front of him, so, apparently his god-like senses could use some¡­refinement. ¡°Good timing,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m ready now.¡± The old elf smiled but tugged at the frills on her waist. ¡°It will be¡­just you, druid?¡± When Mason nodded the old woman looked increasingly awkward. ¡°I¡­have no doubt you¡¯re a powerful warrior, but¡­the danger¡¯s we might face¡­¡± ¡°What dangers, exactly?¡± Mason asked. ¡°Because with an exception or two, things in the forest seem rtively safe.¡± The oracle shook her head. ¡°That is likely your people¡¯s influence. The world is a dangerous ce. Especially for elves.¡± When Mason quirked a brow in confusion, the old woman practically scoffed. Then she softened. ¡°I forget the memories of the younger races. My kin are¡­sought after. For our knowledge, for our magic, for our¡­¡± she went slightly pink, ¡°for our heritage. Our beauty and our long lives.¡± When Mason just listened and said nothing Dariya seemed to slowly dete, like her strength was just a mask that wouldn¡¯tst much longer. ¡°There are few of us left, druid. Almost none with our own tribes, with our freedom. Most are trapped, scattered, or dead and gone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Mason said. ¡°Do you have somewhere safe you can go?¡± She hesitated, then shrugged. ¡°No where is safe for us. That¡¯s why we always move with the seasons, going wherever it is harshest. The cold and heat do not bother my kind. And the winter wille soon. So we go north, all the way to the Endless Winter of the Mother Tree. We can hide in the mists when required.¡± Mason winced. ¡°By ¡®Mother Tree¡¯, I assume you mean the Great Tree in the northern forest? I¡¯ve¡­put an end to that. The Maker magic, I mean. It¡¯s broken, the tree cleansed.¡± Dariya¡¯s eyes widened, her face for a moment lit by wonder, but it faded quickly. ¡°You know of the Makers?¡± ¡°No.¡± Mason started to realize this old elf might be a treasure trove of knowledge about the game, or at least its internal mythology. He tried not to think about what she¡¯d said about being used and enved. ¡°I just saw a vision,¡± he exined, ¡°and I¡¯ve seen a hall they built. But I don¡¯t really know anything.¡± The elf smiled, then sat on the nearby bench. ¡°Then¡­to answer your question, I do not know where we will go. Perhaps the Mother Tree can shelter us regardless.¡± ¡°Do you¡­¡± Mason sat down beside her, ¡°¡­happen to get along with gnolls?¡± The elf snorted like he must be joking, but when she realized it was an honest question she met his eyes. ¡°They hunt and consume us. For their rituals, and their gods.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Mason sat in silence a moment, trying not to feel like he was exploiting her by asking them to stay in the settlement. Plus he didn¡¯t know how many people she had, or how they¡¯d interpret such an invitation. In the end it just seemed too obvious, too ideal. Surely the protection of the yers would benefit the elves as much as their knowledge and magic might benefit him? He just spit it out. ¡°If you want¡­¡± ¡°Would it be possible¡­¡± Dariya spoke almost simultaneously, and Mason met her eyes andughed as the tension eased. ¡°You can stay here with us, if you like,¡± Mason said with a shrug. ¡°We¡¯ve epted a Gaia blessing, if that¡¯s a problem. But, you know, we don¡¯t eat elves, so that¡¯s a plus. Our warriors aren¡¯t that plentiful, but they¡¯re powerful, and we have good walls and a pack of wolves now. Anyway, you could just stay for a season, and we¡¯d see how that goes.¡± He realized he was rambling and nced at the elf, surprised to see tears in the old woman¡¯s eyes. She took Mason¡¯s hand and put it to her lips, whispering words it seemed even the system didn¡¯t trante. Apex Predator shed, and for a moment Mason almost pulled away with suspicion until he read the text. [An elf oracle is attempting to enchant you with a temporary title. Do you wish to resist?] He sensed no malice from the woman, but even so he considered stopping it. She looked confused until he epted the prompt. [Temporary title gained: Elf friend. Any race of elf who meets you will recognize the enchantment, and be more trusting as a result.] ¡°Thank you," she said. ¡°I will take your invitation to my people. Your settlement is beautiful, and my kind has long seen Gaia as one of our most important gods. It was she who led me to you, perhaps, and not Luna. Yes, I see her hand in this.¡± Mason was vaguely ufortable discussing religion at the best of times, nevermind the kind invented as a fiction by a much more terrifying synthetic God. ¡°I¡¯m d,¡± he said, standing. As he looked down on the old woman on the bench, it also urred to him he was about to try and travel very quickly beside a rather frail looking person. ¡°If you, uh, told me where your people were, I could go alone. Maybe I could take a message for you?¡± Dariya smiled and stood, looking suddenly far less weak and frail than she did a moment before. ¡°We will ¡®Wyrdwalk¡¯, as you call it, druid. I¡¯m sorry for the deception, but I was never lost. I am a creature of the Fey. The ancient paths are as familiar to me as the lines of my aging skin. I was only waiting there, hoping. For a miracle, I think. For you.¡±
Chapter 264: But why’s he smiling? Chapter 264: But why¡¯s he smiling? ¡°I don¡¯t like deception,¡± Mason said, watching the old elf with renewed suspicion. She nodded and locked her hands in front of her like a naughty child who¡¯d been caught. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, druid. But you must understand-we elves cannot trust easily. I had to see who you and your tribe were. I meant no harm, I was only protecting myself, and my people.¡± Mason nodded because he did understand. It would have been better if she¡¯d just exined herself at the start, but he knew why she hadn¡¯t. ¡°So, your people are close to a Great Tree? We can Wyrdwalk to them?¡± Dariya smiled as if she were speaking to a child. ¡°The old paths lead many ces. You humans can only hear the mighty voices of the ¡®great trees¡¯, as you call them. We elves can hear the whisper of a de of grass.¡± ¡®I¡¯ don¡¯t call them that, Mason wanted to counter, rather petntly, the robot who created you calls them that. But he just nodded. ¡°Can you teach me how?¡± Dariya¡¯s smile faltered. ¡°With time, perhaps. But for now, I will lead you.¡± She held out her hand. ¡°Are you ready?¡± Mason fought the paranoia, he really did. Even so the idea of wandering through that dangerous ce with only this stranger guiding him wasn¡¯t doing great things to his brain. He convinced himself he could always go his own way, follow the ¡®great tree songs¡¯, and do what he needed to do. He took the old woman¡¯s hand, about to ask if they could enter the ¡®Wyrd¡¯ here or if they needed... And everything vanished. Again the ¡®wyrd¡¯ became his world-light and shadow flickering so strangely in thick forest filled with narrow ¡®roads¡¯. Dariya kept a hold on his hand, leading him away from the great tree songs on smaller and smaller paths. Then she stopped and put a hand to her face. She turned and spoke, and her voice echoed strangely, and with considerable urgency. ¡°My people are already fighting and running for their lives. They¡¯ve split up and tried to cross the a in towards the forest. I¡¯m toote¡­¡± Mason frowned. He didn¡¯t know how she was seeing anything because all he saw were trees and a small stream. As he looked at it he heard the water trickling, then louder, and louder. He heard voices and felt them pulling him forward, his attention hard to turn away¡­ ¡°Druid!¡± Mason blinked and looked into the elf¡¯s eyes. She¡¯d clearly tried to get his attention more than once. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to the voices.¡± She shook her head. ¡°We need more warriors. But we should not risk the Wyrd again so soon. You must decide-do we return, or will you try on your own?¡± Mason almost snorted. Firstly it felt vaguely contrived, like the forced choice of some video game. Second, the idea he wouldn¡¯t be willing to risk some difficult task on his own was somewhat amusing. ¡°You said it¡¯s a in? Grasnd? Open space?¡± The elf nodded, and Mason smiled. He took the craftsmen¡¯s bow from his shoulder and imagined himself racing across open field with endless arrows, endless endurance. The ancient horse archers of man would be proud. ¡°Send me.¡± Dariya clenched her teeth, whispering her strange words as she slowly released Mason¡¯s hand. ¡°I will follow soon,¡± she promised. ¡°But I must find our leaders and protect them.¡± Mason hardly heard her, his eyes filling with tall grass and blue sky. He heard the sounds of battle, saw men and horses, arrows and spears. His pulse quickened in his ears, and he told himself to try not to enjoy this too much. * * * Hagamash, Cloud Warrior of the Open Sky tribe held his and spear, and followed his prey. In all his years, and in all the stories of his kin, he had never heard of such a prize. Wood Elves hade to the ins of Zarma. Not one or two or three, but a cluttered field full of fools, running for their pitiful lives. ¡°Where are your trees?¡± Hagamash shouted the challenge to encourage his kin. ¡°Where will you hide from the spears of the Open Sky?¡± All around him the colts and braves of his tribe raised their voices in unity and joy. ¡°Kill their men!¡± Hagamash shouted. ¡°But capture their women!¡± The others hooted and whooped as they charged down the sloping hill. The elves had seen them and begun a desperate sprint for the nearby forest. But they were far, far too slow. Hagamash had barely believed his scouts when they¡¯d told him. But here they were. He had brought half the warriors of his tribe, and now he would be rewarded. Tonight they would feast on elven flesh in every sense of the word. Hagamash charged with his kin and sworn spears, glorying in the cool wind rushing through his hair, the hard earth beneath his hooves. They crossed half the distance to their quarry in less than a minute, their strength and speed unmatched by any tribe or beast across the ins. They would not tire, they would not stop, until every elf in Zarma was dragging behind their raid. But Hagamash squinted as he charged. One of the elves was not running. A single warrior had stood his ground and watched the charging tribe with a small bow in his hands. ¡°Take him, Denga, he is yours!¡± Hagamash shouted to one of his bonded and most loyal spears. The veteran raider swerved and dodged an arrow, blocked a second with his vambrace, then embraced his Gift of the Wind to protect him from two more. Hagamash was impressed with the speed and uracy of his enemy¡¯s shots, making even a great warrior like Denga use his Gift so quickly. But it mattered little. The Open Sky tribe was feared for their invincibility in rangedbat. Hagamash did not know how many arrows his enemy carried, but he would need them all. Or at least he would have-if he¡¯d had the time to use them. Denga was on his enemy in moments. He screamed a war cry and lowered his spear, and Hagamash all but stopped paying attention, turning his attention to the other fleeing elves. Until he saw Denga trip and fall. Hagamash called to the others and slowed, blinking in angry confusion until he saw his sworn spear had lost a foreleg and fallen brutally. The elven warrior had somehow evaded the charge and caught the centaur low with an impossible strike that even cut bone. Now that they were closer, Hagamash stared at the warrior and saw he was no ¡®elf¡¯ at all, but a muscled human warrior with bright, green eyes. ¡°These elves are under my protection,¡± the man said with a tone that sounded almost¡­eager. ¡°For every one of them you kill, I¡¯ll kill three of you. And I¡¯m going to kill anything that gets too close. Starting now. So run. That way.¡± He gestured towards the open in. Hagamash could hardly believe his eyes and ears. He had heard rumors of powerful new human warriors in the endless forest. But he had never truly concerned himself with matters beyond the ins. And powerful or not, this arrogance was astounding! The Open Sky raider chief felt the eyes of the other warriors upon him and knew he had no real choice. He could not call them off now, nor return to the elders and witches with his tail lowered in shame. ¡°Take him alive!¡± he called to the others. ¡°Tonight he sleeps in the boiling cauldron of the hag!¡± Hagamash threw a clump of dirt and grass with his hooves, propelling himself forward to meet his enemy. They would deal with this human and get back to their prize, and it would be the most sessful raid in the history of the tribes. But little hairs rose on his neck. The human who was surely doomed and against dozens of warriors alone did not look afraid. In fact, he was smiling. * * * Mason¡¯s entrance had the desired effect-the centaurs were focusing entirely on him. He only wished Streak were there. He could only imagine how the giant wolf would love to hunt half-horse creatures. Hell, he¡¯d probably bring his whole pack. It would be like a family outing. So Mason would just have to enjoy the battle enough for all of them. In their honor, and maybe just out of curiosity, he decided it was time to actually Shapeshift and use it inbat. At least, when he had a second¡­ The creatures seemed to want to fight him in closebat. That was unexpected, and not very wise. He tossed his new bow hopefully safely behind a big rock and obliged, camouging himself with his Sleeves just to confuse his enemy as he raced through the tall grass. He watched theming in with his Hunter¡¯s Mark active, seeing their anatomy was pretty much exactly what you¡¯d expect. He¡¯d fought these ¡®centaurs¡¯ before back in a corrupted great tree-half man, half horse, with big, strong, easy to hit organs. They were fast, he¡¯d give them that. But a fast charge made it hard to aim, hard to adjust. Mason¡¯s senses and reflexes were so enhanced now the deadly spear points seemed toe at him in frames. Like some action flick director was shooting one of those ridiculous scenes where the hero seemed to know just where to dodge. Mason let the first spear pass within inches of his face. He stepped toward his charger, closing the distance for his shorter reach, longer w shing across the creature¡¯s torso where horse met man. He knew the blow was mortal without looking. He deflected the next spear with a Sleeve, ducking to hack off the centaur¡¯s foreleg, then spinning to meet another attacker. It was closer than expected, and Mason felt his enemy¡¯s surprise in the same moment a giant horse body connected with his shoulder. It knocked him tumbling to the ground, but he used the momentum to roll back to his feet, ws out and ready for the next. A javelin sailed straight at his side but he pped it down. With the opening charge over the centaurs fell back, whooping and calling as they spread out and started some kind of tactical turn. Mostly what they did was give Mason a second. He activated Shapeshift, feeling his body contort as his feet ripped through his system shoes, his hands extending with his now natural ws. When he rose up with a satisfied snarl, he saw the centaur had formed what seemed to be two swirling, opposing circles around his position. Between the noise and the spinning visual it was hard to tell what the hell was what. Then the first few arrows and javelins came flying. Mason dodged or deflected most but still took an arrow to the chest. It didn¡¯t pierce his new, already slightly Shapeshift-ripped leather armor, but the centaur cheered like they¡¯d basically killed him. He was impressed by their maneuvering and skill, but then it wasn¡¯t like they had horses to train or control. ¡°OK,¡± he muttered, growling voice lost in all the volume. ¡°Let¡¯s see how fast you really are.¡± He could sprint faster as a half-wolf in the short term, and he also activated his enhanced Aspect of the Cheetah, charging one side of the formation. The circle expanded and twisted away, but not nearly fast enough. Even so, just to make chaos, Mason turned and lunged at a different target than his first, leaping at thest moment to w lines of blood across one of the creature¡¯s faces. It fell as hended, then he was in the ranks, running with them like the predator he was. The centaur were obviously shocked at his speed, and for several long moments he ran along them matching their pace, raking at nks and legs until they broke apart and scattered. He ran back to his bow. It was a bit harder with his ws and slowed his rate of fire, but he wanted to stay on the move. He chased the centaur and loosed arrows as he led them away from the elves. The same creature that had shouted was yelling at his warriors to ¡®leave the human, we can im our prize and escape!¡¯. He was trying to turn most away, or at least gain some distance. But Mason could see their blood was up. These centaur were obviously proud warriors and Mason had not just killed their kin but surprised, embarrassed, and enraged them. He ran straight away from the elves loosing arrows, often intentionally not deflecting their shots, or moving to let the centaur strike him back. Some of the arrows had pierced his armor, or missed his sleeve. He had bloody gashes on his legs and one across his forehead. But Transformation was already doing its work, and Mason began to direct it towards the most frightening, alien-like carapace he could imagine. When this was finished, he wanted them to remember what it was like to be hunted. To be afraid. Let them think they¡¯re chasing me, he thought. Because sooner orter he was going to stop running. And if they hadn¡¯t learned-the elves, and maybe the ins, would be a little safer by evening.
Chapter 265: Two scouts converged in a great wood Chapter 265: Two scouts converged in a great wood Cliknik, Chief Scout of the Greenblood Order, had seen better days. For many days now he had trekked south through the great woods with few supplies, his bow lost, no weapon remaining but a knife. The forest was almost ended. Next it would be ins and desert unless he circled around to the coast. When things had turned at the settlement battle, especially as the giant wolves had begun hunting his scouts, he had made a quick calction, turned, and ran. When his minions had first discovered the returning human yers he''d known things would be chaotic. His natural caution had kept him at the outskirts of the battle, watching, always watching, to see which killers would have the advantage. But he could never have predicted the pure disaster to follow. When the human chief, glowing with an aura of power and death, had fallen into the wizard''s trap, he''d thought perhaps things could stabilize. But somehow he''d survived. Then when he''d seen the same man surrounded by the Captain''s trolls he''d thought him dead for sure. But it was another failure. Even the feared Nightde had failed, first against a human rogue, then finally to the chief. A single human wizard with summoned constructs had battled dozens of raiders and held off many more. Then the bulk of the human forces arrived. The raiders had quickly routed, and Cliknik had fled for his life. He knew he couldn''t return to the Order. The attack had been his suggestion on the advice of that stupid human ve, curse him forever! Cliknik wondered now if the humans had baited him, fed him false information to ambush the goblins. It seemed a likely exnation, because it was something Cliknik would do. But it made no difference. If Cliknik went back to the mountain he''d be med for failing to properly assess the target. As if he could have known! These humans were no ordinary force. Their chief was a monstrous killer unlike anything Cliknik had ever seen. To fight and kill six trolls together! Impossible! Unbelievable! And his warriors were also extraordinary. Cliknik had seen many human warriors inbat. Most possessed impressive abilities, especially in groups. But he had never seen so many goblins, along with some of their elite and monstrous beasts, defeated so...easily. Had the raiders killed a single warrior? If so, it was no more than that. The reality of it all struck him numb, then sickened him. Cliknik felt no great loyalty to the Greenblood Order. Or indeed to the race of goblins. It seemed to him that what mattered, the only truth of things, was he who had the strength took from the rest. And he knew now his people were not the strongest. A decade of proving myself to the wrong masters, he thought bitterly. But he was not so old. Goblins often died young in the warrens where he was from, but the Order wizards were sometimes hundreds of years old! With cunning, and with caution, Cliknik knew he too could live so long. But not on his own. The world was dangerous, far too dangerous, and he could never return to the Order, or even the underground, or else soon a Nightde''s dagger would find him for his betrayal. Could he crawl back to the humans? Could he offer them his services? The thought struck him as mad, then maybe genius. Humans doted on their ves, it was known. Perhaps being a human ve was even better than being a goblin scout! Yes, he decided, it was almost certainly so. How could it be otherwise? There would be no pleasure houses, and he would be alone, true. But if he helped the humans destroy the Order, what would they care for goblin females? Nothing! He could make his case. He was good with words. Better the prized dog of a great master then the miserable servant of weak fools. He need only prove himself. Prove his value. And in one fell swoop he could make himself safe and perhaps find reward. But how? The damn wolves would eat him before he could speak a word. He''d have to go back. To wait, and watch, and find his moment. He was considering this when he reached the edge of the forest and heard the sounds of fighting just outside the trees. He crawled closer to find a party of centaur raiders chasing a single humanoid across the ins. It climbed onto a small rock pile and loosed an arrow from its bow, but theughing centaurs circled and dodged. Cliknik frowned, not very interested, prepared to backtrack towards the powerful humans he had found. Though, he supposed, if he saved a human, and brought it with him, would that buy some goodwill? For a moment he felt trapped in indecision, then the scrawlingughter of the god of blood and greed crystallized before his eyes. [Objective gained: Ingratiate yourself with the human settlement of Nassau. Reward: a new, enhanced ss selection, and an immediate level.] Cliknik gripped the closest, hated tree, and bit the bark to hide his howl of glee. Even now, a lifetime of training kept him silent, kept him careful. He could hardly believe. In the past few days he had lost his faith in his tribe, and almost in his gods. How foolish he had been. Faithless Cliknik, he chastised. You are not worthy! The gods of chaos cared nothing for dead fools, and the race of goblins was endless in the underground warrens of the world. The Greenblood Order had grown soft and corrupt and these humans would make them pay the price. But Cliknik? Cliknik would survive. No, he would thrive beside them until the time was right. Then he would rise again. The Order of Cliknik, he thought. Yes! He hid himself then scampered into the tall grass beyond the trees. Oh yes, it would all fall into ce. Cliknik the warren ve, born nothing and into nothing, who had climbed to First Scout on the surface world. He would ascend again, as the gods allowed. His legend was only beginning. * * * Kiaan, son of Kiaan, had atst reached the edge of the great forest of what he liked to call ''Austra-merica''. He breathed the cool, scent-filled air, and sighed. The name didn''t fit precisely, of course, but all across the North of the continent seemed the massive forest like the Boreal of North America. To the south, beyond the almost endless taiga, a central core of arid ins and desert like the Australian outback, with far more life along the coasts. Of course he hadn''t seen the end. How far south it all may have gone he didn''t know, and expected quite a ways. But he had decided it was more important to return his knowledge of the ''central hub'' to his Patron, and did not regret the decision. It didn''t hurt that it also might mean fresh food he didn''t hunt or summon as dry, nd rations. And hopefully a warm bed and a warmer woman. It was this thought chiefly in his mind as he heard the sounds of battle near the trees, and stopped to listen more closely. He activated his new, incredibly useful Camouge power and crept towards better cover, though it meant he could only move about half his normal speed. Kiaan had not survived his trek across the continent by being an incautious fool. When he saw nothing too close, he activated his Map and checked the distance to nearby dwellings. There was a small human settlement just south of the forest, and horse-like, monstrous humanoids he''d identified as ''Centaurs'' that roamed the area. They''d nearly caught him on several asions, and he wouldn''t have been shocked if they were involved. Though of course he couldn''t be sure. Out of curiosity as much as professional obligation, he soon found himself cresting a hill to look back out over the in. He saw a single human standing on a rocky outcropping, bow raised in threat as a half dozen centaurs circled. They made whooping sounds and jabbed spears in the air, and seemed to be having a good deal of fun. Kiaan frowned. Exchanging information with other humans always gave him system points and improved his knowledge, and he was certain his patron would want him to send such a yer to Nassau if he could. But things didn''t look particrly promising. The archer, he realized, was also not necessarily human¡ªthe face was shrouded in a cloth wrapping much like Kiaan''s, the body covered in loose fabrics one might wear to travel the desert. It was too far to use his identification power, but his intuition told him it was human. "Horse-men. Annoying creatures," whispered a voice only a few feet to Kiaan''s side, causing him to jump and make a muffled gasp of surprise. He blinked and stared until he saw a small, green creature practically melded into the green and brown of the hill''s vegetation. "Don''t worry!" The goblin held a knife loosely in a fist. "Cliknik is friend to humans. Even had human ve once! You see? Friend." It put the knife away and smiled with a maw full of sharp teeth. Kian scrambled to his feet, and ran. "Wait, silly human! Cliknik help!" Kiaan stopped once he''d gained some distance. He nced to see the centaurs and archer hadn''t moved from their game, and the goblin hadn''te any closer. "Help with what?" Kiaan hissed. "Help human friend. Not friends?" The creature stuck out its lips toward the archer as if pointing. "Horse-men," the creature winked a yellow eye, "Not like surprises. Loud noises from thing they can''t see. All it takes, eh? Scamper scamper. Very funny." Kiaan gave no expression, but understood what the creature meant. Horses in the ''old'' world were certainly easily spooked. It made some sense, and gave a ping of intuitive truth. He was also very fast now and could keep pace with the centaurs, and certainly lose them in the trees if he had to. "Why would you help?" he called to the goblin. "No why. Cliknik is name. Just tell humans, eh? Cliknik is friendly goblin. Likes humans very much. Goblin outcast now. Needs friends." The creature looked about as friendly as a crocodile, but Kiaan didn''t much care. After a few seconds of arguing with himself, he crept down the hill towards the surrounded archer, keeping himself hidden with Camouge. When he figured he was close enough to spook the centaurs, he cleared his throat and prepared to make some kind of terrible noise. "Do like Cliknik," hissed the goblin, again only a few feet away. Then he made a quiet squawking sound, ending with a bit of a hiss. Kiaan put a hand to his chest and closed his eyes. "I didn''t know you''d followed. You surprised me." ''Cliknik'' looked back and forth as if this result was obvious. Then he gestured for Kiaan to copy him. Kiaan took a breath and tried, and the goblin''s endless smile faltered. "More¡­rattle, yes? Try again. Horse-men will kill other human soon." The goblin demonstrated again and Kiaan tried to copy it. "OK," said Cliknik. "I go there. You count to...umm, can humans count? Course. Humans are good, very smart. Forget Cliknik asked. You count, you make sound, then I make sound, and horse-men run like stupids. Ready?" Kiaan nodded and nced at the archer, who''d made a bit of a high pitched cry and dodged a poorly thrown javelin. When he looked back the goblin was gone without a trace. After a few moments of uselessly trying to find it, he shook his head and started counting.
Chapter 266: Creature of the wyrd Chapter 266: Creature of the wyrd Naya ran her hands through her hair and cursed her elders for the thousandth time. ¡°We have. No. Time,¡± she hissed through the feywild stone. ¡°We need warriors. Now. Or a portal to the godpaths. I cannot request formally because my people are all about to be trapped and killed!¡± ¡°You will not raise your voice at us, daughter of Anshan,¡± warbled the disjointed voice of the Elder Magus. Whether it was intended or not, the title hurt. ¡°That your inexperience and your father¡¯s foolishness have risked your tribe is your house¡¯s fault, not ours. We will not be emotionally ckmailed.¡± ¡°I know that.¡± Naya fought the tears with every fiber of her being. Was it also her fault her father had died in the marshes? That her eldest brother had died beside him? No. But now she was alone. And not even the elders would help her. She heard them talking like her tribe wasn¡¯t being nked even now, harried like rabbits until they starved or fled across open ground, pursued by beasts that would murder and enve them. ¡°I have no time for this,¡± she said, maybe to them, maybe to herself. After the horrific battle with the marsh trolls, she had five good warriors left¡ªscouts and archers who had survived their dangerous profession for a hundred years. She closed the feystone, knowing the elders would be furious to be signaled then dismissed. But they were all useless, just as they had been for the entirety of her life, and probably her father¡¯s life. And their anger made no difference if she was dead. ¡°Warriors,¡± she said, and the eyes of the young scouts no older than her turned and hardened. They were brave and loyal, and they had brought her people this far seeking the holynds to fulfill the prophecy when her father called. Even when those at home had whispered they were all mad. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, holding back the tears. ¡°For..¡± Her voice cracked and she cleared it. ¡°We need to lead the centaur away. Distract them, so our people can cross the ins and reach the forest. But the risk¡­¡± ¡°We would all die for the prophecy,¡± said Telio, the most veteran, his face stone. ¡°Tell us what you need.¡± ¡°We spread out,¡± she said, lifting her own bow, knowing she wasn¡¯t strong enough to wield her father¡¯s. The scouts¡¯ eyes followed it, but they said nothing. ¡°Let them see you. Stick to the high grass and run for the rocky ground to the north east. Kill as many as you can. But lead them away, then survive, and join us in the trees.¡± The scouts saluted, then left her make-shiftmand tent and ran ahead. There were too few of them now. Too few of the faithful willing to explore the world as their ancestors had, searching for the sacred ces. The remaining elves wished only to live in thest city, hovering between fey and reality, unchanging, unending, frozen like arctic ice. Her confidence in her gods and the ancient ways was failing. But nor did she see any hope except to fulfill the oldest legends of renewal for her race. There had not been an elf child born in a hundred years. ¡°I will not fail you, father,¡± she whispered, covering herself with the ancestral silks and leathers of her house. She gripped her bow, which was really her brother¡¯s bow, far easier to draw than her father¡¯s but still hard enough to strain her. She took a pack of supplies, then walked from her tent through the traveling camp, meeting the eyes of some the brave pioneers who had followed her family on their sojourn. ¡°For the ancestors,¡± she said to those close enough to listen, than raised her voice. ¡°Run to the forest when we are gone. Run for your lives. We will meet you there soon. Or see you in the hereafter.¡± Some wept, but none spoke. Half were starving, all were exhausted. Naya walked out from the protection of the marsh into the open in filled with danger, and prepared to sell her life bitterly for her people. * * * Mason was really starting to enjoy himself. These centaur warriors were either so stupid or angry he just led them around the opennd like sheep. Er horses. Whatever. And they couldn¡¯t seem to ept that their arrows wouldn¡¯t kill him. Though they¡¯d certainly tried. At some point he¡¯d started counting the hits, but he got a bit lost around sixty. Some of them hurt, he gave them that. An early hit in the back of the knee was the worst, but he felt he¡¯d lost the most dignity when one stuck in an ass cheek. Transformation had taken care of all that now. Mason¡¯s skin looked like scales. He couldn¡¯t feel the wind, and he couldn¡¯t feel the arrows that bounced off his body. He heard the centaurs as they finally slowed and stopped, staring at him and whispering amongst themselves. With his ridiculous senses, Mason could hear them. ¡°He is not a man at all, Hagamash. Look at him! Nothing could withstand so many arrows. It must be a¡­creature of the Wyrd.¡± At this many of the centaur made some religious gesture as if to ward off evil spirits. Mason grinned, hanging his bow from his neck as he slowly walked towards them. ¡°Yes,¡± said the centaur leader, obviously pleased to have some way out of the situation. ¡°It must be. We did not mean to offend you, Wyrdling! We will go in peace,¡± he called to Mason, then winced as if ufortable. ¡°But¡­other tribes still hunt the elves. Will you stop them as well?¡± ¡°Where,¡± Mason answered, his voice still the growling rasp of his half-wolf form. ¡°To the east,¡± called the centaur. ¡°A handful of the elves fled that way.¡± With that the centaur clicked its tongue, and the remaining creatures circled away, leaving their few dead on the ground from Mason¡¯s arrows as if without interest. Mason was slightly disappointed, if he was honest. But he knew the result was a good one. Whatever these centaur were they didn¡¯t seem corrupted or inherently evil like some of the things he¡¯d faced. They were more like men¡ªcapable of both good and terrible things, depending on the man. And possibly the day. He turned and ran east, flying through the tall grass with his pulse and the influence of the wolf pounding in his ears. He wanted to hunt. To eat. To howl his im over thesends so everything and everyone knew to run or hide in terror. Damn you Cerebus, he thought, entirely without conviction. He smelled the centaur before he saw them. Then others¡ªa human, a goblin, and maybe an elf, and a hundred different things he tried to ignore, all blowing downwind. The power of his scent as a half-wolf was unbelievable and intoxicating. Not to mention extremely useful. Then he heard hooves and the increasingly familiar whoops and cheers of the centaurs as they chased their prey. He lowered himself and moved through the grass, wanting to see his enemy and the situation before he decided. But it didn''t take long. He found one elf lying dead in the grass, a javelin sticking through the corpse''s chest, the body trampled. He saw half a dozen centaurs chasing another almost leisurely, loosing their arrows but not striking. He knew from having fought them their aim was incredible, and he had the healed over wounds to prove it. They were toying with their enemy. The lone elf had a bow and loosed arrows, but the centaur were not only incredibly good at deflecting them, they also had some kind of power that seemed to toss the arrows away. As Mason watched he decided with some surprise the elf was female, her uracy very good, but the draw rtively weak. She was clearly afraid, and not a seasoned warrior. She was, in other words, doomed. For some reason this toying made Mason angrier than the fact the centaur had been chasing and killing them. Maybe because killing Mason understood¡ªfor food, to protect yourself, to survive. He felt a slight pang of guilt for what one might possibly call toying with the centaur. But in the end he hadn¡¯t really wanted to kill them. Mostly. There were things in nature that toyed with their prey. He knew that. But he didn''t like it. He didn''t care what ''druids'' or ''rangers'' or synthetic gods said through his other fake divine creations about the natural world. Or what people said, either. Men hadplex thought. They had their own moral codes, and good ones didn''t tolerate torturing weaker things. He knew that, even if he¡¯d maybe failed that test once or twice. Mason didn''t see the goblin or human he''d smelled, but it didn''t matter. If they attacked him or the elf, they''d die, too. In the end, Mason wasn''t the type to justify his morality with philosophy. These things behaved in a way that offended him, so he was going to stop them.
Chapter 267: Friend human Chapter 267: Friend human Naya ran for the rocky ground, heart pounding, knowing now she would die in this ce. She had watched her brave scouts fall one by one, their impressive speed eclipsed by the four-legged beasts, their arrows almost useless. Elves were not meant to fight in open terrain against such a foe. They had no other strategy, no way to adapt, and no chance. "I''ll kill at least one of you!" she screamed, loosing another arrow from numb and bloody fingers. Like the others, it reached her target and at thest minute just bounced away. Her arm was on fire, her lungs strained to bursting. She was so very tired. And every part of her wanted to just slump to the rocks and wait to die. But she refused. She knew these creatures hadn''t killed her because they often caught females of other races. They enved them. They bred them like mares, making all sorts of unholy monstrosities. And elven women would be the highest possible prize. But Naya would not be taken. She would fight them, and force them to kill her. "Come on!" she shouted, throwing a few nearby rocks until she felt she had the strength to draw her bow. Then one of the centaur charged straight passed her. He''d moved so quickly she hardly realized, flinching as the creature''s short de shed towards her throat. She thought it was over, that her death had arrived. Instead she heard a crack, and the string on her brother''s bow snapped as the wood straightened. She stood stunned, seeing some of the other creatures hads and man-catchers. They''re going to take me, she realized, I''m not even enough of a threat to worry them. Her mind turned to the knife at her belt. She couldn''t kill one, perhaps, but she could deny them their prize. I''ming, she thought to her father and brother. And I''m sorry, Mother. No doubt she would still be angry, still wounded from what she thought of as a betrayal. And still waiting in the fey city for her family to return. Now none of them would. Naya withdrew the knife, and when she pointed it towards her own throat the centaur finally stopped whooping and paused. "No need for that," called one of them. "You will be a raid-bride of great honor. You will live in the tent of a chief, and your children will be well fed and strong." "No," Naya said, feeling calmer by the moment. "I will go to my ancestors. And one day some greater killer will put an end to you." Something hissed and rattled from the grass. The nearby centaur leapt back in fright, two bolting while the othersughed and thrust spears at the brush. "It''s only a snake," one shouted. "You run like colts!" Naya''s hands were shaking on the knife and she knew she had to act quickly or lose her nerve. Her breathing was fast and shallow and she saw spots as she looked up towards the clouds. It was a beautiful sky. Blue and perfect and of the real world beneath the sun and moon, and not in the endless haze of the fey where her people dwelled. It was a good ce to die. Then something growled from the west. And it was most certainly not a snake. The centaur were shouting in panic, and Naya forced her eyes down until she saw...she saw...she had no idea what she saw. It looked like an armadillo in the shape of a man. With fur. And ws. The centaur loosed their arrows and started running, but the creature charged with impossible speed. It leapt at the side of the speaker, size and eleration enough to knock the powerful raider off its bnce, tumbling over with a shout then a spray of blood. Naya jerked in shock as a drop hit her cheek above her scarf. The beast ripped and tore into the centaur like a wild animal, its ws like knives, its strength monstrous. The centaur''s arrows did nothing. Then the beast rose all covered in blood, glowing green eyes turned on the others. It chased them one by one, killing three before the others fled. Naya''s legs were wobbly so she sat down as she stared. "Psst," something whispered, and she turned numbly to see a dark skinned human holding out a sk, and...a goblin?...smiling a little ways away. "You must be thirsty, miss. It''s just water. Drink and take deep breaths. You''re safe now." "Safe?" she said when she''d recovered, almostughing hysterically as she watched the beast. "I think you''re mistaken, stranger. I think we''re all very much in danger." "Not at all." The man grinned, pointing at the creature still murdering centaur as they fled. "That is my patron. I admit his appearance is currently...unfortunate, and a mystery to me as well. But, I assure you, it is him, and his presence is most wee. He will no doubt be here to protect you." Naya watched the creature rip out a centaur''s throat with his teeth, finding herself unable to look away. But the sight became too much, and she soon gasped for air as her stomach churned. "I think I''m going to be sick." * * * Centaur, as it turned out, actually tasted pretty good. Mason was hungry, but he forced himself to spit out the bloody flesh because he wasn''t quite ready to cross that particr barrier. If he was out here alone, however...or with Streak and the others...well... Best to appear civilized for now. He was about to meet his second elf, after all. So he let thest centaur ''escape'' to tell the others what had happened, then tried to brush a little blood and gore off himself. But the fur made things difficult. "Oh forget it," he heard himself growl. Elves were like nymphs, right? Fey creatures or what have you. Surely they''d know all about druids and rangers and shapeshifting and so forth. No doubt she wouldn¡¯t blink an eye. He''d tell her about Dariya and how he''de to save them all, and they''d all be good friends by sundown. He didn''t quite manage to convince himself, but he felt like telling ke he''d at least tried. "Are you alright?" he said as he got closer to the elf still huddled on the rock. "Patron." Mason blinked as Kiaan stepped out from the grass and revealed his sun-dark, weathered face. "Dharma brings us together again." He smiled politely. "I have much to tell you of my adventures. I trust you are...well?" Mason was so surprised his mind nked for a moment. Kiaan looked visibly concerned in the pause, one foot turned away as if to run. "I''m fine, Kiaan," he said, trying to smile without showing his fangs. "I''m just surprised to see you. Wee. Do you..." he looked at the elf covered head to toe in cloth and shrugged. "Do you know each other?" "No, and before the other strangeres out and..." "Hello, friend human." A goblin materialized out of the grass behind Kiaan, his yellow teeth practically escaping his grotesquely wide smile. Mason managed not to instantly kill him. "We were trying to help this...person," Kiaan gestured to the elf. "But I''m very pleased you came along. I fear we would have been unsessful." "Not so!" said the goblin. "Cliknik had many other tricks. Brown human gives up too easy." Mason put a hand to his face, then remembered it was covered in centaur blood. He looked to the elf, who just sat staring at them all in silence. "My name is Mason," he tried. "I know I look...unusual. But I''m the patron of a human settlement, a ranger, and a druid. I was brought by someone you know. Dariya. I''m here to help you." The elf slumped, and spoke with a pleasant, youthful voice, though currently choked with emotion. "She said we would fail. That we would never survive without the protection of the elders. And she was right." Mason felt somewhat lost. He was going to try and exin further but the elf suddenly leapt up and grabbed her bow, wobbling slightly on her feet. "The others! You must help the others. They''re running to the forest to the west. Please, ranger, you have to..." "I''ve already saved them," Mason said, hoping that was still true. "But you''re right, we should get back and gather everyone. Dariya thought you mighte live with us. But¡­ anyway, we''ll figure all that out." The elf sort of stumbled forward, and Mason thought she might be attacking him until he saw her eyes flutter. He ran forward and caught her, steadying her on wobbly feet. "I''m sorry," she said, so small and frail in his arms. "You...saved us. Thank you. I can never repay...I...truly. Thank you." Mason smiled, happy that he''d found and protected them. In a post-apocalyptic world of shit and blood, it felt like a good thing that didn''t need reward or exnation or justification. It just felt good. Then the elf pulled down her scarf to reveal a deeply tanned, beautiful face, with dark eyes like giant pools of ck water. Even in this ce of seemingly endless attractive women, he found himself slightly stunned. And then, with a slightly panicked groan, and a failed attempt to pull out of his arms, the stunning elf threw up on him.
Chapter 268: A decent proposal Chapter 268: A decent proposal Mason learned the elf''s name was Naya. After the...vomiting, she tried weakly to apologize and walk beside him, but she stumbled like a newborn fawn, and pretty soon he was carrying her. He suspected even pre-apocalypse Mason could have done it easily enough, but now he hardly noticed her weight. "There is much to tell you, Patron," Kiaan said, jogging at his side. "I should reproduce my map for you as soon as possible, either through the settlement database or else on paper or parchment. Though it will be difficult. My memory of the geography is very detailed." "d to hear it," Mason said, mostly impressed the man was still alive. He hadn''t sent him to die, but on reflection the task he''d given him was risky to the point of mild insanity. Yet here he was, alive and speaking casually, attempting to be helpful. Mason expected the man was mercenary as ever. But a good mercenary was just fine as long as he was getting paid. "Knowledge of the world is incredibly valuable to me," he said, turning his head to meet the man''s eyes. "So ispetence. When we get back to Nassau, we''ll go over everything, including your reward." Kiaan smiled slightly and bowed his head. "I''m pleased to see you prospering, Patron. You have...certainly changed in my absence." "I''ll turn ''human'' again soon enough. The changes are temporary," Mason said, with a nce at the half-listening elf. It was probably time to sell his settlement a bit. "You''ll find Nassau changed as much as me. We''ve epted the blessing of nature god, and it''s about as much forest inside as it is outside. There''s plenty of housing, better walls, more food and more...well, everything." Kiaan bowed slightly again. "May our good fortune continue, Patron. I also have other important information I need to discuss with you, but I think it best to wait until we are alone." Mason was about to say he could share it now when he noticed that goblin following them like a stray dog. He spoke quietly. "What do you suggest I do with him?" Kiaan nced back and frowned. "He''s either the world''s worst spy, attempting to get in our good graces. Or else he''s pitifully desperate, and alone. I''m not sure which. But he is skilled in other ways, Patron, and snuck up on me. Almost easily. This is not a simple thing to do." Mason stopped and waited until the goblin came a little closer. "Cliknik, was it? Tell me Cliknik, and think carefully before you answer. Are you with the Greenblood Order?" The goblin''s usually wide smile faltered, and his eyes shifted back and forth. He seemed to dete a little. "Was, yes. Scout, hmm? But...not now. Would kill cunning Cliknik. Need...new home. And Cliknik likes humans, oh yes, very much." Mason matched the creature''s smile, not because he believed him, which he didn''t¡ªbut because he was imagining the creature tied down as ke shook and rattled its brain with mind magic. "Come along then. But I''m not going to slow down for you." The goblin beamed. "No, no need, wise human. I stay with you. Oh yes, very happy! Very fast. I will watch your back, very close-like." "Great." Mason turned and picked up his speed. He supposed he could have disarmed the creature but frankly it didn''t concern him in the slightest. He looked forward to it learning about the destroyed mountain guild, and learning whatever else it might know. Maybe once they''d finished with it, they could send it to the next closest goblins to spread the word about what happened when you fucked with humans. But first, he had a bunch of elves to gather, and hopefully get back safely to Nassau. * * * Naya somehow had actually slept in the man-creature''s arms. She supposed she''d gone several days with little to no sleep, and hardly any food. But even so...it was hard to believe. Yet she remembered feeling warm and safe and closing her eyes, and when she woke she spasmed in rm, momentarily forgetting what was happening or where she was. "Calm, girl, you''re alright now. Calm." Naya looked up to see her family''s oracle¡ªthe ancient, wrinkled face smiling down as she brought a sk of water to Naya''s lips. She had a million questions, but forgot them all and drank desperately until her tongue didn''t feel like ash. Then she looked past Dariya and saw an almost naked man sshing himself in a small creek. He was tall and strong looking, with strangely tattooed arms and a body with many scars. He was unkempt, with a scruffy beard and tanged brown hair and...his eyes! A bright, almost glowing green. The same as the beast''s... "Mason brought you," Dariya said with a grin and a look in the direction of her staring. "Your people are just there beyond that cluster of trees. Safe. Resting. All fifty of them." Naya still had so many questions, but they all caught in her throat as she realized the oracle had brought this man to save them. And he had. She took the old woman''s hands and put them to her lips. She had never quite trusted her, as she didn''t trust any of the followers of the ancient fey religion. But it was still customary for every house to keep an oracle of the old gods. "Thank you, Oracle. I thought...I thought you''d abandoned us. Then the trolls ambushed us. And my father and brother¡­and the centaur kept circling the marsh, they wouldn''t leave us alone...I¡­I didn''t know what to do." "Hush now, girl. I¡¯m sorry it took longer than I hoped." Dariya stopped smiling a little. "And I''m sorry. About your father, and brother. They died bravely." Naya nodded, not daring to speak. There would be time to mourn them, but not yet. Not until her people were safe. When she''d recovered a little she sat up and covered herself as best she could with her scarf and traveling cloths. Her people were very conservative when it came to men and women, and by rights a stranger shouldn''t see anything but her face. "Th-thank you again, ranger," she called awkwardly. "For saving me, and the others." The man rose up at her words, and Naya practically gasped. She had never even seen a human before. This one looked strong, like a warrior, but now that she could see...almost everything, he was practically sculpted from nothing but lean muscle and violent angles. This ranger and ¡®druid¡¯ was nothing like the old, wise, bearded men of elven stories. He radiated danger and power, and as he walked towards her, she didn''t even have the urge to run¡ªjust to freeze in something like confused terror, and maybe awe. "Don''t mention it," he said, smiling and maybe even looking a bit...shy? But that seemed impossible. She decided it must have been a cultural difference. "Thing is...well, we need to figure out what happens now." Dariya and the ranger exchanged a look, which was strange enough it brought Naya slightly back to her senses. She wasn''t a fool. She had listened to the man discuss his settlement, probably for her benefit. Every race of people in the world wanted elves for all kinds of reasons, and these humans would be no different, ranger or no ranger. But the reality of her situation was stark. They had no warriors left, and few men at all. Most had died to protect them. The fifty people who remained were faithful pioneers, mostly young females barely over a century, ready to settle and build a new settlement when they found one of the sacred ces. They were builders, hunters, fishermen, and several kinds of crafter, but none could truly defend themselves from much in the wild. "What do you suggest?" she said. "Well." The human shrugged. "Dariya said you needed a ce. Maybe temporary, for a season. If so, you can stay with us. I can promise protection and supplies. All I ask is you do your part. But there''s no kind of condition. Try not to get in any fights, I guess. I mean...I don''t know what elves are like. Do they drink? Alcohol? Anyway I''m probably rambling." The powerful human appeared kind of shy and awkward again, and Naya looked at Dariya, who just gave her a knowing smile, her eyes crinkled in amusement. Naya had expected...a binding agreement. She had expected demands about elven enchantment and probably permanent ves, especially since they had so many females. The value of a young, elven woman to most races in the world was...hard to measure. And Naya had dozens. "I told the druid you would consider it," the oracle said, her face masking her emotion now. Naya felt her heart pounding. She wanted to scream ''Yes! Yes of course!'' And pretty much throw her arms around the muscled warrior. But the reality was¡ªshe was now Baroness of her house, and this was a formal human chief. In her time in the elven city of Shirass, Naya had been trained mostly as a lore andw keeper. She knew the edicts by heart, and she knew the formal rules of elven nobility as well as she knew her afternoon prayers. What agreements she could make were guided by rules, by tradition. It was her responsibility to keep her family honor. "I can gratefully ept your protection for my people," she said carefully, "but, my own situation is plex." The human stared in iprehension, and Naya sighed. Dariya obviously trusted this man enough to bless him with a title reserved only for those who proved themselves worthy, because she sensed the mark now in his presence. He had saved her and all her people, and seemed guileless, almost innocent. Naya would trust him, too. "I am an elven princess," she said, feeling strange to say it out loud. "I have my own noble house, and a im to the throne of Shirass. I cannot just...live in your settlement. There must be a reason. A formal...deration. A..." "Ah. A treaty," the man said, then shrugged. "Sure. I hereby offer you, Princess Naya of Shirass a formal alliance. With uh, myself, as a condition of protection. No problem. Should we go?" Naya felt her jaw drop. Even the oracle put a hand to her mouth briefly to cover her surprise. The human had seemed so shy. But obviously that was a ruse. This must have been his n all along, and Naya could hardly believe his boldness, his arrogance, his casual¡­strong-arming. But then¡­he had saved her life, and the lives of her tribe, and she was in terrible peril. There was nothing strictly in the edicts preventing an alliance with another race. It had never been done, and was most certainly not traditional. But there was now. Naya stared so long the human was looking awkward again, his innocent mask quite impressive as he blithely scratched his beard and waited. Naya could hardly believe what she was about to say, but saw no other option. The truth was she had no bargaining power at all. The elders wouldn¡¯t help her. Her warriors were all dead. Her only options were to ept the man''s conditions, to take her chances in the wilds, or to go crawling back to the fey. She would not do the second or the third. She therefore had only one option... "I¡­," she practically squeaked, looking the man up and down again and feeling heat flush through her body. "I ept your marriage proposal."
Chapter 269: That’s complicated Chapter 269: That¡¯splicated "Uh. My...what?" [Objective: Complete your marriage contract with the elven princess Naya of House Anshan: Earn Powerful Patron and Lineage rewards.] [Temporary Title gained: Betrothed to the fey. A strong symbol of trust¡­but sometimes distaste¡­for most elves.] Mason nced at the system text and just about choked on his spit. Complete his marriage contract? When had he begun it? But it did slowly ur to him that he''d used a word like ''alliance'', and that back in the days of kings and queens they didn''t have ''countries'' with agreements, they had noble houses. And the only real union anyone trusted was usually...well, actual union. So he was maybe an idiot. And the elven princess and oracle were staring at him like this was all his idea, and he was pretty sure it was time for him to actually say something... "Oh," was all he managed to conjure up, hoping he didn''t look as hot as he felt. "Well..." "We would of course have to determine all kinds of details," Dariya interjected. "But it isn''t appropriate to discuss a marriage contract with the bride present. Even if she is a baroness." "Yes," Mason said. "I mean no. Obviously." At this point he found himself actually looking at Naya, who seemed more or less exactly the same as a normal, human woman with slightly longer, pointed ears. She was covered in baggy clothes, but from her time in his arms he''d certainly detected the hint of¡­everything a man might be hoping for in a wife... And, of course, she was beautiful. Distractingly so, and almost familiar, like a middle eastern...well¡­princess. Then it hit him. She looked like that princess from ddin, who Mason maybe, definitely had a crush on as a kid. So that was something. And it would get him what he wanted with the elves, not counting whatever rewards the system had just offered. So it was pretty damn hard to see a downside until he started thinking about the chief''s hall. And Haley and Reba and Rosa... "Well," he finally said, mostly needing out of this conversation to think a little. "Do your people need rest? Or should we push on towards Nassau?" "We should push on," Naya said instantly. "What my people need is safety. We will not rest until the walls of your settlement are around us. We have lost much already." Mason nodded, seeing the pain in the girl''s eyes. He stopped being Mason the man and went back to Mason the protector and patron. These people were exhausted and terrified and they needed his help. "I''ll get you there," he promised. "These are my woods. I promise you''re safe already." He activated Speak with Nature, running his perception to the trees, asking them to spread the word and warn him of potential danger for miles. The trees whispered as he asked, the sound like a strong breeze with echoed words, drifting through the canopy in a spreading circle. Both Dariya and Naya turned towards the trees with wide eyes as if they heard it, and the oracle wiped away a tear. "I have not seen a druid in hundreds of years," she whispered. "The trees seem¡­happy, and healthy here, so full of life." "I feel it, too,¡± Mason said, smiling despite being slightly embarrassed. ¡°I think it¡¯s because all the great trees are cleansed.¡± He''d felt the change over thest several days¡ªlike an electric current ran through the soil. New life was forming along those lines, swelling as if filled with new nutrients, the older life so sated it was happy to let them grow. Naya and the oracle exchanged another look, even taking each other''s hands. "Maybe we have found¡­," Naya started, and the older woman shook her head. "Do not dare to hope, child. But maybe. Yes, maybe so." Mason had no idea what they were talking about, but they seemed happy and that was good enough. He stood and held out his hand, and Naya took it rather shyly and stood. "Can your people travel at night?¡± he asked, and Naya nodded. "Then we go all day and tonight, and by tomorrow morning we could be in Nassau." Naya''s hand was so small and soft and warm in his he didn''t really want to let it go, and took her on for a ways before he finally forced himself. Despite the...challenges he might have back home, and the ridiculous circumstance of so many women, he was definitely starting toe around to the idea. But first he had to get them home. * * * Mason had the elves halfway to Nassau before they needed a rest. Dariya had left them to Wyrdwalk (or whatever she called it, which was apparently a thing the other elves couldn''t do), promising she knew her way to the settlement now. Then after at least seven hours of hard travel at about two thirds speed, Naya had turned to Mason and staggered against a tree. "You move...so quickly. We''ll need...a short respite." He nodded and found them a small clearing. Then he tried not to be too obvious as he really looked at the dozens of elves for the first time. He wasn''t sure if Nassau''s dating problems were going to get better or worse. They were all incredibly fit and attractive, including the few men, though to his eye these looked a bit...feminine. In any case the women of Nassau wouldn''t be happy, that was for sure. What that meant he didn¡¯t know, but at least a pack of angry civilian women didn''t go on murdering, raping, rampages¡­right? Mason sighed. He was sitting only a few feet from Naya, and was about to try and think of something to say to his ¡®betrothed¡¯ when the elf went first. "May I¡­ask the name of your noble house? I don¡¯t know anything about human nobility. Well, about humans at all, really." "My..." Mason blinked. "I...don''t have a noble house. I mean, I''m just a..." he was going to say ''orphan from Texas'', but even he realized this probably wasn''t the right thing to say to a princess you were supposed to marry. "It¡¯s different for us. More about¡­strength? Anyone could be patron of Nassau." Naya frowned, but recovered quickly. "Then should we create a new one? I don''t know your people''s customs, but for ours we would require a name, a crest or image, and some words that define your family''s legacy. We could consider a structureter, though it shouldn''t wait too long." "Uh." Mason ran a hand through his hair. "My people...we aren''t...I mean we don''t usually have ''kings'' anymore. It''s sort of a...one of those traditions we''ve mostly stopped paying much attention to." Maya¡¯s dark eyes narrowed in confusion. "How do you rule yourselves?" "Well. I''m not really an expert, but, we have...democracies, and republics, and uh, well. We let people run for positions, and then we¡­break that down and vote on it. And then we swap people out every few years." Naya was staring and Mason held out his hands. "It''splicated, and not¡­great. But...I think a man from my...people, said ''it''s the worst form of government, except all the others that have been tried''." "And this is how you rule Nassau?" Mason winced. "I...no." "Then you rule it as a king?" "Well..." Mason cleared his throat. "I prefer to think of it as a...temporary, martialw sort of situation." He met Naya''s unflinching eyes and sighed. "Yeah, I guess I rule it like a king." She shrugged as if this were obvious, and asked no more questions. Mason was starting to think that might be that until Naya spoke again without looking at him. "Do you have any other wives?" He felt like his tongue was getting slightlyrger in his mouth. plicated." He fought the heat rising to his face. "I have women, but, they aren¡¯t¡­formal wives." Naya didn''t look terribly pleased, but eventually shrugged again. "It''s not important. The powerful men of my race often take many wives and concubines. As long as you promise to try and provide me with children. I must insist this is in the marriage contract." Mason''s brain was taking a break again, so he justbined some kind of nod and shrug, and the elf seemed satisfied. With another few moments of silence he realized this marriage was actually going to happen. Obviously he could just say no, but if he did that meant these elves were just not going to join Nassau. Which meant everyone would lose. Or he could just say yes, and suddenly a whole ¡®tribe¡¯ of people¡ªall of whom seemed to have magic, and probably thousands of years of experience in this world¡ªwould instantly be his allies. And all he had to do was...agree to marry a woman about as beautiful as anything he''d seen in his life? Sure, he didn''t know her. Yes, she wasn''t human. But aside from pointy ears she seemed exactly the same, and in reality however long she lived Mason now technically lived longer. So he probably had plenty of time to get to know her... So yeah. This was happening. He was going to show up in Nassau,pletely out of the blue, and walk an elven princess up to his girls and tell them he was getting married. What the hell would Haley think? The reality was he already basically thought of her as his wife. His ''first'' wife. Except she wasn''t. She was his ''bonded'' contract¡ªor ve, as she preferred in erotic moments¡ªa reality he was happy to treat as a sexy fiction while he treated her as he would a wife. But would the sudden appearance of an actual wife change things? Would it ruin what they had? He practically shuddered at the thought. Haley had be a rock for him¡ªthe one person he could always rely on, even over ke, to always look out for his interests, without all the messiness of normal people. He trusted her. He loved her. And he might really hurt her. And God only knew how Becky and Rosa would react¡­ Mason sighed, about to try and think of something else to say to his ''betrothed'' when Kiaan caught his eye. He excused himself and walked out into the trees with the impressive scout, who looked around with professional scrutiny, then lowered his voice. "I found something important, Patron, but it must be for your ears alone. There is something the game calls a ''Central Hub'' in the heart of a desert beyond the grasnd. It contains many important structures to do with the game, I believe includingmunication and transport. It can be imed by any settlement patron. The ''guardian'' there said you should bring five yers and expect a difficult challenge. I came back specifically to tell you." Mason nodded, a feeling in his gut somewhere between excitement and terror. The Mason who had firste into the great game would not just ignore it, he''d wee some other fool to the danger and difficulty of owning such a thing. But he knew now he had no choice. Whoever controlled something like that would automatically gain control of everything near it. He''d known since he''d first learned about Wyrdwalking that it would change the game. This sounded like Wyrdwalk on steroids, and many other possibilities besides. The ability tomunicate with and travel the world, nevermind quickly, when others couldn''t do it at all...it was an almost unassable advantage. It would mean Mason could keep the yers slightly unified, and also afraid of him. Mutual advantage and interest were great. But a healthy dose of fear kept even greedy, vicious morons acting right. Being in the middle of a desert, however, wasn''t awesome. Unless the challenge changed things, or let him ''deconstruct'' and move it as he''d been able to do with Sanctuary. That seemed entirely possible, and brought a fresh wave of impatient desire. He looked back at Kiaan, who was smiling as he watched his eyes. "Was I correct to return, Patron?" Mason grinned. "You better start really thinking about that reward." "Oh I have, Patron," the man gave a rare snort ofughter. "I had little else to do but consider it." The mirth vanished as quick as it came, and Kiaan leaned even closer. "Is an elf bride now a possibility? I find them...very pleasing to look at." Mason cleared his throat, thinking again of what Naya had said about the desirability of elves. "If it is, you''ll get it," he said, knowing he owed the man a great deal. And there was plenty more of the world yet to explore. Plenty more for the man to do¡­ His answer seemed to please Kiaan, who bowed his head slightly and withdrew a step. "The goblin," Mason said, realizing he''d forgotten. "Did he keep up to us?" "Yes, speedy human, clever Cliknik watches back, just like he says." Mason spun towards the voice, finding the goblin almost invisible against a tree. His instinct was to draw a w and cut the thing in half, but he kept himself in check and just stared. "My...apologies, Patron," Kiaan said, looking mortified. "I had no idea he was... I shouldn''t have spoken...I..." "Don''t worry," Mason said, not sure if such a thing even mattered to non-humans. Though of course the information might. The goblin looked back and forth between Kiaan and Mason and seemed to recognize his peril, his ever-present smile slowly fading. "Cliknik say nothing. To no one. ve to Big Boss Patron Ranger Druid Mason, yes? Happy ve. No problem. Very good with secrets." Mason frowned. This creature was far more cunning than he''d given it credit for, and again the Mason who''d stepped into the game would have simply killed it and removed the threat. But ke was right. asionally. And so was Haley. He needed to make use of the tools he had, and even if that was still just getting it to Nassau to have its mind explored, it wasn''t worth killing it now. "Good," he said, still not sure how the damn goblin had even kept hidden from him. "What secret do you think you''re keeping?" Cliknik grinned. "Secret? What secret? Cliknik didn''t hear any secrets. He doesn''t even understand humans. Just watches backs." Mason snorted. Yeah, the creature was cunning. But considering all the technology he''d seen in the mountain, he supposed it didn''t surprise him. He thanked Kiaan and assured him everything was fine again. Then he went back to the elves and found them already on their feet. "Ready when you are....Betrothed," she said, as if trying it out for the first time and not quite sure how it sounded. Mason winced, not sure about it either. He also wondered when exactly the right moment was to tell your future wife ''Oh, I mentioned other wives, but what I meant was I have at least three women I''m sleeping with in Nassau already living with me. Not counting nymphs. Or tree avatars. And I don''t intend to give any of them up, or treat you as more special.'' But that moment didn''t really feel like now. "Mason is fine...Naya," he said, and the elven princess smiled. "Mason it is."
Chapter 270: The easy part Chapter 270: The easy part ke hadn¡¯t waited long after Phuong and the others left, or indeed given the goblins nearly the time he promised. He re-entered the dungeon, this time at the front, with Seul-ki, Annie, and all his constructs. "Don''t worry," he told them, as the assassins again circled and Seul-ki clutched his arm in terror. "I know what I''m doing." It was mostly true. And at least the assassins didn''t kill him. He would have looked ridiculous. ¡°Time¡¯s up,¡± he told the Greenblood leaders when their servants had finally brought him down. ¡°The others yers fully intend toe back and wipe you all out. I¡¯ve bought you some time, but we need to use it. Now.¡± The fat wizard and his kin had squawked and squabbled, but eventually given in. Then they packed up their belongings with admirable speed, concerned mostly with riches and baubles over weapons or supplies. They ushered ke out before he saw much, promising to meet him at the entrance of the cave. He sat waitingfortably with Seul-ki, who even now maintained her disguise, Annie standing nearby like a statue. He eventually got bored and increasingly paranoid the other yers would show up at any moment, though he knew it was much too early. So he did his best to distract himself with True Making. Then the mountain gate finally creaked, and what looked like several hundred goblins emerged in a chaotic mob loaded down with loot. ¡°You won¡¯t regret this, Chillik,¡± ke promised the fat wizard. ¡°You¡¯re going to be veryfortable in the orc tower. One day you¡¯ll forget all about¡­¡± ¡°We goblins call this sort of talk rat shit,¡± Chillik muttered from his litter. He was being carried by six sweating goblins, and his face seemed even more miserable than theirs. ke smiled politely. ¡°Then we¡¯ll walk in silence. This way, friends.¡± ¡°We know very well where the orc towers are, human,¡± hissed another of the wizards. ¡°What will we do if they don¡¯t let us in?¡± ¡°They will,¡± ke said, without a shred of doubt. ¡°You have my word.¡± The goblins made varying sounds of contempt at that, but ke ignored it. They traveled at approximately the speed of a half-paralyzed snail, crawling through the hills and trees as ke pictured Mason suddenly appearing with his green eyes and ws. "Do you think we might pick things up a bit?" ke said when he couldn''t stand it anymore. The goblins made all kinds of noises andints and excuses, but it all amounted to ''no''. So on they went. They traveled all day until the sun dipped and the goblins looked ready to camp. ke suggested they push on, oveing his hatred of all things hiking with his terror of being caught by the yers. "You goblins can see perfectly well in the dark," ke argued. "There''s no reason to camp. Better to be exhausted in a couple days and still alive." "We are not soldiers," Chillik said with considerable disdain. "Nor are we running. We will arrive when we arrive. And if anything tries to stop us, they will learn the power of the High Mages of the Order!" ke politely refrained from pointing out the High Mages of the Order had abandoned their home and fortress to run for their lives. Instead he sighed and created himself and the girls a slightly opaque resting square, making it as ridiculous and ostentatious as possible. The goblins were suitably impressed. ke decided now was certainly not the time for a full rekindling with Seul-ki, so he made three beds and put them close together, with a thin wall between him and the girls. Seul-ki seemed pleased, dropping her disguise just before bed and giving ke a good night kiss that tested the very limits of his willpower. Anniey down in her bed and closed her eyes, hardly even cleaning herself until Seul-ki insisted. The dawn took forever. But ke soon had his temporary quarters dismantled, his constructs moving about the goblins like sheep dogs until they got back on the road. It took three days to reach the orc towers. By the end of their journey ke had been forced to Mentally Influence a few goblins to keep them from killing each other and starting off God knew what. They were all exhausted and short tempered. And filthy. And they smelled terrible. An orc war party met them at the tower gates. At least twenty had lined up in full armor with long spears like pikemen, physically blocking the narrow entrance into the tower square. "What''s this?" Chillik barked. "I thought you said we would be wee!" "Patience, my powerful friend, patience. I''ll get us all inside." ke walked alone to the orc infantry and stered on his friendliest smile. He was about to exin himself, request a messenger to someone who could make a decision, maybe influence a mind or two. Then he remembered he wasn''t just some guest. He was the damn High Wizard of the Amber eye n! "I bring guests and allies to the White Tower for Lady Ambereye. Don''t interfere." The orcs at the front exchanged confused nces, but it was clear they recognized ke, were in apletely new situation, and had no idea how to proceed. In such circumstances, ke had found it best to act like the most important person in the room. "Or should we bother the lords, and ask them why somemon grunt is interfering with my council appointed task of saving the towers from demons?" The poor officer obviously in charge went a strange kind of greenish purple before growling at the others. "Let the High Wizard pass to the White Tower." Then he barked at the orcs to reform their line to block off ess to anything else. It was a smartpromise, and ke was impressed. "Thank you, Captain," he activated Mental Influence just to learn a few names, then made a gesture of wee to the goblins outside. After a few moments of squabbling, therge train of the Green Blood Order started rolling towards the amber-eye-covered gate. Now ke just had to exin to Ilya why he had an army of goblinsing to live in her tower. But he expected that to be the ''easy'' part. Because sooner orter, he was going to have to also tell Mason... * * * Becky woke up to find her friend A''s smiling face. "There she is." The Finn''s pretty blue eyes gained a little wetness, but she quickly blinked it away and took on her professional nurse''s voice. "Can you tell me your name?" "If it gets me some pain meds. My head hurts something fierce." A grinned and shed a little light in Becky''s eyes. "You''re always a terrible patient. Your full name, please." "Reba Jane Morrow. Now could I get some water, at least?" A soon stopped fussing and brought her water and a couple pills, then stopped and gave her a hug. "You had us all pretty worried. Try not to get your head smashed in again, OK?" "I''ll do my best." Becky sat up and fought a wave of nausea. "Where''s Mason?" "Like I''d know that," A said with a sigh. "He checked on you the first day, then he was off again. But he left orders, and we''ve been watching you like a hawk." Becky knew Mason had so much responsibility, so many people depending on him. He''d made sure she had the care she needed and then did what he had to, and it all made perfectly rational sense. But it still hurt. "I''m here! I''m here!" Haley came rushing into the infirmary in a twirl of flowers and half-done hair. She looked half asleep, though of course still gorgeous, wearing nothing but a nightgown and some slightly twisted pants. Becky grinned and held out her arms, and Haley came rushing in. "I sent Darlene to get her when you woke up the first time," A exined with a smile. "The first time?" Becky closed her eyes and breathed Haley in, lost in the warmth of her hug. "I believe you told me you couldn''t go to school today, and then asked for a chocte milkshake," A said, and Becky felt Haley shake with a littleugh. "Do you need anything?" The incredible woman pulled back with suddenly alert eyes moving up and down Becky''s bed and gown. "I can get you clothes. Or something to eat. This ce is dreadful. Why don''t we move you back to your room, eh? They should at least y music in here!" This bit was said with something approaching usation, and it was Becky''s turn to chuckle. "Stop fussin''. I''ve got a nurse. And space-age, er, magic hospital things. I''m fine. I''m fixin¡¯ to go, I just need a minute." She got up the same moment Alex stepped in, and the older man spun around in the most amusing, gentlemanly way when he saw Becky just in her gown. "Ah hell, y''all, I spent half my life practically naked on the farm. We''re all family, ain''t we?" Alex didn''t budge and Becky just rolled her eyes as she wiggled into some system-whites from A. She gave her friend a hug, then went out arm in arm with Haley, feeling a lot better every few steps. "Will Mason be home soon?" she asked, and Haley gave her ''I''m just being nice'' smile. "I''m sure he will. He''s been gone a couple days. Phuong and the others are back safe and sound, and everything went perfectly. Everyone''s fine." Becky put her head on the older girl''s shoulder as they walked. "Oh. Um." Haley sighed. "Rosa and her friend Alexis have moved into the hall. They have their own room.¡± Becky sighed, but wasn''t terribly shocked. "Bound to happen sooner orter," she said, then squinted. "Her friend, too? What''s goin'' on there?" "Nothing." Haley gave her ''I have a n but I won''t share it'' face instead this time, and Becky punched her in the arm. "Don''t let my busted head fool you, girl. You know I could kick your ass now, right?" Haleyughed. "I wouldn''t rmend it. But I swear Lexi is onlying because she''s Rosa''s good friend and didn''t want to be apart. Mason has more than enough to deal with already." "Good," Becky said. "Because if he starts chasing another one I''ll kick his ass. That hall is gonna be full enough." "Mmm." Haley made an ''I''m being agreeable but don''t necessarily agree'' kind of Canadian noise, and Becky just let it go. The night air was cool and crisp and Becky breathed it in with her eyes closed. Then she nced at Haley''s stomach, knowing it was going to start swelling soon enough with Mason''s baby. It reminded her of a kind of ''switch'' she''d found in her profile but hadn''t yet mentioned¡ªsome kind of thing just for female yers, she''d figured, that apparently controlled whether or not they could get pregnant. Not that she had anyone to talk to about it¡­except Seul-ki, but they didn¡¯t exactly¡­well, talk. Anyway. It made sense, she supposed¡ªfemale yers would have a major disadvantage trying to gain power in this early stage of the game otherwise. But she felt like she needed to tell Mason. Not because he was pushing or anything, but because in the brief moments before the whole world exploded back in the goblin caves, she''d regretted that switch being off. And in the insane world she was now part of, she knew the next time it could be more than an injury. It still bothered her to have so many women around. But she knew at the end of the day she didn''t want anyone but Mason''s babies, no matter what that looked like. If it was just Rosa and Haley she could handle it. Haley was like her sexy, older best friend. And Rosa...well, they''d figure it out. Right now, it was just good to be alive. Becky smiled as she stepped into the chief''s hall and saw the ''wee home!'' sign dangling from the kitchen. It felt good being there, even if Rosa and her friend were probably asleep in the next room. Now Mason just had toe back and scoop her up and carry her to their bed, and everything would be perfect. She just knew it.
Chapter 271: Supper can wait Chapter 271: Supper can wait Surreality met weird reality as Mason led the elves to the gates of Nassau. He nced back at the human-ish creatures forming up behind him, looking up at the walls and treetops sticking up from inside with wonder. They''d impressed him during the journey. Only a handful of yers could have gone as far and as quickly to keep up. He could see the relief and excitement on their faces, the realization that after however long and dangerous their experience, they were finally going to be safe. But they were also all going to have to start dealing with the practical realities of living here together. With humans. "This is Nassau," Mason called, feeling like some kind of...speech was expected. Of course he hated speeches and had no idea what to say. But he looked at Naya and was determined at least not to embarrass himself, so he just said what he was thinking. "You''re safe now. We have housing but it might take some time to sort everything out. Bear with us." Here he shrugged, not sure what to add. "You''re wee here. For however long." Naya smiled, and the elves began to touch a few fingers to their foreheads in some kind of gesture he didn''t understand but was pretty clear in context. He just bowed his head rather than return it, then walked towards the gate until it opened, and led them inside. Wolves came running from everywhere. Some of the elves shrieked in panic and practically ran back into the trees. "They''re not dangerous!" Mason lied, holding out his arms and starting to use Speak with Nature until he heard Streak growl and the pack all stopped and sat or flopped over in boredom. "They''re with us," he said more truthfully, letting out a breath. Streak came bounding over with his tongue out, ramming violently into Mason with happy growls and yips. "Missed you too, buddy," Mason couldn''t help but smile as he scratched Streak''s neck and held off a few licks. "We''ve started letting them in a bit. Under supervision, of course." Carl stepped out from seemingly nowhere with a shy looking smile, his eyes moving over the elves. "Wee back, kid." "Hey, Carl." Mason stepped forward and took the man''s hand, then winced and lowered his voice. "I have forty-fiveish...people, who need to stay for awhile. They''ll need housing. A hot meal. And I expect they''ll want to stay mostly together, and mostly alone. At least for now." Carl grinned and shook his head. "And here I was thinking things were getting a little peaceful. OK. We''ll sort it out. Is there one of them in particr I should talk to, arrange things?" Mason had no idea. He waved over Naya and introduced them, a bit weirded out to see she''d covered herself entirely except her face again. She soon delegated the task to another elf behind her, and the pair wandered off towards the houses. People wereing from every direction now, both civilian and yers, mostly to stare. Mason waved to a few yers, then saw Haleying with Becky and felt his heart start a faster rhythm. But mostly he was relieved. They smiled at each other, and it looked like Becky was about toe running until Haley held her back with a nce at the elves. Mason didn¡¯t care if it was awkward. He helped cross the distance and scooped Reba into his arms. "I''m sorry I wasn''t there when you woke up," he said after a good long crush, for a moment forgetting everything else. "It''s OK," she muttered into his shoulder. "I understand." "I''m still sorry." He just held her there a little while, then set her down and kissed her forehead and brought Haley in for the group hug. The elves were at least wandering away towards houses now, some of the humans evening up to introduce themselves and interact. All eyes, in other words, were not entirely on Mason and his girls. But he still very much felt Naya''s. God only knew how he was going to do this. But the answer was definitely ''not yet''. Haley would help him figure it out, he was sure. And maybe ke. Or maybe he could just run out into the forest ande back in a few months... "The goblin," Mason said as he realized, turning to Kiaan waiting patiently behind him. The creature was covered and hunched at Kiaan''s feet, trying rather obviously just not to be noticed, one of the scout''s hands on his arm. "I have kept him very close, Patron," Kiaan said, pushing the goblin slightly forward. Mason looked around for Phuong, waving him over when he eventually found him. He introduced him to Kiaan, and the men both bowed slightly. "This is Cliknik," he said as neutrally as possible. "Did kee back yet?" "No, Patron." Phuong looked at the goblin with obvious distaste. "Should we ready to return to the mountain and finish our task?" "Not yet." Mason was a bit surprised and not thrilled ke hadn''te back. He sort of expected him to get bored in a few hours. Apparently the engineer''s treasures were very interesting. Or he was in some kind of trouble. But with an ever growing list of problems, Mason couldn''t afford to worry about his brother, and these days he didn''t need worrying about anyway. "We''ll spend the night. Tomorrow we worry about ke and the mountain. Meanwhile, I need you to look after my...new servant." Mason gestured the goblin forward. "You stay with Phuong tonight. You never go anywhere without him. If he loses you, I''ll be angry. Understand?" "Yes, Master," the goblin whispered, shuffling over to the swordsman''s leg like a terrified animal. Mason supposed it was surrounded by rather frightening human yers. Not to mention the sniffing wolves. Phuong gave Mason a ''gee, thanks'' sort of look, then rolled his eyes and gestured Cliknik to follow as he made his way home. Mason activated Speak with Nature, kneeling to touch the ground just to check to see Violet was still somewhere beneath the settlement. He felt a peaceful, satisfied tremble in return, sensing the worm sleepily buried somewhere beneath the soil, happily bored after a hunt. Nassau looked organized and safe. He saw the new training hall near the temple, huge and something of an eyesorepared to the Gaia-themed buildings. People were already wandering away from the spectacle of the elves, back to their work at the crafting hall or to their homes or to their guard duties, or to sit at the ''leisure center'' and y or gossip. Everything, in other words, seemed perfectly fine. Mason felt the weight of his ever-present concern ease a little off his shoulders. He was already changing his mind about finishing the goblins. They could wait. Whatever was left of them likely proved little threat, and Mason had far bigger fish to fry. He pointed at Kiaan. "Start working on your map. Haley before youe to the hall, can you find Kiaan a temporary house, some warm food, whatever else he needs? He''s certainly earned it." "Of course." Haley smiled and gestured for Kiaan to follow, and the scout returned it politely. "Thank you, Patron. I''ll begin immediately." They went off, and Mason noticed the elven oracle had arrived and now spoke with Naya, the pair of them inching dangerously close to Mason and Reba. He was thinking about taking his girl and bolting when the oracle crossed the distance and found his gaze. "Let''s discuss the contract a littleter," she said, her cunning eyes moving over him and Becky with the same kindly old woman mask he''d met in the Wyrd. "Yes. Later," Mason said, feeling somewhat...exposed, as Naya watched him. But the elves just bowed their heads slightly and turned away, and Becky hardly even looked interested. She probably assumed they''d meant the contract for the whole group and whatever agreement they''d made. She just held onto him and he turned her towards the chief''s hall, walking her there arm in arm. There were plenty of well-wishers and some d-handing to be done along the way. By the time they''d reached the hall Mason felt more exhausted than he had after two days of travel, and closed the door of his private wing before locking it with a sigh. He smelled the Mexican cooking before he turned. Rosa and her friend Lexi were in the kitchen wearing t-shirts and sweats with their backs turned. They wereughing and managing a few dishes, the cooking sounds likely too loud to have heard Mason and Beckye in. "Oh yeah," Becky said, "they''ve finished moving in." She didn''t exactly sound thrilled about it, and she crossed her arms as she raised an eyebrow. "What exactly are the sleeping arrangement tonight, anyway?" Mason hadn''t really thought about that. And of course he felt bad that Becky still wasn''t getting along with Rosa, and that she wasn''t asfortable as Haley with sharing him. They hadn''t even talked about her cousin, Sarah, since losing her in the tree. About her other cousin Willy somewhere in the settlement. He hadn''t been there for her when she was hurt. And he knew he risked her life in dungeon after dungeon. Now he was going to be ¡®getting married¡¯ and bringing in another girl... He probably wasn''t a very good¡­boyfriend. That was the truth. Back in the old world it might have bothered him to admit, but he didn''t have the luxury of nonsense anymore. His dreams were druid dreams with immortal problems and stakes as high as stakes could get. And she was also one of his main soldiers. He saw Cerebus'' cold eyes watching him, judging him. He felt the eyes of a synthetic God that had its own rules and didn''t care what people thought of them. They were all part of a ''game'' now that changed everything, and maybe Mason most of all. He realized Becky was still watching him, still waiting for some kind of answer about sleeping arrangements. He met her eyes. "Listen, Becky. You saw what it''s like out there. All the people, all the problems. And you know what dungeons are like. This hall is the only ce I can really rest. You understand?" Becky nodded, her somewhat skeptical expression fading slightly. "Being with me,¡± he shrugged, ¡°it''s not safe, and it''s not fair. I know that." She started to interject but he stopped her. "Some of the softer things you''re going to have to get from Haley or the others. Because I can''t always give that. I invited Rosa to live here, and being with me means getting along with her. And wherever I sleep is where I sleep. It can''t be a problem." Becky nodded, standing awkwardly as she put a hand on her other elbow. "I know. And I want you, and everything it means. So I''ll...try. I promise." Mason smiled and pulled Becky closer for a kiss that turned passionate quick. In seconds she was moaning against his lips, and he was pretty tempted to start pulling her clothes off right there. "Oh! We didn''t hear you." He pulled up to see Rosa and Alexis watching from the kitchen entrance. He met the Mexican girl''s dark eyes then scanned her body, no longer feeling or maybe caring about awkwardness. He only saw her curves and felt his own lust, not interested in what was happening or what anyone thought about it. Then the door knocked and cracked open and Haley stepped inside, shutting it behind her with a puff of air and a roll of her blue eyes, her hands behind her back. "Hello," she said, looking between Mason and the other girls with her usual quick assessment. "I could, um, maybe go and..." Alexis started, apparently sensing the same thing. "A walk might be good," Haley finished. The Finn practically jogged to the door with a slightly pink face, waving to Rosa as Haley gave her a peck on the cheek and ushered her outside. Then she closed the door again and smiled, moving slowly to Mason''s side. She kissed his neck and slid her knee up his leg, gesturing for Rosa with one hand. "Supper can wait," Mason almost growled, pulling Becky to his other side and gripping her ass. He met Rosa''s challenging eyes and waited as Becky and Haley trailed their hands over his body. Rosa lifted her chin, then smiled and starteding forward.
Chapter 272: Who’s in charge? (NSFW) Chapter 272: Who¡¯s in charge? (NSFW) Rosa stepped slowly towards Mason as Haley and Reba pressed themselves against his sides. He slid his hands down their backs, groping their asses as he watched Rosa walk. "What''s this?" she said with an eyebrow raised. "Some kind of initiation thing? Am I about to get hazed?" He knew she was just being yful. Just as he knew he should have justughed and been less serious. Maybe it was because he''d just had to tell Reba how things were, or maybe it was the constant responsibility and risking his life. But he definitely felt a different energy. "No," he said. "It''s me being home and wanting all of you. Now. Lose the shirt." Haley practically started humping his leg. Becky still looked like a naughty girl who''d been caught, and Rosa seemed ready for a challenge before she stripped off her t-shirt. Mason''s eyes were locked on her cleavage. "Bra." She unclipped it and let it drop, and Mason practically licked his lips as he stared at her amazing breasts. "What do we do?" Haley whined, as ever loving his more aggressive side. "Same thing," he said, still waiting, still groping asses in each hand as Haley worked at her buttons and Becky pulled her shirt over her head. He was still wearing Eve''s Garb, which were innate and banishable just like his ws, so in a blink he stripped himself naked. Haley gasped in obvious delight, reaching down to stroke him as she slipped his thigh between her legs and ground against it. "Easy, girl," he chuckled, not at all unhappy, kissing her a little as he pulled her and Becky against him to feel their soft breasts against his skin. Rosa came forward and squished against his chest, and then they were all kissing his neck and shoulders as he swapped between their lips and tongues. He hadn''t even activated Gaia''s Blessing. A few days of absence in the ridiculous phase two seemed enough to drive the girls mad, so he wasn''t even sure he should turn it on. Well...at least not yet... "On your knees," he said, pushing Becky and Haley down and waiting for Rosa. The alwayspetitive, willful girl gave him a look like ''that''s what I wanted anyway''. Then she dropped down and looked at his cock like she wasn''t sure what she wanted to do. Becky and Haley had no such hesitation. They started licking and sliding their lips against the sides of his shaft, and that was already pretty amazing. But he was losing patience now and gathered up a fistful of Rosa''s thick, ck hair. She gave him a mock expression of shock before he pulled her open lips to his tip. She tasted it with her tongue as if trying to decide if she liked it. Mason growled and pulled her forward until she took a quarter of his length with a muffled squeal. He let out a breath and closed his eyes as she sucked while the other girls licked. Haley was ying with his balls, too, and for a little while he just stood there and enjoyed three mouths working his manhood. Then he opened his eyes and enjoyed the view. Three beautiful women, all topless and on their knees, getting more and more into the act of sucking him off. Not that he was going to let them finish. But it was a very nice start. He took control of Rosapletely, fucking her mouth deeper and deeper until her eyes widened and she fought to take him all without gagging. Mostly he just wanted to remind her who was in charge. Soon her hands were on his thighs, gripping slightly as he worked further and further, until his balls were hitting her chin. He pulled out when she choked but didn''t let go of her hair, leaving her gasping and looking up at him. He pulled her up and turned around, pushing her against the wall. "You too," he said, until Becky and Haley stood and stuck out their asses on either side of Rosa. He pulled Rosa''s sweats down to her knees and put his free hand between her legs, finding her very wet already. "That room is yours, but your body is mine. Understand?" Rosa made a sort of whimpering sound, and Mason let go of her hair to pull Becky up against her. Then he reached up her skirt and started fingering them both. "There''s no point in fighting, no point in drama, because you''re both mine and that¡¯s just how it is." "Yes, Mason," Becky said instantly, wiggling against his hand. Rosa didn''t say anything, so he put his hand around to the front to y with her clit, then pushed out her ass and slid himself inside her. She gasped and clearly didn''t know whether to put her hips forward or back, and Mason just kept circling his fingers as he gave her inch by inch. When he was buried to the hilt he stayed where he was, using his fingers to get her closer and closer until he could feel her gripping him inside. Then he stopped, and she groaned. "What did I say?" he told her. "You said..." she moaned again and tried to move on his cock but he held her steady. "You said I''m yours." "Good girl. Now you say it." "I''m yours," she said, eyes fluttering slightly as Mason moved just a little. He was fingering Becky now faster and faster, and his sensitive country girl was already breathing hard as she moaned. "If you want to cum you better say it like you understand," he said, and Rosa made a frustrated groan. "This is your pussy," she said, grabbing the hand between her legs. "Now please fuck me." Mason couldn''t have asked for more than that. He pushed Rosa back with his hand as he thrust into her, giving her good hard ps of flesh against flesh as he drove his cock deep inside her. Finally he turned on Gaia''s Blessing, and as the scent hit the girls they took deep breaths and closed their eyes. Even Rosa seemed affected, or maybe she''d turned off her protection. She clenched her walls hard around his shaft, digging her nails into his hand as she shook and went up on her tiptoes. Becky came a second after, flushing and letting out little squeaks as she almost bounced away from Mason''s fingers. He had plenty to give, and didn''t hold back. He pounded Rosa straight through her orgasm, letting the pressure build and warmth flood through his body until Rosa was bouncing her ass back against him. "Please cum," she begged as she realized he was close. He thrust deep as he sprayed, letting a few hard waves fill her before rxing and letting her back up to milk the rest. He felt her pussy clenching against him, and she seemed in control for a moment until she froze up again and cried out, shivering as she came again. Mason grinned, knowing it was the effect from Eve¡ªthat somehow his own orgasms were like liquid fire inside his girls. Rosa spasmed and went ck as Mason gave her a few more thrusts, then pulled Becky in for a kiss before ncing at Haley. "You''ve been very patient." "I love to watch, but it''s so hard," she said, one hand buried between her legs, the other massaging her nipples as she leaned against the wall. Mason grinned at the sight, and the smell of sex, and the wetness running down Rosa''s thighs as she trembled. His almost endless stamina was keeping him hard, and he was already picturing what he''d do to his girls next. "Don¡¯t worry," he said, giving Rosa''s ass a p hard enough she gasped. "We''re just getting started." * * * It was Haley worshiping time next. He kept them against the wall, but pushed the other two girls into her until they started kissing and touching her everywhere. Rosa eventually made out with her as she worked her nipples, and Becky got down and buried her face between her legs. Mason got behind her and slid in his cock. Becky worked her clit, Rosa letting Haley suck her nipples as she bounced and moaned from Mason''s thrusts. She came hard and fast, then Mason picked her up and carried her to their bed with the other girls in tow. Pretty soon they were all naked on their backs in a line looking up at him with sex zed eyes. It was hard to know where to start. "Get us some wine," he said to Haley, and the blonde leapt up to obey as Mason mounted Becky and started fucking her. He pulled Rosa close, leaning over to kiss her as he did. Then he pulled out and flipped Becky on top of Rosa like lovers, adjusting so he had an angle to enter them both. They moaned as he took turns with them, pushing their faces together a little until they started making out. Haley came back with the wine, and they both drank from the bottle and grinned as he kissed her red lips. "You see how nice they are now?" she said, giving Becky''s ass a pat. "You''ll just have to keep fucking them together until they behave." Rosa made some pitiful groan of protest, so Mason switched and started jack hammering her into the bed. Then Haley giggled and tried to climb on, which didn''t work well until Mason had the two at the bottom ready for missionary, with Haley on top turned over. They were giggling and trying to findfortable positions, with Becky at the bottom¡ªbecause with her vitality, the other girls didn''t weigh a thing. But he got impatient and just started lifting their legs to take turns with all three of them, watching the others bounce and shake as he fucked a girl on top of them. Haley came again, so he came with her, pumping her full of cum until he watched it dripping down onto the other girls. They thought it was over after that. "Riding time," he said, and they all groaned and practically flopped on the bed. Mostly two girls just cuddled to each side of him as the other rode his cock. He loved watching each girl''s different, amazing body, each girl''s struggle to take his length and focus, to keep moving as they fought their own pleasure. Becky came in minutes and could hardly move, getting teased by the other girls until he promised to keep them up all night. He rolled Becky off with a tender kiss, then let Haley try and exhaust herself. Which she eventually did. He helped her at the end, pounding up until she literally screamed and went ck. Rosa rode slowly and more intimately, staying down to explore his mouth and tongue, whispering ''ai papi'' in his ear as she slid him back and forth. He was going to finish with her until Becky practically jumped up andined he hadn''t cum in her yet. They were all touching and tender now, but still Mason met her eyes and raised a brow. "Who''s in charge?" he said, and Becky slumped a little. "You are." "Good girl," he said, but pulled her over to sit on his face facing Rosa. She gasped as he licked her from below, teasing then sucking on her clit before working his tongue inside her as Rosa bounced on his cock. This time the cowgirl managed to hold on awhile. By the time her juices were dripping down Mason''s chin, she was moving against him and moaning with every breath. But Rosa shook and clenched on his cock first, crying out as she stopped moving and just held on. Becky came a secondter. Mason let them both ride the high ande down, then sent them both to ''finish'' him with their mouths. Haley perked up and crawled down to join them, and pretty soon they were back to where they''d started. Three mouths and tongues worked his cock, three naked, amazing bodies squirmed as they worked, three beautiful pairs of eyes turned towards him. He just put his hands behind his head and enjoyed, not moving a muscle, and not making it easy. The girls took turns, probably when they got tired, swapping him back and forth between their mouths as they tried everything. Rosa slowed and sucked on the tip as the others licked him like a popsicle, trying to edge him to the finish line. Becky pumped him at full speed as the other girls yed with his balls and kissed him all over. When he could tell they were tiring he decided it was time to stop torturing them. He stood on the bed and pulled them close, taking turns with their mouths, their faces all together. He couldn''t decide if it was a more beautiful sight than all their asses sticking up just for him, but at this point who even cared. Their warm, wet mouths and tongues felt amazing. He took turns groping their tits and taking control of them as he fucked their throats, still training Rosa and Becky to take him fully. By the end there was wetness dripping down all their chins and tits. Their exhausted jaws were hanging open, their eyes zed and hardly focused. "You''ll be good girls and share it?" Mason said, holding Rosa and Becky tightly by the hair. "Yes, Mason," they said more or less in unison, and he hid his smile. He let Haley almost finish him, stroking her cheek with a thumb as she stared into his eyes and bobbed, still able to squeeze him tightly between her lips. He could hardly imagine life without her now, imagine a world where he couldn''t look down into those big blue eyes, her thick red lips tight around his cock¡­ He shuddered and came, giving Haley a little reward before pulling out and spraying across Becky and Rosa''s faces. They tried toe closer to get it in their mouths, but he wanted to see them covered. He dug deep and let Haley keep stroking him, loosing stream after stream into the surprised, blinking faces of his other girls. He wasn''t sure what he wanted next, but all three girls started licking his cum off each other''s faces until they were giggling and trying to get their own. Mason justy back and watched them with a smile, his eyelids instantly starting to droop...
Chapter 273: Druid dreams Chapter 273: Druid dreams Mason dreamed of a red, swirling sky. He stepped out from the safety of his forest, seeing nothing but desert into the horizon. A hot wind howled ahead. The blurry mirage of heat and sand curved forever in endless dunes like waves in a dry sea. It felt lifeless and deste. Unweing. And also important. He knew he had to go forward. That something waited for him there that would change everything. The dry heat bothered Mason as little as the cold of the north. He walked through hot sand with bare feet, ncing back to see faceless, shadowy allies behind him matching step for step. They went on and on until tall structures rose in the distance. The description of the ¡®Nexus¡¯ from Kiaan soon made the nature of the thing obvious. As he got closer he saw exactly what was described: structures in a circr pattern like stonehenge, but with far more design andplexity. In the center was a pyramid, stone cut steps running up all three sides to a huge, square tform at the top. The other structures were varied in shape and style¡ªa small, white tower; a barren tree maybe fifteen feet high; a WWII style bunker; a giant ss cube. Mason walked towards it, hearing strange, animalistic noises all around him without understanding from what or why. Every step carried him a hundred yards until he stood at the edge of the Nexus. But for some reason he couldn¡¯t go in. An old man with a cane pointed a bony hand from atop the pyramid, speaking in a voice that boomed like thunder. ¡°Have youe to save the Nephi?¡± Mason blinked, then the roiling red sky lightened until he saw men with wings battling flying¡­demons. All around him the sand disappeared and turned green and brown and filled with life. The ¡®Nexus¡¯ was suddenly in the middle of a jungle, with two rivers running ahead and behind where Mason stood. He looked back at the pyramid. The old man was gone, reced by young, scantily d women bound and terrified at the top. They screamed for help as more of the demonic creatures dragged one towards an altar. A demon in robes lifted a knife in the air, ripping the dress from the woman to expose her chest, then aimed the de at her heart. As he struck, the light faded from the sky. The winged men dropped lifeless to shatter on the ground as the demons howled in victory. Then it all vanished. Mason was alone again in the familiar darkness of his ¡®dream¡¯ cave, a pleasant fire cracking in the middle. He felt a sense of loss, and defeat, and a desire for revenge. ¡°Well. That was particrly terrible. Even for you.¡± Mason flinched and let out a held breath at ke¡¯s voice, and his brother sat beside him and grinned. Apex Predator was shing a warning about mental interference but he swiped it away. ¡°Wasn¡¯t my dream,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°Now get back to Nassau because we have to march into that desert and deal with whatever the hell we just saw.¡± ¡°Not the greatest offer I¡¯ve ever heard.¡± Mason snorted. ¡°If it helps, we have about forty elves with us now, and most of them are hot women.¡± ¡°Of course they are.¡± ke grinned and gave Mason an using look, which¡ª considering he was technically going to marry one¡ªfelt¡­a bit too urate. ¡°Anyway,¡± Mason said for a quick topic change, ¡°we¡¯ll deal with the goblinster. I need you home. I think I can just get to the Nexus myself and technically warp a group of yers with my new teleportation beacon. But I should really test it, or get people like you to¡­I don¡¯t know, inspect it. But you all need to be here at the¡­whatever the hell it¡¯s called. God I hate all this. Device thing.¡± ke snorted, but also looked vaguely ufortable. Difort in ke was a tell-tale sign that he was about to tell Mason something he really didn¡¯t want to, but felt he couldn¡¯t avoid. ¡°Oh hell what is it? Did you mind control someone again? Explode half the mountain from tinkering with goblin bombs? Is Seul-ki OK? What?¡± ke took on a reflexive ¡®how dare you!¡¯ kind of mock offense, then dropped it and seemed to shrink a little. Mason felt his eyes getting wider. ¡°It¡¯s worse than blowing up a mountain?¡± ¡°First of all,¡± ke said, ¡°I¡¯m d you had that dream. It really puts things into perspective, you know? It reminds us not to focus on the little things. The pesky details and differences. To get too myopic. Because, here¡¯s the thing...¡± ¡°Oh Christ just spit out. I¡¯m with my girls and I¡¯m ready to wake up.¡± ¡°As you like.¡± ke sat forward and tented his fingers as he looked into the fire. ¡°I¡¯ve made a deal with the leaders of the goblins. And I¡¯ve taken them to the orcs for safety. They¡¯re not as bad as you think, and pretty useful little things. So don¡¯t worry, I have a n. Also I took Seul-ki and Annie with me.¡± Mason¡¯s brain couldn¡¯t keep up to all that. He mostly just stared at ke with his mouth slightly open, wondering what the actual hell. ¡°So¡­wait. You¡­took them. As in, you convinced them, I assume with mind magic, to leave the mountain, and¡­march, I guess? For days. To the other group of green skinned creatures trying to murder us? Is that right?¡± He heard his own voice rising slightly throughout. ke pursed his lips as he considered. ¡°Dramatic, and not entirely correct. And I wouldn¡¯t quite put it in those words. But, yeah, pretty much.¡± Mason took a few calming breaths and sat in silence. Annoyingly, ke was right about the dream and perspective. He had bigger problems than orcs and goblins and whatever nonsense his brother was up to. ¡°At least when I want to kill them they¡¯ll all be in the same ce,¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± ke made a fist and gave an encouraging swing. ¡°But, also, please don¡¯t do that. And¡­things are a little chaotic right now. So¡­I don¡¯t think I can join you in Nassau for your dream¡­thing. But you¡¯ve got plenty of yers.¡± ¡°Jesus, ke.¡± Mason¡¯s barely contained anger red and he had the urge to throw the stupid bastard across the room. ¡°This is maybe the most important thing we¡¯ve done yet. It¡¯s the ¡®Central Hub¡¯, it might link us too all humanity. And you didn¡¯t just leave, you took two of my fucking yers.¡± ¡°And I trust youpletely to ovee all obstacles.¡± ke smiled with obvious guilt. ¡°Meanwhile, I¡¯ll be making sure we¡¯re actually positioned to utilize and defend such a thing. The orcs have a great deal of resources, Mason. And the goblin magic and technology is¡­advanced, and no doubt extremely useful, and¡­¡± Mason shook his head and vaguely tuned his brother out. There wasn¡¯t much point in arguing with ke when he was like this¡ªhis head full of grand ns. If his wild schemes starteding apart he¡¯de crawling back for help. But until then he was unstoppable. Mason did his best not to hope it all went disastrously wrong. ¡°Since this is clearly not a conversation,¡± he eventually interrupted, ¡°I assume you¡¯re finished telling me what you wanted to tell me?¡± ke nced back and forth and clucked his tongue. ¡°Yes. Though I can certainly stay for a brotherly heart to heart. Or a game of checkers. I can probably create some with my mind here though I haven¡¯t¡­oh that¡¯s rude.¡± Mason mentally smashed his Apex Predator button until ke vanished like a puff of smoke. His dream got fuzzier and further away, until he could feel the warmth of the girls in his bed, his body reacting before he¡¯d even opened his eyes. If ke could do whatever the hell he wanted all the time, then Mason could at least have a morning to himself and do the same. He opened his eyes to find all three of his girls in a tangle of limbs and sheets, their eyes closed and bodies pressed against him. He sighed as he drifted his fingers over little patches of exposed skin, getting hard before he¡¯d even decided who to start with. Alphabetical order, this time, he decided, waking Becky with a hand between her legs¡­
Chapter 274: Apostasy Chapter 274: Apostasy Naya walked towards the incredible Gaian temple in the early morning light. She had heard of such things from the elders and ancient legends, but she had never seen one with her own two eyes. She couldn¡¯t think of a better ce to contact the council. Thest time had obviously been¡­a disaster. She had demanded their attention, ignored protocol and politeness, and spoken with almost incredible brashness. But then her people¡¯s lives had been in danger, and she¡¯d been terrified. She knew they¡¯d understand. ¡°Hello, child. Are you ready?¡± The ancient elf already waited by a fragrant garden filled with color and life. Naya inhaled and felt herself calming, smiling at least a little at the wily old oracle. ¡°Yes, Oracle,¡± she said politely, kneeling beside her. ¡°Thank you for invoking the ritual. My own ability will take many more days before it renews, and¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy to help, mydy. But are you sure you wish to contact them again so soon? It might be better to wait. You are young, but, sometimes asking for forgiveness is easier than asking for permission. If we had a sess to share than maybe¡­¡± ¡°I know you mean well,¡± Naya said, her mind already made up. ¡°But I am now the Lady of Anshan. It is my duty by tradition and title to request the council¡¯s permission to bind a great house. And¡­I must speak to my mother.¡± Dariya pursed her lips as she watched Naya¡¯s eyes, but eventually nodded. ¡°As you wish, Baroness. Please give me your hand. It will make this easier.¡± Naya took the old woman¡¯s hand, unable to ignore the wrinkled skin, the rough feel. She wondered again truly how old the oracle was. More than six hundred years, certainly, even before she¡¯d dwelt in the fey city. With the prolonged life in the fey, could she be close to a thousand? The oracle did not need a feystone. With will and mana alone she bent the fabric of reality until the fey merged with the material world. A swirling sphere of green mist appeared in perfect symmetry. An attendant mage for the council was waiting at the beacon with a book. He saw Dariya and bowed his head in respect. ¡°I call on behalf of Princess Naya, Lady of House Anshan,¡± she said. ¡°She requires a meeting of the full council. But there is no¡­mortal urgency.¡± ¡°That is good news, at least,¡± said the attendant with a tone so neutral you almost couldn¡¯t hear the contempt. ¡°I will summon them as soon as possible. Please wait and don¡¯t close the portal.¡± Dariya bowed in respect, and both she and Naya waited in silence. For Naya, at least, it was very long and difficult. As all elves would she Meditated to pass the time, but still her nerves frayed like aging fabric. Dariya sat inplete silence, not even her breathing changing until the council appeared in the mist in total unison. "We''re happy to see you alive, Naya,¡± said Sorab, Chief Priest of the Fey temple. ¡°We''d feared the worst." "Thank you, Your Worship.¡± Naya addressed him properly then silently cleared some phlegm from her throat. ¡°It was...a near thing." She found she was too embarrassed to say she''d been saved by Mason. "We lost all but one of our scouts." The council exchanged varied looks, and Naya flushed with shame but fought it down. She reminded herself why her family had left in the first ce. They were trying to save elvendom. And if the council had only helped...if they had only... "We assume you wish to return with what remains of your people?¡± said Dayesh, the High Wizard and perhaps most powerful elf in the West. ¡°We can have a transport portal ready in a few days. Though it will be costly. You will have to ept certain¡­conditions." Naya blinked in surprise. She hadn''t expected them to speak so directly, and so quickly. She supposed they sensed weakness and wanted to strike. The dying look in her father¡¯s eyes shed before her, his will unbroken, hismand to fulfill his duty clear. She would strike with equal force. "For the second time, honored elders, House Anshan assures you that request will nevere. All we have ever asked for is aid, for we will seed in our goal, or we will die. I''vee to ask for formal permission...to bind my house in alliance through marriage." The council stared in stunned silence. Naya wasn¡¯t sure if she was prouder than she¡¯d ever been, or if she was going to vomit. "You¡­¡± the High Wizard seemed, maybe for the first time in Naya¡¯s hundred years, lost for words. ¡°You¡¯re one day now fromplete destruction. And you wish...to marry? Who? Your remaining scout?" One or two elders actually snickered. "We have been joined by an ally,¡± Naya said, ¡°the leader of a Gaia blessed human settlement in the great forest. He is a ranger and druid of considerable power and prestige in the mortal world. It will be him I marry." Again the council stared as if not quiteprehending what she was saying. "I¡¯m sorry. I must have misunderstood,¡± said the Chief Priest, obviously not misunderstanding. ¡°Are you suggesting you...a noble of Shirass¡­in the line of session, of the blood of Elderon, intend to marry¡­a human?" She''d agreed to it. There was no taking it back now. She nodded her head, trying not to look in her mother¡¯s eyes. The council erupted in crossing words. Such a thing was unheard of. Their patience was legendary, their politeness eternal. But raw anger flowed from curled lips. They told her such a thing was impossible, sphemy, and deeply, deeply wrong. "You forget I was awkeeper," Naya said, her face and ears growing hot. "I know every word of the edicts. There is now against marrying a human, or any other creature. Only custom. My father named me and my brother heirs to his house, and they are both dead. I am the Baroness of Anshan. The decision is..." "And your mother?" interrupted Dayesh. Naya''s mother was well liked on the council, and an enchantress of great skill and respect. But she was a noble of minor importance. She had married into the house of Anshan, and would have been nothing without Naya¡¯s father, who before his quest for the holynd had been one of the most respected elves in the West. Through her marriage with him and her own talents, she had gained a lesser role on the council. But when Naya¡¯s mother refused to apany her husband into the mortal realm, he had technically stripped her of all family authority. "My mother has no legal status," Naya said with no pleasure whatsoever. "I am all that remains of my house. I ask for your blessing because it is tradition to do so. And I have no wish to break ties with the city of my people. I ask with all humility and respect." "Respect?" The Chief Priest sprayed spittle as he spoke, the fury obvious in his usually calm face. Then he went on and on about Naya''s poor judgment, her immoral precedent, her betrayal. How could she mix her elven heritage so freely, the ancient elf wondered? What would such children even be like? She''d had quite enough when hisnguage moved very close to the word whore. ¡°We have not seen an elven child in a hundred years!¡± Naya finally shouted, her frustration and terror and anger almost bringing her to tears. How could they not understand, even now? ¡°Why do you think we are doing this, honored elders?¡± she said, her voice close to breaking. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I would do anything. I would sully myself, I would destroy my reputation. I would break everything I hold dear if it meant a future for our people. Just as my father did. Judge me a fool if you wish, but I will not be called a traitor.¡± Again the council sat in stunned silence, and Naya couldn¡¯t stand the waiting. "I formally request a vote on the marriage of a noble house,¡± she said, feeling numb. ¡°Please do so now, and I will go." One by one the council raised a hand to vote, and every single member voted no. Naya supposed in her heart she had only wanted her mother''s approval. But the woman who had always been kind and loving to her stared with watery eyes through the blur of the green sphere, not quite able to meet Naya''s stare. "Thank you. For seeing me," Naya whispered, lost now in uncharted territory. No marriage request had ever been denied. It was a formality, mere tradition, but such things were very important to her people. "Nheless," she said, then again louder, "I intend to carry on, despite your disapproval." "Then you are hereby banished," said the Chief Priest without hesitation. The word struck Naya like a p. "As leader of the Fey Temple, I denounce your house apostate. Your property will be seized. Your name will be stricken from the records. And neither you or your people are wee in the holy city on pain of death. Is that clear enough disapproval, you foolish, impudent child?" Even the other council members looked stunned. But Sorab was correct. As Chief Priest it was in his power to dere any elf or even a noble house heretic and a threat to the city''s religion. That House Anshan was well known to be the most pious and faithful in the city made no difference. It was, in fact, why they alone were searching for the sacrednds. "I understand," Naya managed to say, "One day I hope you revoke this sentence. I remain devoted to our people, and hope still to find a way to renew them." She added quickly, before the tears overwhelmed her. "Goodbye, mother.¡± She let go of the oracle. And as the circle glowed and vanished, she put her face in her hands and wept.
Chapter 275: Modern, or Classic? Chapter 275: Modern, or ssic? After a very, very satisfying morning with his girls, Mason decided he should probably get a few things sorted. Haley ruined all that. She caught him outside the bedroom, dragging him into a spare while the other girls were probably both still sweat-soaked andatose. "Let¡¯s talk about those elves,¡± she said, closing her robe when Mason¡¯s eyes drifted, and slightly raising an eyebrow. ¡°Besides the obvious game advantages we should also discuss¡ªand well done by the way¡ªI couldn''t help but notice they were¡­mostly women. And very beautiful." Mason winced, knowing he wasn''t much good at hiding anything, especially from Haley. It didn''t help that he didn''t really want to. But he still had no idea how to tell her about his uing ''marriage''. "I...also noticed that." "Hmm.¡± She straightened his shirt and grinned. ¡°So¡­when do I get to y with one?" Mason held back a cough and just sort of shrugged. "Not that there''s any rush,¡± Haley went on. ¡°I love having Rosa and Becky here. And now Lexi. She''s very cute and bubbly and you should really get to know her better. Much better." "Haley..." Mason closed his eyes and put his hands on his lover''s arms. He had no idea what he''d been nning to do or say but he gave up trying to be clever. This was Haley. His best bet was to tell her everything and ask for her help, secure in the knowledge that whatever it was she was on his team. He met her eyes. "I have to marry an elven princess." His beautiful blonde looked back and forth between his pupils, temporarily and uncharacteristically speechless. "OK," she said finally, still not moving. He felt her body go slightly rigid. "Does that¡­change things? Does it mean we can''t...be together, like this...anymore?" "No," Mason said, shaking his head. "I mean yes we can be together. It doesn''t change anything, at least for me. It just means there''s some elf woman calling herself my wife. Actually I don''t even know what that means, she was talking noble houses and all kinds of crazy. I actually have to go make a contract with..." "I''ming." Haley said, and Mason''s mouth snapped shut. She''d at least rxed slightly in his arms after he exined. Before he could answer she put a finger to his lips. "As your assistant. I can help with the contract. It''s part of my ss. But I wish ke were here. We could bring Susan¡ªone of the Sanctuary girls¡ªshe''s sort of like a post-apocalypticwyer." Mason snorted. Of coursewyers would survive the apocalypse. "Jesus, they really are like cockroaches," he muttered. Haley raised an eyebrow and he hunched slightly to look her right in the eyes. "You''re OK? I mean. I know we haven''t talked about this sort of thing. But you''re pregnant, and I guess I just figured...ah hell I don''t know what I figured. There''s been no time, and..." Haley leaned forward and kissed him, getting increasingly more passionate until he wrapped his arms around her and lost himself for several moments in her scent and softness, her lips and quiet moan. "I''m yours," she whispered, "whatever you need me to be. I don''t care what anyone calls it. I know what I am." Mason put his forehead against hers, the anxiety draining away. He wasn''t exactlyfortable articting affection. He wasn''t much with words at all, and had always thought a man''s actions showed how he felt. But he searched through his mind and pushed through his nature, looking for something to say, to show how he felt. It probably wasn''t right, but all he could think of was Haley back in the dungeon next to a now broken bow, having to decide which to take. "I''ll never leave you behind," he said. "Youe with me. No matter what." Haley smiled and clearly fought a few tears, so he figured it must have been close to right. He kissed her again and very seriously considered stripping her clothes off before heading out to meet with the oracle. But as he looked into her eyes he knew it wasn''t a quickie kind of moment. If they got started they''d need most of the day and probably night to hammer those emotions with a filthy amount of sex. And Dariya was waiting. "We should probably look formal,¡± he said. ¡°Like we sort of know what we''re doing. And I''m pretty sure we need to make a noble house out of nothing, with a name, and a crest. Or something." Haley grinned. "Not a problem. The game has a system, and technically you''re already using it. I''ve been meaning to bring it up but figured it could wait until we were a bit¡­ safer. Apparently now is the time." Mason pulled back slightly in surprise. "I''m not using anything. What do you mean? I''m patron of Nassau but so was ke, so was Sebastian, so I didn''t..." "You''re a baron now," Haley said. "I can see it in your titles when I inspect you. That''s an official noble rank. You''re already a nobleman, as far as the game is concerned, with a ¡®fief'' of two settlements. We just haven''t implemented it." Mason blinked. He pulled up his profile and looked at the title, which frankly he''d forgotten about and never really thought much of. He kind of figured the title names were all arbitrary. Haley''s eyes zed for a moment, and Mason saw a link pop up in the corner of his vision. Then a voice intoned in his mind: [Noble House Formation Request: essed. Scanning for eligibility. Granted. Generating House. Scanning for avable options. Analyzed. Congrattions, Baron Mason Nimitz. Please select an initial Familial Tradition.] The image of a crest or maybe g formed in Mason''s mind. It was dark green, covered in leaves, with a crown made of bloody vines hanging from a wolf head. The wolf''s eyes glowed bright green, and it stared out with a proud challenge that made Mason shiver. Beneath the crest in flowing text formed the words: House of Mason, and beneath in italics: Are you friend, or prey? Beside the crest was a long list of ''Familial Traditions'' that scrolled before Mason''s eyes. Next to them he saw several other categories, currently blocked off, that included ''Edicts'', ''House Titles'', ''Royal Court'', ''House Retinue'', and ''Legacies''. But as usual, first things were first. He looked through some of the traditions. And couldn''t stop his eyes from widening. The text said ''any member of the House gains the benefits of basic traditions, regardless of rank''. And the avable bonuses included incredible things, including an option called ¡®Fast Learners¡¯: continual bonus to all experience gained. Or ¡®Stalwart¡¯: 10% additional impact from the Vitality statistic. In fact there were several 10% boosts to various stats, or mana, or the affect of certain kinds of powers. Mason''s head was spinning as he went through them all. "Can I take it you''re impressed by the noble house rules?" Haley said with a grin, and Mason just nodded as he scrolled. He certainly should have done it sooner but he was guessing Haley didn''t know how it worked either. And he still had a lot of questions. Would everyone in the settlement be members of his ''House''? And if not, what exactly was the difference between being part of his ''house'' and being part of Nassau? It seemed already that he ruled Nassau as something like a king¡ªwith the power to make rules and change whatever he wanted. But as he looked back at ''Edicts'' he realized this was a lot more formal. If he made a ''House edict'', would the system automatically enforce it if broken, rather than making him decide what to do himself? "I''m a bit overwhelmed," he said. "But it doesn''t look like I have to do anything yet. Maybe we can just¡­go deal with the elves. Leave things until I learn more. Then I can start picking." Haley smiled, then her eyes zed. A dark colored suit materialized in one hand, and what looked more like¡­a medieval king''s robe appeared and sagged in the other. "Modern, or ssic?" Haley''s blue eyes twinkled, her infectious smile creeping across her lips. Mason groaned, but couldn''t help but smile back.
Chapter 276: The contract Chapter 276: The contract "He was supposed to be here some time ago," Dariyained, ncing out the window of their new home. "He said he''d return immediately." "He''s an important man here," Naya said, trying not to show her anxiety. "No doubt he''s deeply engaged in some pressing issue." The human settlement of ''Nassau'' was actually incredible. The druid said it had been ''blessed by Gaia'', which at first seemed a somewhat ridiculous im until the elves felt its energy. Life seemed teeming here from every tree, every de of grass. Forest life swarmed the settlement from every direction. The birds came and went in a never ending chorus of song, eating and mating, ying and bathing in the central fountain. The trees were filled with creatures. The small gardens the elves saw the settlers growing seemed to burst with abundance. The ''temple of Gaia'' was a marvel of all things that grew. "This is the ce," Naya said, feeling with every moment more certain she had found a sacrednd. She blinked and saw Dariya watching her, a small smile twisting the corners of her lips. "May it be so, by Luna¡¯s grace," she said, the smile fading as she took Naya''s hand. "May the ancient gods bless us, and give us life." Naya returned the smile and squeezed the oracle''s wrinkled hand. They did not share the same faith, but the oracle had proved her loyalty to her house. She had saved her and her people, and despite her age hade with them on a perilous journey across the mortal world. Now here she was, still aiding them, still advising. "We should have listened to you," Naya whispered, fighting back tears. "My father should have waited, should have taken more time to convince the council and get more support. If he had, he and my brother might still be alive. Maybe we would..." "Enough of that," Oracle said, squeezing a little more. "I have lived a very long time, and we cannot ever go back and change the past. We are here, now, and you have found the best chance I have seen in a thousand years to save our people. That is more than enough." Naya nodded, feeling a little wetness leak down her cheek. Then a hard knock on the door jarred Naya from her reverie, and the oracle sighed with obvious relief. "Now fix your face, girl, your betrothed can¡¯t see you in tears, can he? And it wasn''t just words about the contract, princess. You shouldn''t be part of the discussion. It isn''t...appropriate." The old woman grinned. "But no one would know if you were listening. Say, from those stairs." Naya smiled and let go of the oracle''s hand as she rose to open the door. "I''d like to be here for the start," she said, smoothing out her clothes and wiping her cheeks. She had removed the formal silks of a courting maid from her personal storage, which was one of the few garments designed to show a woman''s hair and curves to eligible suitors. It was of course possible the patron of Nassau could still call off their engagement. And having now experienced this ce, and the life within it, she knew she must do everything in her power to ensure that didn''t happen. She opened the door and stepped back as a wife would to greet her husband, head and eyes lowered. "Wee, betrothed," she said, bowing slightly. Her nostrils red with the scent of soap and feminine sweat. With fresh lust and fresh life. She nced up to see a tall, blonde, beautiful female with her hands held awkwardly at her sides. The druid stepped in beside her in what must have been his own formal attire, face and hair cleaned and trimmed. Naya was at loss for words. She wasn''t sure what struck her more¡ªthe pure, masculine attraction of her husband to be, and how her heart sped at the sight of him, and the memory of his naked body glistening by the river. Or the insult¡ªthe near mockery of his having brought a pregnant mate to their marriage negotiation, who even now smelled of his lust... * * * "This is Haley," Mason said, smiling politely. "She''s my assistant. She''ll help with the negotiations." Naya stepped back and returned the smile, and Mason rxed a little when she didn''t seem surprised or bothered by Haley. The oracle stood and smiled with tight lips from a nearby table. "The house is eptable?" Mason said as they stepped inside, painfully aware of his very un-ke-like social skills. "You found food? Everything you need? I''m sorry but I...don''t know anything about elves." "Everything is more than eptable," Dariya said, a bit sharply, Mason thought. "Pleasee in. Does your...pregnant mate require any...special amodations? I''m sorry, but I don''t know anything about humans." Mason blinked, sensing a definite...tone. How the hell the old woman knew Haley was Mason''s mate, or pregnant, he had no idea. But then that just further emphasized his ignorance about elves. "No, thank you," Haley said, smiling as if she hadn''t noticed any problem. Which she almost certainly had. "But that''s very kind. Shall we sit? I brought some pastries. I thought we might eat a little as we talked." After a few rounds of equally painful small talk they managed to get themselves seated. Naya informed them she wouldn''t stay for the negotiation, her eyes more and more obviously inspecting Haley like a nk of beef. "Perhaps you should leave us now," the older elf said, with a slightly disapproving tone. Naya''s dark eyes shed across the table before she smiled again and rose. "Thank you, Oracle, of course you''re right." She met Mason''s eyes and her face softened, absent-mindedly pushing at a thin sash that drooped from her uncovered shoulder. "Please don''t dy the wedding too long, Mason. I would like to begin our married life. As soon as possible." She scanned him with an almost hungry look, then bowed her head slightly before she walked to another room. Between the revealing clothes and the look in the elf''s eyes, Mason was kind of d he''d spent some timing banging Haley. But of course in this new ridiculous world his lust didn''t need much to get going. "So," said Dariya, "firstly, it sounds as if we must establish you a noble house." "Already done." Mason grinned. "I''m not sure how to actually show you the details, or..." Haley''s eyes zed, and with now customary system magic a kind of hologram-like menu opened in the middle of the table, Mason''s new house image disyed prominently in its center. Dariya''s eyes widened in surprise, then she examined it all and smiled. "A baron? We hadn''t realized. The princess is also a baroness, though..." Here the old elf paused and shrugged. "Hernds are far away. In any case, very impressive. That simplifies things immensely as Princess Naya will not even lose official prestige in the union. We need only discuss progeny, any stiptions, and the dowry." "Right." Mason winced and looked at Haley, then back at the oracle. "Why don''t you just pretend I have no idea what any of that means, and move on from there." Dariya smiled slightly and nodded her head. "Prestige is the official measurement that tracks the power and reputation of all noble houses in the realms. Presumably yours will have none, but the House of Anshan is old and powerful. Any official act in the name of your house, whether it''s war, alliance, or recruiting new members, will affect your prestige." Here the oracle took a breath before going on. "By progeny¡ªI mean that children produced by a noble union must be imed by one of your noble houses. It is traditional for a man''s children to take his house. But we thought, since this union is...unusual...that if the child is a boy it might take your house, but if it''s a girl it might belong to its mother''s. Would that be eptable?" Mason was about to say he didn''t give a shit which ''house'' his hypothetical children belonged to, but Haley put a hand on his arm and spoke first. "That would be a meaningful concession. What if the only child from their union is a girl? What would the house of...?" "House Anshan," repeated the Oracle, again with a slight tone. "Thank you. What would it offer in exchange for making such a concession?" Dariya stared just a little too long at Haley before she answered. "What might you be interested in?" Haley shrugged and looked at the ceiling as if she had no idea. "I have only just be aware of the rules of noble houses. But it seems to me that, since Princess Naya''snds are far away, she has little need for her people''s continued loyalty to her house. Perhaps¡­they should all just join Mason''s?" Dariya''s eyes opened slightly wider as she stared. Her hands twisted on herp for a moment before she stilled. "That is...I hadn''t even considered that a possibility. It seems...outside the bounds of..." "They can change their allegiance whenever they wish, can they not?" Haley picked up a piece of pastry and took a dainty bite. "And since Princess Naya will be living in Baron Mason''s...demesne, ah some words are the same in English. It seems only logical, yes? In fact perhaps this should simply be done and not treated as the concession, but as practical reality. We might think of something else instead?" Mason nced between the women, somewhat fascinated, as Dariya¡¯s face moved from contempt and anger to something like respect in moments. "You are correct, it is practical, but also a great boost to House Mason. We would expect it to more thanpensate for the concession, and perhaps even affect the dowry." "Unfortunately, my lord''s house is not yet very rich in resources," Haley said as if embarrassed. "No," the oracle smiled. "But it does have great warriors. And Princess Naya has no court members here. She would feel safer with...one, perhaps two bodyguards to serve her house and person directly." Mason wasn''t following all this exactly, but Haley looked a little shy as she turned to him and whispered. "They want two of your yers to swear loyalty to the princess. It would mean...she was really their patron, not you. But it shouldn''t make much difference as they''ll still be here to defend Nassau, and you''ll be married to their patron. And you''ll officially get the loyalty of every elf civilian in this settlement, which I don''t even really understand, but I know it''s extremely rare and valuable. I think it''s worth it." Mason blinked, slowly starting to realize this wasn''t some meaningless negotiation. They were trying to literally determine the system-enforced loyalty of his yers. Like they were exchanging yers on a sports team. Mason nced between Haley and the oracle, a flood of heat moving up and down his body as he truly realized what the elf was demanding. He practically heard Cerebusughing from his throne of bones, bright eyes closing with mocking contempt. Mason felt his urge to reach forward and seize the old woman by the throat. "I''m afraid¡­¡± Mason started, trying to control his anger, ¡°we''ve misunderstood each other. My people aren''t chips in some poker game. I''d kill and die for my ''warriors'', and they serve me because we¡¯ve bled together. Not because they owe me some kind of¡­ancient allegiance.¡± He pushed back from the table and stood. ¡°I think maybe elves and people won''t get along like I''d hoped. Haley was doing what she thought best for me, but I don¡¯t want your people like that. If you go east, you''ll find some towers with orcs that might suit you. I''m told they like exchanging ves." With that, Mason looked away from the women, and walked for the door.
Chapter 277: Why we’re all here Chapter 277: Why we¡¯re all here "Wait, please!" called a voice from the stairs, and the elven princess rushed out and stood awkwardly. "We didn''t mean to offend you. It isn''t unusual to exchange soldiers between elven houses. But..." "Well you have offended me," Mason said sharply. "I won''t be giving you my people''s ''loyalty'' under any circumstances. Not if you held a knife to my throat. Do you understand?" "I apologize," said Naya, though of course it wasn¡¯t actually her who¡¯d asked for anything. Then her eyes shed with emotion and she gestured at Haley. "Since we''re speaking inly, you should know you offended me the moment you brought your mate to a marriage negotiation. It''s an insult¡­to me, to any future children we might have. A bastard already grows in her belly." Mason nced at Haley, then back at Naya and the oracle. It was probably the word ''bastard'' that did it. Technically, Mason was a bastard. He didn¡¯t know who his parents were and never cared to find out. They¡¯d abandoned a little boy and that was all he¡¯d ever needed to know. He felt the already simmering heat crawling up his spine, wing its way with a kind of inevitable violence. He was wondering how exactly he''d gotten from ''saving some elves'' to ''negotiating how he conducted his life and settlement with a stranger''. The word bastard was bad. But she''d also just insulted Haley right to his face. "Mason..." Haley stood and put a hand on his arm, clearly recognizing his expression. But his tolerance for all this shit hade to an end. "OK," he said. "You want in speech? I''m not actually ying whatever game this is, sweetheart, I was just being nice. I didn¡¯t mean to ask you to marry me. I''m not a ''baron''. You''re not a ''baroness''. Those are just words and they don''t mean a thing. My game is blood and iron. I could rip you and your elves apart with my bare hands. When you were all running around terrified with those centaurs, I was having fun. You understand? You might as well be made out of fucking cardboard to me." He took a few deep breaths, but it didn¡¯t help much. "I''m not interested in your contracts. Enjoy the settlement. You''re safe here unless you hurt someone. But stop bothering me with your horseshit because I have whatever¡¯s left of humanity to save. OK?" Again he turned for the door, and again the princess called for him to wait. He turned and she dropped to her knees, her head lowered and hands together. "Please, Mason. Please forgive me. You''re right. We have behaved...arrogantly, and we know nothing of humans of their ways. But...please, don''t end our marriage. We''re...I''m...desperate." "Princess Naya..." said the oracle sharply, but the girl shook her head. "My people have not had children in a hundred years, Mason," Naya said, her voice on the verge of tears. "Once we had many cities across this world. We were strong and wise, and we helped the other races. But...the elvendom I was born into is a weak, crumbling thing, terrified of everything and everyone, too proud even to ask for help," she gave a reproachful look at Dariya, "and to admit its own weakness." Mason clenched his jaw, not sure what to say. "You say...you are trying to save your people?" Naya asked, meeting Mason''s eyes. "That''s why I''m here. Why we''re all here, in this magical ce, where we feel the life of Gaia as I have not felt it once in my lifetime. I am also trying to save mine." He looked between her beautiful green eyes and slowly felt the anger fade, stepping slightly towards her. He was beginning to realize he had a weakness for women who needed his help. That made it no less impossible to resist. He took her hands and pulled her to her feet, trying not to smell whatever incredible scent she was wearing, or notice the thin silk of her clothes as she pressed slightly against him. "We still have a problem, princess, because I''m not giving you any people. I''m a shit negotiator anyway but frankly I''m not interested in even..." Naya put a finger to his lips and smiled. "Will you promise to try to give me and my people children? With all your magic and power? Whatever we can do? That''s all I truly ask." Mason blinked, a hell of a lot morefortable with the new terms of their arrangement. "Yes," he agreed. "I''ll do everything in my power to give you and your people children. As many as you want." Naya smiled, and her eyes went slightly watery before they zed. Then Mason watched his ''House'' tab glow like he''d dropped the damn thing in a fire. * * * [Title gained: Elven Patron. Gain the House loyalty of an elf. +2 presence.] [Title gained: Elven Lord. Gain the House loyalty of at least ten elves. + 3 Presence] "Naya!" Dariya practically sagged at the table and put a hand to her head. "Oh, child, what have you done?" Mason had no idea what she''d done. Except by reading his new titles. But when he clicked into his House icon he saw, firstly, it now had approximately twenty members with names he didn''t recognize. His ''prestige'' had shot up until some kind of bar filled, and a variety of the other tabs blinked for attention. "I cannot condemn my people for their ways until I''ve changed mine," said Naya, still holding Mason''s arms. "My father would have understood." "You could have at least kept me," muttered Dariya, looking slightly dejected. "The man''s House is younger than my indigestion." Naya smiled and finally let go of Mason''s arms, backing away with a shy nce. "It will grow soon enough. I have given you all my people, Mason. Though...not all have epted. I hope it is an adequate gesture of my trust. And my...contrition." She looked at Haley, who still stood somewhat awkwardly by the table. "Please ept my apology. I should not have...I can only apologize." "Of course." Haley smiled. "You''ll find Mason can be a little...overprotective." "I have seen it in action," Naya said as she returned the smile. "A very fine trait in a husband, I think." "Well." Mason cleared his throat, not at allfortable with being talked about, nor with gaining the ¡®lordship¡¯ over a bunch of people because Naya said so. "If that''s all settled, I have a lot to do. There''s a building I need to inspect, and all kinds of things blinking in my face." The elves looked at him strangely and he shrugged. "Leader duties, I mean. If it''s alright I''ll¡­maybe talk to youter?" "Of course," said Naya, looking a bit surprised and maybe overwhelmed. "I''ll have to¡­speak to my people. But, would you...perhaps...we should both speak to themter, if you have the time. You are their new liege lord. My people have rituals for such things. It would do much to put them at ease if we had a show of unity, and if they could...hear you say a few words of wee? Many still need to ept the change in allegiance I''ve offered them." Mason practically groaned, though he was at least d to hear they had a choice. ''Making speeches'' was possibly first on his list of hated duties. Though something about risking his life over and over made the idea a little less daunting. "I''ll make time," he said, and Naya smiled a little. "But, uh, maybe...you could help...I don''t know...guide me, on what they might like to hear, a little?" The princess''s beautiful smile got a little wider, and she bowed her head. "It would be my honor, betrothed. I''ll be here most of the day." Mason nodded, already no idea what to say. Just talking to people was bad enough, and not something he¡¯d much enjoyed in his former life. How the hell had he signed up for winning over elves? He tried smiling with as much enthusiasm as possible, then took Haley''s arm and escaped through the door. "Well that went wonderfully," Haley said, clutching him like a giddy schoolgirl. "I think maybe you should shout at everyone about how scary you are during negotiations." "I wasn''t..." Mason sighed. "If I do that," he said teasingly, "what would I even need you for?" His blonde beauty stuck out her tongue, moving closer to whisper in his ear and rub a hand down his leg. "To celebrate with after your victory?" "Down girl," he said. "I really do have a lot to do. Though maybe you can help me with some of that. There are a ton of things blinking." Haley reverted back to professional assistant mode, pulling back with a nod. "Let''s multi-task." Her eyes zed then widened as she whistled and hopped with another giddy grab at Mason''s arm. "Oh, patron, I know you think this ''other'' part of the game doesn''t matter, but you have no idea what you just gained. Let''s go inspect your building, and I''ll start walking you through it. You have some choices to make." As they walked arm in arm towards the new training hall, Haley exined everything they were seeing. First of all, now that the elves had joined his house, they''d also officially joined Nassau, and Mason gained a hell of a lot of patron points. And it looked like he had a few new building options with new icons, including something called an ''Oracle Stone'' and a ''Scout''s Enve'', plus a few more that seemed crafter oriented. If that was all he''d gained he would have been fairly happy. But his new ''House'' icon had a lot more. His ''Edict'' list now had options that weren''t greyed out. Apparently whatever ws'' he could make were defined and dependent on his people and not whatever he happened toe up with. He could make specific edicts, it looked like, just for elves, which wouldn''t necessarily affect other members of his house. He certainly saw some future headaches down that road... His eyes bulged a little when he saw some of thew options. He could the elves to change which gods they worshipped, what they could ess in his settlements, their marriagews, their military service¡­ He had a choice of ''penalty'' for everything, which ranged everywhere from a small fine to the death of their entire family going up and down a generation... He snapped the edict tab shut and clenched his jaw. Seeing how draconian the system could be was not remotelyforting. It made him think maybe he shouldn''t ever use the damn thing at all. What was even the point? They could make their ownws without the system, without interference. The only use he could see was if the settlement became truly enormous. But even then, he could use yers like police, makews just like a city would on earth. "Is everything alright, Mason? I get the impression you haven''t been listening..." Mason blinked and gave Haley an apologetic smile. "It''s a bit overwhelming. I''m not much of a multi-tasker. Maybe let''s check out the training hall, then we''ll do some more ''House'' management." Haley squeezed his arm with a nod, then they walked to the huge new building.
Chapter 278: Training facility Chapter 278: Training facility Mason found a few yers inside the training hall already. It looked like Tommaso and Garet were in a kind of square-tiled basketball court, moving from square to square as they attacked pop-up bullseyes and other targets around the ''court''. They shed with green or red at hits and misses, making various beeping and screeching sounds. The whole ce was filled with simr ''courts'' and devices, most of which were currently dark and inert. Mason stepped forward and turned as he inspected the huge, mostly open building. It was unbelievably sci-fi looking, with curved, stic-like ceilings and walls covered in panels that looked like they had some function. "How in the hell do I even know what I''m supposed to..." "Wee, sir." The image of a young man in a in, blue uniform flickered and solidified a few steps in front of Mason. He looked more or less human, except his eyes werepletely white. "Can I assist you with something?" A drop down ''menu'' of options flickered beside the hologram''s head. It said ''Training'', ''Reports'', ''Programs'', and ''Rewards'', and Mason practically groaned. Apparently today was the pletely overwhelm Mason with all the things'' day. He had the urge to turn around and walk out, then put Phuong in charge of dealing with it. But with a sigh he clicked his way through the list. ''Reports'' seemed obvious enough. He could look at the results of any of his people who used the building''s training tests, with a kind of pass/fail system that could then dig down into a huge range of details of how the person performed. ''Programs'' was apparently a huge series of pre-generated tests escting in levels from one to fifty. And Mason couldn''t help but grin when he scanned it, because apparentlypleting them generated actual experience. And possibly other things. The pletion rewards'' ended at level ten, and just went nk with question marks. ''Training'' had all the individual tests themselves, which Mason and anyone else could apparently just select and do, but didn''t get any system ''benefit'' for except practice. ''Rewards'' was empty, but seemed to exist for Mason to fill¡ªa kind of patronage system to reward his people for trying the tests or programs, with options to reward even if they tried and failed. With a final shrug he selected training, scrolled down the list to something pretty far down, and followed a little blue line that disyed on the floor. It led him out into what of therger courts, then flickered with light until Mason realized he couldn''t see anything outside. ''Initializing Test 142: Brawl. Test begins in 5 seconds. Good luck.'' Mason rolled his shoulders and summoned his ws, not sure he''d mentally prepared for whatever this was. There was absolutely nothing but empty space, so he assumed it was going to pop up targets or training dummies like he''d seen with Garet and Tommaso. Dark shapes took form all around the edges of the court. They looked like moving shadows, then they flickered with color and definition, and before he''d even raised his swords a whole host of monstrous creatures growled and moved towards the center of the court. Except for some kind of giant beetle-man that turned at Mason. And charged. "Jesus Christ." He got his feet moving and shook his head to wake himself up. This sure as hell wasn''t target dummies. He didn''t know if this thing could really hurt him, even kill him? But it sure looked like it could. As the huge, half-beetle, half man lowered its hammer like head and charged, Mason dodged to the side and shed his longer w across its carapace covered hip. He struck something hard, sword slicing in and breaking through to the other side spraying blood. Well, goo. The damn thing wasn''t just some hologram. It had substance and form and Mason''s wrist still vibrated from the force of the blow. He spun and dodged an awkward swipe from the thing''s w, then charged at the off-bnced creature and swiped with both des again and again, ripping the thing''s torso apart until it copsed. And vanished, just like that. A huge orc-like humanoid with a club had smashed its way to the center of the court and began flickering with light. ¡®Central square imed. Timer begun. Thirty seconds until defeat.¡¯ Mason winced and spun his swords. Apparently ''Brawl'' meant king of the hill. He looked at the other creatures now moving towards the giant orc, still warily eyeing each other. He didn¡¯t know if this ''test'' was real and actually posed any kind of actual threat. But it was amazing. Mason grinned and charged with Aspect of the Cheetah. He shed a big, ugly ogreish creature''s hamstring en route, then ran straight past the orc. It growled and readied for him, but he dashed to one side and sliced, taking off its club hand at the wrist with a vicious Predator''s Strike. The orc roared and turned in surprise, more interested in revenge than its wounded arm. But it realized it was now disarmed and reached down to pick up its club. Mason lunged and hacked through half its neck. The orc gripped at its throat, then fell, and vanished. Mason stepped up to the center. ¡®Central square imed by yer. Timer begun. Thirty seconds until victory.¡¯ Mason felt a little flicker of excitement shoot through him as the rest of the monsters turned. He still didn''t know if this was real or not, or if he was ying some game within a game. But the ''real'' game was to the death, and he had to assume this was too. A part of him wished that didn''t make it more exciting. But it did. "Come on, then. Come and get me," Mason muttered and spun his ws. All the monsters charged. * * * Naya soon changed her mind about talking to her people. The twenty that hadn''t epted their new house immediately had all gathered together in the same house and Naya couldn''t get any of them alone. She needed Mason with her when she spoke to them. So after a brief mental struggle she went out to find him, asking the closest humans she could, none of whose names she knew. "Saw ''em go that way, miss, to the big new training hall there," said a man who in elf terms would have been a few hundred years old, but for a human was likely far younger. Naya bowed her head in thanks, then walked on as she heard a few nearby listeners start saying things like ''Is Mason doing training? Can we watch?'' She walked on, figuring out what to say, still feeling plunged into uncharted waters in this human settlement. And in her uing marriage. And for basically handing over what remained of her house. Though she was technically joining herself to a man, to these people, and gaining an alliance that would protect her, in a way she had never felt so alone. Her entire family was gone. Her way of life was gone. All the people and everything familiar had been reced with the burden of leadership and an alien world. Despite Dariya¡¯s objections, she''d known she had no choice but to gamble everything on Mason, as she''d gambled everything on this journey. Her people had been cowardly for too long, and she knew she must be brave. "This way! Hurry up!" A group of humans ran past Naya towards the training hall. Her own city had something simr, she knew, though it was far smaller than this. Naya felt their enthusiasm and hurried her steps, chasing after them until she''d reached the door. She went inside and gaped at the huge, foreign design that looked more arcane in origin. She knew humans were capable of almost limitless affinities, but to experience the difference so quickly and so close to the natural surroundings outside was jarring. "Holy shit, there he is, let''s go!" Naya followed the few humans to a row of seating that overlooked the training ground. A dozen or so stood in a line, pointing and cheering. Then Naya saw Mason. He was inside the courtyard surrounded by beasts, and he was covered in blood. "What the hell number is this anyway?" said one of the humans. "Gotta be at least a hundred." "One forty-two," said another, and the first man whistled. Naya covered her mouth as Mason got raked by ws down his back. He spun and cut the thing''s head half off, then again to meet some other new monstrosity Naya didn''t recognize. "Why doesn''t he just stay in the middle?" said one of the humans. "Uh, because he''d get killed?" said another. An older man snorted and shook his head. "No. He reset timer. He doesn''t want to end." Naya looked again at her ''betrothed'', who moved in and out of the central light as he sprayed blood in every direction. The beasts had given up any pretense of fighting each other, circling him and trying to keep away from his des. "Why would he do that?" Naya heard herself mutter. The humans all turned with surprised and maybe slightly embarrassed looks. The older man cleared his throat and smiled at her a little. It seemed an unnatural expression for him. "Our patron, he like, practice, miss. Keep sharp. Keep...ehhh...ready." Naya felt the half-truth or maybe lie in the man''s voice, just as she saw it out there on Mason''s blood-covered face. She thought back to the centaurs, to his words when he''d gotten angry negotiating their contract. She realized then that he''d meant every word. This was not some elvish prince she''d chosen. She knew that. But as she watched the man smile as he ripped out another creature''s throat, she maybe felt it for the first time. He was a killer, just as he said. A creature of blood and violence, perhaps like the other men who watched him kill and cheered with victory. Humans and elves were different, she knew that, but this was hard to watch. She needed these people. Needed them desperately. She knew that perhaps they held the secret to renewed life for her kind. But she also feared she knew the reason elvendom had fallen into decay, and the reason these short-lived creatures gloried in the violence they saw. They loved life, perhaps. But they also loved death. Naya shivered and flinched as her soon to be husband killed thest beast, and the training program shed green with victory. "Son of a bitch just killed ''em all," said one of the humans with augh. Mason stepped from the court with his clothes ripped to shreds, skin covered in blood and sweat. He blinked as the lights returned and he could obviously see his spectators, grinning slightly at the men before seeing Naya. His smile faltered and he nodded, the killer vanishing just as quick as it came, seeming almost...boyish again. Naya knew she should be afraid, and perhaps was. At least a little. But another piece of her¡ªa piece she was struggling to deal with or acknowledge¡ªwas also excited, and desperately wanted to hurry the wedding day¡­
Chapter 279: Just be yourself Chapter 279: Just be yourself [Practice Test 142: Brawlplete. Completion level: Conquest. Risk level: Minimal. Please consider a test with a higher level of difficulty.] Mason stepped out of the training court with a deep sigh of satisfaction. It seemed he hadn¡¯t actually ¡®gained¡¯ anything, but he¡¯d sure as hell enjoyed himself. Then he noticed the onlookers and lost a bit of the joy. Mason had neverpeted to impress anyone on old earth, and he didn¡¯t fight to impress anyone now. He just wanted to know, for his own sake, how far he could push himself, how long he couldst, how much he could take. ¡°Alright, show¡¯s over,¡± he waved at Alex and the few civilians. Then he noticed Naya and did his best to smile. And where the hell did Haley go? ¡°You¡¯re hurt,¡± said the elven princess with concern. Mason nced at himself and shrugged. ¡°Not for long. I hadn¡¯t realized how¡­rough¡­the training was. I need to learn more. I¡¯m hoping if someone¡¯s going to actually die it shuts down. But I don¡¯t really know.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s anything like the one in Shirass,¡± Naya said, ¡°it won¡¯t kill except at the most extreme settings. Though there are the asional¡­idents.¡± Mason nodded, reminding himself these elves may have quite a lot of useful knowledge. He looked around for Haley again, just catching her heading out the door with a bit of a wink, as if she were up to something. He wanted to call out and find out what, but Naya was standing there looking at him with expectant eyes, and he cleared his throat. ¡°So. You were thinking we should talk to your people? We could do itter, but, I guess there¡¯s no time like the present.¡± Naya smiled, and Mason tried not to stare. ¡°Yes. There¡¯s some¡­dissent, I fear. My people are loyal but it¡¯s been¡­extremely difficult. Only a few men remain. Many of the women have lost potential mates, friends, brothers. Like me they hardly know anything about humans. We¡¯ll¡­need to decide what to say.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Mason ripped off the scraps of his shirt and wiped some blood off his face. ¡°Let me go get cleaned off. Then we can¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± Naya looked him up and down and maybe blushed a little. ¡°I mean, I think it¡¯s better¡­if they see you like this. Maybe they¡¯ll remember¡­what you are, and what they aren¡¯t.¡± Mason nodded, not sure if that was smart, but then he didn¡¯t know anything about elves. He did his best not to frighten his own civilians. On the other hand, the less they understood the brutality of the new world, and what it was turning the yers into, the more of a liability they might be. He led Naya back to the door, giving a thumbs up to Tommaso and Garet when they caught his eye and waved. "Good work, gentlemen. You''ll have to tell me how the hell this thing works before I get my face smashed in again." "I think you got the crash course, boss," Garet shouted, and Mason grinned. Then he realized Tommaso and Garet were the ones who''d fought over a girl and ended up in temporarily imprisoned. He considered it a good sign they were both here training, and hoped it wasn''t some kind of rivalry about to explode again. He walked with Naya through the grass and trees, asionally ncing at his ''fiance'' with a continuing sense of surreality. Her clothes were strange, but not so different than some kind of deeply religions person on earth. Mostly it was the ears. Marrying a stranger was already pretty weird, but this one wasn''t even human. He assumed this sort of thing happened in ke''s sci-fi shows all the time, but for Mason it wasn''t exactly normal. "I apologize again," Naya said suddenly, as if grasping for something to say. "About the insult before. To your concubine." "She''s not..." Mason sighed. "Don''t worry about it. And I''m sorry, too. For..." he shrugged, "being a¡­bit of a grumpy prick." Naya blushed, and Mason wondered exactly how ''prick'' got tranted. "I''m...not much of a talker," he said. "And even for humans I¡¯m not exactly¡­subtle. Maybe just call this a nket apology for the way I speak. In general." "I don''t mind. I''m just not used to it. My people are very...formal." They walked on a little, and Mason was about to get right to it and ask what he should say to the elves, but Naya stopped and turned to face him. "When I told you we were desperate, it was true. We would be dead now or worse if you hadn''t found us, like my father and brother. I realize that." Mason was about to say it was no problem, that she didn''t owe him anything, but she put a hand on his arm to stop him. "Dariya is...well meaning, but old. From a different generation. She wants only to protect me, but isn''t sure how. We have many traditions and they have served us well. But I know now some must be broken." Mason nodded, then blew a little air through his nose. "I expect your oracle is more cunning than she gets credit for. I thought she was just some lost old woman when we first met." Naya smiled. "You''re probably right. But...the point remains, things have changed since her time. She is very old and wise. But change is difficult at her age." It was clear the girl wanted to talk, even to Mason, so he thought he''d better ask some questions. "How many peop...er, elves, live in your city? Why are there so few of you trying to save your race?" Naya sighed, and sat on the grass, resting her back against a tree. Mason sat across from her. "Many thousands live in Shirass, but...most are old, afraid, not great warriors or wizards. Only my father was willing to act. Even so, few of his warriors were willing to leave the city. The politics amongst my people is..." Naya shook her head. ¡°Think of rivals who live for hundreds of years. You can''t imagine the grudges, the hatreds. Families talk of cheating spouses for a thousand years. And our race is like a giant family. We can speak from many ces, so reputation and words matter a great deal. It keeps us from action long after it is required." Mason wasn''t sure what else to say, and as usual just went with how he felt. "When ites to protecting those I love, I just do it, and I don¡¯t care what anyone thinks. If your people, this giant ''family''¡ªif it doesn''t do that, then maybe it¡¯s not worth much." Naya met his eyes, and seemed to fight a tear. Then she nced away. "There are more important things than how I feel. There is unity. Tradition." "My people," Mason said, "humans I mean, we have traditions, differences. Some work, some don''t. We¡¯ve survived because...we adapt. Or at least we try." Naya took a deep breath and smiled politely. "You make it sound so simple." "No.¡± Mason snorted. ¡°A lot of us usually die first." His mind went to his adopted parents, maybe gone in the blink of a synthetic god''s eye, with who knew how many others. He shook his head and fought the memories and sorrow. "We still might not make it. But we have to try." "Why?" Naya said, a little more water in her eyes now. Mason felt suddenly like he was back in the ''loading zone'' before the tutorial. He couldn''t stop wondering how much of this was even real¡ªif that same awful AI was really there beyond Naya''s eyes, a puppet master making them all dance to a private show. He fought the impulse to discard everything as fake, as meaningless, thinking the girl''s question was stupid now just as it was stupid before, despite struggling to answer it. "You want toy down and die?¡± The thought pissed him off, like it was the answer that seemed on the tip of some cosmic tongue. ¡°This whole fucking universe seems to want us to. And I guess I can''t think of a God damn thing better than to spit in the universe¡¯s face. Maybe that''s why." Naya stared, expressionless, the wetness still in her eyes. Mason was getting ready to apologize for hisnguage again when she grinned. "You are a very crude man." "Yeah," he cleared his throat, a little annoyed at being annoyed. Which just made him slightly more annoyed. "But passionate," Naya added, the grin turning into a beautiful smile. "This is something my people oftenck. I find it¡­refreshing." "That''s a first, I think," Mason said, feeling a little embarrassed now next to the obviously refined, beautiful woman. In his old life he wouldn''t have had the faintest idea how to talk to a person that looked or spoke like her. But he reminded himself that here in this world he was some kind of nobleman by his own actions. It was all still a little too hard to process. "So. The elven speech. What are you thinking?" The girl''s smile only widened, her dark eyes twinkling with what might even have been a tiny mote of green. "You''re going to be yourself. And I''m going to adapt." * * * They walked into the elven ''resistance'' house holding hands. It was Naya''s idea. She had stripped some of her clothes, getting down now to more or less the same, uniform shirt and pants the human women wore. Though she wore it quite a bit better. Her dark hair looked like a Disney princess had stepped off a screen. She kept a dozen earrings, anklets, bracelets, and rings, which Mason assumed had some kind of meaning. As they arrived at the door Naya stopped and took a breath, looking like she was giving herself a mental pep talk. "You''re ready?" she asked, and he shrugged. "Be an impatient, grumpy prick. Got it." Naya covered her mouth with a nervousugh, then swat yfully at his arm. He did not hate her touching him. Then they opened the door and stepped inside without knocking, finding a house practically filled to the rafters with elven women. They were all talking in little clusters, and when they saw Mason most of them practically leapt for silk veils, scarves, and longer shirts. Then they noticed Naya and slowed down, clearly confused. Mason tried not to get too distracted by the almost overwhelming series of feminine sights and scents. There was so much color, perfume, and...teasing visuals, he almost closed his eyes. But his role here was bad cop. Bad prince? Scary human? Whatever, he was definitely not supposed to give a shit about a bunch of women''s modesty. "Citizens, and kin," Naya said, no longer smiling. "You have heard no doubt I intend to wed the House of Anshan to the newly formed House of Mason. To that end I promised all my people, who I assumed were loyal, would serve this new family. And yet..." she looked around at anyone who would meet her eyes. "It seems...I was mistaken. Perhaps I misunderstand." None of the elves spoke for an excruciating length of time, but Naya waited. "Your pardon,dy," said a tall, beautiful blonde, who looked to Mason''s eyes maybe thirty. "Some of us...wanted to hear from you directly...why we were to abandon our ancestral name." The request seemed kind of reasonable to Mason, but Naya simply stared. He was starting to think maybe he wasn''t the bad cop. "I hadn''t realized thedy of a house was required to exin hermands, Maryam." "All due respect,dy," said a slightly younger brte, "to abandon House Anshan is a choice we must all make. We followed your father away from the holy city, away from our families." The elf''s voice rose and trembled. "We lost brothers and friends. And now we have heard the council stripped your ancestralnds. My family may even be kicked from their property. And you question our loyalty...to you? Where is your family''s loyalty to us?" "You''re right," Naya said, finally deting. She lowered her voice, and met the eyes of many more who were now more willing. "My family has failed you, sisters. Just as Shirass has failed us. But I will not feel shame. We have sacrificed all, and taken you as far as possible. To this holy ce and a new life. But we can take you no further." Naya''s eyes zed, and she clenched her jaw. "We must all...adapt, to this new world. And the House of Mason has yet to fail any of us. As thest of my house, I, Princess Naya Anshan of the House of Anshan, hereby abolish my forefather¡¯s titles, and all my ims to theirnds." The elven women all stood, some with hanging mouths, others with tears in their eyes. Some called ''no!'' or covered their mouths or clutched at their hair. Naya trembled and steadied herself on the table. Mason almost took her arm but decided he should wait. "There, sisters," Naya whispered. "We are no different now. I cannotmand you to do anything. We are all of us without a House, without a city, without protection or family. But my husband would like to offer you new ones."
Chapter 280: A gift Chapter 280: A gift Naya could hardly believe what she''d done, and asked her ancestors for forgiveness. Yet she knew it was right. She and the remaining elves in Nassau clung to their traditions as the elves of Shirass clung to theirs. Mason was right. They had to adapt, or die. All around her women wept, or sat on the floor, or stared with dead eyes at the walls. "Have we failed you so utterly?" said Maryam with a sob, a woman Naya had known since she was a girl. Naya stepped forward and took her servant and friend in her arms. "No, sister. You have never failed me. It is the House of Anshan that has failed. But it dies so we can live. And where there is life there is hope." She looked to the others. "Do not despair, sisters. I do not. In fact I have hope here for the first time since I was a child. We will build a new life with all the things life should have. Family. Friends. Children. Change. You will see. My lord and father was right, and he has saved us all." Many of the women came forward and embraced Naya until the circle grew and grew. Naya let her own tears flow freely, but soon felt a terrible weight lifting from her shoulders. She smiled andughed as she met the faces of her friends and sisters. She also realized that most and maybe all of the elves who had already epted her proposal had starteding in the door behind them. All that remained of her house soon embraced in a growing circle, taking each other''s hands and shoulders, or putting their foreheads together in grief and friendship. "You look a fright," Naya said, to the beautiful Maryam, who wiped at her tear smudged face andughed with sad eyes. She finally nced at her poor betrothed, standing awkwardly outside the huge circle, looking about as lost and out of ce as was possible. Naya held out her hand and gestured for him, and with a few tentative steps he crossed the room to take her hand. "Oh. To hell with it," she tried speaking like a human, and threw herself into the man''s chest and strong arms as she let out a few more tears. A few more of her people gasped orughed and kept on hugging until they''d all gotten the sadness out enough to remember themselves. "This must seem all seem very strange to you," Naya muttered into Mason''s chest. "I''m getting used to strange," he said without a trace of mockery. Naya grinned, blinking as she pulled up and looked at him. "Why not get married now? Here? All my people are here." She looked for Dariya and couldn''t see her. "Where is the oracle, sisters? She can marry us in the old way for all I care. A priestess is a priestess." Some of the elvesughed, which brought Nayafort. When she still didn''t see the ancient elf she took a breath and remembered herself. She was feeling impetuous and free, but perhaps went too far. She was still marrying the leader of a noble house, and there should be a little more....decorum. "Forgive me," she said to Mason, a little embarrassed. "I get ahead of myself. I''m sure your people have their own customs. And you will want your friends and family as well." Mason shrugged. "I was ready if you were. But we can wait." The way he said he''d been ''ready'' and looked at her brought a slight flush of heat to Naya''s body. She didn''t know what human customs were, but she suspected with their short, dramatic lives, they didn''t waste much time from ceremony to...practice. She was suddenly aware of being pressed up against the man. Of the heat and closeness of the room. Of the impossibly strong arms around her. Damn that old woman! The thought struck her but she fought it down. She was definitely getting far too ahead of herself. Despite apologizing, she was still angry about the insult of the concubine, and she had no idea how their actual marriage was going to function. Mason had made his promises, but where were they going to live, and how? The practical realities of marrying a man, nevermind a human, were starting to send a terrified fluttering through Naya''s gut. She had almost no one to talk to, either, because all of the people who hade on their journey were young and unmarried. Only Dariya would have actual experience. Though it was from several hundred years before... "Mason?" Naya called over the now growing din of excited voices as her people split apart and talked. Her husband-to-be looked slightly in pain, as if the noise bothered him, and he clearly hadn''t heard her calling for him. Instead Naya just took his hand and pulled, moving him out of the crowd until she''d reached one of the bedrooms. To be alone with a man she wasn''t rted to was already scandalous back home. Not to mention how she was dressed. Not to mention they were betrothed. But she pulled him in anyway and closed the door. He looked around like he wasn''t sure what was happening, then nced at himself again and winced. "I''m a bit...covered in blood," he said. "Whatever you''re thinking. I''m not sure it''s the best time, exactly, to uh..." Naya frowned. "Why should that matter?" After a moment or two of awkward silence she actually realized what he was thinking, and gawked. "That''s not why I..." she felt herself blush furiously and did her best to fight it. "Not until we''re married. I would never..." "My mistake." Mason pursed his lips and nced around the room. "But I...still have things to do, and I think we''re mostly sorted out there...so, if we aren''t...well..." "I wanted to give you a gift," Naya said, still battling the heat in her face. Her husband-to-be looked just as unsure as before so she reached into her Fey Storage and removed it. "This...belonged to my father." She held out the ancient weapon of her house. "It belonged to my grandfather before him, going back to the very founding days of my bloodline." She ran her hand over the enchanted wood. "I was never more than a middling archer. When he died it felt...wrong, to im it. And even its weakest draw is too strong for me. But...perhaps...if it would be of use...I thought it would be my wedding gift." Naya looked up feeling shy and somewhat afraid, unsure if the man would actually want it. He was so powerful. The bow was a great artifact for her people, but it seemed possible Mason would have his own that made the weapon pitiful. She hoped desperately if this was the case that he didn''t look down on the gift or treat it with contempt, at least pretending to be pleased. She feared how she might react to another serious insult... The new house lord stared at the weapon as if notprehending, then slowly stretched out a hand. Naya handed him the bow, not even sure if the weapon could be properly wielded by non-elves, and feeling suddenly a little foolish. Mason gave no obvious sign of pleasure or disappointment, and she only wished she had some skill at reading humans... * * * [Gained item: Bow of House Anshan. Innate. One of several weapons created by the elves of the West when they first traveled the fey. It is said its arrows exist in both realms. Do you wish to bind this item now?] Mason did his best to keep his hand from trembling. An innate bow. She had given him an innate bow. He didn''t even care if the draw was as weak as the goblin version, or if was warped and shot a bit strangely. It was a bow he could summon and banish at will, and wouldn''t have to carry. And though it looked like a crude weapon technologically speaking, it seemed beautifully made. He epted the prompt to bind it without hesitation. [Adjusting to wielder. Maximum draw reached. Modifiable. Synergy discovered! Endless Quiver gained: Fey arrows.] Mason felt the item attune just as his ws had¡ªlike he''d suddenly gained a new piece of himself that he could banish or call. "Naya, I..." "You needn''t wield it," she said in a rush, "you might gift it to a deserving vassal, if you wish. Or ce it in your hall as a symbol of your house. I just thought..." "Naya," Mason interrupted, finally finding his tongue. "It''s the most incredible gift I''ve ever been given. It could save my life and the lives of everyone I care about." He shook his head, feeling like he''d just realized he''d been fighting with one hand tied behind his back. But not anymore. He gave up trying to thank her and just pulled her in for a hug. He felt Naya rx in his arms, which was definitely a trend he hoped continued. "I was worried you wouldn''t need it," she mumbled. Mason burst outughing. When the elf¡¯s eyebrows raised he finally shook his head and exined. "Naya, I have needed this since the second I..." he shrugged, pulling her back enough to fully see her dark eyes. "I can''t think of anything more helpful." "I''m d," she said, looking pleased and especially relieved. Mason knew he was grinning like an idiot now, but he felt like a kid on Christmas morning. He tilted Naya''s chin with a hand and kissed her lips. Her hands clutched his arms a little, but at least she didn''t p him or try and gouge out an eye. He lingered and gave her a few seconds to kiss him back or pull away, and she slowly moved towards the former. Then their lips locked and Naya rxed her grip, sinking into his chest as she closed her eyes and moved her lips and tongue against his. They explored each other for what might have been a few blissful minutes before Mason pulled back to give her some air. Naya''s eyes were still closed, her face and neck a little flushed. "You OK?" Mason said, and Naya blinked and nodded. "That was...definitely not allowed," she said, and Mason grinned. "We¡¯re adapting. And you''re not even a baroness anymore." Naya gave him a a slightly chastising look, but then frowned as she seemed to consider his words. She looked back at the closed door and bit her lip. "Can you do it again?"
Chapter 281: The tribe Chapter 281: The tribe Mason couldn''t stop smiling as he walked towards the center of Nassau. He and Naya had made-out a little like teenagers, kissing and touching as they moved to the bed. For a second he thought it was going to go further, but when his hands got increasingly curious, Naya had stopped him. "I''m sorry, but¡­we should still be married first. Though I''m...very eager," she said, kissing him again. "So please choose a date quickly." He''d pretended to actually care about a wedding and promised he would. And he did suppose it would be a good chance for his people and Naya''s to mingle and feel unified. He almost groaned as he realized it meant an actual ceremony and some kind of party, and a whole collection of basically everything he hated. And he''d have to get ke back from his ridiculous tower... It all added up to more time than Mason had. Which meant he would need to get the elf princess out of his mind just as he had to get all his other girls out of his mind, and go out to deal with the Central Hub. And if that went well than maybe the orcs... So he''d gather his yers and exin things shortly. But he still needed to test his Teleporter. And before anything he was going to do the most important thing: he was going to test this bow. He considered the Training Hall but decided against it. He didn''t want to deal with monsters, and he didn''t want to figure out how the hell the thing worked. The whole ce also stunk like arcane magic and made him ufortable. He just wanted a few targets and some peace and quiet, with the sound of his settlement and the forest and a little suning through the canopy. So he set up some wooden targets made by the crafters, plus a few broken pieces of furniture and building materials. Then he stood at a good fifty paces and summoned his bow. The material really was beautiful and well made. He couldn''t tell what kind of wood it was and supposed in this new fantasy world it might be something he''d never heard of. Despite knowing the thing was hundreds of years old, it feltpletely immacte. It was on the shorter side, which would make the draw weaker but actually using the thing far faster and nimbler. He expected he could shoot with it on the move, or use it mounted (not that he expected to ride anything). A human army would have thought of it as a ''short bow'' rather than a ''long bow'' you might expect on foot archers. He pulled back on the string and almost jerked in surprise. It wasn''t ''hard'', but it wasn''t easy, either. So far every bow Mason had drawn was basically effortless. Considering it was such a simple weapon with a string and a rtively small size, he could hardly see how it even made sense. Mason''s strength was enormous. The longer he was in this game and the higher his statistics got, the more the world felt sort of...brittle. He had to be incredibly careful now just walking around, not running into anyone¡ªor using door handles and sinks. He had to touch his girls (with the exception of Becky) with care, always worried he might hurt them. Fortunately his reflexes and perception seemed ludicrous, and his control of his physical body had be equally inhuman. But it all meant when he''d readied to draw Naya''s bow he had assumed he had to be careful. That the thing mighte apart in his hands if he didn''t handle it properly. Instead the wood flexed beautifully and easily, letting Mason pull back the string basically as far as he dared. He flicked open Endless Quiver and looked for his new ''Fey'' arrows but didn''t see anything. He scrolled back and forth before realizing the power itself had a slightly green tint with what looked like an elf ear. Did that mean all his arrows were ''fey'' arrows? He picked a basic bullet head and loosed. His arrow struck like a bolt of lightning, ripping straight through a wooden barrel, then sinking so far into the grass it almost vanished. For a long moment he just stood there and stared. He ran his fingers down the string, holding up the bow for another inspection before he drew it back, this time much faster, and loosed another arrow. Again it crossed the distance in a blink,ncing straight through a target to stick into the grass. Mason felt his lips curl into a smile. He moved through his Endless Quiver, picking every kind of arrow imaginable as fast as he could. One of his targets burst into me. A straw-man blew apart. He ran forward, backward, sideways, testing himself to see how fast he could move and keep loosing with any kind of aim. The answer was ''quite fast''. Soon all he could feel was his pulse and the string as it sprung off his fingers. His arrows hammered home with a constant, brutal, thwack thwack thwacking until his targets had been ripped to shreds. He loosed a Power Shot with a fire arrow, and an old chair literally exploded. "Ha!" A voice from behind surprised him, and Mason stopped to see Carl...and quite a few other people...were standing around watching. In fact it looked like yers were filtering in from all over the ce, which made the scene a little different. Mason had been so obsessed with his bow apparently he hadn''t noticed. He tried not to feel too bothered by all the attention. "That was vaguely terrifying, kid." Carl grinned. "Are a lot of goblins going to die today?" Mason shook his head. But he could see by the curious eyes it was time for a bit of a speech. Or at least¡­you know,munication. "No," he said, then looked around at the yers, feeling in a rather good mood. "But we have a new challenge. Maybe the most important chance we''ve had. It¡¯s going to change the game for us, maybe for everyone." Carl grinned. "Dramatic." "Kiaan found us something." Mason saw the man in the small crowd and nodded to him. "It''s an opportunity we can''t ignore. Now all we need to do is go there and win it." He took a little pause and shrugged. "I know this world is frightening. It changes fast and things aren¡¯t perfect. But we¡¯re strong, and getting stronger. We¡¯ve been pretty far now, and we haven''t found anything in this world like Nassau." He took a second to let that sink in. "Now it¡¯s time to leave the nest. I¡¯m going south. We have a kind of...teleporter. I can bring a group of you through in a blink. So everyone can stay and defend until the right moment. We teleport. We fight. We teleport back. So with all your free time I want every single yer in that new training building. Figure it out together. Test your powers. Then teach me please because I don''t understand the damn thing." A few people chuckled at that, which Mason hoped was a good sign. He saw some elves hade closer to watch the gathering, too, and gestured at a few. "The elves that joined us¡­they¡¯re here because they needed somewhere safe. And we¡¯re it. Kiaan has explored more than probably anyone alive now. He found nothing, nothing like our settlement. As far as we know, we¡¯re the strongest thing humanity has, and we need to act like it. We need to help others, brings them to us, get stronger. Learn more. Because though I don''t really like it there''s a whole bunch more to this game than just survival." "Where''s ke?" Jason asked with a fairly neutral tone. "Getting stronger, learning more. I know you don''t trust him, but I need you to trust me. ke is with us. Right to the very end. I know he frightens some of you. Just wait till you see what he does to people who fuck with us." He turned and pointed at the yers. "And what all our ''warriors'' will do. With a little practice, and a lot of help from our civilians." Mason grinned, feeling like maybe he was getting the hang of this shit. Or so he hoped. He thought of all the dead creatures who''d tried to fight him and his people. "The orcs came for us and we ughtered them. The ''Green Blood Order'' is smashed to pieces. The great trees are cleared and this whole forest is ours. And we''re just getting started. I don''t know what this next challenge means, exactly. But I know we can do this. We¡¯re doing it now. I need you to hold on, to fight with me, to tell this son of a bitch fucking game we won¡¯t give up, that it¡¯s not over until we say so." "Amen." Carl said with a grin. Mason took a breath, meaning every word he''d said, and getting a little angry about it. He shook his head, thinking about everything that had just vanished from the old world, no closure for anyone, no time to grieve. He had no idea what to do about any of that. He saw some confused elves looking at him but ignored that for now, focusing on the people who at least a little hope in their eyes. "Well. Speech over, I guess." A few peopleughed. A few even pped a bit. "Onest thing." Mason winced, not sure how the hell he existed in a world that needed him to say anything like the following... "The game apparently likes kings. Tell you the truth I''m way too American to appreciate it. But I''ve got some kind of ''House'' now and anyone who joins is going to get some boosts. So I don''t see why we shouldn''t use it. I''ll invite everyone, and you can all do whatever you like. I¡¯ll understand either way." He flipped open the menu and made a nket invite to everyone in Nassau, then tried to figure out how the hell someone ended a speech and walked away gracefully. He was looking for Haley when he saw his House icon flicker. The yers were all gathering up and speaking to each other with quiet voices, and Mason was about to go see what was up when he opened the menu and watched the names scroll. The yers went first, signing and popping up in a different window than the elves. Mason could see their sses, their ''tiers'' or strength ranking. When he saw they weren''t all at the top, he was reminded that there were other yers out there he just hadn''t found or met. And there could very well berge settlements. Then the civilians started appearing. The whole crowd of people watching had gone kind of silent as their eyes zed and they focused on the ''screens''. Word was spreading around the settlement, and more and more people were walking up to see or hear what was going on. As they did Mason saw them ept, too. He wasn''t sure if everyone had joined his ''House'', but in a couple minutes it looked pretty damn close. It was clear they could see all the names, too, and maybe even the titles and bonus options Mason hadn''t yet chosen. People were talking excitedly, flicking through the menus, saying they liked the crest and what things they thought should be chosen for bonuses. Mason just grinned as he watched and listened, happy to suddenly be mostly ignored in the bustle and excitement. Carl and Phuong and Alex came up with most of the yers behind them. Carl took Mason''s hand and grinned, bowing slightly as if to kiss it before Mason pulled it away. "My lord," Carl said in a dramatic voice. "Oh Jesus Christ, we''re definitely not..." "You''re wrong, kid," Carl said, his smile dropping as he nced at the other yers. "About ke I mean. Being with us." Mason practically sagged. He really didn¡¯t want to have to argue the merits of his brother again, especially since he had no way to exin how they could all trust him. Carl held up a hand for him just to listen. "He''s not with us, Mason. He''s with you. And that¡¯s alright, because so are we." Mason stopped and swallowed the growing lump in his throat. He grinned a little as he met the eyes of the men. His men, he supposed. Technically speaking. It was a strange feeling and a bit overwhelming. To be an orphan was to know you were alone. To know when the chips were down you were something ''other'', something different. That beneath all the pleasant smiles of your adopted family you still weren''t blood. Mason had made a brother and thought that was enough. He loved his girls but that was different¡ªhe''d chosen them, wanted them. But these people, it seemed, had chosen him. As he looked into the friendly eyes around him he was finally starting to realize¡ªhe''d been wrong, dead wrong. One brother wasn''t enough. A man needed a family, a tribe. He needed men he could rely on, who looked to him as he looked to them, who loved what he loved and would help him guard it while he slept. Mason smiled and pped Carl''s shoulder just hard enough to hurt. "Then get your shit together, old man, and start training. Because I''m going to fight until our AI overlord throws in the towel. And I guess this means you stupid bastards areing with me." A few men winced. A few others grinned. Mason didn''t bother to fight hisugh.
Chapter 282: And then we eat? Chapter 282: And then we eat? Mason ran through open ins with Streak at his side, watching the open horizon. It was strange to be out of the trees¡ªto be able to see so far in the distance, to mountains looming in three directions except the way he was running. He was heading south following Kiaan''s mapped out territory. It was a visible clear line in the unexplored darkness, the scout''s entire journey ''uploaded'' into Mason''s Wayfinder power. They¡¯d both been rather excited to learn it worked. The scout had been busy, and fast, but even so he hadn''t actually found the end of thendmass they were on. Instead he''d reached a huge desert, then what they game was calling a ''Nexus'', or ¡®Central Hub¡¯. What exactly it contained they couldn''t be sure, but ording to Kiaan''s scouting it was a kind of collection of special tools for yers that might allowmunication, settlement function, and possibly far-ranging teleportation. It was, in other words, possibly the most important opportunity for human beings discovered. And if Mason and his yers could get there first¡ªafter an almost certainly difficult challenge¡ªthey could im it. So Mason had to hurry. First, he''d used his new ''WyrdWalking'' power to reach the furthest edge of the ''Great Forest'' where his settlement was. He could have tried to go even further, but he didn''t trust his power enough yet. Navigating the wyrd was difficult, involving following the sounds of naturalndmarks that Mason could ''recognize''. He wasn''t entirely sure how he did any of that, but is ranger and druid sses, as well as the blessing he''d received from an ancient druid, almost certainly helped. An elven oracle, Dariya, had said he would only be capable of teleporting to the Great Trees. But she was wrong. Mason heard many voices he recognized in his forest, and he''d been able to teleport to the very south-east edge of the forest. This saved him a huge amount of time. And time was just about the most important resource Mason had. He''d even been able to bring Streak. Though the wolf...hadn''t enjoyed the experience... The animal went back and forth between whining and growling at every sound in the ''Wyrd'', practically crawling under Mason¡¯s legs or wrapping around him. He¡¯d eventually had to literally carry the damn thing like a puppy, groaning as he lifted the giant wolf and staggered after the sound of his trees. When they¡¯d gotten out and back to the ¡®real¡¯ world, Streak hunched down and looked at him like he¡¯d just shit on the rug. ¡°Well you should be embarrassed,¡± Mason said. ¡°I was right there. And since when are you scared of weird new things? I saw you shapeshift and literally ride a robot like a cowboy while goblins threw bombs at you. And I doubt you even know what any of those words mean.¡± Streak had growl-whined, flopping over until Mason had given him aforting scratch and belly-rub. ¡°This is ridiculous,¡± he''d said, fighting the grin. ¡°You¡¯re like a lion-sized apocalypse wolf. You make people piss themselves when you growl. Now look at you.¡± After he¡¯d been appropriatelyforted, Streak hopped up as if the world were alright again, panting and looking over as Mason shook his head. ¡°No, I won¡¯t tell your pack. No, I won¡¯t tell Rosa. Wait, why do you specifically¡­you know what? Let¡¯s just go.¡± It seemed Mason could understand more and more of the wolf''s thoughts and desires. They could basically have full conversations at this point, though a conversation with Streak pretty much always involved food, hunting for food, or wondering how long they might scratch or fight or sleep before the next time there was food. But Mason didn¡¯t mind. Now that they were alone in wide open terrain, with nothing but a long run ahead, he couldn¡¯t be more at ease. All theplications of running a settlement were left behind, along with all his...female problems, including three ''girlfriends'' living with him, and a new elven bride he was supposed to marry when he got back¡­ He hadn¡¯t exactly sorted that out with his girls. Only Haley even knew it was happening, and they¡¯d decided to wait or at least let her handle things with the others. She said she¡¯d get a feel, and onlye to him if it ¡®blew up¡¯. He expected that would be immediately. But he had bigger problems to deal with. His brother ke, for example, currently living in an orc tower with two groups of former enemies. The son of a bitch even wanted Mason''s help to protect the creatures from...demons, or something. Frankly, Mason didn''t see why he shouldn''t be cheering for the demons to finish off the whole lot of them. But ke had his ns, which were sometimes foolish but sometimes brilliant. Mason wasn''t quite sure yet which this one was. For now the miles of grasnd flew by. Mason was pushing himself as hard as possible, practically sprinting for hours and hours without pause or rest. Streak was panting hard beside him, more from heat than exhaustion. His fur was built for the cold north, and unlike Mason he couldn''t just sweat everywhere to cool down. Nothing in the old world could out-pace a man over distance, especially when it was hot. And with every mile the climate seemed to warm so quickly it felt unnatural. Not that Mason had any idea what ''natural'' was anymore. After histest stint of almost six solid hours of running with no rest, Mason could feel Streak''s suffering. He was about to stop and maybe spray him with water when he remembered one of his powers¡ªShared Pain. Could it help with heat exhaustion, too? He activated it, and groaned. In a blink it felt like someone had stuck him in a sauna and turned on a few fans. Waves of warmth radiated over his body, the feeling oppressive and suffocating. Streak perked right up. "OK," Mason wiped some sweat dripping down his forehead. "I get it. Consider shedding. Like really fast." The wolf could technically shapeshift, but his ''hybrid'' form was still pretty much covered in fur, and likely not as fast. Mason realized he should have left the wolf in Nassau with the others and ''teleported'' him with the same device. Though with himing it meant he could bring one extra person. The device only worked for six. Of course they had to get back¡­but Mason was hoping after seeing the terrain himself he could wyrdwalk, and send the others with the device. At least that was the theory¡­ Meanwhile, he and the wolf got to suffer. Shared Pain was better than nothing, but sure not as good as actually cooling them both down. Mason had a druid spell called ''Inner Fire'', which obviously didn''t help, but he couldn''t help but think there would be some other version that protected against heat. So far he''d avoided taking any kind of druid spells with his levels, knowing from his experience in the game he could learn ''spells'' through other means. Powers were just so...vital, so powerful, he couldn''t bring himself to do something just for the short term that would end up being wasteful. Haley, his French-Canadian assistant/ve/pregnant/kind-of-spouse, had been right when she told him the game was a marathon, not a sprint. He couldn''t just survive. He had to keep gaining power. And knowledge. And yes, allies. Winning first was good, but winningst was what really mattered. So on Mason ran. He camped and slept briefly in the hottest part of the day, then ran all night. To reach the desert had taken Kiaan three weeks. Between Wyrdwalk and his ridiculous speed, it took Mason three days. Finally the horizon blurred with waves of heat rising from baking sand. It stretched across Mason''s vision in a line so clean and straight it was like some giant had sliced the grasnd off with a scythe. Mason supposed that was more or less what happened. RoboGod, as he called their synthetic alien overlord, proved again and again he didn''t much care about the old norms of earth. Or thews of physics. ording to Kiaan''s map, it was another three or four days at his speed through the desert to the hub. But then Kiaan had spent several hours a day avoiding the worst heat. He''d struggled a bit to move in the sand, and hadn''t sprinted like a madman without rest. Mason decided he could do a little better. "Come on, Streak," Mason called as he rushed into the desert without slowing. There was a strong wind and sand blew across the dunes, and across Mason''s face. It didn''t bother him. Or, perhaps more urately, it did bother him, but difort was about five levels down from whatever tier of suffering actually phased him. The truth was, Mason was beginning to like suffering. He wasn''t sure, exactly, when it started. But somewhere between gnolls wing him apart in the tutorial, and powers that regenerated and transformed him whenever he got hurt or felt too weak. He often leaned into violence and pain to boost his Transformation and Duality of Strength. He supposed all his life he''d done something simr. When he and ke were first adopted by rich parents he''d recognized his luck. He could have tried harder, embraced the life like ke had. But he still got a job when he was sixteen. He still worked his body and prepared his mind for poverty or failure, for injury or rejection. All his life he''d had one foot out the door, ready to bolt, ready to survive. How much suffering had he caused himself for no reason except fear? But then came RoboGod and the apocalypse and the ''great game''. Suddenly the things that made Mason strange and slightly broken were suddenly an asset. It''s not as if he¡¯d expected any of that. I guess I just got lucky, he thought wryly, and startled Streak when he burst outughing. But like so many times in evolution, it made no difference why a thing was well adapted. It only mattered that it was. And Mason felt like he was born to run through a desert for two days with no sleep. To survive in a world without rules or fairness except st man standing''. So he was going to take this ''Central Hub''. And he was going to use it to benefit his people first, then any deserving pieces of humanity second. And if they didn''t like that they were free to try and kill him and make their own rules. A terrible piece of him hoped they tried. "Come on, boy," he called, not sure now how many times he had. He blinked and it was day. Blinked again and it was night. The desert howled, it cooked, it cooled, it whispered. Then the never-ending mirage of heat wavered and changed, gaining new shape and substance for long enough it wasn''t a trick. Mason nced at Wayfinder and grinned. He''d crossed the desert and reached the Hub in no more than twenty-four hours. But his water was almost gone, his mouth dry. He''d traveled lighter than he should have, probably, but expected he could find what he needed in the wild. Streak whined and flopped down beside a big rock, sensing Mason meant to stop and camp until morning. "One more rest," he whispered, staring at the strange construction of the Hub. "Then we get the others. And we take this thing and change the game." Streak made a sound that meant ''and then we eat?". Mason chuckled and shook his head. "You''re hopeless."
Chapter 283: Clan Ambereye Chapter 283: n Ambereye ke stood with Annie and Seul-ki at the huge double doors of ''n Ambereyes¡¯ white tower, a small army of goblins behind him. It did ur to him that there was a small possibility he literally couldn''t bring the goblins inside¡­ This was a ''dungeon'', after all, with whatever rules of physics their wise robot overlord decided on. And maybe goblins just couldn''t enter orc dungeons. Maybe something ridiculous would happen. Or maybe the orcs or goblins would have their wills bent to prevent it from happening at all. ke allowed for all possibilities, but as ever, trusted in his own ability to manage whatever happened. He touched the door and watched the prompt. "I''ll speak with my ally first," he exined. "As I''m sure you can imagine, she''d likely appreciate a bit of exnation before she lets a horde of goblins through her gate." Chillik, the goblins¡¯ high wizard, tossed a plump, dismissive hand and gestured him on, grunting as he eased his bulk onto a chair always carried by his servants. ke decided against leaving Annie and Seul-ki outside, including them in the prompt eptance. It wasn''t that he expected the goblins to try something...sneaky. But they were all very tired and cranky and probably not thinking at their best. Far better not to leave them any...temptations of betrayal. But he had to leave his other, rather stranger ally for now. Pliny the half-dead goblin engineer nced with nervous eyes. Fortunately the wizards didn''t seem that interested in him, and hadn''t since the start of their journey. ke decided he''d be fine. Probably. So he epted the prompt and grinned as the tower entrance materialized. The ce had been transformed in his absence. Where before it hadrgely been empty and unfurnished save for the rooms, now the walls were covered with tapestries and some kind of hide. Two of ke''s statues were waiting as guards. They perked up like those big robots in the original robocop, staring at ke and the girls as if in inspection. "What an interesting thought experiment," ke said, clucking his tongue. "Can my own creations attack me? They aren''t technically under my control. So I don''t see why not." He had the impulse to pick a fight just to find out, but he supposed the timing of such a thing was...not very good. "Come along, my dears," he said, walking forward with his own constructs lumbering behind. He activated Mental Influence to find Ilya, feeling a slight resistance from the tower itself. But then it seemed to recognize him and diminished, and his mind flew through the walls to find Ilya and see through her eyes. He saw himself. She was watching him through the kind of scrying orb she''d first used to see him running away from the orc king. He refrained from actually exploring her mind and trying to figure out what she was thinking, breaking contact instead. "She''s in the lowest audience chamber, fortunately. Right this way." He felt suddenly nervous seeing the orcdy again. Not ''afraid'', or worried about betrayal, because he knew her well enough now to know she cared for him and trusted him. But he was also sleeping with her. As he had been sleeping with Seul-ki. And both women were about to meet for the first time. In an orc tower. With an army of goblins outside. It wasn''t exactly the first such entanglement of ke''s life, so he wasn''t enteringpletely uncharted waters. But the stakes were definitely higher. And weirder. Ilya''s audience chamber was tastefully decorated in a style that might best have been described as ''by Conan''s orc witch wife''. There were decorative weapons and furs, with orc guards and maybe nobles or caster types lounging about. Two more constructs waited near the entrance, just the right position to look menacing but not blocking the path. ke was impressed. But his attention soon turned to thedy of the tower. Ilya looked...glorious. She wore a white, open robe with most of her strong legs and body showing, covered in something almost like a leather cuirass. She gave the air of a warrior queen, her skin painted, jewelry hanging from her ears and nose and wrists. Her thick, dark hair rose up in some perfectbination of intentional wildness. She met ke''s eyes but didn''t move. He realized then that Ilya was going to have to be quite careful how she greeted him¡ªhow she interacted with him and the other humans. He was part of her council and known here, so he would be epted by her people. But Seul-ki and Annie...maybe not so much. ke walked to the carpet set out before Ilya''s throne, and bowed his head in respect. "Mydy." "Wee home, High Wizard," Ilya said with a small smile. When ke rose and looked in her amber eyes he could see the same longing toe closer and embrace. But he knew they couldn''t. "Are these the humans who havee to our aid? Are there others?" ke winced, and wondered if it might be better to get Ilya to speak with him alone. But he noticed a strong, young orc warrior near Ilya''s throne wearing Stoneblood colors. He touched the orc''s mind with Mental Influence, searching for details on who exactly he was. But it didn''t take long to recognize a threat. If not to his body, than very possibly to his love life. "They are here to assist, yes. But...there''s a...more pressing issue." ke needed toe up with kind of code word that meant ''we need to speak alone''. But then he realized that Ilya was going to have to exin this to her people anyway. Since she was so new there wouldn''t be any entrenched interests, at least he didn''t think...but even so, he was starting to realize it might be a bit trickier than he''d anticipated. Ilya raised an eyebrow and waited. ke took a breath, knowing he needed to help her sell this. He could either go with arrogance and confidence, or humble himself and ask forgiveness. He wasn''t worried about his own ego, he just wasn''t sure which method helped Ilya more. He decided maybe a little of both... "My people and I have destroyed the Greenblood Order." He let that hang in the air, and many of the more refined looking orcs blinked and looked at him or at Ilya as if they''d heard something ridiculous. The tower orcs weren''t exactly ''allied'' with the Order, but it was clear the two had traded and perhaps even worked together in the past. "Their engineers are destroyed," ke said with a kind of arrogantly casual tone. "Their prospectors are dead. All that remains are the wizards, and their assassins, most of whom I have brought here to ask for your protection, mydy." Ilya looked a little stunned, and ke was beginning to regret not dreamwalking to her to exin and get on the same page. A definite oversight. "Protect them from what? From you?" Ilya said. "And why should they trust me?" "From the other humans, mydy. The Order attacked us and failed. We destroyed them for it." Since the orcs had also attacked ke''s settlement and failed, he hoped this was instructive. "And they don''t trust us. But they have nowhere to go, and no other choice. I suggest you promise to make peace with the humans and protect them here, but don''t give them particrly good terms. Though I wouldn''t make it...too usurious." ke saw a few orcs grin at that, which was a good sign. But Ilya looked anxious, and ke was fairly sure he understood. She had few enough warriors, and wasn''t sure she had the raw strength to put down the goblins if they threatened her. He was about to offer a suggestion when the young orc warrior spoke up. "A suggestion, Lady Ambereye." Ilya gave no expression as she turned and nodded. "My father has many idle warriors. He could offer some. But it would cost you. Of course, if we were tobine our Houses, his protection would be free." ke withheld the sigh, not at all pleased his instincts were correct. Ilya still gave no expression, finally ncing at ke with slightly panicked eyes. "Thank you for the offer. You brought these goblins, wizard. Do you have...your own, alternative suggestion?" ke turned to the yers behind him. "May I introduce Seul-ki and Annie. In the short-term, the three of us, and your current warriors and constructs, will be more than enough to...dissuade any treachery." ke turned back to Ilya and smiled. "For the foreseeable future, I intend to devote myplete and total attention to you, and your protection. To stay here and make so many murderous constructs to serve you, mydy, no amount of goblins, or indeed orcs, will ever worry you again." Ilya''s beautiful eyes glowed with a little water, and ke couldn''t help but smile. For a moment he didn''t care who was watching or what they thought about it. Seeing Ilya had reminded ke how much he cared for her, and how much he missed her even in a short amount of time. He still had absolutely no idea how he was going to manage everything. But his intuition was telling him this could work. That there was a path, however precarious and unlikely, that ended in an alliance between men, orcs, and goblins. And maybe even others. An alliance against far, far worse things. Mason was a good man, a practical man, who wanted to save the people he loved, and perhaps even everyone he could. ke was maybe an overly ambitious fool. And yes maybe too full of his own grandiosity. Though he liked to think of it as optimism. His brother wanted to beat the game, to survive, to stick his middle finger at ''robo-God'' and show it couldn''t just crush the little guy. But ke knew it could. You couldn''t beat roboGod any more than you could beat the sun. You could, however, make sr panels. You could figure out the rules and turn them in your favor. Until every possible oue meant you won. Until there was no petition'', only a kind of hidden monopoly. Your monopoly. ke answered a few more of Ilya''s questions with half his mind, the other already starting on construct designs. When he''d finished he went back to fetch the goblins, knowing they''d bluster andin but would soon enter the tower with their tails between their legs. They''d betray, of course, if they had the chance. But goblins were cautious and cowardly and first they''d get ay of thend. They''d test Ilya and her court, they''d test ke and the other yers. All the while he''d summon more constructs. By the time anyone even realized how many and how dangerous they truly were, it would be far toote. "Come along, my dear," ke took Seul-ki''s arm and smiled. "I''m going to be needing every scrap of your wonderful talents in the days and weeks toe. If that''s alright with you." Seul-ki smiled and squeezed his arm, looking pleased to be part of something so grand. Annie just tapped along beside them, quiet as the grave.
Chapter 284: Can it wait? Chapter 284: Can it wait? ke was lost in a giant, spinning pool of magical creation. Both halves of his mind were filled with True Making, the details of his constructs moving like 3dputer models as he turned and inspected, considered and changed. They had to be perfect. He''d decided on several variants for Ilya''s tower. Most were pure brute force¡ªa typical base model Arcane with somebination of arms and weapons; the other a psionic defender with huge, grasping hands to crush with, and a body meant to ram. His attempts at making ''ranged'' models hadn''t gone very well. At least nothing that could keep shooting like a bow or a crossbow. But he took some inspiration from the Roman army and began making what he called his ''legionnaires''. They were Psionics with a shield and several spears they could disconnect from their bodies to throw like javelins. That version worked just fine. He''d had to adjust the arms and body to help with their aim. The power was there, and the spears were sharp and well made to fly. But hitting a target was thus far...somewhat random. So he''d toyed with some more flexibility in the joints. It made them weaker and probably less strong, and he grinned at the thought of a goripared to a human. It felt like he was ''evolving'' them. He also had to decide¡ªmake both arms the same and the shield detachable? Or have one arm with the shield basically built in, and the other made for weapons? If he went with thetter option and they lost the weapon arm they were useless. And he just didn''t have the space to fit another arm. Ultimately he went with the flexible version, and even included a short stabbing de attached to their chests. Legionnaires indeed, he thought with a grin. He made two in a row, and would have done more if it didn''t take so damn long. He wanted as many tests as possible. This time the ''legionnaires'' threw their spears with considerable more speed and uracy, hitting their targets at least half the time at twenty paces. Every hit ripped the sharp point through with ease, usually sticking into the wall behind. ke grinned and adjusted, then went to summon another. "A rest, please." ke blinked at the sound of a woman''s voice. He turned and noticed Seul-ki was practically sagging behind him. Her hand was on his arm, her re-charge and boost a constant for the past...how long had it been? "We''ve been going for ten hours, ke. Aren''t you...tired?" Was he? ke blinked dry eyes and cleared a dry throat. His legs and back hurt, and his mouth tasted vaguely sour. As soon as he stopped to think his head felt slightly toorge, and a pulse of dull pain pulsed through him like a tide. "I suppose I am," he said, with an apologetic smile. He nced around his hall to see a dozen new constructs. A part of him wanted to destroy them because they weren''t perfect. But they were still serviceable and he was in a hurry. Anyway, he''d already ''granted'' them to the tower, which meant technically he no longer owned them. Though Ilya had given him full ess to the tower constructs, so he could stillmand them. "Go and rest," he said, patting Seul-ki''s hand. He looked around to see what else was happening in his...distraction. Pliny the half dead goblin engineer was still at work in his section, fussing over something that looked like a steam engine. Where exactly he''d gotten the parts ke had no idea. He tried not to think of the goblin and himself as too simr. Annie was sitting on a nearby chair, staring out a tower window with a nk expression. ke really needed to sit and talk with the girl about...well, everything that was going on with her. It just seemed like there was never enough time. He hadn''t even talked to Ilya since the meeting hall, save for the briefest discussion of when they''d speak next. Which, he realized, was almost now. "Shit." He expected he looked and probably smelled terrible. He rushed over to his water basin and started Making a new set of clothes. He really needed to work on functional plumbing. "Or maybe Pliny could make some pipes. Instead of a damn steam engine with nothing to put it in," he grumbled. "Good thinking, Pliny, very helpful." Of course he''d have to figure out how to pump water all the way up the tower from the ground. And actually dig some kind of well. If they even had ground water. And if they didn''t then possibly he could... "I don''t have time to think about this,¡± he announced to no one in particr. Then he tossed his shirt and cleaned himself, noticing Seul-ki''s eyes were on him as she rested on the nearby couch. Whether she just wanted to look or was wondering what he was doing he wasn''t sure. But with the clever Korean one truly never knew. Unless he read her mind, of course...but...no. He didn''t do that sort of thing. Not anymore. At least unless it was strictly necessary. Bad ke. Very bad. He adjusted his cor and took a deep breath. "I''ll be back shortly,dies," he said to Seul-ki and Annie. "Get some rest. Because then it''s straight back to work on constructs." Seul-ki nodded, and ke made his way up to the top of the tower. * * * He couldn''t decide if he was excited or nervous as he ascended towards Ilya. He nodded politely at the orcs he passed, trying to look always the calm, collected High Wizard he technically was. The orcs were clearly afraid of him, and he supposed the half dozen constructs marching behind him didn''t help. But fear was useful, especially now at the beginning, and he decided it was best to reinforce it. But how would Ilya feel? Would she feel he''d somehow betrayed or taken advantage of her by bringing the goblins? That he wasn''t intending to help her with the demons and had some other ns of his own? He sincerely hoped not. He really had no other intentions except to help her, to help her people, while helping everyone else at the same time. And...he had some other, rather more personal intentions... The thought brought him to that strong, young orc lord in Ilya''s audience hall, and brought a slight pang of unusual jealousy. ke had rarely been possessive of his women. In fact he had eventually realized that a piece of him knew he wasn''t much good for women, and so if they actually believed his charm and slept with him it made him think slightly...less of them. A terrible realization, of course, if still true. But he didn''t feel that way with Ilya. Maybe not even with Seul-ki. Though she was far more devious and...well, like him. Ilya was different. She was genuine and good and loyal. ke didn''t think she would ever betray him. But she might very well fear he would betray her, and prepare herself to... He blinked, thinking about the orc lord. Of course the ''Stonebloods'' would be desperate to marry the singledy of the white tower to their family. And Ilya currently had almost no protection. If ke didn''t return or otherwise neglected her, she would have no choice but to ally with another, stronger house. ke had been in plenty of orc minds, but he was still no expert on their culture. Would Ilya be essentially forced to take a husband? If not for practical reasons, but for religious or cultural? Maybe even because of roboGod... ke practically shivered at the thought. He hurried his steps towards Ilya, the constant thumping of construct feet like a orchestra''s drumline in his wake. A piece of him wished he''d never left the tower at all, never made Ilya feel vulnerable or abandoned. That piece wished he''d stayed and sorted things out, despite knowing that he''d had to leave. If he hadn''t, he wouldn''t have been there to help Nassau and Mason when they were attacked. And he wouldn''t have any human help at all against the demons. Not that he had much now. But Annie and Seul-ki were a hell of a lot more than nothing. He just wished it made him feel better about Ilya. He finally arrived at the top level, and all the orc presence vanished. It seemed Ilya kept no guards on her own level, and as yet had no guests. ke left his constructs at the stairs leading to her doors, took a deep breath, and knocked. "Come in," he heard her call, and reached for the handle. He was usually so calm and collected around women, but suddenly his hands were a little mmy. Some butterflies twirled through his gut. He snorted, giving himself a shake, and a quick shot of Mentally Influenced courage to steady himself. It was a trick he sure wished he''d had in grade school. Ilya sat at a table with an ink and quill in a well furnished,fortable looking room, a pleasant fire burning in the corner. "You''vee alone?" she said, her face and tone neutral. ke nodded, a paranoid part of him already flicking through Partitioned Mind to make sure his ''trigger'' effects were properly sorted. Ilya''s face transformed into a smile. She stood and rushed him, practically leaping into his arms and squeezing into his chest. "I have a lot of questions," ke said, unable to fight the smile and flood of warmth in his chest. "Me too," Ilya said, then pulled back enough to meet his eyes. "Can it wait?" "Wait for..." ke said, and Ilya blushed a little. His grin widened a little. "For me to satisfy my wicked, inappropriate human lust?" he suggested. Ilya nodded, and ke closed the door behind him with Telekinesis. "Yes," he said, sliding his hands down her back. "Yes it certainly can."
Chapter 285: Heat (NSFW) Chapter 285: Heat (NSFW) Urgent, passionate kissing was a little tricky when your woman had fangs. Or tusks. Or whatever the hell you called the big, sharp teeth jutting from an orc¡¯s lower jaw. ke did his best. Ilya was literally tearing at his recently made clothes, practically growling when she found his pants were held up with a belt. The metal buckle was obviously unfamiliar, and for a moment she pulled and fumbled at it without sess. ¡°It¡¯s the little pin thing. You¡¯ll need to¡­¡± Ilya snarled, produced a literal knife from somewhere under her dress, and cutthe leather strap. ke froze in surprise, until Ilya yanked down his pants and curled her hand around his hardening length. She stared at it with a broad smile, then met his eyes like she¡¯d just found a hidden treat. ¡°I wore my finest,¡± she said, looking upwards as if at her tiara, then gesturing at her robe and furs with her free hand. ¡°I remember you liked taking a royaldy.¡± ¡°No,¡± ke said, lust shooting through his body. ¡°I liked watching a royaldy on her knees.¡± ¡°On my¡­oh.¡± Ilya tossed back her dark hair and dropped down, looking up at ke as she stroked him. ¡°And then?¡± ¡°And then I liked watching her pleasure me with her mouth. Asmanded.¡± ¡°Yes, lord.¡± Ilya said with a little shudder, her eyelids drooping with lust then closing as she slipped ke¡¯s tip between her lips. She licked and took him slowly, then plunged him halfway into her mouth. ke let out a breath as the warmth and wetness consumed him. Ilya made a little groan of lust as she quickly started bobbing her head up and down his shaft. It was a sight ke had desperately wanted to see again, but he wanted far more of her than that. He inspected her clothes as she worked, smiling as he saw the obvious ties and straps. Without reaching down or stopping her, he used Telekinesis to start pulling her clothes apart. Ilya made a surprised little ¡®mmf¡¯ when her robe slipped off, the ties on her leather cuirassing apart at the same time as some sort of bustier beneath. Then her breasts were free and ke cupped them greedily as she kept slurping him deeper. He grabbed her arms and pulled her up, kissing her again as he dropped her pants with Telekinesis, leaving her in nothing but a loincloth. There was a bed near the firece, a few chairs and couches scattered around the room. But he looked again at the desk she¡¯d been working on and walked them slowly over. ¡°Every time you sit at this desk I want you imagining me bending you over it.¡± Ilya mumbled something iprehensible, her face overwhelmed with lust. ke fought the smile and turned her around, pulling the strip of fabric aside to show her swollen, perfect lips. They were green like the rest of her on the outside, but with a very familiar, very erotic pink slightly deeper. He couldn¡¯t help himself and dropped down to taste her, her whole body bucking as he ran his tongue up and down while he fingered her. Ilya moaned and pushed back against his lips, and he couldn¡¯t wait a second longer. He stood and pped his huge length between her cheeks, sliding back and forth before lowering himself down. He slid easily inside her very wet sex, groaning as she took him but squeezed as if barely able to restrain herself, tightening as she took in every considerable inch. ke just stayed still for a moment, happily buried in Ilya¡¯s warmth. She leaned back and turned so he could kiss her, and for many long moments he just groped her incredible body, his tongue in her mouth, buried deep inside her. ¡°How can it fit so...perfectly?¡± Ilya whispered against his mouth. ke knew what she meant. They were from different species, so it hardly made any sense. But he also didn¡¯t care. He finally starting moving, sliding back and forth and reveling in every noise Ilya made as he fucked her. Her eyes fluttered, and he turned her back around so he could bend her over the desk. Flesh pped against flesh as Ilya¡¯s pert ass took his thrusts. ke bounced against her, gripping and pping her cheeks as he sped up the pounding. Ilya soon gripped the table and moaned. When she came she practically crushed his cock. The grip of her walls was unbelievable, her strong body squeezing and trembling as a flood of wetness dripped down ke¡¯s shaft. When she was finished she just started pushing back against him, as if the orgasm hadn¡¯t even slowed her down. ke held himself back and kept taking her, back in control and wanting her to have everyst thrust she could take. Turned out, that was a lot. ke was dripping with sweat before Ilya¡¯s legs started to shake. He just kept hammering her into the desk, fucking her through at least three orgasms until she finally ckened andy against the wood. ke let the pressure overtake him. His manhood swelled with warmth, his mind already swimming with lust. Ilya felt him twitch and moaned. ¡°Oh I want it inside. Please. Please.¡± ke hadn¡¯t had the slightest intention of pulling out. He exploded inside her, thrusting as deep as possible as he shivered with waves of pleasure. Ilya squeezed him inside again as if matching his pulses, making something almost like a purr as he filled her. ke closed his eyes, part of his brain telling him if he intended to spend a real night with Ilya, it was probably time to hit the gym. Or get the damn game to pump his physical stats more. When he finally pulled out, Ilya made a disappointed little groan, then stood and pushed herself naked against him. He led her towards the bed, and they dropped down beside the fire in each other¡¯s arms. ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted,¡± Ilya whispered, clinging to him hard. ¡°Now maybe I can finally sleep.¡± * * * ke drifted a few hours before he woke to Ilya running her fingers over his chest. ¡°I can¡¯t stop touching you,¡± she said with a giggle. ¡°I love your skin so much.¡± He smiled andced his fingers with hers. ¡°Touch all you like. But I think it¡¯s time we handle a few of those mutual questions.¡± Ilya sagged and groaned, but nodded. ¡°You go first. I can¡¯t remember what mine were yet.¡± ¡°I expect the word ¡®goblins¡¯ will help you remember.¡± ¡°Right. What in the hells? We orcs believe in five, by the way.¡± ¡°Lovely. Well¡­here¡¯s the thing¡­¡± ke exined his people¡¯s near destruction of the Greenblood Order. He described how they¡¯d been far more resistant than orcs to his mind magic, and probably even more resistant than the average human. ¡°They¡¯ll resist the demons, too,¡± Ilya said instantly, and ke smiled. ¡°Clever girl. Yes. And who knows what other natural strengths and weaknesses the races have to offer each other? The goblins aren¡¯t evil¡­they¡¯re greedy, and selfish, and¡­probably sometimes a lot of other unpleasant things. But they¡¯re also clever, sometimes genius, and they¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°Not so different than us,¡± Ilya finished, and ke nodded. ¡°Notpared to demons or giant insect monsters or the walking dead.¡± Ilya raised a brow at that, but ke just shrugged. ¡°We can workwith goblins, just like I can work with unpleasant, but talented humans. My brother and most people in general tend to just¡­write off anyone who isn¡¯t like them. Who don¡¯t think or act like them. But I consider it¡­wasteful. And stupid.¡± ¡°We orcs are the same,¡± Ilya said, putting her head back on ke¡¯s chest. ¡°I probably was the same. Until I met you. Now I understand, but, I¡¯m still not sure I¡¯d like to livewith goblins.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right to worry,¡± ke said. ¡°They¡¯d kill us all and take the tower if they thought they could get away with it, I have little doubt.¡± Ilya pulled up and stared at this, but ke just grinned. ¡°Plenty of humans would, too. And you orcs are pretty ready to kill each other, so don¡¯t act so surprised. We just killed most of them. Chased them from their home. Now I basically made them an offer they couldn¡¯t refuse.¡± Ilya sighed, andy her head back down, stroking her fingers up ke¡¯s hip. ¡°Careful with that, my dear, or we¡¯ll run out of time for questions.¡± Ilya groaned and kept on touching. ¡°Don¡¯t tease me,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m in heat. I can barely control myself.¡± ke practically choked on his spit. ¡°You¡¯re¡­in heat?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She furrowed her brow when she looked at him. ¡°It starts around my age. I¡¯ve little experience but my mother said it woulde and go with the seasons. Human women are different?¡± ke nodded, not sure what to say. The very idea of it sent another warm wave of lust through his body, but he did his best to control himself. Questions first. First he asked her about what had happened since he was gone. Ilya told him the demon attacks were getting worse. That every tower had started gaining and cing ¡®Soulguard¡¯¡ªwhich were apparently a special kind of warrior ss made to fight things like demons¡ªat the deeper ces beneath the city. ¡°We¡¯ve been forced to execute some workers and soldiers. The demons are whispering to us. Every day it gets worse and drives some mad. Even I have heard them, though for me the magic is pitifully weak. We have to do something. And quickly. Or more orcs will¡­well, we don¡¯t even know exactly what they¡¯ll do.¡± ke clenched his jaw. He had no idea how long his brother would be, or even if he and the other yers would actually help the orcs. There was a very real possibility they wouldn¡¯t want to, and Mason wouldn¡¯t make them. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to start dealing with it ourselves,¡± he said, and Ilya met his eyes. ¡°But¡­you only have three humans.¡± ke nodded, then gave her a grin. ¡°But we have an awful lot of goblins.¡± Ilya cringed slightly, her mind obviously busy with having to convince the other orcs to let not just humans into their city, but now goblin wizards. And who knew what other problems he didn¡¯t know about. ke rolled Ilya to her back, then slipped down and took one of her nipples in his mouth. She gasped and clutched his hair, all trace of problems vanishing from her face. ke had no intention of wasting a night of Ilya being ¡®in heat¡¯. And as her lover it was obviously his duty to keep her satisfied. He wasn¡¯t exactly ustomedto being a gentleman. But it was the apocalypse, and ke was trying to turn over a new leaf. They could worry about their mutual problems in the morning¡­
Chapter 286: Show time Chapter 286: Show time Mason had almost expected some kind of ''druid dream'' that night, but he slept like the dead. When he woke up he set up his teleportation beacon, deciding to bring the other yers before he took a step inside the Hub. He didn''t want any kind of nasty surprises, or for some reason getting locked in alone. After testing the teleportation device to actually figure out if it worked (it did), how many people it could take (six), and how long the dy was (approximately twenty-four hours after a return trip), Mason and the others hade up with a n. They''d known they wouldn''t be able to actuallymunicate, so they''d needed an unspoken system. Every day at about noon, the yers would wait on the other side of the beacon for about three hours in case Mason was ready. None of them had known how long it would actually take him to get there, but they''d agreed to start at approximately day five. "Even at your speed, Patron, it will certainly take longer than that," Kiaan had said, but Mason just grinned. "Let''s n for the best case. Anyway, thesezy bastards won''t mind ying cards for a few hours in the teleportation ring every day, will you?" The yers had groaned. Then he''d had to sort out who was actually going. Yet again he''d cursed ke, who had not only made himself unavable, but had taken two yers with him. Not that Mason considered Annie much of a loss. He still didn''t trust her, in or out of battle. But Seul-ki may have been a tempting option. Her boosts cranked Mason''s Transformation and Duality of Strength up to eleven, which was a very bad thing for his tougher enemies. Fortunately, he had other options. And he decided this time it wasn''t about trying to boost any weaker people. The Hub was too important. He needed his best. That meant Carl, Phuong, Alex, and Reba. Which was a very melee heavy and defensive team, butpletelycked a ''ranged'' caster. With a slight grinding of teeth again at ke, he eventually settled on Seamus. "Aye aye, boss! Happy to go!" The annoying Irishman had grinned and puffed up like one of those fish. "Taking the A team, eh?" He''d winked, and spun his staff. "Old Seamus won''t let you down." Mason had refrained from reminding the man that he had very nearly killed him in a great tree, demanding his services for a year just to spare him. At least the ¡®fire mage¡¯ had stopped harassing women in the settlement, probably because he''d gained some kind of girlfriend. Even when you were as annoying as Seamus, phase two hornyness and the gender numbers in Nassau gave you an almost unbeatable advantage. And that was before the elves. Speaking of elves...saying goodbye to Naya hadn''t gone particrly well. He''d gone to her house, and she lit up at seeing him, which was definitely a nice thing. But the news wiped off her smile. "You''re leaving?" she''d said with obvious panic. "For where? For how long? Will it be dangerous?" Mason had sighed, thinking ''good lord we''re not even married yet.'' "For a couple weeks, I expect. Far to the south. And pretty much everything and everywhere that isn¡¯t here is dangerous. But I''ll be fine." "But..." Naya looked torn between hugging him and pping him. "We''re supposed to get married. And...if you were killed..." "We''ll get married as soon as I''m back. It''s not that easy to kill me." He didn''t feel quite as confident as he let on, but it seemed wiser to put his future bride at ease. He had little doubt that this Central Hub challenge would be no walk in the park. But the opportunity was too great to deny... "You have to promise me," Naya said. "As soon as you''re back. We should make some arrangements before you go, maybe just a day or two to..." "Talk to Haley," Mason said, trying not to enjoy the girl''s wince. "You can work out all the details with her." "You want me to...n our wedding, with your...pregnant concubine?" Mason considered correcting the word ''concubine'', but at this point who even cared. He just shrugged and held her eyes. "Yep." The anger in his future bride''s eyes reminded him he was not a particrly skilled diplomat. But since that was always going to be true, he figured his ''wife'' might as well get used to it. She''d said a few more strained, polite words that meant ''I''m offended and angry'', and Mason responded as if he was oblivious and went on his way. All he could do was trust in Haley, which wasn''t too hard to do. And when you were going off to risk death, dealing with an angry woman gained the perspective it deserved. Leaving his other girls had been harder. They wanted him to stay for an extra night, making all kinds of bedroom promises. "Rain check. But I''m holding you to all of that," he said, giving Rosa and Haley a good grope and a kiss. "It''s not fair," Rosa said, probably meaning ''Becky gets to go''. Mason had just sighed. "Becky will be waiting with the others. And then she''s risking her life like everyone else. It''s not a romantic get-away." "I know." The dark haired beauty had pulled some vials and potions out of her invisible storage. "I''ve got more acid in some better vials, which will get better as I level but don¡¯t have yet. These won''t break unless you really smash them. And these are basically..healing potions. And these are little boosts to stats that everyone can take before a fight. I can make more if you need." Mason had smiled and hugged her. "These are amazing, thank you. But give them all to Carl, he''ll sort it out. I''ll be traveling light as I can." "Right. Of course." She''d still looked awkward and not wanting him to go, but having a beautiful woman or three miserable when you left wasn''t exactly a tough problem to have. With ast word of goodbye to Haley, he''d turned for the woods with Streak and ran, for the first time without a shred of concern for Nassau behind him. If anything in that forest could deal with Streak''s pack and all the yers behind those walls, frankly, they kind of deserved to. But that was many days and miles away, and now it was time to bring his team. It would leave Nassau a little vulnerable, and he hoped Phuong and Carl had picked someone to be in charge of the defence if necessary. He also hoped that whatever this challenge was would be short, and that he''d be sending everyone back home in a day or two. But with the roboGod you just never knew. "Here we go," he said, taking a breath as he put a finger on the button. Fortunately the device was essentially ¡®innate¡¯, with its own magical storage you could send it to, so he didn¡¯t have to worry about breaking it in the dungeon. As he was about to use it, he realized with a temporary spike of panic it might have limited range. But he couldn''t imagine it would work like that without telling him, or that he''d be outside of said range already. Otherwise it made the damn thing useless and a waste of points... He clicked the button. And nothing happened. "Shit." Mason sat paralyzed, hoping there was just a dy. But a few seconds went by and still nothing happened. Were the others not where they should be? He went back to push the button again and froze, wincing with a nce at Streak. He pushed the on button, then clicked the teleporter again. It whirled up with arcane energy, and he took a breath of relief. "I fucking hate technology." * * * Blue light flickered in five different spheres, than in the blink of an eye, all five of Mason''s yers shed and stood on the desert sand. "Christ Jesus that''s amazing," Seamus said, looking around then squinting at the sun. "Shite it''s a bloody desert. I''ll be a fried potato in minutes." Becky grinned and jumped into Mason''s arms, but he just held her and gave her a quick peck and a squeeze. She was wearing an actual cowboy hat and her old boots, and out of everyone looked like she might slightly belong near a desert. "Miss me?" She pulled back and grinned. Mason raised an eyebrow. "Which one are you again?" She opened her mouth in slightly mock but slightly not mock offense, punching him hard in the arm. Mason just grinned. He also had no idea if she knew he was supposed to marry an elf yet¡­but it seemed best to avoid that conversation for now¡­ Carl whistled as he looked at the Hub and the endless dunes around them. "OK. Maybe endless forest isn''t so bad." He cracked his neck and summoned his knife just to banish it again, then rubbed a hand over his bald scalp. "How you doing, kid? Any problems with the teleporter?" "Nope," Mason said, clearing his throat. "Worked perfectly. Also your nervous ticks are showing. We ready? Anyone need to...pee or something?" "Oh good idea." Becky ran off behind a dune, the rest of the men all staring out at the Hub. "Any idea what we''re dealing with, Patron?" Phuong asked, and Mason shook his head. "Only what Kiaan told us. Except..." Mason blinked as he reached out with his senses, feeling a powerful source of life from the hub. He focused until he could narrow it down to the dead tree. "There''s a great tree in there. It''s still alive, or...sleeping. I''m not sure, exactly, but I can sense it." "That has to be good news," Phuong said, and Mason nodded. He turned to Seamus. "Can you identify anything? Sense anything?" "Way ahead of you, boss," the Irishman''s eyes were zed. "That there ss box is as bright as the damn sun with power." The man licked his lips. "Whatever it is, I think we want it. Well I want it." Mason mostly just hoped it didn''t explode. "Anyone else? Alex, you''re a ''support'', do you get any kind of identify? I don''t actually even know what affinity you are. I assume Arcane. Though your magic doesn''t usually stink to me like theirs does." "Wait, what? We stink?" Becky said,ing back over the dune. Mason waved a dismissive hand as the Brussian shrugged. "Not yet. And I am two. Arcane and Divine." "Oh." Mason hadn''t even realized ¡®Divine¡¯ was a thing. Not that he particrly cared, but he was getting the impression these things might matter more and more going forward. He took ast long between his friends and...fellow members of his ''House''? Then realized he still hadn''t chosen a ''House'' benefit, and decided now was the time for every possible advantage. He''d considered it somewhat as he''d traveled, knowing almost everything benefited some more than others. He wasn''t afraid of specializing, especially with future bonuses, but he decided the easiest and ''first'' bonus should be for everyone. He took the t per cent boost to experience, and watched the bonus lock into his profile. "Show time," he said, giving a little nod to all his yers, and a scratch behind Streak''s ears. "Be ready for anything." As the imminent risk of mortal danger loomed, he did his best not to be excited. But he mostly failed.
Chapter 287: Save the Nephalai Chapter 287: Save the Nephi [Congrattions! You have discovered the Central Hub of the Western Continent. This is abined collection ofmunication, teleportation, trade, and other beacons, designed to foster yer interaction across the world. The first patron toplete the associated quest can im the Hub.] [Title gained: Desert Leader. First Patron to discover the Western Hub. Hub event awards, upon sessfulpletion, will be enhanced.] Mason paused at the final, obvious line between the desert and the Hub. The title was nice but didn¡¯t distract him. He wasn''t sure if whatever was going to happen would ''happen'' when he crossed that line, but he had to assume it would. With a nce back to make sure the others were with him and ready, he crossed to the t, stone ground. Nothing happened. "A bit anti-climactic," Seamus said, because of course he did. Mason sighed and kept walking, inspecting the strange structures but mostly looking at the ''dead'' tree. He had a deep urge to go to it, to protect it, to awaken it somehow. But he had little doubt he could do no such thing until he passed the ''test'' of this ce. Which brought them to the central pyramid, and a long flight of stone steps. He started up without a word, listening (and sniffing) for danger or any change or other people or creatures. Streak wasn''t picking up anything either, or else he would have let Mason know. They reached the top and froze in equal surprise to find an old man sitting on a rock in the middle. He smelled exactly like the stone and desert around him, no trace of being alive or even there except for the fact that Mason could see him. The old man twitched and shifted, looking up at Mason and the others as if waking from a dream. His mouth was toothless, his eyes a rheumy, soft blue. "You...have youe to save the Nephi?" "I¡­have," Mason said. "Please tell me how." "If only I could.¡± The old man smiled sadly. ¡°This you must discover on your own, young champion. You and yourpanions. But I must warn you: none have seeded in a thousand years. Their bones have joined the dust of this desert, their lives lost in the same tragedy that consumed this ce. You must save the nephi, or you will never leave this ce." "Not the greatest salesman, is he?" Seamus whispered. "Ask him about the rewards." Mason didn''t need reward specifics. It was obvious enough. Save the ''Nephi'', gain the Hub¡ªin whatever condition roboGod decided. As usual, he felt forced into a thing beyond his control. But he didn¡¯t see a damn thing he could do about it. "Is there anything you can tell us? Any help you can give?" "A wise question," the old man grinned, then looked away as if in thought. He seemed to ''freeze'', and Mason felt a familiar warmth moving over the area. The air itself changed. Something like the arcane stink assaulted Mason¡¯s senses. It was the AI, he had learned¡ªa kind of enhanced attention he had somehow begun to be able to feel, possibly because of his enhanced senses. The old man nodded as if it had ''just''e to him, and Mason felt increasingly uneasy. Was roboGod interfering somehow? Adding something specific just to them? Just for him? "Time is like a river,¡± he said, tone slightly monotonal. ¡°It flows in only one direction. It can be crossed. And it can be...diverted. That is all I can tell you. Good luck." The way the old man said ''time'' made it seem like he found the word distasteful. Or stupid. Mason knew for certain then that the synthetic puppet master had changed the man''s words. But why? What was he trying to say? And was he trying to help or actively trying to hurt their efforts? Mason had no idea. He honestly still didn''t know the purpose of this game. He knew he was supposed to survive and maybe thrive, to ovee whatever ridiculous challenges came next to keep ''ying''. But why was roboGod doing it? What was it trying to learn? Mason supposed he might be incapable of seeing things from the thing''s perspective. Could any ''measly'' homo sapien conceive of the universe like something with as much power as roboGod? It felt like the answer was no. But then would ancient man find ''modern'' man equally impressive, and think him equally inscrutable, when in the end they weren''t so different at all? Mason felt a strange impulse to understand this creature toying with him, though it was mostly overridden by anger. It didn''t make much difference why a cat yed with a mouse before it ate him. And if ¡®Mason the Mouse¡¯ somehow gained a weapon to kill the cat, he fully intended to pull the trigger and ask questionster. "We''re ready," he said, sensing the thing waiting with the prompt. As the words left his mouth, text shed before his eyes. [Discovered challenge ''Save the Nephi''. This is a im challenge for the location: ''Central Western Nexus''. It cannot be exited once begun, and is considered an extreme, mortal, tier two challenge for a party of six yers. Would you still like to proceed?] Before anyone could second guess themselves, Mason hit confirm, and watched the world disappear. * * * It smelled like dust and death. Mason blinked and spun, finding himself in a dark, narrow corridor of rectangr stone walls. They had painted images that looked vaguely Egyptian to him, with colorful people and animals depicted living together under a bright yellow sun. Streak growled beside him, and he waited for almost a minute with no sign of anyone else. "Shit." His pulse picked up as his mind raced. Had they not epted the prompt? No. Only Seamus'' loyalty or courage was at all in question. Which meant they either had been sent to other ces in the dungeon, or possibly Mason just had to do some of it on his own without them. He hoped it was thetter. Most of the yers he''d brought could handle a bit of solo work, but he worried about Alex and Becky. As far as Mason knew, Alex had no offensive ability whatsoever. Becky was tough, but her mana went dry fast on offence, and soon enough she''d be left with a metal stick. But since there wasn''t a damn thing he could do about it so he tried to put it from his mind. The best thing was to start exploring and sorting out his own problems, then he could maybe help the others. He clicked for Streak and walked down the corridor. The people on the walls, he realized, often looked like bird-men. The males at least often had wings and carried something like spears, the women were always near water and looked vaguely mermaid-like. Mason grinned a little when he saw one bald-looking warrior that vaguely reminded him of Carl. A deep voice shrieked in the darkness ahead. It echoed down the halls and grew in volume, finally hitting Mason with wind-sweeping force that squinted his eyes. His ws were in his hands without thought. It was a long corridor, and for a moment he considered calling his new bow. But he didn''t trust this hallway. He expected hidden doors or to fall through a pit or God knew what, and wanted to be ready for closebat. Anyway, he didn''t mind taking a little damage. It would just get his passives to work improving him. Streak was growling, his ears ttened, itching to charge ahead but held back by Mason. "Not yet," he warned. "Let''s see what we''re dealing with." With ast nce back for some sign of his friends, Mason walked forward cycling through his powers. His bare feet made almost no sound, and he touched the wall to activate the camouge from his Sleeves. With Fang Brothers, Streak could use it too, and Mason grinned as the huge wolf went slightly grey, but also gained some of the color from the art-covered walls. Only the slight tapping of the hard pads on Streak''s paws followed them down the hall. Finally they reached a crossroads. Mason could hear low voices to his left, the sound a constant drone like a crowd, or maybe chanting. It was the only direction that smelled like life. The other two were more of the same¡ªdust and death that wasn''t quite dead. Then crunching and sliding footsteps from the left. Soft but consistent. Mason put away his ws after all, summoning his new bow and waiting as he flicked through Endless Quiver, Streak hunched just ahead of him. A robed figure emerged from the gloom, muttering and maybe still chanting as it stepped closer and closer. Mason wasn''t sure if he should shoot, still waiting to figure out what he was dealing with. The thing came closer, and closer, still apparently not noticing the camouged intruders. Finally it stopped and looked up, hood falling back enough to reveal a callow, humanoid face, but with a jaw toorge to be human. It quirked its head, then sniffed, lips peeling back to reveal long, jagged teeth. Mason loosed an Electrified Power Shot into its chest. What was probably supposed to be a shriek of surprise was more like a squeak. The thing sted off its feet, all of its air knocked out in a grunt as the thingy still. Mason winced. He might have shot a little early, still not really sure what the thing was. "Yeah. I judge books by their covers too," he said to an uprehending Streak. He checked the corpse to find a tattered, now-punctured robe, a lot of foul-smelling blood, and an iron key. "Oh hello," he said, lifting it up to the smallntern light hanging on a nearby wall. "Now where do you fit?" The riddle of the key was going to have to wait, however. Mason nced up as he heard half a dozen more footstepsing down the corridor. And that faint scent of un-death was getting closer behind him. He had to pick a direction and fight, because staying still seemed like a bad option. "The living, or the dead?" he muttered. But he knew the answer instantly. He was pretty sure he could kill just about anything living. The dead? He wasn''t so sure. He gestured Streak forward, and followed with his Elven bow raised.
Chapter 288: Into the temple Chapter 288: Into the temple Mason ran behind Streak, bow at the ready. The huge wolf filled half the wide corridor, his head practically as high as Mason''s. He felt Mason''s fear for his friends, his knowledge of danger in multiple directions, his eagerness for a fight. They were of like-mind now. Their senses had told them enough¡ªthis ce was hostile and filled with evil things. There was nothing left but the hunt. More robed figures emerged. These came in a pack of at least nine, three to a row, shoulder to shoulder across the corridor. Their mouths opened in fangs, wed hands raising from beneath their robes as they hissed and charged. Mason almost groaned with pleasure at the feel as his Elven bow as he drew. His arms felt the moment of strain, then he released his first shot, the string humming with force. He knew the moment he released that he''d struck. His arrow took the first in the eye. Streak leapt straight into the disrupted pack. His huge body smashed through the center, the creatures trying to grab and w at him but unable to resist the speed and weight. Mason banished his bow and followed with his ws. Streak had mped his jaw on one of the creature''s throats, tearing back and forth and spraying blood as three or four others tried to get him off. Then Mason arrived. He shed both des downward, cutting through one creature''s shoulder and down into its chest, slicing another''s arm off entirely. The creatures didn''t seem used to pain. They shrieked and howled in fear and agony, seemingly surprised to see their own blood and death arrive so swiftly. Mason and Streak surprised them a little more. Neither worried much about their own defence, ignoring w marks and the asional bite as they shed, thrashed, and chewed their way through the pack of creatures. Then only one was left, limbs cut and broken as it stared up with hate and panic from the ground. "What is this ce?" Mason asked as he activated Shared Pain and let Streak''s minor wounds start bncing to him. He hardly even winced now as he felt his flesh open in several ces. The creature was staring at him in horror as it coughed blood. "It''s you..." it said, as if in recognition. "How..." it sputtered blood, thenughed. "Doesn''t matter. You failed. They''re dead. They''re all dead. You failed." Mason felt his hand clench around the handle of a w. His patience was running out very swiftly. "Who''s dead? Where are the others?" "Gone." The thing cackled. "Long gone. Go. See for yourself." Mason probably should have asked more questions. Instead he hacked off the creature''s head. Whatever concern he felt for Reba and the others he pushed down somewhere they wouldn''t interfere. Would the game simply kill his friends as part of its ''story''? He didn''t think so. It often wasn''t fair, and sometimes fucked up or broke its own rules. But he refused to believe it would just kill a bunch of yers with no chance. Which meant the creature was lying or talking about something else. Mason was here to save the ¡®nephi¡¯. Is that what it meant? But how could he save them if they were already dead? He stood and kept moving, hearing whatever dead creature following him still somewhere behind. It moved slowly, so that was something. He decided to just keep ahead of it until he had no other choice. But he dropped three exploding traps in a row for good measure. He picked up the pace. He stopped trying to creep or worry about his Sleeves or his bow. He simply jogged down the stone passage with Streak at his side, eyes and ears tuned for danger. It didn''t take long to find some. The corridor diverged again, this time in two short side halls both ending in rooms. He heard chanting in one of them and went straight for it. "Maim, don''t kill," he told Streak. "I want information." The wolf made a kind of disappointed huff, and they found a dozen more of the robed figures kneeling at something like pews facing a pulpit. Another robed figure stood on a tform holding a de reverently in one hand, some kind of bone in the other. The one holding the de noticed Mason enter the room, his mouth hanging open. "It can''t be..." he whispered. Then Mason was hacking into his faithful. Some rose to fight, but most stared or scattered. Streak trampled at least two, grabbing another by the arm to thrash him like a doll. Mason sliced off chunks of leg. Again the ''cultists'' attacked with ws and sharp teeth, and again Mason and Streak mostly ignored them as they literally ripped them limb from limb. Soon they stood in a room full of wailing, groaning misery. Six or so of the cultists were still alive, crawling and crying out in agony as Mason lifted the head priest by an arm stump. "Tell me what the fuck is going on, or I''m going to kill every single one of you in this whole ce." The whimpering figure shook his head. "No point. It''s toote. We are only worshipers of Daganost. This is his temple. We aren''t part of the great story. We didn''t kill them." "Kill who?" "The nephi. Isn''t that..." The thing paled. "Aren''t you here...to avenge them?" "How big is this ce? How many rooms? How many levels? And what''s that thing following me?" Here the priest finally smiled. "You aren''t the arch-angel. You''re just some...ignorant heretic who looks like him. I don''t know how you got in here...but when the Guardians find you...no, wait! Stop!" Mason drove his shorter w through the priest''s heart. Then he butchered the other ¡®worshipers¡¯ in silence, ignoring the few pleads for mercy. He couldn''t know for sure, but intuition told him his friends were scattered around this crypt just like he was. And what he needed to do was find them before these ''Guardians'' did, so they could fight them together. At least in the absence of any better ideas, that was his n. He checked the room quickly for anything useful, then clicked for Streak, and ran towards the next. * * * Phuong opened his eyes to near darkness and the scent of dust. He looked for his friends in silence, touching the stone walls and checking the floors for traps or damage as his vision slowly adjusted. He was alone, which likely meant all of them were alone. His first thought was clear: he had to find Alex. Everyone else was strong enough to handle themselves, particrly Carl and Mason. Reba was tough and as long as she had mana could probably kill anything that wasn''t too terrifying. Seamus could certainly kill what he needed to, and anyway it was Seamus so Phuong didn''t much care. But Alex was a ''support''. His powers were incredible and vital, but by himself he was vulnerable. And he was Phuong''s friend. From a lifetime of careful habit, Phuong crept through the halls searching for danger. He knocked on the walls for secret passages, sliding and tapping his feet on the tiles and their grooves, looking for any change. But he soon picked up his pace. What would the others do? Mason and Carl would certainly start moving and searching for the others. Would Alex simply stay where he was? It could be they had to all get past some individual trial and simply ''waiting'' wasn''t an option. Surely the ''game'' wouldn''t punish a support ss too harshly? Provide them with the same test they might design for someone like Mason or Phuong with no chance of assistance? He grit his teeth, fearing it might. But all he could do was hurry and find the others. Soon he found strange robed figures wandering the halls or chanting in rooms. He waited and ttened against the stone, slipping past them and ncing in the rooms before moving on. At the end of a long hall he found stairs going both up and down, and clenched his grip on his sword. Apparently this ce wasrge. He''d seen no obvious sign or instruction on where to go, though it was possible he missed something, or should try to kill or interrogate some of the robed men. Ultimately, he decided to go down. ''RoboGod'' seemed to have a preference to make bosses at the top of towers or trees. He assumed this ce would be the same. With a quick inspection for pressure tes or strange grooves in the roof or walls, Phuong crept down the stairs with sword at the ready. That''s when he heard the scream. It was clearly inhuman¡ªa kind of monstrous howl somewhere between suffering and rage. A small symbol red to life on the top of the stairs, and Phuong winced. So, it had been some kind of trap after all. Merely a trap you couldn''t see or touch without magic. Whether the creature howling was nowing for him or simply on the loose for anyone, he didn''t know. But he saw no reason to change his strategy. With ast nce back into the gloom, Phuong hurried down the steps.
Chapter 289: Sorry in advance Chapter 289: Sorry in advance Mason dripped with cultist blood. He''d ughtered his way through the first floor. His traps had begun to activate behind him, and with a grin he just kept dropping more. Whether or not he was hurting whatever was following him he didn''t know. But it made him feel better. Unfortunately, this ce didn''t count as ''natural'', and his traps and arrows were all costing him mana. But if he didn''t worry about shooting lightning, he could use a hell of a lot of arrows and traps before he ran dry. Either way he intended to continue, and also ughter every cultist he encountered. He wasn''t sure why he disliked these things so much, but everything about them repulsed him. He supposed living in a giant temple with undead creatures was a good enough reason, but there was just...something else that gave him an instant feeling of disgust. He didn''t much care what it was, he trusted his intuition. Eventually he found some stairs leading down and followed them. From where he was standing it looked like more of the same, and with his toughness and regeneration he didn''t much worry if there was any kind of simple trap. Then as he went down, some kind of symbol lit up above him. He heard a click, followed by a ''whooshing'' sound. He grabbed Streak and dropped to one side, and a huge scythe-like de swung down the stairs. Mason winced and looked to see it had taken a chunk out of his shoulder. But it sure could have been worse. "I probably deserved that," he said, ncing at the rune with a sigh. The de swung back but without much force, and Mason soon steadied it and kept it still. It was covered in rust and a bit of Mason''s blood. "Good thing I had my tetanus shots up to date." He winced and walked down to the next level. Three more cultists blocked the hall not far down. But these ones weren''t wearing robes. They had short spears or clubs, metal chain armor covering most of their bodies, including a kind of half helmet that probably had a French name Mason didn''t remember... "He''s here! The heretic intruder! I found him! He''s here!" Streak was growling and charging before the cultist got the words out, Mason close on his heels. Yeah, he thought, good work. You found us. The guards went wide eyed, one raising his spear to stab the huge, pouncing wolf. Streak ignored the blow and tackled him to the ground, growling as he bit and tore flesh from the creature''s exposed, now screaming face. Mason deflected the next spear, sliding his de down the shaft and slicing half the protective guard and the creature''s hand. He thrust his shorter de straight through the chain link armor, then kicked the creature back several feet, watching it sail backwards through the air. He grinned at the third, wide-eyed warrior, then banished his sword, grabbed its armored head and smashed it into the stone wall so hard he felt skull shatter. More armored guards appeared at the end of the hall, and Mason re-summoned his Elven bow. The calling of the innate item was already getting as smooth as his ws, like another extension of himself he couldn¡¯t believe he¡¯d been missing all this time. He loosed a Power Shot followed by a Crippling Strike, shooting a series of fire arrows that flew like torches through the dark. The arrows pierced the armor almost as well as his w, knocking the guards back with gasps and cries of pain. Guard after guard fell or withdrew, pushing past or jumping over their wounded, trying desperately to close. Finally a single warrior remained, staring at Streak as he chewed on the dead and wounded with a series of growls. The guard dropped his spear and ran. But Mason crossed the hall in seconds, and the guard screamed as Mason lifted him with one arm. "There are other ''intruders''. Where are they?" "We..." the guard swallowed with an almost bony throat, opening itsrge, toothy maw. "There are...others. Yes. We have captured one." "Where?" Mason growled. "This floor. West side. You''re in the...East hallway. Please don''t kill me. I''ll just run...I don''t even..." Mason crushed the creature''s throat and tossed it to the floor. He stepped through the growing pool of blood, jumping over the corpses. Even inside, Wayfinder would give him the directions, so he stalked the halls for anything that took him west. Guards and ¡®cultists¡¯ were shouting from most directions now. Mason didn''t know how many of the creatures inhabited this ce, but he would kill however many tried to stop him. In fact, he decided making noise and attracting most of the attention at him was probably ideal...his friends might even hear... "Shit." He nced at his mana as he realized, hoping he hadn''t wasted too much on traps and arrows. But it seemed he still had a good two thirds. Plenty for a very unpleasantly loud crack of thunder. "Hold them off," he said to Streak, as energy started building in his chest and hands. "And sorry in advance." The wolf understood and made a whine at the terrible sound toe. * * * Becky froze as a huge crash echoed down the stone halls. Then she turned and ran with her shield at her side. "That¡¯s Mason callin¡¯!¡± she yelled to the Irishman. ¡°Paint your ass and run with the antelope!¡± The man just stared, and she supposed that was another Texas-ism but didn¡¯t much care. He¡¯d get the idea. ¡°Aye aye, Captain,¡± he eventually said with a grin, and Becky rolled her eyes. The wizard (who was currently burning a guard to death) had taken to calling her ''Captain America''. On ount of being an American with a shield, she supposed. Anyway she''d found the man a single room away from where she''d started, and expected the find the others next. But they''d been alone. Fortunately, being annoying didn''t stop the fire mage from being effective. He''d spent the past fifteen minutes sting the weird-faced cultists to hell while Becky protected him, but they still hadn''t found anyone else. Until now... Becky was basically lost. But she just kept moving towards the memory of the sound, expecting to hear Mason murdering soon enough. Unfortunately, she wasn''t alone. More cultists and guards came running out of rooms and halls. Some ahead, some behind. All heading in the same direction. A guard soon noticed her and Seamus and stopped with a confused stare. Becky transformed her shield into its mace form, ran up and smashed the bastard straight in his ugly jaw as he scrambled to draw his de. "A palpable hit!" Seamus called. Mostly Becky tried not to look at the damage she''d done. She kept moving, feeling sweat drip down her body at the number of enemies growing just ahead. What the hell was she going to do if they all stopped and turned on her? Or if it wasn''t actually Mason she''d heard? Or if somehow they couldn''t get to each other? No time for any of that now. Her gut told her to keep going. She had her fancy new Aegis protecting Seamus, which meant he was basically as impossible to hurt as she was until the bastards really put some effort in. And if that happened she supposed she''d just have to stop and start charging a Reflective Burst...though she likely only had the mana for one. Maybe two. She kept running and smiled when she heard the sounds of fighting ahead. The inhuman denizens were roaring and shouting and dying. A sure sign of her man. The voice Reba would now know anywhere started shouting. "I''m here! Gather on me!" She tried not to charge headlong without thought, because she was pretty sure she saw a pack of the enemy blocking the hallway, all trying to get to Mason. She slowed to a stop and stared, ncing back to see Seamus was still on her heels, if a little red faced and tired. "I can charge in, or you can...do whatever you do, and we''ll see what''s what." Seamus'' eyes lit with me, his staff appearing again in his hands. "Been itching to test a new power, to be honest. If you could just keep me from being dead, I''d be grateful." Becky nodded and waited, then heard a rather loud ruckus behind before realizing maybe a dozen or more of the cultists had been following them. She winced, about to get in between them and the fire mage before she remembered her new ss power. She hadn''t so much as tested it, but it said it was a damn wall, right? She had no idea how long it wouldst or how much mana it would take, or really anything at all. But there was no time for any of that. She activated Duality of Sanctity and held her ground. A kind of spectral silhouette formed in blue before Becky''s eyes. A cascade of options she didn''t have time for scrolled down her vision, and she almost shut the thing off with a curse. But it seemed like it was pre-set to a basic wall, and all she had to do was pick the spot and size. That seemed obvious enough. Across the entire hallway. All the way to the roof. She swiped at a duration bar that directly corrted to mana drain, using at least half of what she had left. Her body froze for a moment, everything around her glowing with blue light as her shield seemed to turn into a torch. The cultists behind them slowed in obvious concern, pointing as the creatures at the front tried to slow down or stop entirely. A kind of hum filled the air, then the light solidified with a zap, and a translucent blue wallpletely covered the hall a dozen feet or so from Seamus'' position. Becky grinned and punched the air. "Have fun with that," she called, turning back to the Irishman with a grin. "I think we''ll be safe a bit, so y¡¯all can..." Becky squinted and held up a hand as the corridor red with more light. Then the hall filled with the sound of burning, screaming creatures, as mes engulfed practically everything Reba could see. It was warm, even through her personal shield, but she still shivered when she heard the sound of Seamusughing.
Chapter 290: Serious trouble Chapter 290: Serious trouble Phuong had heard the sound of his patron''s lightning echoing down the stairs and some kind of hole in the roof. He turned and ran at full speed to go back, forced to cut down a few guards and cultists that stood in his path. Once back on the floor above, he wasn''t sure where to turn until he heard Mason shouting. He gave up stealth entirely now, running at full Athleticism speed to reach the young man and fight by his side. Together they could find the others. Then he found burnt corpses and grinned. Seamus would be close. He ran past them, following a trail of roasted dead until he found a giant, blue wall and a huge pack of his enemy milling outside. He stopped and stared as they knocked their weapons against it, or pushed on it, seemingly oblivious of how it got there. "There! Behind us!" One of the robed creatures pointed right at Phuong, and a few dozen eyes turned and stared. Phuong ran. He didn''t expect they could catch him with his natural speed, but he also didn''t know where he was running. The one ce he needed to be was directly behind, and he expected he would have as much luck with that wall as the enemy. But there had to be a way around... Phuong raced down the halls trying to keep a map of the ce in his mind. He believed it was a kind of pyramid, with a more or less consistentyout with floors shrinking as they went up. They''d built it in ovepping squares, with only the very edges designed with an obvious nt. The hallways and rooms weren''t consistent, however, and Phuong couldn''t predict if the next would lead him on or if he''d have to... He slid and shuffled to a stop as red eyes met him in the gloom. A huge, partially mummified-looking...giant was lumbering down the hall. It was hunched anding forward like an ape on all fours, skeletal, mammalian head turned to fit beneath the roof. It screeched and opened its toothless jaws, hands gripping the walls as it tried to pull itself forward. Phuong weaved a stun pattern. After countless hours of practice he needed very little time or thought, mind and arm falling into a hurried, familiar routine. Heunched the energy but started moving back, no faith it would actually stop the thing. It did not. Though for a moment the creature at least slowed and seemed a bit confused, followed quickly by enraged. It shrieked again and maybe even increased its speed, and Phuong turned and fled. He realized he was going to have to stop running and start fighting soon. There were guards and robed enemies everywhere, and with that damn wall up it was clear the maze of this ce was increasingly trapping him in. Should he start shouting for help like Mason? He wasn''t so sure. Unlike his young patron he could only take a little punishment before his wounds would ovee him. He was built for speed and damage, for a duel against a single or at least limited targets. He would onlyst so long in a prolonged, narrow battle against a horde. But his situation wasn''t entirely unfamiliar. Phuong had fought and fallen back against a superior foe before. And he had done a great deal of damage. He chose the longest corridors, picking ground he knew rather than risk new rooms and new enemies. Then he ran back towards the mob. They were still chasing, still running ahead as they realized he was running towards them. The guards at the front called a warning, trying to slow and get their spears coordinated before Phuong weaved another stun, following with the moreplicated st. It was a difficult feat, but Phuong¡¯s practice made difficult routine, and both discharged in rapid session. The first knocked their formation apart. The second sted a guard from his feet with a spray of blood. In the confusion Phuong raced forward, shed aside a spear, and took his first head. He shed twice more before leaping back as the spear-tips followed. Then he activated Soul-Slice and cut three spear shafts in a single blow, following with two more cuts before leaping back. The huge beast wasing, so he had a little time. He made a riskier series of cuts, taking a hand and a thigh before dodging another spear thrust at his throat. He could have activated Adrenaline, but the cooldown was significant and he wanted to save it. And it was time to go. The huge creature loomed behind him, so he turned and fled down the side hallway. Next he needed to wound it badly enough to stop or slow it, then use it to block the hall. At least for a little while. But he needed to know how it fought. He rushed forward for a testing stab, expecting the thing to draw back or at least acknowledge the danger in some way. Instead it just reached for him and ignored his sword. Phuong barely had time to pull away as the giant hand reached for his upper body. He dropped and rolled,ing up with a sh that nged off the creature''s limb. Tattered rags and bits of stone fell to the ground, but the creature didn''t seem to notice or care in the slightest. It just kepting forward, hunched and eager, reaching as Phuong desperately scrambled away. He attacked again with Soul-Slice, cutting with his innate de at the creature''s arm again before scrambling down hisst known hall. A piece of something like stone chipped and broke off his foe, but it was no more than a finger. It continued on without the slightest interest. Phuong knew then he was in serious trouble. Whether the undead creature was somehow resistant to his Soul Slice, or simply so powerful he could barely cut it, he wasn¡¯t sure. But he had to run, and hadn¡¯t the slightest idea where he was going. His ''escape'' route might take him into more rooms filled with creatures, or an aptly named dead end. But he had little choice. This creature was beyond him in a straight fight, and his only choice was to be careful and get creative. If he''d had more time he might have cursed hisck of prestige ss, his slow leveling and his safer choices. But chastizing himself wouldn''t help him survive. He ran down the hall, turned for the closest branch, and sped away as fast as possible. With the sound of bone scraping against stone, and the asional unnatural roar, the creature chased. * * * Alexander Ostapovich sat against the cold stone wall, waiting to be killed. It was pretty much the way his father had gone out. Though he supposed this time it would be a mutant priest with a knife, rather than amunist soldier with a gun. History didn''t repeat, he supposed, but it did rhyme. The thought struck him as rather funny. "What''s so funny, ve? Eh? Why the hell is it smiling?" The increasingly unstable, robed creature looked at Alex and then his colleagues with a sheen of sweat on his forehead. "And what is all that racket? Where are the guards you sent to investigate? What is happening?" Alex sighed, and managed to scratch an itch on his bloody nose with his tied up hands. He''d have given his left testicle for a vodka and a cigarette. Considering he¡¯d be dead soon, he¡¯d have given both testicles. "Do you have smoke?" he asked, thinking well why not. He did his best to ape the gesture of a cigar. "Or maybe drink? Forst request, eh? Dying man should get something." "Shut up! Shut up!" The priest''s already crazed eyes bulged. He iled his knife somewhat wildly, pacing before the altar supposedly waiting for Alex''s neck. "I won''t wait any longer. If we''re under attack, then we should ask Daganost for his help. Yes. Yes!" A hideous smile split the creature''s huge mouth, and he stared at Alex with considerable pleasure. "Are you ready for your miserable life to finally have some meaning? You will gain the attention of a god." Alex sighed and settled back against the wall, pretty sure he wasn¡¯t getting that smoke. The priest growled and grabbed him, then gestured for the guards to help when Alex let his weight hang uselessly. He''d regained a little mana and could still shield and heal himself. But he decided to save that for the actual sacrifice attempt. He couldn''t wait to see the look in the creature''s eyes when its first stab failed. It would have to suffice for his final pleasure. "Get him up! Quickly! Oh you stupid, useless ve. I don''t have the time to make you pay for your insolence. Your death will have to be enough." The guards, unfortunately, were quite strong. They had Alex up and on his feet in seconds, then marched him to the altar and ripped open his shirt. Apparently it would be his chest, not his throat. A small stab of fear finally struck home, and Alex clutched his Gaia gifted ne in one of his tied up hands. The thing never did seem to actually do anything. But for some reason it brought himfort, like a good luck charm or even a cross. He wasn''t a man to question pleasurable or otherwise good things, so he just held the pretty ne and took calming breaths. Despite a lifetime of disappointment and cynicism, Alex nced one final time at the entrance to the room, hoping for one of his friends. He was not surprised when he saw nothing. He heard the racket the same as the others, and expected his allies were not far off, even now ughtering the creatures. But he couldn''t get to them. He''d appeared by himself, directly next to several guards and priests who had immediately attacked him and drained most of his mana before capturing him. There wasn''t a thing he could do. Now he would die with as little glory and for as little purpose as he had lived. It was a sobering thought, but Alexander Ostapovich had never really imagined it would be otherwise. Still, he smiled. He had survived the apocalypse, survived the tutorial, and escaped the tyrannical stupidity of his first ''chief'' in Nassau. He had met a woman and enjoyed her quietpany immensely. He had made friends, even some good ones, who might one day have been like family. It wasn''t so bad, all things considered, for a second and maybe third life. And Alexander had never been very afraid of death. "I''ll see you soon, Papa," he whispered in Yiddish as the creatures syed him across the altar. The thought brought himfort, too, and he imagined all the lost rtives he might see again. Was there an afterlife? His family were Jews, though he had never been a believer, and not even his closest friends in his country knew. It was better to keep such things to yourself in this world. "Yes," hissed the priest with a triumphant smile. "Pray to your useless god. Soon, you will see the power of mine." "Nope," said an almost cheery voice, somewhere behind the priest. "You''re both wrong." A familiar, almost translucent de went straight through the priest''s back with a spray of blood. The creature looked down with horror, reaching for the de before its eyes rolled back and it dropped where it stood. Carl appeared from nowhere, next to the door with his knife raised as he charged the guards. They roared and went to meet him. And another Carl started murdering them from behind. Alex let out a long, held breath. He prepared to shield the man with what little mana he had left, but didn''t expect to need to. Then he nced at the ceiling, and with a bit of surprise, felt the urge to thank at least two gods.
Chapter 291: We might get lucky Chapter 291: We might get lucky Carl stared into his Simcrum''s eyes and winced. It was always a little creepy to see some kind of temporary version of yourself, or to wonder if this version had any kind of thoughts. Or how the hell it exactly worked. He didn''t ''control'' it. It was more like it was literally him, and knew exactly what he intended, and therefore did exactly that. Which meant the power¡¯s creator had to somehow make a version of him, or at least something that shared his brain, and didn''t require conscious thought at all. This was not aforting idea to contemte. "Yes I''m fine," said Alex, still strapped to the stone altar. "No hurry. Please. Take your time. Untieter." "Right." Carl cleared his throat and cut the ropes with his knife without feeling resistance. He nced around at the room full of corpses, listened for more attackers, then helped Alex to his feet. The man was a little worse for wear, but seemed alright. "Thanks." Alex grinned a little, which for the Brussian was basically a full-toothed smile. "Very close." "Oh, not really," Carl said with a shrug and a grin of his own. "I''d been watching for awhile. Thought maybe they''d say something useful." Alex red, and Carl couldn''t help butugh. Of course the truth was it had been incredibly close. He''d only arrived because he was looking for Mason, following the sound of his lightning as he moved invisibly through the halls with Reflection. Then he''d heard some voices and checked into the room as much on whim as anything, finding Alex already strapped to the altar. "Can you walk?" he asked, and the stoic man nodded and straightened up with a few cracks, pops, and groans. "Careful, though, yes? Mana is low." "Oh that''s no problem," Carl grinned again. "I won''t be getting any attention." Alex winced as he looked away, his brain working a bit before he nced back. "I will be bait." "Think of it this way," Carl said, pping his arm. "With all that racket, we might get lucky, and they''ll just ignore youpletely." The Brusian stared with his now familiar, nk expression, clearly finding the idea of getting ''lucky'' ridiculous. "Well." Carl cleared his throat. "Probably Mason will have killed most of them before we get there." Alex seemed to consider this, then gave a nod. They walked into the corridor, and Alex put his flower ne around his neck and maybe mumbled a prayer. Then he started walking down the corridor as Alex turned on Reflection and vanished against the wall. * * * "Help us!" Mason crushed another guard into the stone wall with a kick, then turned at the sound of Reba''s voice. Streak didn''t need any instruction. With a growl he released histest victim and charged towards the pack of enemies between him and the voice. With Fang Brothers active, the wolf had all of Mason''s innates and passives. How exactly Transformation and Duality of Strength effected him Mason had no idea. But it was clear the wolf cared about taking damage even less than Mason did. And probably even sought it out... It was also clear he smashed cultists and guards like a canine wrecking ball. Mason followed in his wake, shing at spears, arms and necks, really anything that stuck out. Between the two of them they took half a dozen stab wounds, but neither much cared. Mason had Shared Pain running and dripped with old blood, his wounds closing too fast to be bothered. He was kind of thirsty, though. "We''reing!" he shouted, bashing a Sleeved forearm into a cultist''s ugly face then ducking a spear tip. He came up shing and cut off at least the thing''s jaw, but didn''t bother to slow down and look. Streak was throwing his weight back and forth and biting at anything that got too close, and within seconds what had seemed a mob of enemies shrank and moved aside to let them pass. "Where is your courage!" shouted a particrly incensed cultist, foaming from his huge, round mouth and refusing to back down. Streak body checked him on the way by, and Mason cut off most of his head. Then they were through, and could see a giant, blue wall blocking the corridor ahead, and arge cluster of charred corpses at their feet. Becky and Seamus were side by side, bashing and sting another horde of the guards and cultists. "Where the hell are they alling from?" Mason grumbled. Not that it really mattered. His heart leapt at finding Becky but he kept that locked behind practicality. "Have you seen any others?" he shouted, and Becky met his eyes a moment and shook her head. She looked unharmed, and so did Seamus. In fact the fire wizard looked like a kid doing especially well at his favorite video game, jutting his staff andughing as he especially lit the robed cultists on fire. Mason and Streak finished their way through, spraying blood until the guards turned and ran the other direction. Then for a blissful moment the yers were all safe and panting, smiling a little as they nodded to each other, and Mason pulled Becky in for a hug. "Ew, yerpletely covered in blood and...I think stab marks?" "I''ll..." "...heal, I know. But good God don''t y¡¯all ever...I don''t know...duck?" Mason shrugged and gestured vaguely at Streak. He''d dodged plenty, thank you very much. And deflected quite a lot, too. The wolf on the other hand... "Can you put down that wall?" he said. "I don''t think the others are back that way. I checked most of the corridors except the main one. Also, there''s a giant...undead creature chasing me. It''s slow, but it''s stilling. I think we want that way." He gestured through the barrier and Reba frowned. "Um, maybe? I ain''t never actually used it before...maybe if I just...concentrate...or...I dunno..." Becky seemed to try a few things mentally before she threw up her hands. "I don''t see anythin'' that would." She went a little pink. "I don''t think I can, ya''ll. Sorry." "Walls break," Mason said with a shrug, then started shing. His des left little dents and scars, but after a few hits it was pretty clear he''d be there awhile. Like maybe days. "So, uh, how long did you say it wouldst?" "Umm," her eyes zed, face still fighting the flush of embarrassment. "Quite awhile¡­ain''t there another way around? I mean, I saw a lot of hallways. This ce is like a maze, so maybe..." "It''s a square, basically," Mason said, having seen enough to get the idea. "I''m pretty sure we''re inside a pyramid. There might be a sneaky way around but I didn''t see anything obvious. So we might just..." The ''creature'' that had been following Mason let out another horrifying scream. Its echoes bounced along the corridor, repeating the terrible noise again and again as Mason and all the other yers turned. They couldn''t see far in the gloom, no doubt, but Mason saw the thing clearly. Cultists and guards were swarming around the thing like infantry behind a tank. "Toote," he said, banishing his ws as he summoned his bow. "With me, Seamus. Start unleashing everything you''ve got. Becky, just wait until it''s close. You have enough mana for a burst?" "One," she said, stepping behind him with her shield, putting her free hand on his back. "OK," he said, flipping through his Endless Quiver. "Stay calm. There''s nowhere to go and nothing else to think about. We kill it. We kill them all." His own words practically brought a smile to his face. No matter how he tried to convince himself otherwise, maybe the truest thing he''d learned since the world went to shit was that he enjoyed the mindless danger of a fight. No running, no negotiating, no bullshit. No useless words or posturing. Just a simple test of reality¡ªwho could kill who first? His mana was getting lower but he still had plenty of arrows before he was dry. He wasn''t sure what the effective range truly was on this elven bow but it was definitely time to find out. He pulled back the string in a smooth motion as far as he thought it capable, then released a fire arrow, hoping the light would help the others see. The bow made a satisfying thrum, and the arrow streaked with incredible speed. He''d shot high, wanting some space to sink, hoping to just skirt the top of the hall. The damn thing hardly arced. It kept its power, finally striking the undead...giant ape...somewhere in the chest. It didn''t so much as groan. "What in the name of Christ is that," Seamus said, holding up his staff. Mason didn''t bother to answer. He just pulled back his bow and loosed a Power Shot, then a Crippling Strike, cycling through arrows and targets as he turned on Hunter''s Mark. Unsurprisingly, the giant¡­ape-skeleton-mummy, didn''t have a lot of soft spots. In fact it didn''t have any at all except for its joints, which only a desperate motivational speaker might refer to as ''soft''. Mason was pretty confident his arrows weren''t going to do much until it got good and close. "Burn that damned giant," he said, to Seamus. "Give it everything you''ve got." "Aye, chiefy," said the fire wizard, his eyes and staff both starting to glow. "Just don''t say old Seamus never did anything for ya." Mason ignored him and kept shooting. But he went a little easy now, and mostly dropped the guards and cultists running out ahead. Seamus'' channel went on quite awhile. When it finally finished the stink of arcane power wafted over everything. The air crackled and glowed, and a huge, floating bonfire appeared before the wizard. And . A few guards and cultists threw themselves out of its path. Another one failed and basically incinerated as the thing flew right on through him. It struck the giant with a huge explosion, fire crackling and sparking a range from bright orange to dark blue before it faded. The giant emerged from the smoke without slowing, its skeleton literally glowing. Dead or dying guards and cultistsy all around it crying out in agony. But the huge undead creature just kept lumbering on. Mason took a deep breath, and summoned his ws.
Chapter 292: This is getting ridiculous Chapter 292: This is getting ridiculous Phuong stood panting at another door, waiting for his abilities to recharge. Then he activated Adrenaline and opened it. Several more guards sat around a table, ory on small cots. He¡¯d heard them inside and knew it would be a vicious fight. It seemed the whole area was some kind of barracks. Every room was another fight, and already he dripped with blood. Not all of it his enemies''. The world slowed as he activated his power, and he charged and shed open the throat of the closest at the table, cutting another deep cut into the next from shoulder to gut before the room reacted. Most of the guards here weren''t wearing their armor. They rose up with knives and small swords, others grabbing spears from the wall. They were decent fighters. To fight them so brazenly again and again would eventually mean a mistake and serious injury, and possibly Phuong''s death. But he had to keep moving, to outrun the giant creature still following behind. He had to find the others. He weaved another stun/st at enhanced speed, smashing two spear-armed guards across the room. Then he made short work of two others armed with des. Their small swords didn''t have enough reach, and their wielders didn''t have enough speed to fight Phuong. They needed shields to have a chance, or a longer weapon like a spear. Phuong saved his other powers, relying on skill and speed to handle the rest. In less than a minute the guards ally dead or dying. Phuong was again untouched. He took slow, deep breaths, and closed his eyes. "Move," he ordered himself, then jogged to the next door. He had nearly lost his frame of reference in the maze-like halls entirely. Everywhere just seemed like another passage to another door, or another crossroads. After half a lifetime of fighting in jungles and urban sprawl, Phuong was legitimately lost. As he ran through the corridors he saw shes of his first battle, getting lost and too afraid to shout his position for fear of the enemy, and for fear of being shot by his own. There had been so much gunfire. He couldn''t tell where it came from, too green at the time to distinguish between his own people''s weapons and the enemies. It was as if the sound was all around him, trapping him, suffocating him. "If you get lost," said his first training officer, "stop moving. Climb a tree and wait. Don''t go running like a fool through the jungle." He''d eventually remembered and done as he was trained, and so he''d survived. But he couldn''t stop now. Whether real or imagined, he heard that creature like the gunfire of his first battle, screeching and sliding itself across the stone. He tried tricking it. He killed guards and dragged them to one hall then turned and fled down another. It followed correctly. He built a mound of corpses clogging half the corridor, intending to fill the whole damn thing until he ran out of time. He thought maybe the thing might be confused, thinking it had found a wall or...who knew. But it simply pushed through the bodies like a bulldozer, crushing flesh and bone, tossing corpses and barely slowing down. Phuong kept running. Down one long corridor he loosed power after power, weaving stuns and sts again and again as he''d done so many times in practice, striking the thing a dozen times before they crossed the hall. It did almost nothing. He''d been forced to run through the next room without fighting, stirring up another group of cultists who now chased him along with the creature. His hands were shaking, his mind and muscles tiring. Still, he had seen no way to reach Mason without going back towards that blue wall. However far he went it seemed like the floor simply took him down another passage that led nowhere useful. Eventually he found more stairs down, and paused. It seemed the only way. Yet he knew at least Mason and maybe Reba (if that wall had been hers) were here on this floor. But for all he knew he had to go down to get around, and could possiblye up with a different set of stairs to reach the others. The idea exhausted him. A stubborn, vaguely insane piece of him was tired of running from a stronger foe as he had done nearly all his time at war. He wanted to turn and face the thing, to show he was not afraid. But you are afraid, he thought, angry at this truth. He thought he had been ready to die. And when he thought about this it was not the idea of dying that frightened him. It was the loss of this new life. He had found a young woman and rekindled something he thought long dead. He had made friends and allies who needed him. And he had found a long-lost son who needed him, though the young man did not know Phuong was his father. He didn''t want to die before he got the chance to tell him. To protect and teach him. He gripped the handle of his sword and turned, wiping sweat from his eyes. What he wouldn''t have given for a grenade. But the de would have to do. He needed a n, however, some way to actually hurt the thing. Perhaps it had a weak spot¡ªsome kind of magical core that gave it life. He would move fast, faster than ever before, and hack until he found it. Soul-Slice hadn¡¯t worked well, but at least it had done something. He waited and tried to find calm, heart still quick when the thing finally arrived. Phuong fought against his raging pulse, moving forward with a cry to bolster his courage. His enemy didn''t look impressed. It just screeched again and lumbered along, hunched and sliding bone against stone as it moved its enormous body through the corridor. Phuong went straight in. He dodged its grasping hands and sliced at the thing''s ribs and hips, scoring three shes before falling back with a roll. He saw dust fly and maybe a tiny piece of bone chipped off the creature. But that was all. It screeched and grabbed for him, and Phuong kept backing away, shing its hands. He used Soul Slice and took off another chunk of finger. He weaved a stun/st and knocked it back, darting in again for another two, three, four shes on ribs and legs before darting back out. This time he''d cut off enough of the mummy-like bandage to see nothing beneath but more bone. It had no obvious ''heart''. No kind of magical gem or inner fire or mechanical parts. It was just a giant skeleton with no physical exnation for its movement, no obvious sign of weakness or vulnerability. He''d try the skull next, he decided. But he would have to literally jump off the wall or the huge body of his enemy to reach it properly. After another re-charge of his stun, he decided. Except he was at the stairs now and forced to descend. The animated skeleton shuffled along after him, mostly sliding itself, feet toorge to fit on the steps. His powers re-charged, and Phuong attacked. He weaved a stun to keep the thing slow, sending anothernce of energy before jumping off the wall with a two-handed strike at the creature''s jaw. He struck. And practically cheered as the bone snapped. The skeletal face drooped as its head knocked back. As Phuongnded he considered making another leap to try and finish the job right there. Something struck him hard from the side. The giant had knocked him with a knee, and as he pulled back in a surprised daze it managed to wrap a hand around his leg. He screamed as it squeezed. The other hand wasing and Phuong considered cutting off his own leg to free himself. But he knew the blood loss would kill him, and he still couldn''t escape. He hacked at the fingers, the wrist, the forearm, roaring in trapped rage as the other hand reached for his upper body. A purplish-blue light red. The skeletal fingers expanded off his flesh, pressing as if against a huge, stic bag. Phuong blinked in surprise. Then the hand holding his leg twitched and rxed, ttering as it thumped to the ground. Carl appeared beside them, his vicious de having cut straight through the bone in a single swipe. "Oh, that felt good. Hold him off, old man! I''ll hide, er warp, er, look just don''t get killed. I need a second!" Phuong fought the hopencing through his chest. He nodded and kicked his way free of the hand, weaving another stun for the giant and fearing he¡¯d failed before the energy sizzled and struck. The ape wavered and staggered slightly, but it didn''t seem very concerned about the loss of its hand. It slid forward and seemed to shatter what must have been Alex''s shield, swinging its handless bone like a club. Energy sizzled as Phuong hit it with another desperate stun. As usual it didn''t do much, but enough to knock the thing back for a moment, giving Phuong the time to sh at its knees several times and fall back again. The skeleton screeched through its broken jaw, using the walls to help pull itself forward again. This time it stumbled. Carl''s glowing de swiped and emerged like aser in the dark, spraying bone dust as it sliced chunk after chunk of the creature''s legs and back from the other side. Like a surgeon, Carl ripped the skeleton''s ''body'' apart. All the while the giant came at Phuong without the slightest interest, reaching like some mindless automaton for its target as its frame lost more and more movement. Finally, it copsed to the ground, unable to move itself except by dragging with its remaining arm. Carl walked up its back and spun his de, giving Phuong a raised eyebrow as if to ask, ''Would you like the honors?'' Phuong shook his head and sagged to the floor, groaning at the pain in his leg. "Just kill the bastard." ¡°Technically, it¡¯s undead. So I¡¯m not really killing so much as destroying. But¡­¡± Carl winced at Phuong¡¯s stare. ¡°Right. Killing now.¡± Carl shed his de across the spine, needing a few swipes to sever the skeleton''s skull. Phuong half expected it to keeping. But the body froze and finally behaved like a skeleton should, lyingpletely still on the floor. As it ''died'', a humming sound grew in the dark hall, and a greenish ''circle'' appeared beside it. Alex and Carl picked their way over the dead skeleton and knelt next to Phuong, both men with grins "Oh man, we saved your ass big time," Carl said with a slight fist pump. "You''re calling me ''ssassin'' now. For like a month. At least." Phuong put his head against the cool stone and let out a breath as Alex started to heal his leg a little. He pat his friend''s hand in thanks and sighed. "I need a prestige ss. This is getting ridiculous."
Chapter 293: A test Chapter 293: A test Mason dropped to the ground and groaned. He was all burnt to hell, particrly his hands, which he''d eventually used to just pull the damn skeleton apart. "Oh my God, are you alright? And don''t you just say you''ll heal! I mean are you OK?" The giant skeleton had finally stopped moving. As it died, a swirling green...portal, appeared beside the corpse. Mason didn''t know much about anything, but he was pretty sure they were supposed to go through. "I''m alright," he said, clenching his teeth as his charred skin and bashed and crushed body healed. Turned out wrestling a giant skeleton wasn''t made any more fun when its bones were as hot as an oven. "Sorry, chiefy," Seamus said with a crinkled nose. "But you did tell me to give it everything I had." "I did," Mason agreed, putting his head back with a groan. On the plus side, somewhere between getting burnt and crushed, his Transformation and Duality of Strength had started juicing him up. By the end of his wrestling match, he''d had the strength to break the impossibly strong bones off with his hands and a few good hits. His limbs still practically hummed with power. "I shielded you best I could," Becky said. "My new aegis is amazin'', I ain''t gonna lie, and I love it. But it takes a minute to switch it up to a new person. Should''a realized that." Streak tried to chew on the giant, over-heated skeleton. He smacked his lips and stuck out his tongue, making a slight whining sound as he nced at Mason. "What the hell do you want me to do? Go eat a cultist, I don''t know. No I''m not dumping water on it. No I''m...God damnit Streak." Mason shook his head and stared at the glowing circle. "Seamus, can you tell me anything about this thing?" The fire mage''s eyes zed and he shrugged. "It''s real. And it''ll whisk us off somewhere. That''s about all I know." "We need to find the others," Mason said. "I expect Carl could kill one of these," he gestured, "but it might not be pretty. And the others would be fucked." There were still some cultists and guards milling about down the hall. But mostly they stared at the dead giant skeleton with wide eyes and horrified expressions. It seemed fighting the people who could kill their favorite undead pet was not something that appealed to them. Second portal activated, intoned a robotic, god-like voice from above. Please enter in five minutes or less, or your teleportation will be randomized. "I doubt that would be good," Mason said and let out a breath. He started counting. "I''m going to use four of those five minutes to heal. Then we go. I suggest you both take a moment to collect yourselves. I''m guessing a second portal means Carl cut up some giant bones. We''ll have to hope the others are with him." Becky sat down next to Mason and put her head on his shoulder. He kissed her hair and closed his eyes, just after seeing Seamus hop back and forth like a boxer, jabbing his staff at the air. When he''d counted to about two-fifty he forced himself to his feet, lifting Becky with him. "OK," he said, clicking for Streak. "Whatever''s on the other side of this thing, be ready. Move your aegis back to Seamus, Becky." "Already done," she said, and he grinned. "See you on the other side." He put a hand on Streak''s neck, feeling the wolf''s fear, probably because the portal looked a little like the ''fends''. He was ready to drag him if necessary, but as he stepped forward the creature seemed a little bolstered. He stepped into the portal. * * * Mason appeared in a jungle like he''d walked through an open door. There was no world-vanishing or his senses being ovee. It was literally as if he''d simply stepped from a hole in the pyramid into a ce filled with trees and foliage covering the ground. "It''s bloody hot," said Seamus, apparently right behind him. "You''d think a man immune to fire wouldn''t be bothered by a bit of sun. Makes no bloody sense, really." Streak growled a low warning and Mason raised a hand for silence. He sniffed the air, trying not to be overwhelmed by the scent of life in every direction. He heard a gentle breeze in the canopy, the shrieks and squawks of birds all around and above them. But he finally caught what put Streak on edge. "I smell blood. Follow," he whispered, ncing just to make sure Becky was with them. She nodded and kept a hand on his back. He''d been hoping maybe Carl, Phuong and Alex woulde out right beside them. But it was definitely a faint hope. They trekked through the jungle with wary eyes, Mason mostly focusing on what he could see and hear and letting Streak do the scent. They soon heard voices up ahead. One speaking quickly, urgently, and with fear in the voice. A few shouts. Then silence. Mason readied his bow, though the jungle was so thick he expected a decent shot might be difficult. Now that he was out in the open he practically shivered with pleasure at the feel of his powers returning, or improving, or getting more efficient. With Nassau now counting as ''natural'', and his time outside in the forest or the ins, Mason very rarely experienced being in a ''non-natural'' setting. He preferred not to do it at all, and it was a definite problem forter in the game if he had no choice. But he supposed one had to ept some drawbacks for the sheer power his sses seemed to give him in the right situation. The voices were quiet but still going, and soon became clear. Mason was about to make Seamus and Becky wait when he remembered Strength of the Pack and practically pped himself. In theory, it gave his ''group'' members some minor benefit from all his passives and innates. He doubted it would let them summon a bow, but they might get ess to some minor benefit from his Sleeves. He activated the power, and nced at Becky. "Feel any...different?" She shrugged, then blinked as if confused. Mason noticed her eyes seemed to shine with a dull green light, and couldn''t help but grin. "Oh, lord," she said, staring at herself as hardly visible swirls of vine and leaves moved up her forearms. "Keep out of sight," Mason said. "As long as you''re touching the trees you should be a little harder to see. I''ll go take a look, just sit tight." Becky nodded as Seamus for some reason pulled out his pants and looked at his crotch. "No changes there," he muttered, and Mason rolled his eyes as he crept forward with Streak. The main, urgent sounding voice got clearer and clearer. He started to smell smoke now, too, but hadn''t seen any sign before and expected they''d just lit a me. When he found a small clearing in the jungle alongside a creek, the picture got a little clearer. A man in dark, wildly inappropriate robes for the hot jungle was tied to a tree with his hands above his head. A dozen, half-naked, men with what looked like...bird wings, were building a fire at his feet. "You must listen to me, my friends," said the robed figure, who looked more or less like a dark-skinned, dark-haired, bearded human. "I beg you again, for your souls and mine. You must give up the evil gods who teach you to kill, and to consume the flesh of trespassers. You know in your hearts it is wrong. How would you feel if a stranger took your children and did this? What would you say to them?" "I''d say nothing, stupid man, I''d cut out his heart," hissed one of the winged men. Most of the others snorted, but the one building the fire growled as if they shouldn''t speak. Mason winced, but for the moment just watched. Obviously this was some kind of test. Everything in this damned new world was a test, and Mason had never particrly been fond of them in the old world. No doubt ke would have considered it from every angle and figured out what made the most sense. The prick should have been here to figure out that damn pyramid, to help find the others, to help figure out the portals or the images or something. Mason ground his teeth and tried to bury his anger. He felt they''d missed something in that strange ce but he had no idea what. It was toote to figure it out now, and frustration didn''t help him. He had to sort this out with the tools he had. Which meant the other yers, his own abilities, and he supposed his intuition. It wasn''t always right, but it had at least helped keep him alive so far. And his intuition told him to save this man. That''s how he''d have felt in the ''real'' world. If in the real world he had super powers, and stumbled onto a fantasy preacher with some fantasy cannibals. He took a long, suffering breath, and stepped out into the clearing.
Chapter 294: We both kept our word Chapter 294: We both kept our word Mason stepped into the small break in the trees and cleared his throat. "Alright," he said. "You''ve had your fun. Now untie him and leave him alone." The ''birdmen'' turned and stared or flinched in surprise, some lifting surprisingly well-made spears or bows. Mason just stood there and gave them a moment to inspect him and the giant wolf beside him. "Who are you?" said what looked to be the eldest, his dark eyes assessing with obvious intelligence. "A scarier thing than you. So just do what I tell you, and everyone leaves alive." A few of the winged men smirked or scoffed, a few raised eyebrows. But their leader didn''t look amused. "You are either a madman, or very dangerous. Or perhaps both." "Likely," Mason agreed. "Now off you go. That fire looks like it''s growing." "I cannot just leave," said the older warrior with a frown. "Not without knowing. It would...diminish me." Mason sensed around him with Speak with Nature for the closest dying tree. Then he turned and threw his whole body into a brutal punch. With Duality of Strength still tingling through his body, and the speed of his strike, his fist smashed straight through the small trunk. With a giant crack the thing shook and toppled, crashing against a few other trunks before getting caught in enough vines it just hung in the air. The men stared with shocking calm. But then Mason supposed he wasn''t really an expert on fantasy bird men culture. "Don''t hurt them, stranger, please!" shouted the robed man. It¡­wasn''t exactly what Mason was expecting. "Sorry, uh, Guy-about-to-be-burnt-alive, you''re worried about them?" "I am here to teach them on behalf of my god. He of renewal, god of life. Please, they know not what they do. You must not kill them. My survival is unimportant." Mason shook his head. He looked at the bird man leader, who still watched him with those intelligent, curious eyes. "Well that''s great,¡± Mason said, ¡°because I don''t think your survival is likely." The priest clenched his jaw, his eyes zed with the courage of a fanatic. "Then that is the will of God." "No,¡± Mason sighed, ¡°I''m pretty sure it would be the will of...?" "Diaman," said the sharp-eyed bird man, apparently still not phased at Mason''s tree smash. "Right. Well, boys, I don''t have all day. So how many of you do we figure I need to beat to a pulp before we decide I''m not a madman?" The winged leader actually grinned. "I think two should be adequate." "Two?" Mason shrugged then rolled his shoulders. "A little offensive. But fair enough. I''ll use my hands, and leave the wolf. ''Non-lethal'' isn¡¯t really part of his skill set. Let¡¯s get to it." "What the hell was that crash? And what''s all this?" Becky and Seamus had apparently ignored his order to stay put. Mason sighed as the bird-men lifted their weapons again with increasing suspicion and concern. "Don''t worry about them," Mason said, gesturing them back. "A good, honest fight, you have my word. You win, you roast the idiot. I win, you let him go. Fair enough?" "Agreed." The bird-man leader looked increasingly pleased, which was slightly concerning. He turned his head and whistled. "Asan. Diax." Thumping sounds came from the trees. Then the huge forms of two giant...apes emerged, to a growing number of grins from the bird men. They were at least ten, maybe twelve feet tall, with hairy bodies and thick arms that stuck forward as the creatures walked. Their heads were somewhere between man and ape, and Mason couldn''t help but think of the giant skeletons he''d just seen in the pyramid... "As you say," said their leader. "A good, honest fight. Whenever you''re ready, stranger." "No, it''s not funny," Mason mumbled as Streak closed his eyes and wolfughed, then sagged down against a tree to watch. Mason waved Becky away. "It''s fine. Just...wait over there. And no shields." "Yessir," she said, rolling her eyes, muttering something about men. Mason cracked his knuckles and walked towards the giant apes. * * * Turned out giant ape skeletons were a lot faster when they had fleshy bits. And also clever-er. Mason assumed his opponents would rush right up and start hulk-smashing (yes, ke, he knew who the hulk was). Instead they exchanged an inscrutable look and circled him, clearly intending to get a threat on either side. Mason wasn¡¯t about to allow that. He charged the closest ape, his eyes up and posture high, as if he intended to leap up at the thing for some kind of strike to the head or upper body. Then he shifted and went at big boy''s leg. If he was trying to really cripple or kill the creatures, he would have used Predator''s Strike and aimed at the knee. But, for now, he was hoping to leave them without permanent damage. He aimed up and smashed his fist at a good three-quarters strength straight into the ape''s thigh, and scored at least a ncing hit. The giant ape growled and fell back in pain, and Mason grinned. Then it smashed him with a back-hand using such violent speed he barely managed to get his Sleeves up. His feet left the ground, and he flew a good six feet, just turning in time to get his Sleeves up to take another uppercut from ape number two. This one he caught before flying away, activating Hunter¡¯s Mark. The ape pulled him back with its fist, obviously surprised, which only increased as Mason released, dropped to the ground, and punched it straight between the legs. The ape stumbled with a very human-like groan, staggering a few steps before copsing to the ground, where ity down writhing. "Sorry big guy," Mason said as he turned. "But I''d really like to get this wrapped up before..." The other ape came in with one fist beating its chest, mouth open in a toothy snarl. It lurched with both hands just like the damn skeletons. But with three times the speed and ferocity. Mason activated Aspect of the Cheetah and bolted sideways, tumbling out of the thing''s grasp by a hair. It only had time for a quick growl of protest before its speed and weight sent it staggering forward. It reached out grasping, then lost its bnce and fell. But was up just as quick and ready for more. Except Mason was gone. He''d pushed himself against a tree and activated his Sleeves. Big apes had pretty good vision, so Mason waited, totally still, as the thing moved forward sniffing and ncing at the bird-men as if to say ''Did he run away?'' Fortunately they''d seemed to have lost track of him, too. The other ape was slowly picking himself up, and Mason couldn''t help but sigh. He really didn''t want this to turn into a ''apes smash Mason until his passives ovee'' type situation. First of all, it would fucking hurt, and be fairly gross. And second, Reba was watching. And third¡­actually it was mostly just the first thing. So he started channeling most of his remaining mana into a lightning bolt. As the energy built, the standing ape warrior seemed to sense something was wrong. He made a very ape-like shriek of concern, turning back and forth and sniffing the air before shrinking back towards the trees. Mason sted his bolt at the thing¡¯s feet, expecting most of the st wouldn¡¯t actually hurt it. The creature screamed in primal terror and fled. Mason stepped out from his tree and exchanged a good, long look with the other, groin-battered ape. It growled and showed its teeth, looked after its fleeing fellow, then dropped back to the ground and grunted in defeat. ¡°You cheated,¡± said the bird man leader, an unhappy expression on his face. ¡°You said two of you. I said I''d fight unarmed. I''d say we both kept our word,¡± Mason said with a shrug. Eventually the bird man grinned. ¡°Cut him loose. And put out the fire.¡± The others warriors rolled their eyes and went to obey. ¡°Wait,¡± said their leader, ncing at the jungle canopy. ¡°We built the thing. May as well use it. Come,¡± he gestured at Mason and the other yers. ¡°Sit. And eat with us.¡± He winked at the priest. ¡°We can find something else to cook.¡± Mason couldn¡¯t help but like the man a little. In a few minutes they were all sitting around the fire as one of the warriors cooked something like eggnt, then something simr to the grouse (or ¡®stupid-birds¡¯) in the great forest. The idiot priest sat about as close to Mason as he seemedfortable with, obviously sweating grotesquely in his robes. The bird-men seemed to recognize his difort and offered him some water, which he drank desperately. ¡°Thank you, my friend,¡± said the priest a little whileter. ¡°But¡­why did you save me?¡± Mason sighed, knowing he needed to get a little smarter about this. He nced at the priest and the birdmen and spoke loud enough to be heard. ¡°I think your god sent me.¡± The birdman captain raised a brow at Mason¡¯s words, looking for the joke and not finding it. ¡°Truly?¡± The priest blinked and stared, his voice low with wonder. ¡°I can''t think of a single other exnation,¡± Mason said withplete honesty. ¡°We were sent exactly here. Exactly now.¡± The priest made some kind of religious gesture and clutched some symbol in a fist. ¡°Blessed be The Lifegiver. Blessed be Hising and the visions He inspires.¡± ¡°You serve his god?¡± asked the leader, still obviously surprised. Mason winced and took a moment before he answered. ¡°Apparently.¡± The bird captain snorted. ¡°Excuse me, but you don''t seem¡­very faithful.¡± ¡°My God¡­¡± Mason did his best to hold back the bitterness, ¡°he doesn¡¯t need¡­enthusiasm.¡± The man¡¯s toothy grin cracked across his weathered face. ¡°Your god must be more powerful than we thought,¡± he said towards the priest, ¡°to have servants such as these.¡± ¡°He truly is,¡± said the priest,ing alive with interest. ¡°What did you say his name was? We have many gods here.¡± ¡°The Lifegiver,¡± said the priest, clutching his charm and closing his eyes with something like pleasure. ¡°God of life. God of renewal. The Everliving. Nephus.¡± Mason nced at Becky and Seamus, remembering the old man¡¯s words at the top of the pyramid. The Nephi. Save the Nephi. The bird man and priest didn¡¯t notice the exchange, their own attentions on the fire or on preaching. The bird man shrugged and gestured for his men toe and deal with the fire, indicating he was ready to go. ¡°The old king cut off the head of thest foreign priest who came here. I was only a boy, but I remember the execution.¡± He stood and rubbed his hands together to clean off some grease, then shrugged. ¡°Bute, if you wish. And bring your warriors. Perhaps with the prince you will do better.¡±
Chapter 295: The floating city Chapter 295: The floating city Mason followed the bird and ape men with the young priest he''d saved, not really sure he should. First of all, he still had no idea where Carl and the others were. Second, he wasn''t actually sure why he should care about this priest anyway. All he had was that the man professed to worship ¡®Nephus¡¯, and an intuitive sense that he should. And of course apleteck of any other ideas or n on how to ''save the Nephi''. Only when he thought of the word again did he blink and nce at the priest. He lowered his voice and whispered. "So...what are the worshipers of Nephus called? Nephites? Nephus'' witnesses? Nephilim? Nephi?" "Oh." The young man put a hand to his hairless chin. "Well. I hadn''t thought about that." He looked for the first time maybe slightly...hesitant? "Technically, there are not currently worshipers of Nephus. He''s a very new god. Only recently created to fill the void left by..." "Wait.¡± Mason put a hand to his face. ¡°How can a life god be ''new''?" He saw the priest was ready to exin and held up a hand. "Nevermind. What do you mean there aren¡¯t worshipers? Where did youe from?" "Technically..." the priest shrugged and looked up as if thinking. "Counting myself. There is only one. Though it appears now he has some servants.¡± Here the man smiled and nodded towards the yers. Mason blinked, no idea what to make of that. Even if followers of this ''Nephus'' were what the game meant by ''Nephi''. How the hell was Mason supposed to save them¡­when there weren¡¯t any? "And you''re here..." he said slowly, lowering his voice even more, "to convert...these people? Why these people? I mean...why not start in some nice, peaceful vige? You picked a jungle full of...man eating..." Mason tossed up a hand. "Because these people need Nephus most," said the priest, his face losing any doubt. "Because it is why he came to me in the first ce. They are to be his guardians. They are to build and defend his temple." Mason nodded like that wasn''t all insane. How long was he going to be in here? Did he need to help convert a city? Help them build a temple? Protect them? He couldn''t imagine that was the case, and yet...the same intuition that had him walking beside this ''prophet'' made him think that was exactly what he was supposed to do. "Did Nephus speak to you, also?" said the priest, searching Mason''s eyes. "Did he truly send you to protect me?" Mason did his best to keep his shoulders from sagging in defeat. "Yes. Yes he did." The priest made some kind of holy gesture again, taking Mason''s hand. "Bless His wisdom, and your strength, my friend. And yourpanions." "There''s more of us," Mason said. "Three more. We''ve...lost them somewhere in the jungle." "Have no fear, my friend," the priest smiled. "He has brought us together. He will bring them, too. Have no doubt." Mason was rather filled with doubt. He let the man walk on ahead, moving back towards Becky and Seamus. He noticed plenty of the bird men watching him from the corners of their eyes, and hoped they weren''t just intending to ambush them as soon as they had more men. But there wasn''t much he could do except be ready to fight. He exined the whole ''Nephus'' situation to the others, and got pretty much the reaction he expected. "He has to convert them?" Becky''s green eyes widened. "How long will that take?" Mason shrugged helplessly. "Tell him to offer them a bunch of virgins," Seamus said, then met their eyes when they stared. "What? It works! Hell I thought I might convert myself with them Arab boys a few years back, just couldn''t on ount of all the praying and whatnot, plus I love pork, and..." "Seamus. Let''s leave the prophet to his converting. We''re just going to keep him alive. When we get wherever we''re going, which I assume is some kind of vige, we''ll see how dangerous it is then maybe I''ll go look for the others. Any questions?" There were none, so after a ''can I leave you with him?'' sort of nce at Becky, and an affirmative nod, he wandered back towards his new prophet and the dangerous creatures all around him. "They say we are close to their homnd," the priest said with a grin. "I must say, I''m very excited to see the floating city." Mason felt his eyebrows raise, and he nced again at the essentially loin-cloth wearing hunters. "You''re telling me...the half-naked guys with the giant apes, who were about to roast you, have a floating city?" The priest blinked. "Of course they do." "And you are confident¡­¡±Mason said slowly, ¡°after letting you see this mystical floating city, buried deep in a jungle¡­they are simply going to¡­let you leave? Alive?" Here the priest shook his head as if Mason''s question was some kind of joke. When he realized it wasn''t, his eyes moved back and forth. "I have no intention of leaving, my friend. This quest will take me the remainder of my life." Mason nodded along, trying not to panic, or pray for the remainder of that life to be rather short. Instead he said nothing, mind lost in thought as he followed his ridiculous new charge deeper into the jungle. * * * Turned out the human-eating bird and ape men actually did have a floating city. The group finally reached a break in the jungle, which dropped down into a civilized valley,pletely covered in farnd and town. At the center of the valley was ake dotted with small boats, and in the center of the was a small city somehow half built into the water. Mason assumed some kind of wooden pirs/stakes were holding it up, except he could see a few segments of the thing literally floating in the air. "Sweet Jesus would you look at that," Seamus said, and Mason couldn''t think of anything better. "Incredible," said the priest, his eyes moist as he held onto his religious charm. "It''s everything I imagined and more." "We go down here," exined their guide, gesturing to one of several stone-covered roads that led to theke. Then all of the bird men, including their leader, leapt off the edge of the valley, to what was a good fifty foot drop off a sheer cliff. Their wings extended to at least twelve feet, and all took easily to the air. Most of their feathers were white or ck but a few with multi-colored plumage, and the disy as they pped and turned was like a flock of birds coordinated in flight. "Amazin''," Becky said, looking at Mason with such genuine joy he couldn''t help but smile back. He really hoped he wasn''t going to have to murder his way through these people. "Come with us," said one of the apes Mason had fought, still walking with a bit of a limp and a constant re. "Sorry," Mason said, gesturing between the ape''s legs. "About the cheap shot. But...you''re very big." "Not so big," said another ape, and the two creatures exchanged a look before the few others all showed their teeth and started making pretty obviousughing sounds. "No honor," said the butt of the joke, squinting at Mason. "Next time I crush you, little pale monkey." Mason shrugged. "Next time I''ll hit you in the other ball." Again the other apes showedrge, vaguely frightening teeth as they howled, and Mason hoped he didn''t have to kill them, either. The apes led them down along the road, the yers soon finding a few new types of ''humanoids'' working the fields or walking the roads. Some were dark and maybe slightly furred, with wed hands and curled frames that made them look like...burrowers. The others were hairless and almost blue, looking more like fish-people. They all stared at Mason and the others. "What? We aren''t the bloody weirdos," Seamus muttered, and Mason gave him a re, keeping his voice low. "We are here. And if I have to fight or kill because you insult someone, you won''t like the result. So be polite. Better yet, just don''t talk." Seamus opened his mouth as if to reply, then shrugged and started whistling. They walked on, all staring at the mostly wooden buildings designed with beautiful, curving architecture. Mason was briefly curious how they could even make wood look like that when he remembered they had floating buildings. Eventually they arrived at one of several bridges from the outside of theke to the city, and Mason felt he''de to a kind of point of no return. He nced at the still mostly bored and unafraid Streak, its gaze moving longingly to the water. He met Becky''s beautiful eyes, trying not to consider that fact that he may one day make a decision that got her killed. And that decision might be entering this city. The apes were gesturing them on. Other citizens of the valley were moving around them and going in or out with curious or annoyed nces. Still Mason''s feet kept him at the edge. "Ready?" he said to Becky, hoping she understood his hesitation. She nodded, and squeezed his hand, and he reminded himself she was a warrior, ready to fight and die just like he was. "OK," he said, nodding to the apes, then following behind them across the long, sturdy bridge.
Chapter 296: Took you long enough Chapter 296: Took you long enough Mason and the others became an even bigger spectacle in the floating city itself. It didn''t feel ''hostile'', exactly, but it didn''t feel weing, either. The ape men didn''t notice or care, clearing paths through the crowds just with their size and forward momentum. "This way," said Wounded Testicles, limping slightly still as he guided them onwards. "Looks like bloomin'' Venice," said Seamus, shaking his head as he walked at Mason''s side. "Well. With mutants instead of Italians, course. Vians? Anyway. Some of the women don''t look too bad." Mason tried ignoring the man altogether, hoping ack of feedback would encourage him to shut up. "Never been with an I-talian woman," Seamus added a bridgeter. "You think they''re all fire and passion? That''s what they say. Course a bloke like you probly doesn''t have to guess, am I right? Probly been with loads. So enlighten us mere mortals, eh? What''s it like?" Mason just red, then turned his eyes back to the strange, beautiful buildings and people. Though of course he used the word ''people'' loosely. They could smell cooking and all kinds of other city scents now, the constant drum of voices and animals and the din of city life. Mason was reminded he didn''t much like cities, but a piece of him had missed the clutter of civilization. He didn''t much care to be in the middle of it, but he liked to know it existed. Somewhere. Becky was looking around with wide eyes and a beautiful smile. The priest looked about as excited and sweaty as ever. Streak started whining when he smelled cooking meat, tugging slightly when they saw smoke rising. Seamus noticed and chuckled. "Can''t me him, really. I could go for a bite and a pint, by Christ. Though I guess I don''t rightly want to know what meat they might be cooking." Mason noticed one of the apes nce over and maybe smirk, and Mason gave the Irishman another ''shut the hell up'' sort of look and hoped he interpreted it correctly. Their giant guides took them through several more winding bridges between connecting ''inds'', until finally they saw a small, half stone, half wood ''fort'' on its own ind ahead. "Let me guess," Mason said with a sigh. "We''re going to that castle." The apes didn''t answer. They simply led the group straight on towards it, until an assortment of bird men warriors became obvious all over the structure. Some looked like gargoyles¡ªstanding or squatting at various strange posts on the building. They waited on balconies or little tforms and rooftops, their eyes mostly scanning the sky. What they were looking for or worried about, Mason had no idea. What sort of enemy could actually threaten a ce like this from the air? He supposed the obvious answer was ¡®other birdmen¡¯. A few of the winged guards stopped them at the final bridge, and their ape guide gestured at Mason and the others. "Captain said to bring. To winged prince," the big creature grunted, clearly eager to be finished with his duty. "So we bring. You take now." The bird guard frowned but gestured them closer. This one was wearing intricate leather armor and carried a long, sturdy looking wooden spear that was probably more like ance. Mason decided he''d really rather not have the thing jammed into him at full flying speed, so he walked forward to be inspected. The guard''s sharp, golden eyes flicked over all three of the humans, not seeming particrly pleased. He also looked...nervous. On edge. When Mason noticed this he started thinking about all the other guards and even some of the people in the city he''d seen. He''d sensed something he couldn''t quite put his finger on¡ªa kind of restless, nervous energy. He smelled it, too, he realized, something not so different than fear. Surely they weren''t all afraid of a few foreign warriors entering their city. Especially since it was a surprise. No, Mason decided, it was something else. Something everyone even in a fairlyrge ce like this seemed to know. But what? "Your captain couldn''t have known,¡± said the guard. ¡°The prince isn''t seeing anyone. Not right now. You''ll have to take them somewhere else." "Have to?" The increasingly grumpy ape smiled. Or at least showed his teeth. It wasn''t a friendly sort of look, and the other apes shared his toothy grin. The bird guard frowned an clearly sensed some danger, taking a few steps back. "I bring,¡± said the ape. ¡°Like winged captain say. Now we go." With that the giant grunted and turned, and the pack of apes cleared the bridge of anyone else just by walking towards it. When he''d reached the edge the ape stopped and turned, ring at Mason. "Watch this one,¡± he called. ¡°He is strong, and cunning, like snake." With that he was gone, and the bird guard let out a breath he''d clearly been holding. "That''s high praise,ing from him. Do I need to worry about you?" The guard''s tone was light but his sharp eyes were careful. Mason shook his head and was trying to think of something clever when the priest stepped forward. "I am a prophet and priest of Nephus," exined the robed man. "I havee on behalf of the god of life to ask your prince for permission to preach in His name. And I will not be denied." Mason and the guard winced more or less simultaneously. "As I said. The prince isn''t seeing anyone. Especially not foreign priests. I can put you in a guest room and you can wait until..." "He will see me," said the priest, opening his dark robe. Mason expected something you might hear about on the five-o-clock news to follow. Instead a bright light squinted his eyes, glowing from some kind of vest beneath the man¡¯s robe. The guard stepped back and Mason shielded his eyes as he felt some kind of magic surrounding him. Apex Predator shed. [Wisdom of Nephus is attempting to influence your mind. Do you wish to resist?] Mason clicked yes without hesitation, slightly annoyed and also worried about Becky and Seamus. But at least when Apex Predator ''asked'' him if he wished to resist, the effect was usually at least potentially helpful. For the most part it seemed everyone just stared at the priest in surprise. Or maybe awe. "I know your prince is ill," continued the priest as several of the winged guards dropped down from their perches to get behind their leader and stare. "I know he suffers as his father suffered, and that his death may spark civil war. I havee to heal him in the name of Nephus, god of life. I know you feel the magic and know what I say is true. Please take me to him now." The guard finally managed to blink and swallow. The priest closed his dark robe and smothered the light, and everyone seemed toe back to themselves. "I..." the guard turned and nced at the others with a shrug. "I¡¯ll take you inside. But don''t...do that again." The guards parted and led them on, and Mason took his mental finger off the trigger of summoning his ws. It seemed violence wasn''t (yet) on the menu. He did his level best not to be disappointed. * * * "Took you long enough, kid." Mason blinked as he realized Carl, Alex, and Phuong were lounging on plushy furniture in the ''guest room''. It looked like Phuong was even being massaged by some kind of blue-skinned, hairless woman. When the swordsman saw Mason and the others he leapt up as if embarrassed and cleared his throat with a small bow. "Patron. Miss Reba. I''m very pleased to see you." Mason shook his head and grinned. "And here I pictured you all getting crushed by giant skeletons and then maybe cooked and eaten by cannibals." Alex grinned and sipped at some kind of drink. "That was yesterday. Today is good." "They have alcohol," Carl said with a quirked brow. "The drunken bastard has been at it since we got here." "Not drunk," Alex said, taking another sip. "Not close." They all exchanged handshakes (Mason) and hugs (Reba), then introduced the priest (who said his name was unimportant), before finding various seats around thefortable looking room. They soon moved to one side to be alone to talk, which also happened to have some food. There was a huge tter full of various meats and cheeses and fruits, and Mason soon had to set out a bowl for Streak before he smashed his way into the table. "Now how the hell," he said, physically pulling the wolf to a sit. "Did you get here first, and get so...damnit Streak settle down I''m sure they''ll bring more!fortable?" Carl exined that after they''d teleported from the ''crypt'', they''d appeared here, literally inside the castle. "We came walking out of a big, blue swirling portal, right beside this Rishnahi...that''s what they call themselves, by the way...wizard. He''d been trying to summon assistance, you see. So they think we''re basically god-sent helpers." "Assistance with what?" Mason asked. "Oh. They''re being hunted by dragons. Well, I don''t know if they''re really dragons, but you know, flying lizards, breathe acid, or poison or something. They''re pretty much dragons." Mason nodded. That was more like it. The great game rarely disappointed. "Of course they are," he said. "So we bring the priest. Maybe some kind of side quest. Now we go kill dragons and move on. Makes as much sense as anything. No idea what it had to do with that crypt, but whatever. Maybe the cultists are in charge of the dragons." "I don''t think so, Patron," Phuong said with a frown. Mason just raised a brow and waited, and the old soldier shrugged. "Inside the crypt I saw images of flying men battling creatures in the sky. They were clearly being depicted as the heroes. I don''t think that crypt belonged to those priests at all." Mason nodded, knowing it might be important but not really able to bring himself to care. He mentally swore at ke again for not being here to take care of this sort of shit. To handle the nerdery. And the puzzles. "Well, I''m open to anything you guys can figure out. My only real n is keep us alive. But I don''t think the people in this city are our enemies. The whole ''cannibalism'' seems bad but other than that I don''t think they..." "Cannibals?" Carl frowned. "I think they hardly even eat meat. Took them hours to find us the stuff on the tters, and it''s all salted and kind of old." Mason blinked, thenughed as he thought of that ape''s grin. It wouldn''t be the first time some group of people fostered a reputation more terrifying than they deserved. He wondered if they¡¯d intended to let the priest live all along¡ªto run off and warn everyone of the near-death experience with cannibals in the jungle. "Well whatever they are, let''s hope our priest friend actually ''heals'' their prince. Because I don''t think it''s going to go well for us if he fucks it up." They all looked over at the mysterious ''prophet'' sitting on a couch and clutching his religious symbol. He noticed the increased attention and smiled and nodded as he looked over, then wiped a little sweat from his brow.
Chapter 297: Good pep talk Chapter 297: Good pep talk The longer the group waited in the ''guest room'' in rtivefort, the more ufortable Mason got. It might have been a personal w. Paranoia, ke might say. Mason just thought it good sense. If this were a ''normal'' situation¡ªat least as ''normal'' as being the guest of a bunch of medieval fantasy bird people might be¡ªhe might ept they were really ''guests''. But this was the game, the post-apocalyptic AI shitshow, and they weren''t just here to sit around and nap on a couch while some ''prophet'' took care of everything. "Why you look miserable?" Alex said, drink in hand and what for him counted as a grin. As usual, from the stone-faced eastern European, Mason honestly had no idea if this was supposed to be a joke. "Because I can''t get drunk," he answered, deciding to take it as humor. Alex just nodded like this made perfect sense, and Mason had no idea if they''d exchanged witticisms or facts. "Want me to go take a look around?" Carl said, stretching and sitting up on the edge of his seat. Mason frowned, considering it but not thrilled about the idea of annoying his hosts if Carl got caught. The man might be basically invisible with his new power, but Mason could smell him from across the room. He had to assume animal-men might have simr powers or senses. He shook his head, then started disentangling from a napping Becky, about to go talk to the priest when Streak growled and stuck his head up from the floor. Mason didn''t sense it, but he trusted Streak. He was up with his ws ready to spring, crossing to the door before anyone had time to ask what the hell. He listened but heard nothing, then focused his mind on Streak to understand. "The window?" he asked, a little confused. He crossed and stared out at the sky from a barred window, noticing it had some kind of thick wooden shutter topletely seal it off. He sighed as he saw therge, ne-like silhouette somewhere in the clouds. "I''m guessing that''s a not-a-dragon." Carl came running to see before Mason turned away. Getting a look from so far away didn''t do him much good. Was it even his problem? The priest came to look next to Carl, soon making another religious gesture as he stared. "Nephus protect us," he said, shaking his head. "That¡¯s a Destroyer." When Mason made no special indication of recognition or rm, the priest raised a brow. "An elder drake. The most dangerous threat to civilized folk across thisnd. Since men made records." "This is my worried face," Mason said. "So what do we do about it? Couldn''t it just be...flying by?" The priest snorted. "The great drakes are nothing if not predictable. It only shows itself when it wishes, and always on purpose. It wants a sacrifice." Mason didn''t much like the sound of that. He wasn''t a fantasy-world bird man, but he was pretty sure if he was king and needed to find someone to feed to a dragon, some not entirely wee guests might do nicely. "They''re going to feed us to that dragon, aren''t they," he muttered. The priest smirked but shook his head. "Not unless you have royal blood, and different bits between your legs. No. It will want the princess, or the queen. But she may be too old now." He sighed and looked away. "It must have sensed the weakness here. This may break what little strength is left in the ruling house. But they''ll have no choice but toply. If they do nothing, the beast will ravage the city." Mason sighed as he gently woke Becky. When she was up and conscious he stood and headed for the door. "Two teams, I''m thinking. Seems like this ce wants that and I don''t see a reason to fight it. One on the castle, the other on the ground. Becky, Seamus, you''re with me. Let''s call that the ''air team''. If we manage to bring the thing down, I want the rest of you including Streak ready to attack." The other yers were up in a blink, rolling their necks or blowing air through their lips, Phuong giving Carl a wink. The priest stared in something like disbelief. "You don''t...I mean, you can''t mean to fight it. It''s a Destroyer. Nothing¡­no one has stood and fought a Destroyer in recorded history. At least not and survived." Mason shrugged, genuinely disinterested. He tried the door handle and found it locked, knocking and waiting before he ripped the thing off and broke it open with a crack. "Then I''ming with you," said the priest, clutching his charm with white knuckles. "Perhaps if we fight and die against this monstrosity, the people of this city will see Nephus will always try to protect life." "Uh huh," Mason said, then nced at Phuong. "Make your way to the ground level. But don''t kill anyone if they stop you. I expect once the fighting starts up top you''ll be able to do what you like in the chaos." "Understood, Patron," Phuong said, gesturing for Alex several times before the Brusian finally groaned and stood with the rest of them. He wobbled slightly on his feet, and everyone stared. "I am old, not drunk," he said. "I think maybe wine is more like...for children." "Seriously, guys, I can''t tell. Was that a joke?" Mason said to the others, then just shrugged and walked out towards the hall. * * * "You there, stop! Where are you going?" Sometimes Mason really wished roboGod didn''t trante everything. He tried pretending he didn''t speak bird-man, smiling politely as he walked by a guard or two before realizing in this world his strategy made no sense. "Stop, I said!" said the closest guard, and Mason finally turned. "The prince sent for us," he said, cursing hisck of ke for the fiftieth time. "There''s a Destroyer, in case you didn''t hear." "There''s a..." the guard nched, then narrowed his golden eyes. "No one told me about moving you," he said, somewhere between annoyed and unsure. Mason just shrugged like he didn''t care or know anything either. "I can go back, if you want, pretty happy to drink and sit on those cushions. But the prince might not be happy." The guard winced and finally walked ahead, waving them on. "Come with me," he said. "the stupid servants probably didn''t tell the captain." Mason was happy to follow as long as they were going up. They ascended a handful of floors and passed a dozen nervous guards before a roar echoed through the halls. The guard stopped and practically shivered, looking back at Mason with suddenly empathetic eyes. "So you were telling the truth." He shook his head sadly. "Haven''t heard that since I was a boy. A terrible thing. Terrible. They''ll give it the queen, I suppose." Finally the guard looked up and realized half his ''guests'' were missing. Phuong, Alex and Carl had all slipped away towards the ground level, and only Mason and the others remained. "Hey now...where did..." Mason walked up without a word, twisted the guard around and put him in a chokehold. He had to be extra careful not to crush the poor fellow with his ever-improving strength, but after several helpless ps and a few grunts of protest, it didn''t take long to choke the man out. Mason dragged him into a nearby room and closed the door. "He''ll wake up quick, but it''ll do," he said. "Let''s go." They climbed several more flights of stairs, passing a few curious guards who stared long and hard but didn''t stop them. It probably helped that not a single one of them actually carried a weapon¡ªwith all of them now having something innate. There were several open balconies now where the bird guards and probably servants came and went to the royal floors. Mason stepped out onto one and looked up. "We could climb the rest of the way easily enough. Or at least I could." He sighed. "But I didn''t bring any damn rope. Becky can probably manage but I expect it''s a bit much for..." Mason nced at Seamus and the priest. "For the rest of you." "Oh!" Seamus grinned. "I can fly now. Well, hover. Float? You can probly just pull me up." Mason blinked at that, but decided just to ept it. "I''ll find my way up," said the priest with a smile. "Don''t be afraid, my friends, Nephus will be there to greet us in the afterlife. Our deaths to the Destroyer will be quick. And after, eternal glory." "Good pep talk," Mason said, and the man beamed like it wasn''t sarcasm. With that Mason grabbed Seamus with one hand, and the roof of the balcony with the other. He pulled himself up rather easily, put up a leg, then lifted himself and Seamus over. The Irishman stared and swallowed at the top. "I, um, didn''t start floating yet." Mason met the man''s eyes with a ''best remember that moment'' amused grin, then reached down to help Becky. He pulled her up just as easily, and she gave him a much more enjoyable, private look. "You figure this thing''s as bad as that priest thinks?" she asked as they climbed up towards the mostly t top of the castle. "Probably," Mason said, then looked back and gave her a wink. "But so are we." At the top of the structure Mason discovered they werepletely alone. It seemed the bird guards had all fled inside, probably to report to superiors to figure out what the hell they were supposed to be doing. Or just because they were terrified. It suited him fine. He watched the silhouette of the creature growingrger andrger as it circled and descended, clearly wanting everyone to take a nice, long look. Mason obliged. He flicked through Endless Quiver and summoned his elven bow, judging the distance as he turned on Hunter''s Mark. Turned out it didn''t work from such a distance, but he wasn''t that concerned. He had a n already as soon as the thing got in range. Killing it in the air seemed incredibly unlikely. No doubt it was covered in hide or scales too strong and thick to pierce deeply. But it took huge, wide wings to keep a body like that in the air. Mason watched the thin flesh and grinned, eager to punch a few holes. "We get it grounded," he said to the others. "You burn those wings as soon as you''re in range, Seamus. Becky will keep you alive." "Aye, aye, chiefy," Seamus said, his staff appearing in his hand. They all stood and watched as the creature came lower and lower, the immense size bing increasingly clear. "But um," Seamus asked with a swallow. "Who''s going to keep you two alive?" Mason ignored the man, an eagerness already pumping through his limbs. He was in range now, and the thing was stilling closer. He drew back his bow.
Chapter 298: Dragon bait Chapter 298: Dragon bait "I''m still out of fecking range," Seamus said with a frustrated sigh. Mason ignored him. He also didn''t wait to see if his first loosed arrow was effective. With his months of practice and increasingly inhuman strength and speed, he just drew his elven bow, formed an arrow from nothing to sit squarely on the string, then loosed with as much draw as it felt capable. Rather than rely on a single arrow type from Endless Quiver, he cycled through them, always with broad heads to cut as much of that wing as possible. The first arrow struck. The dragon roared. Everywhere seemed filled with the terrible noise, like a jet had broken the sound barrier except stopped right above. It shook dust from the castle, and sent little tremors through the stone. The creature stared down at them with bright, purple eyes, despite Mason still loosing arrows at it. As the huge, bat-like wings pped in slow beats, he saw sunlight already shining through holes, and he knew his arrows were ripping skin and flesh. For a long moment it seemed the creature could hardly understand what was happening. As if the idea that it was being attacked by something on the ground was so impossible it wasn''t sure how to react. The sheer calm of the thing even in the face of attack was unnerving. Then the moment ended. The dragon''s wings curved, its snake-like body rising before it dove straight down. Seamus loosed as series of fiery missiles, the sound of mes hurtling through the air in a steady beat at the beast''s face and body. Many struck, though it looked like little sparks bouncing off a dragon-shaped mountain. Turned out it was big. Very big. Maybe almost asrge as the Devourer worm Mason had killed beneath the earth. Except this thing had a neck and tail and apparently several wed limbs. It looked fast and strong and not just huge. And if the priest was right, it was also capable of shooting some kind of mes or acid or... The dragon pulled up and ended its dive, hanging in the air maybe a hundred feet from the top of the castle with its wings spread, huge reptilian body on full disy. "Get ready!" Mason called for Becky''s benefit, not sure if any amount of preparation would help. As he watched the dragon he suspected he knew a little about how it must have felt to have some huge warship turn its broadside in your general direction. The dragon''s chest heaved with a deep breath, and Mason activated Aspect of the Cheetah as he prepared to run. Green me erupted from the creature''s mouth. It sprayed in a tight, controlled stream straight at Mason, more like a methrower than an explosion. He turned and ran, and the dragon''s me followed as its head continued to release, the sound of its breath weapon like a jackhammer behind him. The top of the castle wasn''t exactly t. It had small separating ''walls'' with different square or rectangr tforms, as if it were made in sections. Mason leapt over a small barrier to another tform, rolling behind an angled section of stone. Green me lit everything. Mason could feel the extreme heat even from behind his cover. With a split second decision, he turned and fled again just as the stone melted and the dragon''s me roared through. Finally the stream stopped, and for a moment Mason stood and looked up at the dragon''s obviously intelligent eyes. It bared its teeth, huge pupils aimed exactly on him. Then it turned and raced into the sky just as Mason and Seamus loosed another volley of fire and arrows. It had climbed incredibly quickly, and Mason felt a small wave of panic at the terrifying foe. But he fought it down. Yes, the creature was wildly powerful, but Mason was a hell of a lot more powerful than against the Devourer, too. "That''s right, run you big bastard!" the wizard howled. He grinned at Mason after the dragon ascended all the way to the clouds. "If all he''s got is fire, I''m not that worried, to be honest. Though if hends I''m going to run like hell. Sorry in advance." "Hmm." Mason frowned at the cloudy sky then nced to see a dozen bird men guards slowly rising from various castle exits to stare. He expected the creature hadn''t ''run'' so much as ''withdrew to decide exactly what to destroy first''. He saw the look in its eyes again as it stared at him, and knew whatever punishment it chose to inflict, he was certainly the main thing on the list. Now the question was, what the hell could he do about it? He was hoping it wouldn''t run so quickly. That he and Seamus might have the time and surprise to do enough damage to its wings that it had tond. "Why does everything have to be difficult," he said with a sigh, then nced at a concerned Becky and overly proud Seamus. "It''ll be back. Question is where and when. I think hiding near the castle roof is probably as good as anything. Otherwise we could maybe look for other high ces, or..." "What the hell have you done?" shouted a bird-man wearing some kind of robe. He rose up from a stairway surrounded by guards, his eyes wild, his face contorted in rage. "It''s going to destroy us. All of us. You stupid fool. You arrogant madman! What have you done?" Mason waited and nced around the frightened, maybe slightly ashamed faces of the warriors near the speaker. He shrugged. "Where I''m from, we kill monsters. What do you lot do with them?" The robed birdman clenched his jaw and scowled. "You cannot kill a volcano. You cannot challenge a hurricane. That monster cannot be stopped by the likes of you. By anyone." "Not if you don''t try," Mason said. "We were hurting its wings. But I need to be there when it gets low again. If I get could some of your soldiers to carry me, we could be ready when it..." "We''ll take no part in your madness!" the bird-priest shouted, spraying a bit of spittle. "I''ll..." he shook his head and put a hand to his head. "I''ll tell the prince to light a beacon. We will have to send the princess now for certain. And perhaps even a few of themon people in apology. Maybe...maybe if we cast you out now. Or..." "We''ll send no one," said a quiet voice as another of the bird men rose from a nearby staircase. He wore leather armor and carried a spear, but his face was pale, his eyes sickly and wary. The guards all bowed their heads as he stood on the castle roof, only the robed man staying standing. "My prince," he said, "you must be reasonable. This fool and hispanions will be destroyed. And then what will we do? Your people..." "My people need their queen. And the princess. If I am to die, let it be inbat." He looked to the priest, then to Mason with suffering, but hard eyes. "Are you madmen, as my oracle ims? Or can you and your foreign god defeat this creature?" The priest looked slightly sheepish. "Nephus has sent us here to save this city, my lord. I have no doubt of that whatsoever." "I can kill it," Mason said, "but I need to get it down. Maybe your men can help with that." The prince used his spear like a crutch, sagging slightly as he turned and looked at his guard. "Would you have me send the princess Alenia, who you have all seen grow with such life and beauty all her life? Or would you fly with me and risk all, to show this creature, and the world, what the warriors of Rishnahi are made of?" For a worrisome moment the soldiers said nothing. But Mason saw the captain they''d met at the edge of the castle, his cunning eyes shining with something like pride. He struck the stone with the bottom of his spear. His men followed, and soon every guard on the castle was knocking his spear against the stone and shrieking some call of violence. The prince smiled. "It seems we are with you, stranger. You and your foreign god. I am Aixa, prince of this city, lord of my house. Tell me who you are before we fly to our doom." "It doesn''t matter," Mason said, taking the priest¡¯s lead and ncing at the clouds. Of course he meant exactly what he said, because he was pretty sure when this ''challenge'' was ended nothing here was going to even exist. But he couldn''t help but admire the man and his guards. He grinned as he looked at the prince again. "Also I''m pretty sure I pissed off your ''Destroyer'' a minute ago. I hurt him, like maybe no one has hurt him in a very long time. He looked right at me, and I think he won''t leave until I''m dead. So I guess you can call me Dragon-Bait." The prince snorted, then met Mason''s eyes with a kind of amazed disbelief. Eventually he grinned, too.
Chapter 299: A desperate hope Chapter 299: A desperate hope "Sometimes I wish I''d known you were this crazy before I started sleepin'' with you." Becky apparently wasn''t thrilled with Mason''s dragon n. "It''s not as bad as it sounds," he said, trying to rub her back to calm her down. "You''ll all be right there. I''m just the uh, tip of the spear." They were walking through the floating city with a pack of armed guards behind them, so they kept their voices low. "And what exactly do we do if the bird men don''te out and fight? Did you think of that?" Mason had, in fact, thought of that. It wasn''t that he didn''t ''trust'' the prince and his guards. OK, it was partially that. But mostly it was just good to have a back up n. n A was basically this: Mason would stand on what the bird people called the ''Tower of Hormuz'', which was apparently where they offered their previous sacrifices to the dragons. He would appear chained and bound, as if the birdmen had betrayed or subdued him and were now offering him in apology. When the dragon came to im its prize, the prince and his warriors would all charge and attack the creature''s wings with their spears. The yers would leap out from their hiding spots, and Mason would throw off his bindings and start shooting. Hopefully, between all of them, this time they''d do enough damage to force the dragon tond. The n got a little fuzzy after that. But basically it was ''and then Mason and the yers would somehow kill it''. n B was pretty much the same thing, minus the birdmen. Though Mason reserved the right to flee, and let the big bastard just burn the city. It wasn''t really a great n. "And what if we can''t bring it down and it just keeps shootin'' that crazy fire? I expect I can''t stop it for long." "You grew up Baptist. You could try prayer." Becky gave a very pissed off sort of girlriend stare, and Mason put up his hands. "OK. Bad joke. But we can''t know exactly how a fight''s going to go. Everyone has a n until you punch them in the face. Or shoot dragon fire at them. Between my toughness and speed and your aegis, I''m not going down easy. Right?" Becky nodded, and took his hand. "If it''s going real bad, I''m making a wall over the top of the tower," she said. Mason frowned, but didn''t argue. He expected the dragon would just cut the tower in half or something, or st right through her wall with a little time. But there wasn''t much point in saying so. "Just remember," he said, "when we get it to the ground, move your aegis. I''m thinking Carl. He''s the most vulnerable and probably the best shot we have of actually killing this thing with that dagger of his." "I know, I know." Becky let out a breath. "You think Rosa''s vials''ll do any good? I mean, we''ve got that acid, and healing, and I think she said that ointment should stop a bit of..." "Against dragon fire? No. I mean, I guess it''s better than nothing. We¡¯ll all take the stat boosts. But..." Becky grinned and made a suitably adorable Becky face. "Ze goggles. Zey do nothink?" "I''m sure that''s a reference I should understand..." "You didn''t even watch The Simpsons?" Mason shrugged helplessly and Becky shook her head. "Didn''t you go to school? Like with other kids?" "Nope. Some private schools. But usually just tutors." Becky rolled her eyes. "If we survive all this, we''ve got some basic education to catch up on with the system library. You''re like one of them...Mormons. Or, you know, whadda you call ''em, lud something." "Luddites.¡± Mason grinned. ¡°And I think you meant Amish." "OK, Private School." Becky rolled her eyes even harder and Mason couldn''t help but smile. "It¡¯s a date. Useless pop culture education. Just as soon as we have the time. And when everything isn''t trying to kill us." "So never." Becky sighed, and Mason squeezed her hand. Anyway he suspected ''couch time'' between him and Becky wouldn''t involve a lot of actually watching TV, but he kept that thought to himself. The tower was just ahead of them now, separated on its own floating tform, rising up a good hundred feet and slightly higher than the top of the castle. All civilians had been removed from the area, so the streets were empty and silent save for the armed escort. Mason''s ape ''friend'' was back with his troop, the huge creatures armed this time with leather armor and sharp clubs. Mason wished he had more time. And with the thousandth curse, that ke was here. With his new ''Making'' power his brother could have armed all these birds and apes with good, steel weapons that might have gone a long way to puncturing the dragon''s hide. Mason could only hope they had some kind of magic in the weapons that helped. Because otherwise he didn''t much like their chances of actually hurting the thing. But then he imagined it was mostly going toe down to the yers anyway, at least once the thing was on the ground and in a fight to the death. "You are very stupid," said the ape man suddenly, stepping up beside Mason but looking ahead. "Hello," Mason said. "How are your testicles?" The big ape''s lips pulled back, and Mason hoped it was a grin and not a sneer. Becky looked at them both and rolled her eyes, so that was a good sign. The guards and yers mostly walked in silence as the tower loomed. The little jokes and grins faded. Mason turned to the ''ground team'', taking a moment to give Streak a scratch. "I''ll see you at the bottom," he said. Phuong nodded. Carl winked. Alex...didn''t do anything perceptible. Then Mason, Becky and Seamus climbed the tower''s many steps, only Seamus puffing and panting as they reached the top. The space to push up to the roof was cramped, with a sort of trap door above you threw open to crawl out of. Mason was squished up next to Becky, and she pushed against him and kissed him with a kind of intense, desperate energy he really hoped came back when he wasn''t too busy to enjoy it. "I''ll be right here," she said, and Mason nodded. "Me too," Seamus added. "Should we snog a little too, Becky, just in case?" Mason couldn''t help but grin a little. Becky rolled her eyes and with ast little peck on the cheek, Mason pulled himself up to the top of the tower. Several bird guards were already waiting with shackles and rope. "You could at least look a bit less pleased about it," Mason grumbled. The guards grabbed his arms and legs, and started tying him, hopefully loosely, in the center of arge, ceremonial looking piece of...religious art, Mason supposed. But it looked disturbingly like a huge feeding bowl. * * * "Let the fool die," said Vidra, queen of Rishna, frantically pacing across her throneroom. Prince Aixa swallowed another of his physician''s tinctures and tried to keep from vomiting. He''d been taking one every day since the illness began, but it never seemed to help much. On the other hand, even in the hour or so since this priest of ¡®Nephus¡¯ had ''blessed him, he was actually feeling a little better. Though it was probably just a coincidence. Of course thest hour had been a bit too chaotic topare it to much. First, they''d had the strange priest and the powerful strangers¡ªwho Aixa¡¯s finest captain said stood his ground in a fight with two Great Guard. That was concerning and exciting enough. Then the Destroyer had arrived. Aixa¡¯s house was already fraying at the seams, and he knew this may very well be the end of it. After his father''s death the year before, he had inherited all titles along with two wars with a cousin and an uncle who wanted his throne. Both the nobles and the people were losing faith in their house''s ability to win them a peace. Prince Aixa had been ill for years, and without him there was only his sister and mother to rule. His mother was old and unsuitable¡ªtoo paranoid, too afraid of every shadow now in her twilight years. His sister was a graceful beauty who would make a wonderful queen in a time of peace. But right now their house needed strength. It needed a warrior king to frighten its enemies back to their ces. Aixa knew he had to marry his sister to the most powerful warlord he could find in the kingdoms. That it was the only way to secure a future for his house in his...absence. But he hadn''t yet had the stomach, or perhaps, hadn''t yet epted the inevitable. Now the wyrm hade...and for a brief moment after hearing its roar, he knew death finally came with it... Or had it? "He wounded it, mother," he said to the queen with as much calm as he could muster. "I saw the beast''s wings fraying like tattered cloth. And if we can bring it down..." "Just listen to yourself!" the queen cried. "Bring down a Destroyer with arrows and spears? Even if you could, then what? You think it can''t destroy us all from the ground? You don''t even know this ounder! What could you possibly be thinking?" "That we are otherwise without hope!" Aixa said, rising and for once raising his voice. The outburst was enough to quiet his mother, her eyes finally filling with water. Aixa walked to her and took her arms. She had been so strong for so long. It was his turn. "I won''t send you to that thing, mother. And I won''t send my sister." "Then the city...our people...everything our house has sworn to protect for hundreds of years...everything will..." "They won''t send you, either, Mother. We''ll fight. You''re right, maybe it''s a desperate hope. But if we can win...if we can just drive it off...I would like to be there when my uncle hears how we drove off a Destroyer. Don''t you see, mother, we''ll have won two wars with a single blow. Half the royalty in the sacred valley wille to our door, desperate to know how we did it." The queen shook her head sadly. "A wonderful fantasy, my son. But you forget¡ªit all depends on aplishing the impossible. No one has ever stood against a Destroyer and lived. No one. And you are too weak, my son. Your mind and will are strong, I have never doubted that, but your flesh..." "I can''t exin it," Aixa said, thinking back to the strange, confident eyes of the foreign priest, or the glowing green eyes of this ''champion'' of Nephus. "But I..." he almost said ''believe in them'', but that wasn''t quite right. "With their help, I believe...we can seed." "And if you''re wrong," said his mother, no longer arguing, merely telling him, with a desperate sadness in her voice, "everything we know and love will end." "Yes," he agreed, feeling something strange...a kind of calmness oveing years of growing fear. He cleared the ever-present phlegm in his chest and smiled for his mother. "And one day, the storytellers will sing songs of our house. And I will go to my forefathers without shame."
Chapter 300: Killing quickly Chapter 300: Killing quickly The sky filled with the sound of draconic fury, and Mason winced in his sacrificial bowl. He kind of wished he had a pop reference topare his situation to. All he could summon was something biblical, but that seemed a touch melodramatic. And probably sphemous. It wouldn''t help him in any case. He stood there pretending to strain at loosely tied restraints, reminding himself that this was actually his n. Maybe not his best n. Maybe not even a good n. But still, it was a n. The dragon''s body formed in silhouette in the grey clouds above, its wings outstretched, its tail swishing or maybe lower body waving back and forth. Then as before its head lowered and it dropped into a dive. Greenish blue scales emerged as the creature dropped straight towards the tower. Mason''s heart started doing a little jig, and he really hoped the creature stopped long enough to stare or monologue or just enjoy his prize. The n didn''t involve a sudden and bloody fight to the death. The birdmen needed a minute. But the creature kept on diving. When it entered range it took everything in Mason''s will not to throw off his restraints, summon his bow, and start shooting. Instead he pulled at the chains, pretending to be bound and helpless as he growled up at the dragon. Finally, the thing turned. It pulled up and stretched out its wings, beating them slowly as it hung in the air and stared. Then...shook, and maybe a cackling sound not so different than hyena. Mason decided it wasughing. "Betrayed?" the creature hissed, as if speaking were difficult. "Trickery?" It made a rattle-snake kind of noise and hissed again as if annoyed. "Trickery, I think." It calmed. "No matter. You will die. And the city will cower. Tell me where you¡¯re from, creature, and I will kill you quickly." Mason winced, then wiggled out of his chains and tossed down the ropes. He activated Hunter''s Mark and held back the sigh when he saw the thickness of all those scales. The head was slightly more vulnerable, and of course the wings. But that was about it. "I have a counter offer,¡± he shouted. ¡°Leave forever, and I won''t bring you down and end you." He hoped he sounded calm, but didn''t entirely feel that way. The dragon watched without blinking, just slowly pping its giant wings as it stared and stared. "I''m going to destroy this city," it said, a humming sound and smell Mason instantly recognized as arcane magic. "I''m going to..." That was more than enough talking. Mason summoned his bow and decided on ice-based broadheads, but first loosed a bullet-headed Powershot at the thing''s face before starting on the wings. His Powershot streaked like a bolt of lightning, hitting the thing''s cheek just a hair beneath its eye and shattering. Mason cursed himself, torn between wishing he''d taken a little longer to aim, but also knowing he''d had to move fast. Still, the shot knocked off a scale and left a smear of green blood. Mason grinned, and started shooting at the wings. The dragon screeched and roared, but it didn''t move, and Mason realized it was channeling. He kept shooting at top speed, arrows tearing holes in the wings as Seamus stepped out from another floor of the tower and started loosing ming projectiles. Mason tried not to watch the sky for bird-men, knowing there was still a chance they''d be too afraid or betray him and not help at all. The sky filled with little dots. For a moment Mason thought it was the birdmen until he realized they were glowing. "Die!" the dragon hissed. The little glowing dots glowed like embers and roared towards the tower, then the dragon inhaled, and breathed. Mason''s senses practically screamed in warning. The breath was bad, but expected. The spell was something worse. He jumped from the top of the tower towards Seamus, grabbed the Irishman on his tform, then leapt straight off. "Shiiiit!" Seamus called in his arms as the dragon''s breath and magic started to strike. Explosions wracked the tower, whooshing me and some kind of sizzling sound filling the air as Mason and Seamus fell. Reba was in there, too, but Mason hoped low enough she''d be safe. "Float!" Mason yelled, then let go and dropped on his own. For a moment he thought the fire wizard was too surprised to use his power, but just before he struck the ground he stopped in mid-air and let out a breath. Mason had no such luxury. He hit the hard ground and did his best to roll. But his increasingly superhuman body hardly even hurt, and there was a big dent in the packed earth where he''d struck. He activated Aspect of the Cheetah and ran through the city shooting, trying not to look at the dragon''s destruction in his wake. The breath and magic exploded all around him, lighting buildings on fire and ripping structures apart. Fortunately, the prince had cleared out civilians in arge radius around the tower. But who knew how far the damage would spread... Mason saw more and more holes in the creature''s wings. He was mostly out-running the magic and breath, changing directions, hiding from sight, running and shooting again. The dragon seemed too angry to care, or else unconcerned with the damage. Mason really hoped it was the former. He tried a Crippling Strike for science but rolled his eyes when the effect did nothing. It had been a great power at low level but officially seemed almost useless against targets that mattered. It was an inappropriate moment for random thoughts, but he hoped one day he could swap a power or two. The house next to him exploded. Chunks of wood and stone flew everywhere, all shrouded in dust and random debris. A piece smashed into Mason''s chest and face, leaving him a bit battered and bloody but still standing. He just kept running and shooting. The birdmen should have arrived by now. Mason was about to circle back and make sure Becky and Seamus were alright before he saw one of the dots in the sky looked less lustrous. More emerged behind it, and the dots descended and flew straight at the dragon with little lines aimed down. Mason grinned. As intended, the dragon was focused entirely on the city. And possibly on Mason. Wave after wave of its magic rained down to burn and st apart wood and stone. Until the birds struck they had no idea what effect they''d actually have. Would the weapons pierce the dragon''s wings? Or would their spears strike and fail, all their momentum left to bounce into the wings uselessly? They didn''t have to wait long. Still the dragon''s fury was directed below. It had even descended slightly, following Mason''s path through the city as it screeched and thundered. He could feel blood dripping down his chin. His legs and back throbbed with scorch marks, and he could smell burning hair and flesh. But he managed to look up as dozens of the bird soldiers struck in silence. One by one they tucked their wings and dove into their strike. One by one they burst through the rtively thin flesh on the dragon''s wings, piercing through behind their spears to drop down and spread their wings again. The dragon howled in rage. The first few escaped with surprise, but the dragon turned its breath and some of its magic at the flying soldiers, even wing and biting at the closest. It ripped and sted several from the sky, and Mason stopped and kept shooting, trying to regain its attention. He failed. The dragon turned all its anger on the birdmen, plucking several more from the sky. But its badly damaged wings were faltering. As it pped, Mason could see the damaged holes tearing further. With another shriek of outrage, the dragon began to descend even as it tried to rise. Its head turned as if to inspect the damage, and it tried coasting, but the damage had been done. With a final roar the beast abandoned its attempt and aimed at a burning section of the city tond. Mason the ranger and druid had heard the slight variation in its roar¡ªenough to understand what he was hearing. He smiled and ran towards the fire, hoping the others had been watching and were doing the same. ¡®The Destroyer¡¯ was afraid.
Chapter 301: When you die I’m taking that knife Chapter 301: When you die I¡¯m taking that knife Mason found his prey in a burning ruin. The dragon stood on several small limbs, back half of its long body near the ground, front half raised like a snake ready to strike. Its crippled wings hung at its sides, only one able to tuck back, the other dangling and broken. It turned in circles breathing me. Phuong, Carl, and Streak all stood behind a stone building watching. Phuong gestured at Mason and they all looked at him with some version of determined grin. "The others?" Mason mouthed. Phuong shrugged. Mason knew Becky''s shields weren''t as good against magic, but he refused to believe she''d been knocked out of the fight in the random destruction. It would take a lot more than that to bring his girl down. He assumed she was still en route and would be here shortly. But he had no intention of wasting time. As usual, first things were first. He had only ever really tried to use his new power ¡®Strength of the Pack¡¯ with Becky. It was supposed to function like ''Fang Brothers''¡ªgiving less powerful versions of his passives and possibly innate items to his group members. After the failure with Becky outside, he''d expected it only worked when he had a formal ''group'', not able to work out in the ''real world''. And he¡¯d seen it worked at least a little with her before. He hoped it worked for the others just as well. He activated it and watched. This time it was obvious. He watched the power light up with a green glow, and several powers and items. Transformation and Duality of Strength both slightly pulsed with green, and that would have been enough to make Mason happy. But his Sleeves and ws lit up, too. With that out of the way, it was time to announce himself. He touched a burning building and activated his Sleeves, then stepped out with his bow and loosed a Power Shot straight at the dragon''s open mouth. It was a good shot. But the arrow reached dragon-fire and vanished, the beast carrying right on as it circled and burned everything in sight, seemingly not interested yet in moving position. Mason growled and followed his Power Shot with a series of full draw careful shots at the dragon''s neck, legs, and head. By the third arrow the dragon roared and spun in faster circles, eyes narrowing to barely open slits as it searched. Its tongue flicked out just like a snake tasting the air, and soon it turned right in Mason''s direction. "Shit," he muttered. "I''m going to eat your soul!" the dragon roared as its dozen legs carried it forward. The stink of arcane power filled the air, and some kind of blue-tinged shield surrounded the dragon as it half slithered towards him. Mason shivered as he watched the thing move. Why did it always have to be fucking snakes? He loosed one more arrow, incredibly unsurprised when it hit the blue shield and bounced away. It must have been a power the thing could only use on the ground. Apparently it was time for sword work. No doubt the idea should have terrified him. But as usual the thin color of his fear mixed with a darker excitement, until only the dark remained. With a very inappropriate grin, he summoned his ws and charged. Streak was out a secondter, Phuong and Carl not far behind. They ran at the dragon''s sides as Mason went straight at its front. He could sense its pleasure at actually nearing its target, but also its surprise and indignation that he would try to stand his ground. The dragon''s head was a good twenty feet high. It lunged as if to strike, then stopped its movement entirely¡ªlegs, body, and head all frozen as the thing inhaled and breathed straight at Mason. He could have dodged. He probably should have dodged. But the longer it focused on him, thought it was killing him, the more time he gave the others. He popped his Shield gem and held his ground. Heat and light became his world. The air seemed to vanish, the act of breathing impossible as the mes struck him with a physical force, then curled around his shield and sprayed like he''d been hit with a water jet. The seconds ticked, and his gem''s power vanished with awful speed until it was very nearly drained. Mason finally turned and rolled as the gem flickered and faded. He activated Inner Fire, no idea if it would help, and Aspect of the Cheetah to run like hell. The me stopped, then started again, following him in spurts and sts until the dragon roared and the me died entirely. Mason grinned, and ran towards it. He found the creature finally turned, lips curled back as it lunged and tried to bite a target on its nk. It even pped a damaged wing and swung the back of its body like a tail. Mason winced as he saw Streak go flying. Fiery missiles came sting from the top of a nearby building, sizzling and exploding as they struck the dragon''s head a half dozen times. Mason grinned and closed, leaping at the thing''s upper body in its distraction. He roared and struck with Predator''s Strike, sinking his shorter, piercing w into scale and flesh, half the de vanishing into the dragon. It shrieked and swung, the strength and speed so violent even Mason couldn''t hold on. His sword ripped out and he dropped with a flip, running straight back to where the dragon''s body met the ground to sh and cut. But his longer w couldn''t piece the thing''s scales. He unsummoned it and just used the shorter one to stab like he was trying to prison shank a dragon. The beast roared and tried to bite something that wasn''t Mason, so he just kept stabbing. Scale broke and green blood slopped to the ground, but the thing was sorge it would take all day to die. Mason knew he had to get at vitals. Ignoring the small voice of caution, he dug in his fingers and started to climb. It had plenty of grooves and was rougher than expected, so he had plenty to grab unless the thing twisted and threw him off. But it seemed busy, probably with Carl. Mason pulled himself up the thing''s side with ridiculous speed, getting to its back before summoning his w again and driving it in just to anchor himself. He nced up and practically had a heart attack when he saw the dragon dive down and eat Carl. The clone or illusion or whatever the hell it was exploded in the dragon''s mouth, and Mason let out an exasperated breath. One day Carl was going to die and Mason wouldn''t have a God damn clue. "Heya kid." Carl apparently warped up beside Mason, appearing out of nowhere before dropping to all fours with a slightly pale face. "Oh I regret this. Yeah this is crazy." "Of course it''s crazy!" Mason yelled. "Now get your bnce and start knifing its head before it kills us all!" "Right. Knife the dragon''s head. On it." Carl tried to stick his weapon into the dragon like Mason to hold himself, but the damn thing was too sharp and cut through scale like it cut through everything else. As the beast turned and lunged forward, Mason held on. Carl flew right off. "Be backter!" he called, then vanished in the air with a blink. "God damnit, Carl," Mason shouted after him. "When you die I''m taking that knife!" Flying waves of Phuong-power were striking the dragon''s nk like a set of drums. Streak growled as he wed and chewed at the thing''s rear. But Mason couldn''t do a damn thing for anyone. He just kept stabbing and working his way towards the thing''s head, hoping the others could keep away from the terrifying jaws. The dragon apparently wasn''t thrilled with the situation. The sky once again shimmered with arcane power, as more floating lights formed like the ones he''d been raining down to destroy the city. As he was the only person now standing on the creature''s back, Mason couldn''t help but think they were mostly for him. He winced, deciding to at least take a few before he decided if it was time to run. Half a dozen of the ¡®stars¡¯ mmed into his chest. Apex Predator red with several elements. But more importantly, he saw a window of text sh in the chaos of light and pain. [Enemy affinity removed: Draconic.] The dragon''s arcaneets sted into its own flesh. Mason held on to his w, turning and taking hits around his body like a slow-roasting piece of meat. Pain practically overwhelmed him, but by now he''d taken enough punishment to have a sense for just how badly he was being damaged. It was burning him alive, but it wasn''t pulling him apart. And Mason could burn a long time. He kept stabbing, no longer concerning himself with the battles of others. There were terrible roars and maybe people screaming. Or were those bird calls? Mason didn''t care. There was only his sword driving into dragon-flesh, his target still visible in the haze of fire and smoke with Hunter''s Mark. Then he was at the back of the dragon''s head. It twisted to face him, eyes ring in the haze, jaws open as it tried to angle itself to bite him. The falling lights stopped, and Mason knew why. It knew it was hurting itself, and its head was vulnerable. It thought Mason was afraid to get near its jaws, but it was wrong. He jumped straight for its mouth. The teeth closed but not fast enough. Then Mason was inside on a huge, slimy tongue, the stink of rot and heat and death. He jammed his de straight into the roof of the thing''s mouth and pushed with his whole body as the jaws closed. The dragon screamed and tried to crush him, driving the de into its own flesh. Mason knew it could breathe. It could stop and roast him alive with that terrible fire. But first it had to stop and think. It had to ignore the many creatures trying to kill it, ignore the hated foe inside its mouth driving a weapon towards its brain. It had to fight its instincts to bite and kill the thing in its mouth. It bit.
Chapter 302: Overall, pretty cool Chapter 302: Overall, pretty cool [You have in an Elder Dragon. Group experience to be awarded at end of event.] Mason fell as the dragon died. Its jaws were locked around him, his body contorted and half crushed with his arms and de dug into its head. His whole body was burned and in agony, and the longer hey in the thing''s blood and saliva the more confident he was it was acidic. It wasn''t the cleanest or most pleasant victory he''d ever had. "Uh, help?" he tried shouting, watching Duality of Strength and Transformation tick along as he tried to push at the locked jaws. It wasn''t exactly crushing him, but it also wouldn''t budge, and left about enough room to breathe a fifth of a breath. Not that there was much to breathe except acid. As usual Mason hated the feeling of being trapped. It seemed toe up a lot. He¡¯d been trapped first as a boy in a life he didn''t choose, trapped in a world he wasn''t suited for, now trapped in some robot''s experiment, which literally trapped him inside worms and cave-ins. And apparently dragon''s mouths. His only escape were the tools provided by that same synthetic god. He was like a rat collecting cheese in some borate maze, and he didn''t see a God damn thing he could do about it. So he stopped thinking and pushed. He pushed hoping maybe one day he wouldn''t care about the cheese. But he was also frightened of what that meant. For now he cared, which surprised him¡ªabout the people he knew, and maybe the lives of the people he didn''t. And yes, about winning, whatever that meant. About killing giant flying snakes with some dumb fantasy name. About stopping the strong from preying on the weak, as if their lives made no difference. He heard panicked voices calling out his name, searching for him, trying to help. He expected sooner orter Carl would cut his way through the jaw, but Mason didn''t feel like waiting. He pushed until Duality of Strength got the message. Everything breaks with enough force. Whatever piece of the awful creature''s jaw had locked finally snapped, and the pressure eased. Mason got his legs up and pushed himself some more room, than stood up and lifted as he walked towards the lips with the top held up on his shoulders. He kicked a tooth out (it took several tries) for good measure on the way out, then jumped down to the ground. "Jesus, kid. You look like Liam Neeson from that superhero movie, you know, where he wears disguises. Darkman." "I''m guessing that''s bad." Becky came running beside Seamus, covering her face when she saw Mason. It was definitely bad. The birdman princended, and the Nephus priest came up with half a dozen others in his wake. Pretty much everyone was staring. Mason didn''t quite ''copse'', but he did agree with his body that it was time for a good sit. "Are you...in much pain, my friend?" said the priest, his face grave. ¡°Compared to what?¡± Mason muttered, feeling himself shake slightly as his body failed to grapple with it all. "Your name will live on forever," said the priest. "What you and your friends have done today will live in glory for a thousand years. They will speak of it in every city in the world." "Great," Mason said lying t then hissing at the pain in his back. "I''ll look forward to that." "Are there any rituals...any customs he would wish? Any words we might say?" Mason heard the priest asking the others, and realized the man assumed he was dying. Carl didn''t quiteugh, but it was fair to say his horror and concern for Mason getting burnt/crushed/exploded had rather diminished since they met. "Maybe you should hold his hand," Carl said. "A lengthy prayer, maybe. Mason appreciates a lot of words. The more philosophical the better." "Carl," Mason groaned in warning, hearing the prick cover augh with a snorting cough. "Everyone else OK?" "This ¡®ain''t a joke," Becky said, and he tried not to groan as she took his hand. "We''re OK, Mason. We did it. Though I don''t see Streak...I think maybe he was...oh, nope, there he is. He''s trying to eat the dragon." Mason snorted, and despite the pain, almostughed when the priest took his other hand and started mumblings words about Nephus and eternal life. He supposed, in a way, the man was right. Mason was possibly going to live forever. Though with the way things were going he sort of doubted it. He wasn''t so stupid or arrogant to think a man fighting for his life every week was going to enjoy immortality. Sooner orter, there¡¯d be a dragon mouth out there that would be hisst. "I''m not going to die," he exined, patting the priest''s knee. "At least not today. I''ll heal in a few minutes." This was met with a polite smile and more priestly words. Mason probably passed out a minute, but when he woke he saw pretty much everyone but his friends were staring again. The priest made his now familiar religious gesture. Most of the bird men made gestures, too, but he expected these were a lot less ''thank God'', and a lot more ''dear God.'' Mason sat up and gave a little wave. Becky threw her arms around his neck and he patted her arm and grinned. "You''re so soft now," she said with a littleugh. "Like fresh new baby skin." "Super." Mason cracked his neck and got up, trying not to wince as a fair amount of old, burnt skin sloughed off like a...well, snake. "I''m thirsty. And starving. And I''d rather not eat dragon." "Rest assured," said the birdman prince, stepping forward as his eyes went up and down Mason''s body. "Tonight, once the dead are buried, we will hold a feast in your honor. The nobles of this city will sit and listen to your prophet speak of your god, and of the deeds of his champions." Mason nodded, not at all sure how he felt about that. "I saw you and your warriors attack the dragon''s wings. We would have failed without you. Your men deserve as much credit." "Some less, perhaps." The prince smiled. "But you''re right," he turned and spoke up, his pallor fairer, his voice louder as if with every passing moment. "The Destroyer is dead!" The soldiers cheered with eyes that seemed bewildered, as if they were caught in a myth they hardly believed. "Let every city, every house,¡± continued the prince, ¡°let every race of creature know a dragon died in the floating city. It died, and we live." Golden eyes shone everywhere with pride, and their prince put a hand gently on Mason''s shoulder. "Come, my friend, for a much deserved rest. Others will put out the mes and see to the city. You have done more than you can know for my people." Mason nodded, too tired and hungry to argue. "Next time," he said, before he forgot. "Have the apes ready with some kind of pick. To pierce those scales. Do you have metal? Or I don''t know, try really strong, magic wooden spikes. The spears worked great on the wings, but you''ll have to attack it on the ground." The Prince snorted and shook his head. "I will remember, Mason, champion of Nephus. Now,e. Let us speak of your god, and your homnd. I have many questions." Mason blinked as the world started to distort. "Ah hell," he said, feeling his eyes ze. A green circle formed in the air all around him, and he nced at Becky and the others to see more circles forming on top of them. He sighed, shrugging at the priest as he felt the prince¡¯s hand slip off his shoulder. "Another time, I guess," he said, hoping the next ''level'' wasn''t quite as bad as this one. But he''d seen ke y enough video games to know it wasn''t very likely. * * * Mason''s eyes cleared to reveal...more jungle, and some kind of stone tform. He smelled smoke and blood and living things everywhere, slowly turning to see what he was dealing with. All the yers (and Streak) were appearing around him, blinking up at the grey sky and the canopy of trees. So that was something. Becky grinned when she saw everyone was together. "At least I don''t have to find y''all this time. And I think that portal gave us a boost. My mana''s pretty much all back." Mason nodded, feeling a lot less starving and beat to shit than he had a few seconds ago. He looked around and realized with the others the stone tform they were standing on was actually built into the side of an immense structure. He looked off the edge and realized they were a good fifty feet above the ground. "Don''t walk off," he said, then nced up to see stairs that could take them up at least another fifty feet and probably more. "You''vee, you''ve trulye," said a young man''s voice, and Mason spun to see a boy with a shaved head and something close to a toga standing in a doorway to another part of the structure. His eyes were wide, and he bowed his head as if in reverence. "You''ve arrived just in time, champions, the battle has begun. Please follow me." "What battle?" Mason said. "Where are we?" The boy stood with a confused look, ncing back through the doorway until an older man stepped through holding what Mason now recognized as a symbol of Nephus. He blinked, recognizing him¡ªit was the same old man who''d stood on the pyramid in the desert, who recruited them to ''save the Nephi''. As Mason looked into his eyes, he also knew now it was the young priest he''d helped in the jungle. The ¡®prophet¡¯ they¡¯d been helping this whole time. "I am very pleased to see you again, my friend," said the now aging priest. He wore robes almost identical to those he''d worn when they met, his face and body wrinkled and tanned, his back beginning to hunch with age. "You haven''t aged in a hundred years," he said in wonder, then shook his head. "Praise His name." "What''s happening?" Mason said. "I smell battle. A battle with who?" "With the dead," said the priest, as if surprised Mason didn''t know. "The enemy of the god of life has always been death. The Destroyer has returned, my friends. Risen from the earth with the will of its ancient god. Bones and darkness sent to snuff out the lives that defied it. Today is the hundredth anniversary of its defeat. And it has been waiting." "A dracolich," Carl said with a knowing grin, "so cool." Mason stared until the man shrugged and dropped it. "Not for us, obviously. But still, overall, pretty cool." Mason sighed and shook his head, gesturing for the priest to lead them on. He¡¯d really wanted that feast. And maybe a night to bang Becky until they both forgot their own names. Instead it was ¡®Destroyer Round Two¡¯. "Alright," he said with an exhale, resigning himself to more geekery. "Tell me what the hell a dracolich is."
Chapter 303: Back in the tower Chapter 303: Back in the tower ke blinked away from his constructs when he started tasting blood. His lips had cracked, apparently. When was thest time he''d drunk water? Or swallowed, for that matter¡­ "Patron..." ke turned to find Seul-ki wobbling on her feet, hand still on his arm. As he did, most of his joints popped or cracked. He could feel himself trembling and winced that he''d probably gotten lost in creation too long this time. He put a steadying hand to Seul-ki, then eased both of their abused bodies to the nearby couch. "We''re done," he soothed. "You did extremely well, Seul-ki. We managed almost double today." "It''s almost morning, Patron," she said, and ke blinked and nced out a tower window to see the dim glow from a rising sun. "Oh. Well. Even so, we made tremendous progress. Sleep." "What are you doing?" Seul-ki mumbled, eyes already closing as key her down beside a sleeping Annie. He stroked her hair and smiled, ignoring the question until she slept. ke had been making constructs now for several days with little rest. He''d lost count of how many, precisely, but at least fifty. Their overall design had definitely improved with practice, though he''d kept most to some variation of a ''roman'' soldier armed with spears and stabbing swords and some kind of shield. But he made a handful of psionic defenders designed to smash and grab, too. Somewhere around the second day, after basically passing out, he''d also decided it was time to pay some attention to his body. He used True Making to design a kind of home gym, andmitted himself to using it for at least ten per cent of the time he employed his brain. It wasn''t easy. But ke didn''t y to lose. So every day before he slept, no matter how tired or disinterested, he went to his little gym and did his best to remember Mason''s many failed lessons. "I don''t need muscles, Mason. If you haven''t noticed, I don''t exactly struggle with women." "Jesus Christ, it''s not about women. It''s about..." Mason had rolled his eyes in their parent''s exercise room¡ªa ce well upkept but rarely used by anyone except Mason. "Wouldn''t you like to, I don¡¯t know, win a fight once in your life?" ke hadughed back then. "That''s why I have you. Anyway, fist fights are very eighth grade, brother of mine. Everyone''s my friend now. So who would I fight?" He¡¯d always had an excuse like that. Some reason not to do the things he didn''t want to. Some slick answer for Mason or his friends, his parents, teachers, and girlfriends. He always got away with it. But today was a new day. And a new ke. And while the best liars innately had the ability to lie to themselves, ke had endeavored to call out his own bullshit. At least for now. So he lifted the stupid weight above his chest and groaned, often tempted to use Telekinesis, despite it defeating the point. The system had already made him considerably stronger than he''d ever been in the old world, but he still couldn''t bench more than about a hundred and fifty pounds. And one morning, presumably in boredom, he''d seen little Anniey down and lifted something approaching three hundred. She was a physical yer. He knew that. But watching the tiny red head utterly destroy him had been something of a wake up call. Or at least hard on his ego. So he did his best. And every day he checked his statistics, but his ''strength'' never improved. He supposed it was a bitughable to think he''d make progress in so little time. In the ''real'' world it took months and likely years to build real muscle. ke intended to stay at it, but hoped in the new world the system sped things up a little. He went for maybe an hour before he gorged himself on mystery orc food and slept, dreaming of True Making and an army of constructs. The dream constructs replicated around him in circles, popping up with an almost cartoonish sound until they surrounded the orc towers, then began to fill the ins with an endless army. He couldn''t help but smile, seeing himself in the center, the unstoppable puppet master, the greatest creator since the Makers. No. Greater. Some of the constructs began to change. To be more aesthetically pleasing. More human. To be...beautiful women. Soon they were more like sex dolls than his mighty legionnaires, and started transforming ke''s dream into an entirely different genre of story. "Patron?" ke blinked his eyes open and groaned as he saw Seul-ki''s long hair. She wasn''t yet in her disguise, her real, beautiful face looking tired but happy as she smiled down at him. "Yes, my dear?" he smiled and reached for her, realizing her chest was only covered by a sheet. "Jesus you''re gorgeous," he said, sliding the fabric away to reveal the girl''s incredible, round breasts. But he blinked. They looked...wrong. The nipples somehow...stic. "Patron?" she said again, her mouth moving robotically. ke realized he must still be dreaming and tried to wake. But ''Seul-ki''s'' eyes narrowed and hardened. "Patron?" she said, this time harsher, angrier. She lifted a knife from beneath the sheet, holding it high in the air. "Don''t," ke said, trying but failing to get his arms up in time. Seul-ki stabbed him exactly where the orc had stabbed him when he was trying to control its mind to fight the orc ''king''. He''d never fully understood what happened¡ªonly sensing a kind of snapping in the creature, a small chance that his mind magic must have held to enrage or break his target. Seul-ki stabbed him again and again, screaming ''Patron! Patron!'' as he iled uselessly, his hands soon soaked in his own blood. He woke with a start, grabbing at his chest and throwing his legs off the couch as Psionic Shield triggered and he saw a few weights lifted and ready to throw with Telekinesis. "Patron?" ke stood and held up a hand, soon recognizing Annie as she watched him with impassive eyes. He took a few slow, deep breaths. "Please call me ke, Annie. I''m no longer anyone''s patron." "If you like," she said, eyes moving to the floating weights. Something almost like emotion shed briefly into her eyes. "Did you have a bad dream? I...used to have those." "Yes," he said, putting them down gently as he scanned hisb. The sun was fully up now and it might have been early afternoon. Pliny the half dead goblin engineer was off in a corner doing...something. Seul-ki was still sleeping. His few un-gifted constructs were guarding the door. Otherwise they were alone. "An orc just came, but I said you were sleeping," Annie said. "Orcdy wants you to meet her. Something about a council." An orc council? That sounded bad. ke expected his construct building time hade to an end. The orcs would demand action, probably rying an endless litany of unfortunate events, some of which might even have been the demons. But ke had built Ilya a small army of True Making meanness. And since nearly all were psionics, they were particrly unstoppable against the goblin wizards. The poor bastards would discover their magic hardly worked, and they''d bergely forced to destroy the things with brute, physical force. The thought made ke smile. And even if somehow the orcs ended up trying to overthrow Ilya, they would die in incredible numbers trying to destroy all those constructs. ke very much doubted they would even have the ability to bring enough troops. So at least for now, ke decided, Ilya was safe. From everything but an assassin''s knife. But even there they¡¯d taken precautions. Ilya was hidden away, the goblins locked to their floors with no way up. Under no circumstances would they ever allow a goblin of any kind, let alone an assassin, within any kind of perimeter of Ilya. The threat was too high, the opportunity to great. ke thanked Annie and went straight to his orc lover after a quick freshening up. He wasn''t sure how much time they had, but it was always best to be prepared. He brought a few constructs, telling Annie she could wait here and watch out for Seul-ki. "I know you''re bored, Annie," ke tried to soothe her. "But we''ll be in a dungeon soon enough, and you can give that new ss of yours a proper test." She stared at him, head turned slightly, no expression whatsoever. "I''m not bored," she said. Then she stared out the window,pletely still. ke held back the shiver and went on his way. He really, really needed to start dealing with that. Soon, he promised himself, right after the orc dungeon. We have plenty of time. He and his constructs cked and ttered their way up the stairs, ke''s arms and legs a bit sore, which confused him until he remembered all the working out. He chuckled as he remembered Mason alwaysining about stairs. Then he was on Ilya''s floor and walking past guarding constructs, a bit surprised when he thought he heard voices ahead. Ilya was very careful with guests, so he assumed it must be some very trusted ally. Someone she could rely onpletely, like a female new member of her house, or... ke stopped when he saw the hood of a goblin assassin. He very nearly sent his constructs charging straight at it, until he then saw the rather unwee sight of a young Stoneblood orc lord sitting in a chair near Ilya, smiling and nodding pleasantly at something she said. "Ah! High Wizard. You slept well, I trust?" ke''s eyes went from the silent assassin near the window, to Ilya, to the orc lord. "I did, mydy. Is everything...well?" She smiled, and he could see it was genuine. She stood and walked to him so he could take her hand and bow slightly. "Of course. You remember Lord Halvar?" ke smiled and nodded. The orc made some kind of...polite grunt, ke had begun to recognize as an orc upper ss greeting. He had yet to try and make the noise himself. "I was told the council wished to see me," ke said, still a bit on shaky footing. "I''m afraid you slept through the meeting," Ilya said, giving him a slightly concerned look. "You''ve been working too hard. Not that I don''t appreciate it." He squeezed her hand a little then let go, and she gestured at the orc and goblin. "The council has demanded action, though there was some debate on exactly how to proceed. The goblin wizards have proved the stereotypical cowardice of their kind. They attended the meeting, but wouldn¡¯tmit any of themselves to actually enter a portal. In the end, we agreed on a group of you and your human yers, a single goblin representative, and one orc lord." She met his eyes, obviously not feeling the need to exin who the orc and goblin would be. "Aren''t your people...vulnerable to demonic magic?¡± ke said. ¡°I don''t mean to be rude...but, wouldn''t bringing Lord Halvar be...something of a liability?" He saw the sh of anger in the creature''s eyes and knew he shouldn''t feel pleased about it, but was. "Halvar is a Soulguard now, Wizard. He has been blessed by the gods for this very purpose. You will find him quite useful, I think." "Wonderful," ke said, then nced at the goblin. "And I suppose the wizards sent me their very best, did they?" The assassin said nothing, staring with purplish red eyes, the rest of himpletely covered in ck fabric. "He isn''t much of a talker," Ilya said with a polite smile. "But High Lord, er, Wizard Lord, Master um..." "Chillik," ke added helpfully. "Yes. He promised this was his very best." "And I see you''ve already offered him a pass to this level," ke added, giving Ilya a bit of a chastising look before she grinned. "Where would we be?" she said, with a slight smile. "If we couldn''t trust our friends?" ke sighed, ncing at his orc ''rival'' and the goblin killer, very d he had his Psionic Shield. "Where indeed," he said. "Well. No time like the present, my friends. Shall we go and kill some demons?" The assassin walked towards the exit without a word. The orc just grunted again, but ke wasn''t sure what this one meant. He rolled his eyes for Ilya''s benefit, then went to follow. But Ilya caught his arm¡­
Chapter 304: Just a moment (NSFW) Chapter 304: Just a moment (NSFW) "A moment, wizard," Ilya whispered, and ke turned back with an eyebrow raised. The orcdy walked away, stepping to her wooden desk as she tapped her fingers. "I wanted to discuss...your constructs. Before you left." "Of course, mydy." ke nodded and nced back to the orc lord and goblin assassin. "Head on down to myb. I''m granting you the permission now. I''ll meet you there." The assassin continued without a word, the orc lord with a distrusting re. ke decided he''d best not rely on either too heavily to save his life in the dungeon... He stepped towards Ilya, not entirely sure what she wanted to know about the constructs, but he supposed it was a lot of change very quickly. She was fussing with something behind the desk, and he was about to ask what it was until she started obviously shimmying something over her hips. "I''m still in heat," she said, as her underwear dropped around her ankles. "Please," she said, voice getting thicker. "I need it. Against the desk? Like before? You can fill me quickly." The day was looking rather up, ke decided. He came forward with a growing smile, another quick nce back towards the empty corridor. "How long exactly does this heatst? I really must be ready with more free time in the future." "A month." Ilya leaned over the desk, squirming against the wood. "Sometimes two, if you''re young and childless like me. And it gets worse towards the end. Oh please hurry." "I live to serve, mydy," ke said, moving behind Ilya and running his hands up her robe-covered back. He pushed the fabric up, exposing her taut, wide ass and giving it a few ps. "Please don''t tease me," Ilya whined, shoving herself back towards him. ke leaned forward and kissed her cheek, hardening against her flesh as he reached for his belt. He''d give her what she wanted, of course¡ªespecially since it was what he wanted, too. But it was all too delicious to let entirely go without a little teasing. "You don''t want my fingers?" he asked. "Or maybe I should get you on your knees, first." "No, please," Ilya closed her eyes and gasped as he kissed her neck. She gripped the side of the desk and took deep breaths. "I want your cock inside me. I want it deep and hard and..oh, Gods." She was practically vibrating. ke couldn''t bring himself to watch her suffer too much longer. He kicked off his pants and pped his now hard length between her cheeks, causing her back to arch as she dropped herself onto the desk. He slipped the tip down over her tight little ass, holding back the groan of lust when he found herpletely soaked. She definitely didn''t need any teasing. Whatever spirit of lust was possessing her was quickly taking ke over, too, and he let out a breath as he pushed inside Ilya''s warm, wet, very eager body. She gasped and clenched around him so hard he almost popped out, forcing him to push harder and deeper until he waspletely buried. For a moment she justy there moaning, clenching around his shaft again and again. It felt amazing. And he was shocked against just how strong and active Ilya''s walls were. They were going to need to re-name Kegel exercises to Orc exercises. Fucking Ilya in heat felt a bit like getting a blowjob at the same time. He put one hand on her ass, the other on her back, and started thrusting. She bounced back against him, moaning with closed eyes as she gripped the sides of the desk. The feel of her body, the sight of her bent over and moaning¡­all the suffering of thest few days sted away as ke lost himself in the moment. With most girls he found himself fantasizing. Drudging up old memories or porn or just what he¡¯d really like to be doing or saying. But with Ilya¡­he just paid attention. He felt he could do exactly what he wanted, or what she wanted, and he¡¯d enjoy every second of it. He was a few good minutes in to pounding his orc lover against her desk when he looked up and noticed Seul-ki staring. He froze,pletely surprised, and a bit at a loss as he met the girl''s green eyes. Ilya made a moan somewhere between pleasure andint, still pushing back desperately to get him deeper. He was about to clear his throat and exin when Ilya obviously opened her eyes and looked up. "How..." Ilya mped down around his shaft again and seemed ready to stand and cover herself. Then she groaned and copsed. "I don''t care. Don''t stop now. Please." "I''m...a bit busy now," ke called to his other lover, in a bit of unfamiliar territory. Though not . "Could you wait for me downstairs, please?" Seul-ki shook out her long hair, and her face transformed as she dropped her disguise. She met ke''s eyes again and smiled a little. "Would you mind if I...watched?" ke had no idea what to say to that. He was moving a bit into Ilya again, the orc girl doing most of the work to push back. ke felt rather trapped and confused, but also turned on as hell. "If you like," he eventually managed, not sure how he felt about it. Ilya seemed pretty much ambivalent. She had her eyes closed again, moaning as she slid herself like wet silk down his shaft. Seul-ki sat on arge,fortable chair facing the desk. She started unbuttoning her blouse, letting down her hair and settling herself in. ke soon found he couldn''t help but watch as he fingers trailed over her own body. "I''m not sure how much it will let me touch myself," Seul-kiined. "Without some kind of penalty." It seemed she intended to find out. She put her legs on the chair and spread them, one hand moving inside her blouse to touch her breasts, the other sliding up and down over her panties. "Is this..." Ilya managed between moans. "Is this your concubine?" "Something like that." ke was getting back into it now, driving into Ilya with a bit more rhythm. If Ilya and Seul-ki weren''t bothered, he certainly wasn''t going to allow himself to be. "Not while I''m in heat," Ilya practically growled. "It''s mine. I...need it. All." ke snorted and kept pumping, eyes locked on the little Korean''s fingers as she slowly slid aside her underwear and exposed herself. She ran a finger over her opening, then lifted it away and made a frustrated groan. "It''s warning me..." she said, still ying with her nipples. ke grinned as he started True Making with one half of his partitioned mind. He wasn''t a dildo expert, but he imagined he could get something close enough. As he pictured the thing he decided his own example was what he knew best, and made something as close to an exact replica as he could. A very good clone of his own member formed in the air, and ke took a moment to appreciate the artistry. Then he floated it forward with Telekinesis. "I''ve gotten rather good with control," he said. Seul-ki''s eyes followed the phallice as he kept on fucking Ilya with the other half of his attention, eyes and power carefully guiding his device between Seul-ki¡¯s legs. She gasped as it touched her, then moved her fingers away as ke rubbed her up and down. She started smiling, then closed her eyes andy back her head as ke kept rubbing. Apparently ''dildos'' were another project on his ever-growing list of objects needing further study. Vibration seemed out with his current skill set, but one never knew with magic. Perhaps if he could figure that out there might be other possibilities. But now wasn''t the time for thinking... He slid the replica''s tip inside Seul-ki, and she seemed to be enjoying herself either way. Before long, both girls were moaning as ke fucked them with two versions of his cock. The one in Seul-ki stroked his ego, the one in Ilya stroked a lot more. For a little while he could hardly believe what was happening, but he locked that away behind the insanity of the new world. So he was fucking an orc noblewoman and his Korean girlfriend with a floating dildo and mind powers. What about it? The women were certainly not asking questions. Ilya was panting, gripping the desk, her legs spread wide for him to do whatever he wanted. He leaned down and kissed her cheek, and she turned and almost gored him with her little tusks trying to get at his tongue. She came as soon as he kissed her, mping him so tightly he could hardly move as she cried out with pleasure mixed with relief. When she finally stopped shaking she looked back at him with half-eyed gratitude and lust, a naughty grin on her face as she kept sliding him inside. "You may have your concubine, too, if you wish," she said, as if in apology. "It was just the heat talking." ke smiled and kissed her again, fucking Seul-ki faster now as she started to hold her breath. "Don''t worry, my love," he said. "I''ll take good care of you both. But I want to see my cum dripping out of that perfect little pussy of yours." Ilya shuddered with another moan, and ke gave her two fingers to suck as he fucked her harder and faster. Her wetness was already dripping down his balls, her soaked sex making sucking sounds as he rammed into her and pped against her ass. Seul-ki was watching him, hands on her nipples as his creation pumped inside her. Her feet were raised in the air, shaking now as she covered her mouth and cried out. ke¡¯s usually iron will was slipping. He let go of any resistance, lost in the lust of Seul-ki''s voyeurism, of Ilya''s need, of his own ownership of both. Ilya was still gently squeezing him with every thrust, milking him with her amazing pussy as he let the pressure build. He cried out with the release, feeling like he''d exploded with pressure inside his orc queen. Her eyes were closed as she sucked his fingers and spread her legs, going ck as he filled her with every drop. His balls squeezed with every sensitive twitch and spasm as he came. For a few blissful seconds he forgot entirely about making constructs, or killing demons, or dealing with several hundred traitorous, greed goblins. There was only the beautiful vision of Seul-ki satisfied in the chair, her legs spread and a smile on her face as she looked at him. And Ilya now lying beneath him without moving, still sucking his fingers, happy as a (green) kitten with cream. He let out a long, satisfied breath, and let the moment linger. Then it was gone. "OK," he said, giving Ilya''s ass a final p. "Not that I¡¯mining, Seul-ki. But how the hell did you get in here?"
Chapter 305: A bargain kept Chapter 305: A bargain kept Turned out Seul-ki''s ''disguise'' power could do more than trick the eye. It could trick magical wards and barriers, getting her to any floor in the tower, and who knew what else. ke was both deeply impressed, and slightly concerned. "Incredible," he said, smiling politely. "Not that I''m upset, but did youe looking for me for any¡­particr reason?" They were all putting their clothes back on, with Ilya a bit slow and drunk-looking as she hiked up her underwear. She seemedpletely uncaring about Seul-ki, which was both bizarre and exciting in equal measure. ke was the sort to keep looking for a woman''s ws until he''d constructed a healthy list, but finding faults with Ilya was getting pretty difficult, even for him. If you saw past the whole ''orc'' thing. "Yes," Seul-ki said, looking a little shy now that their...interesting sexual encounter was over. "The goblin...engineer." She winced. "His um, project, exploded. He wasn''t too badly harmed. But he destroyed some of yourboratory. A piece of one wall is gone. Annie was going to kill him, but I''d calmed her down...maybe I shouldn''t have left them...I should have told you sooner, but I..." "I''m d you waited." ke smiled, trying to smooth over the girl''s awkwardness. "But I suppose I''d best go down." He sighed, and took Ilya in his arms, kissing her passionately. "I fear my day is all down hill from here." The orc noblewoman grinned a little, still looking slightly drunk. "I''m going to take a nap," she said, wandering towards her bed. "Good luck, wizard," she called. "It would be nice if all my problems were solved when I woke." "I''ll do my best," ke called back, walking towards the hall with a gesture to Seul-ki. "Your disguise, my dear," he said. "There are orcs and goblins lurking about." She bowed slightly in thanks, and her natural beauty began to warp and shift, not changing her appearance too much, and yet enough to trick ke''s eye, even as he watched her change. He thought about his own, neglected ¡®Adaptive Veil¡¯ power and theck of use since he''d escaped the orc king trap. He supposed he might behave much like Seul-ki, if he wished¡ªmoving about all the orc towers at his will, using his mind powers, building a web of spies and bending the orc lords to his will... He shook his head and tried not to let his imagination have its wicked way. Having power didn''t mean you had to use it. Or something. ke did his best to convince himself it was better to be careful, to be fair, to let a little chaos exist if it meant other people kept their own will. Sometimes, he even managed it. This was a new ke, after all. A ke who respected the minds and lives of other people, even when they conflicted with his own. A man who recognized his own ws and frailties, and did his best to remedy them. But Jesus Christ it was exhausting. And boring. And it took so long. He walked with Seul-ki down the hall, ncing at her after a minute of not speaking to see how she was doing. She wore a perfectly neutral expression, no indication at all she''d just been in the other room being very naughty with a toy ke made out of thin air. She didn''t seem awkward now or needy, seemingly content just to be beside him, no need to discuss the...event...further. "I''m pleased you came to find me," ke said, trying to see if his assessment was correct. Seul-ki smiled politely, one of the few people ke found almost impossible to read. After a moment of silence he tried again. "If you found that ufortable, it doesn''t need to happen again. But my rtionship with Ilya is...necessary." "I understand," Seul-ki said. "I found it...surprising. Not ufortable." ke decided that was good enough. He and Seul-ki (and ke''s thumping constructs) eventually arrived at hisboratory, where they found Pliny attempting to patch up a half-destroyed stone wall. The Stoneblood lord and goblin assassin were standing in the middle of the room, looking at ke''s many constructs with poorly hidden concern. "Oh, don''t worry, Pliny, I''ll fix it with my Making power. It''s fine, really." All eyes turned to ke, and though he was nning to talk first he opened True Making on a whim and started testing patterns on the broken wall. Secondster he was building brick and stone from nothing, even making a little design that looked vaguely like the psionic affinity symbol. In a few moments, the wall was patched, and ke set the duration to permanent, not minding the mana hit. "There," he said, smiling. He watched his orc rival stare in amazement, a little annoyed with himself for the disy. He felt the urge to show off around the young lord, which wasn''t like him and didn''t help anything. Why am I jealous? he wondered. He had just left Ilya a sex-addled, dripping mess. He had saved her life. Avenged her family. Given her this tower. Filled it with defenders to protect her. And she had wanted him even before he did all those things. But whenever he thought about losing her, a rather horrible tightness seemed to shoot through his chest. Was it paranoia? Intuition? He had no idea. "Impressive," said the orc lord, without tone. "We could use you in the Grey tower, wizard. If Lady Ambereye could loan your services." ke did his best to keep the same neutral tone. "Thank you, Lord Stoneblood, you''re certainly free to ask her. Now I think it''s probably time we made our way to the first..." he shrugged, searching for the right term, "demon hole." "Agreed." The orc lord put a hand to the handle of a mace on his hip and squeezed. "I look forward to destroying as many as possible. I have sworn to follow where you lead." "Very good." ke looked to the goblin. "Are you ready? And perhaps a name is in order. I can''t just say ''hey you, goblin'' now can I?" The assassin stared, his face still covered. He took a knife from somewhere in the folds of his clothing, and held it in the air as if in disy, then tossed it at ke''s feet. ke very nearly turned on Telekinesis in surprise, but eventually bent over and picked up the de. "A bargain kept," whispered the assassin. "And ''goblin'' will do." It took ke a moment, then he remembered: when he''d first entered the wizard guild, there''d been an assassin he''d negotiated with, who predicted he would die horribly if he entered. On a whim, ke had bet the creature a dagger he''d live. "Thank you," he said with a grin, holding up the de. "I will treasure it. Now, I don''t see why we can''t deal with the Stoneblood problem first, since all the towers have simr prolems. Unless you have some objection, my lord?" ke looked at the young orc, who smiled a little. "None." "Very good, then. Annie? Seul-ki? Are we ready?" "And me, master," said Pliny, stepping forward with twitching eyes, wed hands picking at each other as he hobbled forward. ke stared at the creature, unsure. He had some kind of prestige ss, now, gained in the dungeon before they''d left. But other than the asional piece of knowledge or useful device, the creature didn''t seem exactly...dungeon ready. "It will be very dangerous, Pliny. I don''t want to waste your talents and put you at risk." The creature shrugged, then held out a hand and materialized something from nothing like some of the civilians of Nassau could do. It looked like...a helmet? "Protection," Pliny said, plopping the misshapen thing on his head. Between the creature''s already strange goggles, his corpse-like face, and now what looked like a metal¡­cup. With a twirly on the top. Pliny looked truly ridiculous. "Surely we don''t need this creature," said Halvar, not bothering to cover his scorn. "What use could he possibly be?" ke winced, feeling the orc lord''s distaste moving through him like a magic potion, ensuring he would do whatever annoyed his perceived rival the most. He really needed to get this feeling under control before it cost him. But maybe not just yet... "Of course you cane, Pliny, if you wish," ke said with a smile. "I have no doubt you''ll be useful. Please, gather your things." "Yes, master." Pliny beamed, then scurried back towards his corner of inventions, muttering to himself as he vanished several objects. ke tried not to regret it as he turned, noticing the assassin''s cunning eyes on him, then on Pliny, in fact somehow moving everything. The assassin definitely concerned him, especially because he realized the goblin wizards might think killing ke would deactivate all the tower constructs. It wasn''t true, of course, but they might think it was true, and thus ordered the assassin to kill ke if he got the chance. Not a particrly pleasant thought. But such was life for the foreseeable future. ke nced at Seul-ki and Annie and took somefort. He had twopletely loyal allies, at least, to watch his back. Probably. ke walked towards the tower exit, doing his best not to wish Mason were here and watching his back. Especially since Mason might be the first to turn on the others... He hoped he was doing alright with his ¡®Nexus¡¯ challenge, because he¡¯d been right¡ªit was the most important thing they could be doing. ke simply believed they could do two ambitious things at the same time. "Alright," he said, as the tower guardians pushed open the White Tower doors. "Let''s go kill some demons." Nobody looked particrly enthusiastic. ke couldn''t really me them. Demons were a terrifying foe, and it was quite possible they wouldn''t all survive. Even if they did trust and work with each other. Which they probably wouldn¡¯t. Life was getting veryplicated. But ke¡¯s smile waspletely authentic. Chaos didn¡¯t bother ke Nimitz one bit.
Chapter 306: Tireless laborers Chapter 306: Tirelessborers Mason truly hated nerdery. And this Nexus. And ke for doing whatever the fuck he was doing that wasn¡¯t helping. Apparently a dracolich was an undead dragon. With pretty much all the pros and almost none of the cons. Not that dragons had a lot ¡®cons¡¯ to begin with. But at least they had, you know, organs. This thing sounded even more terrifying than the live version. "His magic powers have increased with time," the nameless priest exined. "For a hundred years he has been gathering an army of the dead. Beasts. Corpses from our crypts and graveyards. Any unfortunate soul who wandered too close to its sources of power." "And if we kill it," Mason said as the group walked them through the pyramid, "does this army just fall down and die? Properly?" "I do not know," said the priest. "But you may be right. I''m afraid our knowledge of the creature is not extensive." Mason soon realized the pyramid was familiar. The images on the walls weren''t faded anymore, the bare stone halls now containing furniture and a collection of animalistic people, all of whom stared at Mason and the others with wide, almost reverent eyes. Did that mean their first ''challenge'' had been in the future? A vision of what would happen here if they failed? It seemed to make sense. So they''d been warped back in time at least a couple hundred years to change things. Not that any of it was really happening, of course. But then when you were this deep into a fantasy world what the hell was ''real'' anyway? "OK, Carl." Mason sighed. "What do you think you know about dracoliches?" The priest stopped and turned, obviously just as keen to hear. In fact the whole group stared, and Carl grinned then practically transformed¡ªas if in his old life he were some kind of¡­practiced fantasy storyteller. Mason did his best not to roll his eyes. "Expect dark magic, my friends. Maybe nothing quite as shy as thoseets he was shooting. But now he''ll be nothing but bone and bits of rotting flesh, with a glowing power behind his eyes. And he''ll still be able to breathe. Maybe not fire. But something more like acid, or a kind of magic that''ll suck the life right out of you." "Jesus Christ," Mason muttered. "So it has no flesh? I assume it won¡¯t be able to fly." Carl frowned. "I wouldn''t assume anything. Ordinarily it would. But maybe in this ''reality'' roboGod cares a little more about physics than pen and paper games. So I just don''t know. Has anyone seen it?" He turned to the priest, who shook his head. "The battle is only just begun. The armies of our king fight with undead and some kind of dragon cult. But the Destroyer has not yet shown itself." "Alright," Mason dragged a hand over his growing stubble. "We have to assume it can. Which is fucking great. And it means..." he shrugged helplessly. "The only way to bring it down is break the attaching bone. Probably? That''ll be hard with a bow. We might need...bird men to carry me and Carl up there. Even to me that sounds crazy." "I can do it," Carl said, wiping a hand over his head. "I mean. We only need one wing, right? If I got carried up. I could hack some bone and drop. I can warp before I hit the ground." "Unless the zombie dragon eats you," Mason said. "Zombie dragons are different," Carl said. "That¡¯s more like a Warhammer thing." "What the hell is...OK, I don''t give a shit. You''ll be too high for Reba to help you. Anyway, I''d still have us both go. Double our chances. Or at least I¡¯d distract him. Alex, can you shield him that high in the air?" The Brusian frown-scowled, then shrugged without a word. "Well, there you go," Mason said. "Your chances of survival are approximately as good as a shrug from Alex. Anyway I doubt we''ll find any bird men crazy enough to actually agree. So let''s hope it doesn''t fly." "You needn''t worry there," said a voice down the hall. Mason turned to find Prince Aixa (probably now King Aixa) looking maybe like a man in his mid sixties. Apparently these bird men lived a lot longer than humans. He wore leather armor simr to thest time they''d met, his body older but strong, his face weathered and wise. The golden eyes were just as cunning as before. "I and my bodyguard would be honored to carry you, Champions. If necessary." Mason nodded in respect, seeing many of the birdmen behind their king straining to see Mason and the others. "I thought the battle had already started. Shouldn''t you and your men be there?" "Skirmishes only," said the king. "Cultists. Mercenaries. A few monstrous beasts. My generals are well trained and don''t need me for much. And I...wanted to see for myself." He smiled and looked at the priest of Nephus. "I should never have doubted you, my friend. You have never failed me." "I do nothing, my lord," said the priest. "It is Nephus who protects us. The glory is his." "Indeed." Aixa smiled. "Come, my friends. I will take you to the battlefield. And together we will end this monstrous creature once and for all." Mason and the others followed, walking past dozens and soon hundreds of the ''Nephi'', who stared and whispered and dropped in various religious bows, gestures and prayers. "The green-eyed warrior and the wolf!" whispered a young priestess. "The wizard!" said another. "The swordsman! And the shield-maiden!" "And the bald squire!" said someone else. Mason couldn''t help but grin as he nced back at Carl. "Ahe on," the older man muttered, rubbing a hand briefly over his head before he realized and pulled it away. "Should have told them you were a ssassin," Mason whispered. * * * King Aixa took them on a vaguely familiar, surreal trip through the pyramid. He told them about the construction, about his royal house¡¯s conversion and embrace of Nephus, and the growth of the floating city over thest century. "Then came the Doom," he said sadly. "I thought we might see you again, and I nearly lost my faith. But we survived, unlike many of the surrounding cities. Nephus protected us from the winds and the drought. Somehow this jungle became an ind of life in a terrible storm of death. We saved who we could." Mason had heard mention of the ''Doom'' before in the game''s world-building. Some kind of cataclysm that he''d guessed wiped out the Makers and who knew what else. But he still had very little understanding of the timeline or really the actual facts about anything. A part of him wanted to say he didn''t give a shit, but he knew ke and probably Haley would tell him it mattered. "What do you know about this ''Doom''?" he asked. "What caused it?" "I have no idea," said Aixa. "When life seemed to be returning to thend, we sent many flying scouts as far as we dared. Many did not return. Others spoke of a new world filled with strange, monstrous creatures. Most of the cities and peoples we once knew and traded with were gone. Like dust in the wind." Mason shook his head. Their synthetic overlord seemed obsessed with apocalypse. Was it some kind of insight into its understanding of the universe? Some kind of message it was trying to send? Maybe it just liked blowing shit up. Whatever the answer, they had bigger, more immediate problems. Mason followed Aixa and his guards through a few more winding passages, and once or twice the king and his men actually stopped and looked slightly lost. "We never walk," he said, looking a little chagrined. "There''s a shaft that runs down the center of the pyramid. You can just fly up or down. If you have wings." But they eventually found their way out. What was before a thriving, if low tech city of mostly wood and brick was now a metropolis of stone. The floating city was still built into/over ake, still surrounded by jungle. It was just far bigger. They''d cleared out the jungle further and further, building a series of walls outside theke as the city expanded. Any conventional army would struggle like hell to attack such a ce. Especially with flying defenders. But a dracolich? Mason had no idea. And he had a somewhat...delicate question. "Does this dracolich''s army have many of your people? Does it have, uh, undead flying birdmen?" Aixa winced. "Many who can fly? No. But some. We have fought them over the years. They are usually slow, easy to pick off in the sky. We do not fear them." Mason nodded, not bothering to say ¡®what if there were a thousand of them guarding a flying bone dragon?¡¯ More and more townsfolk and soon soldiers gathered around them as they walked towards the edge of the city. There was another temple-pyramid there near a gate, and as Mason saw several females of various animalistic ''species'' atop it in robes he froze. It was almost identical to his dream. "What are they doing up there?" he gestured, and the king grinned. "They are sorceresses, Champion, gifted with light from Nephus. Their magic will help protect us from the Destroyer''s spells. And perhaps to burn our enemies." Mason nodded, a vague fear building in his gut. There was going to be a battle on that temple. A battle of critical importance. He didn''t know exactly how he knew, but he did. "I want one group on that pyramid defending the sorceresses," he said to Phuong and Carl. "I''m thinking Seamus, Alex, and Phuong." He held up a hand. "I know you won''t be able to do anything up there, Phuong, but your job will be to guard them from anything that..nds. I''ll be watching, too." Phuong simply nodded, though Aixa frowned. "I doubt it''s necessary, Champion. Their magic is very powerful, they are inside the city, and they will be guarded already." Mason said nothing, and the king shrugged. "As you wish. There is the East Gate. The enemy has been massing in the jungle outside it, testing our defences. We expect the worst attack toe from there." Mason winced, his paranoia ring like a little warning bell in his mind. His skin crawled and all he wanted to do was run. This dragon wasn''t stupid. They''d killed itst time with surprise¡ªwith the advantage of its well-earned overconfidence leading to underestimating its enemy. But for a hundred years it had been plotting its revenge. And now it was going to telegraph its attack? To mass outside a single wall? No. Not a chance. "Can they dig?" Mason asked, ncing again at the wall, then the sky. Aixa furrowed his brow as if no one had ever asked such a thing, and Mason practically climbed up the temple. "If I had an army of tirelessbourers," Mason said, turning to the bird man king. "I''d spend as long as it took to dig under my enemy''s fancy walls. And then I''d put tunnels everywhere. Any reports of noise? Any weird mounds of dirt in the jungle?" Aixa blinked, then paled. He opened his mouth to speak, then just paused as if unsure what to say. Before he''d figured it out, Mason heard the first shouts of rm from the wall. Then he heard someone in the city scream.
Chapter 307: Phase One Chapter 307: Phase One "Change of n," Mason said, ncing towards the scream. "Everyone but Seamus and Becky on the ground. Roam and find tunnels, deal with anythinging out. If you''re getting overwhelmed, fall back to Seamus on the temple." King Aixa was yelling orders at his men. Mason heard him calling for the flyers to get to the skies, for the ''Great Guard'' to fall back to the city. After he''d issued severalmands he turned back to Mason. "I can''t abandon the gate. But I''ll send my best to help in the city." He shrugged, clearly rattled by the surprise, and angry at himself. "Is there anything else you suggest we do? Anything else we prepare for?" Mason shook his head. "We have to stop the tunnelers. But you''re right, sooner orter, maybe with enough chaos, they''re going tounch an attack at the wall. So we stop the chaos. We move and kill quickly. Hopefully we''re ready when ites." The king nodded. "I''ll go with my warriors." He handed Mason a small, silver horn. "If you need me, call with this. I will hear it." Mason took the horn. [Temporary item gained: Horn of the Nephi king. Can be attuned to one individual at a time, who will hear its call when sounded from anywhere in the world.] Well. That was incredibly useful. Mason hoped the game let him keep it when everything was over. If they weren''t all dead, of course. But he blocked that line of thinking and buried it deep. They were going to seed, and if they didn''t, there really wasn''t any point in worrying. Because you didn''t get second chances in this game. Mason nodded to Seamus and Becky, who started up the hundreds of stairs to the top of the temple. Becky gave a look back, and Mason did his best to give her aforting smile. Then he turned to the others. "Stick with Phuong, Alex. Do what you can. If you can''t find anything for awhile juste back to the temple. Any questions?" "See you shortly, Patron," Phuong said with a nod, and Mason pped his arm. "You good on your own, Carl? I can give you Streak." "No need. The lone assassin works best, er, alone. Shit I didn''t really think that through before I said it out loud. The lone killer works best in...fuck I don''t know. I should really work on some one liners." Mason shook his head. "You''re surprisingly chipper for a man with hardly any defences, a pregnant woman at home, heading into a giant battle." "And you''re the worst inspirational speaker ever," Carl said. Mason grinned, then he was gone¡ªrunning with Streak at his side, elven bow in hand, straight towards the sounds of the screams. It didn''t take long to find what he was expecting. And it was definitely one of those times he really wished his paranoia was wrong. Rotting corpses were climbing out of the ground. Mason wasn''t sure if it was some kind of animating graveyard or if the attackers wereing out of tunnels, but it didn''t make much difference for the moment. He loosed a Power Shot, and his first target literally exploded. Rotting flesh sprayed everywhere as the thing''s chest burst apart. Mason stopped and kept loosing, gritting his teeth in annoyance when he realized this city didn''t count as ''natural'' ground. He was using mana on arrows, and he''d be slower and generally just worse at everything. Not an ideal situation for possibly the biggest fight so far. He kept putting arrows into the heads of walking corpses, mind wandering to the jungle and some kind of running battle on his own. But that probably wasn''t wise. He had allies and a city to defend. He was reminded how much of a weakness it was having ground you couldn''t afford to give up. Better to stay mobile, to stay alert and ready to move, to choose when and where. But they couldn''t choose anything now. A foe who hated them and probably all living things was in control, and God knew how many steps ahead of them. As more and more of the corpses rose from the earth, or picked themselves up with arrows stuck halfway into their skulls, Mason felt a creeping sense of doom. What could the living do against such creatures? How could you kill something that was already dead? And what was the point of life anyway when it always ended in death? He shook his head and watched Apex Predator re. [Dracolich mind effect: nket Fear: resisted.] Mason grit his teeth and nced at the sky. The son of a bitch had gotten smarter, that was for sure. The damage of dropping bombs on a city was pretty good, but it would never give you a victory. Filling the defenders with terror was a hell of a lot more effective. He saw the city¡¯s citizens running as if they had somewhere to escape through the streets. He saw men abandoning their wives and children to run. He saw others simply curl up on the ground and weep. With a growl he vanished his bow and pulled his ws. The arrows were working well enough, but without Power Shot he had to hit them in the head to kill them. He suspected ws were going to work rather better. "Watch yourself," he said to a growling Streak. "We might have to resist some kind of zombie rot. So for once, for me, could you at least asionally try to actually dodge an attack?" Streak nced at him and gave what probably counted as the wolf version of a shrug. "Thank you," Mason said. "That''s all I ask. You take those ones still getting up on the right. I''ll work my way around." Streak growled and charged, loping across the ground with his tongue out, somewhere between terrifying giant war-wolf, and the bestest good boy. Mason started cutting off limbs and heads. The zombie-like creatures came apart to his swords like their bones were soft, their flesh half liquid. They were slow, too, far too slow to really have a chance of grabbing him. Though they certainly tried. Mason moved through the ''graveyard'', then the surrounding streets, cutting down everything until he''d isted the main focal point of the creature''s entrance. Streak had sorted out his zombies and came to help dig. In less than a minute they''d dug down to find some kind of mass burial, with a hundred graves lined up in perfect uniformity. Mason didn''t have the time to figure out what the hell he was looking at, but at least it wasn''t tunnels. It definitely wasn''t a graveyard because it had been ced basically in the middle of a street, and slightly under a few buildings. Did it mean betrayal? Sabotage? Some kind of local necromancer? A serial killer? There just wasn''t time to figure it out. Mason heard more sounds of fighting, more screams, more death. He turned and ran another block over until he found hunched, huge-wed creatures chasing citizens. Mason banished his sword and re-summoned his bow, leading his first target with a perfect shot that skewered its neck and took it down. Heunched Power Shot and Crippling Strike on cooldown, slowly walking the street as he loosed arrow after arrow into the strange, growling creatures. Streak soon got impatient and ran ahead, growling to announce himself and sending the smaller creatures into a screeching panic as they fled. It didn''t take long to clear them, though most escaped down other streets or into alleyways. The sounds of fighting and dying were increasing anding from multiple directions now. Mason saw birdmen swooping from the sky, at least, dropping down a dozen at a time to take on whatever enemies they found. Mason was about to ask himself where and what the hell the ''great guard'' were before he heard thumping stepsing from the east. He turned and grinned when he saw them. A good thirty armored ''ape'' men wereing in loose formation, huge clubs and what looked like picks and hammers resting on their shoulders. King Aixa, it seemed, had taken Mason''s advice to heart. When they saw violence the creatures started showing their teeth and even thumping their chests. A few broke away from the main pack, running with two legs and one arm at rather incredible speed as they charged into the undead without a moment''s pause or hesitation. They smashed and knocked their enemies flying, soon obliterating zombies and the asional skeleton with deadly efficiency. If the enemy army didn''t attack that gate, Mason expected the floating city was going to deal with this little surprise in record time. He hoped Phuong and Alex were doing well, and he hoped Seamus and Becky were bored. But for now he had things to do, and turned his attention to his own killing. ''Phase one'' of the battle, at least, seemed well in hand. He didn''t look forward to phase two.
Chapter 308: Phase Two Chapter 308: Phase Two Phase two was apparently an entire screaming army assaulting the walls. Well, shrieking, maybe. They sounded like a horror movie. And probably ''shambling towards'' as much as assaulting. Mason couldn''t actually see what was going on. He was still busy shooting and slicing apart an increasingly wide variety of undead thingsing out of the ground all over the city. But he heard soldiers shouting from one side of the eastern wall to the other, and all Mason could think was ''why the east side?'' The floating city''s fortress was more or less in the center of the city. The temple district seemed to be in the east, which Mason supposed might have been the obvious answer. And maybe it was a simple matter of keeping their forces together for furthermands or just manpower. But still, something about it bothered him. He didn''t see much reason why an undead horde couldn''t be sent from multiple directions. Unless they had a limited means or method to breach the wall, and would flood all their forces through that breach... Could the dragon magic its way through, despite the ''sorceresses'' up there to stop him? It seemed entirely possible. But then there was more than one way to get through a wall, and humans had found plenty without magic. Mason decided it was time to get to the wall to take a look. With no way to get word to the others, he turned and ran for the temple to at least tell Seamus. "I''m going to the wall!" he shouted when he was close enough. "If the otherse let them know! I''ll leave Streak with you." Seamus waved and nodded, and Mason really hoped he''d actually heard him. He took a minute to push Streak towards the pyramid with an unhappy growl. Then he dashed towards the edge of the city and the now constant drone of...noises,ing from outside. "What''s happening?" he called to a soldier near the gate as he paused at the stairs leading to the rampart. The somewhat...half badger-looking guard turned and frowned, then his eyes widened as he seemed to recognize Mason. "The um, dead areing. Sir. All of ''em. But they won''t get through the wall." Mason definitely didn''t like that answer. ''They won''t get through the wall'' was probably thest thing said by every doomed city in the world. Far better for the defenders to assume it would happen, and be ready for the fight to follow. He nodded and took the stairs a few at a time, then remembered he was kind of a superhero, and leapt from tform to tform, skipping the stairs in between. A few soldiers pulled back in surprise as he flew by, then he was on the top and looking over the edge towards aing tide of walking corpses. "Jesus Christ," he said, regretting it as a few close soldiers seemed to hear his tone and shrivel. He reminded himself he was some kind of walking myth to these people and had to act ordingly. He slowly forced himself to grin, and hoped it looked somewhat natural as he winked at the soldier next to him. "Nice of them to gather up. Now we don''t have to hunt them down." "Ah. Yes. Sir." The bird-man''s face was a little pale but he tried to smile a little. It would have to do. Mason considered pulling his bow and starting to pad his kill count, but with so many undead he didn''t think it was worth the mana. He needed better targets. He needed the dragon, or maybe its more powerful servants. And he needed to help show these soldiers on the wall that at least one of them wasn''t afraid. "Well," he said, leaning over the wall, thinking at least out there it would be considered natural terrain. "I''ll see you in a bit." Then he kicked his legs over the top of the stone, and dropped off without another word. * * * These walking corpses apparently weren''t the same as the ones Mason had fought beneath the goblin caves. He''d assumed they were, doing his best to keep away from bites as he swirled his way through the ''ranks'', hacking his enemy apart. But still he was ready for the inevitable¡ªhis mind prepared for Apex Predator triggering that awful affinity again. It didn''te. Mason growled as one of the zombies eventually grabbed his arm and bit just above the Sleeve before he tossed it away. The wound was pathetic, really, like some angry kid had bit him in a wrestling match, a bit of red skin and a dot of blood. No text about some terrible disease. Mason smiled and got a bit sloppy after that. He stopped worrying about taking damage, cutting and kicking his way towards the outside of the city''s gate. From every direction he pushed away ws and grasping hands, sometimes severing them. Come on, he thought, butchering a path through the enemy army. Show me your tricks. Show me your leaders. Or I''ll end your ''army'' one useless zombie at a time. Time lost its meaning. Mason ''killed'', or destroyed, an endless litany of horrible sights and sounds. He tried not to think about the sometimes freshly dead and rotting corpses. There were women, sometimes children. How did they all die? Most, at least, were old¡ªbasically walking skeletons with bits of tattered cloth and sometimes a dull piece of metal or a club. Mason wondered how many dead humans could be found in all the graveyards of the earth going back through history. Then he wondered how many could be found now. How many just since their synthetic god had arrived and begun its ''game''? He couldn''t kill them all. It would take months. Years. A life time. A kind of hopeless doom seized Mason''s chest again, and he shook his head and growled even before the text scrolled. [Dracolich mind effect: nket Fear: resisted.] There you are, Mason thought, trying to force his old and new senses to find where the dragon was hiding. But everything was filled with death. The stink of rot and somehow corrupted arcane energy like the goblin tunnels clogged his mind and nearly overwhelmed him. It was like he was breathing it in, slowly drowning in a growing cloud of filth and corruption. Red eyes glowed in the endless waves of undead, capturing Mason''s attention. He kicked a skeleton in the chest and shattered it as a creature rose up behind, as if hunched and hiding before. The thing towered above the corpses. Its wings spread above them, bat-like but for the asional feather. They looked like some crippled eagle''s wings, the few feathers bloody, the tight skin half ruined and full of holes. The face was worse...it had big eyes opened too wide, veined like a man in endless agony, a man that should have been screaming. Except instead of a mouth the creature had a rotting hole of flesh with...something poking out from inside. It looked like a beaked creature was living in the hollowed corpse of a giant zombie. It was an ape, Mason realized, except a kind of Frankenstein creation with a dozen body parts stitched together. Mason shivered and activated Hunter''s Mark as he cut down anything between him and the monstrosity. He felt a kind of terrible aversion, a wrongness to the creature that sucked away his thoughts except to think: it shouldn''t exist. It seemed to recognize his distaste. And maybe shared it. As he came forward it fell back, allowing another horde of the zombies to get between it and Mason. He started cutting them down. Rotting flesh and coagted blood covered everything. Mason felt disgusting and...sticky, with God knew only what now covering him, sometimes flecked with bone chips and dust. He had enough stinging, aching pieces to know he was taking wounds, too. But they were all superficial and healing quickly. That creature was going to die. Mason was decapitating another zombie when the ground erupted. Dirt and pieces of zombie blew apart, temporarily shrouding everything while Mason fell back and shielded his face with a Sleeve. He couldn''t quite understand what was happening until he saw the ape-zombie creature in the back with some kind of purple magic growing in its hand. Mason''s bow was summoned before he gave it much thought. He flicked a Power Shot with practiced ease, feeling a rightness, a hit, like he''d just thrown a ball perfectly. The arrow struck the creature''s wrist and severed it, and Mason winced because he wished he''d put it into the thing''s eye instead. As sometimes happened with other ruined ''channel'' spells, Mason grinned when he saw the purple orb crackle out of control. It exploded on the ground, sting the big zombie a few steps and a bunch of smaller zombies into oblivion. Mason didn''t waste his moment. He charged into the gap, shing his way to the caster and cutting low with a Crippling Strike that actually worked. The creature tried to run, but instead limped and screeched in rage before spinning back and raking a w in Mason''s direction. He fell back, but the thing projected like Phuong¡ªthe same purple magic raking the air a foot away from its actual hand. The magic raked across Mason''s chest. He growled in pain thenunched himself forward, deciding with this creature offence was the best defence. Everywhere it went it found Mason''s ws hacking bits and pieces of it. It soon seemed toe to the same conclusion as Mason, turning fully to shriek with that creepy little beak as another wave of purple magic grew all around it. Mason stuffed his sword into the ''hole'', and the screeching stopped. [You have in a Winged brezau.] [nar Entity in. Slightly increased nar yer aura.] All around him, zombies and skeletons simply copsed. Hundreds, maybe thousands, all dropped like dolls with their strings cut. So that was the answer. All that mattered was the undead leadership. Or maybe demonic leadership. Destroy them, and the endless army would fall apart. Kill enough, Mason expected, and the dragon would be forced toe out and try to deal with the defenders itself. He turned and ran for the wall, confident he could climb up without much difficulty, unlike these undead. It was time to go get the others and end ''phase 2''.
Chapter 309: Of course there’s a Plan B Chapter 309: Of course there¡¯s a n B "Are ya sure we need to leave someone at the temple, Mason?" Becky frowned and went a little pink. ¡°Seems we could, you know, use ''em. Against the army of corpses, and all." She had a point, of course, but Mason just couldn''t shake the feeling that sooner orter the dragon wasing for this temple. He shook his head. "I won''t leave it undefended. I want Carl roaming for leaders. You, me, Phuong and Streak are enough, and Alex is too exposed out there. He''ll stick with Seamus on the temple. If there''s trouble,unch a big st of fire towards the..." "Towards the gate," Seamus said, "I gotcha boss, don''t you worry." Mason continued worrying. But there was no time to waste. Undead were still rising up all over the city, but the ape and bird men were pretty much handling it now. Anyway, Mason decided it was just a distraction. He''d expected some kind of magic was going to bring down the walls, but it turned out the undead were going old school. After the huge army had brought itself forward, they started moving up battering rams anddders. Already there was zombies and skeletons filling in the ditches with dirt and climbing up the walls, others methodically pounding jungle trees into the gates. The king and his soldiers were defending the ramparts, and zombies weren''t exactly great climbers. But it was only a matter of time before gates started exhausting and breaking, and that endless tide of the dead poured in. "Time to go," Mason said, looking at the other yers. "If the dragon shows up, we fall back. We don''t get heroic and try and take it alone. Agreed?" "Look who''s talking, kid." Carl grinned, then rolled his eyes. "Yes, sir, we fall back." "Becky¡ªwhenever Carl¡¯s in range, you keep that aegis on him. Otherwise, just protect Phuong. Also I''m thinking if a gate breaks you toss up a wall if we can get to it. Anyone have questions?" Phuong frowned. "What will we do if no matter how many ''leaders'' we kill, the dragon doesn''t arrive, and the numbers don''t reduce enough to keep the assault from bing...unmanageable?" Mason shook his head. "Beats the shit out of me." He took a minute to think, trying not to curse ke again. His brother''s constructs would be making an absolute bloody mess of the undead out there, pretty much without risk or stopping. And his magic and little orb might help figure out the dragon''s powers. He eventually sighed. "Maybe we ask the king to send out scouts to look for the dragon. It might be in the air, or maybe just somewhere in the trees. Can you handle that, Alex?" The Brusian nodded, and Mason nced at the mid-afternoon sun. He wasn''t sure what was going to happen when it got dark, but he had a feeling the undead wouldn''t be taking a break from their assault. Time was not on the side of the living. "OK. Drink your Rosa juice, and follow me." Carl winced at the name, then the yers all popped their stat-boosting sks and drank the rather foul liquid down. It didn¡¯t taste good, but it had a hell of a pep. Carl actually made a ¡®whoo¡¯ sound and shook his head like he¡¯d shot back a double whiskey. Phuong coated his sword in some kind of acid, too. This time they walked to a gate, more and more soldiers staring at them as they did their best to ignore the eyes. Some of the animalistic soldiers nodded or gave some kind of salute, others making gestures like the Nephus priest once did. "Open the gate," Mason said, standing at the entrance. "Then close it behind us." The soldiers looked like they wanted someone with more authority to ask, but their officer soon nodded and the men worked the two big winches. The gate was still thumping rhythmically as a ram struck it on the other side, but Mason would take care of that, too. "Becky," he said, giving her a side-eye. "How do you feel about running out and using up a little mana to start us off?" The cowgirl grinned and summoned her shield. "You just gimme a New York minute, city boy." "I..." Mason shook his head as the gates creaked open. "Becky is that a long time or a short time? Can we stop with the expressions in literal battle?" The cowgirl winked and charged through the small gap, bashing her way through a couple zombies like a linebacker. asionally Mason was reminded the other yers were getting pretty high stats, too, and he couldn''t help but grin as he watched Becky''s profile from behind before she vanished. Most of the soldiers were staring at Mason and the others in disbelief. Mason tapped a foot and summoned his ws, hissing at Streak when the wolf started whining with impatience. "No, I really don''t know what a New York minute is. We''ll just wait until we hear..." Light and an arcane pop turned into an explosion beyond the gate. A few pieces of zombie flesh fell from the sky like the most disgusting rain imaginable. Soldiers were staring with open mouths from the top of the wall. Others wiped off fleshy goo with grossed out faces. That¡¯s my girl, Mason thought, then smiled as he ran through the gap in the gate. * * * Carl, Phuong, Streak and Mason ripped apart everything near the battering ram. Mason was about to hack the sharpened tree trunk to pieces, then on something like whim decided to see if he could lift and throw the damn thing. Duality of Strength red. After a few moments effort Mason got under the ram with a growl, and lifted it over his head. He ran forward and roared as he tossed it at least ten feet into a clump of zombies. They found Becky in an almost perfect circle of destruction. Broken bodies and bits of flesh and limbs surrounded her in a smoky, purple haze, her outfit not even wrinkled. "Oh hello boys," she said with a smile as they arrived. "Fancy seein'' you here." Mason wasn''t sure if he was turned on or frightened. But the zombie army recovered quickly, and soon closed from every direction. The yers (and wolf) formed a semi-circle with Becky at the front, waiting in formation until their enemy got close. "Go on," Mason said to Carl over the groans of the enemy. "If your stealth isn''t working get back to us. If you need our help, toss up one of those color sprays." "Righto." Carl vanished from sight in a blink, right in in view with that knife of his in hand. Mason shook his head, at least d he could still smell him. Sometimes he wasn''t sure if ke or Carl worried him more. But he was d they were both on his side. They closed their semi-circle into more like an oval, and started the ughter. Swords like Phuong''s and Mason¡¯s longer de were pretty much exactly ideal to kill zombies. They had no armor, no shields, and practically walked into the des like mobile meat into a grinder. Becky and Streak struggled a bit inparison. The wolf could bowl the things over and toss them around, but actually killing them took him a bit of work. Becky had turned her shield into a mace, and swatted the things back easy enough. But they usually got up. After a few minutes of bashing she did improve, aiming mostly for skulls. "There''s a re, ya''ll!" she called, pointing at a sh of Carl''s disorienting color spell in the sky. "I see it," Mason said, stepping out from the oval. "Stay with me. Don''t get bogged down killing. We''re moving fast." Fortunately it wasn''t far. The yers cut a path of flesh and bone towards their scout, Mason now in the lead. He cut or smashed anything that got in his way, but didn''t stray from a direct line to the re he''d seen. He trusted the others to handle themselves, to help him in a kind of cavalry-like spear formation. Or so he hoped. "Still with me?" he shouted, not willing to look away and possibly lose his visual reminder of exactly where that re was. Phuong and Becky called back, and Streak didn''t need to. Mason could feel him through their bond. Surrounded by so much unnatural death, the animal wasn''t exactly enjoying himself. But as long as he was with Mason his fear would be kept at bay. Mason winced when he saw a cluster of undead ahead. They weren''t in the same shambolic ranks like the rest, as if they were closing in and surrounding something. "Shit. Hold on, Carl," Mason muttered, realizing the re might not have been a scouted target but a problem. "Keep moving!" he shouted, "We need to hurry." He stopped trying to defend himself entirely. He ran forward slicing, usually just using a Sleeve to knock creatures out of his way. Carl was harder to kill than he looked, but his defensive powers relied almost entirely on speed and movement. If he was trapped in there with nowhere to go... When they were almost there Mason activated Aspect of the Cheetah, ran and jumped towards the cluster. He came down like the worst crowd surfer ever, bashing both legs into different zombies before ripping off one''s head and tossing the body away just to see. "There you are," Carl said, lying on the ground with some kind of hideous demonic creature held in his arms on the ground. It was grotesquely thin and long-limbed, with a humanoid head save for the reptilian jaw. The thing was snarling but its eyes wererge with what looked like fear. It stared at Mason and the others, not moving much. The undead around had cleared a small circle and obviously were ordered not toe any closer. "I heard it talking, so I figured¡­well. Why not ask it a few questions? Go on and tell Mason what you told me, friend," Carl said, his dagger held firmly across the thing''s throat. "Dragon..." it hissed. "Under ground. Buried." Mason blinked, mind still not quite catching up to Carl hugging a demon between his arms and legs. "Very good," Carl said. "Now tell me where, and I just might let you up with that head of yours still attached." The demon looked into Mason''s eyes, and apparently saw something it didn''t like. It twisted and tried to grab Carl as he grabbed at his knife arm, but the ''ssassin'' was too quick. The thing''s neck sliced off from the back with hardly a trace of effort, and ck blood flooded over Carl. "Gross. But a got some kind of ¡®aura¡¯ boost, so that¡¯s neat." He stood up as the undead all around them dropped lifeless to the ground. "Well. That''s one. But the dracolich might not being. Was there a n B?" Mason nodded. "Course." He hoped he''d gotten slightly better at lying.
Chapter 310: Time Chapter 310: Time The destroyed undead/demonic leader gave the yers at least a moment to catch their breath. Mason looked out at the army starting to fill in the gap, a seemingly endless procession of corpses in various states of decay just shambling on like nothing happened. The sun was touching the horizon now. Soon it would vanish and all the other yers would lose most of their vision. Only Seamus could generate light, and he was still back at the temple. Just another problem Mason hadn''t foreseen and solved that might cost everyone their lives, he decided. Sometimes he really hated being in charge. They were all looking at him expectantly for whatever ''n B'' was, which didn''t currently exist. If they couldn''t bring out the dragon, and if they couldn''t kill undead fast enough before they were basically all exhausted and overwhelmed, what exactly could they do? They could dig, Mason thought, and search for the dragon. Except he''d never spent the time with Violet, his rather oddly intelligent purple worm, to get any kind of burrowing form. He hadn''t done a lot of things, but reprimanding himself didn''t exactly do much good now. The citizens of the floating city may know where it was, he realized, even if they didn''t know they knew. Maybe there was a location nearby they all understood to be...troubled. Some kind of haunted clearing or hill. Maybe since ''the doom'' they hadn''t exactly been very diligent about exploration, but may know a ce nearby that was a likely candidate for a buried dragon. Mason had his horn, of course, and could call the king that way. But it wasn''t urgent enough. Not yet. "We go back," Mason said. "We can kill these things all night but it wouldn''t be enough, and we''ll be out of resources and exhausted. We find and kill that dragon or this city isn''t going to make it. So we''re heading to the walls. I need to talk to the king." The yers all nodded, and Mason felt a lot offort in their trust and faith. He just hoped it didn''t cost them all their lives. They ran back together towards the walls, using the cleared gap to their advantage as much as possible. Soon enough though they were chopping and smashing skeletons and zombies again, staying in formation as they pushed back towards the gate. Mason hoped their return was a boost to morale, and not a sign that even the ''mighty heroes'' couldn''t do much of anything to stem the tide. After a few minutes that felt like an hour, they arrived back at the same gate they left, more undead already carting forward a new battering ram. Mason smashed them and tossed it again, just to make a point. "Open the gate," he shouted, not entirely sure they were going to listen. About the same moment he was about to climb over and do it himself, the damaged wooden doors creaked and swung open, and a big apeman warrior stood on the other side. He gestured them forward, and the yers ran through as the winches turned and the doors closed behind. All the soldiers above and around them stared. It urred to Mason they were all certainly covered in blood and gore. "You should see the other guys," he said. The big ape showed his teeth. "My grandfather say you were dangerous man," he growled. "Seems he speak true." Mason sniffed and looked the creature up and down. "Grandfather? Guess I hadn''t hit him as hard as I thought." This time the apeughed with a vaguely monkey-screeching sound, and so did some of the other soldiers. It was a wee, if bizarre change from the horror outside the wall. "Is the king still out there?" Mason asked. "We need to speak with him." "I take you," said the ape, gesturing for others to get up on the wall. It seemed they were shooting arrows and dropping rocks, but probably did their best to conserve their supply. "This way." * * * The king sat in a small chair at the top of the Nephus temple. He was still in his armor, covered in gore, surrounded by advisors and soldiers and who knew what. The tform was filled with people and make-shift furniture and a small buffet, along with the group of sorceresses still in a circle, still channeling some kind of spell. "Ah, my friends," said the king when he saw Mason and the others. He stood, and it was obvious that not all the blood belonged to his enemies. He limped slightly, and half the men around him panicked and tried to help him walk or examine his wound or get him to sit again. "They fuss like I''m an old woman," he said with a frown, ignoring them all as he approached. Mason waited until he was close enough to hear him speak quietly. Then he exined his assessment of their predicament, and the only solution he could think of. King Aixa took a deep breath and clenched his jaw. "There are several such ces. The world after the doom has be...a dangerous, mysterious ce, filled with dark magic and monsters. But I will go to my council and we will try to find you an answer. Once we have, you intend to go there and...unearth the dragon?" Mason nodded, and the king shook his head. "I will be as fast as I can. Sit. Eat. Rest yourselves while you''re able. The fight ahead will be difficult." The yers didn''t need encouragement there. They found an open space and copsed in almost as much of a formation as they''d fought in, though Beckyy down next to Mason. He pulled her in without a word, trying to find some kind of calm. "There you are! I''m fecking bored, mate. Next time I go with the wall team, eh? Oh." Seamus probably noticed the yers were coated in blood and guts, and stopped talking. Alex came up beside him and knelt by the yers one by one, his hand glowing slightly. Mason was about to tell him not to bother with him, but when he felt the strange, ''Divine'' magic effect tingle against him he kept his mouth shut and enjoyed. "Whatever that is, you should bottle it," he said with a groan. Alex''s face twitched, which was probably a grin. Streak yawned and did his best to crush his way into both Mason and Becky, and Mason caught him and eased him down. When the wolf was finally satisfied with his position, Mason closed his eyes and might have slept for a little while. Something woke him, and his shorter w was in his hand and ready to plunge like a knife before Mason blinked awake to find Phuong. "The king is ready for us," he said, no judgment at the reaction. Mason nodded and stood, and they let the others sleep as they walked to a tired looking Aixa with a host of others. "We cannot be sure," said the bird man king. "But we have pooled our knowledge, and with the help of the oracles, have made our best guess. The location is here. An old battle site to the East.¡± Here he paused, as if some memory of the ce disturbed him. ¡°It was a kind of civil war. Not long after yourst visit. My uncle and cousins didn''t believe we had stopped the dragon. They thought it was a desperate lie to cover our weakness. So they came to test our strength. Many died. It was utterly needless, a waste of life, and ended in an uneasy truce. Few ever went there again because it brought unpleasant memories, reminded us of dark days." Mason nodded. If he was a corpse seeking, bird-man hating undead dragon who didn''t want to be noticed, it seemed a pretty good ce to start. "Alright," he said. "But I''ll want your top three choices. If we don''t find him at the first, we''ll try the next. Time is against us." Aixa nodded, and smiled a little. "Would that I had you and your warriors for thest hundred years, my friend. Perhaps things would have been different." Time can''t flow backwards, Mason thought, remembering the old man or maybe roboGod''s words when they entered. "Time is something I rarely have," he said. "I''m getting used to it." Aixa snorted. "Then I am d we have some. We will waste as little as possible. This time, if it is eptable to you, my men will carry you and your yers wherever you wish." Mason nodded gratefully, then nced at Seamus and Alex. Did he leave them here as before? Or take them, too? The same wary feeling sat like a lump in his gut, telling him he needed to defend this temple against...something. But it was well defended. All he had was a feeling. And an old, confusing dream of the thing under attack. But it hadn''t looked like this. Everything was different. Maybe he''d changed things enough he could bring everyone to fight the dragon. It was a risk either way. He suspected he needed everyone and maybe more to take down that dracolich in a straight fight. If they weren''t needed at the pyramid and he got someone killed, or worse, failed to kill the dragon, with one or two yers just sitting there out of the fight... No, he decided. He had to fight his paranoia and bring them all, relying on the facts as they were. He just hoped it wasn''t exactly the wrong decision.
Chapter 311: Survivors Chapter 311: Survivors "I ain''t ever even been on an airne!" Becky shouted, wide-eyed and grinning at Mason as they flew through the sky. Their birdmen ''pilots'' carried them with stony faces, eyes locked on the jungle canopy as they searched for the battle site. A few burly soldiers were able to carry Seamus, Becky and Phuong by themselves (the guy who got Becky must have won some kind of wager). But it took two each to carry Mason and Carl, and three to carry Streak. The wolf asionally howled and wiggled until Mason calmed him down. "Do you want to fall?" he hissed. "Stay still and stop whining. We''re almost there." He had no idea if they were almost there, which the wolf probably knew no matter what he said. He was also somewhere between Becky and Streak on the experience of flying. Knowing the son of a bitch birdman could just drop him a few hundred feet wasn''t great for his natural distrust. But it wasa pretty amazing view. And he also knew he''d survive the fall. From the air, the true nature of thendscape became apparent¡ªthe aftereffects of ''the doom'' made more clear. Outside the city''s junglendscape, the whole world looked like a desert. In every direction Mason saw lifeless sand stretching past the elevated horizon. "Is it all like that?" he said to the soldiers carrying him. "Is there anything out there but desert?" "There is," said one. "Far to the north there''s a small forest still struggling to survive. There are some few rivers, and life along the coasts." A forest to the north. Mason wondered if that was the great forest in his ¡®own¡¯ time. Something about it brought him a sense of hope. Even now when it seemed the world was on the brink of destruction, it had healed. Life had returned and covered the world again. On the other hand, it was also a warning: things could always turn. Something like ''the doom'' could return and wipe out nearly everything and everyone, just as ''roboGod'' had done to the human race. For most people maybe it would have brought mncholy, sadness, or loss. Mason just got angry. "What a waste," he muttered, staring out at it all. "What a useless, stupid waste." The soldier looked at him strangely. "The doom cleansed our world, Champion,¡± he said. ¡°But we remain. One day we will cover thisnd, and give praise to Nephus for his favor." Mason didn''t have the urge or the stomach to argue. ¡®Chosen¡¯nds and ¡®chosen¡¯ people weren''t exactly new to any earthling paying attention. That a man or a birdman could somehow be pleased that nearly the whole world was wiped out didn''t shock him. But it didn''t make him happy, either. It was all ''fake'', all a story made by roboGod. Except with such power it made even its stories ''real''. By what right, he wondered, and certainly not for the first time. This fucking thing.By what right does it y with all our lives. Mason still couldn''t make any sense of this new world and this new version of himself. How sometimes, like even now, watching the world from the sky, or in the arms of his girls, or fighting for his life¡ªhe felt more alive in a few moments then he had in a lifetime on earth. But at what cost? To the world, and to him. No one had been given a say. No one had been given a vote to decide if everything should change. For that reason alone, Mason felt a responsibility to make it right. To settle the ount of man if ever he had the power. For the Nimitzs. For Becky''s kin. For everyone else who vanished or died to suit some synthetic alien¡¯s whim. It was another weight on Mason''s shoulders, and one day he''d make it right. He swore it for the thousandth time, then tried to put it from his mind. First he had to survive and grow and learn. He had a dead dragon to kill. "There," gestured the soldier carrying Becky, a kind of rope harness attaching the cowgirl easily to his body. "Do you see it, sir?" "I see it." The silent captain carrying Mason gestured and the flying troop started to descend. "Are you ready, Champion?" Mason took a breath and nodded, and the group lowered towards a hill and rocky outcropping poking out from the endless trees. * * * Bones. A field of bones. Mason and the others thanked the soldiers, who nodded and nced around the battle site like it may corrupt their lungs just to breathe the air. They took off again one by one, moving back to slowly circle in the sky until signaled. Only the stoic captain stayed, turning to Mason with a strange expression, as if he was reluctant to speak. "You will find a pit just to the south," he said. "My father told me of it...of a ce where the dead were buried in a mass grave. That is where I would begin. I will watch for your signal." Mason nodded and lifted his bag of shovels. The soldiers had not offered to stay and help dig, which was ostensibly to keep them safe and ready to carry the yers out. But Mason believed the men just didn''t want to spend a second longer than necessary in this ce. He couldn''t tell if that was a good or bad sign. "Alright," he said, tossing shovels to the yers. "You heard the man. Let''s walk to this pit, and start digging. The yers all got to it in silence, a somber, dangerous, and vaguely creepy feeling running throughout the ce. Despite being a jungle it wasn''t filled with the sounds of life. It was eerily quiet, tomb-like. Unholy. Mason felt ufortable despite the ''natural'' setting, and suspected some kind of magic permeated the ground itself. Even the nt life seemed...distant, less than sentient to his druidic senses. As if were it asleep, or at least dazed. Streak didn''t notice, and had apparently found wolf heaven. He practically skipped through the brush, digging and growling, tossing dirt as he searched like a pig for truffles. He came up with maybe a femur in his jaw, head raised like he''d just dunked on the home team. "Probably good they didn''t see you chewing on their ancestors," Mason said. "Now put that down and help us dig. But don''t..." Streak sprayed dirt in Mason''s direction. When he looked up to see if he''d made his point, Mason tossed a rock at him. They dug for maybe an hour. The ground was rtively soft, so even Seamus managed to move a fair amount of dirt. Mason felt a bit like a human-machine digging hybrid. For a little while he lost himself in the mindless, simple task, finding a great deal of mental relief in the act. Then he looked up and realized he''d basically cleared a five by five foot hole so deep he couldn''t see out. "Hey, uh, kid?" he heard Carl shout and hopped out with a single, vertical jump. "Find something?" He looked over to see Carl and Alex by a long line of half unburied corpses, and walked over to take a look. He wasn''t surprised at the set up, considering it was a battlefield, and since the captain told him they''d piled the bodies. But his feet slowed as he stared at the skeletons. Some of them were too small. Most had almost identical injuries to their skulls, like they''d been ritually ughtered. Or executed. Mason uncovered more and more, feeling a sudden kind of manic need to understand, to see the reality of what he was dealing with. The corpses seemed endless. There were many soldiers, too, or at least people who had clearly died in battle. But at least half the number were smaller¡ªwomen, and children, the same pattern of injuries to their skulls or spines. This hadn''t just been a battle. It had been a massacre. No wonder the birdmen hadn''t wanted to return. As the victors, it seemed inevitable that the ¡®Nephi¡¯ had been the ones doing the massacring. How and why there were so many children Mason had no idea. But it was other animalistic people like them¡ªa sister people not far away. Mason wondered if the Nephi had wiped them out entirely. "What does it mean?" Carl asked, kneeling beside Mason and gently covering the skeleton of a child with dirt. "Does it change anything?" "No," Mason said, gritting his teeth. "So the survivors aren''t saints. What the hell else is new. We aren''t here to judge, just save them. Keep digging. I''m going to try and go deeper. Alex if you have any kind of ''detection'', maybe with your affinity? I have things with druid powers, but since this is maybe ''unholy'' and since your Divine, maybe you can..." The ground shook, and Mason summoned his bow. The yers came together into a circr formation, turning out to watch the trees without him saying a word. Streak dropped histest bone and growled, turning back and forth and not seeming to know where to look. But it soon became clear. Clumps of dirt and bone erupted from the ground near Mason''s site. Something white and covered in filth emerged with unnatural, jerky motions. Mason loosed a Power Shot before the thing was clear. The arrow cracked and maybe broke a piece of bone. But the creature just kepting. "Don''t wait," Mason called, "attack!" Seamus started loosing fiery missiles, and Mason shot several more fire arrows before closing with his swords. Phuong sted with his symbols, and Carl went forward with a wary expression, finally slicing his dagger straight through a bone before leaping back as dust or something sprayed back at him. "Ow," he said, brushing it away, a little steam rising from his skin. Apparently just hurtingthe thing was dangerous. The bones rose and rose until limbs and wings and a serpentine head emerged and stared down at the yers with glowing, purple eyes. For a moment everyone froze and stared, lost in the dark horror, the size, the might. Mason activated Hunter''s Mark, then charged for its chest.
Chapter 312: The Dracolich Chapter 312: The Dracolich Alex felt the dragon before he saw it. A hissing sound filled his ears, then a whispering in somenguage he felt he knew but couldn''t remember. The sunlight flickering through the jungle canopy dimmed, then darkened. I see you, Alexei. The voice grew louder. Clearer. Alex blinked and tried to shut it out, to focus on his powers and his friends, to be ready to help. But he could hardly see anything except...blue figures, emerging from the ground. They sat up like they''d been sleeping, standing to turn and stare with sunken eyes. Alex shook his head, trying to look away. He recognized them, he realized. Some from pictures. Some from his life. Oh you humans are truly delicious, said the voice with augh. So many dead and rotting memories trapped and locked in your tiny minds. But I will free them. "Alexei!" yelled a little girl who was supposed to be Alex''s sister, her little hand outstretched towards him. "Quiet," he whispered, trying not to be horrified. He tried not to remember her illness, to remember the family¡¯s poverty, no money for doctors or medicine. Remember watching her waste away. Look at these! A whole family. The dragonughed. All lost. All buried with a dead empire. Why forget them, Alexei? Your poor uncle and aunt, your cousins. Alex saw the huge creature moving. Attacking. It was fighting the others as it clouded his mind. He had to shut it out, had to help them. He activated Cleanse and pped his face, then bit his tongue. "Oh no. Pain won''t help you, little Alexei," said his mother in the dragon''s voice as she walked towards him, her face rotting and terrible. "Pain and suffering belong to him, too." A terrible stabbing agony assaulted Alex''s skull. He screamed and tried shielding himself, hoping somehow it blocked whatever magic was assaulting him. The dragonughed. You cannot shield the flesh from a weapon made for the soul. And what a meager, pathetic little soul it is. So neglected. So vulnerable. You thought you could bury your sorrow with wine and song, little Alexei? The voice rose. You thought you could hide it from something like me? A childhood, no, a lifetime of misery and disappointment came flickering to Alexei''s mind like the worst home movie in history. He saw a lost, poor country with a failed project that had captured them all. He saw dead rtives, drunken ''friends'', failed careers. Where had all the time gone? Had he truly aplished so little? Do not wallow in your regret, little Alexei, mocked the dragon. All your kind''s aplishments end in ruin. You are as meaningless as Alexander the Great. As hollow as every tsar and emperor. You are nothing but rotting flesh, a few decades before your time. Alex saw Mason knocked flying through a tree. He saw Reba flickering with arcane power, holding her ground before the terrible creature. He screamed and focused, using his shields and searching for targets. He had to help them! Nothing else mattered. It was what had always saved him, no matter the horror or disappointment. Alexei Ostapovich had never given up like his friends and family because he made life as simple as possible. He took a job, and he did the job. There was nothing else. There was no otherplications or grand ideas or ns for the future, because he didn''t trust any such future existed, or could exist. All he knew, all he believed, was what he could do, right now, right this moment. And right this moment he had a job to do. All the ghosts and horror and magic in the world didn''t make any difference at all. Because he was going to do it. * * * Phuong called out in warning and covered his face as the nearest corpse glowed, then exploded. The huge dragon was terrifying enough, but it seemed filled with magic powers that dwarfed its actual physical threat. At least it didn''t shoot ming meteors anymore, so that was something. Instead it emitted some kind of purple gas that burned like acid; it breathed another purple gas that raised undead as it seeped into the ground. Oh, and it could apparently make corpses explode in a spray of bone shrapnel. With a wary squint Phuong opened his eyes, fully expecting to be covered in pieces of bone sticking into his skin. But there wasn''t any pain, nor any signs of shrapnel damage. He didn''t seem harmed at all. He nced over to see Alex with one hand on his head, the other pointed towards him. He grinned. May the Buddha bless that very white, very quiet, very useful man. Phuong turned and activated Adrenaline, charging back towards the dragon as he weaved a stun/st. He had no faith in his sword to actually hurt the thing, though he hadn''t yet tried Soulstrike. But he''d already hit it with a stun and noticed the creature turn sluggish for several seconds. His role, then, seemed obvious enough. Put down the undead as they rose, and keep a constant stream of stuns on the dragon until it was dead. Or until it killed him. Sometimes simplicity was best. Phuong finished the pattern, andunched another st. * * * Carl was too old for this shit. But he certainly couldn''t admit that with Phuong around, who was his senior by a good ten and maybe fifteen years. The son of a bitch spry Asian bastard. He probably hadn''t spent a couple decades eating cheeseburgers and pounding back high-fructose corn syrup. Another spear of some kind of mind-magced out straight at Carl, and Carl once again warped away before it arrived. This dracolich was so awesome. Fighting one in his long-running D&D campaign had been the greatest tabletop experience of Carl''s life, and he just couldn''t help but have fond memories. But yes, OK, it was slightly inappropriate. The actual thing was right here trying to murder him. And all his friends. And probably that city full of people. And yes this was maybe some kind of genocidal mass grave they were fighting in, which was pretty creepy and super dark. And yes there was...well, that was pretty much all of it. But that was pretty bad. Carl tried another Reflect/Shadowleap to get himself hidden behind a tree before he came out again. It maybe seemed to work. The dragon was busily swiping its tail and wings at Mason, Streak, and Reba, its awful jaws mostly trying to chew the cowgirl. Carl was impressed as always, and just really didn''t want to be there the day that girl''s defences truly failed. So he figured he''d better hurry. And his mana was mostly full, so a totally powered, balls out Simcrum was definitely in order. He wasn''t sure exactly where to strike, but he figured he''d send his double up right onto the thing''s back while he tried to cut a good hole into its side. Hell, maybe he could even crawl right in there and... No. Bad idea. Carl was not Mason and wouldn''t regenerate from some kind of foolishness. He''d take the damn dragon apart a piece at a time, slicing away structural bones until the big bugger copsed. Then they could go for the throat, so to speak. Since the dracolich didn''t have a throat. He clenched the handle of his Mirror Shard and started summoning his clone, stepping out from his cover in the trees. He was still trying toe up with a good name for his dagger and really couldn''t decide. Killer ss? Jagged Shard? No, still not right. But he grinned. Because today, at least, he had a good potential. Bonesaw. * * * Becky''s feet slid back as the ''dracolich'' swept another wing at her face. It was trying to bite Mason, and maybe would have, but Becky tossed him a shield with a bit of mana. The huge snake-like creature turned and looked at her like it realized. Like it knew. Then its jaws swooped down and opened horrifically wide, filling Becky''s whole world with darkness and fangs. She held up her Familial Shield but prayed she didn''t really need it. Her personal shield shed as the teeth closed all around her, sparking off the blue aura and draining a chunk of her energy faster than anything she''d ever seen. She thought it was about to pull back, but it didn''t. It breathed. Everything turned to purple mist. It made a sound like a hiss mixed with a roar, and some kind of buzzing sound deep in its throat. Becky had no idea what to do except hold her ground. The mist seemed to wrap around her shield without breaking through, and she tried not to be terrified. But she also couldn''t see anything. The dragon finally pulled back and then turned away, vanishing beyond Becky''s new and reduced vision. She tried to move forward, to follow, except she couldn''t seem to move her feet. She looked down to find several hands breaking out of the dirt and grabbing her legs. She screamed, and mmed the bottom edge of her shield down against the closest wrist. It snapped like a twig, and she kept screaming in horror and mming down her shield. "Oh, darlin," said a voice. "Ain''t nothin'' to be scared of. Your family''s here. We''re all waitin'' on you, girl. Justy down and join us." Becky looked up to see her mother. Her eye was dangling from its socket. Her scalp was torn and pping with a patch of hair. Becky shook her head and fought the tears. "It ain''t you," she said, not believing. "You ain''t dead. It''s a lie!" A deep, cruelugh sounded from everywhere above the mist. I am many things, pitiful creature. A liar is not one. Becky''s mother nodded like this was true, and her p of scalp bounced with the motion. Becky screamed. Her voice was raw as she swung her shield. She ripped off the hands and charged towards the dragon, but still couldn''t seem to escape the mist. More hands broke out of the dirt and grabbed at her. Her mother followed, telling her to lie down and die. It was the first time in her whole life Becky didn''t do what her mother told her. Instead she pulled her feet out and pumped her legs like she was escaping mud, and with a final scream of horror and protest¡ªand maybe blind, mind-wrenching fury, she mmed her mother straight in the face with her Familial Shield.
Chapter 313: Everything ends Chapter 313: Everything ends [Apex Predator: Vision of the Dead: partially resisted.] [First Blood: Wing Buffet Daze: resisted.] Mason growled and looked up from the ground. He''d been tossed a good twenty feet to crack a tree trunk, and probably a few ribs. He spit blood and winced, expecting broken was more likely than cracked. His left leg was also not quite right, and he gave Transformation a tick or two. There were also several blueish, partially translucent figures watching him, and it didn''t take long to recognize the Nimitz''s. "Stop fighting, Mason," whispered Mason''s adopted father. "It''s not worth it. None of these people are your family." If they aren''t, no one is, Mason thought, trying not to look at the only people he''d ever thought of as ''parents''. They hadn''t ever thought of him as their real son, maybe, but they''d done their best. They''d given him more than he could have ever expected, everything two strangers could ever give, except maybe their love. It had been enough. "I''m sorry," Mason whispered, knowing then they were dead, even if it was just some spell in a fictional world. He limped back towards the dracolich as it spun and roared at the others, spraying magic and trying to bite Becky in half. If he didn''t hurry, he knew they''d be the next ones haunting him in blue silhouette. All over the battle site corpses were rising from the ground. He saw big apes crawling towards the yers, and he saw bird men who looked like fallen angels with rotting wings. It was definitely time for a little help. Mason took out the Horn of the Nephi King, and blew. The sound somehow managed both a deep and sharper range, making Mason (and probably Streak) wince in pain. Then he tossed the horn and put it from his mind. Presumably the dracolich had already animated most of the corpses for his army. But how many remained here? Fifty? Hundreds? A thousand? The yers couldn''t deal with an army on top of that terrible creature. Looking at it with Hunter¡¯s Mark wasn¡¯t confidence inspiring. On top of having no organs, it had no central ''gem'' like the earth elemental Mason had dug inside and destroyed. He saw no way to actually kill it except literally smashing it apart bone by bone. And it had a lot of bone. It was huge, and not particrly vulnerable in its structure. The only possible way to kill the thing seemed to be to cut off its head. Hopefully. Which was attached by arge number of bones great and small. Mason decided he would have to crawl inside and start pulling things apart before it killed all his friends. It might work, but it would take awhile. He saw the others struggling with the creature''s magic. Alex looked like he was fighting the world¡¯s worst hangover; Phuong was lost in his own battle, focusing without his usual awareness of the fight; Becky was screaming and swinging her shield at the air. Seamus, fortunately, was still sting like a fiery metronome, his bolts leaving charred and cracked bone wherever they struck. But if the dragon turned on him he''d be in serious trouble without Becky''s full attention. Streak was obviously unaffected, growling and chasing the dragon''s little legs, pulling off the asional piece before leaping back for more. Carl was their real weapon, but he may only get once chance to surprise the dracolich before it turned all its power to stop him. Mason had to make that chance count. He stood with a groan, not sure what the hell he could do to get this powerful creature''s attention. All he could think was lightning, but it was hard to imagine a simple st doing enough damage to worry the thing. He saw a blur of movement and realized Carl was already attacking. He cursed as he summoned his Elven Bow and loosed a Power Shot, followed by a desperate hail of fire arrows. Mostly he just wanted the dragon¡¯s attention. The Power Shot hit its chest and broke a bone, then rattled away uselessly. The other arrows bounced off or passed through, nothing inside the beast to actually harm. The dragon was turning to find and likely annihte Carl. Mason roared in frustration and charged. With Aspect of the Cheetah he reached its side and started hacking with one w, grabbing bone and trying to snap it with his free hand. The dracolich turned, spewing magic that flickered another round of resists from Apex Predator. Mason saw Carl warp away and breathed a sigh of relief. Then the dragon spun back towards him, and all he could do was hold onto its ¡®ribs¡¯ and go for the ride. From the corner of his vision he saw Becky and Phuong fighting the rising dead, protecting Seamus and Alex as best they could. He was about to jump off and run to help when he saw little dots dropping from the sky. Bird warriors screeched and skewered undead without slowing, some smashing with long clubs or hooked swords like the world¡¯s scariest cavalry. Mason grinned, ready to renew his efforts against the dragon. It literally spun in ce. Mason managed to hold on until he saw the grounding towards his head. He let go and rolled to his feet, shing again before the huge body connected and knocked him flying away again. He cracked another tree and growled from the jungle floor, spitting blood and calling for Streak. Carl was still warping around desperately. Becky was trying to get back to the thing¡¯s face to give it a target. But this was wrong. It felt wrong. Whatever part of Mason that was druid was screaming in frustration, trying to get his attention. After all their efforts the dracolich was hardly damaged, and Mason began to ept: this wasn''t a creature for a ranger. It wasn¡¯t some invasive species or destructive living thing. It was the anti-thesis of life. It hated life and all living things for a reason. Because it had been stripped of it, held together now only by some dark magic. Magic that didn''t belong in these woods. Magic that perhaps could only function when the life around it went silent, like the corpses, like the trees... Mason blinked, and looked at the unnaturally still jungle floor. He activated his Blessing of Echtra, and in seconds felt the fury of Gaia all around hi. There was barely suppressed life here that surrounded this ce every moment of every day, like roots trying to grow through concrete. All it needed was a crack. Mason dropped to the ground, and dug his fingers into the soil as he activated Speak with Nature. He focused on his Nymph Charm and activated Blessing of Gaia, too, just as he had when he cleansed the Great trees, or saved Eve from the Maker spell. "Come," he whispered for Streak again, though he felt the wolf was racing for him now. "I¡¯ll need your strength." The wolf came bounding through a growing purple fog, green eyes glowing in the gloom. The power of the dracolich was resisting Mason already, twisting beneath the earth like the snake it was, recoiling and hissing as it struck at the life sprouting through. Mason shivered at the coldness and activated Inner Fire. Then he activated Shared Pain as Streak reached him and hunkered down with a determined growl. "We can take it," Mason told him, clutching his fur with one hand, the other still buried in the earth. "I promise." The dracolich screeched in agony. Mason heard Carl slicing bone and warping to do it again, but that wasn''t what mattered. Dark, purple eyes turned straight towards Mason as the dragon twisted and slithered towards him. It knew he was channeling. It knew he couldn''t move. "Faster," Mason growled, reaching deeper into the jungle roots, drawing it towards the rotten earth. He saw undead creaturesing for him now, too. The first ape had almost reached him. He had no choice but to take the hits, to hope his toughness and Transformation would keep him going as he channeled. The creature rose its arm and screeched as the guardians of the corrupted temple had. A bird warrior matched it above. King Aixa struck with blinding speed. He and his personal guard smashed into the ape and the surrounding dead with spears glowing bright with magic. Others still got through. But these too stopped as if confused a few paces away. Even the dracolich hissed and stopped as if afraid to approach the field of energy growing around Mason. It wasn¡¯t Becky or Alex or even Mason¡¯s magic. It was the jungle. It was Gaia, or Nephus, the power of life by whatever name you pleased. And though death may be eternal, it looked like there was nothing it could do in the face of life, but wait. The Dracolich roared. It sted more purple darkness in a cloud that surrounded Mason and blocked his view. It had defeated this jungle before, he knew, and wasn''t afraid to try again. Huge ws scraped and sizzled as they struck the green sphere, ripping the ground apart as its bones surged it forward in some mockery of muscle and physics. "You will not stop me, druid!" the beast raged with a voice like a chain-smoking God. "Not on the eve of my triumph!" Mason¡¯s channel was close, but it wasn''t there. He couldn''t stop it. He had little faith his aura would keep away the huge fangs bared and closing to meet with his chest. All he could do was hold, and hope. He clenched his jaw and pulled at the life, trying not to cringe as the huge maw descended again and again, sending shivers through the earth and weakening the color of the green sphere. It finally shattered. The dracolich struck once more with frightening speed, ignoring the yers and the rest of the battle. Becky¡¯s blue wall formed in a kind of half sphere around Mason. The dragon''s skeletal face smashed against it, shaking loose dust and bone and making a crack so loud Mason''s ears rang. The dracolich roared in fury. It spun, purple magic rippling all around it as it surged straight towards Becky. Mason nearly whooped with pride. And at not being dead. His mana waspletely drained, his hands turning white as Streak''s eyes rolled and the wolf dropped to the ground and whined as he curled up as if to die. The shaking ground got worse and worse. Tree roots erupted from the soil. To Mason''s ears it was like an angry mob, their shouting voices raised as they came for their victim with torches and pitchforks. Living things sprouted from the ground, or descended from the trees. Loop after loop of vine or branch swooped at the undead, and at the dracolich, like a hangman''s living ropes. Carl was still cutting bone. Phuong was loosing a never-ending series of sts from his sword as Seamus sprayed firebolts from his staff. The dracolich smashed down into Becky''s shield, roaring as the trees started to hold it back, as its body began to slow and fail. "Just a little more," Mason whispered, fighting to keep his eyes open. He turned off Shared Pain, and Streak lifted his head and growled. Mason managed a smile as he turned it back on. "You''re right," he said. "We''ll go together. But they¡¯d reached a kind of breakthrough. The hard slog of piercing the dark, cold magic holding out natural life was over. Mason felt like he slid from y into water. He wasn''t the storm, just the lightning rod. Endless power surged through the soil all around him. Eager. Unstoppable. The dracolich screeched with a sound not much different than when it was alive, its wings pierced, its body falling from the sky. For the first time in a hundred years, perhaps, it was afraid. Mason released his grip on the earth and closed his eyes. He heard the fighting still going on, heard his friends attacking and destroying bits and pieces of the creature. But they were hacking at a rotting whale. It was already dead, already gone. Time was just finally catching up with it. A shiver surged through Mason''s body as he stared at the terrible creature now bound like a fly in a spider''s web, thest remnants of bone being swallowed and pulled to the earth. There''s your immortality, he thought, wondering what his own fate would be. He didn''t care what roboGod said, what his little stories told him. Nothingsted forever. Not that dracolich. Not Mason. Not roboGod. Maybe it was the ''ranger'' in him, maybe it was the orphan, or the mortal creature, or the paranoia. But the thought didn''t frighten him. Instead it brought a kind offort, a kind of hope. He liked knowing every tyrant, every tyranny, would eventually fall. Before the darkness swallowed him, as he turned off his powers andy down to try and heal, he held onest thought, just in case the alien was listening. Everything in this universe ends, he whispered in his mind. You''d best remember that.
Chapter 314: Haley in Nassau Chapter 314: Haley in Nassau Haley opened her eyes and sighed, cuddling against the warm body next to her. Then the already vanishing wisps of some dream faded from her senses, and she blinked awake to find it was just a pillow. Mason and Becky still weren''t home. She was alone in their bed. The list of many tasks and problems began to filter through her brain. A few of the male yers and civilians had already begun to pursue elven women, causing some hurt feelings and never-ending drama around the town''s proverbial water coolers. Haley needed to get a few of the more reasonable, prominent women like Sylvie in a room and get a handle on this. Mason''s wolves were getting more and more unruly and bored. They were also leaving carcasses everywhere outside the walls. Some of the crafters suggested they could start cleaning these up and using the materials, but the wolves snarled at everyone except Rosa who came close. No one was brave enough to be out there for long, though the elves seemed able to calm them down. Haley would probably have to ask Naya for help. Which was just super. As well as the bride-to-be might think she was hiding it, Haley could feel the woman''s jealousy and resentment oozing from her pretty, dark eyes. It wasn''t exactly the first time Haley had experienced such a thing from another woman. But it was definitely the first time from an elven princess. Did she have to worry about getting some kind of...elven curse? Or poisoned, or something? The thought made her roll over and put her hands to her belly. She smiled as she thought of it, but there was also some kind of new, primal fear whenever she thought about the growing child. Her child. Mason''s child. She had to worry about more than just herself now in a way she''d never really understood. Mason was a ''baron''. Some kind of new royalty of the apocalypse. And for all the times she''d said (and meant) she hadn''t been worried about her own status or the exact nature of her rtionship with Mason, a child was something else. Would Naya consider Haley¡¯s child a threat? And if so, what might she do about it? Haley didn''t know anything about this woman, or about elves. Could she befriend her? It was the most obvious, desirable solution. The elf woman was also exotic and beautiful, and the thought of sharing her with Mason was already a budding fantasy¡­ But it was also maybe just that. She should maybe be thinking about protecting herself and her child instead, whether through system rules or...she just didn''t know. Finally she forced herself up and tossed off the covers, pulling out a system-generated outfit until she was satisfied she looked as in as possible. She showered and cooked some bacon and eggs for Rosa and Lexi, knowing they wouldn''t be up for another hour or so. She covered them with a te and left a little note, then stepped out to face her day. "Miss Haley." Hank ''the fisherman'' smiled as he stood from his chair. He was the one person in Nassau who was always up before Haley. ''Old habits'', he''d exined, from his previous life. ¡®Lots of fish only bite early,¡¯ he''d said, when they got to talking once. ¡®So you''ve gotta be ready when they are.¡¯ She''d smiled and asked him a little about fishing, always careful not to ask people too much about their previous lives. Many, especially older citizens, had wives or children and grandchildren they''d probably never see again. The ''culture'' of Nassau was not to pry into the old world too much, or even into tutorials¡ªto kind of pretend that life began when people had reached the settlement. It was easier that way. People had often done things, or experienced things, they weren''t proud of, or didn''t want to think about. They''d lost things they couldn''t get back. There were exceptions, of course. Hank turned out to be one of them. He spoke of his children with pride, always hopeful they were out there somewhere, but not in the naive kind of way some other parents were. ¡®They made it or they didn''t,¡¯ he''d said once with a shrug. ¡®Nothing I can do now except make sure there''s a life built here if they need it.¡¯ Haley had smiled and squeezed his hand, not wanting to talk about her own past, and he''d let that be that. The man was also funny, and wise, and spoke a little French (and a few othernguages), from traveling all over the world. Haley had an older father and lost him fairly young, and Hank reminded her of him very much. She sometimes asked for his advice, and he always gave her first choice of his river catches. "Today''s what I like to call ¡®Shrimpy, Ugly Halibut¡¯," he said, holding up his bucket. "Not bad. Tastes a little like bass." Haley grinned and came to investigate. "I would like two, please. I''m going to make a little feast for...our new guests." Hank gave her a knowing smile, and silently took out two fish, putting them in another pail. "She''s a looker, that Naya. Seems they all are. Not that I spend much time. Looking I mean." "Only because Linda would crack your eggs like this." Haley mimed a ball-squeezing gesture, and Hank snorted. "She''s more than enough for a man my age, thanks very much. But I''m sure you kids will...keep busy." He winked then nced at the chieftain''s hall. "No word from Mason and the others?" Haley shook her head, and Hank pursed his lips and gave her a smile, lifting his two buckets to head towards his ''restaurant''. "Well. Better go deal with these. Billy and I may head out again this evening. So if you''re hoping for something else, I might be able to..." "These are fine, thank you Hank. And say hi to Billy for me." "Oh I''d best not," Hankughed, the sound hoarse and loud and infectious. "That boy might faint if you looked at him too long. Even with all those other young things buzzing around." Haley smiled and waved, then put away her fish, poured some coffee into stic containers, and went off to make her daily rounds. She always brought drinks to the yers on guard duty, getting a series of thanks and smiles, which she returned. She checked on the training hall and the crafters, finding Peni and Darlene up early and working, making sure they saw she''d noticed. She met with Sylvie and talked elf drama, and (as it turned out) civilian drama, because Tommaso had yet again broken the number rule (which was less important) and likely the ''permission'' rule (which was a hell of a lot more important), because the civilian in question had already been seeing another crafter. Sylvie didn''t take either of these things very seriously, especially when it was just the civilians. But Haley was getting angry. "It''s not a joke, Sylvie. I''m going to have to tell Mason. He made a rule and it was broken. I promise you he''s not going tough." Sylvie rolled her eyes. "Haley, if we count the elves, there''s something like four or five women for every man now. I know Tommaso¡¯s done this a couple times, but it takes two to tango, and there''s always more fish in the sea, so I really don''t..." "What would Carl do if it was you, Sylvie?" The previous ''patron'' of Sanctuary sighed and started to answer but Haley cut her off. "No, let me tell you. He might just kill him. And if he didn''t then maybe a month from now he''d let him die in a fight. That''s how Mason will see this. He made the rules for a reason and I know it seems silly, but he wasn''t joking. I don''t know what he''ll do. So you talk to your girls. I''ll talk to Tommaso. OK?" "OK, OK." Sylvie raised her hands in defeat. Then she slid across the civilian duties she''d made for her people for the next few days. There was always cooking and cleaning, gardening and gathering to be done. They''d divided things up as best they could. "Oh. It''s hard to believe,¡± the woman added with a shrug, ¡°but we have some food going to waste. Mostly fresh produce from the temple. We can''t exactly freeze it, and some things are more popr than others. Maybe it''s fine but I thought I''d mention it." Haley blew some air, amazed how fast things changed. Most people were growing gardens now outside their houses, with Seul-ki''s huge version tended by the group as well. The temple had a surprising amount of things, most of which were already (impossibly) producing. In fact, everything they put in the ground here seemed to grow at incredible speed. Even their veteran gardeners and farmers were struggling to keep up and understand, with almost nothing they nted ever truly failing. And this despite the increasingly cold weather in the forest! "It even survives the frosts," Rosa had said in wonder after a night that had gotten down to at least -3 celcius. "The temple is warm so that''s not shocking. But our little gardens even. It''s like the nts could just...take it." Haley had shrugged and grinned, thinking maybe the winter wouldn''t be as bad as they all feared. But she didn''t get too optimistic. They had no idea what the climate might be like in this new world. Were there four distinct ''seasons'' as they''d had in Canada? Or would a wintere thatsted half the year? Would the river freeze solid for months? She knew Mason wouldrgely be the one so tell them what to do, how to solve these things. But he just had so much in his te already. Haley wasmitted to solving as much as she could without him, to have everything in the hall and in Nassau taken care of so when he came home so he could just be with them and rest. She finished her rounds and went back to the hall, fighting a slight wave of nausea with some deep breaths. She put on a smile and walked in, greeting Rosa and Lexi and making conversation to make them feelfortable and at home. She cooked and started nning her meeting with Naya, not sure yet how that would go. But she was going to sort them all out. That was her mission. The civilians, the yers, the elves. She was Mason''s assistant, his lover, the mother of his child. And she didn''t care what ''roboGod'' or anyone else called it, she was his, and he was hers, and they were going to beat this world together. "We''re going to have somepany tonight," she told the girls, tying on an apron. "I need to cook for an elven princess. And she may not like any of us very much. Do you want to help me, or do you want to escape?" The girls looked a bit stunned. Finally Rosa clucked her tongue and gave her friend a nce, and both girls nodded and stood, reaching for some aprons. Rosa in particr was a very good cook and would be a big help. Haley missed Mason and Becky, but she was reminded she wasn''t alone. She put a hand on her stomach and took a breath, looking at her kitchen. "OK.¡± She smiled. ¡°Here we go."
Chapter 315: Dead Dracolich Chapter 315: Dead Dracolich [Final stageplete. Nexus challenge ending. Calcting rewards based on performance. Please wait.] Mason blinked, supposing he should have expected something like that. Though he doubted it would have changed how he behaved. He also couldn''t help but notice there was no mention of ''sess''. Had they even done what they were supposed to do? Could the whole event have gone differently? Was it possible they''d actually...failed? The world all around the yers was starting to blur. Mason saw the birdmen soldiersing down from the sky cheering and smiling,nding and shouting at the yers, their voices fading away. King Aixa wasing towards him, triumphant and grinning, trying to help Mason to stand. But he froze with all the others. "Is everyone alright?" Mason shouted, trying to get closer to the others but feeling trapped in the air like it was water. Also he almost passed out. When he stood it was like he''d been sitting for two days without moving, without drinking. The world spun and he stumbled back to his hands and knees just trying not to lose consciousness, one hand on the still groaning Streak. [Event objectives: yer casualties: none. Priest of Nephus: survived. King Aixa: survived. Dragon: killed. Dracolich: destroyed. Floating city: damaged. Temple of Nephus: protected. Nephi history: partly examined. yer behavior: Defenders. Title reward tier: Exemr.] Mason read the text with some relief. ''Exemr'' surely meant they''d seeded. They''d saved the Nephi, hadn''t they? That was the objective and he hadn¡¯t seen it change. Though he nced at the options and winced at the ¡®partly examined¡¯ history. Were they somehow supposed to have challenged the king or the city about what had happened in their ''civil war''? Was it about ''saving souls'' as much as saving lives? Mason honestly couldn''t begin to care. He wasn''t a priest or a judge and had no intention of pretending he much respected either. He blinked as the desert returned in full, ring color, the yellow sand half blinding him with the mid-day light. The sun kept on baking, the wind kept on blowing air so hot it didn''t help. Mason looked up to see the ancient priest staring from his seat in the middle of the pyramid. All the others were blurring into focus beside him, but they looked still, frozen. "Would you have saved them anyway?" asked the old man, his eyes sharper than they''d been in the fiction, his bearing stiff. Almost¡­robotic. "If you had known they were butchers? If you had known they could be monstrous and cruel?" Who the hell are you judge? Mason wanted to scream. "Yes," he said without hesitation, and the old man¡¯s head turned like a bird on the hunt. "Why?" Mason shook his head, not even sure who he was talking to or why. "Survival isn¡¯t pretty. Every creature is a killer, a coward, a thief. We do what we think is best and choose. We make mistakes. We live or we die. Who decides when to judge?¡± He snorted. "Are you even alive?" The old man stared and stared, as if the machine spirit inside were calcting some difficult equation. Finally he slumped and blinked, ncing at Mason and the now forming yers with a slow smile creeping to his cracked lips. "You saved them," he said. "I knew you would." "And nothing changed," Mason said, going to Reba because she looked like she''d gone about three rounds with Mike Tyson. She tried to wave him away and pretend she was alright, but he could tell her powers must have nearly been gone. Everyone else grinned and gave Mason a nod, both Carl and Phuong looking like they''d taken a brutal hit or two themselves. Streak just growled from the ground. "Nothing," the old man agreed as he stood with a series of cracks. "But it could have. I know that now. If only we''d had champions like you. You have given a failed prophet hope." The old man''s eyes zed and he raised a bony hand to the sky. "And so you have earned your reward. Behold the power of Nephus, my friends. Behold the power of life." White light red from his open palm, blinding but not hostile. Mason squinted but didn''t shield his eyes or try to cover his face. [Nexus: activated. Patron survival detected. Reward: issuing. Please do not move.] Mason winced as he saw thest words, then his body stiffened and he felt as if he''d drop to the stone, but didn''t move at all. Becky was holding him, screaming ''what''s happening?''. Or possibly ''wet saplings''. It was hard to hear and Mason wasn''t much for reading lips. [Group reward: determined. Please ept or reject as group leader: Danh Phuong: Prestige ss reward. Seamus Hayes: Prestige ss reward. Alexei Ostapovich: Prestige ss reward. Reba Weber: Additional Experience award (major). Carlton Walker: Additional Experience award (major). Do you ept?] Mason hesitated, but ultimately epted. The prestige ss rewards were massive. He felt Becky and Carl were getting slightly ripped off but he was afraid if he didn''t ept he might get screwed in some other way that was worse. At least they''d get the 10% extra (twice, assuming they¡¯d all get xp forpleting the challenge in the first ce) for being part of his ''House''. Anyway, they did badly need experience, so it wasn''t exactly a loss. But he sure wished they''d all been given their own rewards and could choose individually. Why did everything have to be up to him? The next bit of text, he supposed, helped answer the question... The sky erupted with lightning, then a growing, swirling grey cloud. Mason felt his feet lift off the stone. Becky was shouting and failing to hold him down. The light grew brighter, then focused, shining down from the center of the cloud until it struck Mason in the chest. It was warm and not unpleasant, slowly covering him until he closed his eyes. A booming voice echoed as if from some god in the heavens, somewhere between the old priest''s voice and the machine that controlled the game. Attention, yers and Civilians. Attention. The game world has momentarily been frozen. [Baron Mason Nimitz, of House Mason, Patron of Nassau¡ªhas seized control of the Western Nexus. This marks the final stage of phase two. A countdown to a period of system-enforced, zero yer-to-yer violence has begun, along with a universally essible list of all surviving yers, including their ranks and titles. Further¡ªallmunication beacons will activate in three days. Biological imperatives will continue in phase three. World difficulty will increase. nar activity will increase. Congrattions on your ongoing survival. As ever, we are rooting for you.] Jesus Christ, Mason thought, still trapped in his ''reward''. All he''d ever wanted on Earth was to be ignored, to be left alone by the world¡¯s controlling assholes, controlling governments¡ªby civilization entirely. Now here he was trying to re-build it. And his name was getting announced by God damn loudspeaker in the sky, no doubt making him a target for everyone and their dog. How the hell had he gotten himself into this? He wasn¡¯t sure, but he definitely med ke. And probably Haley. Not that it helped him. A vision formed before Mason''s eyes, a city recing the desert sprawled before him. A thousand buildings formed in ghostly silhouette, some small and squat like square houses. Others rose up like ancient towers, impossible with the engineering of the past. He blinked and it became a city on a ghostly sea, half built like the floating city, as if into the water itself. He blinked again and it was a forest, buildings constructed into the canopy itself. He smiled at this, imagining Nassauyered like multiple branches on ancient trees the size of skyscapers. Then the vision vanished. [Title: ¡®Desert Walker¡¯ found. Leader reward: enhanced. [Primary ss: ALL remaining Tier 1 powers: upgraded to tier 2] [Title gained: Nexus Founder. Added to House titles. See associated benefits.] [Title gained: Protector of Life. Earned ¡®Exemr Defender¡¯ in Western Nexus event. Enhanced resistances and power effects against the undead.] [Founder Title gained: Protector of civilization. Your deeds in the Nexus event are a sign of your true nature. House and settlement choices may be affected by this archetype. +10% effect from the vitality statistic.] [Experience awarded. Congrattions, you have earned enough experience to reach level 20! Please select your ss upgrade.] The light finally ended, and whatever force was levitating Mason in the air began to fade. He floated back to the top of the ancient ruin, his body no longer locked, all the apparitions and translucent citiespletely vanished. The priest of Nephus walked the few steps towards him, limping until he stood an arm¡¯s length away. He held out a hand, and a small, pyramid-shaped stone rested in his palm. "A gift, Champion," whispered the old man. "May it help you build a city worthy of God¡¯s favor." Mason eventually reached out and took it, and the old man smiled and closed his eyes. [Item gained: Nexus Icon. Can be used anywhere on the western continent to produce a central hub. If ced in a pre-existing settlement, patron points may improve the settlement, or the Nexus.] Wind swirled around the entire pyramid, throwing sand violently until Mason and all the yers shielded their faces. Itsted only seconds. When Mason opened his eyes, the old man, and all the surrounding structures, were gone. All that was left was the ancient stone pyramid, standing alone in the empty, lifeless dunes. "Well, shite," said Seamus after a whistle. Then he grinned and looked at Mason. "You hear that bloody announcement? And the way it showed Mason¡¯s mean lookin¡¯ face and crest and all? I know the man and I damn near shite myself.¡± The Irishman let out a snortingugh. ¡°And I got a prestige ss just waitin'' on me! Picked the right boss, didn''t I?" He pped Phuong on the chest and looked at the others. "Eh,ds? Backed the right horse, didn''t we?" A lot of eyes rolled or squinting followed, especially since Seamus hadn''t ''picked'' anything. But Carl''s whole face slowly curled into a smile, and he pped Mason''s chest the same way. "Damn fine horse," he agreed, thenughed. Pretty soon Becky and Phuong wereughing, too. Even Alex''s face twitched a little. Streak howled excitedly, then looked at Mason, wondering why the others thought he was a horse, when he was clearly a hairless ape like them. "It''s a joke," Mason said with an exhale, trying not to think about his face being broadcast to the whole damn world. He knelt and scratched the wolf, checking to make sure he was OK. "We hairless apes think we¡¯re pretty funny,¡± he said, not sure how to articte his thanks to the creature, how incredible it was to have his friend beside him, sharing his fight and struggle. The wolf panted and closed its eyes in pleasure, which Mason supposed would have to count as mutual appreciation. "OK," he said, taking Becky''s hand and looking at the others. "Let''s go the hell home."
Chapter 316: A dinner party Chapter 316: A dinner party Naya and Dariya prepared themselves to go to the concubine¡¯s ¡®dinner party¡¯. Some of her people told her not to. ¡°She¡¯ll poison you, mydy. With the baron gone, she and the other concubines may even try to ughter you in the kitchen with knives!¡± Naya winced, then did her best to calm her servants down. ¡°They aren¡¯t warriors. And they¡¯ll have no idea what poisons even kill elves. They know nothing about us.¡± When her servant just stared Naya rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll take a de. And Dariya will eat first.¡± ¡°By the Goddess I will,¡± said the old woman as she fussed over her hair. ¡°Not your servant anymore, am I? Eat your own human poison.¡± Naya grinned and winked at her maidens. But she still lifted her dress and strapped a de to her thigh. Then they were out the door and crossing the grounds of Nassau in their formal dress, attracting a great deal of human stares. ¡°I never get used to it,¡± Naya whispered. ¡°I feel like some exotic animal brought home by the scouts.¡± ¡°That is exactly what you are, dear,¡± Dariya said. ¡°Just wait until you have children. They¡¯ll be spectacles.¡± Naya smiled at the thought. ¡°If I have children, I don¡¯t care if they have three eyes and twelves toes. As long as they¡¯re mine.¡± Dariya softened a little, making a gesture of praise to her moon goddess. ¡°May it be so,¡± she said, squeezing Naya¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m a bit¡­grumpy. So much has happened. And so quickly. I don¡¯t like change.¡± Nayaughed, and Dariya¡¯s face soured again. ¡°I¡¯m beginning to realize,¡± Naya said, fighting to keep her grip on the old woman¡¯s hand, ¡°disliking change is a very elven trait. So you¡¯re not special, Oracle. You must adapt like the rest of us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m too old to adapt.¡± Dariya managed to get her hand back and lifted her chin. ¡°I¡¯m hoping to die before it¡¯s necessary.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± Naya said more seriously. ¡°You¡¯ve already done more than the council. More than almost anyone back home. We wouldn¡¯t be here without you, Dariya. I know that.¡± The older woman softened again, looking slightly defeated and taking a deep breath as they arrived outside the door of Mason¡¯s hall. ¡°Are you prepared for this, princess? I fear I¡¯ve little wisdom to offer in dealing with a room full of lesser, certainly jealous, rival human women. But I do have a few spells ready.¡± ¡°They¡¯re extending their hands in peace, you won¡¯t need them,¡± Naya said, then met Dariya¡¯s eyes. ¡°And you¡¯ll treat them with respect. If there¡¯s to be any animosity, it won¡¯te from us. Understood?¡± Dariya scowled and rolled her eyes, muttering something Naya couldn¡¯t hear. ¡°She¡¯s likely just trying to show you who the real first wife is. To put you in your ce, princess. I¡¯ll only listen to so much disrespect. If they keep on or speak of you rudely, I think it¡¯s best they learn a lesson in¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll keep a civil tongue and start nothing,¡± Naya said, with a bit moremanding tone, then grinned. ¡°Employ your famous charm.¡± ¡°We both know I¡¯ve little to none of that,¡± Dariya said. ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°Too old for charm, I know.¡± Naya knocked and straightened her dress, trying not to look as nervous as she felt. It was all very silly, she supposed, but she¡¯d decided it was important she get along with Haley. If they were both reasonable she saw no reason they couldn¡¯t be civil, maybe even friendly. And she knew that was what her future husband would want. * * * ¡°Why are we even dressing up, who the hell cares what we look like,¡± Rosa shouted from the bathroom as Haley scrambled in the kitchen. ¡°Lexi, how does it look?¡± she called, and the little Brit jumped up from the oven. ¡°Umm. Not quite ready?¡± Haley winced and looked over her dishes. She¡¯d made a ssic onion soup, actual home made bread, and a hondaise sauce that came out basically perfectly. Except it was for the damn ¡®Tiny Ugly Halibut¡¯ that wouldn¡¯t seem to actually cook. ¡°My pies,¡± she said, realizing she¡¯d neglected them. ¡°Did someone actually¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re on the window,¡± Rosa called, stepping out from the kitchen in a formal ck dress she¡¯d borrowed from Haley¡¯s stash. She was fussing with a pair of earrings, and Haley literally stopped in her tracks as she scanned the girl from head to toe. ¡°You look absolutely stunning, Rosa.¡± She winced. ¡°You, um, might need to¡­take it down a notch. I don¡¯t want them to think we¡¯re trying to make them look¡­¡± ¡°I am not changing!¡± Rosa said. ¡°I help cook. I will help you clean. I agree to sit down with this¡­elf woman, who I still can¡¯t believe Mason is marrying. But if I do all this I will at least look fabulous. OK?¡± Haley closed her mouth and grinned. ¡°OK.¡± ¡°And you should change because you look like a dish washer or something,¡± Rosa added, giving Haley a once over. ¡°I will watch your sauce. I will handle the fish. Off you go. Go!¡± Haley gave the girl a kiss on both cheeks then dashed off to the bedroom. She¡¯d picked out the perfect outfit to look a bit conservative, but not frumpy. Sexy, but not too sexy. She hoped it said she had good judgment and could be relied on to continue that. By the time she was full-on internal debating over shoes, she heard a knock on the inner door and their yer guard shouting about guests. With a final groan, she just went barefoot to the door. ¡°They¡¯re here! Just¡­act naturally, and turn off the oven! And is the¡­¡± ¡°My God the fish is fine, Haley, and this is all unnatural. We¡¯ll just be over here.¡± Haley sighed and opened the door with a polite (but not over the top), friendly smile. The elven princess returned it, the old oracle not so much. ¡°Thank you foring, Naya,¡± she said. ¡°And Dariya. Pleasee in. I hope you¡¯re hungry.¡± The elven princess looked amazing as usual. Though Haley suspected the woman could make just about anything look feminine. Her silk wrappings were so colorful and intricate. Haley really wanted to see how they actually worked toe on. And off. ¡°I hope the others don¡¯t feel slighted,¡± Haley said. ¡°Of course at the actual wedding we¡¯ll have a muchrger feast and I hope to learn everyone¡¯s names. But I thought it would be nice if we could get to know each other a little.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Naya said, so sign of offense or displeasure. At least not yet. ¡°I feel the same. Thank you for the invitation.¡± Haley was usuallyfortable in such situations, but she felt a bit on edge. She failed to think of something worthwhile to say, but at least got the elves into the kitchen, and then eventually the table. ¡°This is Rosa,¡± she said, very happy all of a sudden she wasn¡¯t alone. ¡°She¡¯s an alchemist. And a wonderful cook.¡± Dariya turned and stared at the princess wordlessly. Haley felt she¡¯d missed something or made some mistake, and suspected it was Rosa¡¯s outfit. She tried not to show her annoyance. ¡°And this is Lexi,¡± she went on pleasantly. ¡°She¡¯s a crafter, and can make all kinds of things, though I don¡¯t know much about it. She lives with us, too.¡± The elven princess just looked between the women with her frozen, model-like smile, saying nothing until Haley again began to feel ufortable. ¡°And you¡¯re all concubines?¡± Naya finally asked, her tone perfectly polite. Haley froze and looked back at the other girls. ¡°No¡­we¡¯re¡­that is¡­¡± ¡°Haley and I are,¡± Rosa said, then gestured at Lexi. ¡°She isn¡¯t. At least not yet.¡± The elves nodded, Naya still smiling politely like they were all discussing the weather. Haley took a deep breath, giving Rosa a chastising look when she saw Lexi go beet red. ¡°Well. Should we eat?¡±
Chapter 317: Party’s over Chapter 317: Party¡¯s over Naya thought it was going well enough. She hadn¡¯t keeled over and died, for example, which became a bit more of a concern after learning one cook was an alchemist. And the food was¡­good. Or at least the bread. The rest was tasty but far too rich for elven tongues, to the point Dariya was clearly pushing most of hers around on her te like a child. Naya gave her the asional re until she took another bite. ¡°So, where are you all from?¡± Naya asked after another slurp of the incredibly salty soup. Her hosts exchanged confused looks and didn¡¯t answer so long Naya tried again. ¡°Did youe on ships? From the east? We hadn¡¯t realized so many humans were on our continent.¡± ¡°We¡­¡± Haley shrugged. ¡°Wait, there are other humans? Where?¡± ¡°Oh. I don¡¯t really know.¡± Naya felt a little embarrassed. ¡°I only know stories. I¡¯ve never seen one. But my people say they live in the east.¡± Haley seemed a bit disappointed. But she perked up. ¡°To answer your question¡ªwe came here with¡­some kind of magic. I don¡¯t understand it, I¡¯m afraid. We aren¡¯t¡­well, I guess we aren¡¯t from this world.¡± Naya felt her brow raise. She was about to ask what world exactly they¡¯de from before Haley kept on. ¡°We can¡¯t go home. So we don¡¯t talk much about it anymore.¡± Naya didn¡¯t understand exactly what Haley was saying, or how this was possible, but she understood the sadness in the woman¡¯s eyes. ¡°I know something about that,¡± she said quietly. ¡°It must be difficult.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve made new lives here,¡± Haley said, looking to the other, silent women chewing their food. ¡°Mason and the other warriors have made it safe for us. We have enough to eat. The forest is beautiful. And we have many friends that are like family now. We do our best.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Naya did her best to smile. ¡°My people would like to do the same.¡± They encountered another awkward silence. Naya searched for something to say, annoyed that Dariya seemed intent on sulking and ying with her food. She was about to ask when Haley¡¯s child was due in a kind of panic before the noise of the outside world seemed to¡­freeze. Naya¡¯s keen senses no longer heard the birds, or the insects, or the wind. The human women all stopped chewing, staring off into nothing, their eyes strangely zed. Some kind of¡­warmth shed over her, sending a prickle down her spine so sharp and quick she nearly jumped from her chair. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± she whispered, feeling little hairs rise on her neck and arms as she nced at the oracle. ¡°I do not know, princess,¡± the older woman answered, staring intently at the human women. ¡°But look at them.¡± The humans seemedpletely frozen. Then everything returned. A voice yelled from somewhere outside the hall. And then another. Until dozens of voices were shouting and crying out in what seemed like¡­celebration. Haley blinked and sagged, looking to the other girls with a wide smile until they all held hands. ¡°Mason¡­¡± she said, looking at Naya, ¡°he and the others¡­they¡¯ve won a great victory. They¡¯reing home.¡± Naya tried to keep her difort and fear off her face as she smiled. She had no idea what had just happened. It felt like¡­divine magic. As if somehow these humans had been given a kind of message from a god. Or perhaps they shared some kind of¡­hive mind. Perhaps they truly were from another world. Naya had taken Haley¡¯sment as maybe reference to some far awaynd, an ind away from the continents. But now¡­now she wasn¡¯t so sure¡­ * * * Attention, yers and Civilians. Attention. The game world has momentarily been frozen. [Baron Mason Nimitz, of House Mason, Patron of Nassau¡ªhas seized control of the Western Nexus. This marks the final stage of phase two. A countdown to a period of system-enforced, zero yer-to-yer violence has begun, along with a universally essible list of all surviving yers, along with their ranks and titles. Further¡ªallmunication beacons will activate in three days. Biological imperatives will continue in phase three. World difficulty will increase. nar activity will increase. Congrattions on your ongoing survival. As ever, we are rooting for you.] Haley took Rosa¡¯s hand and grinned. ¡°What do you think it means?¡± Rosa whispered, and Haley shrugged. ¡°That things are going to change again. We¡¯ll meet all the survivors. Mason will know what to do.¡± The elves were staring at them, and Haley had no idea how to exin. She said Mason had won a great victory and left it at that. But the longer she sat there thinking, the more she realized Mason was not going to be a ¡®baron¡¯ for long. This Nexus would change things. His name had just been announced to the whole of humanity. Haley knew it was only a matter of time before there were ¡®kings¡¯. And that Mason would be one of them. She felt a hand move to her stomach, knowing it meant she carried an heir. His first born child. Was she being naive to think she could be friends with Naya? Or would their children, and therefore themselves, be in a kind ofpetition no matter what? She didn¡¯t want that. It wasn¡¯t what was best for Mason. It wasn¡¯t the life she wanted. But she knew then there was only so much she could do. She was going to have to trust Mason to handle this, especially since Naya wasn¡¯t human. The rules of yers and civilians didn¡¯t count for elves. She had to remember that. Mason could kill everyst one of these people if he wanted. A fact they all knew and understood. They had different, harsher rules even than humans. Haley made more smalltalk as best she could, then got the pies from the window and dished them with a polite smile. As she got close to Naya she could have sworn she caught the elf flinch, and reach for something at her thigh. And slowly, very slowly, Haley began to realize the elves were more afraid of her than she was of them. And maybe they were right to be. When she was finished dishing she sat back down and met Naya¡¯s eyes, taking a breath. ¡°When Mason returns, he will want to have your marriage handled quickly. He¡¯s not a patient man.¡± Naya looked shy, but smiled a little. ¡°I noticed. I¡¯m also¡­eager. To have it allplete.¡± Haley nodded, trying not to be jealous. She wasn¡¯t worried about Mason¡¯s affection, but she had been a little girl like everyone else, and once dreamed of a wedding and a husband waiting at the end of a long aisle. ¡°I think it¡¯s important everyone in Nassau attend,¡± she said. ¡°With a few warriors to remain on guard. But¡­the ceremony should be short, or Mason will be unhappy. We humans like to socialize after. Dance, drink, and eat. Is that eptable?¡± ¡°That¡­sounds nice. Elves are much the same.¡± Haley took another breath, again putting a hand to her stomach under the table. ¡°There is just¡­one small issue we need to solve. Where Mason¡¯s¡­concubines will sit. During the ceremony. As it¡¯s your day, perhaps we might¡­¡± ¡°They shouldn¡¯t be there at all, princess,¡± said the oracle, her face suddenly transforming with clearly repressed outrage. ¡°They aren¡¯t nobility. They hold no im to any titles. As far as I can tell, they have no official position whatsoever, which makes them little more than¡­¡± Haley was taken totally aback at the outburst, having no idea the oracle would be so offended. She sat in silence until Rosa¡¯s drill sergeant volume voice cut the elf off. ¡°Lady. I don¡¯t know who the fuck you think you are, but you better not finish that sentence.¡± ¡°Rosa¡­¡± Haley came back from her surprise, putting on a hand on the fiery Mexican¡¯s arm. ¡°No.¡± Rosa stood and leaned across the table. ¡°Listen, bitch. Haley¡¯s just being nice. Truth is you aren¡¯t queen, she¡¯s queen. You¡¯re not approving us. You aren¡¯t anything. We¡¯re approving you!¡± With that Rosa turned and cked on her heels back towards the bedroom, grabbing Lexi and practically yanking her off her chair. The Brit made a ¡®sorry¡¯ face at Haley, and a desperate sort of bow/curtsy towards the elves, then scampered after her friend. The door mmed, and Haley took a deep breath. It was pretty clear neither of the elves had experienced a pissed off, shouting Latina. Dariya was literally pale. ¡°I¡­I think we should go now, princess.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± Haley said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. Rosa can be a little¡­spirited.¡± Naya did her best to seem unphased, but was clearly shaken. ¡°Dariya is right,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you for the invitation. But¡­I think we need a little time to collect ourselves. I would like to try again. Perhaps my people and I can cook for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± Haley forced a smile, breathing a little easier. They hadn¡¯t worked out the wedding details, and obviously there¡¯d been some¡­mistakes. But she decided she¡¯d have to ept baby steps. She walked the elves to the door, wishing there was something else she could say to smooth things over. But she knew the whole thing might just be hard. ¡°Good night,¡± Naya said, and Haley forced herself forward to kiss the elf on both cheeks. It was obviously a surprise, and Naya blinked and maybe blushed a little, bowing as she turned away. Haley closed the door and slumped into a chair, wishing she could open a bottle of wine. Rosa stomped out a little whileter, waggling finger at the ready, opening her mouth for another round until she realized the elves were gone. ¡°They hardly touched their food,¡± Haley said, looking at the dishes with a sigh. Rosa sat beside her and bit her lip, looking at least a little apologetic. ¡°I¡¯ll clean up. And I¡¯ll be nicer next time. But I¡¯m not apologizing to that stuck up slut, or her wrinkly old¡­¡± Haley scooped a spoonful of pie and pushed it between Rosa¡¯s lips. The younger girl mped down and took the bite, wiping a few crumbs before she grinned. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said, looking down after a few chews. Haley put her head on her beautiful friend¡¯s shoulder and tried not to miss Mason desperately. ¡°It¡¯s OK,¡± she said, kissing Rosa on the cheek. ¡°She is stuck up.¡± Rosa grinned, thenughed, and Haley felt a little anxiety fall away as she joined her.
Chapter 318: There’s nothing Chapter 318: There¡¯s nothing Mason saw the shing icons in his profile for reaching level twenty. He knew he needed to sort that out, and a familiar excitement tingled in his gut. But as a patron and maybe Nexus owner it looked like he had even more time. As ever, first things were first. "OK," Mason took a breath and nced around the desert, still clutching the nexus icon. "Time to teleport.¡± Becky smiled and squeezed his hand, and for a panicked moment he nced over towards the beacon and realized it could have been taken, destroyed, or who knew what. But it was still there. "Emm, boss? We kinda¡­can''t." Mason squinted and was about to ask what nonsense Seamus was speaking this time when Phuong cleared his throat. "He''s right, Patron. Our prestige ss rewards have very little time. We need to use them. Immediately." "Right." Mason shrugged, d they at least seemed pretty safe in the middle of the desert. "Well, off you go then. Anyone want to talk...I don''t know...strategy first? I rmend toughness. Survivability. I know offensive choices are always tempting but you need to be breathing to keep getting stronger." Seamus, Phuong and Alex were all staring as Mason looked between them. "What?" "Sorry, boss, but...I couldn''t seem to do shit all to that zombie dragon,¡± Seamus said. "Dracolich," Carl muttered. "Whatever the feck it was, I couldn''t do more than char its little dragon toesies. I need more offense or I''m bloody useless." Phuong cleared his throat. "Regrettably, I have to agree. At the moment I have only one power that seems to damage most of our targets. Several times in the dungeon I found myself simply unable to harm my enemy in any meaningful way. A soldier must be able to kill his enemy, Patron." Even Alex looked slightly unhappier than usual. "When I was...trapped. I could do nothing. I think sometimes game will do these things. I too must be ready." Mason frowned and nced at a shrugging Reba. It''s not as if they didn''t have a point. "It''s your choice, gentlemen. I trust your judgment," he said. "just go get something good. We''ll be here." The yers nodded, and soon their eyes were zing over until little blue...portals appeared and swallowed them in a blink. "That was...rming," Mason said, trying not to let paranoia overwhelm reason. "I''m sure it''s just part of the reward," Becky said. "They''ll all be poppin'' back the same way in a sec." Carl yawned and nced around the sand with a sigh. "At least it''s evening and getting cooler. There''s no damn shade anymore except maybe if we pick the right spot near that temple. And frankly I''d rather not sit anywhere near it." "Agreed.¡± Mason glowered at the stone. ¡°And god forbid they just pick their upgrades in a nice little window and be done in a few minutes. RoboGod really has a re for the dramatic." "Well, to be fair it''s telling a story," Carl said. Mason could hardly believe the man was defending their antagonist, but the bastard went on. "I''ve been a DM plenty and this is just the sort of thing I would have done." Mason stared with what he hoped was vaguely annoyed iprehension. "A dungeon master," Carl exined, then rolled his eyes. "It''s a story teller. And it''s pretty clear roboGod is doing the same thing a DM does. Just, you know, for real." Mason sat on the sand, and Streak instantly flopped down next to him and rolled over to get a belly rub. Mason shook his head and obliged, letting Carl''s words float around in his brain. "Why the hell would it do that, Carl? I mean, why go to all this trouble? Kill all these people? For what¡ªartistic pleasure?" The older man snorted. "Maybe it''s trying to tell us something. Maybe it''s amusing itself, or someone else." "You think we''re...what? A reality television show? For some alien race? Like the God damn Truman show?" "Ha." Carl grinned. "Look at that, you have seen a movie. And yeah, maybe. I mean...is it any more ridiculous than it doing this for no reason?" Mason shook his head. None of it made any damn sense. He wasn''t sure if it was intuition, or just some kind of gut feeling, or a limited human interpretation of his experience so far, but he didn''t believe for a second roboGod was doing this for ''no reason''. Despite his impulse and maybe desire to feel otherwise, it was clear this thing wasn''t pure evil. It wasn''t just tormenting mankind for the sake of it. This wasn''t hell. He wasn''t sure what ''hell'' would look like in a robotic overlord''s mind, but he was pretty sure something this powerful coulde up with something much, much worse. So yes, it had a reason. The problem was what. And the longer things went on, the more Mason thought maybe, just maybe... "I think it wants our help," he thought out loud. Carl raised a bushy eyebrow. "Uh, what the hell could we do for something with this kind of power? We can hardly get to the moon and back. And honestly I¡¯m not totally sold we did that." Again Mason felt the wrongness of the thought, a kind of intuition that led him towards some deeper answer. "We''re alive," he said, trying to somehow re-imagine the game as a machine might see it. What had ke said it first said to him? That it wanted to call the game the ''human existence meaning game'', or something? Maybe it was just trying to understand them, but Mason didn''t think so. It could have watched them, waited, asked questions. Introduced itself. Instead it behaved in a kind of desperation. It must have felt itself in some kind of...crisis. Or else it wanted something it didn''t think humans knew how to give. He shook his head, feeling close to some kind of answer and yet unable to see. Not that it helped. Whatever the reason, they had to y along. "I''m hungry," Becky said with a sigh, ncing around the sand. Mason went for the dried rations in his pack. "I ain''t eating another piece of salted stupid bird. Or whatever the hell you call ''em." Carl grinned. "Lembas bread. Or more lembas bread." Becky smiled but Mason didn''t have a clue what they were talking about. Carl rolled his eyes. "One step forward, two steps back. God. We need ke. Where the hell is he, anyway? Figured he would have been front and center for this." Mason winced, reminded he was still angry. "Busy," he said, hoping to leave it at that. "Locked in another tower?" Carl said with a raised brow. "Something like that." Mason sighed and looked at the man, who was obviously still curious. This was Carl, he told himself. He relied on him for a lot, and he needed to keep him in the loop. "He''s..." Mason shrugged, "trying to make an alliance between orcs and goblins and...probably us." Carl stared for a rather long, ufortable moment. "And...you approve of this?" "No. But with ke..." Mason shrugged helplessly again. "He does crazy shit and sometimes it works. And I figure...this''ll keep him busy, so he won''t be a problem for us. And he''ll definitely keep the orcs and goblins busy, so they won''t be a problem for us. And when it''s over..." he threw up his hands. "They''ll probably all end up dead, with ke miraculously alive and somehow more powerful. And maybe he''ll be slightly less..." "Ambitious? Insane?" Carl said. "I was going to say idealistic," Mason said, then remembered and winced. "But...he did ask for our help." "I''m not saving any fucking orcs," Carl said with some finality. "They tried to kill my pregnant...girlfriend. Would have killed every girl from Sanctuary. Or maybe worse." Mason nodded because he certainly understood. "I won''t ask you to. But I''m not ke. He thinks...Christ, I don''t know what he thinks. That maybe almost everyone is forgivable. Redeemable. Useful. If he were here he''d say humans are capable of everything orcs are." When Carl''s eyes twitched Mason held up a hand. "I didn''t say I agree with him. I''ve never given a shit about anything except my own. But now..." he shook his head and shrugged, giving Becky a look. "I came into this game without caring about anyone except ke. Now look at the state of me. Oh and I''m supposed to look out for elves now. And wolves." He gave Streak a p and ended the long scratching session, which prompted a growl. He shook his head. "I don''t know. I really don''t. We just saved a bunch of half animal people who probably wiped out their neighbors and dumped them in a mass grave. So what the fuck are we even doing anymore." They were all a bit quiet after that. They started a fire and Becky finally ate some salted ''stupid bird'' and cuddled up next to Mason and closed her eyes. Must have been an hour before Carl looked into the fire and spoke again. "You said ke did crazy things and sometimes they worked. You aren''t so different. But I trust you a lot more than I trust him. I guess I just want to know if there''s something too crazy. If either of you have any limits." Mason owed the man at least an attempt to think that through. He pictured ke or one of his girls in danger, pictured some awful challenge that meant death or suffering forever unless he gave up. Then he shook his head. "You trust me because I want to keep everything we care about alive. But so does ke. He''s just¡­harder to understand. And no. There''s nothing too crazy. There''s nothing I won''t do. Nothing I won''t be. And when we meet whatever''s left of humanity I hope to God it goes well. I really do. But if it doesn''t, well. They¡¯re going to lose." Carl watched him for a long time. Then grinned. "You know, you talk a lot now. Hardly said two words the day we met." "I didn''t like you," Mason said. Carl spasmed with augh, coughing a bit of phlegm as he settled back and watched the fire. "At least it ain''t boring," Becky said sleepily, snuggling deeper into Mason''sp. "What do we call you now, anyway? Lord Mason? Founder of the super important Nexus thingy?" "Mighty Arch Druid of the West," Carl added. "Avatar of Gaia. Or whatever. yer of..." "OK, ssassin," Mason interrupted. "And what are you now, country girl? Some kind of valkyrie? Shield-maiden?¡± ¡°Captain America,¡± she mumbled into his leg. ¡°Yeah. So don''t give me that shit. And pass me some salted stupid-bird." Carl tossed the bag, and Mason took a bite then fed a growling Streak before the wolf chomped off his wrist. They all went quite for awhile, and Mason looked up at the stars and listened to the desert wind. The heat hadn''t bothered him, nor did theing cold of the desert night. He wondered if he was getting too numb, too inhuman. He heard his own words. There''s nothing I won''t do. There''s nothing I won''t be. He shivered though he wasn''t cold, thinking about Transformation and Duality of Strength. Had it been his own thought, he wondered? Was the godlike machine manipting him? Warping his mind? Steering him towards an oue his story demanded? He closed his eyes and tried to push the thought away. If so, he couldn''t stop it. All he could do was hold to who he was and what he cared about. To do what he felt was right whenever he could, doing whatever let him face these quiet moments and keep some kind of¡­self-respect. It felt like the calm before the storm. Like things were changing now and nothing and no one could stop it. The end of phase two. The beginning of phase three. He stared at his blinking profile, both excited and dreading every time he yed along with this ridiculous game. He shook his head, not sure if he was trying to care or trying not to care. All he knew is that his ''paranoia'' was on fire. Whatever came, he had to be ready. And he had to make sure the others were ready. To kill. To survive. To win.
Chapter 319: Last man (NSFW) Chapter 319: Last man (NSFW) Carl said he wanted to look around onest time, then wandered off around the Nexus site. Mason was preparing himself to level before something warm and wet moved up his thigh. For a small moment he thought it was Streak, but realized Becky¡¯s head was still in hisp. ¡°It¡¯s myst chance,¡± she whispered in the growing dark, running her hands over his crotch as she worked at his fly. Before he had a chance to respond she had his manhood out of the button, letting out a sigh as she started rubbing him over her lips. ¡°Carl¡¯s right over there¡­¡± he muttered, not even convincing himself. ¡°The others could be back any second.¡± ¡°Mmhmm,¡± Becky said, kissing his tip as she closed her eyes. Mason noticed Streak watching and shooed him away, flooding him with as much annoyed emotion as possible. The wolf growled and plodded off, and Mason groaned as Becky¡¯s mouth slid halfway down his growing shaft. ¡°Nothin¡¯ to see here,¡± she whispered when she came back up. ¡°Just nappin¡¯ in my man¡¯sp.¡± She lowered her voice. ¡°And swallowin¡¯ his big ol¡¯, delicious cock.¡± Mason closed his eyes and took a grip on Becky¡¯s ponytail with one hand, sliding the other under her shirt to squeeze a breast. She moaned and started sucking, silky lips squeezing harder around his shaft as she used her tongue. A blowjob just might have been the best thing Mason hadn¡¯t known he wanted. Something about surviving almost certain death always gave him every kind of hunger. He¡¯d have preferred a long night with all his girls in bed. But this was a pretty close second. ¡°I¡¯m officially bringing you on every trip,¡± he said as Becky took him in long, slow gulps. She shook with a littleugh, and he swapped the breast hand to her ponytail so he could slide the other down her back to grip her ass. The urge to get his hand under her pants was irresistible, and pretty soon he was trailing his fingers over her panties. She made a little noise of protest. ¡°No distractin¡¯ me,¡± she said as she pulled up, still working him with her hand. ¡°This is supposed to be quick.¡± ¡°Right. Quick.¡± Mason took his hand out out of her pants and forced her mouth back down with her ponytail. ¡°Get back to work.¡± Becky made a gulping sound as Mason pushed his way up to her throat. Then he rxed and let her do her thing, eyes locked on her beautiful face as she bobbed on his cock. ¡°God I deserve this,¡± he said, letting out a breath, and hopefully a few memories of being eaten and roasted by a dragon. Becky was working him in a steady rhythm now, focused on her goal as she swallowed at least two thirds of him over and over with locked on lips. Mason groaned at the sight and the feel, the reality of being pleasured by his beautiful cowgirl, who seemed in that moment to want nothing more than his cum in her mouth. But then with his ever improving Blessing of Gaia he knew it might actually be true. Not only did it apparently taste great, it had some kind of drug-like¡­magical effect that damn near overwhelmed the asional girl. It was weird. And definitely a bit unfair. But Mason wasn¡¯tining. At some point he no longer cared if the others came back. Or that the invisible ¡®ssassin¡¯ could be one hell of a creeper, if he was so inclined. Nothing was stopping this short of a robotic god. He reached the point of no return, the pressure building until he groaned with anticipation. He was using Becky¡¯s ponytail to guide her now, thrusting up as he fucked her mouth. She didn¡¯t resist in the slightest, eyes closed as she sucked and let him use her like a toy. He came hard and buried himself in Becky¡¯s throat, always training her to handle more of his cock. She gagged but did her best, soon swallowing with a moan as she squeezed his balls and milked him with her lips and tongue for every drop. Mason had no desire at all to move. He let her keep ying, keep sucking, letting his mind wander for a brief moment of bliss. When Becky finally came up she was licking her lips with zed eyes to sh him an adorable smile. Then she put him back in his fly and closed the button, giving his crotch a pat like she was telling it good job. Then shey her head back down in hisp like nothing happened, hugging his legs as she settled with a sleepy sigh. Mason leaned against the stone wall behind him, and did the same. * * * The other yers popped back into existence with the stink of arcane magic. Mason was most of the way asleep and had a w out before he was fully conscious, nearly tossing Becky off hisp. ¡°Easy, big fe!¡± Seamus said, then gave a twirl. He was wearing some kind of¡­wizard¡¯s robe that looked made out of shiny scales ¡°Look at me,¡± he announced with his arms wide. ¡°I¡¯m beautiful.¡± Phuong popped up next to him and shook his head, but was clearly too pleased to be anything but amused. Alex arrivedst. The son of a bitch was wearing what looked like¡­chainmail. Mason grinned. ¡°Survivability after all.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Alex said. ¡°In the end, you were right.¡± Becky and Carl were awake now. Becky just groaned and settled back into Mason¡¯sp, her hands a little too sneakily active forfort, a mischievous smile on her lips. Carl hopped up to inspect the others as he rubbed his hands together. ¡°Well? Full report, soldiers. What are the new toys?¡± Seamus gestured excitedly towards his robe and twirled again. ¡°I am far more handsome. And it boosts me spells. Especially the new one, which, I should probably try while we¡¯re still in a desert. With nothing around¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the ss called?¡± Carl asked, and the Irishman actually looked a little sheepish. ¡°Ehm. Apocalypse Mage. Not like I picked the name, did I? So don¡¯t go reading into things. Anyway. It¡¯s brilliant.¡± Mason and Carl exchanged a look, but Mason mostly agreed. Not that it made him feel any less uneasy. A dangerous, unpredictable rose by any other name¡­ ¡°Alright. Go try out your power.¡± He gestured towards a sand dune in the distance. ¡°Like way, way over there.¡± Seamus grinned and took off, and Phuong lifted a hand. His sword materialized, but this one looked a hell of a lot closer to Carl¡¯s than Mason¡¯s. Like it wasn¡¯t quite actually physical. ¡°I¡¯ve leveled to ten, and therefore gained two new sses, Patron. A secondary and a prestige. My prestige is Soul de. I guess the system got my message.¡± He walked over to the huge, stone pyramid, focused a moment, then easily pushed his sword straight into the stone. He pulled it out, then nced back at the other yers with a grin. ¡°Slightly terrifying,¡± Mason said. ¡°I better remember that for the next duel. What about you, Alex?¡± The Brusian shrugged like it didn¡¯t make much difference. ¡°Ten also. Two sses. Guardian, and¡­¡± here the man looked slightly awkward. ¡°Sacred Pir.¡± Mason raised a brow. Carl burst outughing. ¡°Oh shit, you¡¯re a cleric. Guess I should have known. Bless us, father, for we have sinned. Will you hear my¡­wait do you Orthodox types do confession?¡± Alex shifted his weight and nced at Carl with obvious annoyance. ¡°You not funny man.¡± ¡°Oh don¡¯t be like that. We¡¯re all alive.¡± Carl pped him on the shoulder and grinned. ¡°We¡¯re getting upgrades. We¡¯re¡­¡± Alex flicked off his hand and walked away, and the group went quiet in surprise. Phuong shook his head and gave Carl a scathing look. ¡°You Westerners. Just leave a man alone. You joke about everything.¡± Carl looked legitimately surprised, and put up his hands in defeat. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything.¡± He nced at Mason with a little shrug. ¡°I¡¯ll apologizeter. OK? No jokes about religion with Alex. Got it. Should we head back to town now? I assume the thing just sort of¡­¡± The dark sky lit with me, and the yers all stopped and stared at the dune in the distance. Seamus was whooping and shrieking with glee as some kind of fiery¡­napalm like spell descended¡­all around him. It hit the ground with a series of sizzles and explosions, then in a few moments everything was dark and quiet again. Seamus whooped onest time. ¡°That¡­is the veryst man on earth who should be able to do that,¡± Carl said, to a general nodding of heads. Mason sighed and stood, getting the teleporter with its summon power. ¡°Only men like him are willing. You all ready to head back?¡± The yers nodded, Streak leaping up from the ground with a happy growl and the sudden and overwhelming thought of his pack, and fresh food. Mason snorted and gave the wolf a scratch, trying to keep his mind from his women and all theplications sure to follow. For today, at least, they¡¯d won a great victory. And reaped the rewards. Whatever wasing next, they had to take a moment to enjoy sess. ¡°Here we go,¡± Mason said, when Seamus came back puffing with a shit eating grin. He activated the beacon, watching the distasteful arcane magic spin up and fill the thing with power. ¡°Well. Here you go.¡± It gave him the ¡®eligible¡¯ candidates in range, and he selected the entire group. It couldn¡¯t take all of them, so Mason would teleport them all back to Nassau, then follow with Wyrdwalking. The beacon red just as Becky gave him a wink. A secondter, the yers all vanished like smoke.
Chapter 320: Many ways to punish Chapter 320: Many ways to punish [Please select a primary ss upgrade.] Mason took a deep breath and scratched Streak¡¯s ears, feeling a familiar peace as he stood alone again beneath the stars. He¡¯d Wyrdwalk back to Nassau and all its problems soon enough. But first it was time to do his level. He clicked his blinking profile and checked out the options. The list was short, but obviously customized based on his powers and choices. [Dark Stalker. The wise predator hunts only when he is strongest. Teach your foes to fear the night. Archery and perception focus.] [Packmaster. The best hunters work in packs. This ranger need never fight alone. Melee and animal focus.] [Adaptive Hunter. Attack correctly, and you can kill anything. Exploit the weakness of your enemies. Versatile focus.] Mason let out a breath and stared. All three options sounded amazing. His entire ranger ss was now upgraded to tier 2, so he expected this would be also, which made it even more powerful and important. But after a few seconds he discounted Dark Stalker. A focus on night fighting had the same vulnerability as stealth. Sometimes you just didn¡¯t get to choose when and where you fought. His ¡®unnatural¡¯ penalties were already bad enough. He wasn¡¯t going topound the problem with more potential weaknesses. So it was between Packmaster and Adaptive Hunter. As usual, a few more fucking details would have been nice. The animal focus was definitely appealing, but at the end of the day Mason didn¡¯t want to rely too heavily onpanions, or really others at all. If he hadn¡¯t gotten his new innate bow, he might especially have picked Packmaster, because a lot of powerful foes seemed to have a counter to ranged weapons, so a heavier focus on melee might be wise. But the enemies had counters because ranged was so incredibly powerful. The fact that Mason was fast, durable, and had a bow he could summon and banish at will, with an unlimited supply of arrows¡­he just couldn¡¯t ignore the absolute ridiculousness of that. And maybe between Transformation and Duality of Strength he hardly needed to worry about much else when it came to melee. Maybe he could focus on other things. Or at the very least keep talking ¡®hybrid¡¯ abilities. With a final nce at the choices, Mason picked Adaptive Hunter. His ss changed on his profile, and several new messages scrolled. [Exploiting Strike. The wise hunter finds his prey''s weakness before he kills. A fast-charging, deceptively powerful ranged or melee attack that increases in effectiveness every use against the same target.] [Synergy discovered: Ranger''s Mark ===> Ranger''s Quarry. Increased information and disy of target''s vulnerabilities. Limited suggestive tactics. A new synergy was always wee. ¡®Limited suggestive tactics¡¯ definitely sounded interesting. Did that mean the system would help him strategize how to kill his target? He wasn''t sure he trusted that. OK, he knew he didn''t trust that. But he supposed it could say what it liked and he could just ignore it. The attack looked amazing. Though Mason was definitely noticing a theme. He''d gained yet another power that improved with time. He got stronger, faster, better, the more damage he took. And now the more he struck an enemy. He winced, though, knowing it made him less and less useful in a group battle that might be decided in only a few seconds. In a team setting, he was starting to run a very real risk of just getting warmed up when either the others had won the fight, or all died while Mason watched on, helpless to save them. He shivered with a strange feeling as he looked at his powers, his titles¡ªas he thought about the Nephi event and his experiences with the game so far. It was something Carl said: that roboGod was telling a story, maybe trying municate. And at the same time, Mason had thought, maybe asking for help. "Is this how it feels?" Mason said, looking up at the night sky. "Is this what your existence is? Powerful¡ªyet too weak to help others? Outliving everyone and everything?" Little hairs stood all over his body, but the feeling slowly died. Maybe his power ''theme'' was slow and built tost, but he was still an Elven Bow shooting, double-wed, shapeshifting killer with a giant wolf and magic powers. Sure, he got more powerful with time, but it wasn''t as if he was useless in a quick fight. He just had to learn to exploit his powers for everything they were worth. To go in first and hold the others back, to let him start building. Then when he was battered and nearly down, all his powers in full swing, they could swoop in and give him a minute to heal and get unstoppable. As the yers developed more and more ''thematically'' he knew the groupposition would matter more. He''d need to tailor his teams to suit him exactly¡ªwith either a lot of toughness like Becky, or the ability to hide or escape like Carl. yers who could handle themselves and get out to buy Mason the time he needed. But these were problems for another day. It was time to get back and figure out what to do with this Nexus. Probably to get it built into Nassau and see the ridiculous effect. Then he had three days to figure the shit out before munication beacons'' started and they probably found out if and where the other humans were. Oh, and to sort out his girls. And marry an elf. And sort out all the House bonuses and patron points and figure out what the fuck ke was up to over in the orc tower. Mason sighed. Streak growled and rammed into his side. "Yes, we''ll get some kind of wolf house. Yes it''ll have lots of meat. No I don''t know what kind of meat. A pool? Jesus Christ can we just...be out here in the desert without problems for another minute. Preferably in silence." Streak whine-growled and flopped down on his paws, and Mason put a hand on his head. He watched the very end of the sun as it dipped below the horizon, lighting the huge sky in clouded reds and oranges. "Alright," he said, looking back towards the temple. He wasn''t 100% sure this was going to work, but he figured the huge stone temple or maybe just the desert itself would count as an old and majestic enough natural phenomenon to let him Wyrdwalk. Worst case, they had a bit of a run to something that worked. "Hold on, buddy," he said, feeling the wolf''s anxiety flickering through their bond. "Don''t worry. I''ll get you through." He took a handful of fur and activated his power, worried for a moment it wasn''t working until he saw flickering green shadows beneath the empty sky. He let his vision fade without focusing, and more and more of the ''fey'' world began to materialize over the ''real'' world. Then with no more effort than ''walking'' (he was beginning to understand the name), he pulled Streak forward, and stepped into another world. * * * "It''s him!" a voice called from somewhere in the shadows of the fey. "Already hees again." "Arrogant human," another hissed. "It brings too much attention. It walks like a herd of elephants." Mason blinked and tried to get his bearings. He couldn''t see the speakers, or really much of anything. To his eyes he was in a dark, alien forest, the entire desert around him now little more than a puddle of sand. "If ites this way I will punish it." A hiss. A rattle. "He can probably hear you," whispered the other. "And the horned god has marked him. He isn''t to be¡­damaged." Another hiss. Angrier this time. "The child hears nothing. And damaged? Who said I would? There are many ways to punish." Mason grit his teeth as the things chittered andughed. He tried to ignore them, to hear the voices of the great trees. It wasn''t clear but a general direction was still obvious. He took a few tentative steps, feeling as if the world shed and changed around him like a puzzle. Each step took him what seemed like miles, the terrain shifting unnaturally, without obvious logic. "Oh he is very close," said the voice, excited now. "A few more steps and he''ll stand on a leyline. He doesn''t belong there, my friend, there are rules." "There are rules," said the other voice in agreement. "What rules?¡± Mason called, angry and fighting the concern, feeling Streak almost whimpering at his feet. ¡°Tell me and I won''t step on your stupid lines.¡± The voices died out entirely, their chittering gone with a breeze and a shing of shadows through the strange canopy above. "Course not," Mason said, his voice strange and deep to his ears. He stopped and closed his eyes, listening again for the songs of the trees. As before he began to hear them, even beginning to recognize the unique voices. The nymph''s tree was like a woman''s voice singing as she worked. A pleasant,forting sound that Mason sensed as the partial trickery it was. He knew if he wasn''t a druid the nymphs would be far more frightening creatures. That they baited other living things like venus fly traps. The tree of the north, Eve''s tree¡ªcalled as if just for him, beckoning, promising power and love and knowledge if he came to her and stayed. As always it was a tempting offer. But he waited to hear the tiny cry from the sapling tree in Nassau. It sounded like a child calling to its parent, its tiny voice often drowned out by the cacophony of life all around. But he heard it. With no idea if he was breaking the ''rules'', he stepped closer towards the voice. Then another. One more. He stopped to listen and assess again, feeling close to home but not quite there. He felt the power radiating ever further and deeper from the great forest. He felt it swelling beneath the earth and covering the trees like a mist full of magic and life. He grinned, expecting it was the result of saving all the great trees. Whatever the ''doom'' had been, Mason decided this forest was the opposite. It was life spreading ever further, maybe even pushing itself towards the desert to undo what was done centuries before. Mason went to take another step, then blinked as yellow eyes shed. Something had been watching him, and when he noticed it bolted through the trees. He stopped and stared, listening, sensing, as Streak growled and showed his teeth. "I see you," he whispered. "I don¡¯t want to fight you. But I won''t let you stop me. Or interfere with me." "Arrogant human," whispered the same chittering voice. "You missed the ley line. But just barely. And the horned god does not watch the fey. He cannot see you. He cannot help you. He will not know if I...teach you a lesson." Mason grit his teeth and formed a w, flipping through the list of his powers. "It might not go how you hope." "You wake things that should be left sleeping, druid child!¡± the voice hissed. ¡°You traipse through the godpaths, bringing that...animal. There are consequences. You must learn before you cause more harm." "You''re right," Mason called. "I don''t know what I''m doing. So teach me, damnit, then I won''t cause any ''harm''. I''m not your enemy." "Oh, I will teach you." Mason blinked and watched the trees, sweat beading on his brow. The air seemed to still, the endless sounds of the fey silencing as it froze like a single frame. "Achh," croaked the voice, as if surprised, and maybe pained. "Marked by the Mother and the Horned God? How? Pah!¡± It snorted and chittered like an angry beast. ¡°Go, then, immortal. Leave me in peace. Begone!" Mason roared and shed at nothing with his w, feeling some kind of hostile energy forming around him. But he couldn''t see or touch or fight it. "I promise I''ll find you,¡± he hissed. ¡°Stop now or I swear, I''ll..." The world made an audible pop, and Mason stumbled. He went three, four, five¡ªa dozen steps trying to keep his bnce, staggering like he was drunk. The fey world spun and lurched until he''d lost all sense of direction. Finally he tried dropping, knees hitting the ground and instantly stopping the world from spinning. He blinked and looked up, to see a very confused looking...elf? Sitting by a candle. The pointy eared man stared at Mason with an open mouth, a book falling out of one hand as he reached for something nearby. Mason moved first.
Chapter 321: City of Portals Chapter 321: City of Portals Mason had the skinny looking elf''s throat in his hand before it managed to grab whatever it was reaching for. His experience in the fey had him somewhere between frustrated, panicked, and enraged, and it took just about every scrap of will not to squeeze. He met the thing''s eyes, and they stared until Mason''s breathing slowed, his rational mind regaining control. "Where am I? And who are you?" The elf finally blinked, slowly softening his hand to pick up what looked like...eye sses. He lifted them slowly, as if not to disturb the wild animal before him, and ced them on his face. "Y-you..." the elf closed his eyes and tried to swallow, and Mason eased his grip. "Thank you. You''re in Sharisse. My name is Amit. I am one of the caretakers of the Common Library." Sharisse. Elves. Wasn''t that where Naya said she was from? Mason thought so but he wasn''t sure, and cursed himself for not paying more attention. He decided to assume yes. But why would some random fey creature send him here? "Could you possibly...I am unarmed, sir, and no threat to you. So if you don''t intend to..." "What? Oh." Mason let go of the elf''s throat and looked around. He appears to be standing in the middle of some kind of circle painted on a wooden floor. All around him were shelves of books, dimly lit in arge room with several floors above. A minute ago he''d expected ''horrible, fey trap of misery'', not ''some elf''s library.'' "Thank you," said the elf, rubbing his throat, looking intensely at Mason. "How did youe through this portal?" "I have no idea," Mason said. He saw little reason to doubt the elf or lie, and he sensed no danger or hostility nearby anywhere. He snapped. "I was in the fey, and something..." he blinked and spun, then realized: he was alone. "My wolf," he said, a spike of panic shooting through him. He reached out with his senses, his connection, with Speak with Nature. He felt his existence¡ªhe knew Streak was alive and unharmed. Somewhere. But that was all. His mental presence waspletely nk. "I had a wolf," he said, the urgency and violenceing back. "He was right with me. He should be here. Is there another portal? Some other kind of..." he shrugged helplessly, rational mind knowing some random elf wouldn''t have a damn clue what he was talking about. The bespectacled elf frowned. "It sounds like you encountered one of many fey tricksters. A satyr, maybe, or any number of the Unseelie." Mason wasn¡¯t much interested in hearing about bullshit worldbuilding. The man wouldn''t know anything or be useful. Streak was maybe lost in that terrible ce that seemed not to like him much. And he''d been terrified of it. Mason put a hand to his head and looked through his powers. He never should have taken the animal inside. Stupid. Stupid. He tried to activate Wyrdwalking, but it didn''t just fail. It wasn''t just on cooldown. It was entirely greyed out, as if it wasn''t even possible to use it here. "Why can''t I wyrdwalk?" he said. "I need to go back to the fey. Now." "I should like to help you do just that," said the elf, then licked his lips. "But I''m afraid¡­it''s not so simple. This ity is not technically in the fey, it¡¯s...hovering, somewhere between the fey and the material ne. It''s actually a very interesting nar story. When the original elves of the East came to this continent, their wizards..." Mason grabbed the elf by his shirt and lifted him a good three feet. "Help me get my friend, or tell me who can. Or I have no use for you." The elf held out trembling hands, licking his lips as he seemed toprehend he was in more danger than he''d realized. Not that Mason intended to really hurt him. Though the chances of tossing him across the room in anger were decently high. "The council...they can help you. But we''ll have to go to them. They''re in sceance¡­that is, in a retreat, it''s not far...but there''s many warriors. It would be much easier if...you will need my help. I..." Mason put the elf down and sighed. "I''m not going to hurt you." He cursed and shook his head. "God damnit I was just trying to get home. I have so much to do." The elf seemed to really look at Mason for the first time, and his eyes zed. Then he pulled back in something like shock as he stared. "Y-you...you''re...an elf lord? There are elves sworn in service to you?" Mason shrugged, and the librarian''s shoulders slumped. "You are the human. The one betrothed to Baroness Anshan," he said, as if he''d understood something he didn''t much enjoy. Mason said nothing, and the man shook his head. "It was an Unseelie you met," he said with a sigh. When Mason still said nothing, the elf licked his lips and exined. "The Unseelie are¡­dark fey, at least to us. They do not worship the fey gods, or any gods, at least none that we know of. Their magic is as cruel and twisted as their bodies. And they do not choose a ce to send their targets with teleportation, as we might. With the Unseelie it¡¯s more like¡­ a feeling, or an idea. Like ''childhood home'', or ''ce they''re most afraid of''. It''s likely why you and your...friend, did not arrive at the same location." Mason pinched his nose, knowing he needed to try and understand to find Streak. "And what category do you think would havended me here?" The librarian pursed his lips as if in constion. "I don''t know, human. But ''most unfortunate'' would not be far off. You will not be wee, I''m afraid." Mason nodded, thinking about the little Naya told him about her people and their reaction to the proposal. "Great," he said, wondering what the worst possible ce for Streak might have been. "Just great." * * * Amit the elven librarian led Mason to a smaller room in the library, and pulled some clothes out of a chest. "Wear this," he said, "and pull the hood over your head. You will be looked at as strange, but there are some nomads yet who travel in the old ways and with ancient garb." Mason took the cloak and pants and put them on without protest. The pants were too short, but Amit found Mason some high boots that covered the distance. His feet were too big, but he managed to squeeze them inside. "Why are you helping me?" Mason said. "I told you I wouldn''t hurt you." Amit stopped and frowned, his jaw clenching slightly before he seemed to make a decision. "House Anshan is old and honorable. Their lord was a good man, and he served this city as much or more than any. He was owed much by many." Here he shook his head and spoke softly. "Perhaps his faith made him a fool, in the end. But to have his house and line banished...¡± The elf shook his head. ¡°The council went too far." "And what will happen to you if you''re caught helping me, Amit?" The librarian snorted, then seemed to actually consider this and swallowed. "I''m meaningless enough." He grinned a little and met Mason''s eyes. "Anyway. I''ll just tell them you said you''d kill me." Mason matched the grin and held out his hand. "Name''s Mason. And I''m sorry. About the throat. And the shirt." The elf mostly stared at Mason''s hand before touching his fingers to his temple the same way the others had when they entered Nassau. "You also almost ruined my pants. But apology epted." Mason¡¯s grin turned into a smile. After they''d both changed slightly, Amit was taking a series of deep breaths and looked considerably less sure of himself when they reached the door. "What else should I bring?" he muttered to himself, then made a sound like ''oh!'' and ran back to collect something out of a cab. "We''ll need tokens. And a bit of money, maybe. Oh bother." He looked at Mason a little sheepishly. "I don''t do this sort of thing very often." "Smuggle humans into secret council meetings?" "No." Amit snorted. "Well, that too. But I mean travel the city. Or leave the library, for that matter. Sharisse is a bitplicated." With that he made another ''oh'' sound and wrote a note, leaving it on a table next to the door. "Alright," he said, with a final breath, handing Mason a round piece of wood covered in symbols. "Don''t lose that. But it should work. I don''t think humans should be any...well, we''ll have to just try. Are you ready?" "Uh." Mason held the token and shrugged. "Yes?" "Here we go." The librarian put a hand on the door about the same moment Mason realized it didn''t have a handle. He grabbed Mason with the other hand, and the familiar feeling of dungeon travel moved over him even before he saw the text. [Entering Secret nar Dungeon: Sharisse.] [Title gained: Traveler to the City of Portals. +2 intellect ] Then Mason and Amit were standing on a circr tform covered in a translucent sort of shield. It felt like being inside a giant bubble. Literally all around them were what looked like circr mirrors, all surrounded by symbols Mason couldn''t read. "Well. At least that worked. Now I just need to remember...ah yes. This way. Come along." Amit walked up to a mirror that looked the same as all the others, and again reached for Mason''s hand. He mostly just stared in wonder at the ce. "Oh. Yes. I suppose you''d be confused. This is a kind of...travel center. Do you have, um...well, I''m afraid I don''t know anything about humans. Anyway, we call them Waygates. Much easier to make permanent locations when ites to teleportation, you see. "Uh huh," Mason muttered, taking the elf''s wrist. Then the ''waygate'' vanished just as quick, and the world got darker, the air moist and warm. Suddenly they were standing in a small room that looked like it belonged in some forest cabin, the walls made of beautiful, interlocking logs. "Thank Luna, we''re alone. But don''t remove your hood. I''ll need to find out where the council is, and then we''ll...frankly I don''t know what we''ll do...but..." "Amit," Mason said, nostrils ring before he turned around. "Wait, this is important. Once I''ve found the council, I''ll..." As Mason stared at the naked, submerged elf sitting in arge, wooden tub, she cleared her throat. Amit cringed and turned. Two other tubs were fortunately empty, with just the single, female elf staring at them with surprising calm. "Hello, Amit," said the maybe thirty-ish looking woman, her dark, wet hair spilling over the side of the tub. She raised one hand to drink from a wooden cup. "You were saying? You would find the council, and then...?" "Blessings, Councilwoman," said Amit, his face turning a color of red usually found in birds. "I fear I...may have...input the wrong...might I introduce my...this is..." "Naya''s mother," Mason said, practically looking at the spitting image of his betrothed. He pulled back his hood and sighed. "I''m sorry she didn''t tell me your name. I''m the human who''s supposed to marry your daughter. Which I expect you''re not very happy about. But I need your help."
Chapter 322: Mother in law Chapter 322: Mother inw Naya''s mother didn''t even flinch. She just stared at Mason and then Amit with cold assessment, as if this sort of thing happened all the time. Amit looked like he was having trouble breathing, his whole frame withering beneath her gaze. "Oh," Mason added, putting a hand on the poor librarian¡¯s shoulder. "And I told Amit here if he didn''t help I''d cut him into pieces. So it''s not his fault." The man nodded, a little too enthusiastically. Mason did his best not to groan. "Leave us," said the elven councilwoman, her eyes locked on Mason''s. Amit nced at Mason with mouth agape, then put a finger to his chest. "Yes," Mason sighed. "She means you can go." Amit let out an embarrassingly deep breath, making several gestures with his fingers to his temple and forehead before basically backing into the portal. "I''ll wait, um, back in the library...if you...that is, if the councilwoman thinks..." he vanished before he finished the thought, leaving Mason alone with the naked woman in the tub. He was a bit off bnce. He''de in ready for some kind of verbal and possibly physical confrontation, until the council decided to either help him, or try to kill him. He also understood these people were somewhat...conservative. That the women in particr cared about modesty. Yet here he was with a woman who seemedpletely unbothered by his presence, not remotely hostile, or afraid. Or really anything. "Were you there?" she asked, after a rather ufortable length of time. "Was I where?" Mason asked. "In whatever shit hole ce my son and husband died." Mason still wasn''t sure what he was dealing with. She stared at him like a wolf stared at a rabbit. Which was not at all a familiar way for Mason to be stared at. Was she a grieving widow past caring about social niceties? A heartless bitch who just said or did whatever she liked? "No," Mason said. "I was toote. But I saved your daughter, and most of her people." "How convenient," the woman said without missing a beat. "The noblemen dead. The princess at your mercy." Mason let out a breath, not sure how he''d suddenly entered an interrogation. "Convenient is not a word that describes my life. I didn''t know your people existed until I was saving them. And I didn''te here to meet the inws. Something...attacked me, in the fey. I need help getting back to the...material ne, I think you call it. That''s all I want." Naya''s mother stared into Mason''s eyes with such intensity he almost looked away. Then she shrugged, as if she either believed him or didn''t care. She came forward to the edge of the tub, then stood. Her body proved every theory Mason had about Naya''s. Though her mother was softer, more pale, and with none of the muscle Naya had in her limbs. It seemed the House of Anshan were more dark skinned, the mother¡¯splexion closer to Mediterranean. And it was hard to believe she was Naya''s mother. She looked no more than thirty to Mason''s eyes. Just as beautiful. No sign whatsoever she''d ever given birth. "Have you slept with my daughter yet?" she asked, stepping out from the tub and lifting a nearby towel to dry her hair. She made no move at all to cover herself. Mason did his best to bring his eyes back up. "Where I''m from, ma¡¯am, that wouldn''t be any of your business." The elven woman raised a plucked brow. "Well, where I''m from, human, there is no marriage until it''s been consummated. So is it, or isn''t it?" Mason clenched his jaw. "We aren''t married yet.¡± Naya¡¯s motherughed and squeezed some water from her hair. "What a careful answer. But it will do." Her eyes drifted up and down Mason from head to toe. "She must see something I don''t. But then she always was good at spotting potential. Would you...like to have me? Here? Now? I think I might enjoy the novelty of a human. And here I was just wishing I had someone in my bath..." Mason blinked, not quite sure he''d heard that right. At least until one of the elf''s hands drifted across her breast. He hadn''t had a woman in several days, and just the sight of one brought his endless, phase two enhanced libido raging to his attention. But even for his new, rather loose standards, this seemed all kinds of wrong. "That would be a very bad idea." "Would it?" The woman shrugged,ing forward as she tossed back her hair. "I''m a widow. You''re as yet unmarried. Who''s to know, who¡¯s to care?" "Oh.¡± Mason tried picturing how that conversation might go. ¡°I think my future bride might care." Lady Anshan''s pretty face turned slightly nastier. "Well. You''re about to ask the council for help. And I assure you, they aren''t going to be receptive. Give me what I want, and I''ll do what I can. I make no guarantees, of course, but a friendly voice would be far better than none at all. Otherwise..." She shrugged, eyes still roaming Mason¡¯s body. But if she thought this was the way to get what she wanted, she was definitely wrong. "I don''t take well to ckmail.¡± "ckmail? I merely tell you facts, and offer a choice. And would it really be so terrible?" Naya¡¯s mother starteding forward, taking careful steps towards Mason as she dropped the towel to the floor. "It''s been quite some time for me. I don''t know how human men couple, but, I can be quite amodating." Mason just about turned and ran. It seemed the safest choice. Somewhere out there Cerebus was watching him, whispering to take whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted¡ªto live like a king without shame, to have the mother, the daughter, to have it all. But this was too much. Even for him. He caught the woman''s hand when she tried to touch his chest. He could smell her now, the soap, something likevender, her hair and skin... "You''re angry with your daughter," he said. "I understand. But I''m not going to help you hurt her." The elf met his eyes, holding what he believed was a kind of facade for a few more seconds before it broke. Her dark eyes blinked, then she spun away and lifted her towel, wrapping herself before she leaned on the tub with a kind of broken sob. Mason just waited. "I''ve lost everything," she said eventually, staring at the wall. "They''ll remove me from the council soon. My presence already embarrasses them. A living reminder of a fallen house. An open wound in female form. They''ve stripped my husband''snd. So far no one hase, but sooner orter they will make me leave my estate. I have nowhere to go, except crawling back to my father''s house." "I''m sorry," Mason said, already regretting the words about to leave his mouth. "But you could join your daughter. We have a safe ce. Your husband''s people are there. I''m sure Naya would be happy to see you." The elf looked at Mason, then away. "It''s not possible," she said, as if out of reflex more than anything. Mason took a few steps toward her until she met his eyes. "I''m sure that''s what they said to your husband. And to your daughter. But they''ve already won. They survived. They''re safe. And I''m pretty sure even old Dariya believes your people might be able to have children in our settlement. We don''t know yet for sure, but my intuition says yes. Call it druid instincts." The woman''s eyes went wide at this. "They¡­they told you..." "They told me enough. So now you have a choice. Help me. Come with me and take a chance. Or stay here and..." Mason waved at the sauna-like room. "Do this. At least until that council of yours buries you away somewhere. And then live in shame for...pretty much eternity, I guess. So choose." The elf shook her head and stared, a small smile eventually tugging at the corners of her lips. "I think I''m beginning to see what Naya sees in you, after all. You''re blunt almost beyond tolerance. But in truth I am not so different. When circumstance allows." She nced at her body wrapped in the towel and cringed slightly. "You won''t...I mean...if we were to return..." "I won''t tell Naya," Mason said. The woman smiled a little, and she touched her fingers to her temple and forehead in the increasingly familiar gesture. "I realize I didn¡¯t introduce myself. My name is Ayet. Shall I call you druid? Baron? Perhaps son inw?" She and Mason made what was probably a simr grimace, and Ayet raised her brow and looked away. "Perhaps I''ll just call you Mason. If that would be eptable." "Sounds good to me. Now I''m in a hurry. My friend is probably in trouble. And I really need to get back to my people. So I''m hoping you have a better n than I do for getting your council to teleport me." "What is your current n?" Ayet said, using the towel to hide herself as she pulled on underwear hanging on a nearby shelf. "Ask nicely.¡± Mason shrugged. ¡°If that doesn''t work, threaten property damage so terrible they''d be better off getting rid of me." "Oh dear." Ayet dressed herself with a more familiar, modest series of silk-likeyers with impressive speed. When she was finished she took a deep breath and covered her hair with a scarf, too. After just seeing herpletely naked, Mason had to admit the clothes actually kind of enhanced the attractiveness. It was like her body was some secret only he knew. He was forced to cut the thought off before his libido took another stab at oveing reason. "Asking nicely rarely works," Ayet said with a sigh, ncing in a nearby mirror as she straightened her scarf and slipped in some stray hair. "Your second n, while...unconventional, just might work." She frowned and turned to him. "But I don''t think it''s wise to tell them who you are. Your bluntness...can you...ovee it?" "Uh. Probably?¡± Mason nced back and forth. ¡°Maybe you should be more specific." Ayet blinked, her skin a little flushed. Their conspiring and potential mischief seemed to be bringing her more and more to life before his eyes. The effect was¡­not unappealing. Finally she wiggled her eyebrows and grinned. "What I mean is, can you lie?"
Chapter 323: Sorry Chapter 323: Sorry Mason was¡­not a great liar. Or so ke had told him many times. "You have to believe it, brother," he''d instructed after a particrly egregious fuck up he needed Mason to cover for. "Think of it as a story, a new narrative that is equally true. Or, you know, a story that certainly could be true." He hadn''t known what the hell his brother was talking about then, and he didn''t know what Ayet was talking about now. How could you believe your own lie when you knew it was a lie? Mostly he just tried to keep a straight face and say it the same way he''d say the truth. "No, I don''t know what happened to the car, Dad. No, I don''t know where ke wasst night." Neutral face. Show no weakness or fear. That was the Mason method of lying. "OK," said Ayet, wincing slightly as they rehearsed his story. It was the third time she''d had him repeat it, which was something along the lines of ''leader of a Cerebus ranger cult, here to strong-arm the elves to give him ess to their fey portal''. "We keep it as close to the truth as possible, yes? Say you were sent here by the Unseelie. Now you want the elves to take you to a specific location, or you''ll reveal the location of the elven city." Mason shook his head. "And they won''t just kill me why again?" "The council is weak." Ayet shrugged. ¡°Not in magic power, but they aren''t warriors. Hardly any of them even know how to kill. We came to this ce to hide away from the world so we didn''t have to fight." Mason took a deep breath and let it out. Another reason he wasn''t much of a liar¡ªhe just didn''t like it. It seemed to him a man didn''t have much but his word, and he shouldn''t go around dragging it through the mud unless there was a damn good reason. But he reminded himself that Streak needed his help, and that Ayet knew these people a lot better than he did. "Alright," he said, repeating the story details one more time. He was to avoid using his name because apparently the elves had spells that worked on information. He wasn''t to reveal anything about himself at all, or they might be able to ''scry'' all kinds of things about him. He also only needed the council to open a portal, which was the difficult part. Ayet was able to shape it to take them where they wished. Something to do with her ss. When she finally decided he was ready, she gave him a once over with her eyes, getting a hard to read look. "You human men are certainly...big," she muttered,ing forward to maybe...yep, squeeze his bicep. "So different than our people." Mason took another deep breath. "We''re not all like this. I was considered big before..." Mason caught himself before he said ''before roboGod gave me superpowers'', "...I''ve gotten bigger with time," he finished, rathermely. "I imagine," Ayet said, still touching him. She flicked her eyes up to his briefly before letting go. "Alright. Follow me. The council members are all together, but this isn''t business. They''ll be rxed. At ease. Hopefully caught off guard. And you remember not to..." "Don''t insult or threaten the elf with the white robe, got it," Mason said. Apparently that was the head priest, who was hot-headed (at least by elven standards), which made sense since he''d banished an entire noble house after Naya angered him. Mason forced down his own reaction to the thought. He wasn''t here to defend or get revenge for his future wife. He was certain it wouldn''t work, and pretty sure she wouldn''t want him to do it anyway. He followed Ayet through the beautiful wooden structure, doing his best not to watch the sway of her hips and wonder what her ass would have looked like in the sauna room if she¡¯d turned around¡­ Jesus he needed to getid. She took him through several empty rooms until he could heard the sounds of running water and quiet voices. All the other council members were men, which is why Ayet had been on her own. It seemed a bit strange to Mason that a culture like this would even have a woman on the ruling council, but he didn''t care enough to question it long. They stopped at the curtain-like shutters covering the door, and Ayet stopped and turned. ''Ready?'' she mouthed, and Mason nodded. He summoned a w, and despite being ready for it, the elven woman still flinched and stared at the short, green de. Mason gestured her forward, and she pushed through the curtains. "My lords!" she called, her hands raised, an impressive mask of terror suddenly on her face. "I''m sorry...I don''t know where he came from. He says he''s..." "Shut up," Mason said, his tone neutral. He was going to let Ayet take a few steps away to face him, but instinct made him change his mind. These people were weak, she said. Not ustomed to violence. And no matter how good an actress Ayet thought she was, a little surprise always helped. Mason grabbed her by the throat and pulled her back, putting the de against her side. She gasped and froze in his arm, and he immediately decided to throw away all her exnations, too. A man of violence didn''t exin himself like an elf. And Mason may not have understood lying, but he knew all about men of violence. "I want a portal. To wherever I tell you. I know you elves can do that. Do it, or you won''t like what happens next." The male elves were simrly bathing or sitting around something like steam vents. The air was hot and misty, but the faces of the council were obviously shocked. One or two even smirked a little and nced at the others, as if they thought maybe this were some kind of joke, or entertainment. None said a word. Mason growled and kicked a rock from a nearby pile, charging it with the weakest exploding trap he could manage and aiming away from everyone. It sailed more or less where he''d intended, exploding with a sh of fire and shrapnel. One or two pieces hit the wooden tubs, but luckily none of the upants. It had the desired effect. Council members shrieked and pulled away, sshing water everywhere as they gasped and called out in fear. "Who are you?" one of them called. Mason''s pulse was moving quick now. He''dpletely improvised and changed Ayet''s n, but he''d realized pretty much the moment he walked in her n was bad. This needed to be done like violence¡ªquick and brutal. "I didn''t ask for questions. Do what you need to and get a portal open. Right now. Yourdy friend here already has the location I gave her. She''ll do the rest." "We...need a moment," said one of the elves, blinking over and over as he ran a hand through his hair and looked towards his robe. "The process takes time. We can''t just do it instantly." That was a lie. Ayet had already told Mason how it worked. The council leader in particr could open a portal in seconds. It just cost him quite a bit of mana, which regenerated very slowly here in the elven city, apparently. So he didn''t like doing it. Mason also expected at least a few of these people had innate weapons or other arcane tools. He needed them to obey before they startedmunicating, before they got any ideas. "The next time you lie to me, there''s blood on the floor," Mason growled. "The council leader. Open a portal. Do it now. I know you can. Please don''t test me." One of the silent elves sat up in his tub, jaw clenching as he looked between Mason and Ayet''s eyes. "I''ll do as you ask," he said in a low voice. "But whoever you are, know that if you harm her, we''ll look for you. I don''t know how you got in here or how you know so much. But we are not your personal transporters. And I am not amused." Mason just waited. The grey-haired elven wizard eventually rose half out of the tub and weaved a pattern with his hand. Arcane and natural power filled the air with light, and Mason knew the man was channeling. He met the eyes of the others one by one to make sure they knew he was watching, then in a few seconds a swirling green portal opened between Mason and the tubs. "Go, then," said the wizard with obvious disgust. "But if I see you again, human, things will be far less pleasant." Mason definitely didn''t like the look in the man''s eye. He wasn''t sure exactly how Ayet directed the portal, but he moved her forward until they were in reaching distance before he stopped and gave her a little shrug. Her eyes zed, and she raised a hand towards the portal, then returned the nod. "Now let her go," said the wizard, and Mason gave Ayet another moment to look into his eyes and tell him yes or no. She''d said she wished toe, but he knew things might change when the moment arrived. She flicked her gaze towards him, but her face didn''t change. She made no indication that she''d changed her mind or wished to do anything but what they''d discussed. Mason looked at the elven high wizard again, wincing slightly at knowing this man may very well try and hunt him down. If so, he hoped his own elves could calm him before shit hit the fan. "Sorry," he said. Then with a quick plunging jump, and the sound of the council calling out in protest filling his ears, he grabbed Ayet around the waist and dove into the portal.
Chapter 324: The Beastmaster Chapter 324: The Beastmaster Mason only had a moment to react. He materialized at least thirty feet in the air with Ayet in his arms, and dropped. She shrieked. He swore. He knew he''d be perfectly fine, of course, though an animal, instinctual fear still shot through him. Ayet, on the other hand¡­ He reached for the closest rafter but missed, the beam a good foot too far away to reach. Then they were dropping in open air and he couldn''t think of a God damn thing he could do about it. He was about to smash his future bride''s mother into the training floor hall. Blue light shed and sort of pulled Ayet away from Mason''s hands. He hit the ground hard and not particrly well, all his attention on trying to help Ayetnd mostly on him and then hopefully roll. He hit feet first, at least, falling backwards and mostly mming his ass into the ground before rolling to his back. Ayetnd on top of him, and just...stopped. She was surrounded in a blue shield, staring at him with no less terror in her eyes. But she seemed perfectly fine. Mason groaned and put his head back. "Ya''ll OK?" Becky''s tone was not thrilled. "Y-yes. I''m..." Ayet stood and looked at herself with wonder. "I''m fine. Thank you¡­how did you do that, Mason? Was that you? Who saved me?" "That was me. But don''t mention it." Becky red at Mason with a lot more hostility than he''d have preferred. "I''m OK, too, thanks," he said from the ground. "Ain¡¯t nobody asked you." Becky turned for the door as Mason jumped to his feet. "It was implied!" he called after her. "You said ¡®ya''ll¡¯, which is plural. And I assume you''ll eventually tell me what I did to piss you off." "You''ll figure it out!" Becky mmed the training hall door, leaving Mason to let out a deep sigh and nce at the several other (all male) yers. They were all standing around smirking at him. "Oh fuck off. Like you don''t have woman problems." He noticed Tommaso and Garet and stuck out a hand with two fingers in their direction. "Wee home, Patron," Phuong said as he approached, wiping a little sweat from his brow and wearing a much friendlier smile. "I''m afraid news of your...imminent wedding has be public knowledge. Miss Reba hasn''t handled the news particrly well." Here the older man nced at Ayet and bowed. "And who might this be?" Mason winced. "Ayet. The bride''s mother." Phuong blinked as his eyes widened. "That''s...hard to believe. Forgive me, I''m not used to how long the beauty of elven womensts." Phuong seemed to realize what he''d said and actually blushed. "Er, that is, I mean to say..." Ayetughed, apparently recovered from the terror of the fall. "Thank you for thepliment. I think. But I..." she nced around at the many staring human men and seemed not to like the attention. She covered her face slightly with her scarf. "I would like to see my daughter now." "Right." Mason tried not to imagine Streak suffering somewhere, keeping his eye now almost constantly on the wolf''s profile to make sure he was alive. "I''ll take you. Then I need help finding my friend. I don''t even know..." he shook his head. "I''m babbling. Let''s go." It seemed everyone around him sensed the mood change, and the smiles dropped. He led Ayet out of the training hall, then realized half way that all the yers had just silently followed in his wake. They didn''t know what was going on, obviously, but their presence was a clear show of...support. Like whatever he needed, they were ready. It felt good, even if the situation wasn''t. Mason knocked on the guest house he assumed Naya still shared with Dariya (and probably others), and the door soon opened to reveal one of many upsettingly attractive young elven women whose name Mason didn''t know. "My lord...wee." The elf bowed and diverted her gaze, but her eyes soon shot back up as she noticed Ayet. "Mydy! How..." the girl''s eyes gained a little moisture, and the former councilwoman smiled and touched her temple. "You look healthy, La. The air here must be doing you good. I''m very pleased to see you alive." "Thank you, mydy." The girl looked between Mason and Ayet with a little panic and turned away, calling for Naya. La seemed to realize she hadn''t invited them in and panicked as she gestured. "I can''t stay," Mason said, afraid to get sucked into social niceties he didn''t have the patience for on a good day. "I''ve lost my..." "Mason!" Naya came running from across the room, enough of her face uncovered to show a radiant smile. "The others said you''d seeded at some grand thing, and that you''d being. I was so worried, though they all said I shouldn''t. It''s just there''s nothing for me to do, and..." Naya froze when her mother stepped into the house. She covered her mouth with a hand, and she looked between them like it might be a trick. "Mother?" "Hello, child." Ayet took a deep breath as she inspected her daughter. Then her head tilted, and she clearly fought trembling lips as she eventually held out her arms. Naya ran to her, and the women embraced. Soon enough there were other elven women sprouting from the woodwork, and probably other houses, and pretty soon Mason (with a handful of yers awkwardly behind him), were all standing around watching a bunch of almost other-worldly beautiful women with long ears and silk clothes hug and weep. "Is it bad I''m turned on?" whispered Tommaso. Mason turned with a slow, cautionary stare. Garet punched the man in the shoulder. "Ow! Your mother. OK, OK. Still. I can''t be the only one." "Some of us don''t always say every word we think," Phuong hissed, and the Italian put up his hands. "I don''t have time for this." Mason sighed, running a hand through his now short hair. He considered just slipping away, but with so many yers following him there was no chance of being subtle. After some quiet words between Naya and her mother, his bride-to-be eventually let go and came to Mason. "I have so many questions, and so much to tell you..." she stopped and looked into his eyes. "What''s wrong?" "I lost Streak," he said, fighting the emotion at the words. "I don''t know where he is, or even how to find him. So I need..." he shrugged. "I need everyone. Ideas. I don''t know yet." Naya nodded, her face transforming to something closer to the one he''d seen when they first met¡ªthe warrior princess struggling for her people''s lives. She turned and called a few names, and some of the women bowed and approached. "Our lord has lost his animalpanion. Mason, this is Kitya, she is a Beast Trainer. Or...she was, in Sharisse." The tall, dark skinned elf nodded, looking at Mason with an almost cautious expression. "Lord...your animal...is he...bound to you? Through¡­natural magic?" "No, he''s..." Mason shrugged, hating this God damn game and all its rules and terms and fantasy nonsense. But for Streak he had to pay attention. How exactly was Streak ''bound'' to him? It was through his Ranger ss, wasn''t it? It took him a minute to remember Cerebus and the challenge in some goblin dungeon¡ªvanishing through a ¡®totem¡¯ to fight for Streak. He¡¯d gained an ¡®Essence of the Wolf¡¯, and the ability to bond animals. ¡°I bond animals through animal essences,¡± he exined to the elf. ¡°I have a wolf essence, though I think it just makes it easier to bond with wolves.¡± He put hand through his hair in frustration. ¡°Hell I don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s a druid thing or a ranger thing or a nature affinity thing.¡± Mason realized the elf didn¡¯t speak ¡®system¡¯ and that he probably no sense. She¡¯d have different words full of cultural yoohoo, but he didn¡¯t know how else to say it. Kitya frowned, obviously a bit confused. She looked at Naya as if for approval, and his bride-to-be nodded. "Have you tried¡­just summoning him to you, my lord?" "No. I can''t...I mean, I have no idea how to do that, or what you''re talking about," Mason fought down the anger at his own ignorance. Kitya shifted her weight and held out a hand. She whispered something inaudible, and a...squirrel, materialized out of thin air. Right into the palm of her hand. "This is Hasufel." Kitya smiled. "I found him ying in the trees and bound him to me because I liked his spirit. As a ranger or druid, your powers with your bound creatures should far surpass mine. You should be able to call him from anywhere on the material ne. If he''s on it." "I don''t know how," Mason said. "Can you teach me?" Kitya blinked. "Of course, lord." She stepped forward and put a hand on Mason''s temple, then closed her eyes. Her fingers glowed with a pale white light, and for a moment Mason didn''t feel anything or sense any kind of effect. Then his beast profile shed, and he watched words forming under Streak''s power list. [Hidden ss power discovered: Call Beast. Summon any bound animal to your side. Only one animal may currently be actively bound.] [Hidden ss power discovered: Dismiss Beast. Return your bound animal to its chosenir.] Mason stared, then his head buzzed like he¡¯de from a rock concert. A dull pain surged through him, but on the Mason scale of suffering it was about a two. He was filled with questions about the powers and how the hell Kitya had just given them to him, and what else she could do. But all that could wait. He clicked Call Beast without hesitation, not really expecting much. The power shed. It worked. Or at least it did something. Mason realized Streak might still be in ''the fey'', and that the power may not actually... Hunger struck Mason like a punch in the gut. Followed quickly by boredom, loneliness, confusion, and the image of a rocky in without anything interesting to eat, or really smell, unless maybe he just crossed that rise over there and took a good long look for... Streak howled into existence in the middle of the room. Elves panicked and fled in every direction as Mason dropped to a knee. The wolf turned and leapt straight at him, ramming his nose into Mason''s face and jumping up into his arms with a happy growl. "Oh you big, weird smelling bastard." Mason gripped the wolf and started scratching, relief flooding through him. He got a brief series of mental images telling him what he''d missed: mostly boring wandering, and a swim in the most stagnant looking pool he''d ever seen. "That exins the smell," he muttered. "Wait why would you even...nevermind. It''s just good to see you, buddy." The wolf had shockingly little interest in learning what had happened. His memory of their time apart popped like a bubble, and he stuck out his tongue and panted with basically nothing in his mind besides hunger. "Yes, Streak," Mason said, smiling at Naya and some of the elves and yers, giving Kitya''s hand a squeeze in thanks. "Now we can go eat."
Chapter 325: The King Chapter 325: The King After sending Streak back to his pack, thanking and ''dismissing'' his yers, and saying another round of thanks and goodbye to the elves, Mason was ready to go home to his girls. Mostly. Naya stopped him at the door, saying they needed to discuss the wedding and that everything was basically prepared. "Haley and I worked out the details," she exined, smiling a little. "She cooked for me. Which¡­didn¡¯t go so well. But then we tried again, just the two of us, and had a wonderful walk. We''re getting along, you''ll be d to hear. I think we understand each other, and shouldn''t disrupt your house when we begin married life." Mason nod-shrugged, very ready to escape, and maybe just be alone awhile. The thought of some grand ceremony and managing all his girls'' emotions was suddenly almost more trouble than it was worth. He grit his teeth, reminding himself this wasn''t a God damn reality tv show. All their lives hung in the bnce and maybe all his women problems were too much distraction. "Is something wrong?" Naya asked, stepping out and closing the door behind her. Mason met her eyes and shrugged again, not sure how to articte all the pressure he felt. The Nexus figurine was burning a hole in his pocket. God only knew how things were about to change when he activated it¡ªhow many people or settlements were going to suddenly exist, and apparently know who Mason was. Plus Naya wasn''t even human. She wasn''t ''ying'' the game¡ªshe was a creation of the game. How could Mason exin that this alien creature had obliterated everything mankind once knew? That it had kidnapped them, butchered them, toyed with them. That even now there were lights blinking in front of his eyes in some kind of permanent HUD a machine-god built into his brain? "There''s so much happening. I''m having trouble keeping up," he finally said. Naya smiled. She came forward and put her hands on his chest. "Do you want to know why Haley and I e to an understanding?" Mason shrug-nodded again and the beautiful elf grinned. "We both feared the other would be a rival. That in the future the other might fear for her children and do something...rash. That when you were out building your kingdom, or protecting your kind, we might turn on each other out of fear." Mason knew a little about the history of kings and their wives and harems. This definitely wasn''t a ridiculous concern. But he didn''t see why she''d be smiling about it. "I''m not afraid anymore because..." Naya shrugged. "Because Haley and I both agree on what a wife is. That...if you fail, we fail. I believe your concubine wants only the best for you. That she has already sworn her fate to yours. That she would die to protect you. She is, in other words, already your wife." Mason nodded, because of course she was. He didn¡¯t bother correcting the ¡®concubine¡¯ thing because it wasn¡¯t exactly far off. And he didn''t need some priest or word or scrap of paper telling him what was what. "Which...is why..." Naya looked down and seemed suddenly nervous. "She and I...we thought...we might have our own...private ceremony. Where we both...where we were equals...not first, or second. Or wife and concubine. The rest..." she shrugged. "The wedding. The titles. It''s just...ceremony. It''s just for others." Mason nodded, starting to understand, and feel a bit more rxed. Somehow Haley had figured it out in his absence. She''d give Naya the formality she needed, and give Mason the reality he needed. Becky and Rosa wouldn''t be happy with Naya''s magical appearance and ce in their beds or home. But they''d get over it. Or they wouldn¡¯t. Mason didn''t have time or energy for drama. "OK," he said, taking one of Naya''s hands and giving it a squeeze. "Thanks for...adapting," he said. "We have some settlement work to do. So I''ll be here awhile. At least I hope. And we can sort out the wedding and living situation and..." he shrugged. "All of it." Naya nodded but still looked slightly shy. "What is it?" Mason asked. Naya moved even closer, practically pressing herself against him. "Haley thought...the moment you arrived...she thought we shouldn''t wait. That we should...that we three need to be together. And strong. Of one mind. That the rest would follow." "Where is she?" Mason raised an eyebrow, his mind focusing now on the warmth and softness of the elf''s chest pressing against him. The nervousness in her eyes. "In the hall. Waiting for you. Waiting for...us." Mason finally understood what was happening. His heart beat a little faster, and heced his fingers with Naya''s, grinning when she met his eyes. "OK. Let''s go." * * * Mason was a bit worried he''d find Becky and Rosa in the chief''s hall first, and have to deal with fiery Mexican aggression, and slightly less fiery, or maybe passive cowgirl aggression. Neither much appealed to him. But it seemed their personal wing was more or less empty. Lexi wasn''t there either, and even the kitchen was quiet. "In the bedroom," Naya said, still holding Mason''s hand, her palm a little sweaty. He led her inside and found Haley reading in bed. She looked up at them with her big, blue eyes and grinned. "I asked Sylvie to help. With the others. They''ll be quite busy. For hours." Mason nodded, pulse picking up even more. "I should take a quick shower," he said. Haley nodded and reached a hand towards Naya. "We''ll be here." He gave Naya a quick kiss on the forehead, then let her go and got undressed. He cranked the heat of the shower as far as it would go, standing for a moment with closed eyes to wash off the never-ending intensity that seemed his new life. shes of undead monsters and his own brutal injuries made a short film in his mind. He saw the dragon trying to eat Becky, no idea if it would suddenly seed and if he''d watch his lover vanish into its jaws. He felt his helplessness in the Fey, some invisible predator stalking him and Streak in shadows he couldn''t pierce. As usual he saw giant gnolls in the tutorial, roaring and trying to rip him apart. He counted. Sixty seconds, he decided¡ªa minute of terror and misery, of feeling weak and sorry for himself, knowing he could die at any time. Then he''d cut it off. He only made it to thirty before he let out a breath, startled as the darkness of his lids vanished, reced by the green and gold eyes of Cerebus, his proud antlers rising above a crimson sunrise. "Do not fear it, Ranger," said the nature ¡®god¡¯, deep voice blowing as if on the wind. "There would be no strength without weakness. Your druid god thinks she alone knows wisdom. But thought without deed is for cowards. And you are no coward, Mason. You have surprised me. You and your pack. Remember your victories. Remember the might that is your reward." More images shed through Mason''s mind uncalled¡ªhis growing strength and powers and the endless victories in battle. The eyes of the women that followed him everywhere. He saw the hope and pride in the bearing of his yers and followers. He felt Duality of Strength re, but not as an image in his mind, in reality. Except this time not to change his body. It was like the warm water of the shower pouring into his soul. He felt himself standing taller, his hands closing into fists, his doubts washing down the drain. "You are not alone," Cerebus whispered in Mason''s waking druid dream. "You and your pack walk in the footsteps of greatness. Towards your glory, and to mine. I will guide you. When you feel as if you will fall, look to your kin. And look to me.¡± Mason opened his eyes and breathed. A slow smile crept across his face, his chaotic mind steadying with remembered purpose. Things had changed. But Mason was the same man who''d gone into the woods to save his brother. It was just moreplicated now. There were more people and problems and details, all of which Mason hated, all of which drove him to distraction and frankly he wasn''t very good at solving. But it was true. He wasn''t alone. He had his ''pack'', his house, his animals, his tribe. And yes, he maybe had some kind of strange, fictional, bizarrelyforting patron-god of his own, who somehow managed to say just what Mason needed to hear. He shivered and turned off the water, for a moment reveling in the strength of his body, the moist air in his lungs, the pleasure of being alive. He stepped out in nothing but a towel, the intoxicating feminine scents of Haley and Naya hitting him like cooking meat after a day without food. Haley was giggling and whispering in a quiet voice, and Mason found them standing by the bed fussing with some kind of clothes. They turned when they saw Mason, and he realized they were putting on formal gowns. Naya had the colorful silks she''d worn in their marriage negotiation, full body covered in wrappingyers. Haley had an actual, white wedding dress. "We ran out of time for shoes," she said with a little pout, her eyes going up and down Mason''s body. "And you are very under dressed." Their smiles faded when they looked into his eyes. Naya bowed her head formally, and even Haley put her hands together as if suddenly unsure. Mason knew why. Partially it was the strength he''d regained with a moment to himself, and probably the boost Cerebus had given him with some kind divine kick in the pants. But more than anything, it was the way Mason had felt when he saw Cerebus standing in the sunrise¡ªhis proud neck extended, his eyes fearless, iming everything he saw. The fearsome ''horned god'' had been trying to tell him all along, Mason just wasn''t listening. But now he was. His eyes didn''t move over Haley and Naya like a man with lust for two women, or even as a husband assessing his wives. He had imed this hall, and this great forest, and everything inside it. He''d imed it by deed, by blood, with cunning and strength matched against all who''d faced him. He''d survived against gnolls and orcs and goblins, against other yers and a druid-ying giant. Against a dragon that just didn''t know when to die. Mason dropped his towel and moved towards his women, not concerned in that moment what they wanted or how they thought, or about their situation, or about anything. They could work out the details how they liked, it made no difference. They belonged to him in the same way Nassau did. In the same way his House and the Nexus did. Because he was their king.
Chapter 326: Wife, concubine, slave (NSFW) Chapter 326: Wife, concubine, ve (NSFW) Mason moved to Naya naked, putting his hands on her face. He slipped the scarf off her hair and uncovered her head entirely, letting the fabric drop behind. He turned her face and eyes up to his as she stroked his thumbs across her cheeks. He reminded himself she was still a virgin. "You just do everything I tell you. Understand?" Naya nodded, her chest already rising and falling with quick breaths. Mason kissed her lips gently, then more passionately, feeling the growing urge to taste her. With a growl he lifted her and tossed her onto the bed, then pushed the silkyers up her legs. It wasplicated on the top, but it seemed like the bottom part all came right up like a dress except for a singleyer that wrapped between her legs. He spread her long, lithe legs apart and knelt by the bed, slowing down now as he kissed his way from her knees. Haley knelt beside him, running her hands over his naked body as she looked under Naya''s silks with a mischievous grin. Naya couldn''t really see either of them over the fabric. She was making little moans as Mason kissed her skin, her hands gripping the sheet already. Mason rubbed a thumb over the moist fabric covering Naya''s sex, kissing Haley until she opened her mouth and sucked at his tongue with a moan. "Don''t worry," he whispered, sliding a hand into her cleavage to cup an amazing breast under the dress. "You''ll get your turn." He kissed his way down Naya''s legs again, closer and closer to his target. She was trembling a little by the time he pulled the silk away and licked his way up her slit. She was wet and already opening, and Mason groaned with lust as he kept tasting and teasing. She tasted amazing. Not like any girl he¡¯d ever gone down on. Almost sweet instead of salty. He could tell Haley wanted to jump in right beside him, but he pointed beside Naya. "Lie down beside her." Haley pouted but scrambled to lie down and spread her legs, and Mason worked her dress up. He kissed his way up her stockings, pulling the fabric away with one hand and using the other to keep touching Naya. He pulled them together, wanting them to share, to feel closer. Then he took turns moving back and forth, licking and touching. Pretty soon he pulled off Haley''s panties and unraveled Naya''s silk until they were both totally exposed. He focused mainly on Naya with his mouth, wanting her to experience it properly as he pumped two fingers inside Haley. He had a job to do and focused ordingly, all the details of the world meaningless as he lost himself in the moans and wetness, the squirming legs and beautiful women pressing themselves against his touch. Naya came first. She jerked almost in panic, or at least surprise, one leg half wrapping around Mason''s shoulder, pulling him towards her. He grinned against her flesh, keeping his tongue moving, not easing off until he felt Naya''s hands gripping his hair as she cried out and shook. He kept at it as she twitched and came down, finally going ck. Mason stood and looked at his new elven ''bride'', her eyes half closed and far away, Haley beside her and still filled with lust, trying to finger herself with Mason''s hand. "Clothes," he told Haley, as he started unwrapping Naya like the world''s greatest Christmas present. Once he got the idea, the silks came off fast, and he had the elf stripped before Haley managed to get off her dress. Her body was lean and toned, her hips wide, her breasts surprisingly soft and full for her figure. Mason shook his head as he stared, fighting the appreciation of roboGod''s handiwork. And also not topare her to her mother¡­ Naya was sliding a slender foot against his shoulder, her eyes open enough to stare into his as she bit her lower lip and pushed some dark hair out of her face. He saw no reason in the world to wait another minute. He lined his very hard erection against her opening, sliding it back and forth as she watched and moaned. "That feels good," she said, reaching a hand down to grip his shaft, grinning like a girl who''d found a new toy. "Just wait," Haley said, sliding up beside Naya and putting an arm under her neck. The blonde kissed his new wife''s cheek and circled her dark nipples with a finger, and Naya looked a little timid but not unhappy. "I''d like to be right here while our husband takes you," she said, and Naya met her eyes and nodded. Mason couldn''t wait another second. He pushed his tip inside Naya, watching her face as she took inch after inch. Haley whispered something in her ear and put a hand to her clit as she kissed her neck, and Mason slid deeper and deeper inside her. A sh of pain went over Naya''s face, then she rxed. Mason buried himself almost fully and leaned down, kissing her passionately as he started to move. "Don''t worry," Haley said, looking at Mason. "Our man will teach you. You¡¯ll enjoy it very much." Naya nodded and moaned, turning her face into Haley''s chest as she gripped the sheet. Mason breathed and focused on the feel of her incredibly tight, wet pussy gripping him every thrust. He kept his strokes slow and deep, loving her noises, and the sight of her struggling to take him. Haley was wrapping one leg over Naya''s and moving against her, her fingers still circling her clit. Naya closed her eyes and spread her legs wider as he took her. She was sweating now, a flush moving up her body as she started breathing hard and groaning. Mason leaned down and took turns kissing her and Haley, moving a hand over Haley''s ass, then fingering her from behind as he pumped into Naya. The elf held her breath as she came, going pink as her walls crushed around Mason''s shaft. She dug her heels and nails into his sides as he fucked her straight through it, letting his own orgasm build in his core and his balls. Her eyes popped open and she stared into his. "Fill me, please. I want your seed inside me." Mason came onmand. He growled and released, burying himself deep inside Naya and pounding as he sprayed. Her eyes rolled back and her face went ck as Mason filled her with several days worth of built up, apocalypse-world lust. It seemed to go on and on, and by the time he finally finished and squished Naya beneath him, he may even have slept. He blinked his eyes open to see Haley touching them both with an almost desperate look, his cock still buried in a half-unconscious Naya. He grinned. "Have I been neglecting you?" Haley nodded and grinned. * * * Mason slowly eased out of Naya, then lifted Haley and set her on hisp. "So what are you now? Wife? Concubine? ve?" "All three, please," Haley said, hands all over him, lips against his neck. H chuckled and slid himself into her soaking opening, lifting her up and down with his hands on her ass. Then he leaned back and let her ride however she wanted, picking up her bridal headdress and putting it on her head. He slid his hands up and down her white stocking-covered legs, watching her amazing tits bounce. "You deserve this," he said and meant, pulling her forward to kiss her slowly, intimately. "To be my wife. To get everything you want." "I have what I want," she said, already twitching as she slid down his cock. "I belong to you." It took some willpower not to cum right there. But he definitely wasn''t finished. Next he turned her around and took her from behind, pounding her forward until her head was almost angled against the headboard, her back arched and ass high in the air. Naya was awake now and watching them. He pulled her up to her knees and squished against him as he kept fucking Haley. "You want it like that, too? From behind?" he asked. The elf went pink and nodded, and Mason pped Haley''s ass. "Bend down beside her, then. Nice and slow. Get your ass high in the air and keep it there." Naya looked a little shy but knee-walked beside Haley and tossed her dark hair, then looked back at him as she bent over. He practically shivered with lust, sliding out of a whining Haley as he moved to Naya. "Out there you''re a queen," Mason leaned over Naya and whispered in her ear. "But in here you''re my whore." "Yes, husband," Naya moaned as he pushed deep into her and smacked against her ass. He fingered Haley as he pumped into Naya, more violent now as he lost himself to the moment. It was still her first night as a bride, he reminded himself, but the elves were stronger than humans and he decided she could take some punishment. Besides, he didn''t mind if she struggled to walk in the morning. He took turns pounding them both from behind. He turned on Blessing of Gaia and watched their eyes ze with mindless lust, every touchpletely wee, everymand instantly obeyed. This time he came in Haley, burying a thumb in her ass as he filled her eager, wet hole. She bit a mouthful of the sheet and screamed, so wet Mason felt her juices dripping down his balls. When he was finished hey back against the headboard and breathed, pulling both girls toy in hisp. After a few moments of just enjoying their bodies pressed against his, he whispered to Haley. "Teach her how to use her mouth.¡± With an exhausted groan his blonde beauty sat up and took hold of his shaft, urging the elf to her knees. Pretty soon they were licking and sucking him together, Naya giggling a little as Haley encouraged her and gave her a few ps on the ass with augh. Mason nced at the clock on the wall and smiled. He wasn''t tired. And you only got married once. But he really hoped Sylvie was going to actually keep Rosa and Becky away until morning. Because his brides were going to have a very long night.
Chapter 327: Wedding night (NSFW) Chapter 327: Wedding night (NSFW) Mason took turns with Naya and Haley for hours. They had little naps and breaks for water (and one of Haley''s snacks), all naked andughing as they ate pastries like they''d gone a day without food. They didn''t even make it back to the bedroom for that round, Mason ending up spreading Naya¡¯s legs and rubbing her ass red on the carpet. He¡¯d had to carry her half conscious to the bed when they were finished. "Someone''s enjoying himself," Haley said after, cuddling against him on the bed and running her hands over his chest. "She''s beautiful, isn''t she? Almost like...a...well, a¡­" "Disney Princess," Mason said, and Haleyughed. "And look who''s talking." His ''ve'' grinned and put her hands under herrge breasts, giving them a little jiggle. "With these? No. A movie, maybe, but definitely not Disney." "Oh really?" Mason smiled, pushing Haley to her back as he inspected. "And what sort of movie were you thinking?" He could see Haley was almost spent, her eyes going wide as she realized Mason might actually take her again. The door of their wing creaked open, though, and Mason could tell it was Rosa and Becky just by the sound of their walk. "Saved by the girls," Mason said, giving Haley another peck on the lips as he stood and threw on a pair of pants. "What will you say?" Haley asked, moving to the side of the bed as if toe along. Mason stopped her. "Not sure." He shrugged. "Probably I''ll just...say how it is. We''ll go from there. They knew we wereing here, right? You, me and Naya?" Haley nodded, and Mason was thankful for that. He didn''t want to lie to anyone, especially not his girls. The idea of losing Becky or Rosa hurt, but he knew it was possible. He also knew he couldn''t do much except what he was doing. He''d never pretend Haley wasn''t...special. And with Naya''s culture and strange circumstances he hadn''t much choice there, either. So it was two wives¡­and two¡­something else. But he didn''t know what Becky and Rosa wanted, or how they thought about it. Not exactly. With a deep breath and ast nce at the sleeping elf and beautiful blonde blowing him a good luck kiss, he opened the bedroom door. Becky and Rosa were eating Haley''s leftovers in the kitchen. They looked tired, a bit awkward, speaking so quietly even Mason''s hearing wasn''t enough to pick out the words. He walked straight to them with Gaia''s Blessing off, not wanting things to get...distracted. "Hi," he said, moving right up beside them and taking a bite. "Hi," they both mumbled, clearly not sure what to expect. Mason took another deep breath, knowing he had no capacity to just make small talk without dealing with the thing. "I''m not good at this," he said. "Whatever the hell it is." "Managing the half dozen or so women you''re sleeping with," Rosa said, popping a piece of fruit into her mouth. She said it so matter of factly Mason didn''t even know how she felt about it. But Becky definitely winced. "Close enough," he said, then reminded himself how he''d felt in the bedroom, how he felt with Cerebus standing at his side, guiding him to some impossible future. He met Rosa''s eyes first. "Nothing has changed for me. I have a lot to do outside this hall. Inside it, I want all of you with me, getting along, happy. It''s up to you what you want." Rosa met his stare, then shrugged. "I''m good. I like how things are. I''ll be...nice, to the new girl. As long as she is. But..." the Mexican pointed a finger at Mason''s chest. "If I get pregnant, we get married. Until then..." she smiled a little. "Who knows? Maybe I find a better man tomorrow." "Is that right?" Mason fought his smile. "He¡¯ll need to be able to run fast, whoever he is." "Maybe he will," Rosa said, grinning. Mason was half tempted to pick her up and carry her into the room with the others...but he fought the impulse and waited. "Becky? What are you thinking?" "I dunno," she said, ying with the food. "I''m feelin¡¯..." she tossed a hand. "Like I can''t keep up. But I ¡®aint angry. Just thought you were passin'' over Haley for this¡­new girl, but, I see that ain''t it. So...I just...I don''t need to get married, ya know? I like the way things are. And I don''t want change. That''s all." "Me too," Mason said, putting his arm around her and pulling her a little closer. "And if you feel differentter, that'' fine too. I just want you happy." She turned and hugged him, burying herself into his chest as he gestured for Rosa. The dark haired beauty came slower, as usual, like maybe she wouldn''te at all. But then she was in his other arm, and he was holding them both and kissing their hair. "Now go back to your wives," Rosa said. "I''m sure they''re missing you already on your fancy weddingnight. Becky can juste sleep in the guest room." Mason slid his hands down both girls backs. "Well. My wives are sleeping. So I was thinking maybe, it would be very naughty, on my wedding night, if I fucked the brains out of my mistresses." Rosa¡¯s nails dug into his arm as he slipped a hand under her skirt. Becky¡¯s eyes red with excitement, though she tried to fight it down. "You haven''t even washed,¡± she said in a tone that showed she was already loving the game. ¡°You still smell like them.¡± Mason popped the button on the front of her jeans. "Yeah." He yanked them down over her hips with one hard tug, pulling them low enough to cup a hand between her legs. It was definitely time for Gaia''s Blessing, he decided, and watched his cowgirl''s eyes close slightly in building lust as it activated. She put her hands on Mason''s arm and hand and helped him work her. He was already fingering Rosa under the skirt, her opening shockingly wet. "You wantedme toe out here and fuck you, didn''t you?" he said, looking into her dark eyes. "No," she lied, spreading her legs so he could touch her better. "You like that I should be in there, but instead I''ll be inside you. That you¡¯re stealing some of Naya¡¯s night." Rosa took a little breath, not bothering to speak. Mason stepped on Becky''s jeans to get them off, then pushed both girls towards Rosa''s bedroom. "You''ll have to be quiet," he said. "My wives shouldn''t hear you getting pounded by their husband." Becky practically whined. "I don''t know if I can." Mason didn''t actually careif they were quiet, it was just part of the game. If he had it his way Haley and Naya would hear ande join them. But the fiction was definitely working for his girls and he sure as hell wasn''t going to ruin it. "Do your best," he said, pping their asses as he pushed them towards Rosa¡¯s bedroom. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want them toe see me fucking you.¡± The girls went to the bed and leaned against it, Rosa hiking up her skirt. Mason closed the door and took a second to admire their amazing asses, their lean bodies arched as they looked back at him. "Fuck us like you fucked your wives," Rosa said with a naughty grin. He growled and stripped off his pants, moving behind them and taking both girls by the back of the neck. He kissed them in turns, pping his now rock hard length between Rosa¡¯s cheeks. He pulled up their shirts to get their tits out, stripping off their bras impatiently to grope Rosa¡¯s first. ¡°Be a good girl and take it nice and quiet,¡± he said, then slid his hard on down and pushed inside her. She gasped and arched her back even more, closing her mouth and moaning quietly as he started pounding her. Becky was watching them with barely contained lust, her hand between her legs as much as the system would allow. "Ai, I missed it," Rosa moaned, back so arched she was looking right up at him. "Fuck me hard, papi, please, please." Mason didn''t need encouragement there. In fact his only concern was going so hard he''d snap a civilian like Rosa in half. But he took it as far as he dared. Pretty soon the room was filled with the smacking sounds of Mason ramming into Rosa''s ass. He used a hand to throw Becky onto the bed, then lifted Rosa too and stood above her. He pushed her face down until her ass was straight in the air and pounded down into her. Pretty soon she was biting the sheet, gripping it with both hands and moaning with every thrust. She came hard, burying her face in the sheets to scream, so much wetnessing out of her it dripped onto the bed. Mason still had plenty to give. He let her have a load, spraying deep inside her as he watched her eager, soaked hole take him in. Becky was still watching with pained, impatient eyes, and Mason tossed Rosa aside and pulled the cowgirl in. "You want it like that, too?" She half nodded, half shook in anticipation, and Mason gripped her tits and squeezed her nipples. "Taste it first," he told her, ¡°taste all the other girls before I fuck you.¡± Becky groaned and came forward to slide his wet shaft between her lips, eyes closed in lust. He let her suck him until he was good and hard again, then spun her around and dropped her over roughly with a hand on the back of her head. He had almost no fear at all of hurting Becky. Her vitality was probably almost as high as his. So he mmed into her, grabbing her by the wrists to help pull her back as he fucked her. He gave her every inch in brutal thrusts, faster and deeper until the bed was bouncing as Becky pounded into it. She did her best to bite the sheet and muffle the sound, moving into some kind of animalistic moan that just got louder with each thrust. After cumming so many times in his other women, Mason actually had to put in some work. He pounded Becky''s ass for what felt like an hour, losing track of her orgasms. Her pussy was clenching him so long and hard it finally went ck, her body almost limp as he rammed her. Something about looking down at her,pletely spent,pletely submissive, just holding on as he took her¡ªRosa bouncing on the bed next to her as she got fucked, skirt up, barely conscious and still leaking with his cum... It did the job. Mason shivered and let out a deep breath as he exploded inside his southern girl. He had no idea how much liquid was even left in his body, but she managed onest squeeze around his shaft, rocking back against him to try and milk thest few drops. "I''m mush," she mumbled. Mason grinned and pped her ass, realizing now it was alreadypletely red with his hand prints. He ran his fingers over the skin, sending her into several shivers and moans as he just enjoyed the view of her impaled on his cock. Then he finally let her slide forward and copse, and he hopped off the bed and left both girls lying there dripping with his cum without a word. It was his wedding night after all, and he thought it best he be there when his wives woke in the morning. Because tomorrow was a brand new day. And an important one for Nassau, and probably humanity. Tomorrow was Nexus day.
Chapter 328: What’s a barbecue? Chapter 328: What¡¯s a barbecue? Mason slept without dreams, and woke before the dawn. His bed felt strange. Too soft andfortable, with warm, soft flesh pressed against him. He was beginning to think of the forest floor as the norm¡ªthe settlement of Nassau as the ''temporary''. He wondered how long until mortal danger became the standard, with peace and civilization little more than a pleasant fiction. Maybe it was always the case. Maybe humanity had just gotten too rich, too soft. He crawled out of bed, smiling as he set Haley and Naya down and pulled the sheet over his naked wives. Their long hair spilled together, two streaks of light and dark mixing like paint. Mason wished he was a poet, that he could capture the image and feeling of his women still deep asleep after a night of lust with him. But he was a man of a different kind of talents. And it was time to sort out a whole host of things. Some he would delegate, others he needed to deal with personally. He realized he needed to meet with all his yers, and maybe the whole settlement, and talk about the Nexus and the changes toe. He didn''t know ''exactly'' what was going to happen, but he knew it would be a big deal. The outside world was about toe to Nassau. Maybe it would just be central munication beacons'' and pretty easily controlled. But who the hell knew. Maybe every single house was going to get some kind of ability to talk to others, like a post-apocalyptic telephone or video system. And then there was teleportation. Again maybe this would be extremely limited and easy for Mason and his ''officers'' to keep a handle on. Or maybe people were going to be able to swap around from settlement to settlement. For all Mason knew, there were whole sses out there, whether civilian or yer, devoted to traveling around. However many humans were alive, and howeverrge their numbers, they were about to do what humans did: search for opportunity. The other settlements and patrons would be sniffing around Nassau like a hundred packs of dogs, if they could. And the people of Nassau needed to be ready. Was Mason being paranoid? Maybe. But the paranoid survived. He woke Carl and Phuong, first. The former came out grumbling and wiping at his eyes, thetter bathed and alert with a small bow. "Good morning, Patron." "It''s not that good." Carl yawned. "It''s getting bloody cold at night. I expect winter won''t be that pleasant." "I''ll tell all the drivers there might be ice on the roads," Mason said. Carl grinned. Both of Mason¡¯s ¡®yer leaders¡¯ waited for instruction, knowing he wouldn''t have bothered them unless it was important. He took a moment to appreciate the loyalty andpetence of both¡ªand the strange, warm feeling in his chest at not being alone. Then he remembered his brother was still in that God damn tower ying house with orcs and goblins. "Fucking ke," he muttered. When the men raised their brows he shook his head. "Nevermind. It''s Nexus day, gentlemen. And we need to be ready for..." he shrugged, "pretty much anything. I don''t want to spend any patron points until it''s up, because maybe there''s something we can do with them. But I want every yer avable and...shit, I don''t know..." "Fighting fit," Carl suggested, and Mason nodded. "For all we know it sparks some kind of challenge. Or maybe demons attack us from the sky. Or...well who the fuck knows, it''s roboGod." "I-T-A," Carl said, and Mason raised a brow. "It''s the apocalypse," he rified. "Means crazy shit happens, basically. All the kids are saying it. You know, kids. People your age." "Great." Mason rolled his eyes. "Well. Get them armed and ready...I''m going to head down to..." "Perhaps you should check on the wolves, Patron," Phuong interrupted. "They are getting...unruly." Mason sighed. "I''ll do that first." He let his ''officers'' go, then made his way outside the wall, hop-climbing it and winking at the gate guard as he dropped to the other side. He wasn''t sure exactly where the wolves had made their den, but...it didn''t take long to figure it out. First of all, he could smell it. The animals had made an unholy mess of the east side of Nassau''s outer wall. It reeked of shit and rotting carcasses, the sound of wolves ying and fighting easily heard hundreds of feet away. It was clear they''d abandoned any pretense of trying to be subtle, their obvious feeling of dominance here oozing from the casual openness of their den. A few of the younger wolves smelled Mason, yipping and padding over to check him out before they caught a good look and bolted in terror. He slowed and entered in in view, watching snarls of rm and menace dry up as they remembered him. Streak yawned and stepped out from the trees, growling at a few males just to remind them what was what. Not that he really needed to. Streak was at least twice the size of the biggest wolf, and looked increasingly like some terrifying, tattooed, glowing eyed hellhound. He flopped over and stuck out his legs for a belly rub. Mason shook his head and got to scratching. The mood lightened, and soon the other wolves wereing closer to see if they could get in on the action, or at least figure out if they should. Mason nced at the absolute state of their temporary home and sighed. "We need to figure this out. At least some of your pack needs to roam. But it also needs to not eat people. We can house the pregnant females and cubs, but we need a good ce. Any ideas, here?" Streak panted and closed his eyes as Mason rubbed. The feeling was something like ''I trust you, you''ll figure it out''. "Super. Thanks for the help." He nced into the trees and winced, suddenly thinking of the nymphs in the great tree. One of them¡ªCalypsa¡ªhad healed Becky after the fight in the goblin dungeon, and she''d demanded some kind of ''earth price''. Mason still didn''t know what that meant, but he''d agreed to it. In his mind he''d told himself that if the cost was too high he just wouldn''t pay, and what the hell could Calypsa do about it? But he knew it might be moreplicated. It might be some system enforced rule he couldn''t stop or fight. And sooner orter he had to go talk to them. In the Great Game, a problem like that didn''t just go away. Mason scrolled through his patron menus, ncing again at the ''menagerie'' he''d gained ess to after the Gaian theme to the settlement. He also had some elven options now that might work. He almost picked one right then, but decided this could wait for the Nexus, too. "Things are about to change," he told Streak. "So keep your damn pack under control. Stop snarling at people. Stop staring at them. And if I tell you you''re all going into a building, or wherever, you don''t get toin, because you didn''t give me any suggestions." Streak made a very ''sure, I don''t care'' kind of wolf snuffle, and Mason rolled his eyes. He smacked the big bastard hard on the back as he stood, then braced as the wolf leapt to his feet and charged his face into Mason''s gut. "Oh yes, you''re very strong." Heughed and overpowered the creature with a bit of effort, then scratched the wolf''s face, wrestling him off as he gave the others a quick challenging look. He had to remind them who was boss, too. Then he walked back to Nassau and went to the chief hall, finding it abuzz with activity. Haley and Rosa were in the kitchen, giving orders to the other girls (except Naya). "Oh there you are," Haley said, wiping her hands on her apron as she spotted Mason and smiled. "I talked to Carl. We''re going to gather everyone in the square, make it a kind of barbecue so it can be a social thing, too." "Good idea." Mason looked between his (human) women (and Lexi) and smiled, trying not to imagine each of them the night before. He mostly failed. Haley seemed to understand and gave him a slightly tilted-head look,ing closer as if to give him a taste of something. "You talked to Becky and Rosa? We haven''t mentionedst night." "There was...a little talking." Haley nced back at the others and shifted her weight. "Oh why did I have to fall asleep." "Because you could barely move, and I''m pretty sure you needed it." "No fair." Haley let out a breath. "Where''s my superpowers?" "Trust me, you have your own version." Mason grinned, and Haley stepped forward and put her slightly messy hands around his neck and kissed him with increasing passion. "Hey! Some of us are workin'' here. There ain''t no time for that," Becky said from a bowl of dough. Haley shot back a re, then sighed. "She¡¯s right. We have a lot to do. And since you hate speeches this must be a special asion." Mason nodded, then walked towards the others, giving Lexi a friendly nod. He grabbed Becky from behind and turned her head until he could kiss her, too, just giving Rosa''s ass a good, hard p. Without another word he walked to the bedroom to find Naya still syed across the bed, surrounded by pillows. She sighed, eyes fluttering as Mason walked in. Then she blinked and nced at the window, realizing how much light there was. "Did I oversleep?" she asked, scrambling a little as she pulled herself up, the sheet covering her dropping to show she was stillpletely naked. Mason wasn''t sure what he''d nned, but he scooped up his new elven bride and set her in hisp without a word. He kissed her until she melted into his arms and moaned, his hands all over her body. "Good morning," he said with a smile. "Good morning, husband. She stared intensely into his eyes, as if all she wanted was to stay in bed with him all day. Just the thought was enough to get him going. "Normally you''d have...wifely duties," he told her, running his hands down her back. "But I need you to gather the elves in the town square. They''re invited to a barbecue." "Yes, husband," she said, obviously enjoying using the title. She kissed him again to the point he knew he had to get out or give in, eventually sending Naya back to the bed with a little shriek as he stood. "Later," he promised, adjusting his now slightly ufortable pants. "Oh, um, husband?" Naya pursed her very kissable lips. "What is...a barbecue?"
Chapter 329: I want them all Chapter 329: I want them all Apparently elves didn''t have a word, or even have the concept of an ''open air, group cook out''. When Mason exined they''d all stand around drinking and cooking meat, Naya looked like she''d eaten something that disagreed with her. "We elves...don''t eat much meat," she said. "Will it be...in something?" Masonughed and told her to get dressed, lingering a moment to watch. But when she noticed and smiled shyly, bending over with a bit of pink in her face to pull up ayer of silk, he knew it was leave quickly or screw up his schedule. That the beautiful elven woman was now officially his continued to screw with his brain. But with all the madness of this new world, he knew he just needed to ept it and behave ordingly. It wasn''t the only thing. As he crossed Nassau¡ªyers, civilians, and beautiful elven women were giving him something more and more like a bow. There''d always been friendly nods or smiles, but ever since he''d made his ''House'' he definitely noticed a slightly different...tone. Something a lot closer to servility, or maybe hero worship, or maybe good old fashioned boot licking. He wasn''t quite sure, but he definitely wasn''tfortable with it. He gripped the Nexus Stone for the hundredth time, feeling more than knowing what to do with it. He had no obvious options. All he could do was ''add it'' to the settlement, and he expected the system would take over after that. People were already out in the town square, setting up chairs and benches, the smell of smoke and roasting meat reminding him he was hungry. The wolves were howling, and he knew they''d start going crazy unless someone fed them. He spotted Hank and Billy in the center of the cooking and chaos and went to them. "Morning." The old angler smiled as he flipped what looked like hamburger patties. Though there definitely weren¡¯t any cows around. Mason stopped and stared, and Hank grinned. "Pretty soon you''ll start howling like those impatient bastards. We¡¯ll feed them, but I''m sending Rosa, by Christ, thest time I delivered ''em, one of your good boys almost took off my finger." Mason winced, forcing his eyes off the food. It took most of his willpower to not just pull the uncooked meat off and start gorging himself right there. "I haven''t seen any cows, chef. So what exactly is..." "Wild pig," Hank said with a grin. "Kiaan there showed us a few good spots. And Garet''s actually quite a hunter with that spear of his." Mason noticed the scout standing nearby, the goblin crouched beside him like a frightened dog. He nodded and walked over. "Settling in alright?" "Yes, Patron, thank you. Haley found me a ce to myself. The settlement is far above what I''d expected. And I thought Cliknik might enjoy it out here as well, unless you object." Mason nced at the creature and frowned. He still fully intended to search around its brain as soon as ke came back. But it seemed like that might be awhile. "As long as he behaves," Mason said, staring at the goblin. It looked up at him and cringed slightly, trying and failing to smile like something¡­cute. Mason sighed and walked to greet others, always meeting more pairs of staring eyes, shaking more outstretched hands. He did his best to remember names, and to make smalltalk. When he saw most of his yers, at least a dozen elves, and Haleying with his other girls, he decided it was time for whatever the hell counted as a speech. He stood on a sturdy chair and cleared his throat, preparing to shout for attention or maybe whistle. But the moment he rose up into view, everyone stopped and stared in anticipation. He definitely still wasn''t used to that, either. "Things are about to change again," he said, pulling the Nexus cube out of his pocket. "I''m sure you all heard the ''announcement'' a few days ago. Well, it meant we won." Some people smiled, a few cheered, and a quickugh swept the group. "I don''t know how the hell it works." Mason stared at the thing and shrugged. "You know what? I hate speeches. So to hell with it. I''m using this, and then we''re just going to figure out what happens next. Sound good?" "Alright!" Carl yelled, his mouth half stuffed as he walked closer to take a look. Sylvie shook her head, and he looked around at the gathered Sanctuary girls with a shrug. "What? It''s exciting!" Mason dug his fingers into the cube, and it sort of clicked then opened, the sides falling until ity t in Mason''s palm. He stared, eyes unfocused, as a blue energy appeared and started expanding. It consumed his hand, then his arm, then exploded outward in a sh until it seemed to surround Nassau in a dim shield of translucent light. "A pretty cool start," Mason said with a grin, then looked at the others and blinked...they werepletely still. They all stood staring just as before, their faces locked, their eyes unmoving. Mason had no idea if they were all paralyzed or if somehow he was outside of normal ''time'', or what. But it was freaky. He looked back at the square, and a cascading series of ''windows'' opened up with text and options. [Congrattions, Patron. This is the Nexus instation menu. If you are seeing this, it means you have sessfully used a Nexus Stone in a suitable location. You must choose an initialyout from the avable options. Please note, options are based on several factors, including, but not limited to: avability of a settlement, settlement size, location, patron characteristics, and many more. Would you still like to employ the Nexus here and now?] Mason selected ¡®yes¡¯ with his eyes, and the box closed with a satisfying blip. A new menu centered. [Nexus options determined. Please select from the list.] The list wasn''t very long. In a sh too quick to follow, Mason saw maybe fifty options wink out in grey before he could see them, leaving him with three. Though as he started reading, the ones that remained were pretty damn good. Option One: The Fortress. It looked like a medieval castle mixed with semi-modern, semi-fantasy defences. He saw twoyers of walls, ditches and moats, ramparts and towers. What looked like ballista and catapults rung the inneryer. Inside all that murderous defence he saw an open square with several of the ''objects'' he''d seen in the desert. A huge teleportation device. Some kind of arcane defensive beacon. A construct control? He had a ''feeling'' but couldn''t exactly tell. Option Two: Tree City. Robin Hood would have been jealous. Buildings were constructed into the trees, linked with roads, lifts, and maybe even some teleporters in a ghostly canopy. Mason saw glowing symbols that looked vaguely Gaian, he saw soldiers with cloaks and bows surrounding the tforms, loosing arrows at some invisible foe. In the center was arge tform with the Nexus devices, resting on what looked like their great tree sprouting through the Gaian temple. Option Three: The Grove. A dark mist that reminded him of the Nymph''s tree seemed to cover everything, including Nassau. Mason saw some kind of attacking army searching for it, utterly lost and terrified, vanishing one by one to grasping nts and near invisible defenders. The Nexus devices sat in a circle much as they had in the desert, hidden in the mist, like a new Stonehenge obscured entirely by natural magic. All he could think was: I want them all. But he knew it didn''t work that way. The options remained, practically blinking in his face with impatience. His instinct was the fortress. Back on old earth he''d been studying how to build a good bunker. But he supposed it was instructive that it wouldn''t have helped him, in the end. The hidden grove was obviously incredible...but it made him think about stealth powers and the reasons he hadn''t gone that route in the beginning. Sooner orter, something was going to find you. And if you based your whole defence on staying hidden and suddenly lost that advantage, you were utterly vulnerable. Not to mention probably surprised. Good, static walls were incredibly effective, as long as you had defenders. On the other hand, they''d already seen things like the damn goblins had cannons, and all kinds of impossibly destructive tools. So maybe relying too much on walls was just as much of a mistake. It might make themcent. Arrogant. Weak. A raised city was probably as good as walls. The enemy could chop down your trees, of course, or try and burn the whole forest. But Mason suspected he had tools to stop that. And it was hard to chop down trees when your enemy was dropping rocks and shooting the shit out of you. And even if you chopped down a tree and copsed a building or two, they had plenty more. You could cut the bridges, too. Each tree would be like a mini fortress on its own. They could probably even build several buildings on therger trees, and make more than oneyer of tree city... And the people inside would still feel...exposed. Without walls, maybe the yers of Nassau would remember the only true protection was strength. They would have to defend their city from their enemies. They couldn''t rely on some barrier holding them off. Mason made his choice, and watched the blue light re with something more...solid. [Thank you, Patron. The Western Nexus is now forming. Please stand by.] Mason stared in open awe as the world began to re-shape around him. Trees were changing, moving, growing. The temple of Gaia creaked and groaned, and the small, familiar voice of Mason''s sapling great tree was crying out. It sounded confused. Afraid. And then...hungry. The child-like voice grew. The earth itself seemed to growl, tough, calling out in joy at its own expanding power. Stone cracked and broke like nothing. The temple roof ripped like paper as the great tree ripped through it and expanded, towering above until it dwarfed the trees in every direction. Mason had the urge to fall to his knees, but resisted. It was like witnessing the birth of some new god. He heard the voice again, loud and clear, some alien intelligence awakened for the first time. Hungry it whispered in Mason''s mind. Rocks. Like rocks. And crystals. And gems! Oh, so hungry. So big. Who you? Who I? Oh. So much hungry. Mason blinked as the Nexus energies slowly dimmed, the trees all around Nassau now filled with buildings not so different than the Nephi''ske city. Mason ''felt'' the almost juvenile, maybe slightly masculine thoughts of the ''great tree'' bouncing around his brain, mostly centered around food. He put a hand to his face. His new god was possibly a giant tree toddler.
Chapter 330: Nexus Founder: The Tree City Chapter 330: Nexus Founder: The Tree City [Title modified: Nexus Founder: The Tree City. Increased and improved Patron options. Increased and improved House options. Presence +2. Small power boost in natural settings.] Despite the strange feeling of the young tree in his mind, Mason couldn¡¯t help but look at his title and grin. He walked through the raised bridges and tforms that made up his Nexus and his new ¡®Tree City¡¯, surrounded in the glow of blue light. Time was still ¡®frozen¡¯, the forest leaves still, no sign even of a breeze. Mason had eventually decided to stop waiting for the others and began to explore. Turned out the Nexus was already operating. An automated lift took him to the top of closest tree, sliding smoothly up cables that looked like bamboo. He looked down, shaking his head in wonder at the view of Nassau maybe a hundred feet below. ¡°Wee, Patron.¡± Mason turned to find a ghostly figure floating slightly above the tform. It was t-faced and vaguely human, dressed like some androgenous alien from an old and probably low budget sci-fi flick. ¡°Uh. Hello.¡± Mason looked over the rail at another tform, searching for the main area with the actual Nexus devices. ¡°Can you tell me where¡­¡± ¡°Would you like a tour of the facilities? Along the way, I am able to impart a collection of limited but useful information.¡± Mason sighed, as ever feeling trapped inside the bounds of roboGod¡¯s imagination. This didn¡¯t feel like he had much of a choice. "A tour would be super.¡± ¡°Wonderful! Follow me, please. We have a lot to cover.¡± The semi-automated tour guide floated along the tform, looking around as if for the first time. ¡°You have chosen your Nexus as a raised city in the Great Forest of the Western Continent. This is, if I may say so, an excellent choice.¡± Here it looked at him and smiled, then dropped it instantly in a somewhat disturbing transition before it gestured to three rings of maybe houses around their tree. ¡°tforms are currently built in three varieties, which you might think of as residential,mercial, and industrial. All have standard facilities conducive to human existence. In each structure you will find fresh water ess, a power source, and transportation devices linked to the central hub. Though the different varieties contain different scaling.¡± Mason nodded and did his best to listen andprehend, understanding this was important. He needed to pay attention, despite the urge to tell the thing to shut up so he could go look for himself, or leave someone else in charge of administration. ¡°What if we want to build more tforms?¡± he asked, and the alien hologram blinked and smiled. ¡°All construction and adjustment can be done through the Nexus system.¡± Right. Video game. Follow the made up rules. Though Mason suspected it wouldn¡¯t stop them from doing some construction on their own. They¡¯d been able to repair Nassau¡¯s gate on their own, after all, and change plenty of things on the walls. So he just nodded along and continued on the tour, and his guide happily pointed out the different ¡®varieties¡¯ and their differences. It wasn¡¯t so different than any city, Mason imagined. They had bigger areas for a kind ofmercial district, then even bigger and moreplicated areas for crafters. ¡°Transportation rules can be regted,¡± the guide exined. ¡°All bridges, lifts, and teleporters can be programmed with different ess capability and with nearly unlimited possibilities.¡± ¡°This is your primary residence,¡± his guide exined on an area slightly away from the others, with a smaller tform entirely on its own. ¡°Would you like to see inside?¡± Mason stopped and stared in amazement. There was some kind of waterfall going through it, a dozen balconies ringing the outside. It looked like a giant log cabin, the kind of ce you went on holiday. A forest mansion mixed with a luxury hotel. He just shook his head, not needing to see if roboGod was also an interior designer. He¡¯d have plenty of time for the niceties. ¡°Let¡¯s keep going,¡± he said. ¡°I want to see the central beacons.¡± His guide nodded and took him back, finally circling to the central tform. The Great Tree pierced through it like a spear, rising above the forest canopy. All around the massive trunk were constructs simr to those Mason had seen in the desert, but all with a kind of woond ¡®theme¡¯ to their design. What looked like a river flowed through the floor, covered by some kind of¡­translucent wood. ¡°Why¡­how is there¡­¡± Mason¡¯s guide nced at the water. ¡°The central tree is an endless source of water, power, and limited nutrition. All are distributed through the tforms physically¡ªtechnically with roots¡ªbut what might be best understood as self-renewing pipes. Do you have any questions?¡± Mason shook his head in amazement. To say this ¡®Nexus¡¯ was an upgrade in their situation was to say almost nothing of the reality. He supposed technically Nassau had seemed to have an endless supply of water and power, but actually he had no idea how it worked. And the ignorance of the ¡®source¡¯ had always given him a kind of¡­temporary feeling. But not anymore. ¡°Initial Nexus devices are as follows: Central Communication Beacon; Central Teleportation Beacon; Central Affinity Beacon; Central Administrative Beacon. Would you like to know more?¡± Yes, for Christ¡¯s sake, I want to know everything, he thought. But he pointed at the ¡®Affinity Beacon¡¯ because at least the others made some kind of definitional sense even without details. ¡°What¡¯s that do? The affinity beacon.¡± ¡°The Central Affinity Beacon is a kind of gathering device. This Nexus can be chosen by external sources, including but not limited to: yer and non-yer settlements, resource locations, and certainpleted dungeons. Once chosen, the Affinity Beacon can track and store subsequent ie. It can also¡­¡± ¡°Wait. Are you saying it¡¯s like¡­a tax collector?¡± ¡°Taxes are¡­an appropriateparison. It can also store raw energy, typically gathered and stored by affinity, which can be used by the Nexus itself, or by its citizens, for many purposes, including crafting or defence.¡± Mason was getting that ¡®overwhelmed¡¯ feeling again, but took a breath and forced himself to keep listening. ¡°OK. Themunication beacon. How the hell does it work?¡± His guide took him towards it, leading him inside what was more or less a rectangr building with several rooms that looked like offices. There was a central ¡®boardroom¡¯ with a circr table, and each had a device that was probably the system¡¯s version of a tablet. But it looked a bit like a map made out of bark. ¡°All human settlements and beacons can be contacted from this two way device,¡± said his guide, pointing at the map. ¡°Oncemunicated with, each settlement can always attempt tomunicate back, even with lesser devices. But of course it can be ignored. Knowledge of other settlements can also be shared.¡± The guide touched the map, and a grid pattern of small lights appeared with question marks beneath them. Mason was sad to see the ¡®map¡¯ waspletely greyed out, the location of the lights clearly not where they really were. ¡°How do we contact them? They¡¯re all greyed out.¡± ¡°Communication beacons can only be contacted once activated. None are currently activated.¡± Right. Mason remembered the system message when he¡¯d been getting his ¡®gift¡¯ in the desert. It said they¡¯d all be activated soon. And then he guessed all of these lights were going to light up like Christmas. Or so he hoped. And kind of dreaded. It showed him the Administration Beacon next, which basically was a central method to watch and control how the city worked. They could shut off all the functions, change permissions, and interact with the¡­¡®guards¡¯? ¡°Automated defence,¡± his guide exined. ¡°One guardian per tree. Limited range and behaviors. Modifiable.¡± Mason blinked. ¡°What exactly are these guardians?¡± The holographic alien just stared, until another hologram appeared floating above its hand like a humanoid tree. It reminded Mason of the guardian he¡¯d fought in the great tree when Seamus tried to burn its heart. Though he couldn¡¯t tell how big it was. ¡°There¡¯s one of those,¡± he asked, ¡°guarding every tree in this city?¡± ¡°Correct,¡± said the hologram. ¡°Size and abilities are determined by Nexus and settlement levels. Guardians can reform if destroyed. Initial spawn time is one month.¡± Jesus. Christ. How many trees were there? Had he just gained a whole army of settlement defenders? ¡°How far can they go? I mean¡­can I order them? How exactly do they even¡­¡± ¡°Guardian behavior is determined by Nexus level and upgrades. Please follow me to the Teleportation Beacon, and the conclusion of the tour.¡± Mason followed, still fighting the thrill at the discovery of the guardians. The more he saw, the safer he was starting to feel. Though a small voice in the back of his mind was already screaming: what exactly is all this defence intended to stop? His guide finally took him to a square, ss-like box that looked a little like a giant elevator. It moved to aplex panel and held out its hand. ¡°Teleportation controls are also determined by Nexus upgrades. But initial travel can be made between any willing settlement that contains a teleportation device. And most teleportation abilities can choose the Nexus as a location. Do you have any questions?¡± Mason scoffed. He had a thousand questions. ¡°What does ¡®willing¡¯ mean? And what do you mean ¡®most¡¯ teleportation devices? What about Wyrdwalk? And how do I know if a settlement has a device?¡± The hologram stared as if Mason hadn¡¯t asked it anything, or else it wasn¡¯t permitted to answer. He shook his head. ¡°The whole ¡®please ask questions¡¯ thing is a bit like corporate feedback forms, isn¡¯t it?¡± The guide just stared, and Mason turned away. He looked again at the amazing structure, feeling the hungry grumblings of the great tree, the hum of immense power surrounding him. He walked to the tform rail and looked over Nassau, through forest that was maybe his more than anyone else¡¯s. He realized if he climbed to the top of the great tree he could probably look out over the forest, seeing who knew how far. The thought sent a tingle of excitement through him usually reserved foring home to his girls. Or for a desperate fight to the death. ¡°No more questions,¡± he said quietly, and heard the guide pop out of existence. He closed his eyes as the blue light seemed to settle¡ªas the cool breeze resumed and slid across his face. This was his now, as his girls were. As maybe Nassau and this whole forest was. To enjoy. To protect. To be responsible for. ¡°God damn you, Cerebus,¡± he said, entirely without passion. Then with his ridiculous senses he heard the people of Nassau below losing their minds as they came alive and saw the changes, and the beginning of a tree city now floating above them. ¡°It¡¯s alright! I¡¯ming down!¡± Mason shouted, walking towards the lift before changing his mind. With a grin he ran towards the edge of the tform, then leapt over the rail for the nearest tree.
Chapter 331: What’s next? Chapter 331: What¡¯s next? Mason met with all his yers, and some of the elves and civilian leaders in the central ¡®hall¡¯ of his new raised city. Everyone was buzzing, full of barbecue and a little alcohol, talking excitedly and staring out at the tforms and buildings. After they got over the initial what-the-fuckery of its instant construction, and then the size and absolute insanity of it all, they were all pretty damn excited. Naya and Haley both came to Mason¡¯s side of the table, exchanging a polite smile before Haley gestured for Naya to sit beside him first. She did, and Haley sat on the other, both of them looking just a little too generous and pleased with each other. Mason did his best not to roll his eyes. ¡°Are we going to move everyone in, er, up?¡± Sylvie asked. ¡°Oh God. We¡¯d just started to agree on housing. This is going to be a nightmare.¡± The former mayor of Sanctuary put a hand to her face and sighed, and Mason reminded himself people could always be trusted to find the bad in every situation. He didn¡¯t me her, really, she was probably right. There would be a lot of fighting. ¡°We don¡¯t have to do anything,¡± Mason said. ¡°But that¡¯s why you¡¯re here. I don¡¯t care where people go. And since we had more houses than we needed before, at this point it¡¯s mostly going to be a ghost town until we get more people. So I guess the main message from me is: I don¡¯t want to hear any housingints. I really don¡¯t. I have a designated estate. The beacons are off limits until there¡¯s rules. And I¡¯m taking this hall for settlement business. Other than that, go wild. You guys are in charge, figure it out.¡± ¡°So that means it¡¯s all open?¡± Sylvie asked. ¡°All the residential, I mean? And what about the crafting and¡­¡± Carl cringed slightly and was looking at Sylvie and shaking his head. Mason narrowed his eyes. ¡°Figure it out means figure it out,¡± he said. ¡°Hold a lottery. Vote. Bare knuckle boxing contest. I don¡¯t care. The first person who goes around you andins to me lives for a week with the wolves. You can go ahead and tell people that.¡± When no one else said anything Mason sat back and nced at his many, many patron points. ¡°I¡¯ll be sorting out more buildings soon. I want a list of requests and¡­I don¡¯t know, ideas. I¡¯ll give Haley a list of my options, all the information I have. Take a look, show it to your people, see what you think. Honestly I think we¡¯re pretty well defended. So probably we want¡­crafting options? I have no idea.¡± Again people mostly just nodded in silence, but they looked pleased to be included. The elven oracle cleared her throat, looking rather meek and tiny and old next to a human on other side. ¡°Might I speak, my lord?¡± Mason winced, no idea if he should try and correct her and just say ¡®call me Mason¡¯, or what. Truth was, he was technically her lord. And these people weren¡¯t humans whom Mason felt some kind of innate ¡®equality¡¯ to. Their culture was just¡­different. So he nodded and let it go. ¡°This ce is¡­astounding. And my understanding of what¡¯s happening is limited,¡± Dariya said, though Mason was beginning to expect that was anything but true. ¡°However,¡­it seems you are trying to learn more of this world? And¡­find your lost kin?¡± Mason nodded, and Dariya bowed her head again. ¡°Then might I suggest an Oracle Stone? This¡­Nexus, is truly unbelievable. A wonder of the world not seen in¡­¡± she shrugged, eyes a little watery as she nced at Naya and the pair exchanged a smile. ¡°We were already pleased to be here with you, lord. But now¡­it seems, the gods have truly blessed this ce. The light of Luna and the grace of¡­¡± ¡°Oracle stone? What is that, exactly?¡± Mason cut her off. ¡°Apologies, lord. Of course. It would allow me, and any apprentice oracles, to¡­look far into the distance. To read the magic of the material ne, and to explore the fey paths in safety. It would help you Wyrdwalk. To explore with little danger. Tomunicate with creatures of the fey.¡± Mason nodded, giving no expression. That the elder oracle thought an oracle stone was a good idea didn¡¯t exactly shock him. Not that he disagreed. It did sound useful. But he expected every person and their dog was about to suggest their own thing was the best idea ever. ¡°Thank you, Dariya. Haley will gather all the suggestions and give me a list. I¡¯ll want every use you can think of in detail.¡± Dariya nodded, and Mason did his best not to notice the slightly jealous look on Naya¡¯s face on the other side. He didn¡¯t know what elven wives did, or were expected to do, but he honestly had no idea what sort of role to give her yet. He wasn¡¯t going to pretend Haley wasn¡¯t his go-to for all things practical just to make her feel better. ¡°OK,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but, there¡¯s no immediate crisis. We need to train. We need to get the Nexus sorted. I expect thosemunication devices toe online soon, and then¡­I guess we¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°What are you nning to do?¡± Carl asked, then winked. ¡°We both know it¡¯s not sit around waiting.¡± Mason snorted, trying not to notice the slightly disappointed looks from any of his girls. He stopped and actually gave this some thought, not sure if he should go to the nymphs now while he had the chance and deal with whatever ¡®cost¡¯ they wanted. But it wasn¡¯t that appealing. He thought maybe he should do a kind of ¡®tour¡¯ of the great trees and the forest, just to make sure everything was alright. But maybe with building upgrades like this ¡®Oracle Stone¡¯, or just clever use of Speak with Nature, he could get information enough. That mostly left sorting out ke. He wanted his brother home to help with the Nexus, to help withmunication and just assessing whatever new groups of people they were about to deal with. He wanted his brother¡¯s God damn help. And not lost in some far-off n that theoretically might pay off in some possible future. ¡°I¡¯m going to get ke,¡± he said, then nced at Carl¡¯s eyes. ¡°I might need some yers. I have no idea how it¡¯s going to go.¡± The usually pleasant man¡¯s smile began to fade, his jaw hardening. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can help them, kid. I just don¡¯t. They tried to kill us. Kill my girls.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t ask you. And I don¡¯t even know if that¡¯s how this goes.¡± They sat in silence a little while, then Phuong cleared his throat. ¡°I will help them, Patron, if required. I have forgiven an enemy before.¡± Carl crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, a self-aware but petnt look at the Vietnamese swordsman. ¡°I¡¯m not that bloody old. I wasn¡¯t the one who invaded you, was I?¡± He nced around, presumably at the other Americans, then sighed. ¡°I¡¯m still not helping them.¡± Mason stood. ¡°I¡¯ll leave Haley and the civilians to start sorting out¡­everything. I don¡¯t expect to be at the tower long. When Ie back, we¡¯ll use those patron points, and hopefully by then thosemunication beacons are working.¡± ¡°And if they try and talk to us before you¡¯re back?¡± Carl asked, still a little tone in his voice. Mason shrugged. ¡°Feel free. If they ask for me, tell them I¡¯m busy.¡± ¡°Oh he¡¯s off making friends with murderous green monsters,¡± Carl muttered. ¡°No that¡¯s not a joke, Mr. President, or whoever the hell. Oh no it¡¯s fine, I can take a message.¡± Mason pped his shoulder and grinned. ¡°That was great.¡± He nodded towards Phuong. ¡°Get the other yers. We¡¯ll take volunteers. I can go alone and teleport them over, we won¡¯t need more than a few.¡± Phuong nodded and pulled back his chair, and all the newness and excitement had everyone up and chatting and grinning (except Carl). Mason patted his arm on the way by, understanding the man¡¯s angerpletely. He wasn¡¯t sure he felt any different, if he waspletely honest. A piece of him was seriously considering ughtering his way to his brother, picking him up by the scruff of his neck, and dragging him back to Nassau. But he knew ke wouldn¡¯t ept that. It also probably made no sense to go stirring up trouble that may have been stopped already. Mason didn¡¯t think he had much to fear from these orcs or goblins anymore. He and his yers were more powerful than ever. And now they had a raised city full of some kind of tree-elemental guards (in a month, apparently), and who knew what else once they spent their points and started ¡®tiering¡¯ up. No. ke was right about one thing: whatever the next threat to mankind, it wasn¡¯t orcs and goblins. Maybe it was the undead. Maybe it was the demons. Maybe it was something else entirely they had no idea about. But as Mason climbed back down to the ground in leaping jumps and drops, he couldn¡¯t help but think of roboGod¡¯s message when he¡¯d finished the challenge. Some kind of new phase, with a period of ¡®non-violence¡¯ between yers. It gave the impression their overlord knew something they didn¡¯t. Something about the nature of man, maybe, and about what was going to happen when everyone came together from different ¡®tribes¡¯. Mason wasn¡¯t naive. He knew the first chief of Nassau wouldn¡¯t be the only bloody-fisted tyrant. He kept a tiny hope that maybe in this insane new world the humans who won out would be the ones who saw the value in coboration to face a dangerous game. Good chiefs or kings who cared about the people they protected. But in his heart he knew: maybe the next threat to man, was man.
Chapter 332: Blake and the two towers Chapter 332: ke and the two towers ke and his unlikely band of heroes left the orc¡¯s White Tower and entered the Grey without much difficulty. Having the tower lord''s son probably helped. Even so, the guards stared long and hard at the humans and goblins, then at the Stoneblood prince. They forced him to separate from the others, where they asked him in several different ways if he was some kind of captive, or if he needed assistance. ke listened in with Mental Influence, fighting the grin as his potential rival for Ilya''s affections got increasingly angry and embarrassed. Soon enough, though, they were admitted, and a growing crowd of orcs followed them down into the bowels of the tower. ke supposed his cluster of constructs didn''t much help with the spectacle. He''d done his best to keep them all small and roughly orc-sized, a bit worried they may not fit into whatever challengesy ahead. But a handful of thumping, faceless, stone-like warriors was pretty hard to keep incognito. The noise would bring attention, then of course the orcs would notice the humans, and probably start remembering the human who had recently killed the giant orc tyrant that locked them down. ke nodded to a few, and did his best to smile. "I can''t tell if they want to hug us or kill us," Seul-ki muttered. "With orcs it''s probably both," ke said back, still smiling and nodding. "Are you reading their minds?" "I am not." ke sighed and let Navi out, always enjoying the little clicks and buzzes as his ''familiar'' floated into the air and made its initializing sounds. "I try not to use my mind powers unless strictly necessary these days," he added, then looked into Seul-ki''s exotic eyes. "I suggest you do the same. People tend to be a bit...extreme about them." She nodded. But not very convincingly. As usual, ke was reminded how difficult to read and also dangerous the Korean was, but he was damned if being around her didn''t send a little thrill up his spine. Another personality w, no doubt, but there it was. The young orc lord led them beneath the Stoneblood forges, near a now familiar waste pit that had the yers holding their noses. "I was actually going to hide here once," ke called pleasantly over the sounds of the workers above. "But I was rather desperate at the time. You should really consider plumbing." Their guide ignored him, leading them through several more corridors, past a blocked off gate with two guards, and finally to barely perceptible swirling darkness hidden against ck y. "A demonic portal, Master," Navi said. "Thank you, Navi, but I''d figured this one out on my own." He assumed it was a dungeon, technically speaking, but the in-game characters and narrative rarely used thenguage of the ''game'', it seemed. Though he supposed the orcs did at least seem to understand sses, so they might have more knowledge of the rules than he expected. "Everyone ready?" he asked, walking forward to hold a hand towards the portal. "I don''t expect we can change our minds inside." "I am ready, wizard," said the young Stoneblood, his courage kind of annoying. Everyone else nodded or confirmed they were ready, and ke put his hand to the darkness. [Dungeon discovered: Ancient Grey Tower Prison. This is a mortal dungeon for up to six yers. Would you like to continue?] Prison, ke thought. How interesting. It hadn''t been what he was expecting. He''d assumed it was more like a portal to some kind of demonic hell, and they''d have to ''close'' it on the other end. Now he wasn''t so sure. The fact that it allowed six yers and he only had three, was also slightly concerning. But there was nothing for it now. He would have to rely on the assassin, the stoneblood lord¡­and, whatever the hell Pliny exactly was. He clicked his confirmation, and in a now familiar pattern, felt the world vanish like a dream. * * * "I''m going to kill you, little orc! Descendant of the betrayer! Then I''ll scoop out your pathetic brain and feed it to your friends!" ke blinked and raised a brow at the booming, and rather terrifying words. Nice to see demons were at least consistent. The world was re-appearing and he tried to make out what he was looking at, but for the moment saw only mist and maybe two bonfires glowing in the... Nope. They were eyes. Huge, demonic eyes, floating in steam or fog in a huge cavern. It was hard to judge the distance, but whatever this thing was, it had to be enormous. "By the gods," swore the Stoneblood lord, clutching some kind of charm in one hand so tight his knuckles paled. The others were looking simrly terrified, but ke knew there''d be more than met the eye. He turned and looked around the cavern, whispering for Navi to go exploring. "Yes, Master," buzzed his inappropriately happy familiar, floating up into the mist. ke¡¯s eyes were adjusting slightly, which turned out to be a good news, bad news sort of situation. First of all, he could sort of see the demon. That was the bad news. It stood like a living colossus, red-skinned with hooves and horns, like an image of Satan plucked from some medieval Christian''s mind. The good news was that it was shackled. Like really shackled. Glowing, silver chains held all its limbs to the cavern walls (and roof, and floor). Some kind of symbols were etched along the metal links, all shining bright with magic. The demon strained and tried toe forward, the chains going taut with a terrifying rattle and ng. But they held him fast. "They won''t hold me long, insects," the demon growled. "Already the magic fades." It smiled, which was horrifying enough, gaping maw opened to reveal a nightmarish circle of fangs. But it alsoughed like a viinous donkey. "Your people are doomed, betrayer. Soon I will be free. And you will all pay for your arrogance. Your deception." "We cannot win here, wizard," said the Stoneblood orc as he lifted his axe. "But our deaths will be glorious." "''Can''t¡¯ and ¡®win'' aren''t really words I put together," ke said, still inspecting the cavern. He could see more symbols now, covering the walls, the floor, the roof. Many of these were glowing, too, and in many cases it looked like the symbols actually flowed together. Like a kind of...trail, or connecting puzzle. He walked close to the nearest wall. "Ready your weapons, then!" called the orc, chest heaving as he seemed to be building the courage to charge. "A moment, please," ke said, eyes and both halves of his mind watching the symbols, trying to understand. He let one half focus with his True Making vision, looking for runes or magic or... "Master!" Navi dropped from the mist with a grin. "I believe the chains are powered with thousands of Binding Runes. They are failing, but they can be re-activated." ke began to smile as he saw a thin line of energy flowing from the bottom of the cavern. It looked like a river blocked by a dam, the flow trapped but ready to break free and fill the drying slope with fresh life. "It''s a puzzle," he said, mostly to himself, still smiling. "A giant puzzle filled with runes. How delightful." As he looked closer at the walls he was reminded of the Maker Hall¡ªthe construction simr in style, abination of stone and metallic materials seamlessly engineered. He supposed he should have been frightened of the huge demon trying to kill them all, but mostly he was excited to see what new knowledge he might find. "What are we doing, wizard!" the orc growled, still insanely ready to charge and...well, get butchered, no doubt. "Get nowhere near that demon," ke said, turning to Pliny. "Do you see the symbols?" "Yes," whispered the half dead goblin, looking almost as excited as ke. "So much power. So many...secrets." "Indeed." ke nced at Seul-ki with a raised brow. ¡°And you, my dear?¡± "I see arcane energy. It''s dim everywhere but the floor. I see...lines? But I don''t see any symbols." "Interesting," ke said, not sure how best to use the others yet. "I''m going to start there." He pointed at the trapped energy. "Look around the room for any other sources of energy, Seul-ki. Pliny, go with her. If you can see any way to get that energy moving, start with that." "Yes, Master," hissed the goblin, practically leaping around Seul-ki in circles until she started moving. The demon growled again, its eyes turning straight towards ke as it pulled at its chains. "I should have known this stupid orc wouldn''t be in charge. What has it promised you? Whatever it is, the price will be too high. You will not leave this ce alive, human. You made a terrible mistakeing here." ke did enjoy the mockery of Lord Stoneblood, but he wasn''t paying much attention. He walked in a slightly curving path towards the energy, staying as far away from the demon as possible. More and more runes entered his vision, the ''line'' of energy Seul-ki mentioned getting more obvious. He had to get that energy flowing around the room, probably ending at the many chains. He had to ''re-bind'' the demon, and keep it trapped. Probably before it killed them all. No pressure, ke. "What do we do?" the orc called in obvious frustration, looking at Annie and ke''s many constructs, his axe still raised. ke arrived at the energy and reached out a hand, realizing he could manipte the symbols like...moving tiles. As he turned one, the line of energy linked up to the source, and the ''river'' flowed into it just a little further. He grinned, reaching for the next tile before he heard a hum on the air. The familiar, pleasant scent of arcane energy filled his nostrils, and ke turned to see the demon glowing with power. All around the cavern he saw small, spinning circles beginning to form. "Oh, I expect you''ll be busy," ke muttered, realizing they were portals long before Navi shouted as much from above. He mentally readied his constructs to take position around the cavern, supposing a nice, rxing puzzle would have just been too damn easy. Even if a demon was waiting to kill him if he''d been too slow. "You¡¯re so dramatic," he sighed, thinking of roboGod, then called to the others. "There''s demonsing through the portals.¡± He turned his eyes back to the puzzle. "Do try and kill them before they interrupt me."
Chapter 333: Lady Somethingeye Chapter 333: Lady Somethingeye Every yer without a prestige ss had volunteered to go to the tower with Mason. He suspected everyone was starting to feel time and pressure now that the system was changing the game. Pretty soon there were going to be more humans around¡ªand some kind of universal ranking list where people could see each other¡¯s names and maybe titles, and who knew what else. Where you ¡®ranked¡¯ was suddenly going to be a lot morepetitive. After a quick goodbye to the others, and a bit of an internal debate, Mason decided to Wyrdwalk most of the way to the orc towers. He was worried he might have to deal with more ''tricksters'' of the fey, or find some fresh problem in that confusingndscape. But he was home now in the great forest, and all he had to do was get to a great tree not far away. He had the volunteers wait in the teleportation circle with a deck of cards and plenty of food and water. "What if I need to take a piss, then?" Tommaso had asked, and Mason rolled his eyes. "Piss out of the circle." "Alright, what if I need to take a shit?" Garet had lifted the bucket he¡¯d apparently brought, and they''d all had a goodugh. Mason didn''t expect things to take very long. Their back up n was toe back at the same time the next day for several hours, but it seemed unlikely to be necessary. The world vanished as he entered the wyrd, each trip helping him tell the difference between the different sounds of life all around him. Even the ''steps'' were making more sense, which were really moving him from majorndmark tondmark. As he did he realized ''shorter'' steps were possible, though maybe not for him, or at least not yet. The fey creatures lived inside those shorter steps. That''s why he could hear them whispering, but couldn''t see them. They were there for one of his senses, but not the others, able to perceive him clearly while staying ''hidden'' from his sight. But Mason had already resolved himself to one day find that trickster that had screwed with him. He wasn''t angry anymore. He didn''t hate the creature. But even before he had a House and a settlement and maybe a species to protect, Mason had long understood power. It was why bullies, even older ones, hadn''t ever given him so much as a second nce. You didn''t pick a fight with something you knew would turn on you twice as fast and with all its strength, and didn''t seem to care what happened. You didn''t fuck with a honey badger. Mason intended to teach that ''trickster'', as he''d taught the goblins, and the orcs, and would teach every other fantasy creature roboGod threw at him, right up until he could somehow teach the synthetic God himself¡ªscrew with humans, and someday, somehow, you pay a price. Finding the great tree near the orcs wasn''t difficult. He heard the old tree''s voice grumbling, its mind and energy turned to rebuilding what the goblins had destroyed. Mason stepped out from the fey and let out a breath he''d apparently been holding, neverfortable in the strangend. He smiled and put a hand to the ancient tree, feeling its life and power thrum like a tired old engine. He felt it notice his presence and warm with wee. "Can''t stay," he said, using Speak with Nature and turning all his senses as carefully to the surrounding woods as he could. He felt the trees and animals already returning, the swelling of previously rotten roots, the clean, flowing water beneath the soil. He turned on Blessing of Gaia, letting the great tree draw from some of his strength, grinning as it pulled at him eagerly. He startled as a few vines dangled from above, green and young, trying to touch him shyly and curiously. He let them, realizing the longer he stayed and the longer his power was on, the more living things around seemed eager toe closer and see. Pretty soon there were birds actuallynding on his head and shoulders. They tweeted for their kin, cleaning themselves and squawking at rivals to get lost. A few squirrels zipped up his leg. Some ants swarmed over his feet. "Alright. I''m like a Disney princess now." Heughed as some birds started fighting over his outstretched arm, then turned off Blessing of Gaia. Most of the creatures scattered, only a few birds smart enough to know the show might start again until Mason shooed them away. He pat the great tree and turned for the orcs, wishing he had more time just to explore and try his powers. Every day that passed gave him a kind of increased wanderlust¡ªa desire to see this world for himself, to learn its hills and valleys, and how his powers could change things. Improve them. He didn''t know if it was roboGod screwing with his mind, or just his personality. A part of him feared it was all just maniption based on his ''sses'', a kind of mind control to fit the alien''s narrative. But he had always loved nature. In another time he might have been an explorer, eager to find thest few unseen ces in the world, to im a piece of it for himself. This new world had finally given him that chance. Yet here he was, chasing after ke, putting down bullies, dealing with all the problems of condensed humanity. Mason sighed, and tried not to think of himself alone, with only his girls and their children, exploring the world and leaving everything and everyone else behind. "One day," he told himself, wishing he could believe it. The orc towers remained much the same as before...except for a new, startlingly white spire on its edge, jutting maybe even higher than the others over the horizon. "Jesus fucking Christ, ke," Mason cursed, shaking his head as he sprinted toward the walls. His brother had told him briefly of what he''d done for the dy'' of this new tower. Mason tried not to wonder if whatever resource he''d used couldn''t have been brought back and used in Nassau. The answer seemed almost certainly yes. That meant this ce had already cost them a reward. It cost them God knew how much of ke''s time, which could be used elsewhere. Now it was time to find out just how much more time and energy they''d have to spend. Mason very seriously considered just killing them all. But after a small internal argument, he sighed and knocked at the front gate. Within a few seconds he heard movement inside. Orcs were growling back and forth until a small slot opened on the gate, and a pair of yellow eyes inspected Mason before widening. "It''s him," it muttered low. "The green eyed wizard." A series of panicked grunts and arguments followed. Mason called over the gate. "I''m not here for violence. I just want to see the...white tower wizard. Or Lady..." Shit, what had ke called her? "Lady Somethingeye. Orange? Red?" "Lady Ambereye," hissed an orc, obviously offended. Mason snapped his fingers. "That was it. So let''s stop screwing around, yeah? You just go tell thedy or the wizard I''m here, and maybe we don''t have to kill each other. Sound good?" The orcs went on muttering and arguing, and Mason closed his eyes and imagined himself in various sexual positions with his girls. It actually helped. A little. "You may enter," said the gate-guard. "But if you stray from the path, we will kill you." "Sounds great." Mason rolled his neck and considered leaping up over the gate just to make a point. But he decided against it. It creaked open and a half dozen spearpoints weed him inside. The wielders backed away and led him to a visible road he could follow to the tower. He followed it, hands raised slightly in the air. "Good orcs," he said. "Nice orcs." They red at him with squinted eyes, following in a loose formation all the way to the gate. He sighed and looked at the huge double doors, the huge eye staring at him from above. "Looks orange to me," he muttered, then touched his hand as if to enter a dungeon. Nothing happened. A momentter it made a kind of buzzing sound, and Mason shivered as a familiar, warm sensation prickled against his skin. Big Brother was watching. Or at least some version of it was. That was certainly interesting, and Mason would have liked to know exactly why... The orange eye blinked open and stared. "Be you friend or foe?" Mason let out a long, impatient breath, and considered smashing the stupid gate apart until he remembered all the orcs with spears waiting behind him. "Friend," he said, thinking ''both''. The eye blinked, and ''spoke'' again. "What is the airspeed velocity of an uden swallow?" Mason turned and red. He''d forgotten entirely where the reference was actually from, but he''d heard ke mention it so much he knew it was some kind of movie thing. And he knew the correct response. "God damnit, ke,¡± he muttered, then raised his voice. ¡°African, or European?" The eye blinked. "Hello, brother! This is basically an automated message. I made a construct that could recognize a human, so you didn''t actually need to answer. But I bet you did, ha! Anyway, I figured if a human showed up it''d be you. Pretty cool, huh? Unless it isn''t...that would actually be a little embarrassing. ¡°Listen, I guess I''m busy, but please be nice. I covered the actual door with this thing so you need to, I don¡¯t know, punch your hand through it to interact with the dungeon. But seriously, these orcs are important, thedy is important, and you need to..." Mason growled as he smashed his fist through the construct, touched the dungeon entrance, and epted the prompt before the thing finished, and before the orcs behind him could decide what to do about it.
Chapter 334: Friend or prey Chapter 334: Friend or prey "Fucking hell." Mason stared at the handful of constructs that waited for him in the White Tower. The ce looked far...cozier than the other tower he''d seen, with plenty of furs and candles, artwork and rugs. But it was also obviously filled with ke''s handiwork. Half a dozen creepy, faceless statue men turned to face Mason, seeming to inspect him before turning away and going still again. He''d hoped for a little while that meant they were designed not to kill humans, or something, but a feminine voice soon whispered from the hall. You are wee here, Mason Nimitz. I wait for you at the top of the tower. Please follow the guide. ''The guide'' was yet another of ke''s constructs, this one designed to look a little like a butler. Mason rolled his eyes back to Nassau, then followed it past several halls and doors, past staring orcs that looked like civilians, up an ascending staircase to the floors above. Most of the doors and several gates were shut, one floor being blocked offpletely, so Mason didn''t expect he was quite as ''wee'' as suggested. But he didn''t really care. At some point it did ur to him that there were several hundred surviving goblins in this tower, and he expected he knew which floor they were on. He followed his guide like a good boy,ing up the final stairs to an even more plushly decorated series of rooms than below. He smelled several orcs inside, but he was pretty sure they were all female, so he doubted it was treachery. He tried not to be too disappointed. "Wee to the White Tower," said the voice from the hall as Mason rounded the corner. Several female orcs all bowed in his direction, all their eyes save one on the floor. Mason decided he finally knew what color amber was. The fur robed orc at the head of a table was far more human and far more beautiful than Mason had expected, her body strong and curvy, her eyes a stunning, vivid shade. Everything slowly started to make sense. ke was fucking her, obviously, and maybe smitten. It had only happened once or twice in his brother''s life, but when it did it usually consumed him. At least for awhile. "Where¡¯s my brother?" he said, too annoyed to be interested in politeness. The orc''s beautiful eyes shed with a quick emotion, though Mason couldn''t really tell what. "He''s...busy, I''m afraid. Locked in a demon pit with hispanions." She must have seen something in Mason''s expression at the word ¡®locked¡¯, because her green skin flushed. "Voluntarily, I mean. The High Wizard, your brother, he means to help us. To protect us from the demons. He is a man of honor here." Mason said nothing for what might have been a long time. He was thinking about the satisfying, apologetic sound his brother made when Mason had asionally had to choke the shit out of him. When he nced up at the orcs he realized some of the other females were trembling. He could smell fear in the air. "I cant...take you to him," said Lady Ambereye. "The demon portal locked when they went through. But I can take you to the Grey Tower where he''s inside. And with scrying magic I may be able to..." "Do you have anything stronger than that sourbrew?" Mason asked. The beautiful orc gaped for a moment, then nodded with a slight smile. "Yes. We have¡­a kind of ¡®vodka¡¯, I think your brotherpared it to. It''s made mostly from some grains here that grow without sunlight. Quite potent." She looked to the other women, who practically leapt to obey. Mason found a chair and sat, lost in thoughts about the Nexus and what the hell he was going to say to the other humans of the world. They needed to figure out total numbers. Could he fit every survivor of earth into his new tree city? Or were there thousands, tens of thousands, living somewhere on the Eastern continent? It was hard to imagine, but they had to be prepared for anything. "I worry about him, too," said the orcdy,ing forward now with a bottle and arge cup. "Oh." Mason shrugged. "I wasn''t thinking about ke." The cold reality of that truth struck him for a moment. It wasn''t that he cared any less, it was just...they were growing into men now. And Mason had too much responsibility to be going around worrying about and looking after his brother. He shook his head. "What the hell am I even doing here." "Do you intend to...hurt me?" said the orc. Mason blinked as he looked at her. Jesus, he thought, do I look that angry? He supposed he might have started looking a lot broodier and more dangerous than he expected. And he¡¯d always had something of a ¡®resting asshole face¡¯. Then he stopped and nced at his thickly muscled, tattooed arms and realized he''d identally ripped off one of the chair rests. He also hadn''t given a single thought to his appearance, not bothering even to wear Eve''s Vestments, which meant he was shirtless, wearing settlement pants that were ripped and apparently stained with mud and blood. Oh, and he wasn¡¯t wearing any shoes. "No." He drained his cup, enjoying the burn down his throat. "I came here to bring ke home. But maybe he already is." The orc watched him, then smiled a little,ing back to refill his cup. "He is very needed here," she said quietly. "He defends this tower. Defends me. I don''t know what we would do against these demons without him. Sooner orter, every tower might be lost." Mason drummed his fingers on the cup. "And you...approve of ke''s n? An alliance? Between humans, orcs, goblins...whatever else." "I think it''s worth trying," said the orc without hesitation. "You do not?" "You want the truth?" Mason asked, staring into the woman''s incredible eyes. She nodded, and he took a deep breath. "I''m still considering bringing a murderous pack of yers here and wiping out the threat of your people once and for all." She stared, maybe looking for the bluff. She wasn¡¯t going to find it. "We would fight you," she said, stiffening. Mason liked the grit he saw and smiled. "I''m sure you''d try." She shivered and seemed to blush again. Then she clenched her jaw, sniffing as she came forward to fill Mason''s cup before walking back to her desk. "ke wouldn''t allow it. The High Wizard..." "ke isn''t in charge. I am." The orc clutched at her desk at the words. Mason wasn''t quite sure what to make of it, except he could feel a bit of heat on his skin, like the air in the room had changed. He nced at the cup in his hand, slightly impressed. With his ridiculous stats he hadn''t been even close to drunk. Apparently orc vodka was a hell of a drug. "You should know it''s not easy to poison me,¡± he said. ¡°Or really kill me. With anything." "I would not try," said his host. "I am Ilya of the Vori, Lady Ambereye of the White Tower. And you are a guest in my hall. You may not think much of my people, but we are an ancient race of warriors, who conduct our lives with honor." She sounded a little angry now, offended maybe, which was definitely a talent Mason was learning he had. The anger made her no less appealing. Mason stood and nodded, wandering to one of the many windows. It was a nice view across the clearing and the woods beyond, the mountains to the west. "We''re probably not so different," he said. "Orcs and humans, I mean. But your people attacked mine, Ilya. They tried to kill my family. My friends. To burn everything I care about and am responsible for. I''m a king, now, or close enough. And kings can''t ignore things like that. Wouldn''t you agree?" Ilya said nothing, and Mason sighed. "I see what you get from ke, but I don''t see what ke gets." "What do you mean?" Ilya said cautiously. "What I mean, Lady Ambereye, is you have this nice white tower, filled with defenders made by my brother. And he gets what? A nice room? He can make rooms out of thin air. I have a giant settlement filled with rooms. I don''t see that you have anything we need." "You''re probably right," Ilya said quietly. "We don''t deserve him. I don''t deserve him. But the gods sent him anyway. He saved me, avenged my family, gave me this, and helps me to hold it. I owe him everything. I...try to show him. I don''t know what else to do." Mason clenched his jaw, then turned to look at the orc. Maybe she really cared for his brother. It was a strangelyforting thought, though he wasn''t sure why. ke had to have an angle beyond what Mason was seeing. A pretty orc girl and some foot soldiers weren¡¯t enough. Not for a man like ke. So what did he think he could achieve here? He stared out the window and drank a few more cups of orcish alcohol. He heard Ilya and her servants talking, thedy seemingly trying to get the other girls toe and ''rx'' Mason somehow. But they seemed ready to throw themselves out the window rather than obey. Mason was d for it. He wasn''t in the mood for much of anything except seeing his brother, and drinking. "We''ve been given permission," Ilya said a little whileter. "The Stoneblood n will allow us to go to the portal." "Us?" Mason said, an eyebrow raised. "You''re going to leave your tower, enter a rival''s? Isn''t that...dangerous for you?" "They have demanded it as part of the permission," Ilya said, jaw clenching. "And¡­my constructs cannot leave the tower. Can I rely on you to...protect me, if required? On behalf of your brother...who is my...friend and ally?" Mason snorted, turning to look into those exotic amber eyes. He thought of the words of his ''House'', that it had only friends, and prey. "Either you¡¯re really ke¡¯s ally, or you¡¯ve lied to me, and I¡¯m about to find out. Either way, Lady Ambereye, you don¡¯t need to worry about those orcs." Ilya slowly nodded and seemed to be shivering again. Mason decided it must be fear. The idea no longer bothered him.
Chapter 335: Event in progress Chapter 335: Event in progress ke was starting to think they were all going to die. Well, everyone but him. Probably. He didn''t see how he¡¯d get out of this, exactly, but he expected he''d find a way when everything went tits up. The puzzles were far more borate than he''d expected. Only he could see the actual symbols, which basically meant only he could do the damn things without painful trial and error. Meanwhile, every moment seemed to bring the giant demon closer to breaking out and ughtering them. Oh. And demons were pouring out of a handful of portals. "Pliny!" ke shouted. "How''s the left side doing?" "Close now, Patron," shouted the goblin, the sound of the square runes being shifted a constant noise from the goblin''s side. ke understood his pain. The goblin was basically trying to solve a rubik¡¯s cube color blind. They''d recognized four different ''sets'' of patterns they had to line up to keep the energy river flowing, but only ke could actually see the sets. The goblin had to turn tiles over and over until he saw the energy move. But they sometimes moved into something of a dead-end, and Pliny would have to go back and figure out which branch was wrong. Once in awhile ke would run over and inspect, telling Pliny where certain symbols were, trying to guide him forward. Then the engineer would have to go by memory. "I need assistance!" called the orc lord, another seven foot ing through his portal as he tangled with a smaller demon. The goblin assassin was busy with his own portal. Annie was...somewhere. ke winced and directed another construct in his direction. But he was using most of them to defend himself and Pliny as they did their work. "Another portal," Seul-ki called, running behind him and grabbing his arm. ke didn''t look up from his task as he started channeling True Making with his Partitioned Mind. He still had more than half mana, but this was no time for waste, so he was using Seul-ki''s pool plus a boost to make the asional monstrous construct with a short duration and Duality of Ambition. He flipped through the options, settling on a pre-made Arcane Defender. A typical de wielding ''centurion'' would usually have been fine, but demons came in a wild variety that sometimes resisted shing or stabbing weapons. One constant he''d learned, however¡ªthey seemed never to much like the innate Arcane ability to melt things in their bare hands. His channel wrapped him in power, blue energy swirling before his eyes as he stared at the runes, turning and twisting the lines of power to wrap beneath the demon''s chains. He felt Seul-ki''s power kick in like a turbo boost, his Duality of Ambition spiraling as his creation stood and unfolded itself like a damn terminator. It charged the new portal, and ke put it from his mind. He''d set its personality for constant aggression. The new portal wouldn''t be bothering them again. At least not for about four minutes. He returned both halves of his mind to his task, flinching as he sensed the giant demon''s mind powers yet again recharging. "This is pointless," the voice boomed, psionic energies washing over the room. "I will break your minds. Then I will break your bodies." "Mind Rend, Master! Moderate power! Area targeting!" Navi cried in automated concern as she identified the spell. ke grit his teeth and prepared his shield. In the past few minutes he''d discovered he''d been something of an idiot. Perhaps it was obvious that a Psion would have exceptional mind defences. But ke had yet to take any kind of specific power to do such things, so he''d assumed it would justeter. Turned out all his defences gave him some version of mind resistance. All he needed to do was direct it. You know, with his mind. Knowing the exact magic helped¡ªhence Navi shouting it out like some kind of magic scout. ke cast out his shield with a flick of his wrist, his own purple magic flickering with a visual effect like a ball of lightning. The demon''s magic struck it and crackled, ke''s mind and mana straining and losing a good 10%. He pushed it all to Seul-ki, and the spell fizzled and died. I''m going to enjoy killing you, the demon whispered just in ke''s mind. I''m going to keep you alive as long as possible. I''m going to... ke flicked out the minor telepathy and focused on his task. He''d never yed sports, but he imagined this was what it felt like to be a quarterback in the center of a swirling maelstrom of giant bodies trying to break you. Knowing for all the help of the others, nothing else mattered if you went down. Another demon leapt at his side, and he realized there were no free constructs to do a damn thing about it. He held up a panicked hand, then blinked as the demon smashed from the air with a growl. A sh of red and ck zipped across the room as Annie''s frightening axe buried in the thing''s chest, then the little red head kicked it straight back. The girl used to growl and scream duringbat. Now she didn''t make a sound. She simply walked up and yanked her axe from the demon''s ribcage before swiping off its head. Then without even ncing at ke, turned and ran at another creatureing out of a portal. He shook his head. Now wasn¡¯t the time to worry about her. He turned a final piece of the puzzle, watching his ''river'' flow up and around aplex dam, flowing down into the aligned set with a very satisfying, audible ching. ke watched the runes on one of the demon''s chains light like Christmas lights, the demon''s eyes following and squinting in rage. ke met its eyes, and smiled. "Right side done," he called, ing to you now, Pliny, then we..." "Left done!" The other side glowed and chinged again, the same river of power flowing to another chain with a sh of light. The goblin turned to ke and grinned with his awful fangs, for a moment puffed up and almost a different being¡ªan image, perhaps, of the brilliant, theoretically saner engineer he once was. Then he shrunk and loped towards another area of the puzzle. "Two down, two to go," ke muttered, then a little louder: "With me, Seul-ki. Heading to the top!" He arrived at the closest ''puzzle'' to the demon, trying not to be terrified as the creature reached for him, arm and ws jangling the chain until it went taut and stopped his reach only a few feet from ke''s flesh. The creature growled and pulled back, likely preparing to take another run at it. ke put the creature from his mind. He counted the symbols and let his vision go wide, letting patterns emerge as he stared. He heard another demon leap for him and get swatted down by a construct. The other yers were shouting in pain and mortalbat. Pliny was calling for his help. And Navi was telling him the likely timer before another st. Things were bad. But it wasn''t over yet... * * * "God fucking damnit." Mason gripped the ''closed'' demon portal entrance and tried again to rip it open. He and Ilya had entered the Stoneblood tower easily enough. They''d been escorted by a cluster of somewhat confused and impressed orcs, all of whom treated Ilya like a delicate flower, and Mason like the shit it had grown in. Not that he cared. They''d hadn''t tried to kill him (yet), so that was pretty much as good as he expected. He''d followed along, keeping the route firmly locked in his mind, ready to hack and sh his way back to the exit if required. But the orcs had eventually taken them to a very obvious...portal, the same circr pattern he''d seen in the Nexus test and the elven city. Though this one was dark as ake at night, and when he tried to touch it the thing sent a system message much like the one he''d found at the tower when ke was locked inside. [Event currently in progress. Please try againter.] He hadn¡¯t taken that particrly well. After the nearby orcs had scattered at his growl, Ilya suggested she could maybe use her magic to let them see. He nodded, trying to get himself under control, not sure if he was angry at being helpless or angry at ke for being such an uncontroble lunatic. But with a crowd of staring orcs still surrounding them, they''d sat down, and Ilya had (awkwardly) taken Mason''s hand, then put the other to the closed portal. And the damn thing actually worked. Mason opened his eyes inside a dark cavern swirling with magic andbat. He soon saw his brother and the other yers. An orc warrior. A goblin assassin. A lot of¡­monstrous creatures. And a giant fucking demon in chains. [Event currently in progress. Please try againter.] [Event currently in progress. Please try againter.] "Fuck off," Mason swore for the fifth or sixth time, breaking contact with Ilya and pacing around the portal. "You need to get me in there." "I..." the orc shrugged. "I can try. But I have no such power. I would have to pray to my ancestors for assistance. This is dangerous, and they may not be able to help. They aren¡¯t exactly¡­cooperative." Mason practically grabbed her by the throat and ordered her to do it. But he took a few calming breaths. He was surrounded by orcs who''d likely attack him just for touching her. And if he asked her to do this, he might ''owe'' another favor like he still did with the nymphs. He knew this was all system bullshit designed to increase drama and probably fuck with him. He''d been watched as he entered the tower. It was test after test, fiction mixed with reality. He had to be patient. Clever. To think like ke. "It''s up to you," he said with a shrug. "But he may die in there without my help. They all may. I don''t imagine your towers willst long after that." One of the fancier dressed orcs in the escort growled. "We have survived thousands of years without humans. We will survive this." "Please," said Ilya, her tone soothing, "your son is also inside, my lord. I will dly do what I can for the Stoneblood tribe." The older orc paused, but eventually nodded, and Ilya took a deep breath. She held out a hand, Mason blinking as a staff appeared from nothing just like his own innate weapons. She again took his with the other, a bit less awkwardly this time. He found it already slick with sweat. "If I fail," she whispered, just for Mason''s ears, "tell ke...it was my own choice. And I will see him in the hall of the gods." Mason nodded, the small urge to stop her from taking this risk quickly drowned out by the growing, much harder, much more necessary piece of him. The orc''s beautiful eyes zed.
Chapter 336: A bad sign Chapter 336: A bad sign ke knew they were getting overwhelmed. His constructs were very good at holding the demons off, but they weren¡¯t particrly good at killing them. As had happened several times, the type of construct he¡¯d brought wasn¡¯t fit for purpose. His centurions could stab the demons all day with their swords, but the unnaturally tough creatures just wouldn¡¯t die. The goblin assassin seemed in a simr state of disadvantage. He clearly worked best when he wasn¡¯t getting the creatures full attention, but there weren¡¯t enough allies to hide behind. So he wasrgely on the defensive. The Stoneblood prince seemed simrly suited to ousting his enemies¡ªwith obviously incredible toughness, and an impressive ability to smash his enemies all over the ce. But they just kept getting back up. They¡¯d have been dead already without Annie. The five foot two, emotionally damaged, teenage girl, was hacking demons apart in silence like a ck and red metronome. She was soaked in blood, goo, and sweat, racing back and forth across the cavern sttering gore all around her. ¡°I am nearly drained,¡± Seul-ki said behind ke, her delicate hand on his shoulder, her green and brown eyes starting to bruise. They were on thest chain, but it was far worse than the others. Each ¡®river¡¯ of energy had also trickled into the others when lit, and now they were working to find a solution with four lines instead of one. They all had to line up, weave through the puzzle, and reach the end without crossing. ¡°I have the second line connected,¡± Pliny rasped, his clever eyes roaming the puzzle in concentration. But he could only do so much without seeing the actual symbols, and ke didn¡¯t have the time to show him more. For him it was like navigating a maze without seeing the walls. ¡°Thank you, Pliny,¡± ke said. ¡°I¡¯ll finish the rest. If there¡¯s anything you can do to help the others, please do so now.¡± The goblin nodded and limped out of ke¡¯s sight, which was entirely focused now on the puzzle in front of him. His hands were scraped bloody from manipting the tiles, his eyes and head throbbing with dull ache. They were almost there. Just a little more time. ¡°The demon is channeling, Master,¡± Navi said in a neutral tone. ¡°Slow. Psionic. Probably a modified Mind Rend.¡± ke winced, knowing he had no choice but to stop whatever it was. Mind Rend was what the demon had used against him when he¡¯d saved Ilya, and what his demonic ne produced. It had nearly broken his mind, and probably would have if he hadn¡¯t been able to limit the damage with Partition. If any of his team was affected, he knew they¡¯d be nearly useless. So he looked up from his work with one half of his mind, preparing to throw another deflective burst of his Psionic Shield to counter the spell. But the damn demon just kept channeling. ¡°Navi?¡± ke called, and his floating familiar stared with growing concern at the huge demon. ¡°Mind Rend confirmed, Master. But he¡¯s channeling far more mana. It wille soon.¡± ke winced, and took the Mana Gem from his pocket. He had no more than 10%, and Seul-ki had less. Deciding how much to use was a bit science, and a bit art. He had to decide how big the st andmit himself appropriately or either waste mana, or fail to stop it. But he decided this was thest time. ke pulled at everything Seul-ki had left, trying not to notice her agony as the girl all but crumpled to her knees beside him. He pulled from the gem, trying not to touch his own mana, to save his mind as much focus as he could. Draining your barpletely tended to knock you on your ass. And ke couldn¡¯t afford that now. The demon growled as his channel ended, a visible explosion of power booming from his head. ke drained his gem dry and threw his Shield, watching the demon¡¯s power strike and spill over it, starting to fill the room before the ¡®connection¡¯ between it and the demon seemed to end, and the power popped like a burst balloon. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, insect!¡± the demon roared in fury. ¡°Arrogant fool! I will hunt your kin for a thousand years! I will maim and rend your mind until all that remains¡­¡± ke blocked out the demon¡¯s voice and focused on the puzzle. There were no more chances now, he knew that. Even if the others could hold off the demonic portals, this powerful demon was going to keep trying to destroy ke¡¯s mind. And the next time he would seed. He flipped the third and fourth line symbols together, one half of his mind focusing on each hand as he tried to move past the tangled block of the other two lines in the center. It was incredibly difficult to hold all the lines and symbols in his mind, and he was tempted to just start turning, testing, hoping for the best with his luck. Definitely not a good sign¡­ * * * Ilya touched ke¡¯s brother¡¯s hand again and tried not to get turned on. She quietly swore at the timing of her fertility, then chanted the names of her ancestors since the beginning of her n. She whispered them, so that no one might overhear the names and use them against her kin in the future. But it was important they were said correctly. Perfectly. Her mother had taught her that. This time when she had traced the line, finishing finally with the names of her own mother and father, she did not weep. She felt only pride now, having avenged them, wishing they might somehow join the circle of elders and that she might see them again in their afterlife. But she again recognized the powerful crones. Ancient oracles cackled or cursed as they emerged from the fog of the dead. Wrinkled hands grabbed at Ilya¡¯s hair, her staff, her clothes. Butpared to thest time she had engaged the spirits, this time was almost¡­easy. ¡°Oh, leave her,¡± hissed a familiar voice. ¡°She is too powerful now for your greedy fingers. Leave her I said!¡± The voice trembled with power. ¡°I wish to hear. I wish to see my upstart kin. This would-be tower lord. Hold up my eye.¡± Dead hands clutched a white eye in the mist, and turned it towards Ilya. ¡°So beautiful,¡± cooed the toothless, eyeless crone. ¡°So regal. Yet afraid. What do you want of the dead now, child? Haven¡¯t you enough already?¡± ¡°Forgive me, honored ancestor.¡± Ilya bowed her head, but held a steady grip on her staff, and on the names of her kin, which she still chanted in her mind. ¡°I ask you to open that which is shut. A portal to the demon realms. It sits before me.¡± The cackling and cursing began again, but quieted soon. ¡°We see the portal. But this we cannot do, Ilya of the Vori.¡± Ilya slumped, not sure what else she could do, or if there was something else the elders might do to assist her. The idea of ke and all the others failing and dying in that terrible ce was an overwhelming thought. But it was possible, maybe even likely, and that fact was beginning to descend around her like some heavy weight. ¡°Oh be at peace, girl,¡± hissed the crone. ¡°They will seed. I have seen it in the mists. So you have wasted precious time on nothing. Go, Lady Ambereye. You owe us nothing, for you have pleased us with your tower, as you will please us soon with your womb. Go.¡± The cronesughed, and the mist began to recede. ¡°Wait!¡± Ilya tried to hold onto her ancestors, but their power was too great for her to grasp. ¡°What do you mean? Please, exin.¡± She was not surprised when they did not. The warmer reality of the Grey Tower returned, and Ilya was kneeling on the stone. She took a few steadying breaths, noticing more and more Stoneblood warriors seeming to plug every doorway and corridor. The human warrior at her side seemed to notice them also. ¡°Lord Stoneblood,¡± Ilya said carefully, her mouth dry, ¡°are you expecting trouble? Even if our allies fail, the demons cannot leave their portals yet. Surely, you don¡¯t need so many warriors.¡± The old orc lord frowned at Ilya, and maybe even looked a bit embarrassed. That was not a good sign. ¡°Your n served the Stoneblood honorably, so I will speak in. This opportunity cannot be wasted. We would never harm you, Lady. We honor you for finding the ancient stone, and making the white tower. For this your name will live forever in the stories of our people.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Ilya added, readying her spells, looking at the human¡¯s stony expression with no idea what he¡¯d do. ¡°But,¡± said Lord Stoneblood slowly, ¡°your marriage to my n must be secured. With you¡­here. Alone. I will wait for my son. Then we will take you as a bride-prisoner. After you are married, you may return to your tower, with your new husband, as honored kin and ally.¡± Mason seemed to have stopped listening. He was smashing his hand into the demon¡¯s portal again, muttering something about¡­fatherless dogs? ¡°I see,¡± Ilya said, her heart racing. ¡°And if your son instead dies inside that portal?¡± The old orc met her eyes. ¡°I have other sons.¡± Ilya knew it was a terrible risking to another lord¡¯s tower. She had feared assassination, in fact. But it seemed her actions and perhaps her title as the first female tower lord gave her a kind of¡­revered status amongst the orcs. The capturing of a bride was an ancient custom, mostly ceremonial now more than anything. But that did not mean it was gone. And Lord Stoneblood was perfectly correct in his assessment. If Ilya could not defend herself, and had no protectors, she could be taken by a proper noble suitor. She turned to the terrifying human champion staring into the swirling darkness. He looked like a caged animal, ready to tear apart anything that entered his prison. But she had looked in his eyes when he heard the lord¡¯s n, and saw something almost like¡­relief. She knew then he did not want her with his brother. And so he would not protect her. The realization struck like cold water to her face, and she closed her eyes and tried to find calm, to chant away her fear. ke had to win. It was her only chance. Then he had toe through that portal and convince hispanions to protect her, despite likely being out of strength, maybe wounded, maybe even with losses. But her lover was incredibly powerful and cunning. He¡¯d find a way, she was sure of it. As she sat there, though, a terrible thought slowly came to her: to get rid of her, and get his brother back, Mason might actually help the Stonebloods. She looked at the terrifying man, muscled frame coiled like a spring, his own magic powerful enough to ughter dozen of orcs¡­and she knew if he did, there wasn¡¯t a single thing she could do¡­
Chapter 337: Don’t forgive twice Chapter 337: Don¡¯t forgive twice Mason paced in front of the portal until he ran out of patience. Which, admittedly, probably wasn¡¯t very long. ¡°Show me again,¡± he gestured at Ilya and held out a hand. ¡°I want to see again.¡± When she looked at his hand, then at his face, her expression was¡­changed. Cold. ¡°Why should I do that?¡± Mason took a breath and met her eyes. He knew what she meant. She¡¯d seen the look in his eye when that older orc was talking. When the creature said he intended to take Ilya and marry her off to some other orc Mason didn¡¯t care about. Yeah, he almost told her, I sort of want him to. Because then you¡¯re not my problem anymore, and ke has a lot less reason to stay in this stupid tower. And it¡¯s just orcs behaving like orcs and why should I give a shit. He took a breath, fighting his imagination from hacking his way through every one of these things in sight. He wanted to see, but he wasn¡¯t about to renew and rify his offer of protection. It wasn¡¯t like his seeing actually helpedwith anything. ¡°Do what you like, princess. But it seems you¡¯re short on allies. Maybe now isn¡¯t the time to be¡­unfriendly.¡± Ilya stared, then finally turned her head and took Mason¡¯s hand. ¡°I want to see, too,¡± she said. Then the darkness was folding away, like a movie theater with the curtain pulled back, the reel flickering to life. Mason saw his brother and that weird goblin hard at work at some ridiculous puzzle, the whole cavern swirling with a chaotic melee. ¡°Jesus,¡± he said, looking at the piles of corpses. Seul-ki and Annie were there and alive, the former beside ke looking exhausted, thetter racing around the cavern spraying demon blood with her somehow even more frightening-looking axe. An orc warrior fought demonsing out of at least two portals. Some other smaller orc or maybe goblin danced around him stabbing anything that got by. ke¡¯s constructs were everywhere, smashing and stabbing, or just holding things off with big shields. Mason saw at least seven. But even so, more and more demonic portals kept appearing, sending out a seemingly never-ending army of foes. ¡°Fuck. Behind you!¡± Mason yelled as some demonic creature leapt at ke¡¯s back. It stopped mid-air,unched away by what must have been ke¡¯s power. Though he hadn¡¯t even turned to look. Mason let out a breath and shook his head, briefly meeting Ilya¡¯s eyes. He expected they were both thinking the same thing. They weren¡¯t going to survive much longer in there. It was hard to tell exactly what that puzzle was doing, but it obviously had something to do with the huge demon¡¯s chains. Mason followed the dim lines of power, trying to understand. Then one of the chains exploded. A voice inside boomed iprehensibly, the words maybe scrambled as a feature of Ilya¡¯s power. The orc winced and put a hand to her temple, and the image snapped shut with a pop. ¡°What happened?¡± Mason did his best to keep his voice controlled. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know,¡± Ilya answered, her eyes betraying her terror. ¡°I¡­lost contact.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not dead.¡± Mason stared into the orc¡¯s eyes. ¡°I would know.¡± A little wetness made the amber orbs of her eyes look like suns dipping into the sea. ¡°How,¡± she whispered. ¡°I just would.¡± ¡°I am sorry, Lady Ambereye,¡± said the older orc, gesturing to the demonic portal. It had red open again, whatever was sealing it now apparently over. Mason instantly reached out to enter, but his hand passed through without any feedback from the system. What the hell did that even mean? ¡°Tomorrow, perhaps,¡± the orc continued, ¡°we both will grieve. My eldest was strong, and would have made a fine husband. Take the oracle now, my son, as your captured bride. But you must not harm her. I will see no injurye to the holy witch of the white tower. She is to be respected. Honored.¡± ¡°I understand, Father,¡± said a tall, muscr orc as he stepped out from the others. Mason could see the creature¡¯s hunger, his lust, his ambition. He nced at Ilya and saw her fear, and her grief. She didn¡¯t even rise, sort of rocking back and forth. She looked shattered by ke¡¯s potential death. Or at least so surprised she didn¡¯t know what to do. God damnit, Mason thought, his hands itching to draw his ws. If all she had to do was marry some orc lord then go back to her tower, and she didn¡¯t care about ke, what difference would it make? So. She really did care about his brother. This wasn¡¯t some rtionship out of necessity, a weaker thing clinging to a stronger. Mason let out a very long sigh. ¡°Just¡­¡± he stepped in front of the orc and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve had a long day. You know what? I¡¯ve had a few long months. So let¡¯s all just wait a minute. Alright? Just wait.¡± The orc stopped and stared, cunning eyes locked on Mason, a few of his brethren growling with growing intensity. Mason nced at Ilya and saw something like apathy, her eyes staring at some far off, non-existent thing. God damnit. ¡°Stoneblood, is it?¡± Mason looked to the lord. ¡°I¡¯m not like my brother, Stoneblood. I don¡¯t like orcs. So tell your son if he tries to take her, I¡¯m changing his name to Spilled Blood. Right? All over the fucking floor. So rx. We wait.¡± ¡°You threaten me?¡± The older orc growled. ¡°In my own tower?¡± ¡°No,¡± Mason said, staring right back. ¡°I threatened your son.¡± It definitely didn¡¯t help with the tension, but well, fuck them. Mason wasn¡¯t a diplomat. In fact he kind of wantedto fight. He also didn¡¯t ept or believe ke and the others were dead. And there was a familiar tickle running up his spine¡ªa whispering of Cerebus, maybe, buzzing in his ear, the golden eyes of the ram-headed god watching. Waiting. Egging him on. Mason tried¡­briefly¡­to fight it. He really did. But if he was honest, he just didn¡¯t want to. ¡°Kill him, my lord,¡± growled some deep voice from the crowd of warriors, to a growing chorus of agreeing grunts. ¡°We owe this one much blood,¡± called another. ¡°You are powerful, no doubt,¡± called the Stoneblood lord over the din, obviously not as keen as his soldiers. ¡°But you are surrounded. And I have many warriors in this tower.¡± Mason felt his genuine smile, still watching the lord, feeling the urge to draw his ws like the urge to run across open ground. ¡°Attack me, orc. And you¡¯ll have less.¡± Though the creature didhave a point. Mason waspletely surrounded, deep in some dungeon. His confident resistance seemed vaguely crazy. But it wasn''t. The longer Mason fought the more dangerous he became. And with Exploiting Strike, that was only getting more true. He kind of wanted to test it. Unlike the Greenblood goblins, these orcs just didn''t have weapons terrifying enough to kill him. Not before he regenerated and became too strong and tough for them to handle. Probably. As the orcs kept on shuffling forward, closing the gap between them no matter what their lord said, he was pretty sure he was about to find out. The small space around the portal started shimmering. Mason and the orcs all stopped and stared as the portal began to fade, a new color appearing all around it. Several vague forms materialized as blurry shapes, then crystallized into view. ke and all the others formed in a row. Then most of them dropped. The tension in the room didn¡¯t exactly vanish, and Mason wasn''t sure if he was pleased. The increasinglyrge, increasingly violent piece of him that loved the post-apocalypse was still itching for a fight. ke was a bloody mess. Mason turned on his new and improved Mark and swept his brother with his eyes, rxing when he saw it was all superficial damage. He seemed to be unconscious, but it wasn''t clear by his injuries why. Seul-ki was crawling to him, trying to use some kind of magic. Annie looked beat to shit¡ªher young face bruised and bloody, her body a maze of angry wounds. The masked goblin and the engineer slumped against the wall. The orc warrior couldn''t seem to stand. So it wasn¡¯t pretty. But they were all alive. "ke!" Ilya went forward as if to touch him, but Mason held her back. He was still watching Lord Stoneblood. These creature were a hair''s length from violence, and he knew any sudden movement might set them off. "Will you kill them now, too?" Mason asked. "Warriors who fought side by side with your son. Who came here to help you. Is that Stoneblood honor?" The lord¡¯s lip curled over his tusks. "What does a human know of orc honor. Capturing Lady Ambereye will wipe away any stains. Get up, my son, or the honor will go to your brother." The battered young orc looked between Ilya and his father, still struggling to rise as he shook his head. "Not like this, Father. The human is right. They fought well, and with cunning. We bound a demon of the pit for a hundred and fifty years. And I have been rewarded by the gods. Already I..." "Enough!" The orc lord''s eyes practically bulged as he gestured his other son forward. "So be it. Take her. I tire of this." Real concern now sloshed down Mason¡¯s spine. This was an entirely worse situation. Hemight be able to regenerate and transform his way into an orc wrecking ball, butchering his way through the dungeon for the day. But there wasn''t a lot he could do to stop a tower full of them from killing the otheryers. Even if they didn''t try at first, sooner orter, the idea woulde to them. Mason needed to change the dynamic. As the tall orc moved to close the gap again, he summoned his Teleportation Beacon and dropped it on the ground. "This isn''t going to go how you want," he said, ready to activate it with his toe. The orc sneered as he quirked his head and stared at the device, obviously more concerned than he wanted to let on. "Some kind of goblin explosive? I''m not afraid to die, human. Are you?" Mason just grinned as he tapped the device. The orcs all sprang back, but nothing happened. "You have to¡­turn it on," ke wheezed from the ground. Mason turned and stared. "Did you fucking regain consciousness to trash talk me?¡± He tapped the power button, then practically stomped on the activation. The teleporter buzzed and emitted a soft blue light, the air gaining the faint, unpleasant odor of arcane power. "I don''t care what it is!¡± yelled the old orc lord. ¡°Kill the human, and take your bride!" The lord''s other son finally roared and charged, as did a dozen orcs from several directions. Mason smashed the first to arrive with a vicious front kick. He sted the armored creature off his feet, then summoned his ws, and abandoned all thoughts of peace. Ilya was crying out about madness, about reason, trying to get to the others as Mason spun to sh at several more orcs. He couldn''t help but grin. Cerebus may as well have been on his shoulder, pointing at the next orc to maim, to kill, guessing eagerly at how it might die. The already cluttered cavern glowed as more bodies appeared in the center of everything, and for a moment the violence stopped. "I know, I know,¡± Carl said as he formed, rubbing a hand over his baldness. ¡°I said I wouldn''te. But I felt bad. And...oh. Uh. Hello." Several orcs renewed their attack, the fleeting moment of peace gone. "Fight the bastards!" Mason shouted as he dodged a spear thrust at his face. "Except her!" He gestured at Ilya with a sword. "And protect ke! And the girls!" Most of the orcs around the summoned yers were falling back, and Mason was reminded how much they hated magic. With a few exceptions, even the ones near himpulled back to reassess. Carl nced around the room as he solidified, blinking in the gloom and taking it all in. His terrifying dagger formed in his hand. ¡°Shit. Now I¡¯m d I came.¡± As the new yers took in the scene, the orcs were clearly off bnce, probably waiting for their master''s renewedmand. Every yer without a prestige ss hade with Carl¡ªTommaso (some kind of generalist), John (the Scottish ¡®tank¡¯), and Garet and Jason (different kinds of spearmen). Lord Stoneblood looked shaken, his eyes moving over the yers as he licked his lips. Things had changed rather quickly. Mason took the opportunity to close his eyes and activate Call Beast. "Maybe..." the orc started, something like a brown blushing to his face. "Perhaps we can still..." Streak shimmered into view¡ªthe wolf¡¯s bulk narrowing the shrinking space even further, his bright green eyes, just like Mason¡¯s now, glowing in the gloom. He interrupted the orc lord with a deep, and certainly terrifying growl. Mason thought of the words of his house¡ªfriend, or prey. These things had attacked him and his with no provocation. Even so, he''d given them the benefit of the doubt. Now they''d meant to betray and attack again. Mason didn¡¯t forgive twice. "Kill them," he said low in the silence. "Kill all of them." Streak snarled and charged as the yers lit the room with power, and violence.
Chapter 338: Not worth the effort Chapter 338: Not worth the effort ke was feeling rather overwhelmed. First, he''d survived the horrific demon encounter and realized he''d been an extraordinary idiot. In the end he''d realized there was an entirely separate puzzle right at the foot of the demon, which would have allowed them to finish the binding enchantment without actually re-activating a single chain. The ''chains'', he¡¯d discovered, were essentially bonus quests, or optionals. When ke actually attempted to finish the main puzzle, the system had even spelled out exactly what they needed to do, and that they could do the chains if they wished¡ªeach chain finished adding an extra 50 years or something to the demon''s imprisonment. Since ke had ignored this puzzle, (see also: did not realize), he hadn''t known this until near the very end. At some point he¡¯d decided the puzzle seemed far too difficult, the challenge of the demon portals much too harsh. By the fourth chain he''d been wondering how on earth someone without his abilities could even hope to aplish it. Only after he''d screwed up and destroyed it had he realized the answer was ''they couldn''t.'' So, as the chain broke, and he finally saw the cluster of glowing tiles on the floor were a separate pattern, he''d switched to that. And finished it in less than a minute. His profile was still blinking with the sess. [Titles gained: Three optional chainsplete. Reward: Astral Binding Rune.] [Imprisoned Demon Lord Sazariss. Dungeonplete. Reward: Experience (major).] [Congrattions, you have leveled to 13. Please select a new power.] It was a wonderful high, and he''d have loved to make his choice now as he convalesced on the stone floor of the Grey Tower. Preferably with Ilya and maybe Seul-ki taking turns rejuvenating him. Instead, it was more violence. And betrayal. Topped off with a diplomatic nightmare involving his brother, a whole bunch of yers, and presumably arge assortment of dead Stoneblood orcs. ke was alsopletely out of mana. His constructs were destroyed, timed out, or left with approximately two point five out of four limbs. Oh, and his Partitioned Mind was fried again because that fucking demon had gotten off another Mind Rend as it went back to hell. So, that was neat. Then Annie started screaming. She was clutching her head with wide eyed panic, staring at ke as if for help. "It''sing back!" she cried. "My power...it''s not working. It''s not working!" Orcs and humans were nearly trampling them all in any case. Phantom spears were sprouting up everywhere. Weapons and curses whipped through the air as the warriors and yers went back and forth trying to murder each other. ke crawled towards Annie, not sure what he could do other than maybe give her a hug. Ilya somehow managed to get to him, and without so much as a word she grabbed Seul-ki and Annie by an arm and a leg and dragged them into the corner of the room. ke kept on crawling, sending what remained of his constructs to just put their broken bodies between him and danger. Pretty soon he was huddled with the girls in the corner, both goblins crawling towards them, the orc prince still struggling to his feet, as if he might join the battle. "It''ll be alright," ke said as he tried to smooth Annie''s hair and get an arm around her. "Everything will be just fine." Ilya met his eyes with a frightened stare, chanting as she began what was presumably a healing spell or two. ke looked out at the blood sshing in every direction, bits of orc slopping to the stone floor. Mason''s yers were attacking withplete abandon, the hate and rage apparent on their faces. Some looked happier to kill the orcs than others. Carl was already split in two, both halves apparently able to kill, and happy to do so. ke shivered when he finally saw his brother. Mason killed his way straight through a pack, ignoring their attacks as he cut off Lord Stoneblood''s head with a single swipe of his sword. His wolf chased after it like a ball. The lord''s other son was calling out in rage, charging for vengeance. He was silenced when Streak seized him by the neck and dragged him screaming to the floor. Mason stopped long enough to watch, then went back to killing with an expression ke had seen now several times. It was the same, zed eyes his brother had when he lifted weights, or came back from a jog. A mindless look of absence,pleting an important task he''d decided was correct, no further thought required. A mild kind of satisfaction at a job well done. ke shivered and held Annie as he Meditated, using his mana fumes for Mental Influence to soothe her broken mind. He could have tried to stop the fighting. He could have tried to wake Mason up, to get him to reconsider, to listen. To pause. But he had promised never to try this on his brother. And in his heart he knew it wouldn''t have worked, wouldn''t have stopped him, not now that he''d decided. In that frightening moment, ke wondered if there was anything on ''New Earth'' that could. * * * Mason killed every orc that didn''t flee, then called for his yers in the cavern. "Hold," he said, as Carl stepped towards the lord''s other son with his translucent de raised. The orc looked near death already. He was using the wall to prop himself up, his other hand clutching a mace with white knuckles. If he tried to actually attack, it was pretty clear he''d crumple to the floor. He stared at all the corpses of dead orcs with something like horror, gaze going again and again to his fallen kin. Mason snapped his fingers for the creature'' attention. "You fought beside mine, so you live. At least today. Remember I wasn¡¯t the one who started this. And remember that I could kill you and every other orc, right now, and there''s nothing any of you could do to stop me. I won¡¯t. But don''t think for a moment it''s because we''re allies. You¡¯re just not worth the effort." He turned to ke and the others all huddled in the corner, still not putting away the cold thing inside him that was sometimes required. He scanned them all with his Mark, relieved none were too seriously hurt. Annie''s worst cuts looked mostly closed, the worst injury now being an arm that looked badly broken. "We have too many yers to teleport," he said. "I''m going to send everyone who''s hurt back to Nassau with the beacon. The rest of us go by foot. If anyone has any thoughts or objections, now is the time." "I won''t be going, Mason," ke said quietly. "I need to get Ilya back to her tower, and defend her. And there''s more demonic portals to close. In fact I really shouldn''t..." "Enough." Mason felt hot anger overtaking the cold. "You''d be dead right now. If I hadn''te you''d be..." "But you did," ke said, "right on time. We were sessful in there, and a setback doesn''t change..." "You call this a fucking setback?" Mason kicked an orc head flying to crack against the wall. Annie screamed and started rocking back and forth. Mason was aware of everyone around him flinching in fear, so he took a few deep breaths and shook his head. "The Nexus is done. In three days we learn what''s left of humanity, and I need you there. Whatever you''re doing here just isn''t that important, and it can wait. So let''s go." "Sorry, brother." ke pursed his lips. "I can''t. I would, but I''ve made promises I have to keep. Soon enough I''ll..." "What about your fucking promises to me?" Mason shouted, pretty close to picking up his brother and forcing him through the beacon. ke said nothing, and Mason felt Carl''s hand on his arm. He shook his head. "Jesus, they''re right, aren''t they? You just don''t give a shit about anything but yourself." "That''s not true," ke said quietly. "You''re scared, Mason. But you can do this. You have everything you need. You can handle the other human leaders, and I''ll settle things here and get us more allies, then soon enough..." "I''m scared?" Mason scoffed. "What the hell do we need your orc allies for, exactly? Look what we did to them. All this for what, because you like banging that orc?" Mason regretted saying it instantly, but he was angry. It was cooling now and frankly he was just out of patience. He shook his head, kneeling to the beacon. "Do what you want, ke. You always do. Seul-ki, Annie, are youing or not? Be sure." He looked up and met their eyes. "I''m never going to ask you again." Seul-ki was impossible to read as usual, eventually shaking her head before bowing slightly. Annie didn''t stop crying. "OK." Mason looked at his very awkward, slightly frightened other yers and sighed. "Good work. Sorry I wasted your time. I''ll send you back now." Streak growl-whined but Mason sent him back again with his power. He wanted to be alone. Before Carl had some kind of quip orint, he activated the beacon and watched the yers fade from view. When they were gone, Mason met his brother''s eyes. "If Ie here again, it''s to kill these things. Is that clear? Don''t call me. Don''t ask for my help. Youe to Nassau, the ce you asked me to save, and you help me, or you leave me the fuck out of it." ke clearly swallowed some emotion, and Mason felt his own lump threatening to form before he buried it beneath the harsh reality of this new world. When they were boys he''d had nothing else to do but deal with ke''s bullshit. No responsibilities, no one else he loved. But there were too many people depending on him now. "I understand," ke said eventually. "I''m sorry, Mason. One day I hope you''ll see. I am helping you. Helping everyone. And soon enough we''ll be..." Mason activated Wyrdwalk. He stepped through the deep tunnel of ancient earth like the ''godpath'' he now knew it was, no interest in hearing any more.
Chapter 339: Do you know who I am? Chapter 339: Do you know who I am? ke watched his brother vanish into the wall, then turned to the others and grinned. He couldn''t have been more proud. "Did you see that magnificent bastard brother of mine?" He shook his head. "Considering you''re in heat, Ilya, I don''t know how you didn''t throw yourself at him. I''m not sure I''d me you." The orcdy blushed her peculiar shade of yellow, mouth slightly agape as she stared at ke in confusion. He couldn''t help butugh. "Oh, lighten up. We should all be dead, really." He nced back and forth "Did you think I hadn''t at least considered the possibility of treachery? No offense, but you orcs can be a bit naughty. It all worked out rather beautifully, I''d say." Here ke winced and nced at the surviving orc prince. "Apologies, of course, Lord Stoneblood. But even you have to admit, your father and brothers¡­made a terrible mistake." The orc stared with a clenched jaw and seething rage. ke shrugged as he drew more energy from Seul-ki, and flowed more soothing Influence into Annie''s mind. "You¡¯re going to need to think clearly now, my friend.¡± ¡°I am not your friend, wizard.¡± ¡°Even so. Clearly it would be better for both of us if demons killed your kin and warriors, and not a murderous bunch of humans.¡± Here he stopped and took on a dramatic tone. ¡°The resistance to our efforts was even worse than we could have imagined! But despite all odds, together we triumphed over the attackers¡ªthe Stonebloods died as heroes, to be remembered for all time¡ªand yet again imprisoned the ancient evil of Saza¡­ whatever, where he shall remain for 150 years. Not bad, uh?" ke was d the orc lord looked too injured to attack him. He wouldn''t have wanted to have to kill him. "You want me to deceive the council?" Halvar rasped. "To cover the deaths of my own brothers and father? To call them heroes when they were not only too cowardly to face the demons, but turned on their own allies when they were weak?" ke looked back and forth and tapped his fingers on his knuckles. "Mmhmm." The orc scoffed and slumped to the ground, any violent intent at least seeming drained. ke kept on Meditating and soothing Annie, the little redhead now calm enough she''dy down with her head in hisp and closed her eyes as Ilya continued healing her. It seemed her mental barrier power had its limits. Somehow the demon¡¯s magic must have shattered it with its mind rend, though no one else seemed affected. Probably it had been an area effect and the poor girl just got caught by being too close to ke. "Oh, and thank you, my dear," ke said, turning to Seul-ki. "Your continued loyalty is truly remarkable. I promise rtions with my brother will be entirely fixed with a bit of time. I meant everything I said to him, and to you." The Korean smiled, eyes sparkling with pride as she bowed in his direction. ke was reminded how alike they were, how in fact he could keep her far closer to his ns than maybe anyone else. Probably including his brother. At least for now. "I don''t understand what''s happening," Ilya said, looking somewhat emotionally drained. ke took her hand and gave it a gentle pat. "We always knew this would be hard, my dear. To unite orc and human. And goblin." He winked at Pliny and the assassin. "And whatever else we can manage, for that matter." He shrugged and kissed the back of Ilya''s hand. "My brother and I have been a single unit all our lives. I need to stand on my own. And so does he. Like the greenskins I hope to make our allies, sometimes we will disagree, even fight. But that shouldn''t stop us from building a brand new future. Should it?" Ilya shook her head and shrugged helplessly at the same time, then nced at the orc lord a bit shyly. "I should have...I haven''t been entirely...honest, about my rtionship with..." "You won''t be marrying the Lady Ilya," ke finished. "But with the honor and reputation gained closing that portal, not to mention your new rewards, you needn''t worry. n Stoneblood will rise ever higher. You are young, Lord Stoneblood. And you have loyal and powerful allies in myself anddy Ilya, I assure you. With our help, who can imagine how high you might climb?" The orc stared and stared, his eyes squinting as they flicked between ke and Ilya. "I have a good imagination." keughed, a genuine smile creeping across his face. "I''d worried about you, Lord Stoneblood, since we''re being honest. But now I think¡ªone day¡ªwe might be friends." He stood and helped Annie to her feet, still feeding her courage and calm. It was time to deal with this problem, then prepare for the next demon portal. He hoped Mason wouldn''t be too angry, and that he''d stop worrying about ke and turn his attention to the many things he needed to deal with. ke hadplete faith in his brother. The idea of a bunch of politicians and lesser warlords meeting the new and improved ¡®Apocalypse Mason¡¯ made him smile. Though he did regret he wouldn''t be there to see it in real time. The things I sacrifice for mankind, he thought with a sigh. Then he limped back towards the exit with Pliny and his girls, stopping briefly to look at the goblin assassin standing still in the corner. "Oh. I suppose you''ll have to decide if you''ll keep my secrets or not." He clucked his tongue. "I should really kill you. Or at least¡­wipe your mind, or something. But..." he shrugged. "I don''t want to. So for now I''m going to trust you. At least far enough not to tell anyone but Chillik the truth. Let''s call it a leap of faith. Do we have a deal?" The goblin nodded once, its spring-like body clearly braced for violence. ke was surprised to find he actually trusted the thing a little. He wasn''t exactly sure why. In the past he''d have called it intuition, but he suspected now it might have something to do with his ''luck''. Maybe, just maybe, he''d found the one goblin assassin worthy of trust. But probably not. "Let''s go home," he whispered, giving Annie''s shoulder and Ilya''s hand a squeeze. "Come along Navi. And Pliny.¡± ke smiled, feeling the future was busy, but bright. And a little exhausting. He still had to pick a new power, and investigate this ¡®Astral Binding¡¯ rune. But better to get safe first. "We have a lot of work to do,¡± he said. ¡°And there¡¯s no one to do it but us." * * * Mason walked into the Wyrd and roared. His deep voice echoed strangely, as if bothing and going from different directions as it bounced through the shadowy trees. His rational mind told him it wasn''t wise to attract attention, but the other part of him hoped it came. Killing the orcs hadn''t been satisfying. In his heart he knew no easy battle ever would be¡ªthat what drove him, had perhaps always driven him, was a challenge at the limits of his ability. He needed something stronger, something more dangerous. Like a damn dracolich or a giant worm. But nothing came. Only his own angry voice found him in the magic of the fey, and soon enough he calmed. He was about to take a few steps towards home when he paused. Going to ke had been on his mind for a few reasons, but mostly it was to take care of a task undone. And there was one more still tickling the edges of his mind. He had to go to the nymphs. What Calypsa was going to want, exactly, he wasn''t sure. But he knew in his gut that sooner orter he was going to have to pay, and that if he waited, the price was only going to go up. It wouldn''t take long, he decided. Calypsa and Thea would make their demands, and Mason would pay or he wouldn''t. If he didn''t, he fully expected to have to fight off their magic, and probably lose them forever as allies. He wanted very much to avoid that, but he also wouldn''t pay if they demanded some kind of fairy tale price like his first born child. Hopefully they just wanted to bang his brains out. And since more violence didn''t seem to be on the table, a filthy afternoon with the nymphs might be a pretty close second. Since he probably still had a marriage ceremony to deal with, maybe he could call it his bachelor party. He took a few steps towards the nymphs with a bit more excitement, doing his best to remove ke from his mindpletely. The fucking prick. The stupid, selfish asshole, lost in his own games and nonsense when the extermination of the human race was probably on the table. It was a good thing Mason recognized the sound of the nymph tree¡ªlike a woman singing as she washed clothes, or did some other mindless chore. A deceptively simple, safe little melody that definitely didn''t reveal the true danger or nature of the women living there. But Mason wasn''t afraid of them. He stepped into the mists of the tree, moving a hand to the nymph charm as he walked straight through. The druid returns. Thea''s beautiful voice drifted in the breeze. I have missed you terribly. And so have your children. Enter. We await you inside. And Calypsa? Mason thought. Was she waiting with a spear at the ready? Or with some magic spell to try and bind him? He entered the tree without hesitation, confident he could handle whatever tricks the nymphs used. His eyes adjusted quickly to the misty gloom, the wonderful floral scents and warm moisture tickling his senses. "Druid!" Thea rose from her pond in nothing but a see-through skirt, hair over her shoulders and dripping down her breasts. She held out her arms to him, then stopped and looked like a naughty child. "I''m sorry," she said. "But I cannote to you yet." "Where''s Calypsa?" Mason said, sniffing and searching for the far more dangerous sister. "I am here," she called in her more formal tone. Mason suddenly saw her clearly, standing on the far side of the grove before a wooden cauldron. "I sensed youring. I am ready." "Ready for what?" Mason said, taking small steps forward, ready to fight, ready to run. Calypsa waved a hand over the cauldron and closed her eyes. A momentter she convulsed. As her body twitched, images of another person shed and twined with her own. Mason saw white hair and wrinkled skin, then another raven-haired woman with silver eyes. Calypsa drooped, then rose, smiling as a staff appeared in her hand. "Hello, young buck," said the woman Mason had known only as an ancient druid he''d called the ¡®crone¡¯. They¡¯d met in a cave, then after sometimes in his dreams. "Do you know yet who I am?" Mason hadn''t. But he did now. The name struck him like a harsh p, then a gentle kiss. He said it to himself more than her, no idea what it meant, except that fighting or fleeing was officially off the table. He said it with a sigh. "You''re Gaia."
Chapter 340: A good bargain (NSFW) Chapter 340: A good bargain (NSFW) "Very good." Gaia smiled with Calypsa''s mouth, the nymph''s perfect teeth shing with the ''crones'' toothless gums. "So now you know it is me you must pay. I saved your mate. Life alwayses with a cost." "What do you want," Mason asked, feeling more miserable by the second. Gaia-Calypsa shook her head. "Look at you. So...grey. Is your young existence so terrible already? I can''t imagine what you''ll be like in a thousand years." "I''d be happier if you ¡®gods¡¯ stopped treating me like a chew toy." Gaia smiled, but it wasn''t very friendly. "You have forsaken me, ranger. Though I can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised. Cerebus is most persuasive¡­with men like you." "I didn''t..." Mason sighed. For some reason with ¡®the crone¡¯, or apparently Gaia, he always felt honesty was the wisest choice. "With your favor I felt...I was losing myself." "That''s because most of your ''self'' is an illusion, young buck. I was trying to teach you, but nevermind. I have always liked strong males." Calypsa''s image flickered again with the tanned, dark-haired beauty, eyes shimmering with power. "You haven¡¯t displeased me. Far from it. But today I am here to discuss a different choice." "I''m busy," Mason said, already losing his patience. "Just tell me what you want." Gaiaughed. "Ah, the arrogance. It¡¯s almost refreshing. I want what I always want. The most valuable thing you have." Mason stared, fighting the urge to close his hands into fists. So it was to be fairy tale awful after all. "I won¡¯t give you anyone I love." "They aren¡¯t yours to give." Gaia stepped towards him, one foot in front of the other as she flickered between Calypsa and the other young woman. "I am not some monster who demands flesh, ranger. I want what you know is most precious to you. You already told me as much. I want your time." Mason was surprised, and maybe a little less concerned. But not much. "I don¡¯t have time to give." "There you¡¯re mistaken." Gaia smiled. "There are consequences to giving it, but that is different than having none. You are immortal now. You have so much time to give." "When the people I love are safe," Mason said, noticing Theaing towards him, too. "When the game is over, or not so¡­desperate. I can give you time, but not now. I¡¯ll give you more, even, if you wait." Gaiaughed again. Her image was flickering more quickly now, as was the grove itself, Mason realized. He blinked and felt drunk, his eyes unable to focus. ¡°Life does not wait until you find it convenient. Life is urgent. Unstoppable. You will pay what you owe." "No." Mason growled, trying to clear his eyes. "I¡¯ll fight you." "Mmm." Gaia almost purred. "Such talk is for Cerebus. You cannot fight me, Mason. You can love me. You can hate me. But you cannot fight. Sleep." The word washed over Mason like a warm bath. "Sleep and join my daughters in the fey, and pay the life-price." "No." Mason''s powers and titles flickered before his eyes. yer killer first, the text scrambling and going red. Apex Predator appeared again and again, stamped all over Mason''s vision as it raced through a dozen affinities. Then it actually tried to remove something from Gaia and blurred out entirely. "My, my, you have grown strong," Gaia said, somehow standing directly in front of him now. Tendrils formed around him, smoky but solid, sliding over his skin like snakes. "Don¡¯t you see, young buck?" Gaia whispered in his ear. "I don¡¯t wish to stop you. I wish to help you. To make you strong. So strong not even I can corrupt or consume you. It¡¯s all I¡¯ve ever wanted, son of Adam. To make life strong enough." "For what?" Mason breathed, trying to stay conscious, to stay upright. Gaia''s voice dripped down his spine. "To deserve me." Mason shuddered and lost the battle against his eyelids. He felt the world turn as he fell, but instead of the ground he sshed into warm water and floated, floated, far away. * * * "Wake, druid," whispered a voice in his ear. Mason stretched and yawned, feeling safe, at peace. He heard feminine voicesughing not far away, a gentle breeze, the endless sounds of life in a forest. Then he remembered Gaia and the grove and opened his eyes, sitting up to find Thea sitting beside him in a green dress. The world came in and out of view, light and shadow intertwined. "We''re in the fey," he said, surprisingly calm, considering. "Yes." Thea smiled. "Though we call them the godpaths. Do you know why?" Mason shook his head, still looking out at the strange surroundings. "There are many worlds, druid, not only yours. The godpaths connect them all." "I could travel to other worlds from here?" he said, his voice slightly strange and deep as it always was in the ¡®wyrd¡¯. "In theory." Thea lifted something like a dandelion and blew away the seeds. "If you knew how. And if the journey would not rend you limb from limb." Mason sighed, trying to keep his eyes off Thea''s cleavage, her long, bare legs wrapped over his knee. "Why am I here?" The nymph shrugged. "Because my mistressmands it." When he stared at her long enough she grinned. "To learn. To be at peace. To pay what you owe." "How do I do that? And are we talking days? Weeks? What?" Thea smiled andughed, and Mason tried not to stare at her open mouth. "How much is the life of your lover worth?" Mason already disliked this game. "She may have lived without your help. She¡¯s strong." "Perhaps," Thea agreed. "Gaia will weigh all. Will it be so terrible, druid? To spend time here with us?" "No. But I have things to do, Thea. And who is ''us''?" Thea smiled again and trailed her fingers over Mason''s hand. "I will take you to holy...Eve, soon enough. She will help teach you." Mason held back the sigh as Thea leaned in and kissed his temple, his brow. "I¡¯ll be in here." He gestured to his head. "I''ll be afraid for them. I''ll be distracted. I won''t learn anything." "Afraid for them?" Thea pulled back and frowned. "They''re in no danger. And they won''t miss you, druid." "Of course they will, and are," he said, annoyed. "What do you think this world is for us humans? It''s filled with death and danger. We don''t all live hidden in a great tree." Thea shook her head. "Gaia has not demanded their time. Here in the ¡®fey¡¯, in Gaia''s grove, we are removed from your world and all its...trappings. You will pay what you owe, and return to them just as they are. No ''time'' will have passed for them. If that is what concerns you." Mason blinked, understanding but not quite epting what he''d heard. "You mean¡­no time will pass on earth? I''ll go back just when I left? Even if I¡¯m here for...what, weeks?" Thea nodded and smiled, her hands moving up his arms before she shrugged. "If you must stay longer, you might lose an hour. Perhaps two. They can go without you a little while, surely?" Mason started to ept what she was saying was true, though his never-ending paranoia red. He didn¡¯t see what the hell he could currently do about it anyway, so he put a hand on either side of Thea''s hips, and set her on hisp. He kissed her thick lips as he groped her ass, slowly pulling up the dress. Sheughed as a strap slipped from her shoulder. "There is the young druid I remember. Oh I have missed your touch. And your seed." Mason had his pants down in moments, then Thea''s dress up around her waist. She wasn''t wearing any underwear, of course. He pulled down both straps, bunching the leafy fabric at her stomach as he took turns with both nipples, gripping her soft breasts as he sucked and went hard as a rock. She kissed him passionately as she raised herself up and slid down his shaft, making little moans and stopping as she took him inch by inch. "I must savor it," she whispered. "It''s been so long." "Don''t worry," Mason said, moving her down until he was touching her warmth and wetness. "We''ll make up for lost time." She moaned and pressed against him, sliding down his shaft as she started to ride with expert movement in her hips. Mason blocked out every invasive thought and just lost himself in Thea''s softness, her lips on his neck and face, her sex consuming him from tip to base. When he finally opened his eyes he saw half a dozen women watching from the trees, and jerked slightly in surprise. Thea turned enough to look, though didn''t stop riding. "Don''t mind them," she said, voice getting slightly pinched as she licked her lips. "All the daughters of Gaia might want you. But first you are mine." Mason had no idea what to say to that. He just let the beautiful, Greek looking nymph enjoy herself, her speed getting faster and faster as she moaned. Herrge, soft breasts bounced and slid against him, her long brown hair all over his neck and face. Finally she tightened around his shaft, shaking and wrapping her arms around him as she held her breath. He didn''t bother holding back. Hey back and pumped into her as she spread her legs wider and moaned. Her soaked pussy kept squeezing, so hot and tight and amazing Mason didn''t need long to feel the pressure build. He pped and gripped her ass with both hands as he came, giving her exactly what she wanted in deep, steady thrusts as he sprayed. Thea shook and screamed with every release, and Mason couldn''t help but grin. He expected whatever effect the ''improved'' Blessing of Gaia had on human women was even more pronounced with the nymphs. When he was finished he closed his eyes and rxed, no intention of moving anywhere. He couldn''t help but grin as he felt Thea''s hands and lips all over him. "Oh, druid," she whispered. "What life we will make together. Already I feel it deep in my womb. It''s so...I can''t..." Finally she copsed, Mason''s cock still buried inside her, pretty much instantly ready for another round. But he was happy to rx and stare up at the shifting canopy, hearing the other nymphsing closer to look. And who knew what else. OK, he decided. Maybe a few week vacation before ''phase 3'' really started wouldn''t be so bad. Apparently he needed to bargain with nymphs more often.
Chapter 341: Runic magic (NSFW) Chapter 341: Runic magic (NSFW) Mason soon met the other nymphs. Thea introduced them all while still straddling him, which really didn''t help with the names. They all smiled and gave him a little curtsy or bow, then asked Thea if they might take part in the ''ritual''. "Of course, sisters," she said pleasantly, slipping Mason out with a sigh as she rose. The other nymphs started removing their simr green dresses, though they all looked younger and slightly more ragged, or more uncivilized,pared to Thea. Before Mason could really ask questions, a skinny, disheveled blonde was on her knees slurping his manhood like a straw. "Uh. Nice to meet you, too," he said, eventually using a hand to hold back her long hair. The others dropped and stripped him with military efficiency, inspecting with a kind of animalistic hunger that was at least as much creepy as hot. "They are unschooled, druid," Thea exined. "They live here in the Grove, and have never seen a man before. They must use you to practice." "Sure," he said, wincing when he felt teeth. "Practice away. Happy to help." Mouths descended all over his body. It was kind of hot, and kind of ticklish, but as long as skinny-blonde kept working his manhood, he really didn''t mind. Thea wasughing and directing the chaos, telling the nymphs they had to actually pleasethe male to get what they wanted. Mason took turns kissing and groping Big-Breasted Redhead, Perky-titted Brte, and a dark-skinned nymph he hadn''t yet named, with an ass that looked like it could bounce her ten feet in the air. They took turns with his cock, next. Once Thea had calmed them down they all stared in rapt attention, then slid Mason between their lips with quickly improving motion. "Good," Thea grinned, holding the redhead''s hair as she swallowed him like a starving animal. It went on for what felt like an hour¡ªthe girls sliding their bodies over Mason''s, pushing their breasts in his face, kissing his lips and attacking his tongue like wolves chasing meat. Then without so much as a goodbye or a thanks for the good times, all three turned and fled back into the trees, leaving Mason very confused. And slightly blue-balled. "Their mistress calls," Thea exined, eyed locked on his erection. He rolled to his feet and bent her over with a little shriek, sinking an hour''s worth of teasing frustration deep into her from behind. Thea''s ass was even more amazing from behind, her puffy lips so soft and inviting, her tight little holes weing him in. And Thea wasn''t human, or fragile. Mason was soon pounding her with increasing freedom, the sound of their flesh pping filling the grove. She looked back at him and smiled as she moaned, then reached under and massaged his balls as he fucked her. He came hard soon after, sting with almost no sign he''d done so less than an hour before. Thea shuddered and kept milking him, squeezing his balls and pushing back against him for every drop. "My sister will be so jealous," she cooed a littleter,ughing as she wiggled her ass against him. "Tell her toe on by," Mason said as he exhaled, patting Thea''s ass affectionately. "Apparently I have nowhere to go. And nothing else to do." Thea grinned, making a final moan as she squeezed him again. "That''s not true," she said, as if unhappy. "We have many things to teach you, druid. Our mistress hasmanded it. I may have...taken some liberties." Mason chuckled, thanking roboGod again for making something like nymphs in the first ce. He ran his fingers down Thea''s back, thinking the next time he was behind her he might try a different hole... "Alright, Teacher," he said, slipping out of her and standing with a satisfied stretch. "I''m ready for my first lesson." * * * Mason had kind of expected his first lesson to involve more sex. Or at least something sexy. It did not. "Imagine yourself as this tree," Thea told him, wearing a new, summoned, nt-like dress that showed no cleavage, and even managed to hide most of her curves. Mason stared in the half-light, half-shadow strangeness of the fey, and sighed. His instinct was to tell her ''that''s stupid'', and walk away. But since his life was now a collection of ridiculous fantasy-world stupidities, he did admit his instincts weren''t always to be trusted. So he did his best. "I''m a tree," he muttered, "I can''t move. I''m not a great conversationalist." He activated Speak with Nature before Thea chastised him and said ''no powers!'' like the sexy teacher she now was. So he turned it off and stared until his eyes went fuzzy. "Now what?" he said, and Thea shook her head. "You are very impatient for a druid. Keep imagining." ¡°I¡¯m mostly a ranger,¡± Mason muttered, because he couldn¡¯t exactly defend himself there. His impatience was somewhat legendary even beforethe apocalypse. If he enjoyed a thing he could do it endlessly, but if he thought it was stupid, or wrong, or a waste of time, well... He stared at the tree. "If you and your sisters draped yourselves naked all over the tree, it might be easier to imagine," he said. Thea clucked her tongue, but he could see she fought a little smile. He took a deep breath and kept trying. It would have helped if he had any damn idea what it must be like to live in the fey. Beyond time. What did that even mean? Probably beyond the needs of most living things. Would the trees here need water, nutrients? Did they breathe and let out oxygen like normal nts? Was there even soil here for their roots? Mason blinked and stared at the little details of a single tree. He followed the lines in its bark, the little whorls and scabby edges, the bits and pieces eaten by animals. He felt his heart slowing as he focused, his mind getting slightly drowsy, and bored. He began to feel strange, though, more stillthan seemed possible. How long had he been staring, he wondered? With physical stats like his, how long could he simply sit, unmoving, without worrying about his actual needs? Could an immortal starve? Did he need food and water and air like he had before? It soon seemed like he''d been staring at this tree for hours. He felt like looking away and finding Thea to ask if it was over, but suddenly that felt like losing. And as impatient as Mason was, as stupid as he thought this was, he hatedlosing. Imagine yourself as a tree, he thought. Go fuck yourself. Or fuck me instead. I''ll sit here and stare so long you''ll think it''s some stupid epiphany. He did his best not to blink, and even started holding his breath just to see how long he could. It went on so long he nearly reached for his wrist just to check his pulse, but held back from that, too. A tree couldn''t move, after all. And Mason had ''be the tree''. He expected the fey affected him physically as well¡ªthat hisck of breathing was some universal effect of the ''world''. On the other hand, it had been a long time since he really tested himself in the ''real'' world. And he had certainly held his breath for extended periods when trapped in the earth, and in a worm, and in a dragon''s mouth... Some sort of vaguely distinct symbol caught Mason''s attention on the tree. He stared and followed the lines until he realized it looked like some kind of...letter, from an alphabet he didn''t understand. He blinked, trying at least to understand the full shape. It looked a bit like...well, like a tree. [Hidden druid ss feature found! Runic magic.] [Druidic rune identified: Arboreal. You have gained a new rune!] Mason shook his head and turned to find Thea, instead finding Calypsa waiting not far away. She held her spear, her dark hair tied in a ponytail, clothing more like leather armor. She met Mason''s eyes, her sharp, model-like face held with her usual indifference. "Thea was called. If you are finished, you are to follow me." Mason stood, curious to see where it would show his rune, opening his now usually ignored profile.
Mason Nimitz Level: 20 Primary ss: Adaptive Hunter (tier 2) Secondary ss: Feral Druid Prestige ss: Avatar of Cerebus Strength: 25 Dexterity: 28 Vitality: 27 Intellect: 14 Will: 24 Presence: 16 Luck: 9 Essences: Essence of the Wolf. Druidic Blessings: Blessing of Gaia. Blessing of Echtra. Spells known: Lightning. Inner Fire. Titles: Killer, Early Lead, Soloist, Crazy like a Fox, Burnt the Boats, Patron, Progenitor, Hit the Ground Running, First Blood, Defender, The Prestige, Tiering it up, Phase Jumper, Front Runner, What Is Dead May Never Die, Poison Shmoison, Baron, Post-Secondary, Bold Strategy, Shepherd of the Great Forest, Wyrd Pioneer, Desert Walker, Protector of Life, Protector of Civilization, Nexus Founder, Traveler to the City of Portals Powers: Power Shot, Crippling Strike+, Transformation++(T2), Predator¡¯s Strike, *Nature Affinity, Ranger¡¯s ws(T2), Endless Quiver+(T2), Trapmaking(T2), Aspect of the Cheetah+, Ranger¡¯s Quarry+(T2), Duality of Strength+(T2), Shapeshifting, Fang Brother, Wyrdwalking, Strength of the Pack, Call/Dismiss Beast, Exploiting Strike(T2)
He grinned as he looked, but the actual list of known runes wasn¡¯t anywhere obvious, and he wondered exactly how the hell he was supposed to use it. Fortunately, he was surrounded by creatures who should be able to tell him. Though he decided he''d much rather ask Thea than Calypsa. "Come," said the warrior-nymph, turning towards the trees. "Ask me nicely," Mason said, not moving a step. Calypsa turned like a hawk on the hunt, eyes narrowing as she stared. "I''m a guest of your mistress," he said. "And master of the great forest. Gaia used you just to get me here. Isn''t that obvious? You''re all here to serve me. To teach me. We both know it. So ask me nicely." Calypsa''s slender jaw clenched, and Mason did his best to fight his smile. She lowered her eyes and bowed from the neck. "Please, follow me, druid. I am to take you to Eabha for another lesson." Mason walked towards the tall, skinny nymph, very much looking forward to getting her out of that leather armor. Nevermind seeing Eve again... "That wasn''t so hard, was it?" he said. "Now go on. Lead the way."
Chapter 342: The ancient stag Chapter 342: The ancient stag Mason walked carefully beside Calypsa for several steps through the fey, but he''d gotten his bearings. He could hear Eve''s song now drifting through the trees, but he made no sign, wanting to see if the nymph was telling the truth. He rxed when she took him towards the sound. A part of him wanted to have a little heart to heart with the nymph, maybe just to clear the air. But he was also still annoyed with her general coldness, and also never quite sure how ''real'' any of this was. He usually told himself to pretend it was, and behave ordingly, so he was about to say something when the glint of something incredibly white caught his eye. He put a hand out to stop Calypsa as he hunched and scanned, trying to smell and listen for any change. Calypsa was a warrior who had fought at Mason''s side, so unlike most others would have done, she said nothing and looked, too. Eventually Mason found it again, and his breath caught in his throat. Some kind of white buck stared from the trees. Proud antlers rose like curving spires, ck as pitch and a beautiful contrast next to the creature''s fur. Its pink eyes didn''t move, didn''t blink or waver as they locked squarely on Mason. "The Stag," Calypsa whispered. "You should not be able to see it." Mason was afraid to move¡ªto do anything that might spook the creature. He couldn''t help but smile as he watched it, sensing something like curiosity, but also...need. When he couldn''t stand it any more he activated Speak with Nature. The thing was practically shouting at him. Follow me,manded the creature with its eyes and through the bond. Then it turned and bolted. Mason wasn¡¯t sure why he¡¯d trust it, but he didn''t hesitate. He knew every step here was dangerous, and he also knew he was supposed to stick to the ''paths'' and avoid the trees. In fact usually as he walked he only ever stepped on the ¡®paths¡¯, and wasn''t able to approach the forest at all. But somehow he could follow the stag. Its hoofs left some kind of trail, and Mason''s world suddenly shrunk and narrowed as he squeezed through a new path he hadn''t seen. Calypsa was calling his name, but he ignored her, and soon her voice became just another in the endless chorus of the fey. In seconds, sweat dripped down Mason¡¯s brow. He felt trapped, squeezed, chasing at full speed through a tiny corridor in the trees that would destroy him if he stepped wrong. But the stag''s path stayed true. Mason followed until the path ended and he reached a new clearing with mossy ground and a small brook. The stag stood on a rise, waiting for Mason before it moved down towards the water. Mason followed, still feeling a sense of urgency from the creature. As he crested the rise, he learned why. Another white deery by the water. She made a pained, bleating sound, and it was clear she was heavily pregnant. The stag turned with wild eyes, and Mason finally understood. It was afraid. On the cusp of violence. Helpless. Save her, druid, it told him through the spell. Mason winced, not at all sure he was the right man for the job. He moved slowly to the animal''s side, feeling the stag''s impulse to ram him despite its knowledge of needing his help. Mason stepped to the mare and took a breath. He''d worked with animals many times on his journey as a doom prepper¡ªknowing having your own chickens, cows, and so on was an incredibly effective way to survive. But other than learning through books, he''d really only ever been to a few farms to watch something like a birth. And he''d sure as hell never learned anything about albino, fantasy deer. He ran his hands over the animal''s sides and stomach, trying to use Speak with Nature before he realized he was an idiot, and activated Ranger''s Quarry. The stag seemed to sense the magic and snorted as it pawed the earth, and Mason held up his hands to soothe it. "I have to see what''s wrong," he said, then looked over the animal, soon thanking God for his new and improved power. He could see everything, and the damn system even gave him a little text at the bottom that exined the problem. She was having twins, and they were somehow stuck. "OK," he said, feeling some relief. That was bad, but probably not so bad. In theory he could solve that without magic or something else ludicrous. In theory. "I have to get them untangled," he exined, gulping a bit as he angled his way between the animal''s legs. It wasn''t exactly the way he''d intended to spend his afternoon, but such was life in the apocalypse. He tried activating Blessing of Gaia as he worked, mostly because why the hell not. It did actually seem to calm the animal down, but it might have been Mason¡¯s imagination. He did his best to feel for the kids, trying to ignore the hot breath of the stag a few inches from his neck, and the asional impatient snort. Using his x-ray like vision, he soon found the first calf and started manipting it into ce. The mother cried out, and Mason knew he had to hurry. With a terrifying feeling of ignorance, he steeled himself and pulled, yanking the animal hooves first towards him and hoping it wasn''t too hard. With a rather disgusting sound, the first animal came a good halfway out. With a few good pushes, it slopped into Mason''s arms. Mason nearly cried out in relief. And disgust. Both he and the stag seemed equally baffled at what to do. Mason cleared some mucus from the thing''s mouth, and by the time its sibling was en route it was making a bleating sound as it tried to rise. In a few minutes that seemed like hours, Mason was sitting next to two new white deer, whining for their mother and failing to stand on wobbly legs. He took a deep breath and washed himself in the stream, smiling as he saw the mother seemed fine, already fussing over her children. The stag turned to Mason and lowered its horns in some kind of bow, and Mason matched it. "Now, uh," he nced around the clearing. "How the hell do I get back?" * * * Once the stag realized Mason had no idea how to navigate the ''woods'', it seemed a little...sheepish. Thank you, he felt through the bond, with considerable warmth. For risking your life. "Don''t mention it." Mason stared at the surrounding forest for a path or a break, and saw nothing but flickering shadows. "Ignorance is as good as bravery. I don''t suppose you could...lead me back? Or to, uh, Eabha. I think that''s how you say it. The great tree of the north. If you know where that is." The stag stared, then went back as if to confer with its mate before stepping to Mason and lowering its horns. Climb on my back, young druid. I will take you. Mason expected this was something of an honor, and did his best to leap onto the stag''s back without embarrassing himself. He gripped with his thighs, not entirely sure what to hold other than horns. Then the stag leapt forward, and out of practical necessity Mason grabbed its neck and antlers before falling off. Hold on, he felt it say, maybe with a little amusement. It charged straight at the trees, and Mason cringed before they opened and epted the stag into a winding path so narrow it seemed impossible. He ducked and clung on for dear life, expecting his knees to get caught on something and pull him. In a few moments, though, they''d returned to therger, more familiar paths that Mason could actually see. The sounds of the fey returned as his new mount leapt towards Eve''s voice with total confidence, and Mason actually started to enjoy himself. "Your mate and child," he called. "Are they safe without you? I can find my way from here." Again something like amusement flooded Mason through the bond. I have no mate, it whispered back, leaving Mason entirely confused. Mostly he clung to the creature and tried to make some sense of that before the great tree rose into sight, still surrounded by the snows of the north. "I was with a nymph," Mason said, looking for Calypsa. "She''s probably back there somewhere, looking for me." She knows you are here, the stag whispered through their bond, the tone of its ''voice'' still vaguely mocking, though not harshly. "Oh. Thanks for the ride," Mason said, climbing down and resisting the urge to pet the creature''s muscled nk. It was a truly beautiful animal. Though he supposed it wasn''t really an ''animal'', or at least not in the sense Mason was used to. He was trying to figure out what else to say when the stag again lowered its head, its antlersing within a few inches of Mason. You have been tested, young druid, it said through the bond. And you have passed. Go in peace, and with my blessing. But do not use my gift to disrupt the godpaths. Mason felt the urge to touch the creature''s horns. They were familiar, much like Cerebus'', he decided, though ck instead of a dark brown. He reached out slowly, curling his fingers around one as if in some kind of handshake. It felt rough and strong, the tip sharp as a spear against his thumb. He was about to let go when some kind of energy flowed through it. Straight into Mason''s arm. He jerked in surprise, body locking as it had in the maker''s hall and at the end of the nexus event. [Blessing of the Ancient Stag. May its strength and wisdom guide your step. Walk the nes without fear.] When it was over Mason took a deep breath and blinked, then realized the stag was gone. He turned back towards the trees, blinking in amazement. He could see them, now, could see everything. There were paths everywhere he looked. A dozen creatures that looked like living trees watched him, though all vanished when he met their eyes. A tiny girl with wings waved, then an older voice hissed and yanked her out of sight. Mason shook his head and turned back towards the great tree. Another blessing seemed like a hell of a good thing, especially if it let him travel more easily through the fey. And the text said ¡®the nes¡¯. Did that mean he could somehow travel to other ces like the fey? Not that he had any idea how. But he reminded himself he still had a certain ''trickster'' to pay a visit, and the thought made him smile. First Eve, though, and hopefully another lesson. Then he''d go back to Nassau, and meet the rest of humanity. With a sigh just at the thought, Mason took thest few steps toward Eve. "Maybe I should just stay in the damn fey."
Chapter 343: Language of the gods (NSFW) Chapter 343: Language of the gods (NSFW) Mason felt Eve''s presence all around him even before he reached the tree. It didn''t give him any kind of dungeon prompt, and he entered her tree through something like a regr door. Albeit a magic door built into a giant tree. The huge, living walls of the great tree formed a kind of tunnel, and he walked towards the still singing voice of its mistress. Was he still in the fey, he wondered? Or was this the ¡®real¡¯ world? Somewhere in between? He honestly had no idea. In here, purred the great tree''s voice as Mason reached a warm cavern. It looked much the same as before, and not so different than a nymph grove. Eve had a much smaller body of water than the nymphs, though it had grown considerably sincest time. Before it wasn''t much more than a hot tub, now it was more like a swimming pool. She also had actual furniture, mostly made of wood that seemed grown out of the tree itself. She rose from behind a small table, a silky grey skirt around her waist, not much more than a leafy bra covering her considerable breasts. "Wee, Champion." She smiled and held out her arms as she came towards him. Mason tried to keep his eyes off her body, because he really did need to learn more about druidic magic. But he¡¯d forgotten how unearthly gorgeous she was, and he was definitely in trouble. He closed the gap between them, and Eve wrapped her arms around his chest and breathed as she closed her eyes. "I missed your scent. And your strength." "I missed you too," he said, feeling a little awkward. Not because he didn''t feel affection for her, but because he''d been so busy he honestly didn''t have time to miss anything. "There''s no need for false words with me," she said, still hugging him. She pulled back and trailed a finger across his lips. "It would be enough to say: I''m pleased to see you." Mason cleared his throat and probably blushed a little. He smiled. "That''s definitely true." Eve grinned and took his hand, walking towards a kind of couch. She settled him and started gathering cups and tes from a nearby table, bending over right in front of him until the almost translucent material of the skirt showed ack of underwear. Mason took a deep breath, wondering if it was just an ident or if things were going to be moving in a particr¡­ Eve came back and settled herself in hisp. Which he supposed settled the question. "These grapes grow even in the snow," she said, lifting one from a cup to feed him. "Winteres soon. You will find it harsh in this forest. You may need to learn a few things to feed your people, yes?" Mason didn''t bother trying to be coy. He just opened his mouth as Eve pushed in the grape, and a decent length of her finger. He chewed, and probably kissed a little. Eve grinned and leaned down to kiss him, moaning as he kissed her back. "I understand you have something to teach me," he said with a little chastisement. And also to try and keep his brain working. "True." Eve sighed and chewed a little of the grape she''d stolen from his mouth. "You don''t mind if I stay here, do you?" "I''ll try to focus." "You''ve learned a rune from the nymphs, yes?" Mason nodded, and Eve smiled. "Druidic magic, as you call it, has always used symbols. That is because its true origin is thenguage of the gods. We use their alphabet, just as we use their pathways. Everything they left us holds great power, including their words." "I learned Arboreal," Mason said, "from staring at a tree." He sort of hoped there was a rune for ''cleavage'' as his eyes moved up and down Eve''s glorious body. At least he wouldn''t mind staring at that for awhile. She kicked her legs over hisp like an excited girl, looking up at the roof with a smile as she chose her words. "There are many others. Unfortunately, a person cannot be taught. The runes can never be written again. They can only be seen, and understood." "My brother," Mason said as he realized. "He uses some kind of runes for his magic. He creates constructs, enchantments. I''m not sure what to call them. I think he called it ''Making''." Eve gave him an unpleasant look. "This is not the same," she said tly. "What your brotherdoes is...think of it as a newnguage. A poorly tranted pigeon tongue scribbled by the Makers when they failed to reproduce the God-tongue. They almost destroyed the world trying to unravel the secrets of the gods. Myself included." Mason nodded, not needing to be reminded what ''Makers'' had done to Eve. He could still see their wizards in his mind, bringing the endless winter that all but destroyed her and thends around her. "I''m sorry," he said, remembering her suffering. Eve kissed his lips tenderly until he met her eyes. "Why should you be sorry, Champion? It was you who saved me. You whoes with questions, not arrogance, to learn the secrets of the earth." Her expression darkened again. "But if this...brother of yours, if he is trying to learn the secrets of the Makers¡­it will make him¡­very dangerous." Mason tried not to think about his brother. Of course Mason had also gained his prestige ss and his Sleeves from the maker hall. He tried not to think about that, either. "I don¡¯t want to talk about my brother. Or Makers," he said, running a hand up Eve''s leg. "I want to talk about magic. Or maybe how good you look. By the feel of this ce, you''re recovering nicely." "Mmm." Eve leaned forward and buried her face in Mason''s neck, taking another deep breath. "The restoration of the great forest. And your seed," she whispered in his ear. "Though...I could use some more." He grinned, still running his fingers up and down her legs. "The lesson first." "You tease me, Champion," she said, not sounding at all displeased. When he patted her knee and stopped running his fingers, she sighed and gestured at a corner of the room still covered in snow and ice. "There. It lingers because it holds a rune of power. Look closely, and long enough, and you may see it." Mason nodded and stared. To him it looked just like a mound of snow, the edges melting and pooling into Eve''s water, the top broken off and copsing. But he understood its presence in the warm air was strange, unnatural. He tried to hold that contrast in his mind as he watched it, trying to imagine what kind of cold it would take to survive such warmth so long. "You don''t mind if we...multi-task, do you Champion?" Eve whispered. He kept his eyes on the snow, just seeing her in his peripheral vision as she started kissing his cheek and working his belt. "But you mustn''t look away," she said, obviously turning herself on. "You must be a good student and do what I say." Mason slipped a hand between Eve''s thighs, and she opened her legs instantly with a moan. He pulled it back and grinned. "You''re right. I shouldn''t get distracted." Eve made a frustrated groan as she dropped off Mason''sp. "I won''t distract you much," she said, biting her lip. "You needn''t do anything, Champion." She struggled with the button on his fly, but he could still see her big, white smile as she wrapped her fingers around his growing erection and pulled him out. Mason was pretty sure she wasgoing to distract him. Not being able to see what she was doing definitely added a little spice. He could only stare and guess as he felt her lips and tongue testing and teasing his tip and shaft. She went lower and yed with his balls, and he groaned as she started sucking. Then she was back up and swallowing his length in hungry strokes, making sounds like she was eating her favorite meal. And maybe she was. Mason kept his eyes locked on the snow, deciding he was prettyfortable with this one taking a long time. "Every rune bes more difficult," Eve exined as she pulled back and stroked him with her hand. "Thenguage of the gods isplex, and will fill your spirit as well as your mind." "And what will you fill?" Mason said, loving the sound of Eve''s littleugh. She answered by swallowing him whole, taking his not insignificant length entirely down to the root without trouble. He groaned as the warmth and wetness engulfed him, then squeezed, as if she was intentionally working him with her tongue and throat. Eve beat the rune. As she kept stroking and taking him all the way, the pressure built and Mason got too impatient to hold it. He released and coated Eve''s throat, cumming while he was buried entirely. She didn''t even flinch, just waiting until he was mostly finished before pulling up and milking the rest with a few satisfied smacks. "Keep staring, Champion," she said, still slurping and ying as he softened. "It may be some time yet." Mason honestly didn''t know how long it was. His mind pretty much nked after the orgasm, the staring getting considerably easier. Eve gave him the asional drink,ughing as she poured water down her chest and let him drink from her nipples without looking. Still he watched the ice. Then she knelt down and kept on sucking him, her desire and endurance seemingly endless. The time to discover an ice rune, Mason decided, would be measured in orgasms. Eve pulled back andughed like a girl with a sprinkler when he came again, jerking most of it onto her face before scooping it up. And continuing. The next one took much longer. He felt drunk by the time she finished him again. This time it was all business, bobbing and pumping down his shaft like she was drilling for oil. The shape of the ice rune formed in blue letters as he cried out and filled her mouth. Blue lines whispered in his mind of endless winter, the cold of space, the frozen heart of nature''s indifference. He blinked and finally looked down. It was quite the contrast to Eve. His beautiful lover''s face was all wetness and pleasure. Her eyes were closed as she licked and rubbed her lips against his cock, smiling mouth open as she yed. She was only wearing her skirt now, incredible breasts out and slick with her own spit. "Did you see it?" she asked, giggling as she pped him against her cheek. Mason put a hand to his face and nodded as he tried to stay conscious. His head was starting to ache, and he winced and reached for the cup. "I think you dehydrated me." "It''s the rune," Eve exined, turning a little more serious. "I''m surprised you aren''t suffering more. To learn two so quickly is difficult. I thought I might...help distract you." She groaned and squeezed his shaft again, tonguing his tip for thest few drops. Masonughed and held his head. "You definitely did. It hurts. But in the grand scheme of my suffering, it doesn''t even make the scale." "Yes. Such is your fate, I fear. But you are very powerful, Champion," Eve said, stroking him again, as if actually wanting more. "Especially since you are more ranger than druid. It should have been even more difficult." "Well," Mason said, no intention of stopping her. "I have two runes now. What the hell do I do with them." Eve opened her mouth with surprise (and possibly glee) as Mason actually started hardening again in her hands. "Do not fear, Champion. I will teach you."
Chapter 344: Baron’s new clothes Chapter 344: Baron¡¯s new clothes Mason spent ''the night'' with Eve, whatever exactly that meant in the fey. Learning the runes hadn''t hurt him, but they did seem to have drained his energy in a way he hadn''t experienced since early in the apocalypse. It didn''t help that Eve woke him. Several times. He didn''t mind, obviously. She was gorgeous in a kind of unreal, movie-star way that would have terrified him in his old life. But he was really tired. So he made her do all the work, riding him like one of those mechanical bulls until he passed out again. Eve kept bringing him water and all kinds of nuts and berries, which were shockingly filling, though not what he wanted. "I don''t suppose you eat meat," he said, munching on some kind of...leaf. Eve shook her head, then wiggled her brow. "Unless you count thest several hours." Mason grinned and chewed. Slept and dreamed. They weren''t typical druid dreams. He felt far more in control, but they weren''t normal either. Mason saw himself wearing clothes you might see on some medieval warrior¡ªmaybe a bearskin cloak over green chain mail. His hair was long, his beard ragged. He looked out over the rise of a hill, and with his ''dream'' view he panned around himself like a camera on a drone. A forest burned. A man Mason could only see as a dark, blurry figure stood next to himughing, the sound disturbingly familiar, yet somehow impossible to remember why. All around the trees were more shadowy figures that looked like an army hacking with axes, and lighting torches. He couldn''t decide what sort of creatures they were, but the man beside him was definitely human. "Mason? Wake up. You''re safe. It''s alright." He woke covered in sweat, a hair''s breath from drawing a w. He found a concerned, maybe slightly frightened Eve next to him in her bed. "I''m sorry to wake you...but, I don''t think you were enjoying wherever you were." Mason nodded and stood, feeling far better than the night before. The nexus event had definitely taught him not to take his druid dreams as exactly true. He was starting to think of them as possibilities, or premonitions. His dream about the Nexus had been mostly right, but wrong in the details. And he suspected through his actions they could be changed. He paced a little to clear his head, then took a breath and smiled for Eve''s benefit. "I''m alright. Now you promised to teach me what to do with those runes. You wouldn''t want me to think you lied just to get me into bed." Eve smiled and dropped the sheet to her waist, and Mason did his best to stay focused. "You cannot draw a rune physically. But you can draw them with your mind. Some beginners use a finger in the air. You must hold the entire shape somehow in your mind''s eye, or your vision. Focusing on a wall or the sky can be useful." Eve finally put some clothes on, which helped. Mason took a breath and focused on the furthest wall, imagining the shape of the cold rune and trying to draw it in the air. But the shape was reasonablyplex and, as usual, Mason was not a patient man. Instead he imagined it like a cattle brand, and stamped the damn thing. A rush of cold air formed around him, then sted towards the spot he''d been staring. It covered it with frost, and his mana decreased a little. Then everything was normal again. "Did I just do it?" "You did." Eve grinned. "It can be channeled as well¡ªaltered, manipted, woven with other runes. You have hardly begun to understand itsplexity." "As in, I can use cold and tree together?" Eve nodded, and gestured for him to try. "But know using two is far more difficult. You must hold both images in your mind without losing either. The rity is important. The size changes the effect. Many details matter, but you will have to practice on your own, it cannot be exined easily." Mason focused. The symbol of arborea felt bigger to him somehow, though he wasn¡¯t sure why. He decided to draw it more slowly, getting the image clear before he imagined ''stamping'' the cold symbol inside it. He instantly felt the rush of sess as he finished. He also felt this time he could hold it and channel more mana as Eve said, but decided to let it go instantly again. The ground broke apart. Small tendrils of white roots ripped out of the short grass. They grasped a fallen log, wrapping weakly around it, seeming to hold it like constricting snakes for a moment before dissolving into nothing. [Runic spell learned: Grasping Frost. Sometimes it¡¯s best to hedge.] ¡°Well done, Champion! And so quickly. Truly impressive.¡± ¡°I learned a new spell,¡± Mason said, grinning. His mana had taken a slightly bigger hit, but it couldn''t have been more than five percent. ¡°I see that." Eveughed and tied up her sex-tussled hair. "You will learn more. Try the runes in different ways. Be mindful of your surroundings, of the natural world. Seek out thenguage of the gods. But be patient. You have much to learn, and it will take time.¡± Mason smiled, thinking maybe he should linger in the fey just a little while longer... He missed Haley, and Streak, and all the others. But for them no time would pass, and he couldn''t imagine a greater gift than time to learn some more power. He prepared himself to try another version when a bit of light seemed to drift through the edges of the roof, or at least light it. "I love the dawn," Eve said, holding out a hand for Mason. "Will you watch the sunrise with me?" Mason went to her, but frowned in confusion. "The sunrise? I didn''t see a sun in the fey before. Are we in some different part of it?" Eve blinked and shook her head. "We are not in the fey now, Champion. I exist there, but I cannot linger in this form. You are in my home in the north." Mason felt a brief rush of panic. "How long have I been here?" Eve shrugged. "An evening. A night. You were exhausted, Mason. The days are shorter here, the sunsts perhaps ten hours. Though it will get even shorter as..." "I have to go." Mason ran his hands through his hair. The others would have been expecting him toe right back. They''d be worried and wondering what was wrong. And he''d only had three days before themunication beacons activated. Had he lost one? Two? "You are here to be taught, Champion," Eve said. "The mistress gave clear instruction that you had..." "Your mistress, not mine," Mason said, a little more harshly than intended. He was feeling a bit like he had back when he''d epted the Avatar of Gaia and used her power. Like he was losing control, somehow being manipted. Tricked. He didn''t like it. Not one bit. Eve was staring, somewhere between confused and hurt. Mason took a deep breath. "I''m not angry with you. Your mistress...lied to me. Or at least didn''t tell me everything. I have things to do, Eve, and no time. Not yet. One day I promise I''lle back and stay longer. But for now..." "Others need you," Eve said,ing closer with a smile. "I understand. I am being selfish." She trailed a finger up his chest, and leaned in to kiss his cheek. "But at least I didn''t waste any time." He kissed her lips and grinned. "No you didn''t. Thank you, Eve, for the lessons. For everything." "One more moment, please," she said, and Mason practically groaned. "My vestments. I told you we could improve them. And I have regained considerable strength." Her eyes flicked over his still naked body, and she sighed. "Now put on your clothes, please." Mason activated ''Eabha''s Vestments'' from his innate items, the strange, tight fabric forming over him snugly. Eve grinned as she inspected. "I do like them as is. But I expect you''d prefer something...more useful." He nodded and she hmmd and hawed, walking around him in a circle. "Something that...adapts, perhaps, like you do. That might even suit your other forms. Though I can tell by your scent that you rarely use them." "I only have one," Mason said. "Hmm." Eve held up a hand, her eyes glowing with a faint aura of greenish blue power. "If you have any requests, Champion. Now is the time." "Less tight," he said instantly, then blinked as he thought of his dream. "Could you make it look...like armor? I don''t care how I look, but I''m a baron now. I have to deal with people. They need to be take me seriously so I don''t have to hurt anyone just to..." he shrugged. "I need to look..." "Regal," Eve finished. ¡°Intimidating.¡± Mason sighed with a nod. "Something like that." The great tree''s spirit smiled as the power in her eyes increased, seeming to swell in the light of the dawn as she drew energy from the water of her pool in a flowing river of mist. "I will help them see you as you are. Knight of Gaia. Avatar of the Horned God. The gods of the earth have chosen you as their champion, druid, not just I. Let your enemies see you, and know fear." Mason straightened, feeling a little pumped up, being honest. But he would be happy with anything that didn''t look like spandex.
Chapter 345: Difficult words Chapter 345: Difficult words [Item modified: Eabha''s Vestments. Adaptable. Adds a percentage of highest physical statistic to all powers and spells. Minor defensive bonuses.] Mason looked down to see he''d gained something like scales. They flowed from his waist to his neck, over his shoulders all the way down to his exposed Sleeves. They also went down his thighs, but stopped at his knees for something like a fur boot. It looked like a version of what he¡¯d seen in his dream. Not the same, but close enough to be familiar. It made him wonder if the dream had somehow manifested itself. Would it look different if he hadn¡¯t dreamt it first? Unfortunately, it wasn''t much looser, but it did look fairly bad ass. It also felt like actual protection, though he wasn''t sure how he felt about that. A vaguely insane part of him liked taking punishment, and didn¡¯t trust armor tost long anyway. This wasn''t entirely irrational given his powers increased as he took punishment. On the other hand, he supposed it might be better if he had to actually encounter something slightly more difficult before the process started. He wondered exactly what it meant about adding a percent of his ''physical statistic'' to all powers and spells. Wouldn''t that be happening already with his powers? Or was this going to just increase the power of everything that wasn''t technically physical? He suspected however it exactly worked, it was definitely a good thing. He doubted he could ask Eve to exin the game mechanics. "And now, for the final touch," Eve said with a grin. Mason gave her a skeptical brow, then felt something forming on the side of his head. He sighed and waited until Eve raised her hand, and mirrored ss formed like a disc. "Do you like it?" Mason stepped forward to look at the tree avatar''s handiwork, then pulled back with surprise. Eve''s ''final touch'' was a helmet with ram''s horns. Between these and the slightly green scales, the glowing green eyes, and hard, almost angry expression Mason tried immediately to lighten...he looked¡­well, a lot like Cerebus. "The horns are mostly ornamental, so I wouldn''t go ramming them into anything. That is, of course, unless you grow your own horns, then the helm will cover them or fall away. You can banish it altogether, of course, but you did ask for regal." "I did." Mason said, holding up his arms as he scanned. He was already getting obscenely muscle-bound, but the thickness of the scales made him look...huge. He shook his head and thought about Becky. "Now I look like a damn superhero." Or a superviin, he thought, but didn''t say. Try to smile, Mason, he told himself, it''ll help. Eve was grinning as she inspected her handiwork, running her hands over his body. Not that he felt it. "I''ve outdone myself, Champion. Your sire may see you and change his armor." Sheughed at the thought, but Mason didn''t join her. My sire, he thought, never sure how to feel about these fictional gods that seemed to toy with him like a chess piece. But as time went on, he remained pleased he''d chosen Cerebus over Gaia. Neither god could be fully ''trusted''. But Cerebus was a creature Mason at least felt he could understand. A kind of blunt object that smashed his enemies andughed over their corpses. Or ignored thempletely. With Gaia...he still had no idea. "It''s incredible," he said, putting his hands on Eve''s shoulders. "Thank you." She smiled, then sighed, gesturing to the wall of her tree. "You can enter the fey from anywhere in my home. But your settlement is that way. Go back to your busy, important life. But don''t forget I am here, lonely and miserable without you." Mason smiled and kissed Eve''s forehead. She leaned in and breathed him in again with closed eyes, and he gave her a hug before heading for the wall. "Be careful, Mason," she said, her tone a bit more serious. "We are all the ythings of the gods. But they have their sights on you." He turned and met her eyes, taking that as seriously as she did. He''d already epted the logic that if there were gods of nature, there would be others. And since the gods that were supposed to be ''on Mason''s team'' were already terrifying, what on earth might ''enemy'' gods be like? With ast smile and nod, Mason turned and walked into the fey * * * And nearly walked straight into Calypsa. The flickering shadows of the ''wyrd'' bathed her in pale light, and she wore her armor as usual. She looked him up and down with a surprised expression, then lowered herself in a bow. "Druid. I wish to speak with you." Mason didn''t much trust the warrior nymph, though he didn''t fear her either. He took a moment to nce around the fey, grinning as he saw many paths as clear as day. The stag¡¯s blessing was showing its value already, and Mason had no concern whatsoever he could find his way home. ¡°Who exactly am I talking to?¡± he asked. ¡°A nymph? A god?¡± Calypsa shook her head without raising it. ¡°The goddess can speak through any of her daughters if she wishes. It wasn¡¯t my¡­I am not her.¡± Mason looked away, only half interested, not trusting the nymphs or really anything loyal to Gaia. The various sounds of the great forest were far clearer now, too. Though he suspected he might find his way now by sight. He took a deep breath and looked Calypsa up and down, making no attempt to hide his...mixed feelings. "Make it quick." "I have displeased you," she said. She opened her mouth as if struggling to find the words, then dropped down to her knees and lowered her head. "I am older than my sister. I knew the ancient druids. I saw their...weaknesses. When they abandoned us..." she trailed off. "I have defended my sisters for so long. Have been strong so long." She shook her head, then looked up and met his eyes. Mason was legitimately surprised when he saw a little wetness. "I judged you by the deeds of others. I have been cold, and distant, because...I was afraid. Because..." Mason stepped forward and knelt down to match the nymph, genuinely touched by the disy of emotion. Though his paranoia red. Was she trying to manipte him? Likely. She was also really screwing with his belief that she was something like a sex robot. In fact this whole ''fictional'' world was screwing with him, constantly blurring and twisting his notion of what was reality, what was alive or sentient, and what that meant. Calypsa shrugged as a tear leaked down her cheek. "I have never been good with words." "That makes two of us.¡± Mason shrugged. ¡°It''s alright. You don''t owe me any apologies. I know what it''s like...to be strong. To look after others. What it does to you." Calypsa actually smiled with her teeth, and Mason realized he''d maybe never seen that before. He was reminded how stunning she was. "Perhaps we are not so different," she said, then rubbed her hands on her thighs in a nervous gesture. "But...I wish to...I mean, I wanted to ask...a favor." Mason winced, trying not to listen to the side of him that shouted ¡®you see!¡¯, and never trust Gaia or her daughters. But he pushed down the impulse and tried to listen, to be soft and trusting until he was at least given a reason. Calypsa took a breath and met his eyes again. "Thea wishes to remain. But I...would like to settle in the great tree. That is, in your great tree. If you would permit me." "In..." Mason felt his eyes go a little wide. "Oh." He supposed, since the Nexus, it was no sapling anymore. It couldn''t hurt to have a nymph in the settlement. Especially yet another warrior capable of defending it. On the other hand, Mason already had too many women in his life. He''d probably have to eventually exin Calypsa to his new bride, or well...who knew whatplications he might encounter. But Calypsa looked genuine, and vulnerable. She looked human, for the first time since he''d met her. The idea of saying no to her now was a bit difficult, and probably didn''t make much sense. Even if he couldn¡¯t exactly trust her, she wasn¡¯t his enemy, either. "I would defend it to the death," Calypsa said, her tone serious. "My magic is not as powerful as Thea''s, but still I can help it grow, and I will serve you loyally. If you wish some kind of..." "Of course you''re wee," Mason said, putting his hands on Calypsa''s arms. "But you''ll be safe in Nassau. You shouldn''t need to defend anything. I think it''s time someone protected you for awhile." The nymph''s usually expressionless face cracked as she fought a sob. She practically rammed into Mason''s chest, shaking as she squeezed. He smiled and put his arms around her, wondering how the hell he was going to walk back to his women with yet another beautiful female¡­something, at his side. "I...don''t suppose...you can, um, just¡­go straight to the great tree? From the fey, I mean? Without needing to go into the settlement?" "Of course," Calypsa sniffled and wiped at her nose as she pulled back. "Do you have hidden enemies in the settlement? Am I to help you kill them? With surprise?" "Ah. No." Mason tried to smile. "But¡­for now¡­you''ll be...my little secret. If that''s alright." "Of course, druid," she said, looking again like the soldier she was. "I am yours tomand." Mason tried not to get turned on. Then he saw his patron window shing and flicked it open with surprise. Apparently he had just gained Calypsa officially as a follower, and though his bar was so filled he couldn''t see anything, it was clear it had given him another boost to points and maybe options. It was a good reminder he had a lot to do in the settlement before the next phase and the beacons activated, and not a hell of a lot of time. Hopefully the civilians and yers had taken his request of rmendations seriously. Because when he got home he intended to spend¡­a ridiculous amount of points. He helped Calypsa to her feet, giving her another long, gentle hug in the strangeness of the fey. When he pulled away she smiled, almost shyly, the sight just as stunning as before. "I could get used to that," Mason said with a grin. "You looking¡­happy." "Yes," said the nymph, looking up into his eyes. "I would like to get used to it, too." "Come on." He took her hand, eyes moving down the many paths he now knew led towards Nassau. It was like he could see it in the distance, or at least familiar ground enough to know where it actually was. Though he could still hear the songs, too, if he listened. He saw a few strange creatures watching and was reminded he still had a date with a certain trickster. Maybe Calypsa could help with that. The idea of surprising the little bastard brought a smile to Mason¡¯s face. But it could wait. "Let''s go home."
Chapter 346: They’re going to love us Chapter 346: They¡¯re going to love us Mason stepped straight from the fey into the ''great tree'' inside Nassau, hand in hand with Calypsa. He felt a kind of warmth flow over him, an energy that seemed to fill his muscles and refresh his mind, but also left a feeling he''d forgotten something important. For a moment he assumed it was the effect of the great tree, but then he saw a dull light from his patron profile. He had some kind of¡­universal enhancement that showed a decision tree like a logic puzzle. He clicked into it with his eyes and found a slightly glowing title as its source¡ªhis new ''Nexus Owner''. It had little lines like spiderwebs going to other things, which were all grey save for one flowing to his ''House'' icon. He opened it, and saw it was waiting for a choice to be made. [Please select Nexus Patronage Style. 1) Rulership: Nexus Rulers focuses on managing the peaceful affairs of their charge, with bonuses rted to industry,merce, and leadership. 2) Guardianship: Nexus Guardians focus on defense, with bonuses rted to personal might, and the strength of their defences.] Mason expected whatever robotic god was listening knew he was picking ''guardianship'' long before he actually did. The icon red with a satisfying pulse, then receded down like all his other titles. His House icon glowed with a new ''House Title''. Apparently it didn''t just apply to him. [House title: Nexus Guardians. The House of Mason has sworn to defend the Western Nexus unto death. Increased effect of all statistics for all house members in or near the Nexus, with higher ranking members improving the bonus.] That same warm energy shivered through Mason again. He felt like he''d just had a light warm up, his legs aching to sprint, his arms to lift. But he was still standing in the near total darkness of the great tree. Calypsa was practically dancing around the clearing, like a new house-owner deciding where to put her furniture. She seemed oblivious to whatever was going on with Mason, but looked back at him with a grin. "Oh, druid, I feel the tree''s youth and power. It''s so curious about me." Sheughed and held out a hand as some kind of vine drooped to touch her. She ran her fingers over it andughed as it pulled away. "We have much to teach each other, little brother," she whispered, a green light swirling from her fingers. Mason could ''feel'' the tree, too. It was hungry, afraid, curious, excited. Wait, happy again? No...skeptical. No, happy. He shook his head and tried to block it out, hoping he wouldn''t need Apex Predator. But if it got too...busy... The thing needed emotion control. "Little brother?" he said. "It''s a boy, then? Does he uh, have a name?" Calypsaughed and shook her head. "No, druid. He will not be able to speak in words for years. He is little more than a child in most ways. That is also why I came." Mason nodded. It matched his intuition, and certainly the feelings he''d been getting from the tree. "Well. If you help it get less...erratic, I''ll be grateful." Calypsa bowed towards him, then smiled and actually twirled in ce as she closed her eyes. Mason couldn''t help but smile at her joy, watching the beautiful nymph as she spun and reached for the cautious vines of the tree. But he had things to do. "I''ll see youter? You¡¯re alright here?" The nymph nodded, and he looked for whatever the hell might count as an exit before the tree seemed to sense his desire and...dropped him, straight down through a sudden hole. He fell, yet again, into the God damn dark. But at least this time he managed not to shout in panic. * * * "Alright, alright, just hear me out, like," Seamus said for maybe the fifth time, standing while all the other yers sat around their round conference table. Carl pped a hand to his face. He nced at the fading light through the small window in the ''Central Communication Beacon'', still amazed by the Nexus City. They''d agreed to meet here and let the civilians do their meeting in the new chief hall. Carl had expected it to take an hour or two. They were going on five. The civilians had already turned in their ''patron point wish list'', with Sylvie and Haley whipping everyone into shape. The yers, however, all had different ideas and couldn''t agree on more than half their choices. Carl had done his best to argue things logically, reasonably, taking everyone¡¯s opinion into ount. At this point he just wanted to go home. Especially since he and Sylvie had made up from their difficulties of thest few weeks. These days they were banging like rabbits, with Sylvie in some pregnancy/system enhanced state of mindless lust, and Carl with ever-improving physical abilities. It was a hell of a lot better than listening to yers whine. He stared out the window, mind wandering to what he might do to Sylvie tonight, with ever increasing acts of filthy, possibly depraved, glorious, lusty... "Carl?" "Hmm?" He blinked and cleared his throat, meeting a few eyes around the table before ending on Seamus. "What were you saying? I missed that." "Christ sakes, man. Here I was giving my all, an impassioned speech, like, and you weren''t even bloody..." "It''s ratherte," Phuong cut him off. "We''ve made no progress in thest hour. I suggest we all go to sleep and try again tomorrow morning. We''ve only one day left before the beacons light. So..." "What if Mason isn''t back by then?" Garet asked the question on everyone''s mind. Most eyes went to Carl, who let out a breath. "Then Phuong and I will spend points on the agreed on choices. And we''ll...ignore any iing calls. For another day, or something." "Feck''s sake." Seamus shook his head. "We could be finding friends. And family. All of feckin humanity is waiting and we''re just going to..." "He''s right," said the mostly quiet Becky, wincing as if saying the words hurt her. "I mean, sort of. We can''t ignore it. People''ll be waitin'' for...I dunno, leadership. And if we don''t do it maybe someone else will." Carl nced at Phuong and tried not to droop in despair. Truth was, he just didn''t want to do it. God damnit, Mason, he thought, where the hell are you and why can''t you just hurry up and... Something mmed into the tform outside the beacon. A gust of air threw back the half-open doors, and a man-like shape rose up as if just as surprised as everyone else. Mason turned and looked at the yers with the ever-increasing glow of his green eyes, and a little grin. "Hi." Becky was up and running. Carl let out a long, very relieved sigh. "Thank the lord," he said, feeling a strange warm glow that seemed to drain at least an hour of his exhaustion. He stood and shoved his pad of...bark-paper¡­towards Phuong. "You give him the list. I''m saying hi then going the hell home." Phuong frowned, and Carl wondered if the old dog didn''t have his own sexual marathon waiting. But for the moment he didn''t care. "Temple!" he said and stuck out a finger, reminding the son of a bitch he still owed him for saving his ass in the Nexus. The old soldier slumped and nodded, and Carl whistled as he walked for the tform. * * * Mason gave Becky a kiss and a brief grope, aware of all the stares from his waiting yers. She also pulled back and punched him pretty hard just above his Sleeve. He had the good sense to pretend it hurt. "Ow." "That''s for making us worry what the hell happened to you! Again! And where¡¯s ke, isn¡¯t that why you went?" She was trying to scowl but mostly looked adorable. Mason put up his hands and spoke partially to her, partially over her shoulder, deciding to ignore the ke question. "Sorry. Couldn''t be helped. My teleporting was a little...buggy. But it''s fixed now, I promise. Why are we gathered?" Carl gave Mason a handshake before excusing himself. Then the other yers (mostly Phuong) exined the wish-list from the civilians, and the half-agreed list from the yers. "I''ve a list from the elves, as well," Phuong said. "But they didn''t give us much. I expect they didn''t feelfortable asking." "Let me guess," Mason said. "An Oracle Stone is at the top of the list." Phuong nodded. "Good guess. And some kind of temple to their moon goddess." Mason was even less thrilled with that. Though as he pulled up his settlement options he saw the temple was pretty cheap. The Oracle building not so much. The civilian wish-list was long. Very long. He hadn''t realized just howplex the civilian system was, because this looked like something closer to a real economy. They wanted buildings and tools that seemed to fit refining and manufacturing processes from simple toplex. Ore refineries. Oil presses. There was different buildings for tanning, smoking, drying,pressing, grinding, and just about everything else you could imagine. Oh. And they wanted a bathhouse. And a sauna. Mason rolled his eyes. He saw a lot of Sylvie in this, but not a lot of Haley. Which meant she agreed, thought they had the points, or wasn''t sure and wanted Mason to be the bad guy. His instinct, of course, was to focus on life or death first. To worry about his yers and soldiers more than the civilians. He knew they weren''t exactly ''separate''. That he needed what the civilians could produce, and that Nassau had been neglecting them in general for too long. Rosa''s potions were a good example. How much more powerful might they be with the right attention? No doubt there were other civilians with equally useful trades. If they had the right tools and experience. They were a hell of a lot safer now, Mason knew, as the settlement moved its way into the trees. And they had the Nexus. As he considered that he thought he understood Haley''s thinking. Nassau and the tree city above might very well be the hub for humanity. Which meant hundreds, maybe thousands of civiliansing. If the next phase gave them a breather, maybe they could boost their civilians hugely, and give all their yers new weapons and armor and who knew what else, giving even the lower level people the chance to level up without getting killed. Sometimes it was annoying being surrounded by smart,petent people, he decided. But it sure as hell beat the alternative. With a final sigh he lifted the lists and waved at his yers. "Go on," he said. "We''ll finish the list tomorrow. Then I''ll get constructing, and hopefully we''ll know our heads from our asses before we get on the beacon and..." he shook his head, and Phuong grinned before interrupting. "Before we introduce the world to Baron Mason of House Mason?" "Yeah.¡± Mason said. ¡°Before that." "Don''t worry, Boss," Seamus said, summoning his staff with a twirl and nearly dropping it. "The lost, lonelydies out there. And the tiny little tyrants, like. They''re all going to love us." Mason let out a very long, helpless sigh.
Chapter 347: Shopping day Chapter 347: Shopping day After all the yers were gone, Mason forced himself to sit at the conference room table and go through his patron options in excruciating detail. The Nexus was essentially a separate entity, so he had to decide to improve it or the settlement. But for the moment it didn''t really seem like the Nexus needed much improvement, as they couldn''t really use the tools they had. Mason decided already he wanted to save at least half his points until after themunication beacons activated. Maybe after talking to other settlements he''d realize he needed different things, or they might learn new options. He might need to spend points onmunication, or possibly the teleportation device to increase its size or speed. He just didn''t know, and it seemed like a bad idea tomit too early just to impress people. Especially since he expected the tree city would be impressive enough. There was also the matter of his ''Prestige'' and House options. But it seemed like Prestige by itself wasn''t actually all that useful in terms of House upgrades. The other metric, which basically limited all the choices he could actually buy with Prestige, was a function of time. The House of Mason, in other words, couldn''t get any of the better upgrades until it was... Mason grinned. What was it Dariya had said when Naya absolved her House? That Mason''s house was ''younger than her indigestion?'' Turned out that mattered. For the moment, all Mason''s lovely Prestige from all his House members didn''t do him a hell of a lot of good. But he hoped that would change in months, rather than years. What he had to decide on was what was ''needed'' and what was ''wanted''. They had enough defence for now, that was clear. They had a settlement that should be plenty to attract literally any yers or civilians who could get to them. They had a training hall to help their lower level yers, a teleportation device and beacon to return to, and an infirmary to help heal the wounded. Theycked crafter buildings and tools. They had a pack of wild wolves that needed something more suitable. And they needed to explore the world better and faster to start exploiting every opportunity they could. Mason sighed as he read the description of the elven Oracle Stone, and the other elven item, the Scout Enve. The first seemed to both give remote exploration options and also ''profile'' options, possibly to help guide people through their sses. The second would let his people map the world a bit like Kiaan or Mason''s Wayfinder, all their experience adding to a global map. And it probably did even more for something like a scout. He knew he should be happy he had options, but giving the elves their buildings before a lot of his own people wasn''t great. At the end of the day, though, reality was reality, and the elves just had things he needed. He added both to the ''need'' column, and their ''moon temple'' to the wants. A ''Menagerie'' for the wolves and hopefully other animals went to the ''need''. After that, Mason picked his way through the civilian list and added a handful of things to the ''need''. But he knew he needed to talk to them and get a better sense of what was critical and what could wait. On the other hand, as he started adding up the costs, he soon realized...he had a lot. Like a lot a lot. As in he could probably give everyone what they wanted. Twice. So, that was a thing, and definitely meant he''d be able to keep a shitload of points going into the ''next phase'' after beacon activation. He knew he was probably¡­cheap by nature. The mentality of being an orphan with nothing had never really gone away, despite spending the majority of his life with wealthy parents who would have bought him anything. He had never asked, and took most of what they gave with a strange feeling of epting a bribe. It had never been fair or made sense, but change was difficult. By the time Mason had finished reading the details of all the choices, and going through the many options they couldn''t buy or hadn''t chosen, he realized the sun was rising. He expected Haley and the others would think he''d spent the night with Naya, and Naya would think he spent the night with them. As he stretched his back with a crack and stood, he wished either was true. But he knew it was important he gain at least a little knowledge about actually administering his settlements. In fact he had a lot more reading to do, especially about his House. There were all kinds of rules, titles, and allowances. He also needed to start picking people as a kind of ''council'', which might be smart to do before things got moreplicated. As he looked at the positions he realized he already sort of had. Or at least he''d started. The official positions gave boosts to the people in them, though, and also to Mason depending on who he picked. He shook his head as he looked at the names. ''Chancellor'', which seemed to be a kind of second inmand. ''Minister of the Treasury'', ''Minister of War'', ''Minister of Tomes'', ''Spymaster'', ''High Priest''. Jesus. High Priest? His mind went to Alex but did he really need some kind of religious institution? There were also a dozen lesser titles, some with names he didn''t even understand. What the hell was a ''Seneschal''? Apparently it was someone appointed to look after Mason''s house, which he supposed made sense for Haley but didn''t seem important enough. He closed the options and blinked tired eyes, deciding mostly he needed to get the main positions sorted before worrying about the rest. His mind was still a bit worn from the experience with Eve and the nymphs as he learned runes. Yet another giant realm of knowledge he needed to learn. In fact he should probably be staring at rocks and clouds and contemting the universe all day. Instead he had to read about Cupbearers and Masters of Horse. He hadn''t even seen a damn horse. Unless you counted centaurs. His body wasn''t tired, though, and Mason left the beacon then leapt at a nearby tree without even hesitating. He gripped with fingers like iron, kicking off with a push and soon a flip to grab another. He jumped back and forth with augh, the stress of the future melting away with the effort. He looked at the hundred foot drop and shivered as the fear raced down his spine. Knowing it wouldn''t kill him didn''t take away the primal reaction, though it was a disturbing thought to realize one day it might. He was back on the ground in less than a minute, scanning the old, silent settlement as he took deep breaths of cool, morning air. He smelled Haley before he saw her, talking to the old fisherman with a smile. She looked up and met his eyes, for a moment seemingly not epting it was really him. He grinned, and felt some of his worrying drain in Haley''s radiant smile. She excused herself, and the fisherman turned and gave Mason a friendly nod. Then he was crossing the ground and scooping his blonde beauty into his arms and lifting her high enough she shrieked. "I missed you," she said as he lowered her down and kissed her. "Haven''t moved to the bigger hall up there?" he gestured towards the Nexus with his eyes. "Of course I have." She gave him a ssic ''you stupid, simple American man'' sort of look. "All your human girls are in the new hall. And Lexi. Who I already count." She grinned as Mason rolled his eyes, running her hands up his arms. "There''s all kinds of lovely things. A nice, big bath. A bigger bed. And you should see the kitchen!" "Why am I not surprised that''s what has you most excited." "Oh. I don''t know about that." Haley bit her lip and squeezed a bicep with a sigh. "But no time for such things. The beacons activate today. Well, tonight. At about nine PM. Have you looked through the lists? I can brief you, or..." "I''ve seen them. And I won''t bother asking how you know the exact time," Mason said. "I think basically we can do everything. If you think that''s a good idea. We can afford it all." "Really?" Haley grinned. "Yes, I do, actually. Well...the only problem is people thinking they''ll always get everything. But that''s a small enough problem. Can we really afford it all?" "And then some." Mason winked. "But don''t tell anyone." "My lips are sealed," Haley said, and Mason ran a finger across them. "I certainly hope not." Then he was melting into her again, hands drifting down her back when he felt/heard/smelled Streak a second before the wolf struck. He had to push Haley back before the wolf mmed into him, actually knocking him down as he growl whined and started licking and y-biting anything he could catch. "God damnit, Streak," he said with augh, wrapping his arms around the wolf''s torso to grapple it and roll. It took considerable effort to wrestle him off and get him subdued, the wolf immediately flopping over for belly rubs when defeated. Haley knelt and joined in with a smile. "Our big, hairy, terrifying baby," she said, then put a hand to her stomach. "How are you feeling?" Mason asked, and Haley''s wide smile as usual knocked him a bit senseless. "Too busy to worry. And we still need to n an actual wedding with Naya. I was hoping before the beacon, but...I don''t think that''s possible now." She didn''t bother adding ''because you took so long'', Mason decided, and appreciated. He shrugged. "Cancel it for all I care. But I''ll bring Naya to the hall. I don''t give enough shits to keep up any kind of appearances." "As you say, my lord," Haley lowered her eyes. Mason pulled her in for a squeeze, deciding he didn''t feel like waiting to talk to the civilians. He pulled open his settlement options, selected literally everything the others had asked for, and gave it universal approval. "We''re going to have a couple hours of peace, at least," Mason said, taking Haley''s hand and leaving a whining Streak as he walked for the nearest tform lift. "Oh? How do you expect we''ll..." The system red like a trumpet, warning everyone to get inside as the settlement went through a series of changes. Mason grinned, wiggling his brow at Haley. "Wakey wakey," he said, thinking of all the citizens of Nassau panicking at the sound. "You are a very cruel master, my lord," she said, giving him a look that could melt steel. He picked up the pace towards the tform, then considered carrying Haley over a shoulder before he reminded himself to work on patience. Instead he just lifted her into his arms, kissing her as he tried to shut out all intrusive thoughts. He looked out over the forest as the lift carried them into the air, his beautiful woman''s legs wrapped around his chest. It was going to be a busy day, he decided, but a good one. For him. And maybe even for mankind. There weren''t too many of those so far in the post-apocalypse. A man had to savor them when he could.
Chapter 348: The Emperor Chapter 348: The Emperor Jeong the First, Emperor of the World, Saint of the Everliving, and Eternal Leader of Mankind, stewed on his in, wooden chair. He stared at recorded system text for the thousandth time. [Baron Mason Nimitz, of House Mason, Patron of Nassau¡ªhas seized control of the Western Nexus. This marks the final stage of phase two. A countdown to a period of system-enforced, zero yer-to-yer violence has begun, along with a universally essible list of all surviving yers, including their ranks and titles. Further¡ªallmunication beacons will activate in three days. Biological imperatives will continue in phase three. World difficulty will increase. nar activity will increase. Congrattions on your ongoing survival. As ever, we are rooting for you.] Jeong had saved the text and forced himself to read it constantly. A reminder of his failure to act quickly enough. His only real loss in the great game so far. He listened in silence as his council droned on about the usual problems. The bordends were requesting more yers. They''d suffered more losses in the south and needed reinforcements, especially real killers. There were never enough good yers. Jeong had mostly used up all those he was happy to discard. He''d probably have to send more civilians into The Crucible to convert them. They had more than enough civilians, though they were running out of Guildless, which meant he¡¯d have to ask the guild leaders for help. yers couldn¡¯t force civilians to do much of anything. Only other civilians could. Jeong therefore had to at least work with some of them, and the several civilian guilds that had formed had considerable power. Nothing in this new world annoyed Jeong more than the system¡¯s protection of the cowards who¡¯d chosen a civilian role. The worker drones of the new age. The disposable nothings with no ambition or imagination¡ªcontent to ept the scraps given by yers like Jeong. Such people could be improved only through the Crucible¡ªan early discovered, repeatable dungeon which could turn civilians into yers. Of course most died in the attempt. While it was technically repeatable, it changed with every group sent inside, so no one could be taught what to do. There were some¡­patterns, but ultimately one had to enter and learn on their own, or in a small group, dealing with whatever challenges the system came up with. The ones who survived were usually impressive. But civilians always had to be pressured to go in. This task was performed by the guilds through force or ckmail or promises of reward. Because after enough volunteers had failed and never returned home, it was quite difficult to convince the others they''d simply been sent off to fight on the borders without saying goodbye. Jeong shut off his profile and sighed, tired of wallowing in his failure. His council was still droning on. There was the spending of patron points, civilian points, which of the minor settlements would receive what rations. Who in the capitol would be promoted, rewarded, punished, moved up, moved down. It was all so tedious. "I meet Mason Nimitz in less than twenty-four hours." Jeong''s quiet voice silenced the meeting. "Do any of you have any more information than thest time I asked?" The dozen or so men and women around their rectangr table took turns exchanging words with their eyes. Michael, Jeong''s Minister of Truth, squirmed in his chair before answering. "Unfortunately, your holiness, we have still found no way to this Western continent. Our furthest scout ships have not returned. Scrying remains the only..." "I am perfectly aware of your inability to find it," Jeong said, in a rare rebuke of hispetent assassin¡ªa self-proimed former intelligence officer who looked so generic, and could speak so manynguages, it wasn''t clear which country he''d actuallye from. The name ¡®Michael¡¯ was almost certainly fake. "I am chiefly asking if the Order has scried anything new." "No, lord," said Erik Alberg, the stone-faced Swedish wizard, clearly not interested in borating. Erik was Jeong¡¯s Minister of Knowledge, and the defacto leader of the Arcane Order. He was a dangerous and useful man, but annoyingly precise and¡­unsociable. Jeong stared until the former scientist went on, his tone unchanged. "As usual we have seen no sign of any major settlement. Also as usual, some kind of magic barrier prevents us from searching with efficiency. Our visions cannot be targeted, and only by careful documentation ofndmarks can we build a map. This work continues. It must be done with precision, or it will be worse than useless." Jeong shook his head in the silence that followed. The wizard and his cabal of mostly Northern European casters were living stereotypes¡ªpainful perfectionists not to be rushed for any reason whatsoever. But they were also skilled, and probably correct. "Very well," Jeong said, deciding that was enough disy of displeasure. He smiled and nced at his council members one by one. Most had minor positions. They were here to enhance their status, to increase the size of his court, and to see any orders would be logged and carried out. Besides his spymaster and wizard, he had only three other key allies left alive. The first was his ''wife'', Yasmeen, a French actress of Moran descent in the old world, now one of the highest level civilians. The second was Ma Wei, Minister of Finance, a former billionaire and senior member of the Chinese Communist Party. Together they controlled the tworgest civilian unions, which meant a tremendous amount of ''new world'' wealth and power for whichever patron yer they supported. Not to mention a mafia style control over the other civilians, with all kinds of terrible rumors. But Jeong didn¡¯t concern himself with the behavior of the sheep. Only that they belonged to him. Because now matter how powerful he became, no matter how dangerous, he couldn¡¯t control civilians with brute force. They were the bane of his existence, but oh so crucial to everything. And they had to be given a ce at the table. Jeong¡¯s third ally was unlike the others¡ªin a special category of his own. Damian had no special role or former knowledge, but served as a loyal shield. He was Brazilian, a former martial artist, and a warrior long before the system changed the world. He and Jeong had been together since the tutorial, and the man had saved his life countless times. Back when I was nothing, he thought, a warmth in his chest as ever for his only friend in this game. Jeong stood, enjoying the slight wave of panic from every yer in the room save Damian. It was well deserved. Jeong could move with exceptional speed and power, and he was capable of extreme and sudden violence. His body shimmered with the energy of his many Vessels¡ªthe faithful servants who gave the greater portion of their bodies and wills to serve a greater cause. Without them, Jeong was almost pitifully weak. His ss and power choices had seemed mad at first. He had been so weak for so long, he should have died many times. But divine providence had spared him. He eventually found supporters to fuel his power¡ªhis Empty Vessel, granted by a god in a vision after he survived so many fatal moments. Now with so many followers, all subservient to Jeong and his house¡ªnow he was like a god. "I apologize for my impatience," he said, pacing around the table and putting a hand on Erik''s shoulder. The handsome Swede was as tall as Jeong even sitting¡ªa painful reminder of the inequities of life, and also the starvation that certainly stunted Jeong''s growth as a child. The Swede didn¡¯t flinch at the touch. Which was impressive bordering on psychotic. Jeong walked on, deciding he should address the elephant in the room. "I realize,¡± he said quietly, ¡°the Nexus we found needs to be imed. I know I previously decided against it, saying we should wait until we were sure. I know this decision has allowed another to beat us to it. But I still do not regret that decision." This was obviously a lie. But true power was making others swallow lies even when they knew the truth. The eyes of the council moved to him with careful neutrality, waiting for the exnation. "I refuse to risk the lives of my powerful yers needlessly," Jeong said, still walking around his council. "Since the...unfortunate loss of two of our former ministers, finding recement yers for our fifth and sixth positions has been difficult. But we will be ready soon." Jeong had been forced to kill said former ministers. How could he have known at the time he''d need exactly six powerful, loyal yers for the Nexus event? Finding recements had proven¡­difficult. There weren''t many yers powerful enough for such a challenge. And a few who were had made themselves¡­scarce¡­some time ago¡ªunderstandably hiding from Jeong when he demanded fealty or death. No doubt they were lurking in filthy swamps or barren mountains. Preferring the degradation of ¡®freedom¡¯ over the unity of empire. Jeong hoped to deal with them soon. He did not tolerate anyone who did not swear loyalty to his house or empire. The dear leaders of his homnd had taught him that. First, he would unite the world under his banner, removing any possible threat to his leadership. Then he would teach the children of the future to worship him, until all the old yers who knew of earth were gone, their memories forgotten. He would re-build the world, discarding the old, the corrupt, the failed. Only then would the world be truly at peace. And unlike the pathetic, decadent rulers of North Korea, Jeong would be divine in truth. He had attained immortality already¡ªblessed by an actual god of this beautiful new. His power grew with every new servant, faster still with every Disciple''s channeled statistics into his Empty Vessel power. He felt their strength flow through him as he walked, knowing with so many followers he could crush the skull of even Damian with his bare hands. The council was droning on again as Jeong paced. "My assessment remains," said Erik. "With this Mason Nimitz'' title only as Baron, and my people''s inability to find them, his settlement must be small." "And my counter remains," said Michael, "that if this mystery settlement is small, how could they have enough powerful yers to finish a Nexus?" "Strength, obviously," Erik said, blue eyes carefully looking at no one. "We have seen many monstrous creatures in the West, but almost no settlements. It stands to reason the yers who are alive are powerful. Our civilian Record Keepers say the same." That the wizard leader was correct seemed painfully obvious to Jeong. But he''d begun to see Michael''s inability to understand something more capable than himself was something of a character w. "We have an army of yers, my friends," he said, still pacing. "This game is not a sprint, as I¡¯ve told you. Besides." He smiled. "Some powerful new yers are wee. We may no longer need to negotiate with the sea raiders, or the mountain orc tribes. Perhaps we can destroy the endless southern nests. Just think of all we may aplish together." "You expect this baron to join us?" his wife finally spoke. "Of course, dear," Jeong said withplete confidence. "Why shouldn''t he? If their settlements are so small, just imagine all the wealth, knowledge, and safety they will find with us." "If they can even cross the distance," Erik said. "We may be able to do little more than speak with them, and even with..." "I have no doubt," Jeong interrupted, "sooner orter this world will shrink. And who knows our friend''s situation? He may have rivals. His people may be starving. He may be surrounded by monstrous foes. Most of you were my enemies once." Jeong smiled, putting a hand on Michael''s shoulder. "Just look at us now. What is the English expression? Like peas in a pod." "They may also have civilian pressures," said Wei. "If the beacons allow, Yasmeen and I should try and make contact with their civilian leaders. With your approval, that is, Your Worship." "Of course." Jeong smiled, hopefully hiding his distaste for the man. He had made a habit of killing upper ss or former Korean or Chinese leadership, mostly out of principle. Unfortunately, he couldn''t kill the civilians. And he did like to keep the aging billionaire around to remind himself of the past. Whilepetent, the man was also fundamentally a boot-licking sycophant, with no ambition to reach the pinnacle of power, merely hover close. It wasn''t hard to see why he''d done well in his former life. "Well." Jeong took a breath and nced at the digital clock on his courtroom wall. "I won''t keep you. But please return by three PM in full court dress. I''d like to rehearse the firstmunication, and I''d like you all to be present for it. Thank you." His council stood and bowed or saluted in their own fashion, walking calmly for the doors to the pce proper. Jeong saw no reason to teach old dogs new tricks. He would wait for the new generations to teach a unified culture. He caught his wife¡¯s arm. "I''d like you beside me. On first contact," he said. "A beautiful face to¡­offset my..." "Seriousness," Yasmeen finished. Jeong smiled politely. Despite being a civilian, she truly was a delightful woman. "Exactly so." "Of course, my emperor," she said, bowing perfectly in the Korean style. After waiting to see if Jeong wanted something else, she turned to follow the others, leaving him alone with his thoughts. For a moment he watched her curves, wondering how other men must feel. She was beautiful by any standard. But to Jeong she was only a flower, or a sunrise. He had no interest in sexual gratification and never had. It hadn''t bothered him before the great game. Then suddenly it had seemed a key w in the ultimate victory desired by the alien intelligence. Until the god of life and death hade to him, that is. He had made everything clear. All that mattered was personal power. Bing stronger than every other living thing. Bing stronger than death itself. Than you could impose your vision on the world, adapting life entirely to you. Jeong smiled as he opened his profile, eyes moving to his goals as he stared out a window and looked over his capital. It had maybe a hundred thousand souls now, all toiling away in their meaningless lives, all living at Jeong''s whim. They were under his ¡®protection¡¯, officially. His to shape, his to use. The human soil with which he¡¯d grow the future. Jeong didn''t know what arousal felt like. But he had to think the feeling that followed was close.
Chapter 349: Little Red Dreams Chapter 349: Little Red Dreams ke channeled another 10% of his mana into Mental Influence as he tried to ease Annie to sleep. "If¡­if I could just use Hollow Soul," she said, wiping at her eyes. "I''d fall asleep right away. I think it¡¯s working again. It makes it all just..." "No," ke said for the third or fourth time. "I can''t help you when you use it. And you can''t rely on it to get you through life. It''s supposed to be forbat, Annie. Temporary. Now close your eyes and try to sleep." Annie nodded and turned on her side in the big bed ke had made for her. They were alone in her bedroom in their wing of the White Tower, ke''s mana drained to a good 60% just trying to get herfortable enough to sleep. He was tempted to get Seul-ki, but Annie was morefortable when they were alone. His ''n'', such as it was, involved Dream Walking into her mind to help ease the horrors of the things she''d faced in the tutorial, and maybe help her grow strong enough to face them. He figured if he could build her up from the worst moments, then maybe she could slowly manage to face the rest. He wanted to ease her into it as best he could, though he wasn''t sure how that would go. His control with Dreamwalk was...iplete. He could create things, move around, even suggest things that might alter the person''s dream. But he wasn''t in control. At least not yet. It was probably 3am by the time ke felt Annie''s breathing finally steady. He pped himself awake and took a deep breath. Now or never. And he''d recovered most of his mana Meditating. He leaned forward and activated Dreamwalk, holding his Mana Gem in one hand just in case. The jump in perception was disorienting as always. A nk canvass of night swallowed him, shuffling him down to somewhere in Annie''s mind like an esctor in space. He could still ''feel'' his body like some vivid sensory memory, even seeing it as an image in his mind. All he had to do was focus and he''d vanish from the dream world and open his real eyes. But for now he descended, closer and closer to the Otherness of Annie''s mind. He could already hear the screaming. There was a reason, after all, the poor girl didn''t want to sleep. As far as ke could tell, she dreamt nightly of her tutorial, or possibly some overblown, dramatic recreation of it that changed and warped over time. He found her in a small, sci-fi looking bedroom on a cot, her hands over her ears, humming to herself. "I can''t go out there," she said when she saw him. "I''m safe if I stay in here." From previous experience, ke knew Annie''s tutorial trauma really came in two parts. The first was her own terror¡ªhiding from the orcs and whatever else the system had sent to ughter/challenge the graduating ''students'' as a wee into the game. The second was her own guilt for that hiding¡ªfor not doing more to help her friends, despite being a yer capable of fighting back. ke had the impression she''d hidden just as she did now as the ughter began. It was onlyter that she''d summoned the courage to go out, to pick up a fireman''s axe from somewhere in a hall. "You have to go out now, Annie," he said, and the girl''s eyes widened in horror. She shook as she stared. "If you don''t go out, this is never going to end." She went back to humming, and ke sent her a good dose of courage with Mental Influence. It took a minute, but she finally took her hands down and gave him an excited smile. "I could use my power. It makes it all go away. If I did that, I could do it." "You can¡¯t," he said. "You can''t just use it forever to solve all your problems." "Why?" she pleaded more than asked. Something about this sweet, innocent girl broke ke''s heart. He wasn¡¯t sure why he cared so much¡ªcared beyond making her useful to him, useful to his cause. But he slowly realized Annie wasn''t so different than he was as a little boy. When he first came to the orphanage he''d brought his fair share of trauma. He didn¡¯t remember everything, but he knew his parents had been addicts and¡­unkind. He¡¯d eventually run away. Picked up by some police officer and delivered to social services. Never identified. Never imed. The dark, alien spaces and other children of the orphanage had terrified him, and he''d cried most nights. But he smiled as he thought of meeting Mason. How everything changed. "The way to deal with pain isn¡¯t numbness, Annie," he said. "You can''t run. And you can¡¯t make heavy things light. All you can do is get stronger." ¡°How?" she whispered, staring into his eyes. He looked at the door of the bedroom. "You face your fear. I want you to fight. To see you''re stronger now. You aren''t some helpless child anymore." "I can¡¯t," she said. "It''s too hard. It¡¯s the same." He saw himself in her eyes, then¡ªterrified of the other boys in the orphanage, a nasty little pack that had stolen everything he''d had left in the world, including a stuffed bear his mother had given him. In his mind he saw a six year old Mason asking him why he didn''t just fight back. "I can''t," he''d said, just like Annie, tears in his eyes. "There''s too many. They''re too big." Mason had hopped off the bed without a word. He¡¯d walked up to the grinning pack of boys alone as they all stared and smiled. Then he¡¯d punched the biggest kid in the face. Half had run, half had fought. Eventually Mason came back bloody, but holding the bear. ke would remember it until the day he died. "I never said you had to do it alone," he said, meeting Annie''s eyes as he smiled. With True Making he formed an axe that looked vaguely like Annie''s new monstrosity, and a bundle of spears for himself. "We''re going to go out there," he said. "And we''re going to stop every one of those bastards whoes at us. Because we''re heroes, and that''s what heroes do." "I''m not a hero," Annie said, tears flowing from her pretty eyes. "I''m just a girl. And I wanted to be a civilian, but the game wouldn''t let me. It made us take these tests, and gave me yer. I didn''t even get to choose." "You''d be dead now if it hadn''t," ke said. "You''d never have made it out of that school. We don''t get to choose everything." He held up the axe. "But some things we do." Annie took deep, gasping breaths as she stared at the weapon, face scrunching as she fought desperate sobs. Then she reached out and snatched it. * * * ke walked beside Annie holding his spears, trying not to flinch at the sounds of screams, or the res of light from outside the windows. "We have to get to the wall," Annie said, voice strained. "Once we''re out of the school, there''s a wall all around it. But it''s not too high to climb." ke said nothing, ready to fight, but wanting Annie to decide where and how they went. She led them onward until they found an orc on top of a young girl in the middle of the hall. ke thought it was trying to rape her until he realized: it was eating her. It looked up with red eyes, face bloody as it growled. Annie screamed and charged. ke was ready to intervene, but it turned out to be¡­unnecessary. The creature stood and lifted a knife, weaving as if to trick Annie into swiping her axe in the wrong direction. Instead she went low and swept out the creature''s legs. It went to the ground howling, one leg snapped and half severed at the knee. Annie hacked into it with a brutal overhand chop, silencing it in a single blow. She stood there panting, looking up at the ceiling. "She was my friend," she said, voice cracking, not looking. "We were in almost every ss together. When I was hiding, I heard her screaming. I knew it was her." "I''m sorry, Annie," ke said quietly. "I''m sure she would want you to escape. To live." They moved on and found more green skinned creatures at the end of the hall. As ke really looked at them he decided they weren''t the same as the tower orcs. They were more¡­feral, somehow, less human looking. They were covered in paint and had fingernails more like ws, their teeth all sharp like a goblin''s. He wished he''d had Navi there to do some inspecting. Then Annie was screaming again, charging more of the creatures, and ke decided it was time to help. He lifted two spears with Telekinesis, loosing them simultaneously as two of the creatures tried to attack Annie''s nks. In a few moments they were all dead¡ªhacked down or pinned to the walls with spears. ke made himself a couple more. Things were pure chaos outside the school. Other teenagers were fighting out here, some with stolen knives, others with their fists or random objects they''d found in the halls. Annie rushed to help them. ke mostly just followed her and watched her back, skewering anything that tried to intervene. He expected their ''sess'' here was irrelevant. He just hoped the act of doing it was going to make it easier for Annie to return¡ªthat if she faced the horror enough times it would lose its power over her. At least that was his theory. By the time they reached the wall, the teenager looked much as she had when he''d first met her. Little Red Annie, he thought, seeing the red head covered head to toe in monstrous blood. "We''re out," she said, hand moving up the rough stone. "There was a gate, too. But there were too many creatures." She shook her head. "If¡­if I''d gathered the others. Maybe together we could of...I didn''t even try. I just climbed the wall. I ran away. I don''t know if any of them made it." She looked at ke as if he might chastise her. As if he might say ''yes, you could have, but it''s toote now.'' "You''re a good person, Annie," he said. "I would have run. And I wouldn''t have thought about them twice." "That''s not true," she whispered. ke stepped closer until she met his eyes. He took the piece of himself that truly cared for Annie and locked it in his Mental Partition, so he could tell her the absolute truth. And maybe keep away the infatuation he sometimes sensed. "I''d have left you, and your friend. I would have done anything, whatever I had to. Because that''s what most of us are. But not you. You''re kind, and gentle, and this awful world hurts you. So you need to put that sweet girl here," he gestured to her heart. "Hide her away and forgive her. Then let a different kind of girl take charge for awhile." Tears ran down Annie''s face. ke wanted to take her hand, but didn¡¯t. "Do you want me to wake you up?" "No," she said, clenching her jaw. "I need to sleep, and...I''m OK now." She smiled a little. "Thank you. For helping me. It''s fine after I get away. The woods¡­they¡¯re nice. I''m OK now." ke nodded, focusing on the real world and his body outside. He vanished from the nightmare of Annie''s mind, blinking back to consciousness in the gloom. He looked down at the young girl, seeming to sleep so peacefully in her big bed, her mind so busy. He pushed some hair out of her face, trying not to look at her beauty, her innocence, anything else... He wanted to look at her only as a soldier in his army. But it seemed his still recovering Mental Partition could only do so much.
Chapter 350: Ambition Chapter 350: Ambition [Dreamwalk sess. Mental Influence sess. Hidden objectiveplete: Assist Annie O¡¯Donnell. Experience gained.] [You have earned enough experience for level 14. Please select a power to enhance within the hour, or a power will be selected for you.] ke''s brow raised as he left Annie''s room. It wasn''t umon to be given experience for useful Mental Influences or Dreamwalks, but the experience had always seemed low. Either he got quite a bit more this time, or else closing that demon portal the way he had gave a truly ridiculous amount. He expected it was a bit of both (due to the ''hidden objective'', which was certainly interesting), but a bit more of thetter. They''dpleted an almost impossible set of ''optional'' puzzles to lock that giant demon away for more time. ke had leveled to thirteen, and apparently most of the way to the next. Twelve had been a new power, and a very difficult decision. ke still considered being a ''generalist'' the best path in life, and war. It was always best to have plenty of tools in your toolbox, because you never knew what might be useful. And what might be obsolete. His constructs were amazing, and single-handedly solved a huge number of problems. But sometimes they were almost useless. Of course, True Making gave ke far more options than just making war-bots, and allowed him to change reality in ways he was only beginning to understand. Between his mind powers, Telekinesis, and the often neglected Arcane st, he had several offensive weapons now. Though none were awe-inspiringly powerful. He expected the path he''d chosen meant he would never really light up whole battlefields with fire and death like some kind of battle-mage. His strength was more...subtle. Not counting the constructs, of course. So his current main ws, or so he''d figured, were: 1) a weakness against magic, and 2) his mana pool was never big enough. The first problem was because his Psionic Shield really only stopped physical threats, which seemed to stop or at least resist some kinds of magic but not nearly enough. The second was because maintaining his constructs put a constant hold on a per cent of his mana. In the end he''d chosen another shield, this time ''Psionic Barrier'', which had promised to shield against magic as long as its mana held. It also got bonuses to strength and efficiency if ke was aware of the magic used against him, particrly if he identified exactly what it was. It had a kind of focus as well, designed specifically with each cast to be particrly effective against a certain kind of affinity, but less effective against everything else. ke hadn''t really tested it yet, but he was sure that day woulde soon. He walked into his workshop, currently quiet except for the sounds of Pliny tinkering in his corner. The half-dead goblin rarely slept, and when he did it was more like he just ''rested'' for a few hours. Seul-ki was in her own room, the door closed. ke knew he could likely join her. But for now he was happy to maintain a little distance¡ªto leave anypanionship to single invitations. His rtionship status with Ilya was getting clearer. They had already let the new Stoneblood orc lord know, and intended to make it public eventually. First ke wanted to close another demon portal or two. To build a bit more good will before they took tradition and kicked it in the nuts. It was something of a risk, and a part of ke''s brain knew it was maybe entirely unnecessary. It told him he could keep things secret for much longer, and maybe forever. That it only hurt his efforts with the orcs, and that worst case he should end the rtionship entirely. But he wouldn''t. He cared about Ilya. Maybe even loved her. And he had no intention of treating her like a pawn in his games, or hurting her. In fact a piece of him wanted to shout their rtionship from the rooftop. To the orcs. To Mason and the yers of Nassau. But the orc lords might try to kill them both. He knew that. And he was also still sleeping with Seul-ki¡ªwhich Ilya didn''t disapprove of, but ke still found slightly awkward. Especially since he didn''t truly know how Seul-ki felt...about much of anything. Life was getting a littleplicated. He sat down for his nightly workout, actually adding a bit more weight than the few days before. The system still hadn''t rewarded him with any kind of stat boost, but it sure as hell helped with his mental state. He''d never tell Mason, of course, but the more he engaged in the simple act of straining his body, the more he regretted not doing it far sooner. And he needed to think, because he needed to pick a power to enhance. The obvious choice was Duality of Ambition. It was his prestige ss power and thus far seemed basically just to enhance whatever he used it on without repercussion. Though he knew in his gut that wasn''t right. The description implied a kind of over-reaching that might cost him if he went too far. So he tried to use it sparingly. But it would certainly be even better enhanced... He still hadn''t enhanced Meditation, which was definitely option 2. He could boost his shields, but the idea didn''t excite him. Mental Partition might not be bad. Even Arcane st might get more use with a boost. He sighed, and lifted some weight over his chest. He wanted to talk to his brother but knew he couldn''t. Thinking of Mason made him think of the Nexus and the imminent ''beacon activation''. Humanity was about to invent the telephone again, and who knew what they''d all have to say. ke expected fear and chaos. They would all assume Mason was a tyrannical killer, looking to hunt them down one by one and ''win'' the game through dominance. RoboGod wasn''t very clear in his messaging, but ke had to assume one way to end things was just to ughter everyone, or turn them into servants. It didn''t help that Mason had killed the first patron, and earned himself a title that made him glow like a red light with ''yer killer aura'' to any civilian who turned on their inspection power. ke supposed that was his fault. But he mostly med that lunatic Sebastian, who had been the first patron of Nassau and tried to murder and enve everyone in sight. ke wished he could be there to help. But Mason needed to deal with mankind for now, because ke intended to win the game in a very different way. And his way didn''t involve ughtering the remnants, or ignoring them as his brother might. He was going to unite every interested living thing on this new world in a kind of new global order. He was going to make peace, end the fighting, and stop whatever else the game threw at him until he''d made a mockery of it. But he cut the thought off and buried it behind thoughts of nonsense, locking it away as best he could. One never knew when roboGod might be listening. He had a lot of work to do, and didn''t like the idea of his ns being known, especially by his mind-reading, synthetic overlord. Though he realized it might be impossible to hide anything. Trying still made him feel better. Snorting at his own ambitions, and the corresponding name of his prestige power, he eventually enhanced his Duality. [Duality of Ambition enhanced. Please select from one of two options: a) Decreased risk of catastrophic consequence. b) Improved effect of power enhancement] ke stared, knowing what he should choose. Knowing what Mason would certainly choose. But then ke and Mason had always been different. And ke Nimitz, formerly just ke the Orphan boy, whosest name he''d long forgotten, was never the type for half measures. He took option b without hesitation, grinning as the power red. The description at least confirmed what he''d basically already known¡ªthat sooner orter, Duality of Ambition would cause some major issue. ke didn''t look forward to that moment. But he also hadplete confidence that he could handle the fallout. As he was finishing up he heard a soft feminine voice call his name, and he set the weight down and sat up to see Seul-ki at her door wearing nothing but a t-shirt. She rubbed at sleepy eyes and gestured for him toe closer, then disappeared back behind the open door. That same, possibly Mason-trained part of ke''s brain gave him a disapproving frown. It was ambitious¡ªmaintaining a rtionship with both Ilya and Seul-ki, even if it seemed perfectly fine for now. And just as the system seemed to recognize, sometimes ambition ended in unmitigated disaster. But ke knew he wasn''t going to stop. He walked towards Seul-ki''s door, one half of his recovering Partitioned mind already working on new constructs with the assumption of a push in power from his improved Duality. He''d spend what was left of the night with his Korean lover. Then tomorrow he''d check on Annie and keep her progress moving, and make himself some new ''legionnaires''. Then maybe, after a night with Ilya, it was time to close demon portal number two, hopefully before the beacons activated. It was pushing things, no doubt, but that was what ke did. And he had no intention of stopping.
Chapter 351: The man who stands Chapter 351: The man who stands Mason and Haley found Becky reading on a tablet when they reached the new chief''s hall. The cowgirl leapt up and ran to them, and pretty soon they were all just standing there in a wordless hug. Mason felt a lot of tension drain at the contact, deciding they might all just need some couch time instead of a sexual workout. He carried both girls into the hall, then realized he''d never actually been inside. It was definitely new and improved. Everything looked like beautifully crafted wood, quite a lot like the log-cabinish buildings in the elven city. He saw a lot offortable, vaguely leafy furniture, and a few balconies that looked out over the forest. "The new bed is much bigger," Haley said suggestively, and Mason snorted. Instead he took them to a kind of...sectional set up near a screen. He pulled both girls down and crushed them into him, closing his eyes as he took slow, deep breaths. They got the idea and cuddled with abandon. "We could watch a movie!" Becky said. "Mason needs some pop culture. And he promised." Mason just grunted, soaking in the feel of his girls against him, the smell of their hair, the softness of their skin. He did his best to lock it in his mind, knowing he might need it the next time he was, say, swallowed by a giant worm. Or God only knew what. He heard a movie flick on, then Becky and Haley chatting andughing and probably teasing him. But his mind was already drifting into a dreamless sleep. Eventually he felt hands massaging his neck and scalp, gentle kisses on his face. "It''s time, my love," Haley said, and Mason blinked awake. He groaned and grabbed Becky''s hip beside him, burying his face in her thigh like a cushion. She giggled and tried to scoot away, but he was inhumanly strong. She tugged harder, Haley leaping on his back with augh as they both tried to free the cowgirl. "No. My pillow," Mason said, fighting them off so easily it felt bizarre. After holding Haley back with one hand he couldn¡¯t help butugh. "It''s like wrestling toddlers.¡± Becky growled as she put a foot on his shoulder and pushed. Mason just yawned and let her struggle, eventually grabbing for her shorts before Haley gave his hand a smack. "Toote for that now, Baron. It''s almost time for the beacons. We should get you dressed." Right. The beacons. Talking to all of humanity. Apparently Mason had slept longer than he thought. "No need." He let Becky escape with a sigh, knowing she was just as disappointed as he was. Then he stood and stepped back with both girls watching, grinning as he pulled off his system clothes. It definitely didn''t hurt his ego as the two beautiful women stared, eyes locked and expressions hungry as he stripped. "Well..." Haley groaned. "Maybe if we...were really fast..." Mason grinned, then activated Eve''s Vestments, covering himself in the newly upgraded armor. He felt somewhat instantly silly, looking down at himself and feeling the disconnect from the reality of his girls to his own fantasy, nature-warlord appearance. "OK. It''s...a little over the top," he admitted, though he did like the scales. "I can lose the horns. Or maybe..." "Don''t. Change. Anything," Haley said, putting a hand to her mouth. "Mason you look... you look...absolutely..." "Terrifyin¡¯," Becky finished. Haley nodded. Mason wasn''t sure if that was good or bad. He didn''t want to frighten the bejeesus out of prospective new citizens. They might keep away from the safest refuge in existence just because of how Mason dressed. On the other hand, for whatever other killers or tyrants were out there, he preferred they¡­get the right impression. "Take Streak, too," Haley said. "Have him sit right beside you." Mason frowned, thinking that was definitely a bit much. But his instinct was to be cautious, to scare off predators before worrying about attracting friends. So he just nodded and went for the door. "I want you both there, too," he called. "So put something decent on." "You could always stay and watch," Becky teased. But Mason knew he''d never make it out if he gave in to that. Also his patience definitely wouldn''tst. He walked across the raised tform without a word, summoning a bleary eyed Streak with Call Beast en route. The wolf yawned, then bounced along with enthusiasm, flooding Mason with hopes of hunting, or at least some kind of excitement. "No," he said, "there¡¯s no excitement. There¡¯s a lot of sitting and human talking and you''re going to be very bored. But I''ll get you a bone. Or probably three." Streak whine/growled, but Mason was definitely wise to finish with thement about bones. The pair crossed from their tform to the central Nexus, a bit surprised to find damn near half of Nassau mingling and jabbering excitedly wherever there was space. Even some of the elves hade, with Naya and a few others dressed in more formal silks. Mason walked towards her with a friendly smile. But as she stared with saucer-sized eyes along with everyone else, he remembered how he was dressed. He probably should have unsummoned the horns, at least. "Just a helmet," he said with a raised voice, knocking on the helm with a fist. "I''m supposed to look scary." ¡°You have seeded, Patron,¡± said Phuong, giving him an encouraging smile. It wasn¡¯t hard to sense the excitement in the air. Mason knew almost everyone was hoping they¡¯d findrger settlements¡ªmiraculously huge numbers of humanity still left in the world. They were hoping their friends and family might still be alive. Mason felt it was better to be hard enough to survive hopelessness without giving up, than to cling to some desperate chance. He felt as their leader he should say so, that he should help them, but he wasn¡¯t sure how. And maybe that wasn¡¯t his ce. ¡°I¡¯m going to be careful with whoever we meet through this stone,¡± he called. ¡°I know you¡¯re hoping¡­we¡¯re all hoping for the best. But we¡¯re not at the end of this. We¡¯re at the beginning.¡± It wasn¡¯t enough or the right words, but Mason didn¡¯t know how else to say it. Did he tell them he expected more violence? That he didn¡¯t see more people as an opportunity but as a threat to their existence? He didn¡¯t even know how to square it all in his own mind or conscience. How could he be afraid of the same people he wanted to save? Wanted to punish their alien overlord for murdering and experimenting on? He sighed, feeling entirely inadequate for the situation at hand. Fucking ke, he thought, remembering his brother telling him he was afraid. He was right, despite being a selfish asshole. Mason was afraid of what was next. That he couldn¡¯t do anything to stop it. ¡°OK,¡± he said. ¡°Speech over. Let¡¯s do this thing.¡± People smiled or nodded to him as he walked by, and he was d they seemed to understand, or at least trust him. "We are here if you need us," Naya told him. "I can''t say I¡­understand exactly, what''s happening. This ce. Everything. But it seems important and...you are my husband and lord. Please just ask if we can be of any assistance." "Thank you, Naya." Mason put a hand over his bride''s, wincing as he saw his own,paratively giant, tattooed fist. Then he walked on and found half his yers at themunication beacon. "It''s sort of spinning up. We think." Carl shrugged and gestured at the conference room. "At least the map has a bit of power. And it''s making a tiny hum. Can you hear it? We''re pretty sure it''s humming." Mason listened and shook his head. "I think you''re imagining things. What time is it?" Carl looked at Alex with a kind of ''I told you so'', then took Sylvie''s wrist (which apparently had an actual watch). "Two minutes, kid. Need a pep talk or anything?" Mason raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a two minute pep talk to help me speak to the rest of humanity?" Carl nced at Phuong and Sylvie and shrugged. "Nope." Mason sat and took a deep breath as he stared at the ''screen'' across. "Oh shit.¡± He felt Streak¡¯s immediate impatience as he flopped down beside the chair. ¡°Does someone have a bone? I wanted Streak here but...not running around like a lunatic. Just sort of..." the wolf''s indignation hit him and he grabbed it by the neck to pull it over, "Yes, you¡¯ll get bored and run off. No I don''t trust you. No I don''t care. No." Mason nced at the staring yers and civilians staring from the doorways. "I''m not crazy. He talks." "Didn''t say a word, boss," Seamus called. It was a bad moment for some kind of pulse from the great tree intruding on Mason''s mind. He winced and tried to block out the feelings of curiosity, of confusion, and maybe slight indigestion. "Alright, maybe I am crazy," Mason muttered, wondering if maybe Cerebus or Gaia or hell maybe ke would like to try rooting around in his head next. He supposed he could shut everything out with Apex Predator but what the hell was the point. Thinking of his brother was a mistake. He felt another flush of anger that he wasn''t here right beside him to do the talking, to help handle this. The son of a bitch. "Perfect. Keep your face like that." Haley had apparently arrived and was fussing with his short hair. "Put your helmet back on. It really pulls the thing together." "You know I really am a murderous, shapeshifting killer," he said, a bit harsher than intended. "This isn''t a costume." Haley gave his forehead a kiss. "I''ll be right over there. We all will." Mason growled a little. Then he was forced to thank Rosa as she appeared magically with Streak''s bucket of bones. "Good luck," she whispered, bending over the table to reach Streak, giving Mason far more cleavage than required. She grinned and swayed her way back to the door, and Mason cleared his throat and waited. It was literally worse than waiting to fight to the death. At least with violence he understood the situation. He knew life was about to simplify, to slow down and crystallize into a series of jagged points. With this...he had no idea. He supposed he should have considered what he was going to say more than about a minute before he needed to say it. But then it depended on what the hell happened with the beacon. Was it going to be some kind of world-wide message? Or was he going to just call up some random settlement? He didn''t even know if the ''video'' would work. It might literally just be some kind of phone call. ¡°Oh wait,¡± said Carl, ncing at the others. ¡°Isn¡¯t he going to have to¡­style himself something? You know, Lord Mason? Baron Nimitz? I mean we can pretty much call him anything we¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not making up any bullshit titles,¡± Mason interrupted, feeling himself sweat and getting annoyed at being annoyed. ¡°Fucking kings and all that horseshit. They¡¯ll see all my system titles. Isn¡¯t that what it said? Good enough.¡± Mason saw Haley mouth something like ¡®he¡¯ll be fine¡¯ at Carl, and he did his best not to look at any more of his people. Thest few seconds ticked by. His damn heart kept on racing and it was all so ridiculous. An immortal, monster-ying killer afraid of a video screen. God damnit. Exactly at the time Haley had said, the whole beacon zed with power. The ''map'' readjusted, showing two continents clearly, the rest of the world blurred in a kind of grey. The lights on the map started moving, floating like fireflies until they slowed and stopped in what appeared to be their actual locations. Mason saw Nassau right where it made sense to be, the light quiterge and colored a deep green instead of the usual white. There was a dozen other settlements on the continent, he saw, most quite far to the south where neither he nor Kiaan had gone. One even looked decently sized. Then Mason''s eyes moved east. For a moment he didn''t understand what he was looking at. It was too busy, too clustered. A variety of obvious settlements seemed to ring a central mass, with so many dots all huddled together it didn''t seem possible. "What the hell is that?" Mason said, pointing. Carl and Phuong were both squinting with simr shrugs, but when Mason met Haley''s eyes she looked like she''d seen a ghost. "It''s...hundreds of settlements, Mason," she said, her voice almost a whisper. "They must have moved them. Made them into some kind of¡­city. There''s several hundred, I think." Mason found he had no idea what to say. Several hundred settlements? The entire western continent had maybe twelve. For a long moment he just stared, hoping his brain would catch up and tell him what this meant, and what to do. Then the central ring of settlements in the east lit with a kind of pulsing red light. Haley put a finger to her ear like she was hearing something no one else could. "They''re calling, patron," she said, sounding formal now. "There''s a voice asking for you. Says he''s a servant to..." she paused, and met Mason''s eyes, "to the emperor of the world." The title immediately calmed Mason¡¯s pulse. He took a deep breath, feeling more rxed than he had since entering the beacon. He began to understand the strange feeling that had made him nervous. Just like the civilians outside, for a minute Mason had allowed himself to believe that maybe the new world would be different. That in the aftermath of cataclysm, humanity might be free from some ambitious bastard who proimed himself lord of everything. Men like ke, fundamentally. Just far, far worse. As calm returned, Mason nodded to Haley, signaling he was ready. And he was. Because in a strange way heprehended this game more than he had a few moments ago. The constant reference to ¡®duality¡¯. The two gods of his affinity. Order and chaos. Weight and counter-weight. Men who styled themselves emperors would always exist. Whether petty or greater tyrants, those who thought themselves the wisest, the most just, the most capable, who could say whatever they liked but always ended stealing toy bears from terrified little boys. Or lording over a miserable town in the apocalypse. Mason was no longer afraid, no longer confused, because he was reminded who he was: The stubborn bastard who said no. Who didn¡¯t like being told what to do. Who found bullies and tyrants and just couldn¡¯t help himself. He was the man who stood in the way.
Chapter 352: A giant leap Chapter 352: A giant leap Mason stared at the screen, one hand resting on his chair, the other on Streak. Something about the wolf''s mindless chewing gave him calm. Another reminder, maybe, of how simple life was under all the nonsense he felt confident he was about to see. The screen finally changed in a slow, pixelized wave, revealing a long table filled with people. They were all wearing colorful robes with some kind of badges or medals on their chests. It reminded Mason of images somewhere between Jesus''st supper, and a military meeting. The seated people had a wide range of ethnicities, a mix of men and women. Haley whispered, and her voice somehow carried straight to Mason, as if he wore some kind of ear piece. "Four yers, eight civilians. yers are top tier. The man at the end glows with yer-killer aura, I¡¯d say he¡¯s the leader. But all of them have at least some." An older East-Asian stepped into view near the front of the table. His eyes seemed to take Mason in with the smallest spark of concern before he bowed with practiced ease. "Thank you, Baron, for receiving our call. It is my pleasure to introduce the ruling Council of Man. I am Ma Wei, Minister of Finance, one of the civilian leaders of the capital. Rather than introduce the entire council, however, for now I will simply introduce our esteemed ruler." Here the man gestured to the man Haley had decided was their leader. Not that Mason had any doubt. "From the shadows of ignorance, and the blood of the fallen, our Emperor has re-built civilization from nothing. He is Jeong the First, Saint of the Everliving, Eternal leader of Mankind, and Emperor of the World. He is to be referred to as Emperor, lord, or worship. Please inform us what honorifics we might use to refer to you, and we will happily do so." Mason felt like he was in one of those Monty Python movies ke loved. His patience was draining with every word. The ''diplomat'' seemed literally to be waiting for Mason to tell these people what made up title to call him. He bit back his first three natural reactions, and apparently stared long enough the other man turned and mumbled something about audio issues. "Just call me Mason," he said finally. His voice seemed to startle at least a few people at the table, though the speaker appeared unruffled. "Thank you, Mason. We are very curious about you and your people, and have a great many questions. But since we are honored and delighted to be receiving your majestic presence directly, perhaps for now we might limit ourselves to more cordial conversation. To get to know each other. Is that eptable, Baron Mason?" Mason could practically feel Haley (and maybe ke''s spirit) begging him to agree, to y nice, to join in this ridiculous game. And he probably would have if the ''emperor'' on the far end of the table wasn''t glowing with an aura Mason instantly recognized. This ¡®emperor¡¯ was somehow immortal, just like Mason. How he knew that exactly he wasn¡¯t sure, but he did. Jeong stared into Mason''s eyes with a look that raised little hairs all over his body. Streak started to growl as he chewed. ke had been born with a horseshoe stuffed up his ass, but Mason had his own gift. He recognized violent men. In the emperor¡¯s gaze he saw the thinly veiled, predatory gaze of some reptilian hunter¡ªthe only thing between Mason''s neck and his hands their geographic reality. Was he supposed to sit there and pretend it was otherwise? For what reason, exactly? "What do you want?" he said finally, looking at the ''emperor'' and ignoring the speaker. "I don''t have the time or patience for..." he flicked a hand at the table full of people. "All this." A momentary spasm of the same, predatory stare passed over the face of the speaker, and Mason decided he wasn¡¯t so different than the emperor. But the look vanished as quick as it came, the older man turning to the ''emperor'' for instruction or response. The eyes of everyone at the table turned. Mason was curious what the dynamic was¡ªif this leader was as in control as it seemed, or if he was surrounded by eager knives. It made him think about his own people, wondering how many might secretly hate him and want him gone. Or just resented his strength or position. The answer, of course, was...you could never know. Mason did his best to gain the loyalty of his yers. He trusted them, and wanted them to be as powerful and happy in Nassau as they could be. But you could never know what someone else was really thinking, or who was in their ear. There were always people who smiled in your face and conspired behind your back. It was why Mason had always preferred to be on his own, hiding away from humanity. He didn''t trust people. He wasn''t sure if that made him broken, or wise. "Leave us," said the ''emperor'', in a in voice without urgency or charm. The table seemed surprised, but in twos and soon in a rush they made their way towards several doors at the back of the hall. When they were all gone the emperor rose and walked with his hands behind his back,ing much closer to the screen before cing a chair and sitting more like Mason. "I apologize." The emperor gestured at the table and chairs, eyes sweeping the room. "A necessary fiction." He turned back to Mason and quirked his head like a bird on the hunt. "But you understand, I think." "What fiction are we ying now," Mason said. The emperor smiled. It didn''t suit him, and seemed ill-used, revealing misshapen, yellow teeth. "You asked what I wanted. I want mankind unified. We both know this isn''t possible without a fiction like mine. A source of order, and strength. A king, an emperor. Perhaps a god." "Who says mankind needs to be unified," Mason said. "We have a continent. So do you. That''s good enough for me." The ''emperor''s'' pleasure faltered slightly. "That is not sustainable. History shows us sooner orter we must unite or war. I have an empire already. Tens of thousands of souls beneath the banner of my house. I can see the map of settlements of this world as clearly as you can, Mason. Our reality is obvious. I do not ask for submission. Merely a recognition of that reality." "It''s a big map," Mason said, getting tired of the conversation now. "And we have a Nexus. You don''t. I wonder why that is." "All in due time," said the emperor, looking morefortable now, like he knew something Mason didn''t. "I suggest you think of your people in the long term, Baron. We have much to offer you. yers alone don''t rule this new world. Your citizens will want to listen to what we have to say. And¡­¡± the man¡¯s predatory gaze returned, ¡°it''s possible, even likely, many of your people''s friends and families are here. They will want to be reunited." Mason felt the colder thing inside him waking up. So. This emperor¡¯s ¡®n¡¯ was to use captives. An endless campaign of threats and offers, the delicious carrot of loved ones a teleport away, the bloody stick of their execution. Mason leaned forward and stared at the little man in the screen, hoping he was truly listening. "Thing with empires," he said. "They don¡¯tst long without emperors. I¡¯d be happy if our people were friendly. When the tech allows civilians cane and go as they please, as long as they follow the rules. This ''game'' probably has worse things in mind for us, and it would be better if we got along. But I don''t trust you. I don''t think I like you. And for what you just implied, I may kill you to see what happens next." Cold, calcting eyes met his and didn''t shrink away. The ¡®emperor of man¡¯ reached for some device on his table, and the image ended without another word. Mason sat back and let out a long breath. He heard a few watchers let out their own. Voices murmured until Haley was chirping in his ear again. "That¡­could have gone better. I know we all agreed on intimidating. But did you have to be so...hostile?" Mason shook his head, annoyed as ever when his intuition about violence and brutes wasn¡¯t understood. "Remember that giant stag in the woods?" he said, referring to some yers they''d met at the end of the tutorial, one of which Mason had killed. "Remember the old chief of Nassau? That''s what this ''emperor'' is." "Maybe. But it''s not just him," Haley said. "There''s so many people in that city. I''m sure we can reason with others, we can work to create structures and institutions that will keep both groups in check and ensure that..." "This isn''t Earth," Mason said more loudly, hoping the others were listening. "This isn''t a man like other men, who can be killed with a stray bullet, who just gets old and dies. I''m immortal. Do you understand? So is he. We only go out in one way, and it doesn''t matter what the others think or how many of his servants seem friendly. All that matters is what he thinks. What he wants. And he wants to control the world. To control us." Haley was staring with wide eyes, and Mason winced. He realized then he¡¯d never told her or anyone about his immortality. He¡¯d known for months now and still couldn¡¯t reallyprehend it. But when he thought about the reality of an immortal tyrant he started to understand. No doubt it came as a bit of a shock. "I want¡­" Mason started more gently, looking at the clustered group of his key people. "All I''ve ever wanted was to be left alone. But it doesn''t matter. It never matters. Not when someone else wants to fight. Not when they want you dead or gone or out of the way. Or when they want you on your knees. This isn¡¯t a dance. It¡¯s not a negotiation. It only takes one to choose war." He met Phuong''s sad eyes, the older man giving Mason a small smile as he nodded and walked away. Carl looked frazzled but slowly epting, running a hand over his head. "It was just the first call," Mason said, wishing he believed it could still all end peacefully. "There''s nothing they can do to us. Not yet. So there''s still time. Maybe his advisors will change his mind, or maybe¡­" [System announcement. Congrattions on making first contact between continents! In honor of this and the official beginning of phase 3, the first system-enforced, yer vs yer, friendlypetitive games will be hosted in The Neutral Zone. There will be amenities, prizes, and plenty of opportunity to interact and trade. Please prepare yourselves. The first iteration of the Friendly Competitive Games will begin in a few days! All surviving yers are provided withplementary invitations.] Mason put a hand to his head and rubbed his eyes. He felt like he was caught in a sea, being tossed from side to side and unable to catch his bnce. Complementary invitations. That was obviously roboGod speak for ¡®mandatory attendance¡¯. So now he didn¡¯t just have to worry about demons and undead and greenskinned monsters. Or the clearly tyrannical ¡®emperor¡¯ and his no doubt army of yers. Now their machine god was going to fight them like dogs in a pit. More so than it already was. Streak stopped chewing long enough to quirk his head with a questioning look. ¡°No.¡± Mason rolled his eyes. ¡°We¡¯re not actually fighting dogs. It was¡­no, it doesn¡¯t sound like fun. No it doesn¡¯t. Would you just eat your stupid bone.¡± The wolf huffed, then went right back to chewing.
Chapter 353: Welcome to the menagerie Chapter 353: Wee to the menagerie Haley sat next to Mason and took his hand, giving him an apologetic smile. Then her blue eyes zed. "We''re getting tons of details," she said. "Civilians I mean. This tournament thing is huge. It''s way more than just the apocalyptic Olympics." "Do tell," Mason said with a sigh, trying to block out all the frenzied conversation he could hear outside with his ever growing senses. "First off, it''s being hosted in some kind..." Haley shrugged, "AI operated, touristy ind. Sounds like we can''t get to it on our own, like it''s not even on the, or...do you know what a ''ne'' is? As in alternate ne?" "Sort of. That''s how I travel so fast. Does it say which ne?" Haley shook her head. "There''s a lot of information. I''m guessing you''ll want the abridged version." When Mason just nodded Haley rolled her eyes. "OK. Thepetition. It says there''s teams of six, three, and two. But the main event is one on one duels. Anyone can take part in that. But you can only be on one ''team''." Mason was about to ask why the hell anyone should take part at all when Haley held up a knowing hand. "There''s rewards. Experience, titles, knowledge, items, special powers...you name it." Mason sighed, knowing their overlord would know exactly how to entice everyone it wanted. "Is it to the death?" Haley shook her head. "Fortunately, no. It says all duels and team events will be ''totally realistic'', but will ''not result in permanent death and injury''." "Well that''s good news. And it means every single yer has no choice but to take part." He sighed. "But we''re going to have to figure out teams. Check out the rewards for me. Are they better for six, two, what?" Haley scanned with focused eyes. "The more yers the worse," she said. "Individual is the best, and it goes up from there." Mason nodded. He could see an argument for different methods, but that made as much sense as any. The system would let you carry arger number of weaker yers on a big team, but it would punish the strongest yers who did it by not giving the best rewards. Mason was going to have to decide if he did 2v2 for the reward, or 6v6 to help the others. He spent the next hour grilling Haley on tournament rules and rewards. How many fights? Elimination? Round robin? Herpleteck of sports knowledge made things a bit painful, but eventually he knew enough. Basically, you got one ''type'' of reward for every victory, and the system''s calction of difficulty. You got more for making it to the finals. Another for winning the whole thing. Mason expected a yer like him would get very little for the ''regr'' victories, but he''d get as much as anyone else for winning the tournament. He''d also likely penalize a much weaker team if the system judged their overall ''difficulty'' to be much higher because of him. He also knew his yers were almost all considered ''powerful''. Though he wasn''t sure exactly how powerful. Seeing a table of four tier 1 yers through the video had definitely not improved his mood. "I''m going to need every yer''s tier ranking," he said. "We''ll need to make a list and..." "Your core is all tier 1," Haley said. "Carl, Phuong, Becky, Alex, Seamus. I haven''t seen Annie and Seul-ki in awhile but likely them, too. ke, of course. The others are all tier 2, except Tommaso, he¡¯s tier 3." Mason nodded, a bit surprised. That meant even Tommaso was ranked higher than 70-80% of the world¡¯s yers. But he was guessing on their ''less popted'' continent they had all dealt with a harsher world, and leveled ordingly. He''d be shocked if many yers on the other continent had survived multiple dungeons like he had. Or been so outnumbered against orcs or goblins or anything else. Though he realized they might have a lot more experience fighting other yers... "I think we make sure we have a team in every category. Try and win them all," he said, mostly to himself. "That''s 11 people. What do we have? Thirteen? So one extra 2v2. No reason to knock our own teams out if we can avoid it. In the individual...well, nothing to be done. But there''s a lot more of them than us. It likely won''te up. Until the finals, of course." He met Haley''s smiling face and squeezed her hand. "I haven''t even looked at any of the new buildings. Want to take a walk?" Streak tossed his bone and shot up, and Haleyughed and nodded, then nced at the door. "As much as I''d like you to myself, I think there''s a few other girls that would like toe. If that''s alright." Mason winced at the thought. It wasn''t because the idea of a bunch of beautiful women with him was bad...things were just...a bit up in the air. He hadn''t officially married Naya. He hadn''t actually had his girls all together. Haley had told him Rosa and Naya weren''t exactly best friend material. And he suspected Becky wouldn''t be much better. Haley squeezed his hand and gave him a confident smile. "You''ve faced giant worms, dragons, an army of orcs," she said, a little amusement in her voice. "This is just a few women." "It''s always the things I can''t kill that scare me," he muttered. Haley shook her head as Mason helped her to her feet. "Don''t worry, my love," she whispered in his ear. "I''ll protect you." Mason gave her a raised brow and a p on the ass. "Alright," he said with a sigh, trying to put the eastern continent and the ¡®friendly¡¯ games from his mind. "Let''s go sight seeing with the girls. This day wasing eventually." * * * It wasn''t just his girls, as it turned out. Naya was there were with her mother. Rosa had brought along Lexi. And Becky had even brought her nurse friend, A. Mason clutched Haley''s arm hard enough she had to p his hand and give him a re, then he walked out to the rail of the tform and looked between the many feminine eyes staring back at him. "Hi." It wasn¡¯t the greatest opener, but it was all he had. Maybe next time you should go with: ''Hey look! It''s all the women I''m sleeping with! Mason thought. Oh. And their friends and rtives!'' Becky, A, and Lexi smiled awkwardly. Rosa looked ready for a fight. Naya and her mother touched their hands to their temples and gave him a little bow. Maybe elven culture wasn''t so bad after all. Mason decided the only way out was through. "So I, uh, thought I''d do a little tour of the city. You''re all wee to...I''d be happy if you came with me." A few heads nodded. Rosa and Lexi linked arms. Becky and A went ahead with excitement, pointing at something off the tform. The elves just followed in silence. Mason thought it best to let Haley walk with the others, letting go of her as casually as possible and instead walking along with Streak. Fortunately, the other yers and civilians of Nassau were so busy discussing the events of the day, and the Nexus/settlement was sorge, they weren''t much of a spectacle. He wanted to see the menagerie first. He''d been given a slight ''demo'' when he looked at it in the patron options, but as it came into view he nearly gasped with everyone else. The first obvious thing was that it had a kind of spherical cage surrounding, presumably to keep in birds. "Looks like that Jurassic Park movie," Becky said with a big grin, and Mason nced back and forth when she turned to him. "Ohe on now, really? Those are ssics. Well, the first two. But still. Haley put it on the list." "Putting it on the list," Haley said rotely. The elves looked as confused as Mason, which sort of made him grateful. He had no idea how to exin what a movie was. But he let the girls run ahead while he hung back with Naya and Ayet, doing his best to smile like everything was fine. He hadn''t had a chance to talk to Naya¡¯s mother at all since they''d left the elven city. "How are you finding Nassau?" he said, trying his best to be charming. "Do you regret going through that portal?" Ayet smiled, her whole face lighting up, her eyes glistening a little as she squeezed her daughter''s arm. "No. It''s so beautiful. I would never have believed..." she took a deep breath. "And the air. This..ce." She gestured at the Nexus. "To live on a new great tree. It''s a miracle what you have here. Truly." Naya''s eyes fought tears as well. She looked at Mason with such happiness he couldn''t help but smile more genuinely. "We owe you so much, husband," she said. "You not only saved our people. You have given us hope for the first time since...well, since I was born." "I''m just d you''re safe, and happy," he said. Unlike with his human women, he felt a chasm between him and the elves. A kind of fake distance because of the fiction created by roboGod. How did he tell them about the great game? About the uing tournament and the human empire of yers to the east? He felt like he couldn''t exin anything. "Is everything alright?" Naya looked at him with those beautiful, intelligent, dark eyes, and he shrugged. "I''m just...thinking too much. Too many distractions." "You''re an important man," Ayet said. "Our people have so many Barons and Baronesses...often without realnd or retainers. I hadn''t realized how..." she seemed to blush slightly. "How powerful you were. How much responsibility you had. When we met." Naya nodded with enthusiasm. "You should see him in battle, mother. He killed a dozen centaur like it was nothing. He fights with de, bow, and w. He didn''t even use his magic. Or his animal. And he didn''t wear this incredible armor." She looked him up and down with such innocent and enamored pride he really had no idea what to do. But he definitely felt a flush of heat taking over his face. "I...had surprise. It was a bit foolish." "I''ve never felt so safe, mother, not even in Sharisse." Naya beamed, meeting his gaze. "And do you feel the life in this ce? I think the myths are true. I think our people will have children again. Can''t you feel it?" "Yes." Ayet met Mason''s eyes, too, with a look that definitely wasn''t entirely appropriate from an iw. "Yes I feel it, too."
Chapter 354: Some more than others Chapter 354: Some more than others Mason and his small pack of women (plus Streak) walked around the Nexus tforms, taking a lift down near the menagerie. "The view is brilliant,¡± said Lexi the little Brit as she shook Rosa''s arm. "Yeah we can see it." Rosa rolled her eyes but grinned as she nced at Mason and stuck out her tongue at her friend. Honestly Mason wasn''t sure if the view of the forest or the women was more eye-catching. How exactly he''d gone from an almost hermit-like life of solitude to being surrounded by beautiful girls, most of whom he was sleeping with, remained a bit hard toprehend. But since he''d also gained superpowers, immortality, and ''rulership'' of the most amazing ce he''d ever seen, he supposed it was just par for the course. "Your mind is busy again," Haley said, taking his hand as they walked. For a moment as he met his ¡®assistant¡¯ sh wife¡¯s blue eyes he forgot about whether or not Naya (or anyone else) was watching, or the many problems and challenges ahead. He just held her hand and grinned, taking deep breaths of the incredible forest air. "upational hazard," he said, and Haley just nodded with a smile. When they reached the ground, Streak took off like a rocket. Everyoneughed as the wolf jumped a cart and startled a few civilians, flying into the menagerie ''dog door'' and vanishing. The inside looked like a giant jungle gym mixed with a forest. There were trees, ramps, caverns, brooks, and an endless number of vines, bushes, and logs. Mason realized it had a kind of tunnel that led to the wall, and he was guessing it had a way to let animals in and out. They found the dark skinned ¡®beastmaster¡¯ elf inside (whose name Mason already forgot), as well as several wolves already ying or resting. The elf stood when she saw Mason and the others, her hands moving awkwardly together as if she were nervous. "My lord, anddy. I didn''t know...I hope it''s alright. I couldn''t help myself. It''s just so..." "Stop worrying, I''m d you came," Mason said, stepping forward and doing his best to smile. "Maybe you should take that armor off," Haley whispered to him. "You still look terrifying." Right. He¡¯dpletely forgotten. The whole ''horns and scales'' thing. Mason blinked and transformed his armor back to the green ''vestments'' that looked a bit like the system uniform. Then he nced around the menagerie and reached out with his senses, looking for the very neglected Violet. He grinned when he sensed her warm and happy and full nearby. The elf bowed and touched her fingers to her temple, and Naya and Ayet did the same before moving off to speak alone. Mason let the other girls go where they liked, moving deeper to see the wolves and Violet. Streak was busily ying with the other wolves, chasing down his mate with a yful growl. He was so much bigger and more powerful than them he never disyed any attempts at dominance. There was absolutely no need. Mason decided it was the best way to actually create peace. To be so obviously the strongest that everyone else just epted all they had was negotiation andpromise. As he wandered into the menagerie, he started re-thinking the system''s tournament and realizing the thinking behind it, maybe even the wisdom. A fight only ever happened because someone miscalcted. If everyone knew exactly how a fight would end, there would be no point to the fight. Maybe if Mason could show this emperor and his people what would happen if they really fought, he could end a war before it began. But how? What did that mean, exactly? Men weren''t like wolves. They were more subtle, more clever and adaptive, with many kinds of power. You couldn''t just be bigger and stronger and expect all your rivals to recognize that and give up. You had to make them think it was hopeless. He found Violet lying in the shade next to a small trickle of water, asionally dousing her mouth with a semi-conscious bob. He reached out with Speak with Nature and sensed the barest remnants of awareness, the creature in a kind of blissed out trance. Mason chuckled and ran a hand over her rough skin, which didn''t seem to wake her up. "You definitely earned this," he said, thinking of the giant worm fighting with orcs where she may have saved his life twice. "You and I need to figure out how the hell I actually bond you." "I can teach you," said the beastmaster elf behind him, and he turned with a raised brow. She''d taught him how to summon Streak with ease, so he wasn''t about to doubt her now. "The student awaits the master," he said, bowing his head like the elves and touching his fingers to his temple. The dark elf went a little pink and came forward. "I didn''t mean to disturb you, lord. It''s just that, if the lord wishes, I can..." "You can call me Mason. And I''m just giving you a hard time. I''d love to hear anything you can teach me. Honestly I feel like I don''t know anything. And I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m bad with names, so if you could..." ¡°Kitya, my lord. Mason.¡± Kitya smiled a little, clearly awkward. Like all the elven women she was thin and beautiful, though with far darker skin than most of the others. She knelt down next to him and put her hands on Violet next to his, and her incredible scent washed over him. She smelled like sea air and fresh rain on green grass, and he did his best to ignore it. But failed. And at this point Mason honestly wished he had a few more men around just to keep his life lessplicated. "You have bonded only one otherpanion?" Kitya asked. Mason nodded, and her eyes closed slightly as she concentrated. "I cannot bond the animal to you, as I could with an elven ranger. You must have some kind of¡­other method. Sometimes you need to spend more time together, to understand one another more." Mason nodded. He hardly understood Violet at all. His bond with Streak had been far more instant and natural, but he supposed men and wolves had been in something like a symbiotic rtionship for thousands of years. There was no human guidebook on domesticating giant, intelligent, purple apocalypse worms. "I''ll change that and we can try again." Kitya nodded, pushing ck hair behind a delicate ear. "This ce will help you. It keeps the animals calm, makes them feel at peace. She will be more open to your senses here. Return when she is awake in the evenings." Nocturnal, then. Got it. Mason nodded and smiled in thanks. "Thanks again." He knew he was this woman''s new ''lord'' and he''d hardly said two words to her except when asking for her help. He took a breath and shrugged. "If there''s anything you need, or any request, please just ask. I feel I owe you." Kitya maybe blushed and looked at herp. "My duty is to serve, lord. Er, Mason. You owe me nothing." "I''m pretty sure a lord''s duty is to look after his followers. So remember what I said." "I will, Lord Mason." Kitya smiled, seemingly pleased she''d found apromise. Mason smiled politely and stood, walking back towards the others with another task floating in the back of his mind. Naya was waiting not far off, and had probably been the one to send Kitya to speak with him. Her face lit with a glowing smile when he came towards her. "We haven''t had a chance to speak. Since you returned," she said, ncing around to make sure they were alone. Then she picked up her silks and closed the distance, throwing her arms around him. "I missed you," she said, squeezing her head against his chest. He hugged her back and tilted up her face, kissing her lips softly at first, then with growing passion. "I haven''t..." Naya swallowed and went a little pink as she met his eyes. "I''ve thought of nothing but...our night together. It''s been so difficult. With you away." Mason smiled and ran his finger down her cheek. "I missed you too. Everything''s alright? You''re not..." he gestured towards the trees and other women. "All this. It doesn''t bother you? I know it''s a lot." Naya shook her head. "Not since our night together. I know how you feel about me now. How I feel about you." She pressed herself against him and kissed him again, swallowing his tongue eagerly with a little moan. Mason''s body was reacting now. And if Naya was really gettingfortable with her situation it definitely took some weight off his mind. And added to the difort in his pants¡­ The idea of going back to his new ''hall'' with all his women happy andfortable, equally ready and willing to do whatever he wanted¡­it was a heady potion and almost hard to grasp. He groaned when Naya''s hands started moving down his chest. "I need you tonight," she said. "However you wish, husband. Whatever bed you choose, please let me be in it." Mason didn''t bother ying coy. Was Naya maybe also securing her ce? Getting him alone before the other girls to make sure she had him tonight? Almost certainly. But he didn''t really care. Any of his girls who got over the jealousy and said ''wherever with whoever'' were getting to the top of the list. Mason just didn''t have the time or energy for anything else. He nodded and groped Naya''s ass with both hands, lifting her up to kiss her. "Tonight," he said. "You''ll be with me. Don''t worry." Naya bit her lip and nodded, hugging him onest time before he set her down and watched her sway back towards the others. Some problems, he decided, were more fun to solve than others.
Chapter 355: The Elven Quarter Chapter 355: The Elven Quarter Mason finished his tour with the menagerie with his girls by trying to get a little time alone with each of them. First he took Rosa''s hand and pretty much had to pull her away, ignoring the eye rolls and dramatic breaths until he had her alone and against a tree. "I missed you," he said, waiting with his lips an inch from hers. "Yeah?" she said. "Name''s Rosa. In case you forgot. I''m the Mexican. The one after Haley and Reba? But before the elf." "Oh you really are feisty, aren''t you?" Mason said. "You know I don''t have the time or patience for this shit, but here you are, ready to fight." Rosa''s lips came forward, just touching his, then moved to whisper in his ear as her hand moved down to his waist. "Are you saying you don''t like it?" She grabbed his crotch as he kissed her, and he very seriously considered banging her against that tree. But he wasn''t at a ce like that with his girls. One day, he hoped, they''d all cheer them on or join in. But today was not that day. "Tonight," he said. "You''re in my bed." "What will you do, hmm?¡± she wrapped her legs around his waist as he held her against the tree. ¡°Fuck us in order?" "Maybe," Mason said, putting a hand up her skirt. "But you won''t be bored." "Promises, promises." The back of Rosa''s head hit the tree as Mason slid a finger against the thin fabric between him and her sex. Then he took his hand out and put her back down, smoothing her skirt and hair. "I have a lot to do. But I want you home with the others." He put a hand under her chin and grinned. "Unless you''d rather just be on your own tonight." Rosa cursed him and tried to squirm away, but Mason held her. He put his finger to her lips, and she moaned as she took it in and sucked. "I want to be with you," she said quietly, and he kissed her more intimately. "Good," he said. "I want you with me. Always." "I am," she said, sighing as the fight went out. "I like my life here. I like being friends with the girls, because I...haven''t had many girl friends before." She frowned, thick lips almost pouting. "But I don''t have to like the elf." Mason grinned and let her go. "She''ll grow on you. You didn''t like the others, either." Rosa gave him the finger without looking as she walked off, and Mason couldn''t help butugh. Talking to Becky was a lot easier. When you''d been through all they had, in dungeons and on the road, ''civilian'' life became a lot less serious. He just gave her a one armed hug and kissed her cheek, whispering in her ear. "Tonight. The chief''s hall. I want you with the other girls. Like the nymph tree." Becky gave him a quirked brow and a sigh, shaking her head. "You must be the luckiest son of a bitch alive. You don''t even deserve Haley, let alone the rest of us." He grinned and pped her ass as he walked away, not exactly disagreeing. Finally he went to Haley. "All the girls are joining me tonight," he said. "No nonsense. Other than that," he shrugged. "I don''t have any rules." "All the girls?" Haley asked, ncing at Lexi and A. Mason snorted and shook his head. "All the girls I''m currently sleeping with. That''s already plenty. Pretty soon it''s going to look like a sports team. I also made rules, technically speaking. Uh, what was the number? Three?" Haley got a little more serious at that. "Three civilians, yes. Though you didn''t say anything about elves. Or yers. Probably because there¡¯s only one female yer here for the moment. That reminds me, we need to talk about Tommaso. He has been breaking said rules. Again." Mason sighed, not remotely in the mood. "Not a problem I''m dealing with today. Now I''m going to go look at the oracle building, the scout building, and maybe the crafters if I have time. Can you make sure the girls all..." he trailed off as Haley nodded. "I''ll get them sorted. You don''t want me toe with you?" "No, I''m good. I''m not looking for all the details today. Just want a look." He gave her a peck on the lips and bit of a grope, then whistled for Streak and walked to the exit. "Yes you''reing," he shouted, when he felt the wolf whine through their bond. It padded up next to him with a grumble, and he put his hand on his friend''s head. "Because I like you, that''s why. And because if I have to suffer through all this, then so do you." Streak shot him a very human-like re, and Masonughed as they walked towards what now looked like the ''elven quarter''. * * * Unsurprisingly, he found Dariya inside the ''Oracle'' building, which looked somewhere between a carnie tarot reader shack and a hunting lodge. He winced as he pushed aside some beads in the doorway, got hit by the smell of incense...and something that smelled vaguely like a drug. He did his best not to think this would be all total astrology-like horseshit. "Ah, Baron. I wanted toe and thank you for taking my rmendation. It was a very wise decision." Dariya sat by an actual ss-like sphere, just the kind you''d expect in some bad movie about a fortune teller. Mason took a deep breath and sat in the lone chair opposite. "You''re wee. Now what exactly can you do with it?" "Touch the orb, my lord. And I will show you." Mason reached out and put his hand on the sphere, which was warm and felt charged with electricity. Dariya''s eyes zed, and Apex Predator shed. [Ancient Elven Oracle is attempting to affect you with mind power: Elven Oracle Sight. Do you wish to resist?] Dariya''s brow bunched in confusion as Mason dyed. He trusted the elves, more or less, but it was fair to say he trusted Dariya the least. He didn''t think of her as malicious, exactly, but she clearly served her own interests and never fully showed her hand. She had also tricked him once (rather easily) in the fey, convincing him she was some helpless old fool, when he suspected she was anything but. He eventually sighed and epted the prompt, and Dariya''s face went back to concentration. "My order is older than Sharisse," she said, her voice strong. "Older than the magic used by the council. We were founded with the forming of the world. I need no portals to travel, not in body, not in mind. See now what your heart desires to see." Mason blinked and stared into the orb, which swirled with color until Mason was falling through clouds. He looked out over a in, his vision growing until he felt too close to the orb to be possible. He blinked and looked out over a wide horizon, seeing grasnds and hills, a coast to the east,kes dotting thendscape. Then he saw a city stretching out along a river in the center of it all. He moved closer, seeing a confusingbination of structures. Some looked like they belonged in medieval Ennd, others ancient Rome, with towering structures in the center that were half skyscraper and half ancient ziggurat. Mason''s view came closer and closer, straight to the huge towers until he dove through a window and floated into the same hall he''d seen on the video screen in his meeting with the ''emperor''. A smaller group of men sat on one side of the long table. ..."their strongest yers will be in the twos," said a male voice. "The best rewards are there." "I agree," said another. "I''m tempted to put our strongest in the threes and sixes. With so few settlements, they''re unlikely to be able to field manyrger teams." "What? So you''re just epting that their strongest will beat ours? Assuming you and I, say, couldn''t defeat them in the 2v2?" Some of the men winced until another spoke. "You saw their leader. Not even Jeong glows with such an aura of...violence. They''ve been in some hintend all this time. Hardly any humans. And still he''s killed that many? Who knows how strong he is. We have no idea how far the peaks of tier 1 are. We have no measure of his power until we see it." "Do you think Jeong will enter the duels? It''s hard to imagine him losing. But he may not take the risk. If this Mason defeated him..." "He won''t fight him," said another man. "But the rewards...and what does it say if he doesn''t?" "Hold." A tall blonde man¡¯s head quirked and his eyes narrowed in concentration. "There''s...some kind of magic in the air. It''s strong, but I''m beginning to..." Something yanked Mason backwards through the window, vaulting him towards the clouds until he blinked and pulled away from the orb with a bit of dizzy disorientation. "Apologies, Baron." Dariya looked a bit dizzy herself. "I hadn''t expected anything powerful enough to detect us. I had to end the spell early. Was what you saw useful, at least?" Mason got the feeling Dariya could see and hear exactly what Mason saw, but he kept that to himself. "It was. How often can you do that? And what kind of control do you have over what I see?" "Daily. And none at all." Dariya grinned. "I can only show you what you yourself understand or desire. I am not in control of the godpaths." Mason thought back to what the librarian had told him in Sharisse. About the ''evil'' fey, or the Unseelie, like the one who''d sent him to the elven city. Their magic worked like that, didn''t it? Not so precise, like the elven wizards. Operating more on feelings. Desires. Fears. Was that the kind of magic Dariya used? "Is that all you can do?" Mason asked. A slow smile spread across Dariya''s lips. "Oh no, my lord. I can show you possible futures, and the past. I can show you the true nature of those you love. I can show you the hidden ces of the world. I can show you the many ways you might die." Mason snorted, deciding arge portion of that would be useless nightmare fuel. He stood and noticed Streak whining at the edge of the room, apparently unwilling toe in. He was going to need to have a long talk with Naya about her oracle, he decided, even if her orb could be very useful. "For the cost of this ce, I want that orb used as much as possible. But I won''t have the time. I''ll send you other yers, probably a scout named Kiaan. You''ll help them understand how to use it, and start mapping this world to find anything valuable or interesting." Dariya bowed her head and smiled. "Very wise, Baron. I will of course do as youmand." Mason stood and walked for the Scout''s Enve next, trying to shake off the creepy feeling he had near the ''Oracle Stone'' and its wielder. He grabbed Streak''s jaw and gave him a little push for the door. "I heard you whining," he said. "It''s just an orb. You''re embarrassing me in front of the elves." Streak snorted like he¡¯d smelled something unpleasant, onest dubious nce towards the old elf before chasing behind Mason.
Chapter 356: Last of the elves’ finest Chapter 356: Last of the elves¡¯ finest Mason''s brain was feeling a bit like it had training with Eve¡ªfilled with information he hadn''t yetprehended, and simmering slightly in lust. Thoughts of the end of his evening and his girls were driving him to distraction, but he wanted to see everything new in Nassau before he gave himself permission to enjoy. The ''Scout''s Enve'' was next. Then, hemanded himself, the neglected crafters. The scout building looked like a barracks or a fort, just with more...wood. He hoped it wasn''t as mmable as it looked, or the gates and sturdy design was pretty much all for show. He walked through the open entrance admiring the design and trying not to see the ws, a bit surprised to find at least three people inside. "Patron." Kiaan turned and bowed his head at the same time as an elf, both men standing from some item of interest at a desk. Cliknik the goblin jumped up from his squat beside them with a big, fake looking smile with way too many teeth. Streak growled, and the goblin scrambled behind the desk. "Gentlemen," Mason said, returning the nod. He looked at the elf. "I''m sorry I don''t think I know your name." "Orlon, lord," said thest remaining elven scout, and one of the few elven males left alive. "Thank you, for this enve. It''s...a wee reminder of home." The scout said it with a sad voice, and Mason gave him a questioning look as he approached. The elf shrugged, turning to empty chairs around a central table. "I am reminded of the kin who should fill these seats," he said. Mason nodded, expecting he couldn''tprehend the man''s loss. These people were young for elves, he knew, but hadn''t Naya said she was almost a hundred years old? How long must this scout have known and probably served beside hisrades? Mason walked to the desk and took a pitcher of water, filling a few nearby cups. "Later, we''ll get proper drinks," he said, a bit annoyed there wasn''t something here. "But...my people. We toast, that is, we drink, for the fallen. Say some useless words." He lifted the cup, and after an amused look, so did the elf. It was silly, maybe, but Mason spoke with a serious tone. "You and your scouts saveddy Naya. My wife. You brought the survivors here. You maybe found the holynd they left Sharisse for. You''ve won, Orlon, no matter what happened, or what happens now. You did your duty." He let that hang in the air, and saw the scout''s eyes maybe even battle with some water. "To the victorious dead," Mason said. After several seconds of staring at the chairs, Orlon blinked and nodded. "A fine sentiment, lord" They drank and said nothing for awhile. Mason wandered the enve inspecting the impressive architecture until Orlon seemed ready. He felt much more natural with yers, or a man like this who knew what it was to fight for survival. Something made far more sense to him about how such people thought, and the words came more naturally. There was none of the...awkwardness he felt with civilians. "I don''t expect you came here to discuss my fallen brethren," said Orlon,ing forward with his arms behind his back in some kind of obviously formal stance. "How may I assist you, lord?" Mason nced between his scouts and shrugged. "You can start by telling me how the hell this ce works." Orlon grinned and gestured to the huge central table. He lifted his hand, and the smooth surface sprung to life with colors and texture with all kinds of symbols. Pretty soon it became obvious: it was a giant, slightly 3-dimensional map. "I have taken the liberty of filling it with everything I know, adding the knowledge of your man Kiaan and his...goblin servant." "I knew next to nothingpared to Captain Orlon, Patron," Kiaan said,ing forward. "He has filled in most of the continent, adding endless amounts of detail." Mason scanned the image until he had his bearings, using the great forest as his ''center'', though it was really in the north of the continent. Kiaan was right, the details he was looking at far exceeded their currently limited knowledge. "This is incredible," he said, looking at the map''s legend to figure out what all the markings were. It looked like the elves had marked all kinds of ''resource'' sites, ''dangers'', often including the nature of those dangers, as well as unique features or legends. With his growing intuition of this game, Mason expected they''d find dungeons, settlements, items or creatures, all kinds of things at these ¡®special¡¯ locations. He looked at the scout and grinned. "Even if you sit on your ass now, Orlon, you¡¯ve already proved your worth." The scout smiled politely. "We assign a certain level of exploration based on our knowledge," he exined. "I understand you have a primitive...a teleportation device here at your settlement?" Mason nodded, and the scout pointed at an area near the great forest. "This ce, for example, is explored well enough now. As patron, if you focus on it you should be able to..." As Mason stared at the spot, a window opened just above the table with several options, some of which were greyed out. But one obvious choice was ''activate teleportation beacon''. He felt his eyes opening wider. "You''re telling me I can...teleport to right here? Right now?" The scout nodded. "Within the limits of your device, of course. And the crystal that powers this beacon must also be re-charged. At its current power level, it would take a week." Mason nodded, still incredibly impressed. He suspected the enve''s ''crystal'' could be upgraded with more points, and so could his teleportation beacon. Of course they''d be limited by their exploration of the terrain. But even so, this was an amazing tool. It meant Mason didn''t always have to Wyrdwalk first. The others would be able to travel the continent (and possiblyter, the world), in the blink of an eye, and return to the beacon in Nassau. Once a week was a hell of a lot better than ''not at all''. "It also serves as a...kind ofmunication device," said Orlon. "Though only between those who are able to be trained. We call it being Crystal Sensitive in Sharisse. It was this ability which determined whether or not an elven child was suitable to be a scout." Maised raised a brow and nced at Kiaan. He hadn''t exactly figured out how to talk about ''the game'' with elves or other non-humans around, as their understanding of the world didn''t mesh with the rules. It was like talking to fully immersed actors in a movie where you could break the fourth wall. "For us...humans," Kiaan said, "suitability seems determined by ss, Patron. I''ve already taken it. For now it seems limited to text. Though perhaps it will improve in time." "It should," confirmed Orlon. "In fact your ability already is staggering, but youck range. With training, using the crystal, experienced scouts should be able to speak over vast distances." Mason was never a big fan of cell phones, but they were sure wee now. "We have amunication beacon as well," he said. "Will that help?" Orlon nodded. "Any trained scout should be able tomunicate with someone using the beacon, regardless of distance. The crystal will be able to contact it." "OK." Mason grinned. "So we have a map. We can teleport once a week. We can talk to the beacon and maybe between scouts soon enough. Anything else?" "I can train your people in my trade, if you wish, lord." Orlon nced again at the empty chairs. "This world is vast andrgely forgotten, even by my people. And it will have changed since we left. Many of my details may be incorrect, or iplete. Swift scouts will be needed to re-map it." Again Kiaan looked to Mason and exined further. "Our civilians gain specialties, Patron. Not so different to your prestige sses. Even a crafter could train with Orlon. Though obviously some are more suited than others, like myself." "My apologies, lord," said Orlon, nodding to Kiaan. "I don''t know human ways. But I am very pleased to have Master Kiaan to help interpret." "Don''t worry," Mason said, walking to the man and patting his arm. "I''m more than pleased with this ce, and the exnation. We''ll give our people the chance toe to you, and I expect we''ll have a few takers. Not everyone likes to be stuck behind walls every day. Be a scout. See the world," he said with a grin. The elf just looked back and forth and gave Mason a tight lipped smile. No doubt getting to know each other and building some trust would take time. Fortunately, Mason had a lot. Unless he got himself killed. "Thanks again." He nced at the silent goblin and sighed, no idea when or even if ke would be around to scour the creature''s mind. "And you might as well work with Cliknik here. If that''s what he wants." The goblin spasmed when his name was used. He blinked and looked up with his signature smile. "Oh yes. Cliknik would be very happy to teach elves and men many things. Like how wrong is map. Very bad. Where is underground, yes? Bad map. Very wrong." Orlon went slightly red. Kiaan raised a thick brow as the goblin nodded as if agreeing with his own point, and Mason held back his smile. "Well. You argue amongst yourselves, and I''ll be happy to hear all about it. But not today." With that he waved a hand in goodbye, pulling Streak away from the cringing goblin before walking for the crafters. The thought of his girls grew like a fog covering his senses, but he refused to go back until he''d finished his tasks. With what he hoped was hisst long sigh of the evening, he made his way to the crafter quarter.
Chapter 357: We French know what to do Chapter 357: We French know what to do Mason soon realized the crafters had moved entirely to the tforms, which meant he had to take the lift back to the Nexus. After a bit of whining, he decided to leave Streak to return to his pack in the menagerie. "But you owe me!" he shouted as the wolf sprinted off without ncing back. Mason steeled himself and went for the lift, then changed his mind and climbed straight up the tree. It was a ridiculous feat. Inhuman and impossible, now almost easy. Mason felt the urge to shapeshift as he went, to extend his ws and climb like a vertical run with a roar on his lips¡ªto let everyone and everything know he was here, he was watching. The master of the forest was home. He took a deep breath and rxed into the climb, getting more and more aware of the ¡®Cerebus¡¯ impulses that were always poking at his brain. Sometimes he agreed and embraced it. But sometimes it was a pain in the ass. At the top he stepped onto the tform, resigning himself to probably hours of lengthy exnations by specialists. But he knew it was important to show he cared. And hopefully to maybe learn a bit about how the civilian ''economy'' worked. His knowledge of the civilian world was almostughably bad. The first tform of buildings looked busy, and Mason walked to the middle and nced around at signs, not quite sure what was what. Finally he decided to just walk into one and find someone to talk to, but before he could he sensed someone stop and stare behind him. "Oh. Patron. Er. Baron. Er. Hello." Mason turned to find Peni the smith holding arge bag of¡­rocks?¡­over one shoulder, carrying another in his hand. He was a big man, but either he''d gained some system stats or he was obscenely strong. "You should have been a warrior," Mason said, gesturing at the feat. Peni smiled, but it didn''t touch his eyes. "Can I, uh, do something for ya? We''re a bit busy in there. Lots of refining and smelting yet to do before tomorrow." "No." Mason shrugged. "I was just...¡± what the hell was he actuallying to do? ¡°I wanted to see how the new buildings were. Don''t let me keep you." Peni nodded and started to walk on. Then he turned back with a kind of awkward, dutiful expression, like he felt obligated to say more. "They''re great," he said, licking his lips. ¡°We''re all grateful for..." he gestured with his head at the Nexus. "For everything. You and the yers, you know, you''ve done real well and all. We''re just...trying to catch up." "I understand," Mason said, not really understanding. Peni frowned, still not setting down his rocks. "Thing is, we''re all pretty worried. With the new continent and all. That we''re¡­well, country bumpkins. You know? Like we''ll...I dunno. Look stupid. Next to all the city civilians." Mason was getting a bit clearer picture now. The civilians had definitely not been the focus in the ''West'', partially because they''d spent so much time and effort on survival, partially just because Mason didn''t think it was important enough. "If Haley''s right, and she usually is," Mason said. "This thing is a marathon, not a sprint. We''ll catch up. Meanwhile, we get to live here." Mason nced around at the trees. "Not a bad deal." "No," Peni said, features softening a little as he looked. "No I''d say you''re right. Or at least Haley''s right. That''s a good woman you''ve got there." "She is." Mason let out a breath and looked around the crafting quarter. "And I think I¡¯ll go back to her, because there''s probably not a useful thing I can do here. I¡¯m not likely to catch up on everything you and yours are doing in an hour. And I¡¯ll probably slow you down. Unless you need some help carrying rocks?" He gestured. Peni smiled a little and shook his head. "Got storage, too, boss. This''ll be plenty. Have a nice night." Mason nodded and turned away, deciding it was a start, at least. Ultimately he didn''t need to be everything to everyone. He''d designate people like Haley or Peni to be in charge of civilians, which reminded him he still had House positions to fill. Another item on the to-do list, probably best done before the ''tournament'' started. Like deciding on arena teams. Without ke, Seul-ki, and Annie, they only had ten yers. When he thought about that, especially in the context of this new continent, he realized it was an almostughably small number. And here I''d thought we were getting powerful. When it came to fighting, quality mattered. A lot. But quantity mattered, too. Could this eastern city simply overwhelm them with yers in a fight? Would they have hundreds? Thousands? The thought made Mason realize his bravado with the emperor might very well have been just that. What the hell could they do against an army of yers? Even if Mason was as powerful as five, or ten...could he fight fifty? It seemed unlikely. Maybe if they were pitifully weak and fighting in the trees. If he had time to regenerate, to get stronger, to run them around with endless arrows. But they¡¯d have their own archers, casters, supports... And his ''soldiers'' might have to fight just as many. The thought sent a chill down his spine. He reminded himself for now it was all just in his imagination. They might have far less yers than he feared, and in any case be unable to reach Nassau. There wasn¡¯t enough information yet to fear a war. And there was likely a lot he could do between now and whenever that came. He had to hope. This ''tournament'' was first. With only ten yers he couldn''t even fill out the teams. For a six, a three, and a two, they¡¯d have needed eleven to sweep the categories and avoid fighting each other (except in the individual duels, of course). He thought again about the importance of intimidation. About putting the fear of God in these other yers enough that they maybe decided messing with Nassau just wasn''t in their best interest. And after listening to the other continent''s yers talking with Dariya''s stone he started to get an idea of what to do. He needed to talk to Haley to confirm, but intuition told him the game would allow it. He''d fill the six and three with his yers. And then he''d enter the twos alone. It was where the best rewards were, and therefore where the best of the east''s yers would go. Sometimes in war you didn''t have to scare an army. You just had to scare its leaders. If Mason could take on their best two at a time, and crush them. And then if he could do the same to their emperor one on one. Well. Maybe they''d re-calcte. It was worth a try. And the thought of all that fighting definitely had Mason in the right frame of mind as he walked towards his girls. His heart beat faster, his stride picked up. He thought of the beautiful women all waiting for him, all his, and could still sometimes barelyprehend. But he was getting shockinglyfortable with it. Lust helped. And frequently cheating death. And he knew he had an undeniably growing ego, probably with a little help from Cerebus. But it was more than just that. He liked these women. He probably even loved two of them, and fully expected he''d grow to love the others with more time and intimacy. Yes, he wanted them all in his bed. But he also wanted to sit down at the table and eat with them, listen to them talk andugh and remind him why all the rest of this insanity mattered. But they¡¯d make their way to the bed eventually. He¡¯d get them through the difort, the awkwardness. He¡¯d do whatever the hell he had to. And then it''d be a night to remember. * * * Naya sat awkwardly on the strange furniture the other girls called a ''couch'', and ate ''finger food''. The couch was veryfortable, at least, but unstylishly enormous. Naya felt she might sink into the cushions and disappear. It was also strange to sit so close to the other girls. Elves sat in their own individual seats, or knelt on mats on the floor. Being next to them all the time put her at considerable unease. "Your posture is so wonderful, Naya," Haley said to her with a smile. "You''re inspiring me to pay more attention to how I sit." It was the third or fourth time Haley had specificallyplimented or included her in the conversation, and Naya was grateful, she truly was. But since her first night with her husband, Naya had begun to feel¡­some intoxicating cocktail of lust and emotion she had never expected in a thousand years. And despite this overwhelming feeling clouding her mind and body, wanting nothing but so desperately to be back in her husbands¡¯s arms¡­now she had to share him. It was hard enough to share with Haley, whom she was beginning to like. But¡­with these other two women? It was all just so...hard. "You''re very sweet," Naya said, "but you''re so beautiful. You can sit however you like." The women (except Rosa) all smiled politely, and Naya struggled to find something else to say. She looked to the concubine named Becky, who was apparently a warrior as well, and forced a smile. "We haven''t had much of a chance to talk," she said. "I''m amazed you fight side by side with a powerful warrior like Mason. I''d be terrified." "Nah it''s them big ol'' softy city boys that get scared." Becky blushed a little but her tone wasn''t shy. "Country girl like me''s as tough as shoe leather." Naya hardly even understood what the woman actually said, let alone how to respond. She nodded and smiled and sipped her ''tea'', which was very nice, still trying to wash the taste of the ''coffee'' she''d tried first out of her mouth forever. The things these humans ate and drank were truly extraordinary. And mostly disgusting. "Well this sucks," said Rosa suddenly, sucking out the slightly easing tension and making Haley choke on her drink. "Rosa..." "Well it does!" The dark eyed concubine tossed up her hands in what was bing familiar high drama. She looked at Naya. "No offence, but we couldn''t even get through supper. Now we''re gonna fuck a man together? A man I want and you want and everybody wants." She snorted. "Stop pretending, OK? This sucks." Even Haley looked a bit speechless, and Naya took a long breath. One thing she admired about humans, despite the fact it was very new for her, was that they had a way of just saying the truth. "You''re right," she said. "This...sucks." The women looked pretty surprised, and Rosa actually smiled a little. She gestured at Naya as if to say ''you see?'' "But...if Mason is to be my husband..." Rosa rolled her eyes at this but Naya fought on... "then I will do everything I can to bring his house peace and happiness. I want no conflict with any of you. And I will treat you with the same respect Mason does." "She''s so awkward," Rosa said, shaking her head. "Isn''t she awkward? Mason could be here any second and I''m not even close to turned on. Maybe I''ll go put on something sexy. Can we go put on something sexy?" Naya did her best to keep her expression neutral, and guard her tongue. She was a very new wife. She could handle a little disrespect. If it continued she would inform her husband, and expect him to punish his concubine, if necessary. But she could tolerate it for now. Haley stood and walked off, leaving Naya and the other concubines to exchange awkward nces again. Then the only human woman Naya liked returned with tworge bottles and set them in the middle of the table. "We French know what to do in such situations," she said, unscrewing a cork as she winked at Naya. "You¡¯re all going to get drunk."
Chapter 358: Strip Becky Ball Chapter 358: Strip Becky Ball Mason hesitated at the new chief''s hall door. This one wasn''t built with any kind of defence in mind, probably because the system assumed if an enemy got all the way to this point a little extra fortification wasn''t going to help. Instead it had been built with beauty and function in mind¡ªthe design a multi-leveled, curving wooden structure that looked a bit like a giant vine on the great tree. Life seemed to move so fast these days, Mason only vaguely remembered his brief tour of the main floor, despite it being only a few days ago. He was excited to see his girls, but he also realized there was likely to be some...tension. As amazing as Haley might be, not even she had the power to ovee the natural jealousy and conflict between very different young women from different cultures. And an elven princess. Which meant hewas going to have get things under control. Get the girlsfortable, knock down any jealousies, make everyone feel special and...attended to. It was a little daunting, and he tried to remind himself this was supposed to be fun. Pleasurable. He imagined this first time would be the hardest. After that things would get easier, morefortable. And then Mason could more properly enjoy himself¡­ He opened the door, expecting to find a somewhat muted, probably awkward group of women sitting around a dining room table. He¡¯d probably have to get them apart and rxed one by one. Maybe two by two? Christ he had no idea. As soon as the door cracked, some kind of...techno-style dance music hit him with the smell of...baking. "Oh my God!" Rosa wasughing hysterically. "Again! Do it again!" Mason stopped in the entrance to take in the scene. Haley and Naya were in the kitchen, wearing nothing but ck underwear and aprons, their hair tied up in elven fashion with silk scarves. Half a dozen burners and ovens were going with various tes and pans as they watched something cook with intensity. Rosa was wearing Becky''s cowboy hat and boots with a tight red dress, holding her arms over her head at the bottom of some stairs. "OK, y''all, here I go!" Mason blinked in surprise as an also underwear sporting Becky herself off the top of the stairs. She did a mid-air somersault, passed through Rosa''s arms like a football goal, and hit the ground with a deft roll. She came up on the other side in a cheerleader-like pose, then began what could only be described as a touchdown dance. With their busyness and music ring, the girls were still oblivious to Mason. Hidden in the many scents of cooking, Mason also smelledthe booze before he saw a few bottles abandoned near a couch. "Nice jump," he said, sending Becky into a spasm of surprise. She turned and looked at him like a girl who''d been caught in the cookie jar. Then she slid towards Rosa, grabbed her hat back and tossed it on with a grin, her hands on her hips like a superhero. Mason couldn''t help but smile, too. "Hey that''s mine I won it!" Rosa grabbed at the hat but Becky held her back easily with one arm and a fake yawn. "Not...fair!" Rosa struggled uselessly against Becky''s ever growing yer strength and longer arms. Mason shook his head as he came forward. "With great poweres great responsibility," he said, dashing forward to twist one arm behind Becky''s back. He moved behind her, taking the hat and plopping it back on Rosa''s head. "Aw, a Spiderman quote!" Becky said, pushing her ass against Mason''s crotch. "Have you been doin'' some homework without me? Where doyou find the time." "Pretty sure that¡¯s from the bible, but OK," Mason said, putting his face against Becky''s neck and taking a deep breath of her. He pulled Rosa closer and wrapped his arms around both of them, hand drifting to Rosa''s amazing ass as he caressed Becky''s cheek with his lips. "And how are you drunk on that," he gestured at the wine with a nod, "with your stats?" "Who said I am?" Becky said. "They''redrunk. I''m just havin'' fun.¡± Rosa was pressing herself against both of them, wiggling her chest against Becky as she grabbed Mason''s ass. "Well I''m drunk. Andhorny," she said, then whispered. "Let''s go before they notice us." Haley and Naya were still focused intensely on their cooking, totally oblivious with the music ring. Mason shook his head. "Very bad girl. You just wait right here." Rosa made a whining sound, and Mason kissed Becky as he pulled up Rosa''s dress and pped her ass. "You''re not wearing underwear," he said. She grinned. "Becky won it." She pointed at a pile of clothes near the stairs. "But I was still winning. We were ying..." she frowned. "Um. Strip Becky Ball? Did we actually name it?" Becky shook with augh. "You were only winnin'' because you kept movin''. You big scaredy cat." Mason kept groping both girls as he gestured to Haley and Naya with a nod, his hand over the thin fabric between Becky''s legs. "And why are they in their underwear? No way Naya yed Strip Becky Ball." "Umm." His cowgirl licked her lips and moaned. "It''s hot in the kitchen, maybe? I don''t care." She put a hand on Mason''s and pressed it between her legs, so he slid his other hand under Rosa''s ass and cupped her, too. "Go get them or start fucking us already," Rosa said, wiggling against his fingers. Mason made a tsking sound. "So impatient." "Look who''s talking," Rosa said, sticking out her tongue. He slid a finger close enough to feel her getting moist and she groaned as she spread her legs a little further. Then he pulled back and left them with a wink. "Be right back." Rosa red, and Becky put her arms around her and put her head on her shoulder as they waited. * * * Mason was definitely getting as impatient as Rosa. The sight of Naya and Haley''s asses and exposed backs, their hair up, aprons on...so intensely focused on what they were doing. He was tempted to just start taking them right there. Instead he moved up behind them and put a hand on their hips, turning them in and pulling them against him. "This is going to have to wait." Haley''s mouth opened in half-serious outrage. She knocked a dainty fist against his chest. "She''s teaching me elven recipes. I didn''t even knowyou could..." Mason kissed her intensely, giving her his tongue as he pulled out the scarf and let her long, blonde hair fall around her shoulders. He never got tired of her amazingly thick lips, her eager tongue, and he was getting harder by the second. She just stood there with her eyes closed after he let up, then he pulled Naya in to do the same. His elven princess still kissed like someone who''d never done it, but she opened her mouth instantly and practically attacked him as she wrapped a leg around his. "I think I''m drunk," she said when he came up for air. He grinned and unclipped her bra on a whim, letting it fall to the floor. Haley undid hers instantly, both girls now just covered by their panties and aprons. Mason grinned. "Do you want to go sleep it off? Or do you want me to fuck your brains out?" "I...¡± his elven bride went pink. ¡°Option two, please." Mason nodded and pulled back, the three of them flipping off burners and ovens before Mason took both girls by the hand. He led them to Rosa and Becky, sensing maybe a small bit of awkwardness still. But next to the general drunken lust in the air it was definitely not a problem. Mason turned on Blessing of Gaia and stripped off his shirt, deciding it was probably for the best he wasn''t in water or he might have killed them. As it was, the girls looked like they''d half melted. Rosa was literally humping Becky''s leg. Naya and Haley''s nipples were jabbing through their aprons, and all four girls were breathing hard. He could have just moved them all to the nearby couch, or the closest room, but he wanted to watch them all climb up those stairs. "Up," he said, pointing. "Off you go." Becky and Rosa went first, the former giggling as she caught Rosa from a stumble. Haley''s hand slid down Mason''s chest, vanishing down his pants as she groped at his manhood. "Bad, bad girl," he said, not doing a thing to stop her. She was biting her lip as she stroked him, eyes locked on his chest. "Come on," he said, nudging her towards the stairs. He pped her backside hard as she went, then kissed Naya one more time before sending her with the same. He watched their hips and asses sway on the way up, taking a moment to just stop and appreciate...everything. "Beats dying in a gnoll infested forest," he muttered to himself, looking up at the beautiful faces of the four women who all looked down over the railing or from the top of the stairs. "Come on, Lord Baron Druid!" Becky yelled. "There''s four pretty girls up here waitin¡¯, and we might just start without you!" It was the best sales pitch he''d ever heard.
Chapter 359: I want that next (NSFW) Chapter 359: I want that next (NSFW) Mason strippedpletely as he went up the stairs. Becky whistled like a construction worker, but the other girls all just stared. He didn''t actually know what was up on the second level, though he didn''t really care. It could have been a tiny space with no lighting or furniture. He could see in the dark, and would happily roll around on the floor. Fortunately, it was better than he could have hoped. There were plenty of windows, little nooks with chairs looking out over the forest. He saw some hammocks. A big, padded ''mat'' in one corner that looked like a king sized bed with no box. He saw a few adjoining rooms but he was pretty sure he was taking them straight to that padded mat. "Give him a chair, Haley," Rosa said with a bit of fire in her eyes. "I want to see an elven princess suck our man''s cock." Jesus, Mason thought. That cheeky little... He red as he met Rosa''s eyes and shook his head. Though his dick was already on board. Naya looked unsure, so he was about to cut the idea off before Haley actually pulled out a damn chair from nothing and set it on the floor. "We can take turns," she said with an eyebrow wiggle. "Practice makes perfect." Becky started trying to push Mason towards the chair as Haley (and Rosa) encouraged Naya forward. The dance music was still ying from downstairs, and the girls were all drunkenly loud. Mason held his ground and took a hold of Becky''s ponytail, wrapping her in his arms so she couldn''t move. "You think you''re in charge, huh country girl?" Becky just grinned and looked more turned on than before. He was about to tell them to knock it off and leave Naya alone before the elf dropped to her knees in front of the chair. Mason sat and met her eyes, which soon moved between his legs. "You don''t have to," he said. She came forward and wrapped both little hands around his shaft, still staring. "I want to." Rosa cheered and actually pped the elf''s ass. Naya looked somewhere between embarrassed and ovee with the moment, stroking him a bit before leaning over and closing her eyes as she slid his head between her lips. Mason groaned as the silky warmth flowed over him. "I¡¯d say he likes it," Becky whispered as she put her arms on his shoulders and started kissing his ear and neck. He growled and pulled her down to kiss her lips as Naya kept swallowing him down. "She doeslook good on her knees," Rosa said, actually looking kind of turned on. "You like demeaning an elven princess?" Mason asked, meeting her eyes. "That it?" "Maybe." Rosa dropped to her knees beside Naya and bit her lip as she kept touching and pping the elf''s ass. "Take her panties down," Mason said. Rosa inhaled sharply then did, sliding the fabric over Naya''s wide hips down to her knees. "Get her nice and wet for me," Mason said. "She''s not going to move." Haley knelt beside Rosa, giving Mason a ''there is no way I''m missing out on this'' kind of look. He just grinned and pulled Becky back down over his shoulder for another kiss, then she pulled off her bra andy his head back between her tits as she ran her hands through his hair. Naya was still intensely focused on her job. She sometimes pulled up to lick or wipe his cock on her lips, but quickly swallowed him back down. She seemed oblivious to Rosa and Haley. Though she froze and moaned when Rosa started fingering her. Rosa''s mouth opened in delight, like she''d discovered some new toy. She looked at Mason with a big grin as she started to y with the elf''s pussy. "Good little princess," she said with a breathy voice. "Suck that dick while a concubine fingers you." Naya either didn¡¯t hear or didn¡¯t care. She sped up her sucking with Rosa''s fingers, soon moving her body with the motion. Haley was obviously losing it, one hand between her legs, the other still smacking Naya''s ass. Pretty soon they were both ying with the elf''s body as she sucked. Haley pulled the panties off entirely, then took off the apron, moving beneath to suck Naya''s tits as Rosa kept pumping her hand behind. It didn¡¯t take long before Naya was shaking and struggling to suck. "Oh my God I''m gonna make her cum!" Rosa said, her eyes drooped with lust. She leaned over and started nting kisses on Naya''s ass, licking her skin as she looked more and more turned on. "Taste her," Mason said, moving a hand to Naya''s head to move her mouth on his cock. Rosa bit a lip, but lowered to start licking Naya delicately from behind. Haleyughed and grabbed Rosa''s head, burying it into the elf until Rosa made little muffled licking and sucking noises. Naya came almost instantly, moaning loudly as she shook. Watching her so ovee while sucking him was unbelievably hot, and Mason had plenty to give. He also hadn''t cum in his elven bride''s mouth yet¡­ He gripped her by the air and kept thrusting closer to her throat. Rosa pulled up with a bit of wetness on her pretty face, licking her lips. "She even tastesgood," she said, a little annoyed, a little turned on. Then she nced at Mason and saw he was close, giving him a cute little grin. "He''s gonna cum in your mouth, princess," she said, clearly way into it now. Then she spanked the elf hard, Haley taking over fingering her as Naya twitched with post-orgasmic sensitivity. Rosa wasn''t the only one enjoying their little game. Mason couldn¡¯t have held back much longer if he wanted to. Watching the usually modest, elven beauty getting fingered by his girls as she blew him was a hell of a sight. When Naya finally opened her half-zed eyes, Mason growled and took two handfuls of her dark hair. Haley and Rosa kept on encouraging, telling her how good it would taste, that she wasn''t allowed to spill a drop. Mason¡¯s mind nked as he focused on the amazing tightness and wetness of Naya''s mouth sliding over every inch of his shaft. The pressure built until it couldn¡¯t be stopped, and he exploded in Naya''s mouth, thrusting deeper than he probably should have as he released in waves of pleasure. Naya was clearly trying to keep watching him, but couldn''t. As she tasted him and swallowed, her eyes fluttered like a drug addict, letting out little whimpers as she sucked. Mason practically had to hold her up until he''d finished. Then he eased her off, and Rosa and Haley pulled her back against themselves as theyughed and took turns kissing her. "You did so good," Haley told her, ying with her tits. "You see?" she said to Rosa. "She''s going to get along just fine." "I guess." Rosa said, her hand still moving between the elf''s legs. Naya seemed only half conscious, sucking Rosa''s wet fingers when offered, nipples hard, face a mask of mindless pleasure. "Oh God," Becky whined in Mason''s ear, voice husky with lust. "I want that next." * * * Mason chuckled and pulled his cowgirl around the chair. He pulled off her panties and spread her legs, positioning her over hisp with his hands on her ass. Despite just finishing, his almost never-ending hard-on hadn''t softened at all. Becky waspletely soaked, and he was inside her before she had time to say anything else. She gasped as he buried himself inside her, then pulled her soft tits against his chest as he moved her hips to ride him. "Be a good cowgirl and ride," he told her, settling back against his chair. "Yes, Mason," she said, taking him in long, slow thrusts. "I like that you''re not drunk," he said, a hand on her chin to meet her eyes. "I want you just as filthy stone cold sober." "Yes, Mason," she said again, already going pink as she rode. Mason grinned and pped her ass, standing and lifting her off the chair. "Onto the bed," he said to the others. "You''re getting fucked in turns. So get on your backs." Rosa and Haley helped a still trembling Naya to the big padded mat. Theyy down side by side giggling, and Mason dropped Becky beside them. He pounded her into the mat with her legs around him, loving the feel of her wet tightness as she gripped him and moaned. He fucked her until she came, hammering her straight through it until she was digging her ws into his back and biting his arm. Then he slid out and left her there panting as he dropped onto Rosa. "You were very naughty," he said, pushing some dark hair out of her face. She grinned like she knew very well, wiggling underneath him and trying to get his cock inside. "No. Turn around," he said, and she instantly obeyed. He spanked her hard enough to leave several sets of hand prints. When she was twitching in anticipation of the next, he grabbed her hips and mmed into her from behind. She moaned and gasped with pleasure, then he pulled her head back with her hair and arched her back as he fucked her. "Haley, get in front of Rosa and spread your legs." His blonde beauty practically leapt to obey. She hopped up and slid in front of Rosa with a big grin, and Mason jammed the Mexican¡¯s face between Haley''s long legs. "Now who''s the good little concubine?" he said, putting Rosa''s arms behind her back as he forced her face into Haley. He made it almost impossible to actually go down on her, pounding her so hard her face bounced several inches. But she did her best. Haley met his eyes with a look that could melt steel, moaning as she gripped Rosa''s hair and helped her, giving Mason a wide, perfect smile. He could hardly wait to fuck her, but he focused on Rosa''s incredible ass as it pped against him, her tight, swollen pussy taking every thrust. Naya was finally conscious enough to get up. She smiled at him shyly,ing to kneel next to him to hug his side. "Did you enjoy that?" he asked, kissing her as he slowed his thrusts into Rosa. Naya nodded and kept hugging him, obviously needing a little after care. He just held her and kept kissing her, moving one of her hands to Rosa''s ass. "Only seems fair," he said with a grin, and the elven princess smiled a little then gave it a gentle p. Masonughed and raised his eyebrows, and she focused and pped it again harder. This time Rosa made a little moan, and Naya flushed as she squeezed Mason and buried her face in his chest. He smiled and kissed her again, this time sliding a hand down her back, over her ass, until he was ying with her clit. She gasped in surprise and clung to him. Rosa''s pussy was clenching on his shaft, Haley''s breathsing faster and faster. Mason was lost in the lust, the sights and sounds of his girls, the flesh pressed against him. When Rosa clenched and cried out, he exploded. Naya reached under and squeezed his balls as if surprised with herself, her face pink as she helped drain every drop into Rosa. Not that she needed much help. She was pushing back against him, clenching as she slid over every inch trying to milk him. Becky came over to hug him on the other side, and for a moment he just closed his eyes and felt the three girls against him, still looking at Haley''s beautiful blue eyes. She grinned and copsed, Rosa''s wet face still between her legs. But the Mexican girl looked half conscious now, and even Mason needed a minute. He dropped down on top of her, then rolled over and pulled Becky and Naya beside. "Five minute break," he said, kissing Rosa''s cheek, no intention of moving.
Chapter 360: She had a long night (NSFW) Chapter 360: She had a long night (NSFW) Mason woke with four mouths moving over his body. He sighed and put his hands behind his head, taking turns kissing his girls as they giggled and kept trying everywhere. "He ¡®ain¡¯t ticklish at all," Beckyined. Mason pulled her up from his knee, then put his hardening length to her lips. "Try here," he said, then sent her gulping down his shaft. "And here we were just trying to have some innocent fun," Haley said, running her hands over his chest as she cuddled beside him. "Best get ready," he said. "You''re riding it next." The other girls went to help Becky, and pretty soon Mason was watching his cowgirl y with his tip while the elven princess licked his shaft, Rosa sucking on his balls. "Jesus Christ." He put his head back and groaned until Haley kissed him. "Enjoying yourself?" she whispered with a grin. Mason grunted and pped her ass. Then he lifted her on top of him, scattering the other girls as he lined up and slid inside Haley. "Are you enjoying ying with my girls?" he whispered back as he thrust deep. "Yes, Master," she moaned in his ear. "I like knowing you have to wait for me," he said. "That you only get to y when I tell you." Haley whimpered and rode him, and Mason gestured for Becky to climb on his face. His cowgirl eagerly lifted a leg over his head and sat, and he gripped her ass and tasted her. He heard her kissing Haley above him, their incredible bodies grinding against him as the world became their hot, wet tightness. Becky came first, as usual, crying out and shaking as Mason buried his tongue and sucked on her clit. He pushed her off and gestured for the next, hardly even sure who it was until he tasted Naya. She really didtaste amazing, almost like sweet peas. As he groaned and licked he had a small idea how his girls must feel. Haley finally soaked him as she came, crying out as her juices ran down his balls. He growled when he felt her slide him out, but was quickly reced by what he assumed was Rosa. At this point he hardly cared. His whole world was warm, beautiful girl pressed against him, sucking him, kissing him, taking him in. Naya tried to pull away from his mouth, but he held her and went harder until she clenched and squeezed his head with her thighs, shaking and crying out as her delicious juices dripped down his face. When he finally let her off, Becky and Haley practically attacked him with kisses, probably trying to taste Naya. Rosa was soon covered in sweat as she rode, hands in her long dark hair, eyes closed as her amazing tits bounced. "You fuck us so good, Master," Haley whispered in his ear, cuddling in again as she yed with the base of his shaft. "You like watching?" he said. She moaned and nodded, pressing her tits against him. "I feel so safe," she said breathily. "So good. Knowing what a man I have." Between his Latina riding him, and Haley in his ear, he couldn''t take much more. Then Becky was behind Rosa licking and sucking his balls, Naya kissing his neck on the other side. He held onto Naya and Haley and pulled them against him, eyes unfocused in bliss. "I love it when you cum in them," Haley whispered. "Thank you for teaching me, husband," Naya said in his other ear, a little pink as she kept fighting some shyness. Mason remembered the elf wanted desperately to get pregnant and held back the very close release. He let Rosa ride until she came, then slid her off and lifted Naya. "You deserve a reward," he told her, burying himself in her just recently virgin pussy with a groan. "Oh thank you, husband, thank you," Nayay on top and kissed him, staring into his eyes. "You''re so good to me." Fantasy had reced reality, and Mason looked up at the long-eared, unearthly beauty of his elven bride. For a moment he was lost in the dark pools of her eyes, the feel of her small body, the incredible wet heat inside her. He didn''tst long. Naya moaned in his ear as his cock twitched inside her. "Thank you for your seed, husband." Mason''s balls couldn''t wait a second longer, especially since they were pretty much entirely in Becky''s mouth. Mason grabbed Naya''s ass and thrust as he came, doing his best to fill her as deep as he could. She cried out and spread her legs even wider, letting him pump into her as he sprayed everything he had left. When every drop was inside, he shuddered andy t with a sigh. His girls were all around him trying to cuddle in, Nayaatose on top of him. It was exactly how he wanted the night to end, and he closed his eyes, for a blissful moment without a care in the world. * * * "Good evening, brother." Mason blinked through the smoke of his fire, and saw ke''s silhouette. ¡°Ah Christ,¡± he said, poking the fire with a stick. "Well that¡¯s not very friendly. You know, I''m actually starting to like your cave." ke came around and formed a chair out of nothing. "Sad? A little. Stifling? Certainly. But it beats the undead armies." Mason smacked himself in the face as if trying to wake. But in truth, he was happy to see ke. He was also still angry, and his mind had otherwise been blissful mush from a night with his girls. "I assume you got the petition'' message and want to talk strategy." ke frowned and made a tsking sound. "Leadership is making you very cynical. Can''t I just miss my brother and stop by for a chat?" Mason turned and stared until his brother sighed. "Obviously with me, Annie, and Seul-ki we have three yers. So we''ll enter the 3s. I realize you''ll also run a team, so mostly I just wanted to check..." he shrugged. "I don''t mind beating whatever poor bastards you pick, but I thought it best we two towering titans avoid each other, as it were." "I''m doing the twos," Mason said. "But I wouldn''t be so confident you can beat our three team." ke smiled, but it faded. "What do we do about the individual duels? I don''t want to fight you." Mason nodded. He was angry, but he didn''t want to fight ke, either. The idea of actually killing him, even in some kind of temporary, fake way...he wasn''t sure he could do it. Hopefully they could call uncle, or something. "Who knows. We might get knocked out before ites up." ke snorted. "Me, maybe. I don''t actually know the rules. Can I summon constructs in advance? Or do I have to go in with nothing? We have no human civilians in the tower so my knowledge is...limited. A definite oversight on my part." "Haley''s asleep," Mason said. "You could go bother her next, if you like." ke smiled. "Thank you. I will. You''re doing well? The Nexus is amazing? How was ''first contact''?" Mason sighed, and told him the details. However angry he might be, and however much they might fight or go their separate ways, Mason knew they''d always be brothers. He described their new forest city, the great tree, his meeting with the ''emperor''. ke winced. "That''s...unfortunate. But so many survivors! I hadn''t expected that." "Does it change your secret, ridiculous ns?" Mason asked, again wondering what the hell the point of making friends with orcs was. "Probably not." ke shrugged. He leaned forward and put his hands to the fire with a grin. "I can actually feel it, you know. Makes you think." "About what?" "All this." ke nced around the cave. "What''s the difference between this and reality? How do we even know roboGod doesn''t have us all in some kind of...Matrix?" "Didn''t you tell me you asked it those questions way back in the tutorial?" "Ah yes." ke snorted. "I''m sure our universe traveling, possibly genocidal, synthetic overlord would struggle with...lying to one of its test ythings." Mason gave that some thought, deciding ultimately it didn''t make much difference if it was ''real'' or not. They had to assume it was. The alternative wasy down and die, or else treat people like nothing mattered. It put a few of his actions and how he''d been having into a bit more rity, and he felt a moment of shame. "Sometimes I think about the non-humans as...fictional," he said. "Maybe I shouldn''t." He felt ke''s eyes and creeping smile, which mostly annoyed him. He wasn''t ready to go from ''treat non-humans better'' to ''make friends with the orcs and goblins that tried to kill my people''. "Don''t get any ideas. That makes your green friends even more guilty," he snapped. "If they''re more than pawns in some game, then I¡¯ll judge them just as I¡¯d judge men, and I see murderous bullies who think less of us than we do of them. I didn''t start those fights." "Point taken," ke said with a sigh. "But I didn''te here for that. It''s all kind of exciting, isn''t it?" He grinned. "Our powers. The women." He winked. "This tournament. Don''t tell me you''re not having at least a littlefun." Mason tried to give his brother a re, but couldn''t quite hold it. "With the caveat of some alien destroying most of the human race?" he asked. ke rolled his eyes and nodded, gesturing for the rest of it with a hand. "Yes," Mason said with a sigh, thinking it was maybe more true than he wanted to admit. "I''m having a bit of fun." "That''s the spirit." ke stood and stretched with a yawn. "Well. I should be sleeping, too. And I still need to keep your blonde beauty up for a little while." Here he wiggled his eyebrows, and Mason just shook his head. "She''s had a long night," he said, trying not to grin as the images of his night shed. "Don''t keep her too long." keughed and started to fade from view. "I miss you, brother," he said, dropping his usual facade. He might have said something else, but he''d disappeared, and Mason''s sleeping dream swallowed his consciousness again.
Chapter 361: Who’d like to go next? Chapter 361: Who¡¯d like to go next? Mason woke early, and with a sense of urgency. He heard Streak howl somewhere in the distance, knowing the wolf felt it too. It was like the scent of blood on the air. A looming hunt, a challenge, a fight to the death. He remembered the tournament as his mind wed its way from the fog of sleep. "Mmm." Haley stirred next to him and blinked sleepily. "Not yet. I''m so cozy." Mason¡¯s hunt was jammed in a tangle of feminine limbs. All four of his girls were cuddled in various states of nudity, wrapped in sheets and each other''s arms. Memories of the night before threatened to send him into a spiral of lust, so he did his best (for the moment) to put it all from his mind. He had things to do. So he extracted himself as gently as possible, pushing Haley back down when she started to rise. Today wasn''t a day for civilians. He had forty-eight hours before this ''tournament'' began, and there was only one logical thing to do in the meantime. His yers needed practice. First, he went to the training hall and talked to the floating blue assistant. "How may I assist you, Patron? Might I suggest a training exercise to get you started in your..." "Do you have some kind of ''duel'' mode?¡± he asked. ¡°Can yers fight other yers in training without...killing each other?" "Affirmative." The androgynous assistant smiled. "Select ''Challenge Mode'', Patron, and browse the rted categories. I would be happy to..." Mason selected ''Challenge Mode'' in his building window and scanned. After a brief look through the options, he couldn''t help but smile. It was time for a rude awakening for his yers. In every sense of the word. He woke Carl and Phuong first, to the usual grumbling. "I want all the yers down in the training hall," he said. "Don''t worry about guards, if you''re still using them. I''m sure we''ll be safe for a day. Especially since pretty much all the civilians are up in trees. Everyone!" He shouted as he walked back to get Becky. "No excuses!" Back at the chief¡¯s hall, he lifted his country girl from the big bed and tangle of limbs, carrying her out of the bedroom. "What do you want?" she said sleepily. "Didn''t I do enough for youst night?" He grinned and helped dress her like she was a toddler, then handed her a cup of coffee. She drank with bleary eyes and a scowl. "Didn''t think you even knew how to use them machines." "It took me a minute.¡± Mason grinned. ¡°Now drink on the way. We''re going to the training hall." Becky groaned and wandered after him holding his hand. "The trainin¡¯ hall? That''s worse than I figured. Can''t it be morning sex instead?" "Nope. It''s training. Now move that thing." He pped her ass and walked on, grinning as Becky grumbled. Streak was waiting at the bottom of the lift, tail wagging in anticipation. "I''m not sure they''re ready for you, buddy," Mason said, giving the wolf a scratch. "But you cane watch." They walked to the hall as Becky drank her coffee and Streak ranps around the mostly empty building. Soon the yers filed in behind Carl and Phuong in various states of readiness. With his ever enhancing hearing, Mason heard Tommaso whisper on the way in: "What a day to be hungover. I drank a week''s worth of rationsst night. But it was worth it, I tell you, the things that Amelia does while drunk. I swear to..." "Tommaso," Mason barked. "Front and center." The Italian froze and gestured at himself with a finger. Then he winced and came forward, shoulders slumping as he cringed. "John," Mason said, gesturing to move up. The big Scotsman came in silence, and with considerably more self-respect. Mason gestured them both onto the inner ''court'' of the training hall, then stepped away. "Challenge mode," he called. The building red with red light. [Entering yer vs yer Challenge Mode] boomed a robotic voice. [Safety protocols initiated.] The red light flicked off and reced with blue as a shieldpletely surrounded the court, trapping Tommaso and John inside. Both men also pulsed with a dull light, as if they had some kind of personal shields. The yers (except for the duelists) were all grinning now. "Knock his fecking dandy head off, Johnny!" Seamus yelled. The big Scotsman nced back at the Irishman with a scowl. But when he looked back at Tommaso, he charged. "Hell yeah!" Becky shouted, beautiful smile wide as she met Mason''s eyes. The other yers were whistling and cheering. Streak howled to fit in. "Now just wait a minute, eh?" Tommaso was backing away from the charging Scot. "Wait, I said! Wait a minute!" Tommaso backed up with increasing panic, but far too slowly. At thest second he ducked and rolled, narrowly avoiding a brutal, electrified haymaker that swiped just over his head. Then the Italian was up and running with an undignified scramble, and a slight squeal. He ran at full speed from the pursuing Scot. Most of the yers wereughing now, calling insults or suggestions. John lumbered after the faster Tommaso, who continued to keep his distance around the wide, empty court. "Can we really strike each other with full power in this, Patron?" Phuong asked. Mason gave him a half-hearted nod. "Seems like. Though I can''t be sure. Figured I''d let John bash someone in the face a few times just to see what happens. You know, as a test." He shrugged. "Worst case, I let Carl try and cut my arm off." "Uh. Gross." Carl hit Phuong on the arm. "Make the old man do it. He''s good at mangling Americans, I bet." Phuong just smiled, entirely with too much satisfaction. Mason and Carl exchanged a look. "Alright," Mason said. "You can both try. Maybe that way you''ll have a chance." "Ha!" Carl looked at a silent Alex then at Phuong. "You hear this arrogant prick? I''ve changed my mind. I''ll cut his arm off. At least for a start." "Come on, Tommy, you can do it!" Becky shouted, her hands on her mouth like a megaphone. Mason felt his eyes narrow. "Since when do you know Tommaso well enough to call him ''Tommy''?" Becky''s eyebrows lifted as she looked over at him, then she turned up her nose. "All the boys love me. I call ''em whatever I like and they''re happy as tom cats with cream just to hear my Southern charm." Mason knew she was just giving him a hard time. But a violent surge of jealousy still sparked through his body like an electric charge. "Shit," Carl said with augh, looking at Mason then at Phuong. "I think that boy better stay inside the shield." Mason red. "Think I''ll just take Miss Arkansas in there. Teach her what''s what." "I ain''t scared of you." Becky stuck out her tongue, then held up her hand and formed her shield into its mace form. "I''ll mush up that pretty face with this." Mason tried not to grin. Tommaso was apparently still running for his life, John still after him, seemingly unfazed and willing to wait as long as it took for the other man to tire. "Come on, boss!" Tommaso shouted at the shield. "This isn''t right, eh? I wasn''t ready!" The Italian convulsed, then vomited all over the shield towards the yers in a disgusting, multi-colored spray. "Jesus Christ," Garet muttered, a hand on his face. He stepped forward and banged on the shield. "Listen to me, you stupid bastard. It''s just like King of the Hill. He can''t catch you. So do it like King of the Hill. Like we practiced." The Italian nodded like this made some kind of sense, then went on running for his life. This time when he crossed the court, he turned and held up a hand, forming some kind of...glowing sk. He tossed it like a grenade. The thing exploded a few feet from John''s chest, making fireworks-like sparks and a bit of smoke. The big Scot jogged straight through the explosion, not really slowing but also not looking pleased. He''d shed with a bit of blue light, Mason noticed, which probably meant he''d taken some ''damage''. "Oh shit," Carl said with a grin. "Looks like we might just have ourselves a contest." So went the next few intense, and kind of tedious minutes. Tommaso kept on running from John, getting enough distance, then tossing an exploding sk. After a few more hits John started to try and dodge, but it was clear Tommaso''s aim was a lot better than his ability to evade. Several more hits after that, and John''s face was starting to look...pale. And very angry. "How''s your mana, aye?" he shouted as he sprayed a little spit. "How''s your fooking mana, boy?" By the increasingly frightened look in Tommaso''s eyes, his mana was...not good. About five throwster, the Italian went to toss another bomb and cried out in pain, clutching at his head. "Oh he''s tapped," Seamus said, shaking his head. "Idjit. You never go full tapped. It''s like ramming your head into a wall." Tommaso barely escaped John''s next rush. Even as he did he stumbled around as if drunk, possibly throwing up on himself. "I''m done!" he shouted, still weaving to get away. "No reason to¡­" he put out a hand. "I surrender. Or whatever you call it when..." John roared with several minutes worth of pain and frustration. Then he rammed a crackling fist with full force into the Italian''s jaw. It ttened the smaller man with brutal force, Tommaso ragdolling his way to the floor like a lifeless dummy. [Duelplete. Safety protocols disengaged.] All the yers strained as they looked forward to see Tommaso on the floor. "Is he dead?" Seamus called, because of course he did. Mason was a little worried, if he was honest, with the way the man went down. A normal human hit like that would almost certainly never get up the same again. Not with a fully functioning brain. [Damage detected. Revivifying] intoned the system. [Condition imposed: slightly wounded. Please take a short break, and seek medical attention.] Tommaso gasped and shot up like he''d been shocked. "Whoo!" he shouted, shaking his head before grinning at the watching yers with a confused look. "Did I win?" Mason smiled, and gave a withering, suddenly less confident Becky a fierce look. "Who''d like to go next?"
Chapter 362: One man short Chapter 362: One man short "I changed my mind," Becky said, shuffling away from Mason. "I, uh, pulled my anklest night. Don''t think I can duel today." Apparently Tommaso being left in an unconscious mess on the training hall floor left a bit of an impression. Mason stalked after the cowgirl, Streak slowly moving up to block her from the other side. "I thought you were going to smash my pretty face? Here maybe?" Mason gestured at his cheek. "Make my pretty eyes ck and blue?" He bat hisshes for effect. "Umm." Becky ran into the wolf and froze. "Can I try Carl?" said Garet, earning a surprised look from pretty much everyone. "With respect," said the spearman, going a little pink under all the scrutiny. "Just...want to see what that''s like. If there''s anything I can do, you know? If I try my tricks." Carl grinned and winked at Becky. "Saved by the gentleman from Colorado. Well. If the man wants the ssassin, the ssassin he shall have. Get thatzy Italian off my court!" John mostly carried Tommaso to the sideline. Mason was still in Becky''s personal space, though he was getting kind of turned on ying the wolf to Becky''s sheep, so it was bing far more of a groping prelude to a porn scene than a fight scene. And by the look in her eyes the feeling was definitely mutual. Mason caught Phuong''s vaguely sour-faced disapproval. "Sorry Phuong." "Sorry Phuong," Becky mumbled, and the older man nodded. Even so, Becky stayed close and held Mason''s hand, cuddling into him to watch the next ''match''. Not that Mason expected it to be much of a match. Garet didn''t even have a prestige ss yet. And Carl was...terrifying. They also hadn''t really tested the training hall to see if it could handle something like the ''ssassin''s¡¯ weapon. Mason sighed and intercepted the spearman, keeping his voice low. "You sure? You could pick an easier target. Carl''s knife is...something else. I don¡¯t even want to fight him. No shame here in backing out, I''ll grab you another yer right now." Garet shook his head. "Thanks, no, I don''t mind losing. I''ll learn something." Mason nodded, then walked to find Carl doing a series of ridiculous stretches nearby. "Hey, uh," he kept his voice low, "go easy on him. Stab something non fatal to start." "Stab his leg," Carl thrust with finger guns, "you got it, kid." "I''m serious. I don''t want to lose any yers for some stupid reason." "I got it, I got it," Carl waved him away, then both yers moved to the court and activated ''Challenge Mode'' on their own, eyes zing as they picked through options. Mason felt a bit tense, though it was probably paranoia. Becky took his arm again and called with one hand on her mouth. "Don''t worry, Carl! I''m sure the men''ll look after Sylvie when you''re gone!" Becky thrust her hips, and a few yers whistled or cheered, including a drunk-looking Tommaso. Carl pointed an arm at Becky and summoned his knife, expression hardened, tone darker. "Careful, girly. Or you''re next." Then he broke and grinned, hopping back and forth as the red and blue lights red, the shielding up. "I¡¯m d he¡¯s a giant goof because he really is scary," Mason said, and Becky nodded with a giggle. "He reminds me of my uncles." She sighed. "I hate it when I think about family." Mason squeezed her hand, knowing Becky and probably everyone else were wondering how much family they might have alive in the east. Not that they could currently do much about it. Garet stepped out into the court with his spear twirling as Carl vanished. This was probably going to be a short fight. Mason doubted the brave and possibly stupid spearman had any real way of figuring out where Carl was, let alone stopping him from silent murder. But everyone stood in silence, waiting to see what would happen. After several long seconds, Garet seemed to sense something and spun, phantom spears popping up all around him at strange angles. Carl appeared and shed with blue light, then warped across the court. "Son of a bitch!" he called, looking at his leg. "It like...shocks you. And it fucking hurts. OK! Alright! Now it''s on, my friend!" Carl vanished again, and Garet took up a defensive stance. He''d alreadysted longer than Mason expected. "Who are you going to fight first?" Mason said, and Becky shrugged, cuddling into his chest. "Don''t care. Probly Phuong, or somethin''. Just so I can see how it all goes." "Hear that?" Mason called towards the swordsman. "Becky wants to start with the old, and the weak." Phuong frowned but didn¡¯t look away from the fight. "If Miss Reba would like instruction, I would be happy to assist. After I''ve finished with the brash young men." Mason grinned, looking back to the fight just as a spray of color shed. Garet closed his eyes and spun, swinging at nothing as he blinked and tried not to panic. Then Carl formed from nothing and leapt at his side, and the spearman spun and skewered him through the chest. The shield didn''t even sh, and for a moment everyone stood in panic. Then the illusion popped, and the real Carl shed behind Garet, and stabbed him in the leg. Blue light red with a bright colored hue. The spearman cried out as if agony and dropped, his leg seemingly paralyzed. He swung his spear in a defensive blow, but Carl easily stepped away. "Ah yeah. That looks bad. Sorry, buddy," he said, grabbing the weapon and plunging his weapon down for the kill. Garet shook like he was bring electrocuted, then slumped to the floor with a groan. [Duel Complete. Safety protocols removed. No injury detected.] "Huh." Mason stuck out a lip and nodded in approval. "Looks like weapons are easier for the system to deal with. I think you might have gotten the worst of it, Tommaso." The Italian just nodded happily, looking high as a kite, eyes still zed. A few yers chuckled. Garet and Carl came out together, Carl pping the younger man on the back. "A good try, buddy. You almost had me with those spears. I guess it was me who got a little cocky." Garet grinned and nodded in thanks, then walked off as if locked in concentration. "I think he''s one to watch with a bit of experience," Carl said to Mason a little whileter. "Brave. Real warrior." Mason nodded, then motioned everyone toe in. "Well," he said. "Now we know it works. For the next two days I want everyone dueling and training as much as possible. But we need to avoid serious injury. So try and be careful. Test things out. If you get hurt, don''t be proud, go straight to Alex or the infirmary. Now¡ªwe need to talk teams. Anyone have any thoughts before I give you mine?" "Ah, sir?" Garet spoke up from the bench, still massaging his leg. "Go ahead." "Well, I, uh," again the man went a little pink as everyone turned. "I think there''s not much to say. We don''t have much diversity. So the only question really is where Reba and Alex go. And I guess maybe Seamus." Mason nodded, gesturing him on. "I figure with, uh, Reba''s targeted shield thing, she''s a lot better in the threes. And Seamus''ll need protection, plus he¡¯s got a lot of area. So probably he and Alex should be in the six. At least that''s what I was thinking." Mason grinned, because he was thinking the exact same thing. "Totally agree," he said. "I''m thinking Carl and Becky in the three. No disrespect, but I doubt the third matters. By the time a team manages to bring down Becky''s shield with her aegis on Carl, I think they''re almost guaranteed to be dead." Carl flexed, and Mason rolled his eyes. "I''m happy to go with the six team, Patron," Phuong said. "I know the rewards are less. But I would like to help ensure a victory." Mason nodded and put a hand on the man''s shoulder, thankful as ever for his generosity and support. "With Alex, Phuong, and Seamus with the six, you''re already pretty scary." Mason winced because Tommaso was probably the logical choice for the third. He had an actual range attack, such as it was, which was Carl and Becky''s only real weakness. With his speed he could also maybe keep himself alive without protection. Not that he was thrilled to put Tommaso on Becky¡¯s team. But he had to be above that kind of nonsense. "John, Garet, Jason, you good to fill out the six? Tommaso the third man with Becky and Carl?" The yers all nodded, only Becky looking a bit surprised. Then she frowned. "So, if you''re doin'' the twos with ke, does that mean Annie and Seul-ki are as well? They''ll be, um, pardon my French, pretty screwed." "No," Mason said. "They''re doing a three with ke. So you''re going to have to deal with them. If Carl can get at ke, it should be over." Carl winced, no longer looking thrilled. "That''s a big if, kid." "Won''t be as bad as you think," Mason said. "I''ll teach you his tricks. Mostly Telekinesis is the problem, but he can''t do it if he can''t see you. Either way," Mason shrugged. "I guess we win. You''ll get rewards for second ce. And we''re probably underestimating the eastern teams. As along as one of you guys wins I''ll be happy. Top two would be even better." "But uh, Mason," Becky''s eyes rolled in confusion, "if ke''s doing threes, who the hell is doing twos with you?" Mason sighed, hoping what he was about to say didn''t sound too stupid. Or arrogant. "No one. Haley assures me there''s no rule saying you can''t run with less. I''ll take the twos alone."
Chapter 363: Old but still unwise Chapter 363: Old but still unwise Mason''s decision to solo the two manpetition didn''t go over particrly well. "But ain''t that the best reward?" Becky said, obviously not actually worried about the reward. "And why would you go in alone? That''s just¡­well that¡¯s just stupid." Mason sighed and gave her a quick warning look. Disagreement was one thing, disrespect was another. She seemed to realize what she''d said and backed off. "I just mean...I don''t understand is all." "We''re one yer down," Phuong said, obviously understanding. "Though the loss might be less felt on the six team, Patron. Or we could put Reba and Carl in the twos, put you in the threes with John, someone else. The best yers are likely to be in the two man teams." "I know," Mason said, meeting a few eyes. "That''s why it needs to be me. I want every yer in the world watching as I beat down the best yers in a two on one. Because maybe then they''ll act right." "Ah." Phuong nodded, looking thoughtful. "You mean to frighten. To demoralize them." Mason nodded, getting a few other nods and yers blowing air or whistling low. Becky nced around and scowled. "This some kind of macho man shit? We don''t need to ''demoralize'' the whole world. We just need to win. It''s a game, and we get rewards." "It''s not a game," Mason snapped, tone harsh enough Becky looked like she''d been pped. Good, he thought, maybe she''ll understand. "The system is putting us all on disy in the only way that matters, Becky. Who''s the strongest? And if these people in the east, or anyone else, starts thinking they''ve got a chance at taking us down, then sooner orter we¡¯ll have to kill them. And I don''t want to do that. Not if I can do it when it isn¡¯t ¡®real¡¯. And maybe avoid it." Mason felt the same annoyance he always did when he had to exin violence. It was like listening to the soft politicians and civilians back in the old world discussing ''proportional'' response, or ''de-esction''. Such fancy words for such ignorant minds. There were only two ways to end violence. One: convince your enemies war with you was to lose. Completely, utterly, biblically. Two: to kill their warriors until they gave up, or were totally obliterated. "Carl," he said, "you good for another round? Maybe we need to see if I''m crazy. I''ll take you and Becky. Now." Carl winked and cracked his neck, walking back towards the court. Becky looked genuinely upset. Mason knew he was going to be paying for thister, but at the end of the day, Becky''s love and affection were nice to haves. She was a warrior, and he was her leader. His job was to harden her, to teach her to fight and survive, to obey orders and understand their new world of violence. Becky''s life, and the lives of everyone in Nassau mattered more than if his girlfriend was happy with him. Whether she was his girlfriend at all. He wanted her to live, wanted them all to live, no matter what it cost. And he really did need a test. "Go peacock with Phuong or Alex," Becky said, gesturing, "I ain''t in the mood." With that she stormed off, mming the training hall door on her way out. Mason sighed and felt the stares of some of his yers. If they were in the army he sure as hell couldn''t allow anyone to get away with it. But she wasn''t really an insubordinate soldier. She was a pissed off girlfriend. And it would have been pointless to go drag her back. He took a deep breath and gestured at Phuong and Carl. "Looks like it''s just the old but still unwise, gentlemen. I''m ready when you are. I''ll do my best not to hurt you too bad." Phuong grinned with entirely too much pleasure. "Things have changed since thest time we dueled, Patron. I have several new abilities." Mason smiled at the man''s expression, feeling his ownpetitive spirit rise up to drown out any concerns of his uing argument with Reba. He honestly didn''t know if he could take Carl and Phuong at the same time in a rtively small space. They both had prestige sses now, secondary sses, and had fought in the real world many times. He also had no idea how the training hall would actually interact with his regenerative ability. Would it work? Somehow simte enough damage he even activated Transformation? Not that he really wanted either of them to catch him... "I look forward to seeing them." * * * Mason realized his ¡®officers¡¯ Carl and Phuong may not appreciate losing in front of the others, so he asked them quietly if he should send the watchers away. "No, Patron," Phuong said instantly. "They should watch and learn. There should be no ego amongst brother soldiers." Carl nodded in agreement, and Mason put a hand on both men''s shoulders. "Alright," he said. "Now do I bring Streak or not?" "If you can take him to the tournament, then yes." Carl winced as he nced at the wolf. "Though I feel bad hurting the big, cuddly boy." Mason did his best to stop fromughing. "Once he bites you, it''ll be thest thing on your mind." He whistled for Streak and walked to the court, running through the list of his powers. Both Phuong and Carl were actually very bad opponents for him. The swordsman''s improved ''soulde'' and Carl''s frightening Mirrorshard would likely hurt him so badly he wouldn''t heal fast enough. If his healing even worked in here. So he couldn''t just rely on Transformation and Duality of Strength to make him unstoppable. He was going to have to try and take them down without taking too many hits. Except actually hitting either of them was no easy feat. "Challenge mode," he called, as the older men stepped to the court and started whispering, probably about their strategy. Mason hummed quietly to avoid overhearing. He also realized the training program could change the ''terrain'', giving the court all kinds of obstacles and so on, and actually changing the ''theme'' to something that would count as natural. But Mason decided the tournament likely wouldn''t. Or at least not regrly. He expected he''d have to fight without his natural bonuses most of the time. Which meant pretty much everything he did was going to take mana, and he would be slightly slower, weaker. But so be it. Better to practice the real thing now when the stakes were low. Streak stuck out his tongue and panted in excitement, looking at Carl and Phuong with a feeling of hunger. As Mason realized heughed and called to them. "Your sweet, cuddly boy already considers you porkchops, gentlemen. So I''d stop worrying about hurting him." Carl winced in obvious concern and cleared his throat, which just made Masonugh harder. He crouched down and scratched Streak''s neck and ears. "I want you hunting Carl. Sniff him out. Don''t let him near me. When he jumps around, chase him. Never stop. Got it?" Streak growled a yes and Mason pat his side. "Good boy. And for the love of God, could you avoid getting stabbed? These guys have weapons you can''t ignore. You really do need to try and keep away from them. Alright?" The wolf made an entirely lessmitted noise, and Mason slumped. "God damnit, Streak. You know what? This is going to be good for you. I hope Carl stabs you in the face. Yes I do mean it." He stood and opened his Trapmaking power as the room shed red, ticking down as the shield went up. He hadn''t even used half his powers since the tier 2 upgrades, but apparently he could nowy four traps. He saw no reason to wait, and dropped four of the deadliest looking explosions he could see in a diamond shaped pattern behind him. It would be his fall back point if things got rough. And possibly a Carl Surprise. The yers outside the shield were already cheering, as close to the shield as they could get. Mason saw at least one run off, probably to tell everyone in the damn settlement. Mason sighed and blocked them out, focusing his mind. The familiar anticipation of danger sparked through his limbs, filling him with a kind of enhanced life he''d hardly known in the old world. "Don''t go easy," he called. "I''ll heal. So don''t hold back. And uh, do you want some...terrain, or something? Phuong has no way to hide from arrows. "I will do my best, Patron," Phuong said, raising his sword and rolling his shoulders. "Well we don''t heal," Carl called, vanishing from sight entirely before yelling from a good twelve feet away. "Maybe just let us win?" Mason grinned and summoned his bow as the blue light of the shield appeared. "You''re a brave man, Carl. I don''t care what the others say." "What? What''s that supposed to..." Mason raised his bow with obvious intent, loosing a basic arrow with half draw at the invisible rogue. He heard the man grunt and saw a small outline as the silhouette obviously hit the ground and rolled. That should get him in the right mindset, he thought with a grin. Come and get me. Then he turned and loosed a Power Shot at the charging Phuong.
Chapter 364: You’ll be just fine Chapter 364: You¡¯ll be just fine A dark cloud sprayed out of Phuong as he charged. Mason''s Power Shot seemed to vanish into it, as did the next several arrows Mason loosed at the charging swordsman. That was new. And pretty damn cool. But he didn''t have time to consider it. Phuong was nearly on him in seconds. He could have drawn his des, but he wanted to see if he could keep them away. He activated Aspect of the Cheetah, took a few steps to pick up speed, then jumped straight over the charging Phuong. The swordsman¡¯s eyes widened at the charge, then he shed in a surprised panic as Mason soared over him. He didn¡¯t swing high enough. Even Mason was a bit surprised at the height, carrying himself maybe fifteen feet in the air and twice the distance before he hit the ground and rolled to his feet and loosed more arrows. He sensed Carl a moment before he struck. With no time to dodge, he relied on his Sleeves and turned to deflect the assassin''s de just as it appeared and stabbed. Fortunately, Carl''s weapon wasn''t that big. Mason managed to catch the side on his forearm. It red with blue light and hurt, but his arm still worked fine, and he struck at Carl''s face with a fist. Carl''s eyes widened, and he scrunched like a man about to take a hit. But his supernatural reflexes saved him. He vanished as quick as he''d appeared, Mason''s fist passing straight through where his face had been. Streak charged across the room, and Mason turned to face Phuong. Who was apparently already on him. Mason summoned his ws as the swordsman''s symbol power struck him. [First Blood: Way of the Sword: Stun partially resisted.] Resisted or not, Mason felt like he''d been mmed in the gut. He activated his Shield Gem as Phuong''s newly sparkling purple de shed for his throat. It took two, three hits, then faded, but hadsted long enough for Mason to recover and fight back. Phuong was moving insanely fast. He''d obviously activated his temporary boost, his feet practically a blur as his sword shed again and again. Mason kept on the defensive, deflecting with his ws, trying not to take any hits with his Sleeves if he could avoid it. He wasn''t sure how long Phuong''s booststed, but he decided he should treat this like a real fight. And Mason ended real fights. He deflected a sh with his main hand, then lunged and shed low with a Predator''s Strike. Between the power''s boost and his own ever-increasing speed, it felt so fast to be almost out of his own control. Phuong reacted, but toote. He had to lift his leg and pull back in a panic, which threw him off bnce. Mason pressed and knocked the older man reeling with two more shes, one of which was his brand new Exploiting Strike, which also boosted the speed unnaturally. It struck Phuong''s shoulder with a sh of blue, then the swordsman regained his footing and swiped with enough force to send Mason back. They circled each other, and Mason was about tounch himself again when he heard Streak howl in pain. In the moment he took to look over, Phuong started weaving a pattern, and Mason was forced to attack to interrupt him. They went another round at simrly ridiculous speed, Mason trying to reach through his bond to get a sense of Streak''s condition. The wolf was conscious, in pain, and entirely enraged. Mason pulled back again, neither he nor Phuong getting in a hit this time. Carl appeared. Twice. "Now!" they shouted in unison, and Mason assumed he''d used Simcrum. Phuong and both Carls moved to hit Mason from three angles. He twisted and charged straight at a Carl, grabbing for the knife and swinging an arm as he smashed into the man and knocked him flying aside, the de shing his hand to another shock of pain. But then he was free, running for his traps, sidestepping a st from Phuong without looking and grinning as he heard the man curse. "I can smell it," he exined with a shout over a shoulder. "Your arcane nonsense reeks." He slid to the wall and drew his bow, groaning as he was forced to use his still fried hand. Both Carls were closing the distance before Phuong shouted a warning. "He ran straight for that spot. There''s traps," said the ex guerri fighter, his eyes on the floor. "There. I can see them. Little swirls. Do you see?" "Seeing won''t help you much. Better hurry." Mason opened Endless Quiver, then loosed a series of arrows at both men with rapid shots. Phuong deflected some like a damn Jedi, or dodged with the barest movement. Both Carls warped and vanished. One appeared next to Mason, far closer than both of them seemed to have expected. One of his traps exploded. Carl #1 cried out and covered his face as the shrapnel flew. Mason reached straight through it, summoned his shorter w, and stabbed the man in the heart. "Stupid damn clone!" Carl shouted from somewhere near the middle of the court. Mason was about to trash talk, and take another look at the wounded Streak. Then the wolf rose up on his back legs and roared. Streak had apparently shifted into what could only be described as a werewolf. He was at least nine feet tall, his head basically normal, his body half-man, half-wolf. He snarled and charged at the approximate location of invisible Carl, arms out with green ws extended. "Well¡­that''s new," Mason mumbled, assuming it was a level twenty or a tier two thing. He did his part and kept loosing arrows at Phuong. The swordsman apparently couldn''t use his shadowy shield power again yet. He kept oning with deflections and dodges, which was working surprisingly well until Mason loosed a Crippling Strike. The arrow burst apart into shrapnel, and Phuong didn''t have time to dodge. He groaned as the pieces red blue light all over his lower body, and his movement slowed to a crawl. Mason had him now. He walked forward loosing arrows, the swordsman still deflecting, clearly not sure if he should fall back or move ahead. "Carl!" he called as an arrow nicked his throat. The assassin warped and sprayed his colorful illusion. But Mason had predicted it. He closed his eyes, hardly needing them anyway. He kept loosing arrows at Phuong with blinding speed, hearing at least two hit. Carl moved in for another stab but Mason was just too fast. He pretended to try and catch the de, then snapped a front kick that knocked Carl a step back before he vanished. Then screamed. Streak seized Carl with both wed hands, snarling as he took him to the ground. Phuong finally dropped to his knees, his torso ''shield'' actually stuck with Mason''s arrows. His eyes flickered as he fought unconsciousness. "Well fought, Patron," he said, then toppled over. Mason pulled Streak back with a mentalmand, the wolf''s lips covering his teeth as he hopped off Carl like he¡¯d been ying. "Christ," Carl said, shaking on the ground like he was being shocked. "Thing...fucking...hurts. It''s like a taser." Mason saluted, then stabbed him in the heart. It felt weird¡ªlike the de ''went in'', but he saw it basically vanish as it touched the shield. Carl winced, and his eyes rolled back. [Competition mode ended. Safety protocols removed. One minor injury detected. Medical attention rmended. Resuscitating yers.] Carl and Phuong both stopped shaking, groaning as they sat up. Phuong licked his lips like he''d just woken from a pleasant sleep. Carl winced and put a hand to his shoulder. "That son of a bitch really bit me." He pointed at Streak. "Bad boy! Very bad boy!" The ridiculousness of chastising the creature in werewolf form nearly made Masonugh. Especially when Streak looked at him with a quirked head, as if to check if he had indeed been an actual bad boy. "Carl is just a soft, whiny old man. You did good, buddy. Very good boy." Streak''s body cracked and popped as he shifted back to a wolf, grossing out pretty much everyone¡ªwhich apparently included a small crowd of watchers at the outside of the court. When Mason looked over Haley and all his other girls (save Reba) waved or cheered silently. Mason sat next to Carl and Phuong and let out a few deep breaths. "I''m not sure I learned much. I¡¯m a big problem for Phuong. Carl''s a pain in the ass but we knew that. Though your reach sucks, and you''re too slow, I guess." "No, kid, you''re just terrifyingly fast. When you threw that first punch I almost pissed myself." Phuong nodded. "Even with my improved adrenaline boost, Patron, I couldn''t seem to really hit you. It was...most frustrating." Mason knew Aspect of the Cheetah improved his speed constantly, but he hadn''t realized quite how much. Mostly, he suspected, it was just his ridiculous stats, and a couple of his ''improved speed'' powers. "That dark shield thing was cool," Mason said. "Does it have a cooldown or what happened the second time?" "Cooldown," he confirmed. "I shouldn''t have used it so early. And I could have held it longer. Was hardly sure how it worked. Now I know." "That''s why we practice." Mason stood and helped the men to their feet. "Well at least I''m not crazy. That seemed alright. I expect I can win most two on ones." Carl snorted. "Kid, I don''t think we were really that close. You''ll be fine." Had they been so outmatched? Mason wasn''t sure. He expected one unlucky hit from either of their weapons and things might have gone differently. But it seemed unlikely most yers had such vicious weapons. And if they didn''t, could they really even hurt Mason enough to kill him? Before he got strong enough to basically ignore their attacks? It was definitely better, he decided, to overestimate his enemies, and assume they would have their ways. So he''d spend the next two days in the training hall fighting whatever programs simted two opponents. And he''d do his best to win without getting his face smashed in. "OK," he shouted to the others. "Show''s over. Let''s talk strategy for the six man team, then get you in there against a horde of monsters. And someone take Carl to the infirmary." "I can walk myself, thank you!" he shouted, standing with a groan. "But do I need like a¡­werewolf rabies shot?¡± Streak looked around as peopleughed, wondering what was so funny, and also why everyone was looking at him. Mason just gave him a scratch.
Chapter 365: Brother Tickles Chapter 365: Brother Tickles Mason mostly stayed silent as he watched his six yerse up with team tactics and fight wave after wave of monsters. This training hall truly was a gem of a resource, and he intended to make much more use of it in the future. But they didn¡¯t have long before the tournament, and for now the main thing was just to get familiar with each other¡¯s powers and not get in each other¡¯s way. They had to figure it all out on their own. So after watching the first round, Mason took a breath and decided it was time to sort out the Becky situation. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure where she went. He knew he could technically check with his Wayfinder power and Patron ability, but it always felt a little creepy. Instead he just walked back to his new house in the Nexus. He found Becky in the main ¡®living room¡¯, nted on a couch. "Hi." She winced and looked up at him. "I know I shouldn''t have...in front of them, I mean. I got carried away." Mason sighed and sat beside her. "Yeah. But I shouldn''t have picked you. That didn¡¯t help." Becky put her head on his shoulder. "Kinda hard. Datin¡¯ the boss, sometimes." "You¡¯re just getting too stubborn. Must be spending too much time with Rosa,¡± he said with a grin. "I''m guessin'' you fought Carl and Phuong?" He nodded, and she could obviously tell by his expression that he¡¯d won. She shook her head. "Guess I forget sometimes. That yer....you know, you. Dunno why I was worried. Guess I get scared one day you might bite off more than you can chew." Mason snorted because he expected one day he would. But he didn¡¯t actually worry about it. He got a bit more serious. ¡°I worry about getting everyone else killed. Because I do something, or don¡¯t do something. I don¡¯t have the luxury of worrying about myself." Becky met his eyes. "Well someone should." It was hard not to smile at that. "I don''t mind, if you like. I kinda like it." She threw her arms around him, and he just breathed her in and closed his eyes. ¡°Does this count as a fight?¡± she whispered. ¡°Can we...uh, make up next?¡± Mason definitely would have taken her right then and there, but it had been a long damn day and he wasn''t as disappointed as she seemed to be when he heard Haleying from the other room. It didn''t hurt the ego to have the beautiful cowgirl desperate to get him naked, that was for sure. But he was happy to just sit with that knowledge. He had a lot on his mind. And he needed to talk to Haley. He gave Becky a kiss then called for Haley. Becky gave him an unhappy stare, so he put up his hands. ¡°It¡¯s work. She''s my assistant. If something fun is happening, I¡¯lle get you.¡± ¡°You better.¡± Becky gave him another little kiss, then stood and walked off towards some other wing of the house he¡¯d probably never stepped foot in. Haley gave him a curious eye as she sat beside him. ¡°What was that all about?¡± ¡°Dating the boss shit. I want more tournament details. Everything you know. From wherever you think it makes sense to start.¡± Haley¡¯s suggestive nced stopped as she snapped into assistant mode. "There¡¯s a lot. I think I get extra info because of my ss and because you¡¯re an important patron. I''ve got ess to a huge amount of detail. I doubt you''llst long listening to it." Mason sighed. "I''ll do my best." "OK." Haley took a breath. "First off, we''ll be at this ''tournament'' for awhile. We''re talking a week. They''ll have housing for us, rules about where we stay, curfews, check ins, a bit like an Olympic games, I think." Mason just nodded and waited for more. "They''ll take care of everything,¡± Haley exined. ¡°Food, organization, the schedule. We pretty much just do what we''re told." "Unsurprising," Mason said, feeling his usual impotent rejection of being roboGod''s puppet. "But. Here''s where it gets interesting," Haley said with a big grin, curling her feet up on the couch. Mason fought the urge to pull her into hisp and call for Becky. "There''s going to be some kind of...''world market'', where civilian crafters set up shop and can hawk their wares. We use our own point system, and the system takes a ''cut'', but I think we''re basically free to exchange. Free to buy. And we civilians have a lot of unused points." That was interesting. Mason was too ignorant to see the exact pros and cons, but obviously Haley thought it was exciting. And if they suddenly had ess to some kind of big market, no doubt there¡¯d be useful things. "OK," he said. "So civilians areing too. Do we take everyone, or what?" Haley shook her head. "Two per yer. We''ll have to choose." "And let me guess," Mason said. "It''ll want us all in separate housing. Or split up men and women. Or some other annoying rules that make us miserable." Haley grinned and wiggled her eyebrows,ing forward to slide a hand up Mason''s leg. "Um, biological imperatives, remember? Pretty sure it¡¯s happy to breed us like rabbits. We can shack up however we want, and it''ll roll out the red carpet." It was supposed to be a sexy thought, and in a way it was. But Mason couldn''t help but think: yes, exactly like rabbits. Smart rabbits in a fancy little rabbit zoo. But he smiled and pat Haley''s hands. "OK. Anything else?" "Yep." Haley pulled back without looking disappointed, no doubt sensing his mood. "You probably want to know how the tournamentbats work?" He nodded, and her eyes zed as she pulled up the info. "I think it''s a bit like the training hall, but...more brutal. I wouldn''t expect pretty, blue shields. I think it''s going to...regenerate you." Mason nodded, staring at the wall as his mind processed that. It was good for him, ultimately, because it meant his powers would work properly, and his familiarity with suffering would give him an advantage. But it also meant he was going to have to wound and maybe ''kill'' anyone he fought, including his own people if they matched in the single duels, which seemed inevitable. Even if it was ''temporary'', it was a terrible thought. What if they put him up against ke? Against Becky? "What about...rules. Can we take items? Anything about animalpanions? Prep?" "It sounds like basically anything goes," Haley said. "Except no ''consumables'', which I guess means Rosa''s potions are out. Other than that, any items. All powers. Though it says something about ''time preparation caps'' and ''total mana preparation caps'' for casters before entering. I''m guessing it might effect someone like ke? But I don''t really know." Mason nodded, a bit annoyed, actually. ''Any item'' meant the eastern yers, with their muchrger civilian base, would likely being in far more equipped than the yers in Nassau. Another of his fuck ups, probably. "If it brings you any pleasure, I might as well just admit you were right," he said. "Civilians matter more than I expected. Items might make a big difference in there, especially for the weaker yers." Haley squeezed his thigh. "You couldn''t do everything. And most of our yers are quite powerful. They should do pretty well, items or no items." Mason smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek, which swiftly turned into another, much less chaste kiss on the lips. He sighed. "Not tonight. I need all that energy. I''m going back to the training hall to try and deal with two nasty targets at a time until I''m exhausted." Haley frowned, but nodded. "You need your sleep, too. Don''t wear yourself out before the actual tournament." Mason winked and lifted her as he stood, giving her onest kiss before he went for the door. He needed a lot less sleep than a normal person these days, and as long as his mind could keep going, his body could, too. He turned and was about to ask Haley if she could maybe get him something to eat halfway through the night. "I''ll get the girls. We''ll cook something for you." He gave her a smile, not sure how he''d lived without this woman for his first twenty years. "See you in a few hours." * * * "I''min'' too," Becky said as he eventually went out the door. He gave her a skeptical look, but just shrugged. "Do as you please, soldier. Just don''t get in my way." She stuck out her tongue, then walked towards the lift and nced back at him as if waiting. He smiled and jumped off the tform, slide/climbing down the great tree at dangerous speed. "Show off!" Becky called from above. Mason was most of the way down as the Great Tree entered his mind as easily as always...and giggled. Tickles. Tickles, brother druid. Mason blinked in surprise. Hadn¡¯t Calypsa said it wouldn¡¯t actually speak in words for years, or something? "You can speak now?¡± he said with Speak with Nature, gripping and stopping on the tree. He got a feeling like ¡®yes obviously, dummy¡¯. ¡°You have a name? Mine¡¯s Mason. And uh, sorry about that." OK, brother druid, said the tree with something like a yawn. But I call you Tickles. "You''re awfully articte," he said, dropping to the ground. Tick? What tick? Prettydy teach words. But not that word. He felt the tree¡¯s love for Calypsa like the warmth from the sun. Prettydy says very smart tree. Prettydy nice. "Yes," Mason agreed, thinking he should definitely visit the nymph when he came back from the tournament. "Prettydy is nice." "What prettydy?" Becky said, hopping off the tform. Mason hadn''t actually told any of his girls that the warrior nymph was now living in the settlement. It probably wouldn''t be a problem, exactly, but since they were still all¡­adjusting to a house full of women, he thought it best to give it a minute. "Haven''t you seen a guy talking to his tree before? Stop eavesdropping." Becky grinned, obviously assuming ''prettydy'' meant her. She put a hand to the tree and gave it a pat. "Well ain''t you a sweetheart." Mason cleared his throat and walked towards the training hall, eventually holding Becky''s hand. No doubt she expected a little spare time to finish what they''d started, but Mason only had about a day left to prepare for this tournament. He intended to spend every moment preparing. When this ''emperor'' was cowed¡ªwhen the entirety of the human world understood Nassau wasn''t to be trifled with¡ªmaybe then they could rx.
Chapter 366: Justice Chapter 366: Justice Alexei Ostapovich stood in the tournament ¡®waiting cell¡¯, remembering his conversation with a god. He would have considered it the strangest experience of his life. But since the changing of the world, he seemed to have no understanding of what was ¡®normal¡¯ anymore. His life had be a series of events removed from the usual markers of sanity. He had lost his moral and intellectual bearings, operating only on what was in front of him to survive. Then after the Nexus he had clicked his agreement to receive his ¡®prestige ss¡¯ and vanished into nothingness¡ªjust another insane event in a world that normalized such things. But instead of the Maker Hall described by the others, Alex had found himself floating in golden light. ¡°Hello, Alexei,¡± said a being somehow brighter than the light itself. ¡°Hello,¡± Alex said in English, trying to treat this new madness with the same seriousness he treated all the others. The brightest light watched him with eyes like the sun, white teeth visible in a smile. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± Alex didn¡¯t. Of course he didn¡¯t. And yet standing in that desert outside the Nexus, and the ancient temple¡ªafter calling on ¡®divine¡¯ magic to heal, to protect, since he¡¯d entered this new hell¡ªhe knew his ¡®power¡¯ wasn¡¯t his own. It hade from somewhere, from some thing. And he had felt the presence of that thing inside the Nexus. He had felt it from the ¡®prophet¡¯ they were protecting. ¡°You are Nephus,¡± he said, with no feeling towards the words except resignation. ¡°Some have called me that,¡± agreed the light. Then the gold dimmed and Alex felt his feet touch solid ground made of air, and the man made of light stepped beside him. ¡°Walk with me.¡± Alex had always liked walking. Every day in Nassau he walked the beautiful settlement in circles, usually alone, but sometimes with the woman he was seeing. She was too young and beautiful for him, and he tried not to think of her as permanent, as he tried not to think of anything as permanent. ¡°Life requires champions,¡± said Nephus after what felt like several minutes. ¡°Was Mason not your champion in the Nexus?¡± Alex said, using his native tongue now, though not sure why. The light-god snorted. ¡°A man like that could never serve me. A man of violence. No, Alexei. I seek those who know what it is to heal. Who suffer and fail beside the weak. And yet endure.¡± ¡°Your sales pitch is shit,¡± Alex said. And a godughed. ¡°I have few followers. But they are worthy.¡± They walked in silence again, Alex feeling the same sense of resignation, of inevitability. It was like he understood this being, whatever it was, as if they spoke many words in the silence, both knowing words didn¡¯t make much difference to anything. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± he finally asked. ¡°Me? I want nothing,¡± said the light. ¡°Except what you have to give.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± The light began to glow again, but somehow Alex¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t bothered. ¡°Go,¡± Nephus told him. ¡°Protect those you deem worthy. Give life where you find death. Show the violent there is a cost. There is always a cost.¡± ¡°I¡¯m no judge,¡± Alex said, hating the morally superior fools and liars that pretended to know right from wrong. The god smiled at him as if reading his mind. ¡°Reality requires no advocate, Alexei. Go with my blessing. Do only what you feel is good and true.¡± He¡¯d wanted toin, to say he had no idea what was ¡®good¡¯ or even if there was such a thing as ¡®good¡¯. There was only survival. There was only enduring what the world and the universe threw at you, because what in the name of god else could you do? Then he¡¯d felt his body wrapping in iron links. Some kind of magical armor covered him from neck to knees, like a warm hug, or the sun¡¯s rays after a rain. He closed his eyes as he watched his profile change, the words ¡®Avatar of Nephus¡¯ appearing under his prestige ss before vanishing, as if only meant for him to see, reced by ¡®Sacred Pir¡¯. [Receiving unique Prestige ss based on all avable data. Implementing.] Alex felt his body lock as energy coursed through him. But he didn¡¯t try to resist. [You have gained a Prestige ss! Sacred Pir. +2 to all statistics.] [Title gained: Pretty Prestigious: You have gained a prestige ss before the vast majority of yers. +1 to all statistics.] [Power synergy discovered! Protective Barrier upgraded to Divine Shield: Nothing protects a man like faith. Except maybe a good shield.] [Unique ss power gained: Divine Justice: To every action, an opposite reaction. But some reactions are biblical.] Despite the cryptic description of his new ¡®Divine Justice¡¯ power, he¡¯d somehow known exactly how it worked. And despite everything, it felt right. Just like that he¡¯d been back in ¡®reality¡¯. Back with his newrades and allies in the desert like the ancient Jews out of Egypt. He¡¯d almostughed thinking of what his father might say if he could have seen him standing there in his chain mail, if they¡¯d have walked and talked about Alex¡¯s conversation with a god. Now here he was supposed to fight to the death, even if it was fake. But Alex had sworn an oath to himself after meeting ¡®Nephus¡¯. After thinking long and hard about right and wrong, good and evil. He had meant what he said about judgment. It wasn¡¯t in his nature. But he could decide what to do himself. And he had decided never to harm another living thing. Not personally. He would protect his friends, he would protect himself, but he wouldn¡¯t raise a hand in violence. That would be his pact with ¡®God¡¯, whatever exactly that meant. And let the rest of it fall where it may. So he¡¯d risen up into a grassy field in his armor, looking up at the sun and thinking of life in a ce that was meant for death. The unfairness of life, he thought, without anger. He had never wanted to hurt, to destroy, not as a boy, not as a man. He wouldn¡¯t change that because some alien overlord made it beneficial. His opponent crossed the field after inspecting him, a young man with a pair of swords in his hands. ¡°You a support?¡± he called from about fifty paces. Alex nodded, and the man shook his head. ¡°Shit, man.¡± He shrugged. ¡°This fucking game, eh? You can just surrender, if you like. No need to y it out. You supports are so damn rare, I¡¯d rather we be friends outside, you know? Name¡¯s Benny.¡± Alex smiled a little. It was perfectly reasonable, of course. Even kind. But there was a vast difference between choosing violence, and choosing to give up. Alex wasn¡¯t a fool. And he wasn¡¯t weak, either. The idea that he¡¯d somehow give in, after a lifetime of suffering and loss, after so many broken dreams and broken years. After Sebastian. After the Nexus. After everything. He almost spasm¡¯d with a desperate kind ofugh. Give up? Because of what, fear of a little pain? A fake death? He had seen good men give up on life and waste away. Drink themselves into the grave as their families watched in broken silence. No. Alexei thought not. All that had saved him from such a fate was some ridiculous notion, with no justification or reason, to never, ever quit. It was his one rebellion against the universe. ¡°Alex. And no,¡± he said, then shrugged. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± Benny looked back and forth and again at Alex. ¡°You even have a weapon, buddy? I meane on.¡± Alex shook his head. ¡°Maybe you give up instead. Or we walk, and wait, we see what happens.¡± Benny sighed and swung his des around like he was in aic book. ¡°Can¡¯t do that,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s rules where I¡¯m from. You know? Man made ones. Gotta win. There¡¯s too much at stake.¡± ¡°There is always,¡± Alex said quietly, not expecting to convince the man. ¡°I¡¯m ready when you are,¡± said the swordsman, and Alexei shook his head and put up his hands. After another moment to build up his will, the swordsman came in swinging, probably to try and take Alex¡¯s head in a single swipe. Alex activated Divine Shield, but not quite entirely over his skin. Then he caught the de. He winced as the sharp steel cut his flesh before his barrier stopped its force. His new power charged with blood. With hurt. With suffering. The swordsman pulled away, obviously disturbed and confused. ¡°Maybe surrender,¡± Alex said, no trace of mockery. ¡°Better, I think.¡± The young man¡¯s eyes narrowed, his face turning pink. He grit his teeth and came again, no more attempts to end things humanely. He shed at Alex¡¯s throat, his legs, bouncing off the barrier. He stabbed forward with his shorter de, and Alex again reached out and grabbed it, this time letting the de cut his fingers deep. He squeezed his hand and closed his eyes, watching Divine Justice charge as the duel-wielding warrior clenched his teeth and came again. Alex felt his blood sucking up into the wounds as he healed himself with Soothing Light. He wasn¡¯t in control of the power. Not really. It would go on as long as it had to. He let his barrier drop in bits and pieces, letting his opponent sh his arm, his face, his armored chest. There was a deep gash in his bicep, blood running freely down his chin. He winced and withdrew, shaking his head to tell Benny not to follow. He healed the cuts as he held off another round of the swordsman¡¯s blows, this time taking a deep sh across his calf as he tried to move away. He groaned and limped off, still far away from needing to renew his mana with Divine Channel. ¡°Man what the fuck,¡± Benny said, pulling back with wild eyes. ¡°Why make me do this? What¡¯s the point? You like pain, or something?¡± ¡°No,¡± Alex said. ¡°Please stop. We¡¯ll walk. We¡¯ll wait.¡± ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± Benny charged this time, shing with a frenzy of blows. Alex let more bounce off his armor, took another stab deflecting off his chin, another his shin. ¡°What the fuck is the point of your useless shields,¡± Benny shouted as he cut. ¡°Your armor. You have no fucking chance!¡± ¡°No,¡± Alex agreed. ¡°No point. So stop.¡± ¡°This is what we¡¯re here for!¡± Benny yelled in increasing rage, shing as Alex took more and more wounds, than healed them, watching his mana tick down and down. After another round of furious cuts, Benny finally stepped back panting, watching Alex with incredulous eyes. ¡°You¡¯re crazy,¡± he said. ¡°Forget the friends part. I hope I never see you again. You¡¯re a fucking lunatic.¡± Alex took a deep breath, watching Divine Justice as it started to trigger, as if entirely out of his control. He was d for that, though he would have stopped it if he could. ¡°Maybe,¡± he said. ¡°And I am sorry.¡± Light red as Alex was forced to channel. His body locked as the incredible power red around him, overtaking the world in golden light. Benny¡¯s eyes went wide as he stared. But he seemed to recognize a threat, and charged forward to unleash another series of blows. Between the power activation, and the attacks, Alex¡¯s mana quickly drained, down, and down, then gone. Benny¡¯s sword broke through, piercing the shield but deflecting off Alex¡¯s armor. Then the channel finished. Light diffused over everything in the area, then shot forward like it was sucked into a vacuum, straight at a now screaming Benny as he fell back shing uselessly. It ripped him apart. His hands, his arms, his legs. It stabbed his shoulder and chest with unstoppable rays of light, spraying blood in every direction as the young man cried out in pain and terror. When it was finally over, Benny copsed to his knees, red as a newborn as he stared at Alex. It was hard to look at him. But Alex came forward and knelt. ¡°I am sorry,¡± he said, desperately fighting the urge to heal the man, knowing it was far toote. Benny¡¯s eyes blinked then rolled, and he copsed to the ground to finish bleeding into the grass. A trumpet red. The robotic announcer congratted him and assigned points and the world began to fade. Was it right? Was it wrong? Alex didn¡¯t know, and he wasn¡¯t sure he cared. The young man had made his choices, and he had paid the price. Whatever it was, it felt a bit like justice.
Chapter 367: Tournament Day Chapter 367: Tournament Day ''Tournament day'' started like every other. The sun rose, the birds (and wolves) made their noise. Mason wandered the Nexus and the town below, looking for any changes and chatting with a few yers about their practice duels in the training hall. He was almost starting to think nothing was going to happen. Then the entire sky blotted out around noon. [Congrattions, yers, on your ongoing survival] boomed the voice of their synthetic overlord. [Today marks the official end of phase two of the Great Game.] Mason tried and failed to move. He''d been assuming when ''it'' happened, whatever exactly ''it'' was, he''d be gathering up everyone in the settlement and figuring things out. Instead it felt like the system was isting everyone. Handling the details by itself. A glowing blue...light in roughly humanoid form appeared before Mason, a bit like the guide that had showed him around the Nexus. "Greetings, Baron and Founder Mason Nimitz of House Mason. Please allow me to formally invite you to the First Annual Friendly yer Competitive Tournament, to be held for roughly one week in the Neutral Zone. You and your House will be quite safe, as there is to be no violence outside of tournament boundaries. All other areas of the game world will be paused until thepletion of the tournament. So you won''t lose a single day." Mason took a deep breath. "Don''t say ''invited'' when you mean pulsory''. I can handle the game, just spare me the bullshit." The blue-man ambassador stared with lifeless eyes, and Mason sighed. "Thanks. I gratefully ept." "Wonderful!" The thing smiled without its eyes. "Please select your attendance package from the following list of options." Several menus popped in Mason''s face. One was based on his patron title, another the Nexus, and the other his House. It looked like all three gave him more civilians he''d be allowed to bring, and also let him govern what behaviors they''d be allowed in the ''Neutral Zone''. He could set nket rules, or literally break it down to individuals. To a certain degree, he even had control over the yers in his House (which was all of them). He couldn''t stop them from attending the tournament, but he could put them in a kind of house arrest while they waited for their bouts, and could literally ban them from so much as speaking to anyone else in the zone. He grinned to himself as he thought of silencing Seamus for a week. But he clicked the ''all general rules'' button at the bottom, permitting his yers whatever freedom the overall system allowed. The civilians were a little trickier. Fortunately, his Founder title apparently gave him such a civilian ''permission'' boost he could bring the entirety of Nassau. No doubt it might cause a few problems, but he really didn''t see why he should leave anyone behind who wanted to go. He again selected them all and gave them nket permissions. With that done he noticed a red text box next to his greyed out elves. He saw the many names of his elven ''subjects'', most of whom he still didn''t know, but it was showing Naya separated out from the rest. He clicked the red warning, which expanded into longer text. Note: in-game humanoids are not generally permitted in the Neutral Zone. You may, however, select immediate family members, such as wives or offspring. Doing so willpromise and break system immersion. Results may be chaotic. Please choose carefully. Mason stared at the text as his brain reeled. What exactly was it saying? He read it again and again,ing to an inescapable, screwed up conclusion. It had to be telling him that he could take Naya, if he wished, but if he did it would be like ripping an actor from a movie. It seemed to be a naked acknowledgment from the system that Naya and people like her were either...fictional characters, or else real but brainwashed by roboGod. And that to take them into the ''neutral zone'' would break that immersion in some permanent way. He didn''t even know what to say. It had never given them any rules about exining what had happened to humans or ''in-game humanoids''. But Mason supposed that no one would believe them if they did. Where as if they were taken to some ce where the mask came off, and roboGod revealed his game in all its brutal glory, it would truly be like the Truman show just...ending. Mason swiped away the text, and stared. A piece of him was telling him to do it. Telling him that if it were him, he''d want to know. That if someone knew his world was a lie and didn''t tell him, he''d hate them when he learned the truth. But as had happened so many times now in this ridiculous game, Mason resented being asked to decide important things for others. How could he know what Naya would want? It urred to him then that he didn''t know her very well. Hell, how long had it even been? Two weeks from perfect strangers to ''married''? She wasn''t some pampered princess anymore. She''d struggled and lost. She''de here and finally found hope, lust, and maybe more. And now Mason was going to turn around and say ''Surprise! Your whole life is a lie! All your struggle and pain and hope is meaningless!'' She sure as hell wouldn''t thank him. She might go catatonic. She might kill herself. And even if she was strong enough and ultimately came to thank him for telling her, she still might never want to see him again. People didn''t just get over that kind of mental trauma unscathed. One day, Mason thought. But not like this. He swiped it away, deciding to leave all the elves behind. If they were ''frozen'' along with everything else, in theory they''d never even notice anything had happened. Mason and the others would disappear, and pop back into existence without affecting anything. Then maybe he¡¯d would start thinking about how to tell Naya. If he told Naya. He had plenty of time to get to know her better, to earn her trust and love and figure out how to exin. If it was even possible. But to show her the face of her synthetic god so...starkly. So suddenly. No, Mason decided. It was cruel. Impossible. "Thank you for your selections," said the system''s messenger. "As a powerful yer, a major patron, and a Founder, you will be a special guest of honor at the tournament. Please enjoy all of the many amenities provided, either alone or with limited guests. Do you have any questions before the entrance duel?" Mason nodded along, hardly listening. But he repeated thest words in his mind and narrowed his eyes as he turned to the robot. "Entrance duel? What do you mean entrance duel?" "All yers will face their first duel, randomly chosen, as soon as they enter the Neutral Zone. Are you ready to enter now? Or do you have any questions?" Jesus Christ, Mason thought, heart beating faster. "Do we have to kill them? How exactly do the duels end?" "Biological destruction," answered the smiling robot. "Or surrender." Mason almost sagged with relief. He wasn''t sure if it was creepy orfortingly worded. ''Biological destruction'' was pretty damn intense. But at least if he fought Becky or ke one of them could just give up. It actually took a big weight off his mind. "When do we pick teams for the bigger fights? I didn''t see anything on the lists." "Team selection is irrelevant until the end of the first day. Are you ready to enter now?" "Yes I''m fucking ready," Mason said, tired of the thing and the game and probably more excited to actually fight than he should have been. His heart was still pounding, but not from fear. He was going to meet the rest of humanity soon. They were going to stick him in a ring with every other murderer and monster left alive, and only one of them was walking out. Was it real? Hell, it was probably more than one level of ¡®unreal¡¯. But it was what they had. The system would re-animate or repair their bodies when it was over. But it was as close to ''real'' as you could get without actually killing each other. And win or lose, every yer in the game was about to get a brutal reality check. Mason included. Nassau shimmered and vanished as Mason''s vision faded, then reappeared. He was standing in some kind of holding cell not so different than the tutorial. He summoned Eve''s armor and his Elven bow, tucking his nymph charm away. He realized Streak wasn''t with him and almost panicked before he flipped open his powers and activated Call Beast. Streak materialized with a confused howl, then nced at Mason and instantly calmed. As usual the wolf''s curiosity about its insane life was almost zero. Fighting, or eating? it asked with its tongue out. Mason couldn''t help but smile. It was a good reminder: you didn''t have to be a philosopher to understand reality. You just had to take it as it came. "Fighting," he said, using a moment to kneel and give the animal a good scratch and pet. Then he stood and steadied himself, cycling mentally through his strategies depending on the enemy. It was usually a cautious approach. Depending on the terrain, he''d circle andy traps, listening and smelling until he found his enemy and took some curious shots to test defences. He''d pretend to be afraid of closebat, to use his bow and keep Streak hidden if possible until the critical moment. But if he sensed a caster, he''d send Streak and charge for the kill. The holding cell flicked with red light, exactly like the training hall. A robotic voice announced the duel was about to begin, and that the yers had fifteen seconds to prepare however they wished. Mason had nothing to prepare but his mind. He stoodpletely still, heart steadying now that the fight had almost arrived. He felt Streak''s urge to hunt, to catch his prey, to taste the blood of his kill. Mason almost smiled when he heard the animal snarl with anticipation. But when he looked over and saw Streak perfectly at ease, he realized it wasn''t the wolf at all.
Chapter 368: Round one Chapter 368: Round one Mason rose up into what looked like a covered sports arena filled with¡­the contents of a dump. "No," he warned as he felt Streak''s urge to go rummaging through the closest pile of garbage. The wolf whined, but returned his attention to the fight ahead. He snorted and kept on whining, and it was clear he couldn''t make out a damn thing in the nearly endless bouquet of disgusting scents. "I bet you a fat piece of steak it''s a rogue," Mason said, doing his best to see or smell anything except piles of filth. "Just you fucking wait. It''ll be a rogue." At least all the garbage made for difficult walking. If there was some asshole stealthing around in here, he''d have to pick his way through broken ss and bits of stic pretty carefully, or make enough noise for Mason to hear. Mason touched the concrete ground with his hand, activating the camouge on his Sleeves, then crouched and kept low as he advanced. For now, he decided, it was better to keep Streak close so neither of them got jumped alone. On a few of the better, clearer foot paths, he dropped a tier 2bo snare/deadly trap that looked like a bear trap, then grinned at the thought of some sneaky pricking in for an ambush and getting mped. Once he¡¯d ced four he picked his way through the filth, avoiding discarded furniture, empty cans, rotting food and endless bits of metal, ss and stic. It all felt like a fairly urate condemnation of human waste by roboGod. The judgy prick. Every few steps, Mason stopped to watch and listen, Streak still making his futile attempts to smell anything but trash. As far as they could both tell, though, they were alone. Or their opponent was doing a damn fine job of staying away, and keeping hidden. Streak finally growled softly, and Mason knew it was thetter. He was about to chastise himself, thinking ''obviously it wouldn''t put me alone in a giant arena and forget the opponent, or something''. But then he took back the ''obviously'', because who the fuck knew with this thing. He went ahead and assumed there was some Carl-like bastard out there, though, and reminded himself he wasn''t just here to win. He was here to crush his enemies, to teach them this wasn''t apetition between equals. To teach them there was him, and then there was everyone else. "I know you''re here," he said as if bored. "We can creep around all day, if you want, until you hit one of my traps. Or maybe you get lucky and hit me first. But I tell you what, I''ll just give you the first strike." With that he held out his arms and waited, eventually sighing and putting down his arms when nothing happened. "Yeah. I wouldn''t trust me either," he muttered, then took a seat on the concrete. "Alright." He waved at Streak. "Go root through the filth. We wait until our friend feels confident enough to try and kill me. I think we''re going to be here awhile." * * * Becky had opened her eyes after the system''s droning invitation, then clutched her mace and readied for violence in the strange little cell. The timer counted down, and she activated her personal shield, and rose up onto...the top of a building? She saw vast cityscape in every direction, seemingly going on forever with blurry buildings like an endless big city downtown. She carefully peeked over the edge, pulling back with rush of fear that shot her stomach to her throat. It was a long, long way down. "Jesus, Mary and Joseph," she whispered, taking several steps away. The building seemed huge, but as far as arenas went, still rtively small. It was a t roof but had all kinds of smaller buildings on it that were maybe storage or utility. She slowly moved between the mini buildings, not actually seeing anyone or hearing anything except the howling of the wind. Then about halfway she found a slightly older, armored Indian woman with her long hair tied into a bun, a white staff in her hands. Both women stopped and stared. The woman raised her staff, and shot aser-like bolt of white light, directly into Becky¡¯s chest. Her shield red, and the bolt made a sh of white light that made Becky squint. And that was about it. Her energy ticked down to approximately 99%. Then it ticked up again. "Uh." Becky shifted her feet. "You got somethin'' besides that?" The woman red and clutched her staff with both hands, firing another beam of energy straight into Becky''s shield. It had the same result. OK, maybe one and a half per cent. But it ticked back up so fast it was hard to tell, and Becky blew a breath through her lips. She shrugged and smacked the head of her mace in her hand as she started forward. "Sorry, darlin''. I''ll make it quick." The woman fell back and kept shooting her beams, each instantly crossing like a shlight and with basically the same threat to Becky. She moved up to a jog, closing the distance and getting ready for a first, good smash. The ''caster'' ran, but she wasn''t particrly athletic looking, and she also didn''t have much space. Pretty soon Becky was on her, swinging her mace in a hefty arc to hopefully knock the poor woman right out. More white light shed, and for a moment consumed the world. Becky felt her feet life off the ground,unching her a good ten feet before she bounced t on her ass. Her shield remained pretty much undamaged, but as she got up and dusted herself off, she and her opponent pretty much looked back at the edge of the building at the same time. "Right," Becky said, her sense of invulnerability vanishing. I better not lose round one, she thought, Mason''ll never let me hear the end of it. She moved closer to the middle of the building, her opponent again backing away, clearly trying to decide where to stand. And how best to knock me flying to my God damn death. Apparently she was going to have to be a touch more careful... * * * By the time Mason had resorted to lying on his back, putting his hands behind his head, and closing his eyes, he heard an arrow whistle. He caught the shaft a few inches from his throat, then sat up. Streak was already moving. The wolf raced across the room with an excited snarl before Mason even saw the little dark figure crouching on a pile of garbage maybe fifty feet away. He stood and walked forward as more arrows loosed. He dodged the first with the barest flinch, deflected the second with his hand, and let the third just graze his calf. [Poison Schmoison activated. Resisted Crafted Lesser Arachnid poison.] "That won''t cut it," Mason said as he walked. The archer had to move now as Streak came barreling into his perch. But instead of running or warping like Carl, the archer leapt a good twenty feet into the air, seeming to float down towards the other end of the arena as Streak spun in a confused circle. Mason grinned, and activated Aspect of the Cheetah. He turned and ran at full speed, just managing to reach the end of the archer''s jump before he arrived. The archer''s eyes widened beneath his hood, white teeth showing as his mouth opened in a panicked expression. He drew a de and stabbed high as he came down. Mason caught his wrist, than the other, and squeezed. The man groaned and fought desperately, giving up on his arms and kicking hard at Mason''s legs before he was forced to his knees. He finally slumped, looking up at Mason in resignation. "You''re him," he said, with a quiet voice. "Your face. In the sky. I have no luck at all." "It had to be someone," Mason said. The archer was about to say something else, and Mason decided his distraction was a good moment to end things. He let go of the man¡¯s wrists, summoned his shorter w, and rammed it through his opponent''s chest. It wasn''t like the training hall. It felt real. The hooded man gasped in pain and surprise, his dark eyes fluttering as blood leaked from the wound. Then he slumped, and stilled. Some kind of trumpet red. [Duelplete. Congrattions to the victor!] the system''s voice boomed. [This will count on your official tournament record. After adjusting for power differential, you have earned: 1 point!] Mason heard a ding like an oven timer, and a new window opened in his vision showing his ¡®tournament record¡¯. Then the arena vanished as quick as it had appeared, and when Mason blinked he found himself in a pleasantly cool, open space that smelled like cleaning solution and flowers. He turned to see what could only be described as a hotel lobby, with young, modelesque, androgenous looking receptionists behind huge, stic desks. "Wee, Founder, to the Neutral Zone." The closest smiled at him pleasantly, far more ''human'' than the envoy. "The penthouse has been prepared for you and your guests. This brochure has a list of all the amenities. For you and your special guests there are no rules or costs. So please feel free to enjoy them at any time." Mason eventually took the brochure and sighed. He could still feel the flesh of his enemy parting, his de cutting through rib and piercing heart. He could still see the life drain from the man''s eyes. He flexed his fingers and hoped Streak was somewherefortable. "Thanks," he said, not bothering to ask any questions. He walked towards the actual damn elevator, soon seeing it had close to a hundred floors. When he reached to touch the top buttonbeled ''penthouse'', the button automatically lit and the elevator dinged without having actually moved. Mason stepped out, wondering where the other yers were and how their duels were going. And how he''d even contact them to find out. Then he smelled vani and stopped, feeling a sense of calm immediately. He stepped into some kind of hall and found Haley running to him from a nearby room. He closed his eyes and just held her as she ran into his chest.
Chapter 369: In a tower far, far away Chapter 369: In a tower far, far away ke stepped out of the second demon portal with a deep exhale. They''d gone to the ''Brown¡¯ tower this time, and had to fight their way through a series of crumbling tunnels, climb up shakydders, and break apart an ancient altar still fueling the demon''s power. All while fighting off a whole assortment of unpleasant demonic creatures, generally resembling beasts or bugs. But they''d seeded. Despite being in a ''more powerful'' tower, it wasn''t nearly the challenge of the first dungeon. Mostly because they had fucked up and approached the first dungeon totally wrong, of course. "Everyone alive?" ke said, ncing at the rest of his group. Seul-ki and Annie both nodded in silence, this time hardly hurt. The goblin assassin kept against the wall, obviously disturbed by the waiting party of orcs. Pliny grinned his awful grin and held up histest toy: some kind of arm-propelled drill that had worked surprisingly well in the crypt-like tunnels. Until it broke, of course. They''d also brought the new Lord Stoneblood''s cousin, who came out from the portal like a peacock when he saw the brown tower orcs in awe. This one wasn''t a ''soulguard'' and had been both terrified and vulnerable to the demonic magic. He also seemed like an ipetent idiot. ke suspected he''d been chosen intentionally, so as not to be any kind of rival to the fledgling lord''s power. "Your portal is closed," announced the conquering orc fool, like he hadn''t been the most useless member of their merry band. ke refrained from rolling his eyes. "I see that," answered the old orc shaman waiting with his guards, his contempt for the warrior clear. He looked at ke. "Pass my lord''s thanks to yourdy, wizard. I will go and tell him the deed is done." ke nodded and mentallymanded his constructs to follow as he walked towards the exit. Not much reason to stand around being pleased with himself, he supposed. The orcs wouldn''t like it, and he knew they respected action. Orcs were generally the strong, silent types, more impressed with a Mason type than a ke. So he needed to behave ordingly. Two down, he thought, two to go. He''d found a ¡®Bind Enchantment¡¯ rune in this one, too, which he was itching to try. And he''d also leveled to 15 and upgraded his Psion to ¡®tier 2¡¯, whatever exactly that meant. But he was guessing it meant ¡®better¡¯. All in all, a very good day. The word ''day'' sparked his memory. Three days, the system had said, after the beacons activated. Three days until the ''tournament'' that would involve every yer in the world. ke had been so busy he''d almost lost track. Trying to do the dungeon before the tournament had been ambitious bordering insanity (a fact Seul-ki had been happy to inform him of). But she was getting used to ke by now. And he hadn''t really thought twice. Yes, they could have been injured. And then probably forced to enter the tournament either at a disadvantage or maybe with no chance. But he figured there was at least the possibility the system healed them. And he also figured it would pluck them right out of the dungeon, if required. And he had full faith in their ability to deal with the portal quickly. So he hadn''t seen any point in waiting around. But, technically speaking, today was the day. He wasn''t sure if they''d send some kind of...envoy. Or ask them to travel somewhere. Or if they''d get warped without warning. In any case, after several life and death decisions in the demon hole, he preferred to be home, and possibly in bed with Ilya (and maybe Seul-ki), until his time was up. "Quickly," he said to the others. "No time to lose. Come along." The unlikely band of heroes trudged with the now familiar echoing of ke''s constructs, surrounded and stared at by themon orcs of the...whatever tribe. ke was no doubt bing something of a known quantity in the towers. But still, it made him no less of a spectacle. He left the Brown tower, then crossed the central path and nodded to the gate guards, even entering the white tower and climbing his way up before the world seemed to...freeze. Theck of construct thumping caught his attention first. He looked up and turned to see the world had gone blue and blurry, with a light growing and crystallizing in front of him until a vaguely human, blue robot pretended to smile. "Greetings, yer. Please allow me to formally invite you to the First Annual yer Friendly Competitive Tournament, to be held in the Neutral Zone. Any un-designated yer versus yer violence will result in immediate death. As will most failures toply with system rules." "Delightful.¡± ke smiled. ¡°Thank you very much for the invitation. I would be thrilled to attend. Out of curiosity, how long will we be gone?" The robot kept on smiling, its mouth too wide, the rest of its face too dead. "Wonderful news! Query answer: The game world will be frozen until thepletion of the tournament. As a powerful yer with no civilian responsibilities, you will be wee in any designated yer zone, but not in any of the House or Settlement areas, unless specifically invited. All rules will be system enforced with severe punishment, including but not limited to, immediate death. Do you understand?" "Completely." "Thank you for your cooperation," said the system''s messenger. Then it quirked its head as if it had heard some voice on the air. "As a designated Alpha Tester, your feedback would be valuable. Do you have any suggestions on how we might put other yers at ease with our invitations?" ke felt the growing urge tough like a maniac, but he buried it in his partitioned mind. He scooped up the wave of emotions that followed¡ªthe urge to scream in terror and rage, to call the thing names or curl up in a little ball, and put those away, too. He put a hand to his chin and looked thoughtfully at the ceiling. "You''re doing great," ke said. "But I''d avoid telling people about the whole ''death'' thing. Knowing there''s rules is enough, right? And maybe tell them specifically they won''t lose any time. At least that¡¯s what I assume by ¡®frozen¡¯, but it wasn¡¯t that clear. It¡¯ll be most yers first question." "Thank you for your feedback." The thing just kept on smiling, then lifted a hand as if in wee. "Please enjoy the many amenities provided. Do you have any questions before the entrance duel?" ke felt his gut drop at the final words. "How are the ''entrance duel'' opponents selected, please?" "Randomly," answered the robot, just a little too quickly, and with not quite enough smile. ke had always been a very good detector of lies. And this thing was full of shit. "Thank you," he said, trying not to picture any of the people he seemed likely to be pitted against. What exactly roboGod was trying to do with this tournament he didn''t know. But he knew it loved drama. Would it make him kill someone he cared about? Someone he needed? Or would it try and create rivals with other human groups? Whatever it was doing, there wasn''t a damn thing he could do about it. "I''m ready whenever you are," he said with a smile. The pleasant sight of the white tower''s hall shimmered and vanished as ke''s vision faded. He blinked and found himself standing in a doorless cell, a menu opening before his eyes. It showed a list of all his constructs with a red blinking icon, saying he had surpassed his ''mana and time caps''. And that he could only select constructs within the caps. It looked like that meant¡­two. He sighed and selected an arcane and a psionic legionnaire, making a mental note to start making a hell of a lot more options as soon as possible. He hadn''t really thought about his duels or how they''d go, or really prepared himself at all. But to be honest, he wasn''t that worried. The rest of his constructs vanished off his list, the two chosen appearing beside him in top condition, kind of crowding him in the little room. His cell shed with seizure-inducing red light, a monotone voice squawking far too loud and echoing around the concrete room. Duel will begin in: fifteen seconds. All powers have been unlocked. ke opened his abilities and fought for calm. Fifteen seconds was enough for a channel. He didn''t know what the ''arena'' would look like¡ªif he''d have more time to create new constructs, or if an enemy would appear and charge. But as usual, ke intended to squeeze out every moment of use he could. He activated True Making. There literally wasn''t space enough for his standard giant Defender. So it was time to get creative. His legionnaires were all-around powerful, but they were rtively slow. He decided on something faster. More or less on whim, ke pictured his favorite animal: the jaguar. He wasn''t sure why, really, except he''d always liked the animal''s look, its cunning. The more familiar he was with a thing the better he could sculpt it. On top of watching plenty of nature documentaries in his life, he''d also kept a picture of one on his wall for years. He imagined it as he manipted the model generated by his power: the golden eyes, the sleek ck body, the sharp, bared teeth and fangs. Duel will begin in: five seconds, announced the loudspeaker. ke activated Duality of Ambition and channeled, making the animal Arcane with a basic ''bestial'' intelligence temte. He finished in thest moments, then scrolled through his Shields, his Partitioned Mind. He activated Navi and let her float up over his shoulder, his Mana Gem in one palm, the demonic ne loose around his neck. As the tform jerked and raised ke up towards whatever battleground, he smiled without a care in the world. Fear was for people without destiny.
Chapter 370: A warrior named Stephanos Chapter 370: A warrior named Stephanos Stephanos rose up from the system''s holding cell, his hammer bnced over his shoulder. He wore no armor, but his magic sash and belt protected his upper body as well as steel. Not that his skin needed much protection. Since the early stages of the tutorial, the raw power of his ss had proven more than a match for themon monsters of the eastern continent, and all but the most powerful yers in Catal. Now he would prove himself in the arena, earning not only the prizes offered by the alien overlords, but by the emperor. The ruling council of man had promised wealth, position, and elevation to the inner circles for sessful diators. Stephanos had never had much diplomatic skill, unable to work his way into the confidence of powerful men to rise to where he belonged. But here in this world, he could do it with raw power. He looked out at his randomized arena¡ªtall trees, rocky ground that looked sloped, like the side of a steep hill. He climbed up the small rise and reached the top of a grassy peak, giving him a clear view of most of the area. It wasrgely cluttered with the same trees, and Stephanos smiled. If his enemy were some kind of stealthy ss, he could simply wait on the hill for the time limits to kick in and shrink the arena, forcing a confrontation in the open. If it was a ranged or caster ss, he could use the trees for cover. "Here I am!" he shouted, arms wide as he turned and looked around the battleground. "Come and get me!" Then he waited, eventually hearing some noiseing from trees to his east. He smiled and gripped his hammer, thumbing through his powers. Granite Barrier protected him from basically any attack, no matter the power, slowly regenerating over time to be used again. It had surprised a great deal of ss cannon style killers who meant to strike hard and first, only to find Stephanospletely unharmed. He watched, and waited, hearing the sounde closer and closer. Finally a big...cat came bounding from the trees, its golden eyes locked as it sprinted straight at the rise. Was it some kind of pet? A shapeshifter? Stephanos didn''t know much except that he was going to cave in its skull. He could have thrown his hammer but his aim was average, and the beast moved too fast and too low. He waited. The animal reached him and lunged, fearlessly (and quite stupidly), straight into his swing. The sound echoed down the rocks, but the animal didn''t smash away as expected. It was heavy and hard, and even as Stephanos struck it with his Mighty Blow, its speed and weight carried it forward, straight into his chest. He caught the beast but stumbled back, Granite Barrier ring as the thing''s w raked his face. He was forced to drop his hammer and hold it back as it tried to bite his throat. The damn thing was heavy, and felt strange, too hard to be flesh. He growled in rage and pushed it, hardly believing how strong it was. But he was slowly gaining the upper hand, turning the thing over as he forced his weight down to hold its front legs, wrestling to keep his hands away from the thing''s bites. It tried to rake him with its back legs, too, which was a problem. He finally smashed his head into the thing''s face, cracking its jaw. Painnced through his forehead, reminding him it wasn''t just flesh and bone. He pulled up and swung the damn thing away using its front legs, tossing it maybe five feet and summoning his hammer before it scrambled and attacked again. He struck a ncing blow as it came in, spinning away as it raked his thigh. So they danced, hammer against ws, for two, then three more charges. The cat growled and leapt at him, and he struck it down and tried to avoid getting raked. Pieces of the beast were now littered all over the hill. The ck ''fur'' was crumbling to reveal some kind of statue-like body beneath, like the open wounds of a creature made out of y. What in the name of God was this thing? Had the overlords decided to have yers face monstrous foes? Twice more the cat-construct leapt, and twice more Stephanos smashed it down. His second blow broke its body, the front and back disconnecting as the beast literally snapped in two. Then crumbled. Stephanos released a roar and looked to the sky, holding his hammer in the air. He''d lost a lot of blood. His belt and sash and defensive powers worked well, but the beast¡¯s ws had been sharp and powerful enough to tear his exposed flesh, crackling with some kind of magic. His legs dripped crimson streaks down his feet to soak into the ground. He felt a bit light headed, and in considerable pain. But he''d won. "Well done! Truly impressive!" A voice called from the trees, and Stephanos spun to find a young, blonde haired man watching him. A chill ran up his spine. He realized this must be the owner¡ªthat it was no monstrous beast he¡¯d fought, but the creation of a powerful wizard. Had he been more green in the ways of yerbat, he would have despaired. Instead, Stephanos began to rx. The thing had been so powerful. This wizard could only be some kind of pure pet ss, basically useless personally, all his might tied up in the beast now destroyed. "Your creation fought well, summoner," Stephanos said, walking slowly towards his enemy. "I will end you quickly." The man seemed confused, then shook his head. "Oh no. Let¡¯s keep going. You''re a wonderful test." He stepped back as a flying little...ball shot over his shoulder,ing forward before ''opening'' to look like a drone. ¡°Martial ss, Master,¡± it squeeked in a cheerful voice. ¡°The hammer is innate. And probably throwable, so be careful.¡± Two more humanoid constructs came out of the trees and stood before the summoner, and for a long moment, Stephanos was lost for words. ¡°How?¡± he finally said, having never met any summoner with this kind of power. "Would you like to take one at a time?¡± asked the young man. ¡°Or maybe I should...no, no I think both makes sense. I''ll typically have two, won''t I? Yes. So off you go!" The spear and shield armed warriors advanced, looking much like Greek warriors of antiquity. Stephanos stopped thinking, knowing it didn¡¯t do any good. He growled and charged. He deflected one thrown spear with a renewed Granite Barrier, the other sticking in the ground a foot off target. He swung his hammer down with a vicious blow, again sending an echo bouncing through the arena as he struck one warrior''s shield. Unlike most things Stephanos struck, it cracked, but didn''t break. The statue-men drew smaller des and circled stabbing. Stephanos fell back and kicked one away, smashing at the other as he took a savage thrust to the chest. The de managed to pierce his defences, slicing flesh and deflecting off his ribs. It also fucking hurt. He knew he had to kill the summoner, or perish. He made a show of turning for another round, then spun and charged down the hill towards his true enemy, hurling his hammer. Which stopped. "No, no, that¡¯s not what we¡¯re doing" said the wizard, somehow holding Stephanos back with nothing but a raised hand, his hammer hovering uselessly in the air. The pressure released a momentter, except the wizard floated up as Stephanos reached the ground where he''d been standing. "You coward!" he roared, turning back and re-summoning his weapon as the statue-men came lumbering towards him. The wizardughed like he''d said something funny, which only enraged him more. He swung and tried to fight a withdrawing battle, his strength draining quickly. He knew he was still losing blood. His legs felt heavy, too slow to react. Once or twice he smashed the constructs, even managing to break a shield before he stumbled and fell. The shield-less construct grabbed his shoulders with its free hand before he could rise, and the smell of arcane power filled the air. It was followed by unbelievable pain, and the smell of Stephanos'' burning flesh. He cried out in rage and tried to push the thing off. The other stabbed him in the side. He grabbed its sword-arm and fought both constructs, staring up at the smiling, floating summoner with pure hatred. "I''ll find you," he croaked, as the damn things stabbed and burned him to death. "I promise you, wizard," he growled. "I''ll find you in the real world. And when...I...do..." He sagged to the ground, and lost the strength to speak. * * * Becky cried out in panic as she caught herself at the edge of the building. She had no time to think about the drop, though she considered trying to put down a wall beneath her somehow. But it wouldn¡¯t work. She had to be quick. She spun and ran straight sideways down the edge, rather than back at her opponent and that awful knock-back power. She''d almost been blown off the fucking skyscraper a half dozen times now. The woman couldn''t actually hurt her, that was clear. But Becky also had no real way to get at her opponent. She''d been hoping to run the bitch out of mana, but she just didn''t ever seem to. Or even worry about it. Those little shlight rays seemed endless. Becky had tried hiding behind the warehouse buildings, jumping out and getting a surprise hit before her opponent realized she was there. But her enemy must have been some kind of ''support'' ss, because she had her own shield that seemed powerful enough to absorb Becky''s hits without much of a problem in the short term. And after a swing, maybe two, Becky always got sted the hell away again, and potentially more than once if she didn''t keep her feet and scramble off. But things were about to change. Because Becky''s Reflecting st was damn near charged. "Just one more round," she said, wiping some sweat from her eyes. She positioned herself in the center of the building, then slowly made her way in the inner circle until she found the other woman. They matched stares, both obviously weary. But the bitch definitely now saw herself as having the upper hand, and hadn''t forgotten the taunt at the start. Becky charged like she didn''t know what else to do, and got sted. She tumbled back, then charged again, and got sted again to within fifteen feet of the ledge. Her Reflective Burst pinged, and she turned and again ran down the edge. She re-centered the fight, waiting in the inner circle for her enemy to pick a side and wait for her. Just as before, the woman obliged. No doubt she thought it was just a matter of time before Becky stumbled or didn''t move fast enough, getting sted for a third time and flying off the edge. Not this time, she thought. This time y¡¯all go bye bye. She charged just as always, having to get within about ten feet before the knock-back power could affect her. She was pretty good by now at judging the distance. Exactly one step before she got sted, she released herpletely knock-back charged Reflective Burst with a flick of focus. It was like a silent bomb went off. Whiteish blue light shed and swallowed the world in blinding brightness. The only thing Becky heard was the terrified shriek of her enemy, a colored image of the woman''s clothes as sheunched like a rocket, sailing off the skyscraper with a scream. Becky didn''t bother to go look. About fifteen secondster, a trumpet red, and the system''s voice boomed across the sky. [Duelplete. Congrattions, victorious yer! This counts on your official tournament record. You have earned: 5 points!] Becky slumped and put her sweaty forehead to the handle of her mace. She was definitely not telling Mason how close that was, and how much she really didn''t enjoy heights. Next time, she hoped it was just some mindless murderer trying to kill her. That she was getting used to.
Chapter 371: Justice Chapter 371: Justice Alexei Ostapovich stood in the tournament ¡®waiting cell¡¯, remembering his conversation with a god. He would have considered it the strangest experience of his life. But since the changing of the world, he seemed to have no understanding of what was ¡®normal¡¯ anymore. His life had be a series of events removed from the usual markers of sanity. He had lost his moral and intellectual bearings, operating only on what was in front of him to survive. Then after the Nexus he had clicked his agreement to receive his ¡®prestige ss¡¯ and vanished into nothingness¡ªjust another insane event in a world that normalized such things. But instead of the Maker Hall described by the others, Alex had found himself floating in golden light. ¡°Hello, Alexei,¡± said a being somehow brighter than the light itself. ¡°Hello,¡± Alex said in English, trying to treat this new madness with the same seriousness he treated all the others. The brightest light watched him with eyes like the sun, white teeth visible in a smile. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± Alex didn¡¯t. Of course he didn¡¯t. And yet standing in that desert outside the Nexus, and the ancient temple¡ªafter calling on ¡®divine¡¯ magic to heal, to protect, since he¡¯d entered this new hell¡ªhe knew his ¡®power¡¯ wasn¡¯t his own. It hade from somewhere, from some thing. And he had felt the presence of that thing inside the Nexus. He had felt it from the ¡®prophet¡¯ they were protecting. ¡°You are Nephus,¡± he said, with no feeling towards the words except resignation. ¡°Some have called me that,¡± agreed the light. Then the gold dimmed and Alex felt his feet touch solid ground made of air, and the man made of light stepped beside him. ¡°Walk with me.¡± Alex had always liked walking. Every day in Nassau he walked the beautiful settlement in circles, usually alone, but sometimes with the woman he was seeing. She was too young and beautiful for him, and he tried not to think of her as permanent, as he tried not to think of anything as permanent. ¡°Life requires champions,¡± said Nephus after what felt like several minutes. ¡°Was Mason not your champion in the Nexus?¡± Alex said, using his native tongue now, though not sure why. The light-god snorted. ¡°A man like that could never serve me. A man of violence. No, Alexei. I seek those who know what it is to heal. Who suffer and fail beside the weak. And yet endure.¡± ¡°Your sales pitch is shit,¡± Alex said. And a godughed. ¡°I have few followers. But they are worthy.¡± They walked in silence again, Alex feeling the same sense of resignation, of inevitability. It was like he understood this being, whatever it was, as if they spoke many words in the silence, both knowing words didn¡¯t make much difference to anything. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± he finally asked. ¡°Me? I want nothing,¡± said the light. ¡°Except what you have to give.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± The light began to glow again, but somehow Alex¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t bothered. ¡°Go,¡± Nephus told him. ¡°Protect those you deem worthy. Give life where you find death. Show the violent there is a cost. There is always a cost.¡± ¡°I¡¯m no judge,¡± Alex said, hating the morally superior fools and liars that pretended to know right from wrong. The god smiled at him as if reading his mind. ¡°Reality requires no advocate, Alexei. Go with my blessing. Do only what you feel is good and true.¡± He¡¯d wanted toin, to say he had no idea what was ¡®good¡¯ or even if there was such a thing as ¡®good¡¯. There was only survival. There was only enduring what the world and the universe threw at you, because what in the name of god else could you do? Then he¡¯d felt his body wrapping in iron links. Some kind of magical armor covered him from neck to knees, like a warm hug, or the sun¡¯s rays after a rain. He closed his eyes as he watched his profile change, the words ¡®Avatar of Nephus¡¯ appearing under his prestige ss before vanishing, as if only meant for him to see, reced by ¡®Sacred Pir¡¯. [Receiving unique Prestige ss based on all avable data. Implementing.] Alex felt his body lock as energy coursed through him. But he didn¡¯t try to resist. [You have gained a Prestige ss! Sacred Pir. +2 to all statistics.] [Title gained: Pretty Prestigious: You have gained a prestige ss before the vast majority of yers. +1 to all statistics.] [Power synergy discovered! Protective Barrier upgraded to Divine Shield: Nothing protects a man like faith. Except maybe a good shield.] [Unique ss power gained: Divine Justice: To every action, an opposite reaction. But some reactions are biblical.] Despite the cryptic description of his new ¡®Divine Justice¡¯ power, he¡¯d somehow known exactly how it worked. And despite everything, it felt right. Just like that he¡¯d been back in ¡®reality¡¯. Back with his newrades and allies in the desert like the ancient Jews out of Egypt. He¡¯d almostughed thinking of what his father might say if he could have seen him standing there in his chain mail, if they¡¯d have walked and talked about Alex¡¯s conversation with a god. Now here he was supposed to fight to the death, even if it was fake. But Alex had sworn an oath to himself after meeting ¡®Nephus¡¯. After thinking long and hard about right and wrong, good and evil. He had meant what he said about judgment. It wasn¡¯t in his nature. But he could decide what to do himself. And he had decided never to harm another living thing. Not personally. He would protect his friends, he would protect himself, but he wouldn¡¯t raise a hand in violence. That would be his pact with ¡®God¡¯, whatever exactly that meant. And let the rest of it fall where it may. So he¡¯d risen up into a grassy field in his armor, looking up at the sun and thinking of life in a ce that was meant for death. The unfairness of life, he thought, without anger. He had never wanted to hurt, to destroy, not as a boy, not as a man. He wouldn¡¯t change that because some alien overlord made it beneficial. His opponent crossed the field after inspecting him, a young man with a pair of swords in his hands. ¡°You a support?¡± he called from about fifty paces. Alex nodded, and the man shook his head. ¡°Shit, man.¡± He shrugged. ¡°This fucking game, eh? You can just surrender, if you like. No need to y it out. You supports are so damn rare, I¡¯d rather we be friends outside, you know? Name¡¯s Benny.¡± Alex smiled a little. It was perfectly reasonable, of course. Even kind. But there was a vast difference between choosing violence, and choosing to give up. Alex wasn¡¯t a fool. And he wasn¡¯t weak, either. The idea that he¡¯d somehow give in, after a lifetime of suffering and loss, after so many broken dreams and broken years. After Sebastian. After the Nexus. After everything. He almost spasm¡¯d with a desperate kind ofugh. Give up? Because of what, fear of a little pain? A fake death? He had seen good men give up on life and waste away. Drink themselves into the grave as their families watched in broken silence. No. Alexei thought not. All that had saved him from such a fate was some ridiculous notion, with no justification or reason, to never, ever quit. It was his one rebellion against the universe. ¡°Alex. And no,¡± he said, then shrugged. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± Benny looked back and forth and again at Alex. ¡°You even have a weapon, buddy? I meane on.¡± Alex shook his head. ¡°Maybe you give up instead. Or we walk, and wait, we see what happens.¡± Benny sighed and swung his des around like he was in aic book. ¡°Can¡¯t do that,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s rules where I¡¯m from. You know? Man made ones. Gotta win. There¡¯s too much at stake.¡± ¡°There is always,¡± Alex said quietly, not expecting to convince the man. ¡°I¡¯m ready when you are,¡± said the swordsman, and Alexei shook his head and put up his hands. After another moment to build up his will, the swordsman came in swinging, probably to try and take Alex¡¯s head in a single swipe. Alex activated Divine Shield, but not quite entirely over his skin. Then he caught the de. He winced as the sharp steel cut his flesh before his barrier stopped its force. His new power charged with blood. With hurt. With suffering. The swordsman pulled away, obviously disturbed and confused. ¡°Maybe surrender,¡± Alex said, no trace of mockery. ¡°Better, I think.¡± The young man¡¯s eyes narrowed, his face turning pink. He grit his teeth and came again, no more attempts to end things humanely. He shed at Alex¡¯s throat, his legs, bouncing off the barrier. He stabbed forward with his shorter de, and Alex again reached out and grabbed it, this time letting the de cut his fingers deep. He squeezed his hand and closed his eyes, watching Divine Justice charge as the duel-wielding warrior clenched his teeth and came again. Alex felt his blood sucking up into the wounds as he healed himself with Soothing Light. He wasn¡¯t in control of the power. Not really. It would go on as long as it had to. He let his barrier drop in bits and pieces, letting his opponent sh his arm, his face, his armored chest. There was a deep gash in his bicep, blood running freely down his chin. He winced and withdrew, shaking his head to tell Benny not to follow. He healed the cuts as he held off another round of the swordsman¡¯s blows, this time taking a deep sh across his calf as he tried to move away. He groaned and limped off, still far away from needing to renew his mana with Divine Channel. ¡°Man what the fuck,¡± Benny said, pulling back with wild eyes. ¡°Why make me do this? What¡¯s the point? You like pain, or something?¡± ¡°No,¡± Alex said. ¡°Please stop. We¡¯ll walk. We¡¯ll wait.¡± ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± Benny charged this time, shing with a frenzy of blows. Alex let more bounce off his armor, took another stab deflecting off his chin, another his shin. ¡°What the fuck is the point of your useless shields,¡± Benny shouted as he cut. ¡°Your armor. You have no fucking chance!¡± ¡°No,¡± Alex agreed. ¡°No point. So stop.¡± ¡°This is what we¡¯re here for!¡± Benny yelled in increasing rage, shing as Alex took more and more wounds, than healed them, watching his mana tick down and down. After another round of furious cuts, Benny finally stepped back panting, watching Alex with incredulous eyes. ¡°You¡¯re crazy,¡± he said. ¡°Forget the friends part. I hope I never see you again. You¡¯re a fucking lunatic.¡± Alex took a deep breath, watching Divine Justice as it started to trigger, as if entirely out of his control. He was d for that, though he would have stopped it if he could. ¡°Maybe,¡± he said. ¡°And I am sorry.¡± Light red as Alex was forced to channel. His body locked as the incredible power red around him, overtaking the world in golden light. Benny¡¯s eyes went wide as he stared. But he seemed to recognize a threat, and charged forward to unleash another series of blows. Between the power activation, and the attacks, Alex¡¯s mana quickly drained, down, and down, then gone. Benny¡¯s sword broke through, piercing the shield but deflecting off Alex¡¯s armor. Then the channel finished. Light diffused over everything in the area, then shot forward like it was sucked into a vacuum, straight at a now screaming Benny as he fell back shing uselessly. It ripped him apart. His hands, his arms, his legs. It stabbed his shoulder and chest with unstoppable rays of light, spraying blood in every direction as the young man cried out in pain and terror. When it was finally over, Benny copsed to his knees, red as a newborn as he stared at Alex. It was hard to look at him. But Alex came forward and knelt. ¡°I am sorry,¡± he said, desperately fighting the urge to heal the man, knowing it was far toote. Benny¡¯s eyes blinked then rolled, and he copsed to the ground to finish bleeding into the grass. A trumpet red. The robotic announcer congratted him and assigned points and the world began to fade. Was it right? Was it wrong? Alex didn¡¯t know, and he wasn¡¯t sure he cared. The young man had made his choices, and he had paid the price. Whatever it was, it felt a bit like justice.
Chapter 372: Spa day Chapter 372: Spa day Rosa somewhat shyly clicked her eptance of the system''s invitation¡ªwhich was really Haley''s invitation, ording to the message. She flinched as Nassau vanished like a movie scene fade out. Then light returned, and she was standing in some kind of beautiful living room. Or maybe hotel? There were couches and chairs in a little half circle near a TV. A big bed in the corner. A bathroom and a kitchen attached. Rosa turned as she inspected, then jumped as Lexi literally appeared right beside her. "Rosa?" The little Brit blinked and grinned. "That was so scary! But also brilliant. Though it felt a little too much like that awful tutorial for my liking, being honest. Are we...? Wait, where are we, exactly? Am I rambling? I''m rambling." Rosa just hugged her friend. Then she took her hand and crept out to explore wherever the hell they were, peeking around the corner until she heard a familiar voice singing some slow song. She grinned and jumped out with a loud noise. Haley didn''t even look up from her cooking. "Can you get the milk, please? It''s in the fridge over there. I''m making n, if you have any tips." Rosa sighed and got the milk. "Hi, Haley," Lexi said, looking shy as usual around the unofficial queen of Nassau. "Thanks so much for inviting me to be with you guys. I know I''m just like...a house guest, or whatever. I feel a little bit like I''m intruding, to be honest." "Not at all." Haley smiled and stopped long enough to give the girl a hug. "You''re part of the family now. Anyway, someone needs to help listen to Rosa''s rants. I don''t usually have the time." Rosa thunked the milk down on the counter. "Soo..." she looked over the Canadian''s shoulder. "As much as I like your cooking, and am probably getting fat because of it...also you should really use whole milk for this¡­" she wiggled her eyebrows, "what cool stuff do we get to do?" "Cool stuff?¡± Haley shrugged, getting her bowls set up. ¡°Who says we get to do anything ''cool''?" Rosa sagged and tugged at her friend sh sister-wife''s arm. She could tell by her face she was holding out. "Ohe on. I caught a peek at the pamphlet thing. Don''t you hold out on me, girl. I saw there''s a restaurant. A pool!" Lexi made a gasping sound behind her. "Like a proper restaurant? With something other than gamey meat and Billy''s moonshine?" Haley rolled her eyes and turned, wiping her clean hands reflexively on a rag. "We aren''t on vacation. The yers get here several hours after us. And before they arrive I need a full report for Mason about this ce¡ªwhere everyone is, what people will be doing, where we can go. And I need this ce to be ready so he can rx and enjoy himself." Rosa sighed and looked for an apron before she realized she was just wearing the boring old system ''uniform'' and who really cared if it got dirty. "OK," she said. "How can we help?" Haley nodded as if satisfied. Then a devious grin crawled across her beautiful face. "You can take off those clothes and get robes on. Because we''re booked for a spa day on our personal, luxury floor." Rosa looked at Lexi with wide eyes, then shrieked and grabbed Haley and started jumping up and down. The blondeughed and did her best to fight both girls off. "OK, quickly! I''m going to leave this." Haley took Rosa''s hand and pulled her into a near-by bedroom, then towards some kind of walk-in wardrobe. It went on for at least twenty feet, the racks filled with colorful clothes, shoes, jewelry. Rosa stared in overwhelming, materialistic greed. "Please tell me we get to take this home." "I seriously doubt it. Here." She handed them both cozy, white robes, then started unzipping her way out of the system uniform. Lexi ogled with a self-conscious gawk until Rosa pped her arm. Then they were all in the soft, fur-like fabric and simrly soft slippers, giggling as they walked to an ''elevator'' that Haley said was really a teleporter. "We just push this thing, like¡­this, and zippity..." The ¡®elevator¡¯ binged, but they definitely hadn''t moved. The doors opened into a warm, dimly lit cavern that smelled divine. The walls looked like natural rock, the floor a series of winding paths of maybe bambooid crosswise, surrounded by incredibly blue water. An androgenous, bald attendant in a system uniform bowed before them. "Wee, honored guests. Please follow me." Rosa exchanged looks and grins with the other girls, and they all shuffled along the path with deep breaths and pleasant smiles. The flooring was shockingly soft, the air so moist and refreshing it felt like a fine mist being sprayed into Rosa''s face. They soon entered a smaller room, where four more androgenous workers waited at tables. Rosa had never had a massage in her life. It wasn''t exactly top of mind for a Mexican family that had scraped together every peso to send a promising grand daughter to university. "Please remove your robes and lie down on the tables," said one of the workers in a soft, but inly robotic voice. Rosa and Lexi were giggling and looking at each other shyly, but Haley stripped andy down without hesitation. Rosa was feeling a bit awkward, but she had absolutely no intention of letting the others see it. She stripped andy down like it was all perfectly normal, flinching when the first robot touched her back. Then she groaned. It felt like about four hands started working at knots all over her body. "This doesn''t seem like preparing for the yers," Rosa said a littleter, her eyes half closed now in painful pleasure. "Oh it is." Haley looked over at her and grinned. "First massage. Then hair, manicures, pedicures." She winked. "Then some kind ofser-wax. Now don''t bother me, I''m going to sleep." Rosa giggled and turned to Lexi on the other side. Her friend looked like a cat being pet¡ªon the one hand melting into the touch, on the other ready to pounce. Her face was a little pink. "Oh my God. How much do you think for one to give me a happy ending?" Rosa snorted and pped her arm. "I can''t take it anymore. Seriously." Lexi sighed. "I''m going to explode." She raised her head and turned to the robot. "Can we try an inner thigh rub next? If I flip over?" "Please remain on your stomach, honored guest." Rosa buried her face into the table as sheughed. "Fucking things," Lexi groaned. "I don''t need half a thing so fancy. I''d take a vibrator. A shower head. A sturdy pillow." Rosa watched her friend and chewed the inside of her cheek. They''d been dancing around this now for weeks. Lexi was extremely picky with men. She had no interest in just hopping on some random guy, as tempting as it was. She also hated drama and saw all the nonsense already with the various ''sharing'' that inevitably happened in Nassau. The love triangles. The hard feelings and broken hearts. And the system didn''t let anyone get themselves off without a penalty. Rosa had even offered to ''help'', but the system didn''t even allow that without a man involved. ''Biological imperatives'', and all that. The prudish bastards. "I''m going to talk to Mason," she whispered a little whileter. Lexi opened her eyes. "About what?" "You know what. About solving your problem." "Ummm." "I can''t take it anymore and I''m just watching. You hump my leg in your sleep." "OK.¡± Lexi licked her lips. ¡°I get that. But what do you mean ''talk to Mason''. Speak slowly so my horny brain can understand." Rosa sighed. "It can just be sex. With Mason it''s...it''s not a problem, OK? Tonight, tomorrow, whatever, you juste with me, and we''ll sort you out." Lexi clutched the edges of the table. "You''re serious. Are you serious?" Rosa nodded and Lexi looked ready to mount the table before shrinking back down. "OK, but, now I''m nervous. He might not even say yes, and oh God he''ll think I''m so desperate. Don''t ask him." Rosa rolled her eyes. She sometimes thought her friend didn''t understand how attractive she was, and not just the way she looked, but her bubbly personality. She was so funny and sweet and...cute. Hell, Rosa kind of wanted to see what she''d be like in bed. "Trust me, he''ll say yes. He''d do it for me with anyone if I asked. But with you it definitely won''t be a hardship." Lexi was grabbing at the table again, her face scrunched up as she whacked her forehead on the cushion. "But I don''t want it to be weird. You''re my best friend. And if you get mad or jealous or hurt I don''t know what I''ll do. Let''s not do it." "Girl, I already share him." Rosa lowered her voice even more. "With a girl or two I didn''t like that much. That''s just...life with Mason. We make it work." She grinned and reached for Lexi''s hand. "It''ll probly be fun." "Oh my God." Lexi put the hand to her face and actually blushed. Rosa sensed weakness and grinned. "You''ll probably melt all over him. You''ll be like ''oh Superman, I can''t take anymore''." "You do not tell him I call him that!" Rosaughed so hard she snorted, which just made them both startughing. "See? It''ll be fun. I''ll be there, and it doesn''t have to be serious. I''ll talk to him tonight." Lexi took a deep breath and squeezed her hand. "I can''t believe you''re sharing your¡­man with me. You''re like...the best, and also kinkiest friend ever. And I might have to get drunk or die of embarrassment." Rosaughed, getting kind of excited now at the thought. It was weird that the idea didn''t bother her at all. Probably because she knew with Mason there was no sneaking around or maniption. He was just a never-ending bull, and Rosa couldn''t really fault him for taking the beautiful women who wanted him. Because Rosa definitely did. As annoying as that sometimes was. But as shey there getting her robotic massage, she started imagining those hands were his, and maybe Lexi''s...and pretty soon she was the one trying not to imagine a happy ending...
Chapter 373: Too British Chapter 373: Too British Haley loved every second of her spa day. It was something she''d done regrly back in the old world, and she definitely hadn''t quite felt herself in the grubby, uncivilized new one without it. But her civilian powers were growing, and she was definitely intending to create her own little ''spa'' for herself and Mason''s girls, and probably any other woman in Nassau. This ''system'' spa had given her some ideas. Though it was a bit too¡­mechanical. Her own spa would probably need actual women to do most of the work. Anyway, she''d figure it out. But for now this was incredible. She half-slept as the system''s workers dealt with knots and damaged cuticles, cleaning under every nail and cleaning her pores and doing her hair. She even enjoyed the sexual tension she felt building between Rosa and her friend, but tried not to let it seep into her. She was here to rx, not get all hot and bothered. At least not yet. Tonight, she decided, would be best for the three of them. Though she definitely intended to have her own time with Mason after. The girls could have him for an evening of fun. Haley would have him for the night. She noticed herself touching her stomach throughout the day, sometimes unable to fight the smile when she thought of having Mason''s baby. Now that she''d worked things out with Naya (at least for now), she no longer feared some kind of building disaster in all their future. It also helped that she''d started to realize her own power. Mason turned out to be a terrifyingly loyal man. His dedication to his brother probably should have made that obvious, but Haley was truly starting to realize her devotion to him was not a one way street. She knew he loved her, and that to be loved by Mason was a kind of cudgel you could terrify others with, if you needed to. This included misbehaving yers, overly bossy ex-civilian mayors, and also elvish princesses. But Haley didn''t want to do that. She could see ke had done it many times, and though it may work, it wasn''t what someone who truly loved him selflessly would do, because beneath all that frightening masculinity there was a man who just wanted to be left alone. To let go of all the troubles of the world, and be at peace. Using him like a weapon was selfish, violent, and dangerous. And Haley intended to give her man peace. At least as best she could. With a little spice on the side¡­ Her Right Hand power warned her Mason was arriving fifteen minutes before he did. She''d finished her ''spa day'' with the girls, giving them both a kiss as she sent them back to the hotel to rx, suggesting they order up some room service. Then she''d gone down to the ''lobby'' of the hotel. She had a rough map of the neutral zone, so she knew what areas were permitted to civilians and which weren''t. At least not without future invitation. For the moment, the main ''promenade'' was only open to yers. But such things didn''t stop Haley. She used the active portion of her Right Hand power and put her palm against the door pad. It clicked open with a green light. "Wee, honored guest," said a servant waiting just outside. "The promenade is not yet in service. How might I assist you?" Haley had found it most effective to interact with the system politely, and on its own terms. It was clearly proud of its new world and wanted everything to work correctly. It could be downright helpful if you yed along, and actually told it what you really wanted. "I was hoping to reserve the best ce on the promenade for the House of Mason. But I''d need to see it first. Would you be able to help me?" The system servant frowned, then made a kind of beep. "Ordinarily, no. But as your patron is the sole Founder currently in the Neutral Zone, I have been authorized to allow it. We suggest the upper balcony, next to the tier 1 lounge." Haley smiled gratefully, then followed the servant out into the promenade. Her robe suddenly felt a little cool, the huge space mostly empty except for eclectic furniture, and dozens of booths you might find in some kind of trade show. The style of the ce was modern bordering sci-fi, the chairs and couches ranging fromfortable-looking fake materials, to more stylish but far lessfortable stics and metals. There were all kinds of food and drink bars, some next to pools or table-games like a kind of casino. The only thing that outnumbered the bars were the screens, in different shapes and sizes, visible from every conceivable angle. Haley understood, then, that unlike the apocalypse, the post-apocalypse would be televised. Mason''s thinking truly struck her, then. All his potential friends and enemies were going to be sitting around watching him and his yers fight. They''d see their strengths, their weaknesses, and how theypared. The sight of the booths made something click in her brain. It was exactly the kind she''d seen in the civilian quarter, where people would soon be hawking their wares or services. Except yers had nothing to sell. They didn''t use system points. They used patron points. So what exactly did they need those booths for, when most civilians weren''t even allowed inside? The answer was obvious. yers would be sitting around this ce for the next week drinking and talking, betting on fights and getting to know each other. They''d see everyone fight. They''d see how they took victory or defeat. And then, Haley suspected, they were going to get the chance to pick or change their allegiances. She took a deep breath and tried to think. She suspected it wouldn''t just be about tournament teams. They might literally get to choose new loyalties out in the real world. They had teleporters, after all. Communication beacons. What was to stop yers from warping around the world, joining different settlements, forming new settlements in more remote ces? Haley needed to start thinking contracts, rewards, incentives. She needed a sales pitch, and she needed it quickly. She followed the system servant up to the balcony, which soon became the most obvious perch to see the whole promenade, with central ess to everything. "We have now reserved this balcony for House Mason and guests," said the servant. "It will be off limits for other yers without invitation, though we will give you specific ess permissions and rules. Is that eptable?" "Yes, thank you so much. That''s absolutely wonderful." The servant grinned as if truly satisfied, and Haley reminded herself to always let the system do what it intended if possible. She was beginning to see a clear...personality trait, that may or may not have had anything to do with ''the game''¡ªit liked to be useful. She intended to do more testing before she really exined the theory to Mason. And knowing him he may be too stubborn to exploit it. At least for awhile. The yers were also under the assumption that the ''system'' was some kind of all-powerful being that knew everything, even constantly reading their minds. But Haley didn''t think so. She thought there was more than one ''entity'', and that they weren''t paying as much attention to civilians. And they often mimunicated. "You''ve been extremely helpful," Haley went on, even touching the servant''s arm. "Could you possibly escort me back to my room? I''m afraid I might have gotten a little lost. And I''d really like to be waiting when my patron arrives." "Of course, honored guest," said the servant. "I understandpletely. Right this way." Maybe it was just politeness. But Haley didn''t think so. She didn''t think this servant knew she had a map of the hotel, even if some other entity did. She locked that knowledge away, following the servant with a grateful smile. * * * Lexi was pretty sure she was going to die. "I think I''m having a panic attack," she said. Rosa said nothing and obviously did her best not tough. "Oh right. Here I am dying and you think it''s funny. I take it back. You''re the worst friend in the world. You''re Judas. You''re Brutus, you are." "OK, stop being dramatic." Rosa put her particrly racy clothing selection back on the rack. "We don''t have to put on the lingerie. Why don''t we just rx on the bed and have a drink?" They were in the walk-in closet trying on sexy clothes, which Lexi immediately described as ¡®whore uniforms¡¯. They ranged from tasteful negligees to crotchless porn costumes, and Lexi had never worn anything like them in her life. "I''m too...British," she said, sort of running on the spot, not sure what to do with all her anxious energy. "My parents were posh and cold and didn''t even hug me. I cannot wear these. And I cannot have a threesome." "Lexi." Rosa took hold of her arms. "I was a good Catholic virgin who loved her grandmother. Now look at me. We''ll make a happy slut of you. Just trust me." "Uh huh." Lexi held up another outfit, this one at least with some fabric covering the bits. "Just a happy, satisfied slut. I can do this." Then she imagined herself actually wearing said outfit, striking a sexy pose as that glowing-eyed, muscle-covered yankee walked in and looked her up and down¡­ She put the outfit over her face and copsed to the floor like Charlie Chaplin. "Nope. I can''t do this." Rosa dropped to the floor with her, and burst outughing, making kissing faces and grabbing at her ass. It helped. A little. But they still eventually gave up and got into the big bed, ordering room service like Haley suggested. "Should we get you drunk?" Rosa scanned the menu now floating across both their eyes. "Oh my God, look at this list. I can get pozole! And ¡®Mexican street corn¡¯, what!?" "Darling, I''m two feet tall and four pounds. After two drinks I¡¯ll forget I even banged superman and then what was the point." "OK, OK." Rosa giggled and obviously started selecting a variety of things. "I feel naughty, but it said we could get whatever we wanted, right? And Mason will be hungry." She jabbed Lexi in the ribs. "Mason is always hungry. Maybe for a little English pudding. And...OK I have no idea what English people eat." "Mostly curry these days." Lexi swiped herself some kind of chicken sd but gave up. "I''m too nervous to eat. Are we really doing this? We could just watch movies all night." "We''re really doing this. And then we''ll probably keep doing it back home. And..." Rosa sat up and tossed her hands. "Then I don''t have to worry about you, or when you''ll leave, because you''ll be in the big bed with me. And I''ll have someone to talk to about¡­ everything. And it''ll be amazing. So you just have to suck it up and hop on superman''s dick." Lexi fought the giggle, because though her friend sounded ridiculous, she was serious. And she was really trying to help keep them together and things just like they were. Which was great. "OK," she said, taking a deep breath, trying to think of it like a test to pass. She¡¯d always been good with tests. "Let''s go pick out some whore uniforms."
Chapter 374: System TV and Chill (NSFW) Chapter 374: System TV and Chill (NSFW) Mason took a moment just to enjoy the softness and scent of Haley squeezed against him. ¡°How did it go?¡± she asked, wrapping her arms around his gut. ¡°What you¡¯d expect. Some guy I didn¡¯t know, at least.¡± Haley pulled back and smiled, her beautiful blue eyes like a calming sea. ¡°The girls and I have been ordering a feast. You can pretty much eat anything you like.¡± Mason was tempted to make a dirty joke, but, actually he was starving. ¡°Can I get a steak?¡± Haley grinned and pulled him towards the nearby room. The ¡®hotel room¡¯ was more like a floor of rooms, and for the moment he stopped trying to figure out what was what. Then Haley was ordering a grocery list of dishes before pausing and giving him a look. ¡°What?¡± She grinned. ¡°You can¡¯t eat too much. You¡¯ll need to move a bit.¡± She came closer and he shivered as her lips touched his ear. ¡°Rosa and Lexi have been¡­plotting. I don¡¯t know the details, but I¡¯m pretty sure Rosa wants you to¡­wee Lexi a bit more¡­officially.¡± ¡°Oh? Oh.¡± Mason felt a slight nervous tingle at the thought. It was always a weird sensation after fighting giant bone dragons with magic powers and the like. ¡°And that¡¯s¡­all good? With everyone?¡± Haley slid a hand up his thigh. He closed his eyes as her lips touched his neck. ¡°Come to me when you¡¯re done, I want to taste her on you.¡± Well. Mason was already hard. But some pesky details kept worming their way out of his brain. ¡°Becky should be here soon,¡± he said. ¡°She might not take it quite as well as you.¡± ¡°Oh she¡¯ll take it fine,¡± Haley purred, nibbling on Mason¡¯s ear. ¡°I¡¯ll put her in bed with me. Not like she¡¯ll be shocked, Master. We all knew it was just a matter of time. We¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡± The steak was suddenly less interesting than a handful of Haley¡¯s chest. She pped yfully at his hands. ¡°You have a job to do first. Lexi¡¯s so cute. I can¡¯t wait for her to join us, so don¡¯t screw it up.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Not screwing it up.¡± Mason stood and took a handful of Haley¡¯s hair, kissing her passionately before he pulled back and nced at himself. There was no blood or garbage stains, at least, so the system must have basically cleansed him after the fight. But he still looked and felt vaguely ridiculous in the ¡®battle¡¯ garb. ¡°Uh. What should I wear?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Haley jumped to her feet and materialized afortable looking pair of sweats, and a in t-shirt. ¡°Make things rxing, yes? Lexi might get spooked. Treat her like a delicate flower.¡± Mason supposed he would have to get used to his beautiful woman giving him tips on how to seduce a new lover. Strange as it was, he had to admit, it was getting a bit more familiar. He took a few bites of annoyingly delicious beef and swallowed it down, then gave his ¡®wife¡¯ onest peck on the lips before stepping towards the bedroom with a deep breath. He decided it was best to knock. With his ever enhancing hearing, he heard low, feminine whispering of ''oh God, I''m so not ready. Tell him I''m sick.'' "Come in!" Rosa called, a little grin in her voice. Mason cracked the door and held up a te of nachos and a bottle of wine. "Mind if I join you? Ie with gifts." The girls were in the big bed with the cover pulled up, eating popcorn and watching something on the screen. Both were wearingfortable looking pajamas, but Mason could tell there was more underneath. "Sure! But Lexi actually doesn''t really drink," Rosa said, sliding sideways a bit and patting the bed between them. Lexi looked slightly panicked. Her face jumped between expressions, a slight re at Rosa. "I don''t not drink. It¡¯s just I sip. I''m the lightest weight ever." Mason did his best to knee-walk between the girls and sit like it was all just friendly and casual. "Don''t worry," he said, nudging Lexi with a shoulder. "I don''t really drink anymore either. There''s no damn point, I can''t get drunk." He set the bottle on the table, reaching across Lexi and feeling her chest slide against his. He felt her hold her breath. "So what are we watching?" "Scary movies," Rosa said, taking a handful of popcorn, then grabbing for nachos. "Except this is boring and about space. I wanted scary. Not space." "It''s not boring, it''s Alien," Lexi said, like this was particrly meaningful, with a ''can you believe her?'' kind of nce at Mason. Mason scrunched his face with a ''I have no clue what that is'' expression, and Lexi''s eyes popped open. "How...what is wrong with you two? It''s like the space horror. The OG. The grand daddy of every modern sci-fi thriller.¡± "She''s so cute when she nerds out.¡± Rosa grinned. ¡°Now she''ll go pink. Just watch." Lexi did, in fact, go pink, then buried herself under the nket. It was not the least appealing thing Mason had seen. "Ohe on, don''t be like that." Rosa reached over to pull it up, tugging uselessly until Lexi threw it back and lunged at Rosa with a shout. Rosa shrieked and tossed her popcorn, which sent Lexi into a half nervous, half genuine spat ofughter, which actually got Mason going, too. "You shit." Rosa reached for Lexi, and Mason separated them, wrapping an arm around both and pulling them in with a wink at Lexi. "OK," he said. "Let''s watch the space movie." "It isn''t..." Lexi sighed, body a bit rigid as she pressed against Mason''s side. But she soon rxed, and even started cuddling in closer. Mason wasn''t exactly Don Juan when it came to romancing women on a date, which this definitely felt like. On the other hand, one of his current lovers was also up against him, and had arranged for this to end in a threesome. So it was fair to say Mason wasn''t exactly working from a cold start. He probably just had to wait a minute, then start touching, and things would go pretty smoothly from there. At least that was the theory. But actually the movie was pretty good. He got a bit caught up and kind of forgot he was supposed to be making a move on his girlfriend¡¯s friend, just really enjoying rxing with two beautiful girls and getting lost in some other world. But Rosa wanted this, and Lexi needed it, and he wanted to get things less awkward for both of them. Also he''d promised Haley he wouldn''t screw it up¡­ Maybe half an hour in he pulled Rosa closer and kissed her head, rubbing a hand on her thigh. She made a little moan as he slid it closer, her legs parting to let Mason''s hand in, her own moving under his shirt to feel his abs. She reached across and took Lexi''s hand without a word, then put it under to cop a feel, too. Lexi groaned as her hand went up Mason''s chest. She nced at his face and went pink again, hand a bit mmy as she touched him. "Don''t worry about me," he said with a little grin. "You can touch all you like." Rosa''s dark eyes shed. "We could blindfold him. Tell him not to move. Then we can just do whatever we like." "Umm." Both of Lexi''s small hands were moving up Mason''s chest and arms now, her face almost in pain. "If he doesn''t...I mean. If you want." It was clear she liked the idea, though, and Rosa grinned as she stripped off her shirt. Mason took a good look at her ck push up bra, which barely contained her round tits. She stripped off his shirt next, then used her own to wrap around his face. It smelled amazing, but as she covered his eyes he suspected even a normal man would be able to mostly see through it. For Mason, it was pretty much useless. "Can''t see a thing," he said. Rosa giggled and now two sets of hands were moving over him. "There. Now he''s like our toy. We can do whatever we want, and he won''t do a thing. Right?" "Right." "Sooo," Rosa giggled again and was obviously loving this as she looked at her friend. "What do you want to y with first?" * * * Rosa and Lexi stripped Mason''s pants in an excited series of tugs. He leaned against the head board, perfectly happy to let them do their thing. He decided the best thing was to just turn his brain off and enjoy, letting the girls have their fun. He even watched the movie a bit, feeling their hands move all over his arms and legs and chest, eventually getting to his crotch. Lexi audibly groaned as she ran her hands over his dick. She looked up to see if he was watching or making some expression, but he stayed perfectly still. Other than getting harder, of course. "Oh God," Lexi said as he started growing. She was sliding a hand up his shaft now, cupping his balls with the other. "I really like my toy." "Let''s suck it," Rosa said, her voice getting huskier. "What? I haven''t even kissed him yet," Lexi sort of whispered. "Well go ahead, girl." Lexi bit her lip and came forward, putting a hand to her face and taking a deep breath before she built up the courage and pushed her lips against Mason''s. He kissed her back, slow and gentle, using just her lips until she eventually moaned and opened her mouth for his tongue. She was a great kisser, actually, her lips big and soft and moving perfectly in sync with Mason. It was like slipping into a warm bath. He felt himself sigh when she pulled back, his mind totally in the moment again. Lexi''s nipples were poking through her t-shirt now, her chest moving up and down. "OK," she said. "Now I want it in my mouth." Mason certainly wasn''t going toin. The little British girl dropped down next to him and moaned as she licked his tip. Her tongue swirled and tasted him, just as talented as it had been when she kissed him. "OK. I don''t know what I''m doing," she whispered to Rosa when she came up. "In porn they always gulp it down. There''s spit everywhere. I don''t think I can even get it in my mouth." Rosaughed and dropped down next to her, holding her long, brown hair back as she went down for another round. "Just do whatever you want. He''s our toy." Rosa grinned and pulled a tie off her wrist, doing Lexi''s hair into a pony tail as the girl took a little of Mason''s cock into her mouth. Then Rosa leaned over and kissed Mason''s lips. "Are you enjoying my friend''s mouth?" "Is¡­that a trick question?" Rosa chuckled and gave him another peck on the lips, then unhooked her bra and stood to get her breasts in his face. He licked and sucked her nipples, pulling her in with his hands on her back. She moaned and didn''t fight him, standing over him with a leg on either side. She slid his hands down to her ass, and he pulled down her sweats to reveal a tiny thong, giving her a few good spanks as she flinched and groaned. "Oh God I want to ride his face. Can I ride his face?" Lexi panted, still stroking him. "Course you can." Rosa kissed Mason''s cheek. "He''s our toy, remember?" The girls worked together to strip off Lexi''s pants and some kind ofcy underwear, then Mason scooted down toy t. Lexi looked like she was going to climb over his head facing the head board, but Rosa turned her around to a sixty-nine. "Let''s suck him while he gets you wet." "Ummm. OK." Lexi crawled on top of Mason with her thighs on either side of his head, most signs of shyness gone. She''d been waxed or somethingpletely clean, her gorgeous little pussy pink and already moist. Rosa dropped down somewhere near his legs, and two sets of lips and tongues started moving over his tip. He fought the growl of lust and pulled Lexi closer, licking her from top to bottom as he gripped her ass. She shivered at his touch. "Oh God I need this," she said, spreading her legs wider as Mason worked on her clit. He started fingering her, too, and she quickly struggled to actually do anything but hold his cock in her mouth. She got incredibly wet, her juices intoxicating and driving Mason on. In less than a minute she was moaning and shaking on top of him, hips wiggling to slide her pussy against his mouth. "Oh...shit." Lexi stopped trying to suck him, one hand mped around his shaft as she clenched up, Rosa still bobbing and taking him halfway. Her back arched as she shook and cried out, then her juices flooded Mason''s chin as she mped hard on his fingers again and again. She shook for a good minute with aftershocks as Mason licked and teased. He figured she''d pretty much copse, but instead she turned around andy on top of him, her mouth moving to his with urgent, passionate kisses, body pressed against his. "Thank you," she whispered in between breaths. "Thank you. Thank you." Mason grinned, his very hard cock sort ofying on her perky ass. He unclipped her bra and tossed it off, then gripped her cheeks and slid his tip just slightly into her sex. She gasped and grabbed his arms as if unsure. Then she moaned and pushed back, so wet she managed to squeeze him inside her incredible tightness at least a quarter of the way with hardly any effort. "You¡¯re wee," he said, pping her cheeks as he thrust deeper.
Chapter 375: Long days to come (NSFW) Chapter 375: Long days toe (NSFW) "Umm. Your boyfriend''s fucking me." Lexi breathed as Mason''s cock slid deeper and deeper inside her. Rosa knelt beside them and started running her hands all over Lexi''s ass and Mason''s balls, as if helping to squeeze them together. "You''re doing so good, girl," she said. "Just enjoy it." Mason kept his movement nice and slow, working his way deeper inch by inch. Lexi had a literal smile on her face, looking up as she made little twitches as she took him in. He eventually buried himself to the hilt, groaning at how warm and tight she was. "I liked the kissing. I want more of that." Lexi bent over and found Mason''s mouth, her lips just as soft and inviting as before. Hey back and moved her body with his hands, helping until she started riding him slowly on her own. He closed his eyes and just rxed, very happy to be exactly where he was. The beautiful brte bouncing on his cock with a wide, gorgeous smile was definitely a nice end to the evening. Not that it was the end. Rosa eventually stood and stripped down her little thong, climbing over Mason''s head to lower herself down. "I hope you don''t mind," she said to Lexi. "I just can''t help it." "Uh uh," Lexi panted, her body shining with sweat now as she rode. Then Rosa''s amazing pussy was pushing down into Mason''s face, and his whole world became the two women riding his face and cock. He grabbed Rosa''s thighs to get her where he wanted as he licked, groaning at the feel and taste, and the two women moaning on top of him. "Oh shit." Lexi was twitching first, riding him faster and faster as her hands gripped his chest. "Wait. Wait.¡± Rosa sped up as she slid herself back and forth. ¡°Let''s cum together." Mason picked up speed on her clit until she was clenching just as hard as Lexi. It took a minute, but both girls cried out almost in unison, their bodies twitching, Lexi''s walls mping down as she soaked Mason''s cock. Neither moved for awhile after, and it took most of Mason''s willpower not to start pumping into Lexi. But he waited. Rosa eventually climbed off, and Lexiy t on his chest and hugged him, letting out a big sigh, her soft little tits squashed against his skin. "That was the spa treatment I needed. But you should really raise your rates." The girls giggled, and Rosa pulled off Mason''s ''blindfold''. "OK," she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for the help. That''s all for now." Mason raised his eyebrows and nced down at his cock still buried in Lexi. "I think you''re forgetting something." "Oh?" Rosa looked at him in mock confusion. "I don''t think so. Get my friend Lexi off. Check. Thank our boytoy. Check. What else could there be?" Mason grabbed her and pulled her to his side with a squeal. He pped Lexi''s ass and started sliding deeper inside her. "You made a deal with the devil," he whispered. "Now you have to pay." He rolled Lexi over beside Rosa, the Brit''s slender legs spreading as she held them in the air. "Umm. Help," she said, grabbing at her friend''s hand. But she was staring up at Mason with lust-filled eyes, her chest rising and falling with anticipation. Mason took a handful of her hair and pulled her head up to look at their bodies. "Watch yourself getting fucked," hemanded. Lexi groaned as she stared at his slick cock moving into her. He took her in slow, deep thrusts, pping his skin against hers, loving the sight and feel of her, and of Rosa beside them. He pulled his Latina beauty up for a kiss, fingering her as he fucked her friend. "We were thinking..." she moaned as she gripped his shoulders. "Maybe...we should just...finish you with our mouths. This time. Since maybe Lexi isn''t ready for...I mean..." "Is that what you want?" Mason asked, staring down into Lexi''s eyes as he filled her. "Or do you want me to cum inside you?" "Umm." Lexi gave Rosa a helpless look. "Lexi..." Rosa groaned as Mason''s fingers got increasingly wet. "Are you sure? I mean...it''s OK...it''s just...shit." "It means you''re mine," Mason finished for her, burying himself in Lexi''s tightness. "It means you belong to me. And you take my cum when I tell you." Lexi shivered and clenched around Mason''s shaft. She bit her lip as she nodded, legs spreading even wider. "Say it," he told her, a hand still gripped in her hair. "I want you to cum inside me," she moaned, panting as Mason bounced her little body with thrusts. He kissed Rosa again and sped up his fingers with his thrusts, until both girls were clutching him or the sheets, both their pussies dripping for him. This time Rosa came first, crying out as she shuddered and hugged him. He was done waiting and let the pressure build, waiting for Lexi to squeeze his shaft before exploding inside her. He pumped straight through both their orgasms, spraying and filling her with wave after wave of dyed release. Lexi was crying out and practically convulsing, probably because of his ever increasing Blessing of Gaia making his cum like some kind of drug. By the end she looked so ovee she was trying to escape, but Mason just held her down and pounded her into the headboard until her pussy was leaking his seed. Without even pausing, he pulled out, moved over, and slid himself inside Rosa next. "Your turn," he whispered in her ear. "Spread your legs nice and wide. Show your friend how to take my cock." "Yes, papi," she moaned, her hips spread wide as Mason pounded into her hard and fast. He pulled a still half-delirious Lexi closer, turning the girls to face each other. He gave them both a thumb to suck, then pushed them together to kiss. "Thank your friend for sharing her man''s cock," he said. Lexi groaned and fluttered open her eyes. "Thank you, Rosa." The girls smiled and kissed again, and Mason slid a hand over Lexi''s tits. She took his hand and sucked his fingers again, staring up at him with her legs still spread, his cum still dripping out of her. This time he didn''t worry about Rosa''s orgasm. He just pounded her and stared at both girls, now so submissive and his. With his never-ending, post-apocalypse libido, he had plenty more to give. He didn''t hesitate at all to cum inside Rosa, kissing her and giving her his tongue as he sprayed and filled her, too. She was at least used to the drug, but her eyes still fluttered as her head dropped to the bed, whole body pulling at Mason as if to get him just a little deeper inside her. When he¡¯d drained another round, he let out a deep, satisfied growl, pulling back to look at both girls naked and dripping, their legs spread, their fingersced on one hand. "Umm. You guys are really hot," Lexi muttered, putting her head on Rosa''s shoulder. "I want to sing Yankee doodle. Or that Katy Perry song." She literally sang: "I kissed a girl and I liked it." "Oh my God." Rosa covered her face and snorted. "You''re so embarrassing." "Am I? I don''t even know what I''m saying," Lexi said. "I think I''m cum drunk." Mason grinned as he watched and listened, the sight of both beautiful, sweat covered naked women a sight to remember. He crawled over them and leaned down to give each a slow, intimate kiss. They both looked up at him happily (and yes, kind of drunkenly), then he pped their thighs and stood. "Thanks for the movie," he said, not bothering with his clothes. "I''ll see you in the morning." ¡°Umm,¡± Lexi said, obviously only half conscious. "See youter," Rosa managed. Mason closed the girls'' door, hearing Lexi whisper before he walked off. "What just happened, exactly?" "You got Mason''d," Rosa said with a sigh. "It happens to the best of us. And it''s a lot of fun." Mason grinned and walked to Haley''s room, sneaking inside to find Becky was back and in bed, but already asleep. Haley was reading a book beside her, and looked up as Mason entered with a smile. She was topless, her nipples hard, her hair in pigtails. Her lips were colored a dramatic shade of red. She slipped out of the bed in nothing but a pair of panties, locking his eyes as she swayed up to him and dropped to her knees. "I''m ready for my tasting, please," she said, biting her lip as she started stroking him. "Jesus Christ. I wasn¡¯t sure if you were serious." Haley snorted like he was being ridiculous. Mason put his head back against the door and just watched her as she slipped her lipstick covered lips over his tip, big blue eyes staring up at him. She moaned as she tasted him, leaving her lipstick all over his tip and shaft as she slid locked lips and swirled a busy tongue, beginning to suck the soul out of him. She made as much noise as he did¡ªas if his cock was the best food she''d ever tasted, and she just couldn''t get enough. Mason eventually yed with her tits. He held her pigtails and fucked her mouth. But in the end he just tried to stay upright as Haley acted like he had a snake bite and only a few minutes to live. When he finally came he put his hands to his face and groaned, fighting the nearly overwhelming sensitive pulses as he Haley drained every drop and swallowed it down. "What''s the opposite of blue balls," he muttered when he could talk. Haley chuckled sensuously as she kept on ying with him using her lips. She finally sighed and put ast kiss on his tip. "Thank you, Master," she said. "Now go to sleep. Tomorrow''s a big day." She walked back to the bed for a long drink of some kind of juice, giving him a good, long view of her ass. Even then his body considered taking her for another round. But his brain was cooked. He moved to the bed and pulled Haley in beside him,ying an arm around Becky on the other side. "What happens tomorrow?" he muttered. "Besides the obvious." Haley hugged him and ran a hand over his chest. "You meet the other yers. And I think maybe you pick new teams if you want. I think it''s open. Not just our people." "Not to me," Mason said. "We know our teams. But I''ll talk with the yers about their duels. Maybe we can strategize. Learn something. Christ I''m tired. You''re with me tomorrow. But make sure someone is paying attention in the civilian quarter. I want details." "Of course, my love." She kissed him then ran a hand over his eyes. "Now sleep." It was usually best to do what Haley suggested. Mason kept his eyes closed and sunk into his woman''s warmth and softness. Tomorrow the tournament started in earnest. He was going to have to kill someone. And make a lot more people believe he could kill them, too. It was going to be a long day. And an even longer week.
Chapter 376: Good morning, players Chapter 376: Good morning, yers [Good morning, yers] boomed the ¡®polite¡¯, slightly more human voice of the Neutral Zone system. [You are all cordially invited to enjoy aplimentary breakfast in the yer promenade. Directional arrows will guide you in your personalized user disys. Some tournament rules will be exined, and a few tournament rewards will be demonstrated. See you soon! We hope you''re enjoying your stay in the Neutral Zone.] "But it makes no difference if you aren''t," Mason mumbled, throwing his legs off the bed. Becky stretched like a cat beside him with a wink, cuddling into a groaning Haley. "Mornin''. That bed is somethin''. But I wish you two''d woken me upst night. I know what ya''ll were up to." Mason grinned and tickled her foot, then lifted her up for a hug when she pulled away. "You''ll get your chance. Now throw some clothes on. And I want to hear all about your first fight at breakfast." Becky sighed and ran her hands down Mason''s arms. "I don''t suppose breakfast is a ¡®yes¡¯ or ¡®no¡¯ kind of thing." Mason snorted and didn''t bother responding. When the hell had anything roboGod wanted ever been voluntary? He suspected if he stayed in bed, it would teleport him down in his underwear. Speaking of which...he nced at Haley, who was watching Becky rub him with a hungry look. "I assume you have thoughts on what I should wear." "I do." She snapped back into assistant mode, throwing off the covers as she stood with zed, profile/power searching eyes. Mason wasn''t exactly focused, though, since she was still wearing nothing but a pair of panties, her hair in the pigtails she''d readied just for ate night blowjob. She noticed his eyes, made a tsking sound, and started pulling on clothes. "I bet this ''emperor'' goes full on post-apocalypse drama,¡± she said. ¡°Robes. Jewels. Who knows. After your first meeting, I expect he''ll try and outshine you with pomp and toadies everywhere. So I think we go nice and casual, like you''ve got nothing to prove." Mason sighed as both girls covered up. But he liked what he was hearing. "Casual. Approved. But we might define that word slightly differently." Haley materialized a nice dress shirt and dark pants from her hidden storage. "Business casual," she rified. "I have shoes, too. I think. Though I can buy whatever I want. I''ve been saving up a huge amount of points. Do you prefer ck or brown? We could add some color but it''s hard to match it with your glowing lighthouse eyes. So maybe..." Mason just stared until Haley rolled her eyes, handing him the outfit. Her beautiful face crinkled with a wince. "When the system, eh, how do you say, ''presented'' you to everyone after the Nexus, you looked kind of¡­terrifying. So try and be a bit more¡­approachable, today? Everyone''s going to see the murderer in the ring. OK? So when you''re outside of it, try to show your nice, loyal, protective side. We need more recruits." Mason still wasn''t sure he''d get the chance to ''recruit'' as Haley said. But he supposed even if it didn''t happen now, a day woulde when he could win yers from the east, and certainly anyone he hadn''t met in the west. So he supposed she made sense. His primary goal, after terrifying everyone individually, was to unite the rest of the western settlements. They needed as much strength as possible if it became some kind of continental rivalry, because they were vastly outnumbered. He didn''t need them to ''swear fealty'', because you didn''t beat a tyrant by bing one. He just needed to get an understanding that they were all on the same side if it came to a fight. By the time he''d buttoned up his shirt and pants and wrapped around a belt, Haley was basically ready. He stared with iprehension as she adjusted her blouse and hair, which looked moreplicated than anything he''d ever done to his appearance. "Can you zip me up, please?" She turned around, and even Becky was staring with disbelief. "How did you..." Mason just shook his head and put it from his mind. He kissed Haley''s neck and zipped her up, then winked at Becky in her t-shirt and jeans. "You look good, country girl. And who gives a shit, you''re a soldier." "Yes I am," she agreed, taking his hand with a smile. Haley took the other, and they walked out together to the ''elevator''. "I see Rosa and Lexi are still unconscious," Haley said, a little teasing pride in her voice. Mason grinned. "I should think so." "Shit I miss everything," Beckyined. "Do we need a bigger bed already?" "Bed''s fine," Mason said, but actually he took a second to picture it in his new Nexus mansion. It was definitely huge, but at this point it was entirely possible to have Rosa, Haley, Becky, Lexi, and Naya in it together...not to mention Calypsa the nymph, who was living in his great tree... "Hell, he''s not even sure," Becky said. She took a step forward so she could see him. "I''m Becky, by the way. Or just girl number two, if that''s easier." "Be careful, girl number two, or I''ll demote you." "Oh really." Becky tried to keep up the bravado, but she was practically grinding into him. He kissed her until she opened her mouth and moaned, then pushed her back like nothing happened with a grin. He looked at the lobby button, and the ''elevator'' instantly dinged. "Kinda wish it took a minute," Becky mumbled, and Mason guided her out by the ass, exchanging a lusty look with Haley. The lobby was absolutely full of people. Voices andughter sounded from every direction, people talking excitedly from every corner of the big, mostly empty space. Mason saw a couple of his yers and gave them a nod. But nearly everyone else was a stranger. Having spent thest two months in near istion, or at best in thepany of the same groups of known people, it was extremely bizarre. And disconcerting. Between the hotel-like structure, and the sudden cluster of humanity, for a moment it felt like he was back in the pre-apocalypse world. It reminded him that he didn''t much like the pre-apocalypse world, even if it was probably best for almost everyone else. People started noticing him instantly. So that was different. Mostly they looked at his eyes and went silent, or stepped away, or whispered to the people next to them, until every group he walked by was staring like he was some kind of damn celebrity. Which he supposed he was. How the actual fuck had that happened? Turned out Haley was dead on about the ''emperor''. Mason spotted his people from across the room, dressed up in red robes like ancient priests, or some sci-fi new religion. They dangled with jewelry, their hair groomed and plucked, their soft hands manicured. He had the urge to punch them and take their lunch money just because they were idiots. But he tried to ignore them as he gathered more and more of his yers en route to the promenade doors, which apparently hadn''t opened. Maybe a quarter of his people wore something ording to their style and personality, but their clothes were pretty much all basic crafter made, with jeans being about the most borate. Most just wore their system uniforms. Mason noticed they were literally the only ones. People were staring at them like they were some kind of ignorant vagrants. The way normal people stared at someone homeless who walked into a restaurant. He practically felt himself growl. "System outfit. Now." Haley frowned but nodded and appeared one. Mason stripped off his shirt and pants right there, ignoring the few whispers and gasps as he put on the uniform and kicked off his shoes, morefortable these days bare foot anyway. Maybe it was his people getting mocked. Maybe it was just the ridiculousness of it all. ying dress up and social posturing in a world where billions were dead, and some alien overlord worked on killing the rest in a series of ''games''. Have you people learned fucking nothing? he wanted to scream. Do you think it matters who looks the prettiest when the wolvese howling? The chances of being Haley''s ''Mr. Nice Mason'' were dwindling fast. It seemed likely the eastern types hadn''t had the same shit fest as Mason''s yers. They looked too civilized, too soft, toofortable. Maybe what they all needed was to feel a little lessfortable. "All good, gentlemen?" he said once his yers were gathered around, the ones in the uniforms especially standing close, like he was their shield. He supposed in a way he was. They all nodded, Carl and Phuong, his ''officers'', giving him reassuring smiles that always helped more than he''d ever expected. "Shit. Well now I want a system uniform," Seamus said, pulling miserably at his id shirt. "Look at these people." Garet stared at the emperor''s yers in particr and shook his head. "They ying the same game we are?" It was a damn fine question, actually, and kind of pissed Mason off. Who the hell decided one side of humanity should get a city, and the other should get the Wild fucking West? How many people had died on Mason''s side? Were the numbers equal to start? It was probably good he didn''t have more time to think about it. ¡°Thank you, yers, for your prompt attendance,¡± called a system servant near the doors, its voice naturally like a loudspeaker. ¡°The promenade is now open. Some seating has been reserved. But please feel free to choose any other avable areas. All tastes have been ounted for. All nutrition and entertainment isplementary. Please, enjoy your time in the Neutral Zone.¡± Two of the androgenous system servants opened the doors, and Mason saw the emperor step in first. He was a short, unassuming Korean man, wearing gaudy clothes simr to his ''priests''. Nothing about him was extraordinary or intimidating, until he turned and looked back. Mason almost shivered as their eyes met. He had recognized it, of course, when they''d met through themunication beacon¡ªthe spark in the other man''s eyes that Mason somehow immediately understood. But as he saw it now in person, he finally realized why his own appearance struck people. He realized then his eyes didn''t glow green because he was a druid, as he''d thought, though obviously his affinity mattered. It was his Blessing of Gaia. His immortality. This ¡®emperor'' had obviously received the same gift from some other system god, and it made his eyes glow with golden light. As he smiled like a man who rarely bothered, they also burned with the intensity of a fanatic. Or a madman.
Chapter 377: The player promenade Chapter 377: The yer promenade Mason didn''t bother trying to push his way to the promenade. Though plenty of other yers did. After the eastern elite went through in a vaguely orderly fashion, the rest of the crowd started clustering and squabbling as they all tried to get out first. A sound like a security rm red. Some yer cried out and fell to the ground, shaking like he was being electrocuted as he foamed at the mouth. Everyone else pulled back and stared in horror. [yer against yer violence will not be tolerated] intoned the system all around them. [Minor infractions will be punished with physical and mental disciplinary techniques. Serious infractions will result in imprisonment, or death. Thank you, and please enjoy your time in the Neutral Zone.] "Well that poor bastard isn''t enjoying it, is he?" Seamus said with augh. The convulsing eventually stopped, the yer rolling over with a groan and half-conscious eyes. The line got more orderly after that. Mason and the others eventually got inside the promenade, all staring at the various lights and colorful decorations. A good half of the floor was water, a kind ofzy river coiling through a dozen pools and maybe hot tubs. Small bridges criss-crossed it all, leading to small bars, maybe dance floors, and any number of other activities Mason couldn''tprehend at a nce. Between the strange furniture, and the stic smiles of dozens of system servants, it was all somewhere between a techno club and a rxing tropical hotel. Which made about as much sense as everything else in the apocalypse. "We have some seats reserved," Haley said, gesturing to a balcony. "Right this way, please." Mason followed with his hand in Haley''s, now noticing the television screens pretty much covering every avable surface. They were even cycling through what looked like high production value trailers, or ads, showing humans battling in different arenas. He couldn''t tell if the fighters were real or fake, but the system would asionally zoom in and show them in some still-frame move. Haley led them past a smiling system servant. Mason realized his House crest was set out on g poles and draped as a banner, clearly marking the area as for his people. "Jesus," he said as he gestured to it with a nod. "Did you do all this?" Haley shook her head. "I just asked for it to be reserved." He wasn''t sure how he felt about any of it, but he soon took a seat at arge table and looked out over the promenade. He was trying to get a general head count of the yers, which was hard in the visually cluttered space. But it was definitely in the high hundreds. Even that seemed...low, when he thought about it. Out of the billions of people on earth. He was realizing that actually choosing (or being allowed to choose) ''yer'' was fairly rare. But still. Maybe one in ten? Even if you removed all the kids and people over sixty five, you had to have what¡­four billion? Out of all those possible yers, only a thousand were left? He couldn''t quiteprehend it. And how many civilians were left, he wondered? Was it something simr? "This fucking thing," he heard himself mutter, a hand balling into a fist. Had roboGod already wiped out ny-nine plus per cent of humanity? Haley gave him a confused look, but squeezed his hand. She smiled and pointed to her mouth, probably trying to remind him not to be so scary. "There are lots of people watching us," she said quietly. Mason clenched his teeth and nodded. He reminded himself he needed to think about his people. If his basic calctions were at all right, the bnce of power was something like 100 to 1 against him and his yers. Even if they were considerably more powerful individually, that wasn''t a good situation. "Greetings, honored Founder." A blue system servant literally appeared beside Mason''s table. "Please ess the menu in your disy. Any food or drinks will appear on the table teleporter free of cost for House Mason. Can I assist you with anything else?" "What are we doing here?" Mason said, trying to stay calm. "When do we fight again? When are you going to exin the actual tournament rules?" "I''m sorry, tournament rules are outside my parameters." The blue servant almost became a living sad face emoji. "Is there anything else I can assist you with?" "No, thank you, you''ve been very helpful." Haley answered and exchanged a smile with the servant before Mason could tell it to fuck off. She sighed and leaned in. "These things like to know they did a good job. They actually get more helpful if you start really..." "Haley." Mason met her eyes. "I''m d I have you, and I don''t judge you or anyone else for ying this game. But I''m never going to forget what this is. What these things are, and what they''ve done. OK? The fiction out there helps me. But in here...it''s all so fucking...in our faces. I''ll do what I have to. But I''m not going to smile at our genocidal jailers." Haley opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, but decided against it, then just nodded. The other yers were scrolling through their menus, grinning and magically appearing drinks and a whole range of food on their personal teleporters. "This is amazin''!" Becky shed her beautiful smile, not having heard Mason and Haley''s conversation over the loud music. "They¡¯ve got jpeno corn bread. Oh man, chicken fried steak?" She squealed with glee as she materialized a heaping te. Mason tried to be happy for her. For all of them. They''de so far and fought so hard. They deserved to eat what they wanted, to rx and drink andugh and be human for a day and maybe a week. But what they really deserved was a lifetime. They deserved to be free. To be safe from this murdering alien who fought them like dogs in a pit, then tossed them the asional bone. Maybe it was just his temperament, and maybe he should try not being miserable. But Mason decided if being a leader meant anything, it meant remembering the dead. It meant honoring their memory, protecting their legacy. And protecting their children. I didn''t ask for this burden, Mason thought but didn¡¯t say to the others, but it''s mine now. Sorry if it makes me a touch serious. He reached for the absent Streak without thinking, then put his hand on Haley and Becky''s legs. He smiled for them and buried the rage, knowing sometimes he''d have to learn to wear a mask. For their sake. "Excuse me? Uh. Mr. Mason? Er, Nimitz?" The voice came from the stairs, and Haley popped up before Mason could answer. She smiled and spoke quietly to someone beforeing back to whisper in Mason''s ear. "It''s a yer," she said, unable to hide her excitement. "A man from the East. Tier three. No yer kills. He says he''d like to talk. To exchange information. Should I invite him in? We can take five guests at a time." Mason nodded, and after a few more words from Haley, a middle aged Caucasian man came stomping up the stairs with a big grin. He wasn''t thickly built but still looked strong, like a man who''d spent his life working with his hands. "Daniel Simms," he said, jutting out a callused hand until Mason took it and gestured to a chair. He sat and grinned, mouth moving like it was used to chewing a pick or tobo. "Danny to my friends." He winked. "Hard to believe I''m the first toe over, really. Figured I''d introduce myself." "Well," Mason said, trying desperately to be nice. "You''ve done that now. Why are you here, Daniel?" The man met Mason''s eyes and smiled, shaking with a little snort. "Shit, I''d hardly realized just how young you were. I mean you looked young enough in the image it showed. But in person it''s hard not to notice. No offense, or anything, it''s just...a bit surprising." Mason just stared, not detecting any kind of point except possibly negative connotation. Daniel shook his head and sat a bit straighter in his chair. "Plenty of iron in that spine, though, I reckon. Look, I don''t know what you know and what you don''t. But since my side of the world doesn''t seem to know a damn thing about you and yours. Well, I figure you''re in the same boat. So maybe we can help each other." Information, Mason thought, not hating the idea. Of course what Mr. Simms knew or didn''t know Mason had no way of verifying. But he supposed he had to start somewhere. He gave a small nod to Haley just to let her know he was satisfied, then pulled up his menu. "Can I get you something to drink, Mr. Simms?" The older man grinned. "I tell you what, son, I''ve been waiting three long months for a God damn whiskey."
Chapter 378: Information Chapter 378: Information Mr. Simms wasn''t joking about the whiskey. He practically chugged his ss as Mason sipped, the eye watering and throat clenching apparently not dissuading him from what was obviously close to addiction. "Now that''s a thing of beauty." Daniel shivered and closed his eyes as he put the ss to his cheek, taking in deep breaths. "I can finally die happy." "They don''t make whiskey in the ''capital of man''? Even us country bumpkins have a brewer." "Oh they make it." Daniel scowled. "Or at least they make some sour horseshit they call whiskey. But I''ve not once seen any peat. Somehow the aliens make it exactly right. Funny that, isn''t it?" Yeah, Mason thought, hrious. "That''s a wonderful ent," Haley said as she arrived and sat beside Mason. "Australian?" "Close, lovely girl." Daniel winked. "I''m from the smaller, prettier, better ind. I''m a kiwi. Means New Zend." "Ah." Haley nced up in thought, then started humming some song that made Daniel¡¯s eyes go wide. "Ha!" He nced back and forth between Mason and Haley in delighted surprise. "Oh bless you, sweetheart. I feel I''ve not heard Slice of Heaven in years. I¡¯d pay anything to hear you sing it, you have a lovely sounding voice." "You''re too kind." Haley and the old farmer exchanged pleasant smiles. Mason set down his drink. "I¡¯m not a patient man, Mr. Simms. You want to sell information. Fine. What do you want?" The ''kiwi''s brow raised as he set down his ss. "Straight to business. I like that." It was clear he did not, in fact, like it. "Well." Daniel shrugged. "Rumor has it you boys in the west have, uh, room to grow. I''m not much for cities. How about a plot ofnd?" Here heughed like it was a joke, when it was clearly not a joke. Mason also assumed Daniel was a spy. Or else a kind of mercenary who''d immediately run to the emperor and sell any information Mason gave him. Even if he wasn''t he''d likely get taken and squeezed like a lemon until the emperor knew everything anyway. As a yer, he had no protection. So it seemed wise to be careful. "I assume you''ve seen the map. We have endlessnd." Daniel smiled, obviously not taken in. "But...do you have, uh, protectednd? Some kind of...farms? Or, I don''t know, houses outside the city under your protection?" They were definitely already approaching ''strategic'' information. Also the idea of promising anyone from the east anything seemed currently ridiculous and impossible anyway. Mason shifted and put his hands on the table. "Can you cross whatever ocean is between our continents, Daniel?" The farmer turned yer winced. "Well, no. But, I figured with your fancy, er, Nexus thing. That maybe you could..." "I''m d you enjoyed the drink." Mason cut him off. "But I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve changed my mind. I don¡¯t need information. And I have a lot to talk about with my people. Thanks foring by." Haley was up instantly with a friendly smile, gesturing towards the stairs. Mr. Simms frowned and licked his lips. "Now just hold on a second. I know plenty of useful things. Maybe we should just slow things down a bit. No reason to be unfriendly. I''m sure there''s..." Mason flicked his profile open and revoked the man''s ''guest'' ess to the tform. Some kind of red light beeped, and Mr. Simms'' eyes zed for a moment before they widened. He turned and ran for the stairs without a word, a few of Mason''s yers chuckling as he fled. There were others after Mr. Simms. In fact a small queue began to form, all yers who wanted to have a word with Mason. All offered information, or valuable future services, or a number of civilian followers. All gently probed for information of various kinds, offering none, even if pressed. "Well I think that''s about enough of that," Mason said after number five. It was getting fairly clear that the ''emperor'' and his people had given some kind of bounty or request for information. And it was also obvious they threatened anyone who told Mason anything. Which meant they were firmly in control of the eastern yers, and their subterfuge efforts had already begun. So that was just great. "The civilians may have better luck," Haley said, her head on Mason''s shoulder. "Do you want me to head there and see how it''s going?" "In a minute." He put an arm around her and kissed her cheek, the other around Becky on the other side. "I''m so stuffed." The cowgirl undid her jeans and leaned back, her heaping te mostly cleared. "I can''t eat another bite." Mason shook his head and grinned. "Well I''m d someone has been having fun. Feel like heading down for a swim?" Becky groaned just at the thought, taking deep breaths as she closed her eyes. Haley tsked and gave Mason a quick kiss before she stood and went for the stairs. "Be nice," she mouthed silently. "I''ll be back in a bit," she added a little louder. Then she was down the stairs and gone, Becky semi-conscious beside him. He sighed andy her down, moving a bit on the long seat to be closer to Phuong and Carl and the others. "OK," he said, looking out over the promenade, hoping other yers couldn''t somehow spy on them or listen in. Though he supposed the loud music would help. "I want to hear about the duels. Everything you think is important. Give me details." "I fought somedy," Becky called from her back. "On a skyscraper. Almost knocked me off with her damn...ugh...power. Thing. I reflected it. Boom. Bob''s your uncle." "OK. That was colorful." Mason put aforting hand on Becky''s foot. "Next." "I was in a big circle full of gravel," Carl said. "Couldn''t hide for shit. Crunched everywhere, and the guy saw my footprints. He tossed a few knives. Wore armor and had...gadgets, or something. None of it made any difference. I split and came at him from two directions. Cut him up." "I faced a caster, Patron," Phuong said. "The terrain was to his advantage. Several tforms he was able to jump between as he attacked me. I was forced to approach him slowly and carefully. But ultimately his attacks were too weak." Mason frowned because he was beginning to detect a theme. Then John exined he''d fought his enemy in a pool of water, which prevented him from using half his electrical attacks. Seamus said it was simr for him, except more like a mudbowl. "Son of a bitch didn''t burn so easy covered in mud." The Irishman winked. "But he still burned." He pretended to twirl his staff, nearly knocking over his ss. Mason''s arena hadn''t been particrly favorable to him, either. But it seemed less of a problem than the others. He wasn''t sure what that meant. It was too much of a coincidence to believe all these fights had been ''luck of the draw'' in terms of the terrain. The system was somehow bncing the odds, or else punishing Nassau''s yers. Maybe the opponents were randomized, but the system tried topensate for big power differences with the terrain, like a handicap? It might make sense, except Mason''s terrain hadn''t been that big a deal. "How many points did you guys get?" he asked as it urred to him. "Five for me," said Seamus. "Four." "Six." "Four." "Five"," came a few instant responses. "Three," said Carl. Mason let out a breath and nodded. It was starting to make a bit more sense. His arena probably hadn''t been changed much because the game recognized it didn''t really matter. His opponent had no chance. "Uh, how many did you get?" Carl said, obviously noticing Mason''s expression. "One." The yers snorted or scoffed, Carl shaking his head. "That poor bastard. This alien really is a nasty piece of work. Why not match people in some kind of...I don''t know, power categories? It has tiers, for Christ''s sake. Just use those." "Speaking of which," said Garet. "Didn''t they promise to tell us some more rules?" They had. Though Mason supposed it felt no hurry to do anything. No doubt it was watching them all right now, listening, calcting, eating the synthetic god version of popcorn. Mason was quickly losing his appetite. But he kept at least a neutral expression, doing his best to smile at his yers and encourage them to eat and drink favorite foods now that they had the chance. On the good news side, every single yer in Nassau had won their first fight. Tommaso had managed to defeat his enemy more or less the same way he''d almost beaten John, running around and tossing explosives until his armored opponent went down. Garet and Jason had skewered their opponents in short but vicious brawls. Everyone went quiet when Alex exined his duel. Partly it was the delivery. "He died, I did not. Why does it matter how?" "Come on, Alex," Carl nudged him. "We''re looking for details, strategies, and we all need to know how our powers work for teams, for the future. Don''t be coy." The Brusian squirmed in his seat, shrugging as he let out a breath. "I tell him to surrender. He doesn''t. He hits me many times. Armor work, shield work. I heal and use Divine Justice. It is good, hard to target, but not problem with one man. He dies. The end." Carl whistled. "Our healer is powering up. Maybe you''ll be some kind of war cleric before the end." Alex looked like he''d chewed a moldy lemon, and Mason decided that was probably enough questioning. He waved everyone back to their seats, telling them to rx, to do what they liked. "Just don''t tell anyone anything," he added. "These bastards want information, so don''t give them any. Not a thing, alright? If you want to make a friend, talk about your lives before the apocalypse. I''m serious." He stared mostly at Seamus for thisst part. "Eh? Why me? I don''t even like people." He put up his hands. "OK, OK. Not a word. Christ Jesus." "And ehhh." Tommaso cleared his throat. "If we happen to, ehm, make ady friend?" Mason rolled his eyes, thinking that was definitely a bad idea. "Just keep your mouth shut and it''s fine." The Italian grinned, nudging any yer in range like they were on the hunt together. Mason sat beside Becky and hoped Haley got back soon. He looked off the balcony and did his best not to wonder where ke was, and wish he''de and sit to talk.
Chapter 379: The Arcane Order Chapter 379: The Arcane Order ke took a seat with Seul-ki and Annie under a giant...pond frond, with a decent view of the eastern leaders. And as close as possible to a bar. "Two old fashions and...a sprite." He smiled at the alien or robotic bartender and decided Annie and alcohol likely weren''t the greatest mix. "Of course, sir. Cost will be deducted from your overall Neutral Zone Allowance seen in your profile. And please don''t over-indulge. Important information will bemunicated soon." ke raised an eyebrow, lifting the drinks with Telekinesis as he walked back to this table. He looked at his ¡®allowance¡¯, which seemed prettyrge aspared to a few drinks. "Cheeky robot," he muttered, settling beside Seul-ki with a pleasant smile. "Here you are, my lovelies. We haven''t been people watching too obviously, have we?" Annie blinked and stopped staring at someone, ncing around the room with embarrassment. Even Seul-ki looked somewhat disturbed and not her usual self, lost in thought rather than paying attention to the rival yers. "Is everything alright?" ke put aforting hand on the small of her back. "Oh. Yes. My apologies. I''ve been...thinking, of my family..." she trailed off and shrugged. "You''re not the only one," ke said softly. "With so many people, I know everyone is hoping to see loved ones. Chances will be higher when we see the civilians. But I think it''s still not wise to hope. The math¡­isn¡¯t good." Seul-ki smiled politely and nodded, and ke went back to staring at the other yers. He''d already tried Mental Influence (for science, of course) and got a not so subtle warning from the system: [Please refrain from using any powers on other yers while in the Neutral Zone. This will be your only warning before penalty. Thank you for your cooperation.] "I thought it was just no violence," ke had muttered unhappily. "Maybe next time give us a better list of rules." Butining to roboGod and its minions rarely did much good. So ke kept his powers in his pants, and resorted to that most ancient art of man: subtle creeping. "Have you ever heard the expression ''monkey see, monkey do?''" he asked his girls with a grin. Annie nodded right away, watching him with such eager innocence he could sometimes hardly believe she also butchered things with a giant axe. "Well." ke winked. "It''s not very urate. Monkeys don''t copy each other nearly as much as us. We''re not as bad as lemmings, maybe, but we''re a lot more like that than monkeys. So it should really be ¡®human see, human do¡¯." Annie smiled a little, and ke gave her a smile as he looked back at the eastern leaders around several rectangr tables. What he wouldn''t have given to be able to use his powers to listen in. To read some minds... "Excuse me." ke blinked and turned to find a red-robed Caucasian looming above him a few feet away. The man was blonde and blue eyed and handsome, very thin in face and stature, somewhere between a model and a corpse. ke stood and met his eyes. "Can I help you?" "Pardon the intrusion." The man''s ent was the perfect ''Central US'' of system-trantion to ke''s ears. "I couldn''t help but notice you carrying your sses with some kind of caster power. Could I trouble you for a few minutes of your time?" "No trouble." ke smiled and held out a hand. "ke." "Erik. Alberg." The tall blonde took ke''s hand rather weakly and without much coordination, as if he typically avoided the gesture. ke excused himself from the girls, then the robed yer guided him to an empty table. He sat with a kind of awkward precision, inspecting the table as if for crumbs. Then he smiled with equal precision and nodded his head. "I dislike small talk," he said, with no other preamble. ke practically snorted due to extremeck of surprise. "It does get tiring," he agreed with a smile. "Why don''t you and I agree to skip straight to the good bits?" "Thank you." The rather strange, probably European yer took a breath as if preparing for a rehearsed speech. "I am part of a guild, or consortium of casters based in Catal city. Many of us were scientists or engineers in our past lives, but ultimately, the only requirement for membership is an affinity to the arcane arts. Please excuse the rudeness, but I have some minor identification powers, and I can see you are...what we call pure caster. This is quite rare, and is generally epted to our order without interview." ke said nothing, and gave no reaction, which as intended made the ufortable man even more ufortable. "As I do not recognize you," he cleared his throat and went on, "I must assume you are from the Western continent. I do not know what you have learned or have not learned of this new world and its rules. But my interest, as ever, is knowledge. So I hope you will ept some as a token of my order''s good intention." ke smiled, deciding this man deserved his attention now. "I share your interest, Mr. Alberg, and I would be happy to ept such a token." The man nodded, seeming more confident, probably a bit closer to familiar ground. "You will be aware of the affinities." He said this without question. "But you may not be aware that each affinity has exactly two gods. Or perhaps two aspects of the same god. Originally we believed this duality to be some equivalent of male and female, but have since changed our minds. The tying theme, or origin, appears to be what this game or alien considers order vs chaos. We have found each god in their respective affinity corresponds roughly with one or the other." ke did his best not to stare with rapt attention now. It was the most interesting thing anyone had said to him since the moment he left the tutorial. He adjusted how he was sitting and leaned forward. "What did you say the name of your order was?" Erik smiled, obviously pleased at ke''s interest. "The Arcane Order. We work in the capital, and therefore beneath Emperor Jeong¡¯s protection. But our business is our own. I am also a member of the Council of Man, and enjoy the emperor''s trust." ke nodded, knowing he was treading on dangerous ground here. But even if Mason was forced to fight this ''emperor'' and whoever else, there would be a time after the war. Humanity had a far better chance of survival if they banded together, or at least respected each other, and worked to solvemon problems. ke intended to unite the disparate factions of intelligent creatures of this new world, worrying about uniting humanster. But he saw no reason whatsoever not to start building rtionships now. "I would be very pleased to join your order, Mr. Alberg," he said. "At least after discussing the details. The physical distance between myself and your city notwithstanding." The man nodded. "Of course. Our situation is unique. And details will follow. There are plications." Here he shrugged, as if with a kind of contempt for geography, and probably politics. "It is ironic, yes? That men like us once devoted our lives to the lifting of ignorance. To the banishing of ancient gods and tribal conflict, using reason and science, one small step at a time. And now..." he shrugged, "now the ancient mystics are correct. There are gods and magic beings in truth. And we must explore them to understand the universe." ke smiled, liking the man, despite also feeling a sense of unease around him. "Maybe you need less scientists, and more priests." Erikughed with a sharp, almost pained ''ha!'', before nodding withplete seriousness. "We have some of those, as well." ke just smiled through the man''s awkwardness, leaning back in his chair. He decided definitely not to tell him about Seul-ki, d her powers hid her in the guise of a civilian. He didn¡¯t trust these people, of course, and assumed they knew more about him than they let on. But the promise of knowledge was tempting. Very tempting. And if it meant walking a careful line between his loyalty to Nassau and to this order, it was a dance he was willing to learn. Ultimately, ke''s only loyalties were to himself, to his brother, and to the project of saving humanity. That he had been ''ced'' in Nassau was not his doing, and not important. Sooner orter he would have to ''count with all men, but none too much''. This was only the beginning. He thanked Erik for his time and said they should speak again soon, wishing for the hundredth time he could read some damn minds. But he supposed it was a crutch he needed to avoid. Before his mind powers he had been prepared to navigate the halls of power with nothing but his wits. Probably best if he prepared to do the same again. To do that he had to y the hand he was dealt. Which was not a bad hand at all. "Oh, and Mr. Alberg," he called. The older man turned, and ke smiled as their eyes met. "Good luck in the tournament. Perhaps after a few disys, we might have more to discuss. You may discover us western casters have a thing or two to teach you as well." The man smiled, though not with his eyes. "I look forward to that, Mr. Nimitz." With that he walked back to his own table, and ke returned to Seul-ki and Annie with a busy mind, and a growing excitement. He intended to join this ''Arcane Order'', but certainly not as some ''unfortunate western student'', wide-eyed and thankful for every bit of knowledge. No. Absolutely not. First he''d ughter his way through whatever the eastern men threw at him, hopefully getting the chance to murder their best with his inferior knowledge. He''d suspected, of course, but Erik using hisst name had made things clear. They knew who ke was, and who his brother was. They wanted him to join to start gaining leverage, to divide and conquer, and yes probably also to learn. The world wasplex and so were men''s motives. But one thing was always certain: everything was negotiation. And ke decided standing on a pile of your opposition''s corpses was the best ground to begin negotiating.
Chapter 380: As long as there’s one man left Chapter 380: As long as there¡¯s one man left Haley waited for the doors to the civilian bazaar to open, taking a deep breath to ready herself. As they did, a wave of sound, scent, and colored lights hit her, and she walked through with a pleasant smile. The ''bazaar'' was like a huge park mixed with a market. Perfect grass and cobblestone paths, hundreds of merchant stalls, dozens of system servants bringing everyone drinks. It was the wet dream of a middle-ss female shopper. And as expected, it was a madhouse. People shouted from stalls, from raised tforms, from across aisles and pathways and benches. Small packs of people had formed everywhere talking excitedly, hugging like old friends, flirting and whispering secrets. Probably 80% of the civilians were women. And the conversations were getting loud. "Haley!" Rosa waved from one such pack. Sylvie and a cluster of the Sanctuary girls were all around Rosa''s alchemy ''stall''. She''d pulled out a wide collection of her potions and oils, setting them up nicely in a disy with a few signs. Haley wandered over and greeted all the girls, or at least nodded or smiled at each. "How''s business?" Rosa snorted, then shook her head. She gestured to some of the other nearby stalls. "They have so much more stuff than us. They have an alchemist club, or whatever they call it. I tried talking to them and they blew me off like I was some kind of leper. Unless I wanted to buy something. Though I guess that''s pretty much how it is for everyone." Haley nodded. "They''ve likely been instructed not to talk to us about anything but business. I''ll wander a bit. Check on our people. See if I can make any friends." "Try the men," Sylvie suggested, no sign of a joke. Haley supposed she was likely right. Her looks had often made new rtionships with women...difficult, but it worked entirely differently with men. Especially here in the system-protected zone, she had no concern at all of having to deal with unwanted attention. She was about to leave when Sylvie grabbed her arm and lowered her voice. "One thing I''m noticing," she shrugged, like she wasn''t sure how to say it. "These eastern people. They''re...skinny. You know? I thought it was just my imagination until I really looked. They just...I don''t know. They don''t look that healthy." Haley frowned, but patted Sylvie''s hand in thanks. Then she wandered off, trying not to be too obvious in her people watching, looking especially for a man on his own. Male civilians proved difficult to find by themselves. They were usually in gendered packs,ughing and clearly enjoying one another''spany. The rare man she saw ''alone'' was surrounded by women. She''d nearly given up when she found Peni the smith with Hank and Billy and a few other male crafters from Nassau. "Gentlemen." She smiled, happy when they all returned it. "Selling any moonshine, Billy?" "Um." The young man went red, always a bit shy in Haley''s presence. "Not really, ma''am. They''ve got...well, there''s real brewers here. Like with oak barrels." "We stopped trying," Peni said, expression hard to read. "It''s the same for all of us. We look like ameteurs next to these people." "Not all of us." Hank looked at the others and winced. "To be honest I just came to enjoy myself. Didn''t set up a stall or anything. But there''s people who know your ss just by looking at you. Some kind of merchant sses, I guess. Anyway, people want fish. I mean, desperate like. They must not have much water. I only had a few in my storage but I sold them for..." he shrugged, "a lot more than seemed fair. And I think they''d pay more." Haley felt her jaw clench as she really started looking at some of the nearby people. Sylvie was right. A lot of them looked too thin. And not in the kind of upper ss, fashionably skinny way of certain countries. Like ¡®weren''t getting enough calories¡¯ or overall nutrition thin. Though it wasn''t all of them, like Sylvie said. It was maybe half. "Oh." Peni nced around, then pulled a blue crystal from his pocket. "But these they want. At least so said some kind of appraiser up by the fountain there. And badly. I didn''t let on how much we have, and I only brought the ones I''ve got in my personal storage. But if Mason gives the OK, I expect if we set up a stall for the ore and crystal, these people are going to lose their minds." Haley nodded, the picture starting to make sense. The east had more people, a whole city of them, which meant more knowledge and expertise. But it also meant more mouths to feed. And she was beginning to suspect they had less ''natural resources''. They''d only been in the game for a few months. Growing crops and any kind of agriculture took time. Meanwhile, it looked like half the poption were practically starving. "OK," she said, smiling at the men. "I''ll talk to Mason. In the meantime, feel free to make friends. But be careful what you say. They''re trying to learn about us. I don''t want to give away any secrets." "You mean like the fact we live in a giant..." Hank hissed to interrupt him and Billy went even redder. Haley squeezed his arm, which probably didn''t help. "I think that''s OK. They''ll learn soon enough. But nothing about the...special tree items. Or about how we make anything. The things our yers have done. Where we are exactly in rtion to anything else." She frowned and shrugged as she looked at Hank and Peni. "Just be careful, and use your judgment." "Don''t worry, we''ll be careful." Hank waved at a system servant and winked. "Besides, there''s so many pretty girls around, some of us single-ish men won''t have time to talk any nonsense." "Single-ish," Haley said, raising an eyebrow. "You''d best not let that get back to your girl." "It was a proverbial ''us''," Hank said, going a bit pink himself. "I didn''t mean me." Haley started to leave and Hank''s smile dropped. "I didn''t mean me, youngdy! Not a peep now! I''ll have your word!" Haley stuck out her tongue then grinned as she turned, back on the hunt for possible new friends. It took a good fifteen minutes before she found a man on his own setting up a stall. He was maybe mid forty''s, dark brown skin, the frame of a man who worked with his hands, and wasn''t eating enough. "Excuse me?" Haley put on her most innocent smile. "I thought I''d get in early. What are you selling, sir?" "Nothing yet." The man grunted as hey out some kind of shelves. "But I''ll have some spices in a few minutes. There''s also powders formon ailments, for poison, for spicing up your..." The man turned and his breath caught when he saw Haley. "For uh, well." He smiled and cleared his throat. "If you''ll just wait a moment, miss. I''ll have it all set up." Haley smiled and waited, asking a few questions about the man''s wares as she did. When he was finished setting up she was quite happy to buy most of his spices, which was a thing she sorelycked in Nassau. She had only browsed a few shops, and looked at a few prices in civilian points, but she was starting to realize she was...rather wealthy. She supposed it made sense. Her patron was almost certainly the most powerful yer in the world. Her ss caused her to essentially match him, which likely made her one of the highest level civilians in the world. The majority of her points had thus far been based on her levels, and behavior, which seemed so far to¡­make the system quite happy. It all meant she could have bought everything the man had with what for her was pocket change. "And what''s this?" she gestured to something called ''love spice'', and the man went pink as Billy the Brewer. "Oh, I don''t think you''ll need that one, miss," he said, and Haleyughed. "The world ended, and here we are in the apocalypse, still selling penis pills," she said with a grin. "As long as there''s one man left," the seller agreed, and Haley couldn''t help but smile. She kept on browsing, soon asking the man about where he was from and why he was alone. She felt a little bad when he hesitated, clearly unsure if he should say, but then told her anyway. His name was Kwarta, and he was from the capital. He hadn''t joined any of the ''guilds'', calling himself an ''independent''. "It''s hard, but I''ve never been a joiner. Had enough of gangsters and the like in my old life. Taxes for the emperor are quite enough, thank you." Haley smiled like she understood. She asked him about his life before, if he had a woman now. He''d seemed to have lost any worry she was from the dreaded ''west'', happy to answer. Nothing really stuck out until he mentioned where he lived. He looked a bit awkward, like it wasn''t the sort of question you were supposed to ask in his city. "East of the river, I''m afraid." He shrugged, looking like he''d aged a decade. "Your custom will really help me, miss. I appreciate it. It''s not easy without the guilds. The greedy bastards." He shook his head and tried to smile. "But you don''t want to hear a stubborn fool''s problems. Beautiful girl like you. You must be married to a council member, eh? A new world princess." He smiled. Haley just returned it. Then she gestured to the rest of the man''s items. "I''d like to take the rest please. Everything you have." He stared for a moment, kind eyes getting a little watery. He seemed ready to say she didn''t need to do that, to protest what he saw as charity. "I don''t live in the city," she said, hoping to leave it there. "Where I''m from we''ve almost no spice at all. I''m very happy to buy it." Kwarta nodded, looking a bit confused as his eyes zed and made the exchange. Haley took everything into her storage, then removed a little basket she filled with an assortment of food. "Thank you," she said, leaving it on the man''s counter as she turned towards the exit without another word. She didn''t want to cause the proud man a moment of shame, so she hurried away with a cluttered mind and range of emotions. It was clear there was considerable suffering in the east. That many civilians there didn''t have nearly the lives offort and plenty that they did in Nassau. She wasn''t sure what to make of that yet. Except that Nassau and the soaring Tree City above it had plenty of room, and plenty of need for more human capital. And men like Kwarta would surely jump at the chance toe, if only they had that chance. Haley rushed back towards Mason and the yer promenade.
Chapter 381: Killing with kindness Chapter 381: Killing with kindness A sizable number of Nassau''s yers were officially drunk. Or stuffed to bursting. Or both. And they weren''t the only ones. The general volume of the promenade had increased to night club levels, with music ring and people shouting to be heard. Mason sat looking off his balcony feeling mostly miserable. He''d eventually spotted ke down there near a giant leaf, sitting with Annie and Seul-ki. His brother hadn''t noticed him, and he''d soon looked away. It was hard for Mason¡¯s brain toprehend how they weren''t together against the world at that moment. Why Mason was up here surrounded by other people, people he''d only met a few months before. And ke was down there. The stupidity of it brought back a slow, simmering heat of anger, which swallowed the small pleasure Mason actually had, which was watching his people enjoy themselves. "Fucking ke," he muttered, pushing away his food. "What''s that, darlin''?" Becky shouted, grinning as she leaned into his side. Her bright smile and eyes made it hard even for Mason to be miserable. He smiled and put an arm around her. "Just being gloomy." "Well stop." Becky gave him a hug. She gestured at Carl attempting to show several yers a drunken back flip and grinned. "Today''s a good day. Sometimes you just have to enjoy." Mason smiled for his beautiful country girl. But he knew he couldn''t. He felt like a caged animal surrounded by other caged animals. A thousand predators locked up in roboGod''s zoo. Haley came back and locked his eyes as she reached the top of the stairs. She sat on his other side and leaned in close so she could talk without shouting, then told him what it was like in the civilian ''bazaar''. Most of it didn''t surprise him. Though he winced and cursed himself when she talked about prying eyes and questions. "I should have realized and warned everyone in advance." Haley squeezed his hand. "We all should have. But I think it won''t matter much. And I met an interesting man who talked about this ¡®city¡¯ in the east." Haley told him about the man she¡¯d met and her various observations. Mason didn''t say much, just taking it in. But eventually he agreed to let the civilians sell a good portion of the ore and crystals they''d excavated from the mine. He had a kind of central ess in his patron profile, and set whatever permissions he wanted for the civilians. Though of course he just swiped and left it for Haley to sort out. "Don''t make it all avable day one," he said. "A bit at a time over the week. Let them think it''s scarce." Haley grinned and nodded, then looked a bit more troubled. "And food? We have far more than we need. Even after feeding the wolves and nting, there''s all kinds of expiring things. We could probably even give some away." "Sell it," Mason said after a moment to think. "But be fair. Don''t gouge them. And don''t let anyone buy it all." Haley nodded again, then grinned at Becky and gave her a poke in the ribs across Mason''sp. "You look drunk." "Drunk on life maybe." Becky winked and tossed back another shot, then licked her lips and shrugged. "I think I''m gettin'' screwed over like Mason. I can''t even feel it anymore." "That''s good. You were a cheap drunk," Mason said, pushing some hair away from her face. She opened her mouth in mock outrage, then nced around as if to see if they were being watched. "You know. With all that loud music, and everyone busy and all. Maybe we could...sneak off. Before anyone noticed." She ran her hands up Mason''s chest, wrapping a long leg over his. It definitely wasn''t the worst idea he''d heard. Especially when he noticed Haley practically salivating and pulling at Becky''s leg to get it higher. The music died, the ''yer promenade'' quieting quickly as light shone from a central tform and television screen. Mason just wished he''d been surprised to be interrupted from genuine pleasure by system nonsense. "Thank you, yers, for your patience,¡± boomed a servant¡¯s voice like it was speaking through a megaphone. ¡°We hope you''re enjoying yourselves in the Neutral Zone. As promised, a small list of tournament rules has been updated in your profiles. But we rmend checking with your civilians, because as usual they will have ess to even more information." Haley (and pretty much every visible yer) had their eyes zed as they read. Mason just waited. His paranoia was ring again, though he wasn''t sure exactly why. He felt a kind of tension in the air he didn''t trust, his body feeling like a spring ready to release. He scanned and listened as he tried to figure out some kind of threat, not caring if it made no sense. Mason trusted his gut. The central TV screen was flickering with light, then changed to smiling, happy human faces, sometimes disying symbols that looked almost like bad Olympic knock offs. "Also as promised, provided in your update is a small list of tournament rewards. But that''s not all¡ªplease look to your screens now to see one of the very top prizes of the First Annual Friendly yer Competitive Tournament!" Every screen in the promenade red to life. It revealed a sealed chest that started to unlock, the invisible voice going on about ''ultra rare ability'', and ''not to be found in the primary game world!''. It sounded a bit like that guy from the Price is Right. Inside the chest was a simple ck sphere. It shed with neon lights and colors as the screenunched fireworks and ribbons. "The Grand Tournament Power Gem adapts to its user, detecting strengths and weaknesses to provide a unique, one-time choice from a list of three options! It can be inserted in any innate item, even producing its own gem slot if none is avable. With three times the usual power energy, the Grand Tournament Gem will be invaluable to any yer''s ss." It was obviously valuable, and Mason was sure every person in the hall wanted it. But the system seemed to expect a round of raucous apuse. The lights shed, the fireworks red, but pretty much every yer sat in silence and stared. The disy finally died down, and the voice changed back to its far less dramatic, robotic tone. [The Tournament will continue shortly. yers, please prepare yourselves. Half of you will be randomly selected for your next round in five minutes, with all fights broadcast in real time on the avable disys. The other half willpete in one hour. Good luck. And please enjoy the Neutral Zone.] Mason felt his jaw clench as the shoe dropped. The son of a bitch. He nced over at his half drunk, fat bellied yers and knew he should have trusted his instincts. The gifts were the danger. "What''s this now? Did it say five minutes?" Tommaso asked with a hand on his gut. "Coffee." Mason stood and shouted. "Puke in corners. p each other in the face and drink cold water. I don''t care how but wake the fuck up because half of us are fighting to the death in five minutes, the rest in an hour. Understood?" Groans and disbelief followed, and Mason heard echoes of it all over the promenade. He pulled Becky to her feet and met her eyes, wishing he could sweep people with Ranger''s Mark without getting his ass pped by the system. "You good?" She rolled her neck and nodded, tossing away her ss with a growl. "It let me order all the biscuits and gravy I could eat. This thing''s a monster." Mason snorted, thinking that was the understatement of the century. Then he moved around checking the others just to see what he was dealing with. Tommaso was pretty bad. Alex looked worse. The Brusian couldn''t seem to keep his eyes focused, promising constantly he was perfectly fine until he actually tried to stand upright on his own. "Fuck." Mason pulled the man into a corner and shoved some water in his face. "We haven''t even been here that long. How did you get so drunk?" "Had to keep up. To old man. Not fair." "Drink it." Mason kept giving the man water, deciding it probably wouldn''t hurt him to vomit. "And pray you don''t go first." "Pray," Alex repeated, gulping down the second ss with a burp. "Who''s to listen?" It was a good question, and definitely not one Mason had any intention of answering. The only ''God'' who''d proven very real was a robotic psychopath, and he didn¡¯t inspire much faith. After making sure everyone was doing their best to sober themselves up, he reminded himself it was only a tournament, and losing didn''t mean real death. At least not today. But Mason knew now more than ever his yers needed to keep whatever advantages they''d gained in strength by being in the west. They were horribly outnumbered and needed to capitalize on their advantage now. They needed to earn the best possible rewards from this tournament, then head home on an absolute mission to keep improving. Because y time was over. When they got back home, Mason intended to take his yers out of the protection of Nassau, and force them into more and more danger outside the safety of the great forest. They needed to roam, to test themselves, to learn. To get stronger. The system voice pleasantly chimed in a few minutester, reminding everyone it was almost time for another round, with the added excitement of being able to watch thebat in real time. Mason gave his yers a final nod, wishing them all luck, hoping few were chosen. But somehow he wasn''t surprised when he saw damn near all of them start to fade. Then his own vision blurred as he warped into the ck.
Chapter 382: Round two Chapter 382: Round two John Macdonald opened his eyes to a domed arena, the air practically sizzling with some kind of energy. He attempted to charge his Lightning Fist, grinning as he filled it practically to bursting in seconds. The space was also open, mostly clear save for a few concrete pirs. This was good for John because it meant his opponent couldn''t hide or easily get away. As long as it wasn''t a ranged enemy who could outst him, victory was likely. In other words, it was much better luck thanst time. Hisst match had terrain very much to his disadvantage. So maybe the system was trying to bnce things out a little, and would give them a mix of terrain throughout the tournament to favor different yers. That made sense, anyway. This arena was a lot cleaner and smaller. John listened to his own footsteps as he walked across the concrete floor, the soles of his system-generated shoe-slippers tapping like drops of water. He didn''t see anyone yet. As he angled his path, though, he soon saw his opponent standing near a pir, looking up at the ceiling as if inspecting the building. The red robe of an ''eastern'' yer was discarded nearby. His opponent stood maybe two hundred feet away. Smallish, Asian, male. He wore a simple kind of martial arts uniform now that he''d discarded the robe, and didn''t look like he was carrying any kind of weapon or armor. He nced in John''s direction, clearly seeing him without looking particrly interested. It took John about fifty more steps and maybe thirty seconds to decide his opponent wasn''t just some eastern opponent. He recognized him from themunication beacon. It was the non-descript leader of the eastern city, the man who¡¯d been negotiating with Mason a few days before. John¡¯s opponent was the emperor. "You are from the west, I presume?" said the emperor, apparently finished with his inspection. He turned to John and put his hands behind his back. John nodded, activating his Energy Shield, wary of any tricks. He considered charging right there, but his arcane-inspection saw no activated powers or channeling from his enemy, no sign of any dy tactic that mattered. It didn''t hurt to wait. Maybe he''d even learn something. The emperor nodded. "I''m afraid you''re going to have to be made an example of. Know that it isn''t personal." John felt his heart beat faster. He was a tier 2 yer and had no delusions of grandeur. Maybe this emperor wouldn''t be as strong as Mason, but he seemed likely to be as powerful as Carl or Phuong. If so, John''s chances were...not good. He had to be clever. And probably lucky. Maybe really lucky. But no matter what happened, he was determined not to embarrass himself. "Let''s see it, then," he said, raising his fists as he drew more power from the air. A test was wise, he decided. To give a few light shots to maybe knock away any temporary defences before he threw a massive blow. A nice, quick Crackling Stun to start seemed appropriate. John crossed thest several steps in a rush, letting a small piece of his energynce out with the fast, effective little power. The emperor didn''t move. John''s lightning met some kind of golden barrier coating the man''s skin and fizzled. But he kept closing, moving right to striking range as henced out a Projected Jab. It struck the man''s weak looking jaw. And did nothing. John pulled back, wary of a quick counter. "Please," the emperor said, almost politely. "There is no trick. Do whatever you can to harm me. I won''t try to stop you." John growled and tried to control his temper. He knew he was being baited. The man seemed like a ''divine'' affinity, probably something like Alex. He may very well have some kind of reflective power that activated after enough punishment. John decided to assume yes. But what the hell was he going to do about it? Alex had suggested two possibilities of dealing with someone like him when asked earlier in the evening. One: brute force. Cause as much damage as possible, as quickly as possible, oveing his ability to prevent or heal it, bringing him down before he could reflect properly. Option two: be tougher. Hurt in ways you yourself could take, running him out of resources slowly but inevitably. With almost no offense, there wasn''t a hell of a lot he could do. John opted for option two. He kept his cool and his guard, moving around his opponent with small, easily recoverable light jabs and hooks, projecting the practically limitless energy in the air. If this ''emperor'' decided to reflect the lightning back, he''d soon discover just how utterly useless that was. After a good dozen hits the smaller man took a deep breath, still no sign of actually being harmed or reduced in any way. He didn''t even blink as the lightning struck him. "It seems you need motivation." John stepped back and readied his guard as the emperor came forward. The man balled his fists almost awkwardly, like someone not used to physicalbat. But he struck fast and right enough. One moment he wasing in like the world''s worst boxer. The next his fists struck John''s raised arms like a freight train. The force smashed John¡¯s arms against his chest and knocked him back. He stumbled but kept his feet, too surprised to consider any kind of retaliation. The emperor came forward like a blur and struck him again. This time John lost his bnce, falling straight back and twisting before he hit the concrete, probably breaking his damn elbow if it wasn''t for post-apocalyptic toughness. He tried to get up, but the emperor''s foot hit him in the chest. The power was incredible. Inhuman. It slid a six foot five, two-hundred and sixty pound John across the floor like the emperor had kicked a puppy. His Energy Shield red, drawing at all the power in the air. Even so his wind was knocked out, and he gasped and forced himself to his knees before the small man was on him again striking his arms, shoulders, chest. It was like fighting three men. John struggled to his feet and activated Lightning Shield, swirling ayer of electrical current around him. The emperor didn''t run. Didn''t move. Didn''t care. He came right through it and smashed John in the chest again, sting him back but miraculously still on his feet. He spit blood as painnced down his chest, and he knew this time Energy Shield had failed and he''d cracked and maybe broken some ribs. He''d never seen anyone so strong. Not even Mason. "I don''t think I''ll bother letting you try again," said the emperor, as if disappointed. "I had expected you western yers to be stronger than this. Perhaps this baron is merely a small fish in a tiny pond. Perhaps he''s been very lucky so far." John clenched his jaw as he stood tall, despite the pain. He''d given up any chance of winning now. But he wouldn''t shame himself. He''d get a decent hit on this little son of a bitch if it was thest thing he did. "Come on, then," he said, filling his bars with renewed power. "Finish me, if ya can. His opponent moved in without hesitation, and John was ready. He activated his Projection and Lightning Fist with a wild haymaker, hoping the man''s arrogance would cause him to take it almost intentionally. He was right. John''s fist connected with a literal explosion. Arcane force shed with golden light, spraying in rippling waves of energy that crackled and crashed like the bolt of lightning it contained. And did nothing at all. John found himself on his back a momentter, the emperor standing over him. The little man stomped his legs. Bones broke as John tried to move, to wiggle away, to grab the bastard and start shocking him. Impossible strength wrenched his arm from its socket. Broke his jaw. Copsed a lung. John took a dozen more blows, knowing his broken body was a bloody ruin in less than a minute. The pain got bad enough he almost called out. Almost surrendered. Instead, when his enemy leaned down, he spat on his chest and met his eyes. "In the real world," the little man whispered, John''s spit and blood dripping off his golden shield without touching him. "I will break your mind long before I break your body. You will call me lord. Or you will die." The bastard stood, and raised a fist. Hisst hit was just as hard as his first. * * * The system held Mason in a kind of prison cell surrounded by screens for several minutes before his fight. They let him watch dozens of fights, including all his yers. ¡®A special, ongoing reward,¡¯ his profile read with blinking pride. ¡®As honored guest and Nexus Founder.¡¯ He saw Becky just barely beat some skirmisher with flying discs, her shield finally transforming into a mace and catching the man by surprise. She came out blood-spattered and tired. But she came out with a victory. Seamus mbee''d some poor bastard who didn¡¯t get a chance to do much of anything. Carl murdered an archer than vomited on himself. Phuong beat a fellow swordsman in a fairly evenly matched duel¡ªat least until the older man decided to start using stuns. It was all horrifyingly gruesome and difficult to watch. Mason knew he had to get used to it, and he was when it was just him. But watching people who knew and loved was something else. Then he finally saw John and the emperor. Bile rose in his throat in the final beating, his hands clenching with impotent rage. Before the son of a bitch delivered the final blow, he looked up at the ceiling, straight into some kind of camera, and smiled. Then he crushed John''s skull. Mason''s mind was nk as he entered his own match. He could smell the booze, the femininity. When he approached the spear-armed stranger, he had no interest left at all in making any kind of ''demonstration''. Of ''intimidating'' the rest of the world into peace. He wasn''t a monster. He was a killer of monsters. And he was watching one reveal itself in little pieces to him. He went in fast with his ws raised and saw the older woman''s fear, moving straight for the kill. She held him off a moment or two, the weapon spinning like a fan with some defensive power, striking out so quickly it seemed like she had three of four of the weapons. Then she was dead. Mason grabbed the shaft of the weapon, drove his shorter w into her heart, and eased her to the ground. He held her arms as she died. "You''re alright," he said. "You''ll wake soon." After a trumpet red she was gone, and so was he, earning another single point before blinking awake in the increasingly obscene forting¡¯ lights and sounds of the ''Neutral Zone''. He went to his yers, congratting the winners, finding John in the corner with a few others close by with the same thought. "You alright?" he asked, instantly seeing the haunted look in the man''s eyes. John nodded, trying to shrug it off, adding a very brave, and very fake wink. "Aye, boss. Only cost me a point. But I''ll be d when you brain that bastard." Mason nodded and pped his shoulder. There was a lot of things he wanted to say, but decided the best thing was just to let the man be. He told the rest to be ready for their match in an hour. "Watch the fights. Get used to it. And don''t be afraid to surrender if it¡¯s clear you can''t win. I don''t give a shit about any kind of reputation or dishonor. Alright? This isn¡¯t life or death. Not yet." They all nodded, but he could tell they still felt otherwise. He couldn''t me them. All he could do was sit there thanking God it hadn''t been Reba or ke he''d watched dismembered, hoping both would have the good sense to surrender out before something like that. Well. Maybe not all he could do. He also imagined what he was going to do to that man when he got the chance. Because maybe Mason wasn''t the same as ''the emperor''¡ªhe wasn''t a monster who destroyed the weak to turn them into ves. But he had always enjoyed hurting bullies. Even in some ridiculous world made by some alien god, that was a thing he enjoyed very much.
Chapter 383: Skip to the begging Chapter 383: Skip to the begging ke blinked as his second arena faded from view. He''d fought some kind of hybrid ranged/caster, whounched exploding arrows and warped around. No doubt it would have been a problem for some slow melee type. ke had tossed the arrows around with Telekinesis, mostly for fun, as his constructs chased the man all over the ce. When he got tired of that he started using some Arcane sts, but his opponent had ranged and magical defences. It went on for a painfully boring amount of time. Then the guy (looking a bit haggard, and one had to say, desperate) finally warped in to try and kill ke with a knife. One Telekinesis-toss and a few construct spearster, and that was pretty much that. He''d gotten two points this time. Though it hadn''t felt particrly deserved. Then the Neutral Zone returned with all its artificial exuberance, ke still sitting in his chair like nothing had even happened. He took a moment to collect himself, then gave Seul-ki a smile. "Well fought." She bowed her head. "I discovered we can watch any fight we wish, on any screens we wish. They are somehow disyed individually. I was able to see your entire bout." "How interesting," ke said, taking a look for his brother in the menu he was able to pull up in his profile ''screen''. "I assume you declined this bout as well?" Seul-ki nodded. Somehow her ss allowed her to be in the Neutral Zone as a yer or a civilian, whenever and however it suited her. She wasn''t being forced into the tournament at all. After a brief discussion, she assured ke that her powers werepletely useless solo, and that she would currently stand no chance. "Better not to reveal anything," she said. "Than to waste my secrecy and lose every bout anyway." He had been forced to agree. But the loss of any chance to receive a prize from the system seemed supremely unfair. Like most video games, it seemed, the ''support'' types got straight up punished by the system rules. It probably annoyed him more than it should have. But Seul-ki and people like her had taken an incredible risk in the first ce to be ''supports''. Shouldn''t the game asionally reward them for such a thing? "We''ll make sure you receive your rewards when the teams start," he assured her, and she nodded with a smile. They''d already discussed their strategy somewhat for the threes. Seul-ki had essentially no defences. And neither ke nor Annie had much to actually protect her save Telekinesis, or to put Annie or constructs physically in the way. Then ke slowly realized he was an idiot, as usual. With True Making, he could make practically anything he wanted. So, the first thing he intended to do at the start of every match, was to make Seul-ki a¡­pope mobile. OK maybe a tower. But a metal or ss box seemed easy enough. Something unlockable from the inside, a small hole for him to reach into, so Seul-ki could take his (or Annie''s) arm and channel all her powers. He¡¯d make it work. Then, depending on the team, they''d make monstrous constructs until someone interfered, send Annie on a Seul-ki enhanced path of destruction, or start controlling minds... He wasn¡¯t really sure, but trusted things to work out. And he was getting eager to see how therger fights went. For now he grinned as Mason''s name popped up, and he watched his brother pop up on screens wherever he looked. It was all very impressive, and he grinned at the visual disy. But it wasn¡¯t the most thrilling match. In a few seconds Mason''s fight was over, and some olddy was dead. "Well. That was anti-climactic," he said, thumbing through to look for Annie. The little red head fought some kind of warrior-wizard. Arcane energy surrounded him as he held up a shield and sword, swirling with rather impressive shields that ke would have loved to identify. He sted several shots at Annie as she came in. She dodged them all or deflected them with her terrifying axe, face a mask ofplete indifference as she charged. Then her huge weapon practically caved in the wizard''s shield in one hit. He panicked as his auras clearly failed to stop his opponent, falling back and blocking for dear life as his deadly magic stung Annie like angry bees. Pretty soon his shields broke¡ªboth magic and mundane. The rest of him swiftly followed. "Well done, my dear," ke said as the young warrior appeared in her chair. She blinked and looked at ke like she hardly recognized him, and didn''t much care to. "Remember our deal," he said, a little chastisement in his tone. "No Voidsoul except when there''s danger. And there''s certainly no danger here. RoboGod says so. And our beloved overlord wouldn''t lie." Annie visibly drooped as the power faded. She was doing better, far better, since their work on her dreams. But she still had a long way to go. "Are you alright?" he said, taking her hand. She nodded and instantly started chewing the nails on her other hand. It was a new nervous affectation, he''d noticed, along with twirling her fingers in her hair. He didn''t try to break her of these, though he sometimes pointed them out, just so she knew. But not today. "Well," he said, scrolling through fights of other yers from Nassau, pleased to see pretty much all of them were winning. "Another day, another victory. I know you''re both...introverted, and no doubt tired of this ''promenade''. Would you like to go and see the rest of the hotel? Maybe get a massage? Eat something in the rooms? I''m happy to do anything you like." Seul-ki smiled, and even Annie showed a bit of interest. "Room service might be nice," she said, then her eyes opened wide. "Do you think they''d have a pool? I love to swim. But I wouldn''t want..." her voice drained to a whisper. "Only if it''s private." ke frowned, not sure he could guarantee that. As yers without any ''patron'' status or ''Houses'', their options were actually quite limited. They could certainly find a pool to swim in, but any other yers could wander by. He made a mental note to start building things for Annie and Seul-ki into his tower when he got home. With True Making, and a little learning, he suspected he could make quite an borate home. If he ever had the time. But for the moment, if he wanted to give Annie what she wanted, he knew he would have to ask Mason. It irked him slightly. But not much. ke was arrogant, certainly. Narcissistic, probably. But he didn''t suffer overly much from pride. "Go to the rooms," he said, giving Annie a wink. "And I''ll go find us a nice, private pool." Annie grinned like the teenage girl she was. Between her very developed figure, and the pure joy on her pretty face, ke imagined there weren''t many men who could tell her ¡®no¡¯ for long about anything. Seul-ki and Annie walked off towards their rooms, Annie giving him ast look and a wave before she went. ke tried desperately to stuff his growing affection for the girl into his still-recovering Partitioned Mind. "God damn Saza-whatever," he said, thinking of the demon that ripped it apart with a final Mind Rend. "I''m d I locked you in hell." He stood and steeled himself, hoping Mason wasn''t still too angry. He walked towards ''House Mason'', equipped with his most pathetic expression, apologetic tone loaded for battle. * * * ¡°Yes I¡¯m aware I¡¯ve not been invited. But I need to speak with Baron Mason to receive said invitation. So if you could just¡­¡± ke sighed at the system servant apparently ¡®guarding¡¯ the entrance to House Mason¡¯s balcony. But after a few useless moments of trying to convince the thing, Haley had noticed him and wasing down the stairs. ¡°My dear, you look as radiant as ever. I was hoping toe in for a chat.¡± ke smiled with genuine affection, pleased to see the woman he already considered his sister inw. ¡°Hello. Nice to see you,¡± Haley said,ing forward to give ke a chaste kiss on both cheeks. Then she frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll need to speak with Mason first.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ke stepped away and put his hands behind his back. The brothers were in a rare moment of conflict, and while ke had no concern in the long term, he didn¡¯t want to put Haley in any kind of awkward position. She came back in a few minutes with a smile, and ke¡¯s profile shed with an invitation to the balcony. He skipped up the steps then remembered he was supposed to be a repentant beggar. ¡°There he is.¡± ke smiled weakly at Mason sitting in a booth across the tform. As ever his brother¡¯s practically glowing green eyes were unnatural after a lifetime of seeing them different. Mason also seemed somehow bigger every time ke saw him, his always well-muscled body getting closer to superhero status as he draped a thick arm across the rail. ¡°What do you want now?¡± Mason said, looking away. But ke had known his brother too long. He could see he was happy to see him, and he realized if one day he wasn¡¯t it would be a very terrible day indeed. ¡°I was hoping to apologize. And then to beg.¡± Mason sighed and seemed to consider, then waved him over. After ke had sat across from him he finally turned and looked him up and down. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just skip to the begging. I know the other part¡¯s bullshit anyway.¡± ke frowned, but gave a nod. ¡°Annie was hoping for a private swim. She''s still...fragile, but getting better. I don''t have any kind of resources here. Seul-ki and I wouldn¡¯t have to go with her. Though...that might make her morefortable. I don''t know what ess you actually have. But I figured¡­well. If it wasn¡¯t for Annie, I wouldn¡¯t ask.¡± Mason stared, because of course they both knew the oue. It was a genuine request, but ke also understood by asking for Annie he was appealing to a side of Mason that would literally die to protect or help a weaker thing. At least on a good day. "I''ve just invited all three of you to our pool,¡± Haley said,ing up beside them with a smile. ¡°It''s all yours until tomorrow. It shoulde up on your list as soon as you step in the elevator." Mason just nced at her, the lovers probably having a conversation with their eyes. ke smiled. "I appreciate it. Thank you. And I watched your fight, brother. Top form as ever." "Did you watch John''s?" Mason said instantly. "I''m afraid I missed that one." Mason sat up and balled a fist, looking ready to jump off the balcony. "The emperor of man ripped him apart with his bare hands. John''s tough. I''ve seen him take a dozen explosions to the face. And that man tore him limb from limb." It definitely wasn''t fear in his brother''s voice. But it was a cautious tone. A warning. Mason also had that look in his eye like he''d seen something he couldn''t stand. Like he wouldn''t be satisfied until he put it right. ke sighed. "It won''t be thest time you see your people lose. It''s part of the game, I''m afraid." Mason muttered something, increasingly massive arms crossed, in full on angry protector mode. It was a side of Mason ke had appreciated all his life. But it wasn''t always helpful. "I''m sure you''ll both enjoy ughtering emperors soon enough,¡± Haley said, inching closer to Mason¡¯s side of the table like she was approaching a wild beast. ¡°But for tonight, why not rx? You and your girls could join us in the pool." She looked at ke and smiled. "We can catch up a little. Float. Pretend we''re not in the, ah, Matrix? Yes?" ke matched the beautiful woman¡¯s smile. He and Haley had always worked well together¡ªespecially when their task was getting Mason to do something for his own good. She took a breath and nced his brother¡¯s way, the pair exchanging another kind of long-term couple, meaningful look. It made ke smile to see it. His brother had truly fallen in love with the girl, and it was hard to imagine someone worthier. "Alright." Mason sighed like he''d signed a bad contract. Or maybe a peace treaty. "A swim would be...nice. If Annie doesn¡¯t mind, we''ll meet you. In a bit." "She¡¯ll be thrilled." ke grinned and gave Haley a special thank you look. He tucked away a reminder to send her some kind of gift, then almost swore as his Partitioned Mind red with another error. "I''ll see you shortly." He stood and walked away with a wave, then a finger point. "Oh and no speedos. Except for the girls. That would be fine." He walked off and grinned at the familiar feel of Mason''s re on his back. They were in a rough patch, no doubt. But they¡¯d squabbled plenty all their lives. A drink and a float, and things would be back to normal in no time. He was sure of it.
Chapter 384: One big, happy apocalypse family Chapter 384: One big, happy apocalypse family "The arrogant prick wants to pretend like everything''s normal. I''m doing his God damn job while he screws around ying orc house." Haley sat on their huge hotel bed while Mason paced, trying to look sympathetic. But not too sympathetic. She was neverpletely sure how to cure his ke troubles. The waters there ran deep, and she knew whatever her man and his brother might say or do, they were fiercely and eternally loyal. To get in the current of that raging river was to risk being swept away and drowned. "It doesn''t have to be normal for us to enjoy an evening," she said, looking through her swimsuits. Mason opened his mouth to protest, then growled. "You''ll talk to the..." "We got your note!" Rosa (and a more subdued Lexi) burst in without knocking. The dark haired beauty grinned and wiggled her hips in a dance. "I''m a good swimmer. Can we get drinks, too? The bazaar is fantastic but it''s kind of exhausting. There''s so many people." Mason slumped down on the bed looking mostly defeated. Haley decided that was her cue. She hopped up and gave him a peck on the cheek, then took out a rack of recently purchased swimsuits from her storage, setting it by the bed. "I was thinking a fashion show. Ladies? Where''s Becky?" "I''min''," the cowgirl called from somewhere in the living room. Then she came in hopping as she pulled off a boot, wearing nothing but panties and a tied off t-shirt, her hair mostly stuffed in a cap. "What?" she looked around at the other girls. "Ain''t we goin'' swimmin''?" Mason grinned, perking up by the second. Haley understood her man well enough now that when he had some difficult problem, the best thing was female distraction. First excitement. Then satisfaction. He thought best when he was mindless and drained. "We are," Haley said. "But I have many nice outfits and you can''t go in your underwear. ke and his guests will be there." "Oh." Becky looked at the swimsuits and rolled her eyes. "Well shit, I don''t need all that." Haley red and handed her a nice green two piece, but with enough coverage to look respectable. "This one matches your eyes." "Um," Lexi went a little pink as she looked through the options. "Where should we change?" "Oh I think we''re past that now," Haley said, lifting two options she thought might work for the short brte. "How about these?" With that she pulled off her top, giving Mason a little smile as she worked at the small tie on her cks. Becky shrugged and tossed her shirt, apparently not wearing a bra. Rosa rolled her eyes but soon started stripping, quickly fighting for Mason''s attention as she made a show of shimmying down her pants. "Well what''s Mason wearin''?" Becky said. "This ain''t a peep show. Strip, city boy." Mason grinned and stood, the change in his eyes already happening as he rxed. Though Haley realized they were now all in danger of not getting out of this room. But she thought it best to resist. He needed to talk to his brother. And just spend some time being social. And sometimes it was better to be teased a little, to wait until... Haley pped Mason''s arm when he went for her ass. His green eyes shed, though his mouth was still fighting a grin. "Do you like the blue, or the grey?" Haley held up two bikinis. Mason didn''t look at either of them. "The blue." All the girls pulled on their outfits, Lexi hopping and almost falling over as she put on the bottom, sending Rosa into a fit ofughter. Mason watched it all with hungry eyes, and Haley decided it was going well. "Any changes?" she said, gesturing for the girls to line up. Mason just shook his head, looking a bit thoughtful now. Maybe even¡­content? By the time Rosa was making kissy faces and a mockery of being a model, Haley flicked her arm and gestured for the door. "OK, OK, let''s go. Mason your trunks are there." She gestured to the bed. "Um. But we haven''t done our hair," Lexi said. Becky rolled her eyes. "Girl, we''re goin'' swimmin'', we don''t need to do our hair. Come on already." Haley took a moment to watch Mason finish stripping, blinking as he busted her with a smile. She sighed, slightly regretting not just letting him have his way with the whole group of them right there. Especially as he came forward and put his arms around her, his hands drifting down again... "Swimming," she said, holding strong. "Sociable. ke." Mason''s growl made her knees tremble. If he ignored her and kept touching she knew she''d cave. Whether it was the system, the pregnancy, or just how unreasonably attracted to him she was, she pretty much couldn''t fight his advances for more than a few... He took a deep breath, and held her hand. "OK," he said. "Let''s go be a big, happy, apocalypse family. There''s probably a few hours before I have to kill someone again." Haley did her best to look in control. To fight the heat radiating off her body. She gave him a critical look, and a dry tone. "That''s the spirit." * * * Mason definitely had mixed feelings in the ''elevator'' staring at the ''Private Aquatic Center'' button. He wanted to talk to ke, to make things right between them, to just sit and joke with his brother. But he was also still mad and didn''t see how anything had changed. ke was the selfish prick he always was, just with apocalyptic consequences. Their whole lives he couldn''t see beyond his own ridiculous ns, and Mason was always left holding the bag. Except it wasn''t just Mason who suffered anymore. "You don''t have to do anything, my love," Haley squeezed his hand as if reading his mind. "Just sit with us and enjoy, yes? No more." Becky nced at them with a brow raised. "I missin'' somethin''?" "No." Mason squeezed Haley''s hand then pped Becky''s ass so hard it echoed in the elevator. "Mind your business." Becky made a little, pleasurable gasp and put her hands on the door, definitely not moving away from the p. Rosa looked a bit jealously on, and Lexi started turning pink. "No time for that, city boy," she said. Then turned back at him and winked before hitting the button for an instant ding. Then she skipped out like an excited school girl, Rosa and Lexi following, Mason and Haley still holding hands as they came after. They really did all look amazing. Mason enjoyed a good, long ogle at the girls in their swimsuits as they moved out to inspect the huge pool and evenrger building. It was hard not to stare at Lexi in particr, who he''d just started sleeping with literally hours before¡­ She had a definite Becky energy, a kind of innocent, bubbly enthusiasm, currently tamped down because she was clearly shy around the girls, and Mason. He also got the impression she had a great sense of humor, she just needed to get a bit more confident to let it out. He looked forward to spending enough time with her to do that... "There he is!" ke floated up out of the water with his arms out, then simted walking across it like he was Jesus Christ himself. Mason shook his head, torn between grinning and knocking his brother''s ass back in the water. "I remember your telekic control being a lot shittier," he said. "And I don''t think Father Alban would approve." "Father Alban was boring beyondprehension, and as dry as you. Now get in the pool. You can turn it into waves. Or shooting jets. And I think there''s hot or cold buttons. Did we try those, girls?" From a lifetime of experience, Mason knew resisting ke''s enthusiasm was pretty much pointless. He gestured to the water, and the girls (besides Haley) all took turns leaping in. "Did you want to sit awhile?" Haley gave him a smile and pointed at the nearby chairs. "Or should we...Mason..." With the barest of effort, Mason scooped Haley over a shoulder and tossed her into the water, then jumped in beside her. She came up sputtering and slicked back her hair, ring as she swore in her ''neutral'', unented tone, which meant the system was tranting a string of French curses. Mason grinned and dove down, instantly feeling calmer as his ridiculous senses were smothered beneath the water. He decided in that moment he needed some kind of sensory deprivation tank. But he supposed just sinking himself into deep water might do the trick. It''s not like he needed much air. And maybe he didn''t need it at all... Out of curiosity more than anything he crossed the pool withouting up, back and forth several times just to see how long he couldst. By about the seventh pass he felt the slight need for air, but couldn''t decide if it was real or just his brain notprehending what was happening. For now he gave up and came out, not even breathing hard as he shook off the water. "Show off." Becky stuck her tongue out at him, apparently attempting to keep up. Her body curved alluringly as she turned and dove to swim away, and Mason just watched with a smile. Then he ignored everyone and swam moreps, moving faster and faster and eventually into another, evenrger pool connected with a small underwater path. He was even breathing a little hard and feeling a lot better when he finally came out to be with the others. "Enjoy your swim?" Haley said as he sat beside her. She''d clearly been wearing a little make-up, which had run a bit from the water and been hastily cleaned up. Her hair was in a towel, her incredible body shining beneath some kind of false, yellow light that shot down directly from a light above each chair. "You look absolutely beautiful," he said, putting a hand to her cheek. "Oh you won''t get off that easy," she said, but had to look away to cover her smile. "Go sit with your brother. You aren''t wee here." Shey back to enjoy the light, a hand over her eyes. "It''s so warm," she said with a sigh. "Like the real sun." Mason was tempted to join her, but walked towards his brother. ke was simrly ''sun-tanning'' beside an overly dressed and reading Seul-ki, his pale body the brightest light in the damn room. "You might consider leaving that tower asionally," he said as he stood nearby. "Too busy," ke said without missing a beat. "Orcs to befriend. Worlds to save." Jesus, Mason thought. Here we go. "Any chance we can..." he sighed. "Not talk about orcs, or goblins? Just...agree to disagree for a day?" ke covered his eyes from the light and looked up, then nodded. He grinned. "Remember my friend Benny?" Mason snorted and sat. "I remember the smell. Didn''t he have a girlfriend who stunk, too? Like they never washed their clothes?" "Yes, well. They were a bit...unconventional," ke agreed. Mason shook his head. "You always made weird friends. Who was that guy from the debate team? The guy with the..." Mason gestured at his back and ke nodded. "Gary. Wore a ninja turtle backpack the whole freshman year. Hell of a debater, though." Mason shook his head, then noticed ke giving him a predatory kind of look. "I was always good at spotting hidden gems," ke said, the linguistic trap mping down. "Talent and opportunity where others just saw...risk. Weirdness. The other." "Oh for Christ''s sakes," Mason said. "You really never stop, do you?" "He who cares most, wins." ke closed his eyes. "We can''t bury our problems under the rug, brother of mine. We deal with things or they deal with us." "You sound like a fucking hallmark card sometimes." Mason realized he¡¯d crossed his arms and purposefully uncrossed them. They sat in silence a few moments, then ke literally floated a pair of drinks over from a...teleporter pad? He sat up with a grin and took his from the air, and kicked Mason in the leg. "So. Tell me about this emperor. About the tournament. About anything, really. How can I help? Oh and I have a thing to tell you after, don''t let me forget." Only ke could cause you a fucking headache worth of problems then convince you he was the solution. "Pretty sure the emperor''s exactly what I was afraid of," he said, then shrugged when ke gestured for him to go on. "I don''t know. What he said at the beacon. What he did to John. The same old world shit. This time with superpowers." ke nodded, giving a ''who''s surprised'' kind of shrug. "But he can''t hurt us yet." "Who knows with this game." Mason shook his head. "Tomorrow it might drain the ocean. Or make teleporting easy. Or drop us all in a big pit. We have to be ready. We need to get stronger. Even me." "How, exactly?" "I don¡¯t know. Exploration. Dungeons. Mortal, awful danger. The usual." "We may lose people," ke said, and Mason nodded. "No choice. Haley thinks we might be able to steal people from the east sooner orter." ke nodded like he agreed. Then he said some kind of wizard from an ''Arcane Order'' was trying to recruit him. "They know we''re brothers," he said. "They''ll try to use me, of course. Drive us apart. Who knows what." "Obviously," Mason said, a little uneasy. ke just grinned. "I''ll make it all very convincing." Mason kicked him in the leg a lot harder than he''d been kicked, and ke''s face twisted as he tried to be pretend it didn''t hurt. "Let me know if you need me to call you an asshole in public, or something,¡± Mason said. ¡°To pretend I really don''t like you. I don''t mind. Like at all." ke grinned and held up his ss, and they both drained their drinks. ke coughed and shook his head as the alcohol burned. Mason snorted. "Idiot." His brother smiled, and their eyes met for a moment before they both looked away. "Moron," ke mumbled, and for awhile they both sat in afortable silence. The terrible, ufortable, ke-shaped lump that had formed was melting a bit. It didn''t change their disagreement, or Mason''s genuine words that he wouldn''t go back to that tower to help. Except, OK, maybe to save his brother''s life and get him out. God damnit, he thought. But he couldn''t be too angry. He knew in this life he''d never abandon his brotherpletely. That he''d never stop worrying about him or caring about him, even if he behaved like an idiot. They were family. It''s just how it was. "Stop your lounging'' or schemin'' ande help me beat Rosa''s ass," Becky called from the water, the Mexican sticking out her tongue and sshing water. Mason raised a questioning brow. "Chicken fight." Becky rified. "Two yers, two civilians. I get Lexi. And we''re gonna push Rosa''s big ass in the water until she begs for mercy. Soe on." ke shook his head and lifted another floating drink like he couldn''t possibly. Mason rolled to his feet, and to a few feminine cheers.
Chapter 385: No rules in a chicken fight Chapter 385: No rules in a chicken fight Rosa and Mason kicked Becky and Lexi''s ass. "That''s cheatin!" Becky yelled as Mason hooked her leg under the water and pulled them both over. "There''s no rules in a chicken fight. I''m a warhorse. Horses kick." Rosa did a dance on his shoulders, note even trying to be sportsmanlike. Then Becky wasunching herself at them both, executing some kind of flipped leg grab to scissor Rosa''s upper body and yank her off screaming. Lexi and Haley cheered their support. They spent a good two hours in the ''Aquatic Center''. It had ''simted sun'' over every chair and lounger with the push of a button, a kind of scrolling wheel to control the heat. There were system servants on hand to bring food and drinks or pool toys, even give massages on some nearby tables. ke managed to convince Mason to give this a try. "This is the life," ke groaned as a pair of robotic hands kneaded his back. Masony beside him, trying to rx. His never-ending wounds definitely left some...irregrities, including a number of aches and pains. But he didn''t much expect some automaton to do much about it. Especially because his body was now like somebination of hard stic and old shoe leather. He twitched in surprise when the thing squashed him forcefully into the table. He literally heard it pushing, like it was building up fluid for a hydraulic press. It worked him with impossibly strong hands, and he groaned as it actually managed to sink its digits into his muscles with enough force to hurt. "See?" ke grinned. "I told you. They built this monster. They know how to feed it." Mason groaned again as he felt it work a lump so big it might have been a tumor. "It found my...ke knot," he said "It''s been building for fifteen years." "Yes, well." ke cleared his throat. "No reason to be snarky. I''m just trying to help." "Maybe start trying to hurt. It might improve things." Mason half passed out for awhile as the pain and pleasure red through his back. Eventually ke waved away his masseuse and stood. "It''s probably time we got back to our rooms. Thank you again for the invitation. No, no, don''t get up. We''ll see you in the promenade. Perhaps next time we''ll all join you." Mason nodded into the table. "Alright. I''m d you came and...bothered me. We''ll see youter." "Hopefully muchter. I''d like to sleep before the next round." ke wiggled his eyebrows like he knew something Mason didn''t, then called for his yers and walked off. Mason hadn''t really talked to Seul-ki or Annie, but he didn''t have much interest. With ke''s women you never knew who would be around in a week, a month. And they''d chosen their loyalties. They weren''t his responsibility anymore. Mostly he justy there and tried to enjoy himself. After awhile he had to admit the rub down was helping. His system servant had enough mechanical strength and know-how it was legitimately crushing out some knots in his back and shoulders. "Mind if I join you?" Lexi''s voice. Mason nced up and saw her shy, pretty smile. He just grunted and half closed his eyes, perking up when Lexiy down and undid the string of her top. Memories of the night before started flickering through his mind, and he had to fight them to stayfortable lying t... "Figured we should...I don''t know. Talk," Lexi said, obviously awkward. "We haven''t really. Well ever, I guess. But since...well I figured. OK I don''t know how to do this." Mason chuckled, pushing himself up to speak a little more clearly. He swept Lexi with his eyes¡ªlong, brown hair spilling off the table, the curve of her back and ass. "Do I make you nervous?" "Um. A little." Mason sat up and waved off the masseuses, fighting a bit of ancient shyness to put his hands on Lexi''s back. He was no expert, but it wasn''t rocket science. He started looking for knots, going as easy as possible. Lexi''s body clenched a little at his touch, but rxed quick. "You know," he said, "before all this, I never would have talked to a girl like you." "An English girl?" she said. "It''s been a few hundred years. Surely you''ve forgiven us." Mason grinned. "No. I mean..." he shrugged, forcing his tongue to work. "I mean a beautiful, sophisticated looking girl. You were out of my league." Lexi turned her head to give him a skeptical eye. "Didn''t you grow up rich? With private tutors?" When he nodded she did an eyeroll. "So aren''t you...well, we''d say posh." "No." Mason pressed on a shoulder knot and Lexi groaned. "I was a stray cat adopted by the posh. Not the same." "Everything''s so different now," Lexi said. "Funny how things stick. It''s supposed to be different." Mason nced at Becky and Rosa floating on some kind of pool beds,ughing and chatting like old friends. They''d certainlye a long way since the first days, and he was d for that. Haley had her eyes closed, lying on a t chair getting fake sun. He grinned and kept on rubbing Lexi''s back, doing his best not to let his hands wander. "Oh it''s different," he said. "But I''m still a stray. And you''re still posh." "It''s likedy and the tramp," Lexi giggled. "Oh. I''ve been warned about you and movies. It''s about this..." "I know what Lady and the Tramp is." He gave her a slightly harder dig and she gripped the table with a groan. "So¡­while you weren''t watching tv, or going to proper school, what exactly were you doing?" Memories of the giant Nimitz house floated through Mason''s mind. The estate, the pool, the yard. Chasing frogs and building forts out of mud. Forcing his brother to toss around a ball. Kick the can in the trees with ke and his friends, the neighborhood kids. He smiled as he thought of endless things to explore, reminded how much he''d always loved nature. "We yed outside," he said. "It''s a thing kids used to do." "Ah." Lexi smiled. "I''ve heard of outside." She sniffed. "I don''t like it." "Good thing you live in a forest now. In a giant tree city." Lexi shook with augh. "And it''s beautiful, it really is. But actually I''m still inside most of the time. We ''civilians'' don''t really leave the walls, you know." Mason winced, realizing they probably felt pretty trapped, actually. "We''ll change that," he said. "In fact it''s pretty safe already. There''s not many dangers left near Nassau." "Except you," Lexi said, turning to sit up. She put an arm over her chest, blushing a little as she eyed her swim top. Mason picked it up and draped it over her front, then moved to the back to tie it. She put her hands to her face like she was embarrassed. "What?" he said. Lexi nced at the other girls, her voice low. "It''s just...I''ve slept with you. I had a threesome with you. But I feel like I hardly know you. This is the first time we''ve really talked." "Yeah." Mason tied the string, putting his hands back on Lexi''s shoulders. "It''s a little weird. But, I don''t regret it." He sat behind her and leaned in, gently kissing her neck. She flinched, then moaned and put her head back against him. He decided he definitely wanted a night with her alone. She turned her face enough he could kiss her lips, and after a tiny hesitation she opened her mouth and went for his tongue. "I feel like I''m kissing my friend''s boyfriend," she whispered, looking a bit shy again. Yeah, Mason thought. They definitely needed some alone time. He fought the urge to untie that top again and cup her breasts... and then who knew what from there...but a little blood was still in his brain, and he needed to use it. "How about a date?" he said, and shrugged. "We''re in a giant hotel for a week. There''s probably other things to do. We could sit. Eat. Talk. Like fancy posh people." Lexi''s eyes lit up with her beautiful smile. "When?" "Tonight. Tomorrow. Whenever we get the chance." Lexi nced at the other girls. Especially Rosa. "But...what about...I mean. Won''t they be...jealous?" "Stop worrying about them." Mason took Lexi''s hand. "New world. New rules. You''re not jealous of Rosa, are you?" "No," she said, ying with his fingers. "There you go. Hell, we can leave right now, if you like." Lexi''s eyebrows went up, and she looked away with a little tsk sound. "Oh you''re very good at this. Aren''t you? A smooth criminal." Mason fought off a genuineugh. "No one''s used me of being smooth before." "At getting what you want, then," Lexi said, meeting his eyes. She definitely wasn''t saying no. Or even reallyining. And Mason supposed he was getting pretty good at having things his way. "When it''s important," he said, and Lexi shook her head, like he was just proving her point. "OK," she said. "It''s a date." Mason grinned, trailing a finger up her arm. "I mean...you said it, you''ve already slept with me." Lexi opened her mouth in mock offence, pping at his arm before looking away. "Maybe it was a one off. A terrible mistake. Never to be repeated again." Mason grinned and leaned in until his lips touched her ear. "I guess we''ll see. Won''t we?" He saw little hairs rise on Lexi''s arms, heard her heart beating faster. He was pretty sure he could even smell her arousal... "Should I, um, should we go get changed?" Mason knew if he took her back to the hotel room alone there was a very good chance he''d be fucking her before they left for the date. It kind of defeated the purpose, but he doubted either of them would be able to resist... "Yeah." He picked up her tiny body and set her down beside him, which would have likely been easy before he got super strength. "Back to the room. We''ll change. Then we''ll go." She bit her lip shyly and started walking with his hand in hers. The other girls hadn''t even noticed them, even Haley still oblivious and rxed in the fake sun. And the elevator doors weren¡¯t far. He got about five steps before the various sounds of the world seemed to stop entirely. [Greetings, yers. We hope you''re enjoying the Neutral Zone. The initial team fights willmence in approximately: 15 minutes. Please prepare yourselves, or exit your teams via your profiles now if you have changed your mind. Only the individual contests are mandatory. Good luck, and may the best teams win!] He stopped, and Lexi met his eyes with a confused look. "What''s wrong?" Apparently the civilians hadn''t even heard the message. Mason looked over to see Becky (and Haley) leaping out of the pool,ing straight for him. He nodded to them and took a breath, speaking loud enough for a confused looking Rosa to hear, too. "Team fights. Fifteen minutes. Haley, get all my yers into the front of our room. We''ll talk first. Then it''s time. Ready, Becky?" "I was born ready, city boy." She grinned, and Mason took a littlefort in her confidence. He tried not to imagine her losing and facing even a simtion of her own death. He also couldn''t help but see Lexi''s disappointment, and feel his own frustrated desire. But he tried to use it as fuel. Because he was about to face two yers, and while he supposed it should have worried him, he was pretty sure they were both about to have a very bad day.
Chapter 386: Second to none Chapter 386: Second to none Mason soon stood in the entrance of his private house ''wing'', all his yers gathered around him. A few faces looked anxious. Most just looked pissed off. "Bloody thing could have given us more notice," Seamus said, wearing nothing but a white robe and slippers. He dropped it,pletely naked for a moment as everyone groaned or turned away or made various ''Damnit, Seamus'' noises. Then his innate robe wrapped around him, and the Irishman rolled his eyes. "Nothin'' you haven''t all seen before now,ds. Anddy. Come off it." Mason was actually d for the tension break. And he had to admit, despite their...rocky beginning, Seamus had proved himself apetent, loyal member of the team. They all had. Mason grinned as he met their eyes one by one. His yers. His soldiers. "We''ve prepared for this," he said. "You''ve all fought and trained together, so there''s not much to say. I don''t want show-boating. Don''t be a martyr if you''re getting mangled by sadists. Just get out. Likewise, if I see anyone torturing in there, we''re going to have a long talk. You win however you have to, but that''s it. You''re probably some of the strongest teams. And these are just people who have no choice. They aren''t our real enemy, this fucking robot is. Got it?" The yers all nodded, and Mason let out a breath. "OK then. Rx for a few minutes. And good luck." "You too, kid," said Carl. "You crazy bastard." Mason grinned, seeing his name clearly on the 2v2 match list, which hopefully meant it was still working and wouldn''t disqualify him for not having a second yer. "Don''t worry about me," he said. "I get mangled all the time. You''re the pampered princess not used to getting hurt." "And I won''t be starting today, thank you." Carl ran a hand over his head, scratched his nose, and probably engaged in a few other nervous ticks Mason just didn''t recognize. But today at least he didn''t give him a hard time. All the yers waited in their own way. Phuong sat and closed his eyes in some kind of meditation or prayer. Alex hummed to himself. John sat in silence, but looked pretty desperate for a drink. The spearmen and Tommaso joked in a corner. Becky was whistling and flipping her mace like a drum stick. "You''re not worried at all, are you?" Mason moved closer to her and held back the smile. She shrugged and put a hand on her hip as she wiggled her eyebrows. "A rottin'' dragon tried to make me a chew toy. Kinda puts things in perspective." Mason stared at her curves and really wished they''d had more like 30 minutes. She caught his eyes and grinned, stepping forward and keeping her voice low. "We could always try for a new quickie record." Mason struggled in silence for a long second, but shook his head. "Save it for the fight. Keep my yers alive, soldier." "Sir yes sir." Becky saluted with stiff posture, then bat hershes and blew him a kiss. Then she walked over to her team and pped Carl hard on the ass with a ''Ready, boys?'' The older man rubbed his backside and stared with a squint between Mason and Becky as the cowgirlughed. Mason loved that she was getting morefortable in this new world. And probably bing more like the girl she was back on the farm. It was hard not to be reminded how amazing his personal (and sex) life had be¡ªhow lucky he was to be with girls like Haley or Becky or Rosa. Even while exploring something new not two minutes before. It helped remind him he wasn¡¯t just fighting for a nameless, nebulous blob of ¡®humanity¡¯. He was fighting for himself, too. It was why he needed to get the rewards from this tournament, and put the fear of god in this emperor and his people. To preserve the amazing new life he was building. To protect it as long as he could, even as he fought to punish or stop the alien thing that had made it possible. That he personally was actually enjoying it all was not the point. He also wouldn''t forget the price. He wouldn''t forget the dead. Mason used Call Beast and summoned Streak to his side as thest minutes ticked. The wolf felt Mason''s mood and arrived with silent intensity, staring as Mason looked into his eyes. He didn''t actually need to say anything. He and the wolf could exchange basic understanding now with far more speed than words. Mason felt his own mind reflected in the beast''s gaze. Their heartbeats were nearly in sync, beating faster by the moment as the promise of violence loomed. "Yes," Mason said, not bothering to fight the smile, his words more for himself than Streak. "Today we hunt." * * * The ''team'' waiting cell wasrger, and allowed for more time. It had a screen with a rough image of the arena¡ªapparently a lightly wooded, but overall t area, maybe the size of a football field. Mason would have preferred something muchrger and with plenty of slopes to use to get away. But just by being ''natural'' it was already a huge advantage for him. The screen also gave him the make-up of the other team: One caster (arcane). One melee (nature). Mason grinned when he thought of the yers in their own holding cell looking at the same screen. Would they be thrilled, he wondered, when they saw a single yer? Would they think their victory was almost guaranteed? If it were him, he supposed, he''d assume there was a second yer but somehow they had a ss that masked their details. In any case, he wasn''t going to underestimate his enemy. And he wasn''t going to y any games. As soon as those doors opened, Mason intended to sprint out with Aspect of the Cheetah, find that caster, mark him, and end him. "No I don''t care about the melee," he said as Streak growled in question. "If you find him, take him. Otherwise, we kill the caster." The wolf just licked its chops, eyes glowing as Mason''s Fang Brother red. The extra minutes weren''t wee, but Mason supposed he understood. Now that they saw the terrain and knew their enemy, teams had a moment to consider strategy. He hoped the enemy teams didn''t get any more information, or know in advance. He was suddenly a bit worried the eastern teams, with all their civilians, would have more knowledge about how all this worked. But it wasn''t time for distraction. The seconds ticked down, and the holding cell raised itself up into the arena. Mason held his elven bow, cycling through his powers. Just as nned, he activated Aspect of the Cheetah, and ran straight through the thin trees with Streak at his side. A dozen figures emerged as Mason crossed. He blinked in confusion a moment before seeing smaller versions of the elementals he''d fought when he took down the giant Rochmananoch. Apparently this caster was some kind of summoner. He smelled the nature ''melee'' just as Streak growled in warning, turning and moving to the left as he dropped a series of traps as subtly as he could. The elementals were advancing, and Mason saw no reason to dy. He opened with an acid arrow, knowing they''d worked well enough on the elemental giant. It exploded and hissed, melting off a chunk of the first. As Mason circled he soon caught sight of a figure hunched down and hiding behind a tree. He grinned and sted it with a Power Shot. The tree snapped, the thin trunk exploding with a spray of shrapnel as the huddled caster shrieked and jumped away. Mason could hear the second enemy chasing him now, somehow camouged in the terrain. He ignored her, Streak slowing and breaking away withoutmand, ready to pounce if she got too close. But Mason was too fast. His feet rushed across the moss and dirt like he was triple jumping, slowing only to keep steady as he stared loosing more arrows from his rtively short bow. With his speed and aim, arrows soon struck the caster in the side. The back. The hip. But he kept up and was running, trying to get behind another tree. Mason growled and Marked the man, still loosing arrows, still circling away from the elementals. He blinked with his new x-ray like vision, seeing normal human anatomy shielded with some arcane power. A bit of text popped up¡ªhis new ''system suggestions'' on how to kill his target, he assumed. [''All for One'' arcane summoning power detected. Destroy all constructs.] Mason blinked and nced at the elementals, quickly seeing one with a damaged side, another limping. Very clever, he thought. The man could transfer his hits to his summoned creatures. Well. It was a lot easier to hit a bunch of slow, stupid rock beasts than a running man. But he likely couldn''t break them all before he had to deal with that warrior. So the question was¡ªwho was more dangerous to ignore? Mason vanished his bow and stopped, his feet sliding across the ground. He summoned his ws and turned as Streak growled and bolted at the natural warrior. Mason saw her moving as a blurry shape maybe thirty feet behind him, feet racing loudly now with no attempt to stay hidden. Mason touched a tree as he charged to meet her, activating his Sleeves to maybe trick her eyes as he too camouged against the terrain. They were ten feet apart in a blink. Then they struck. The woman¡¯s twin des swiped in a hurried, misjudged swing. Mason blocked both with a Sleeve, not concerning himself with his weapons at all. Mason was a weapon. He rammed his elbow straight into his enemy''s chest, the impact sounding with a brutal crunching thud. The woman lifted off her feet, carried several feet with Mason''s charge until he stopped and let her fly back to roll and smash against a tree. She heaved and wretched, and Mason swept her with his mark to see a shattered mess of cracked and broken ribs. "Don''t get fancy in a charge," he said as he walked up beside her. She was wearing what looked like perfectly fitted, thick leather armor, her fingers sporting a few rings, her des beautifully designed. He could smell a few affinities and expected it was all enchanted, and no doubt very impressive. He was impressed as she fought to rise, shing out at him weakly as he moved closer, trying to hold him off as she desperately tried to recover her breath. He formed and stabbed his shorter w straight through her back and through her heart, never even really seeing her face. The arena red with a trumpeting sound to announce the kill. Mason looked up just as the caster finished a spell, rage and terror in his eyes as the stink of arcane power swallowed Mason with a liquidy gurgle. What might have been water covered him like a bubble. In curiosity more than fear Mason tried to push through it and found he could barely move. Streak smashed into an elemental like a furry freight train, shattering it and ramming into the next. Better hurry, Mason thought to the wizard, still moving a hand through the water. He couldn''t breathe, which he supposed would scare most people. But at this point Mason wasn''t even confident he had to breathe. At least not for a very long time. He saw the man channeling and expected some kind of follow up that was worse. He could have pushed, could have done something to escape. But curiosity won out, and maybe the piece of him that liked suffering... A few secondster the wizard finished his spell, and a jet of white air sted out over Mason and his water bubble. He grinned as he felt it freezing. A cold burn touched his skin as the world around him turned ice. Apex Predator hadn''t even red. He expected he hadn''t been hurt, or at least not enough to merit any effort. And though Mason didn''t much like being trapped or buried, there was something kind of...peaceful about this. After a few seconds he pushed out with his arms and legs, watching Duality of Strength re. In another second, he heard the crack. Then a series of cracks. Then with a growl of effort he pushed out and broke apart his icy cage and flicked off a few pieces from his face. The wizard was staring with wide eyes, his elementals all smashed apart as Streak paced around the man, waiting. "You''re him," he said, sagging hopelessly to his knees. "I''m him," Mason agreed, banishing his ws. ¡°You should probably surrender now.¡± "We...we aren''t permitted," the wizard failed to swallow and started trembling. He was Asian, maybe mid forties, very in looking. "I can''t." "Permitted by who?" Mason asked, re-summoning a shorter w as he walked ahead. The system made it pretty clear you could give up in a match whenever you wanted. The man shook his head like he wasn''t willing to speak, and Mason understood. They were being watched by the outside world. Mason expected the emperor would make sure someone was always watching Mason¡¯s fights. And apparently he had somehow threatened to punish any yer who ¡®gave up¡¯. "You fought well," he said, then ran his de through his opponent''s chest. The arena red, and some kind of simted apuse roared in Mason''s ears. [Congrattions, this victory will go on your official tournament record. You have earned: 1 point!] [Title gained. Second to none. Win a system tournament 2v2 match alone. +2 to primary statistic.]
Chapter 387: Kill casters Chapter 387: Kill casters Daniel Nyman, Sergeant First ss in the Emperor''s Guard, had one of the top teams in the capital. Every member had been carefully selected for their individual aptitude, and overall team synergy. They''d practiced several times against other teams in the Emperor''s private training facility, and only lost to the very best. They were designed melee-centric, with two yers (including Daniel) built exclusively for closebat, and two more as hybrid melee/ranged and melee/support. They also had a rare support/control, and finally a generalist pure caster, with a focus on piercing enemy magical defences. Their general strategy was extreme aggression. In the scouting stage, their caster often was able to find enemy scouts with his identification and dispelling powers. If so, their ranged hybrid and controller just as often caught the bastard long enough for the team to take him out before the main event. Then it was six on five for the team brawl. Daniel and his men went in a ragged line, charging straight at the enemy with supportive shields and their own defences charged. They closed with the enemy, enough closebat to send someone individually after nearly every opponent to keep them busy while their caster helped bring them down one by one, their support assist on any harder targets to swing the scale. They''d only ever lost against teams who didn''t scout them and were able to fight at full strength, or had enough speed to avoid closebat and also deal with their support and caster. But as the arena waiting room rose and put them in the center of apletely clear stadium, Daniel winced. They could see the entire enemy team standing on the far side. So there''d be no ''scouting'' phase in this match. It would be a direct and brutal brawl. "No tags. Western team," said Achmed, their caster, his dark eyes zed with Farsight. "Tier 2 Arcane tank, Tier 2 Martial melee, Tier 2 Martial melee, Tier 1 Hybrid affinity melee, Tier 1 pure Divine Support, Tier 1 pure Elemental Caster." "Jesus fucking hell," said Graham, the melee/ranged hybrid. "That''s a lot of high grade beef, sir, and they''re almost a damn clone," said their support. Daniel''s heart was pounding now. Just his luck to draw a powerful, foreign team first. He was the only tier one yer on his team, and he was apparently up against three. He hissed for silence. The caster was the obvious target. Or possibly the support. You could never know for sure which would be weaker. Some casters could warp around and be a pain in the ass. Others used shields. Some supports had almost no defences at all. Others could surround themselves in barriers and armor. Daniel¡¯s caster would help pierce the magical kind, if that''s what they used. It usually was. And the other advantage was the weakness of tanks in big yer duels. Being tough was great in the real world, but it didn''t stop six murderers from butchering your friends in a little arena while you stood there helpless. "Analysis of the support and caster?" Achmed squinted, his head wobbling as it usually did when he wasn''t sure. "Support is armored. He looks tougher. I''d suggest the..." Even Daniel could see one of the opponents floated up into the air. "Caster is airborne...looks like a rope around his waist. Attached to the tank. And his robe and staff are glowing with power." "Jesus fucking hell," said Graham again. But his eyes steadied, the veteran in him taking over now. "Should I focus him with arrows?" "Yes," Daniel said. "The rest of us kill that support the moment we can, then we kill the melee. Achmed, keep alive, and bring down anything that support puts up to stop us." "Affirmative," said their caster like the ex-soldier he was. Daniel took a deep breath, the enemy still talking and not moving. He hadn''t fought any westerners yet in the single duels. This would be his first experience with them, and who knew what sorts of tricks they had? From the videos they seemed quite poorly equipped, save for a few artifacts of incredible power. Almost none of them had power gems. Daniel and his team had at least two each. They didn''tst long, of course, but in a duel like this they rarely had to. One or two tricks, a single moment of surprise? There might be a few less yers on the field. And it was time to use every damn trick they had. "Advance," ordered Daniel, and his men moved forward in standard formation. "Test that caster, Graham," he said, and the hybrid archer strung a magic arrow. He was a skirmisher type and a damn good shot, his arrows built to pierce magical shields. More than one caster had gone down with an arrow in his neck and a stupid look on his face. The enemy team was moving now. The tank unsurprisingly came first, his roped caster floating above. The two spear-armed melee moved on his nks, the tier 1 melee a bit behind with the support. They crossed to 150 yards. 100. Graham struck the first blow. His blue-tinged arrow streaked with a hiss at the wizard, right on target. Daniel could see a faint purple glow around the man now and almost grinned as the arrow flew. Then dropped. "Force defence!" Achmed shouted. It was the very worst thing for a ranged to deal with¡ªa kind of telekic ability to simply snatch small objects and toss them around, usually with very little resource. They had to deal with that support. "Alpha," Daniel shouted, signaling a pre-arranged pattern of attack. Every melee activated and bolted with speed from their power gems as several fiery missilesunched from the floating wizard. Their support fizzled them with an affinity counter, thepetent defensive yer extremely adept at stopping most enemy magic. Daniel blinked as a huge wall of spears spread across the open ground. Their charging melee screeched to a halt and leapt to the sides to stop their momentum, their usual tactic for the moment dyed. It wasn''tpletely unprecedented, but Daniel had never seen such a huge area covered like that by a melee power. Or possibly two. The enemy tank charged through a gap in the middle with a roar, and Daniel went to meet him. "Get around," he shouted, seeing the spears didn''t go all the way to the stadium walls. But the time for strategic leadership was over now. It was all instinct and sweat and blood. Daniel lifted his spiked mace and held his dueling dagger at the ready. He had to trust the others to deal with that support. He needed to get the tank dyed to protect his back line, then wait for the other tier 1 melee to make his move. He couldn''t leave that bastard alone to get at the men behind him. "I can''t see the support," Achmed called, "temp swap." He meant he was swapping to their next target¡ªthe caster, and would try and prevent whatever exactly was defending him. Graham''s arrows were still loosing every few seconds, the missiles and fiery wizard bolts exchanging back and forth with equal futility for now. The huge tank growled and threw a fist, his whole body crackling with arcane magic. It was definitely an unusual and unpleasant kind of tank, but Daniel knew to keep his distance and watch for power release. It came immediately. A bolt of energy streaked out and fizzled as Daniel''s dueling dagger absorbed the energy with its Nullification power. He answered with a simple but brutal smash with his mace, the spiked metal hitting the big man in the chest with a half physical and half magical crack. It obviously didn''t tickle, but the big man kept on, reaching for Daniel''s throat and forcing him back without seeming too affected. They went three more rounds¡ªmagic fist against magic mace, and each time Daniel¡¯s speed got the better of his enemy. He was damn near about to ask Achmed to bring down the tank''s defences so they could just finish him when he felt the other tier 1 meleeing. "Iing!" he shouted, activating his Adrenaline. The swordsman slipped around his tank like a running back, sword shing strangely as he charged. Even with Daniel''s Adrenaline charging, the man was lightning fast. A burst of energy jumped from his de, and Daniel didn''t have time to dodge. His dueling dagger hummed and vibrated in his hand as it absorbed the power, indicating it likely couldn''t take much more. But it had saved him. The swordsman charged and shed with a two-handed chop, and Daniel parried the blow with his mace. Then again. And again. The de shed and weaved with a purplish glow, leaving gouges in the enchanted steel of Daniel''s mace. He''d activated Adrenaline to surprise the man and bring him down, but now it was everything he could do just not to die. He activated Arcing Smash and tried to break the man''s momentum. The ground shook with the force, his enemy surprised enough to pull back and re-assess, giving Daniel a breather. Any moment now, he thought, knowing his men would be after that support with everything they had. Daniel only had to hold these two off, and he had his own support behind him if a few attacks got through. The swordsman came again, another furious series of blows that Daniel barely held off, the tank now circling to get behind him. "Graham," he shouted, "switch." The skirmisher dropped his bow and charged the tank with spear drawn, forcing the big man to at least pay enough attention not to bash Daniel in the back. Adrenaline finally dropped, and the world sped back up as Daniel grit his teeth and fought the wave of exhaustion. To his veryrge relief, he was pretty sure his opponent did the same. "Power''s a bitch," he said with a grin. His enemy nodded. "Ready boys," called a voice above. Daniel nced up and blinked. The enemy caster was glowing with red light. He held his staff high as his robes billowed behind. The swordsman turned and practically warped back through the gap in the spears, only the big man staying behind, not even moving forward to attack. Daniel nced back at the men behind him, both their attention seemingly locked in concentration as they battled with the caster above. "Status," Daniel shouted, not sure what the hell he was dealing with. "He''s been channeling," shouted Achmed. "Through his staff somehow. I didn''t see it. I think he has some kind of massive spell readied but I''m not sure exactly what it..." The wizard¡¯s voice was drowned out as the air roared. Bright light consumed the arena, Daniel at first shielding his eyes before deciding it was time to run. Somewhere. Anywhere. He turned but saw ming meteors dropping from the roof just in front of him. More started falling, until everywhere seemed to be raining fire. Daniel looked for a break in the effect but couldn¡¯t. He moved towards Achmed¡¯sst position, his dueling dagger shaking too badly to hold. He mmed face first into the enemy tank, finding the man in mes, his arms over his head, a painful scowl on his lips. Blue and purple shields flickered around him, but he was still on fire. Everything was on fire. Daniel couldn''t see or breathe from the smoke, from the heat. He felt a sting and tried to wave it away, then saw his arm was burning. He stopped trying to put it out. He dropped to his knees and covered himself like the tank, feeling more and more of it fall all around him, the only sounds a terrible hissing and crackling. Maybe it was the pain, or just the insanity of it all, but he could have sworn he heard someoneughing.
Chapter 388: Still alive Chapter 388: Still alive ¡°Jesus H Christ,¡± Carl said, watching the six man team take down their first round. They were in the holding cell waiting for their own match, but the system still let them watch their screens. Becky and Tommaso watched, too, as Seamus ended at least four yers with his cataclysmic new power. Becky got a little shiver up her spine, d the crazy Irishman was on their side. But also d he was afraid of Mason. ¡°I¡¯d survive it,¡± she said, ¡°but I¡¯m pretty sure y¡¯all would be fucked.¡± ¡°I¡¯d warp out. Probably.¡± Carl pped Tommaso on the shoulder. ¡°But my man here would fry like I-talian sausage.¡± Tommaso winced and nced at the timer at the top of the waiting cell. ¡°We should talk strategy, eh?¡± He wiped at a bit of sweat on his brow. ¡°I know I¡¯m¡­ahh¡­not vital, maybe. But¡­¡± ¡°Just listen to Becky,¡± said Carl with a yawn, as if it didn¡¯t make much difference. But Becky could tell he was nervous. He¡¯d been swiping a hand over his baldness and tapping one or the other foot for a good minute. The older man shrugged. ¡°She¡¯ll call a target. Get him slowed for me with that sticky new glue thing you¡¯ve got. Throw bombs at whatever. Try not to die.¡± ¡°Right. No problem.¡± Tommaso took a deep breath. ¡°Try not to die.¡± Becky wasn¡¯t that worried. Her only real concerns were teams that could a) find Carl before he shanked someone. Or b) a group of yers so fast and defensive Carl couldn¡¯t actually get at anyone. The first seemed possible, the second not so much. But even if they did find Carl, Becky¡¯s aegis would make him basically as tough as she was until her mana failed. And unless they could get away entirely, there wasn¡¯t a snowball¡¯s chance in hell they were going to oust him with that awful dagger in their guts. ¡°Stop worryin¡¯,¡± Becky said, taking a breath and cracking her neck as the video nked. She tried to pull up Mason¡¯s fight but either it was already over or they didn¡¯t have enough time. The timer changed colors as it counted down the final seconds. ¡°OK. Here we go.¡± Carl looked calmer now that the thing was starting. He winked at Becky then vanished, and even though Becky knew she was looking right at him she couldn¡¯t even see a blur. ¡°So I¡¯m just¡­chargin¡¯ out, then? Guess I should use the mace. Make ¡®em think I¡¯m actually scary.¡± ¡°You are scary.¡± Carl¡¯s voice seemed to appear from nowhere. ¡°Just¡­you know. In a really useful, but not murderous sort of¡­OK scary isn¡¯t the right word. Effective? Which is still kind of vague, actually. You¡¯re like a¡­¡± ¡°Ah shut it.¡± Becky transformed her Familial Shield into its mace form and took a few steady breaths as the tform raised. ¡°Keep back a little,¡± she said to Tommaso. ¡°And feel free to run whenever you need. Just like we practiced.¡± ¡°Staying alive. Feeling free to run,¡± Tommaso echoed, wiping away some more glistening sweat. Water dripped down the edges of the tform as it raised. It smelled like mud and algae, and as the yers came up Becky stared out at what looked like an old, run-down dam. It was broken in ces, a few streams leaking out, the old and breaking pavement everywhere covered in wet filth. ¡°Great,¡± said the invisible Carl, his footstep appearing as he walked out. ¡°Just fucking great.¡± ¡°Well.¡± Becky shrugged. ¡°At least they can¡¯t hide too well, either.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see them.¡± Tommaso, unlike Carl, seemed only more anxious now that the fighting was close. He was taking deep breaths and looking around with restless eyes. ¡°We¡¯re fine. Everythin¡¯s fine,¡± Becky said, searching. The ¡®roof¡¯ looked like actual open sky with an actual sun, the arena so big there were no obvious walls. But there were concrete pirs all over that blocked most of their sight. After not finding any sign of the enemy team, Becky eventually started walking out. The men followed in silence, Carl¡¯s footsteps a bit concerning and pretty obvious, Tommaso¡¯s nervousness about the same. After passing only a few pirs Becky saw movement from the corner of her eye. She turned, just seeing some kind of scout pop back behind a pir. ¡°East side,¡± she gestured, moving straight at him with her mace in her hand. She didn¡¯t know if it was a trick or an ambush but she didn¡¯t really care. She just wanted them out and obvious for Carl to start murdering. Carl¡¯s footsteps just¡­stopped, which probably meant he¡¯d warped somewhere. Tommaso was standing a bit back, hunched down and watching the pirs like a squirrel. Becky was about to roll her eyes and tell him to move up when she heard the arrow fly. It whistled past her, straight at Tommaso. The Italian¡¯s paranoia and reflexes saved him. His body contorted as he iled and slipped on the mud, but he dodged. Another arrow followed but Becky was charging now. She activated Synchronized Shield, which didn¡¯tst long and used up some mana, but those arrows wouldn¡¯t touch Tommaso for a good minute. ¡°He¡¯s there! There!¡± Becky didn¡¯t look back to see where Tommaso was pointing. She was annoyed at using mana and wanted that scout to pay for his boldness. She heard him running now on some kind of raised concrete tform. He whistled as he leapt off the opposite side, and Becky just caught sight of a ck cloak as it vanished. She didn¡¯t even slow down, leaping off the back of the tform to follow. Straight into three waiting men. Becky pulled her Personal Aegis¡¯ radius in to its tightest form mid-air¡ªbasically covering her skin only to save energy. She also transformed her mace back into her Familial shield, then hit the ground andunched herself at one of the men with a shield charge. A de shed her back. A spear knocked her in the side hard enough she stumbled, shield holding easily but not totally absorbing the force. Her target fell back and threw a knife at her face, but it bounced off the metal covering her arm. She knew she¡¯d probably screwed up in jumping off. If she was any other yer in Nassau except Mason (and maybe John) she¡¯d probably be dead. But she wasn¡¯t. The blows kepting from all three angles. Becky blocked and spun, watching her Reflective Burst charge. She could loose it already to reasonable effect, but she wasn¡¯t sure where Carl was and didn¡¯t want to catch him in the st. After another few hits she almost did it anyway. Then the man in the dark cloak hissed and tossed a de in another direction, way off its mark as he flipped backwards. The world lit with blinding light. Becky cursed and hid behind her Shield, crouching to reduce her size and make it hard to actually hit her. The whole world was white light and she couldn¡¯t see a single thing. God damnit, Carl. She blinked and listened to footsteps. To grunting men and the metallic ng of weapons. A pained groan. Someone fell. Something¡­squished. As Becky blinked again and again and the world returned Becky stood and found one of her attackers lying in a pool of blood. Everyone else was gone. Two Carls were chasing and fighting the other men, one unable to catch his target, the other being held back from a kill by the guy¡¯s spear. Becky took a breath and checked her energy and mana. Mana was half, which meant Carl must have taken some hits. Her energy was a good half down but already rising. She snorted. They¡¯d hit her pretty fast and reasonably hard. But they were no dracolich, that was for sure. They hadn¡¯t evene close to killing her. The guy on the ground groaned and tried to crawl towards his sword. Becky supposed she should have realized he was alive because the system didn¡¯t announce a death. She knew she would have to finish him. But Becky had killed plenty of things in her life on the farm, and this wasn¡¯t even permanent. And when a thing needed doing, it was best just to get on with it. She walked over and raised up her Familial Shield, then mmed it down with all her strength on the back of the man¡¯s neck. The system red out its kill trumpet. Then again a secondter. Becky turned to see Carl number two had stopped worrying about the spear and just charged, probably getting stabbed once or twice and draining Becky¡¯s mana some more before murdering his second yer. The other Carl vanished with a pop. The knife thrower looking confused as hell but came back to try and finish the fight. Becky stood and started moving, knowing they had this in the bag. ¡°Still alive!¡± Tommaso shouted, grinning from behind a pir. ¡°Good. Now glue that son of a bitch. I¡¯m tired of running,¡± Carl shouted. Becky turned her shield back into its mace, and all three of them walked towards thest man standing.
Chapter 389: Team Britain Chapter 389: Team Britain Mason smiled as he watched his yers all fight and win. Then he flicked to ke¡¯s team and stared, vaguely confused. All he could see was a big metal box. Then he realized ke and Seul-ki were inside. ke must have created it with True Making, which was pretty undeniably clever. There were dozens of arrows and javelins lying on the ground all around it. As the ¡®camera¡¯ panned out Mason saw a bloody Annie and several constructs chasing, and eventually killing, two archers. The third must have been dead already, because the screen faded to ck immediately after. Mason let out the breath he¡¯d probably been holding awhile. Round one was a rousing sess. Every yer in the ¡®west¡¯ had won their match pretty handily. Now the only question was how many more matches did they actually have? Considering it was only day two of seven, he supposed the answer was ¡®quite a lot¡¯. Especially since they also had to deal with their one on ones. The cold reality of the math started to hit him, and he realized every yer was likely to have to fight a few, maybe several times a day. The rules weren¡¯t entirely clear, but thus far it seemed much more ¡®round robin¡¯ with points than elimination. How many teams were there? How many actual yers? Presumably they¡¯d get those answers soon, but likely not until the tournament was over. Mason looked up and saw Haley waiting patiently outside the entrance room of their enormous suite. When Mason met her eyes she gave him a smile and a little wave. She¡¯d been waiting for him to be ready, toe down after the rush of violence and blood. But it was definitely going to take more than a few seconds. Mason¡¯s pulse was still thrumming like a bass drum. He never felt more alive than in the heat of battle. Never wanted anything or had as much focus as he did when there was something trying to kill him¡ªsomething that deserved his full and undivided attention. His eyes moved up and down Haley¡¯s simple dark dress, sliding over her curves. For a second he saw a sh of panic in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to go on a date with Lexi,¡± she whispered, stepping back around the corner so he couldn¡¯t see her body. ¡°And you need to take your armor off. You still look scary.¡± Mason swiped away the armor and walked towards her stark naked. He grabbed her and pulled her in, kissing her and running his hands up and down her back. She moaned against his mouth, melting into him as she instantly gave up any kind of resistance. But she was right. He¡¯d agreed to be alone with Lexi. ¡°OK,¡± he said, letting his wife go. ¡°I¡¯ll need clothes. Green spandex isn¡¯t exactly date friendly.¡± Haley stood there with her eyes closed another moment, then opened them with a sigh. ¡°You¡¯re very cruel,¡± she said, then materialized a ck suit from her storage. ¡°This should do, I think? But I think I¡¯ll have to give Lexi something to wear. Most of the girls don¡¯t really have much.¡± ¡°Be quick,¡± Mason said, sliding a finger down Haley¡¯s cheek. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how long I¡¯llst.¡± His blonde beauty swallowed and hurried off to find Lexi as the other yers started to materialize. Mason pulled on his clothes before he scandalized anyone, then went in and congratted them all. ¡°Are we celebrating?¡± Carl smiled and looked Mason up and down. ¡°Ohe on. You know I like you in the Conan outfit. This is our special night.¡± ¡°I¡¯m celebrating,¡± Mason said with a pretend re. ¡°Y¡¯all can go do whatever you feel like.¡± He lost a bit of the good humor. ¡°But be ready. And no alcohol. I don¡¯t trust this thing and it¡¯s going to put us back in there sooner than we want. So if I were you I¡¯d get some sleep.¡± The yers all nodded, except Reba, who looked him up and down like she¡¯d smelled her favorite barbecue. Mason took her hand and walked her out of the room with a wave at the others. ¡°OK,¡± he said, as she started running her hands up his chest. ¡°I know you feel the same as me after a fight. But¡­¡± ¡°Mmhmm.¡± She was getting handsier by the second, her mouth moving to his still mostly unbuttoned cor. ¡°I have a date with Lexi,¡± he said, which managed to freeze Becky in her tracks. Her face went through a range of emotions. Until finally she just shrugged, maybe a bit disappointed. "I guess I got a waterfall." Mason grinned, remembering his first and maybe only real ''date'' with Becky. They''d walked through the forest and swam in a beautiful grove with a waterfall, doing quite a lot of fooling around before having to fight off some kind of giant cave bats... "I miss that waterfall," he said with a sigh. "Well." Becky grinned and went back to groping him. "If y''all get finished early, why don''t you swing by. I don''t mind if Lexi don''t. She''s pretty cute." Mason fought the growing urgency of his lust. A tiny, helpless piece of him wondered what life might be like alone in the woods somewhere¡ªif having no beautiful women around would make him more or less horny. Would it be easier to focus? Easier to survive? On the other hand, what would be the point. "We''ll see," he said, hoping very much that''s how his evening ended. Though he knew he should really give Lexi a night with him alone. And he also knew Rosa and Haley would want in if he started adding girls. But all things considered, it was a pretty good problem to have. He gave a pouting Becky a kiss and a wink, then finishing getting his suit on properly, deciding in the end to toss the jacket and tie. He''d gone barefoot so much in thest couple months the shoes felt like straight jackets. Still, they did look better than feet now practically carved from rock. After getting instruction from Haley, and sending her to actually figure out where he should go, he knocked on the bedroom taken by Rosa and Lexi. Rosa pulled it open wearing pajamas, her hair in a loose bun. She looked Mason over from head to toe and nodded. "Good. I thought you''d show up covered in blood. And Lexi deserves a nice date. So Be nice and actually talk to her." Mason raised a brow, hearing Lexi whisper angrily at Rosa from somewhere behind the door. He also heard her creep towards the bathroom and pretend to open and close it, then walk back to greet him. "Oh hi. I''m all ready. You look very handsome." Mason gave Lexi a quick scan, pretty amazed at the transformation. She was obviously a very pretty girl, with a smaller body and less curves than Rosa or Haley, more fit like Becky. But wearing a low cut red dress, dangling earrings and even high heels, he was reminded she came from some upper crust British family. She looked...regal. "Is it too much? I told Haley it was too much." Lexi picked up her dress and turned for the bathroom before Mason caught her arm. "It''s perfect. Now let''s go, I''m hungry." "Me too." Lexi grinned. "I''m small but I can eat like a pig. Or an American." Mason couldn''t help but grin back. "Should I have her back by a certain time?" he asked Rosa, and the Mexican rolled her dark eyes. "Just don''t bug me. I bought a new set of tools and I''m going to be busy ying." "Is that like...a euphemism?" Mason asked. Lexi shook her head. "She''s a tremendous nerd, actually, if she didn''t look like this..." here Lexi gestured for effect, "she''d be stuck in someb talking about Dr. Who with a bunch of fat engineers." "No one in America watches Dr. Who." Rosa''s voice dripped with disdain. "And even if they did Mason wouldn''t have heard of it. Now get out. Out. Vaminos!" After Lexi hurried outside, Rosa stuck out her tongue and closed the door in Mason''s face. He exchanged a look with Lexi, and after a mutual grin of affection for the fiery girl, he took her hand and went for the elevator. Haley popped out of a nearby hall and handed him a note, which just read ''The Rose. Public. Reserved under Mason.'' For a moment Mason winced at the word ''public'', but he trusted Haley''s opinion. So he led Lexi to the elevator, guiding her in with a hand on her mostly exposed back. He followed and stood close, unable for a moment to keep his eyes off her. She noticed. And smiled shyly, taking his hand again. "I don''t actually know where we''re going," she said. "Though...I don''t really care." Mason met her eyes and sort of wanted to just pick her up and take her back to the room. But he reminded himself that good things came to those who waited. Or so some patient person must have said. "I could pretend I know," he said, pushing the button. "In Haley we trust." The doors opened with a ding, and Mason and Lexi stepped out into moonlit darkness onto a cobblestone path. It lead through a kind of hedge garden, sculpted bushes and trees mixed with fountains and thousands of flowers all lit by floating, colored lights. "Incredible," Lexi said, squeezing Mason''s hand. He agreed, then hated roboGod for making anything beautiful in its ''game'', then squashed the outrage because Lexi didn''t deserve it. "Yes it is," he said, taking her forward. Their path soon merged with a few others, and they heard voices as several other people came into sight walking towards a well-lit series of structures. "Oh there''s other people, too!" Lexi smiled wide and practically bounced. "I love to people watch. Do you do that? I''m such a creeper." Mason matched her smile and shrugged, thinking another win in the Haley column. But he was supposed to talk. Women liked that, right? "This time it''s useful," he said. "You can be my spy. Creep without shame. Take notes." Lexi practically jumped up onto Mason''s arm and straddled it when she bounced and grinned. "Ohh I''ve always wanted to be a spy. I don''t care if I¡¯m a walking stereotype. I love James Bond. I love Sherlock Holmes. And Harry Potter. If Britain had a cheer team, I''d be its captain." Mason was starting to realize why Rosa liked this girl so much. Her enthusiasm was impossible to deny, and even Mason the grouch was having a little fun with his clothes on. Maybe because he couldn''t help it, maybe because he just wanted to, he stopped and turned her to face him, then bent down and kissed her. She closed her eyes and kissed him back, obviously a bit flustered. "OK," he said, "let''s go, Captain. We¡¯ll eat until we explode. I want a steak. And possibly a few beers. And that''s just to start." Lexi did another little hop, then made a very futile, but very cute attempt to pull him forward.
Chapter 390: Privacy mode Chapter 390: Privacy mode ¡°Wee, Founder, to The Rose. You honor us with your presence. Would you like to be seated in the private or public level?¡± The blue-tinged, system servant at the front of the restaurant smiled somewhere from the uncanny valley. ¡®The Rose¡¯ was stuffed full of flowers in no doubt tastefully imagined arrangements, making everything look and smell wonderful. Mason fought his natural urge to hate it all because it was made by RoboGod. And Haley hadn''t sent him here to go ''private'', he supposed. ¡°Public is fine. Thank you. But¡­a booth. Somewhere a little ways off.¡± ¡°Of course, honored Founder. Right this way.¡± Lexi wiggled her eyebrows at him, whispering ¡®after you, my lord founder.¡¯ Mason rolled his eyes as he pushed her ahead with a hand on her back. He couldn¡¯t seem to stop touching her exposed skin, and did his best to think about the food only minutes away. As they walked inside, many pairs of eyes began staring. There were maybe two dozen well dressed people he didn''t recognize all sitting at dimly lit tables. Mason did his best to ignore the whispers¡ªnot to hear words like ¡®Western Warlord¡¯, and ¡®He¡¯s glowing. How many people has he killed?¡¯. He realized then the emperor and his minions must have already been inventing stories about Mason and his people. No doubt Mason was the viin of the piece, and his yer killer aura and glowing eyes probably wouldn¡¯t help. At least he hadn¡¯t gone barefoot and sporting horns. ¡°They¡¯re all looking at us,¡± Lexi whispered, obviously surprised, but not seeming as bothered as Mason. ¡°It¡¯s your dress,¡± he said with a smile, very happy when the system servant took them to a dark corner of the already dim restaurant. It was almost entirely open, no real walls to speak of, with a few pirs holding everything up. Mason didn¡¯t see any kind of kitchen, but then he supposed it didn¡¯t need one. They sat right next to each other in the booth, both grinning as they squished together. Mason wanted her close enough to touch, and a little tingle shot through him when she seemed pretty happy about it. As he looked at the table there weren¡¯t any obvious screens to order something like in the promenade. He was about to look for a waiter or maybe under the table when a blue servant shimmered into existence right next to them. It was holding a steak with mashed potatoes and gravy. And a misting-cold pitcher of beer. Mason mostly just stared as it served him. Then another formed next to Lexi and startedying out tes. She covered her mouth with her hands and squealed with delight. "Toad in the hole. And spotted dick!" Mason was torn between making fun of whatever the hell Lexi just said, and ring at his steak. He did his best not to lose his appetite. Obviously the thing was reading their minds. It felt like he was being mocked. Like the all-knowing, all-powerful alien god was showing them how useless it was to resist, to think for a moment they had any chance at all. The rules were arbitrary and made by it. It knew everything about them. It knew what they wanted to eat before they did. "This is amazing!" Lexi said as she started to dig into¡­some kind of sausage pie. "Yeah," Mason said. "Amazing." He truly tried to look and sound pleased, to keep the distaste off his face as he swallowed an otherwise delicious mouthful of the coldest, smoothest beer he could remember. What''s next? he thought. Will you fuck my date for me, too? "What''s wrong?" Lexi was watching him, looking between his eyes. Mason tried to...enhance his smile. "Nothing. Just not what I expected. Let''s eat." Lexi pursed her lips. Then she reached over and put her fingers on the corners of his mouth, pulling it down into a frown. "You did pretty good with the smile. But your eyes don''t lie. You''ll have to work on that." Mason took a breath and Lexi''s hand. "It''s not you. I just..." he shook his head. "I hate this ce. All the nonsense. It''s like they keep painting pretty pictures on my cell wall, ying happy music, and telling me to smile. But I can''t leave." Lexi kept looking into his eyes like she was digging for his soul. "You''re a sharp little thing, aren''t you," he said, and she smiled. "It reminds me of London, actually." Her smile faltered. "Which makes me think about my parents, and my brother and sister. My friends." She put her fork down and took a deep breath. "No one ever talks about it in Nassau, you know. About before. It''s like an unwritten rule. Part of the new culture. Somehow¡­rude." "I''m sorry," Mason said, wishing he could just get over it all for a night. "Don''t be. I want to talk about it. I want to feel...I don''t know. Real every now and then, you know? Like this isn''t normal. Because it''s all no insane. And I miss my life from before." "You can tell me." Mason smiled. "I''m not like the others, I guess. I''d like to hear." This time Lexi gave him a genuine, brilliant smile. She told him about her rich parents. Her father''s work for the government. Her mother''s love of music and ying the organ for the queen at some event. "It was the proudest moment of her life," she said,ughing. "I think if she''d had to give that moment or one of her children, she''d have struggled." Mason just smiled and listened. Lexi told her about her ''ck sheep'' older brother, who really wasn''t a ck sheep so much as not what her parents expected. "All he ever wanted was to ski and hang out with his friends. So he leftw school and became a ski instructor and moved to Canada. Married a girl. Made some babies. Eventually my parents came around. He was always very kind to me." "I was the golden child," Lexi said, then sessfully fought off a sob. "Mostly I just did what I was told. I loved my parents very much. And my younger sister needed me. We did everything together. She was my best friend." Mason held her hand, trying to be there with her and for her, and not with the growing hatred that med the robot in the sky for Lexi''s pain. ''I''ll make it right,'' he wanted to say, but knew he couldn''t. "I''m doing all the talking," Lexi said, wiping a bit at her eyes. There weren''t any damn napkins on the table so Mason just reached out and used his thumbs. Lexi sniffled a bit but recovered quickly. "I must look a fright." "No," he said, still touching her. "And I don''t talk much. It works out." "You''re not so bad at this," she said, grinning a little. Mason smiled too and felt like he was being pulled towards her, but held back because she was vulnerable and he wasn''t sure it was right. But then again it was the fucking apocalypse and to hell with it. He leaned forward and kissed her, and she was practically vibrating in his arms as she kissed him back. It got deeper and soon involved a lot of tongue, and Lexi moaned as Mason pulled her closer. But he reminded himself they were in public and probably being stared at, even in the gloom, so he pulled back before he was in too deep. "We should probably at least pretend we''re here to eat a little," he said, still touching Lexi''s arms. "Mmhmm," she said, opening her eyes with a sigh. "Yes. Food. All my favorites. Might not get again." Mason grinned, and they both took several bites of the annoyingly delicious food. "I''m trying to people watch," Lexi said. "I''ve been a dreadful spy but it''s not over yet." "And what do you see?" Mason said, keeping his face and tone deadpan. "Your country is relying on you." "I see creepers. Oblivious older people. A fellow spy. A drunk couple about to shag." "We''re not drunk." The words were out before Mason really thought about it, and he was a bit shocked at his own boldness. Lexi blushed and kept looking out at the room. "We''re very confident," she said. "I was...just trying to be funny," Mason said, a little embarrassed. He was about to exin that some days he didn''t even recognize himself, that the pre-apocalypse Mason wouldn''t have even dreamed of saying something like that. To anyone. Nevermind a girl like Lexi. Even if he had already slept with her in some kind of non-official...thing. "I mean, you probably should be," Lexi said, ending her spy work as she pushed tighter against him and met his eyes with a grin. Then he was kissing her again, his hands moving up her sides to her face as he went hard as a rock. "I definitely should have asked for the private area," he said as Lexi''s hand started moving up his thigh. [Privacy mode engaged], beeped a quiet voice next to the table. Some kind of purple shield sprung up all around their booth, the tint darkening until Mason really couldn''t see a thing outside. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Lexi, who reached out and knocked on the shield. Then she got up onto her knees on the seat, and spread her legs as she put one on either side of Mason''sp. "And what would you have done if we were in the private booth?" she asked, lips an inch away from his. He slid his hands down her exposed back, cupping her ass as he started ying with and slightly pulling up the fabric of her dress. "It might not block sound," Lexi said breathlessly, her chest rising and falling as Mason exposed her enough to feel her small, thin panties. He teased her with his fingers, trailing without ever quite touching as he kissed her deeply again. When he finally pulled back he thought about telling her to be quiet, but changed his mind. "I don''t care," he said, then slipped off the straps of Haley''s red dress. It reminded him his wife had helped set this moment up. That she enjoyed it. That she couldn¡¯t wait for Mason to bring the girl back to their bed. He was hard even before watching Lexi¡¯s small, round breasts drop out, and push towards him as she arched her back.
Chapter 391: Not a gentleman (NSFW) Chapter 391: Not a gentleman (NSFW) Lexi wasn''t wearing any kind of bra. As the thin, red dress dropped to her waist her small, perky breasts were almost right in Mason''s face. He lifted her up higher with his hands on both firm cheeks, sucking her already hard nipples. Lexi gasped and squirmed as his mouth took them in, her hands on his arms as she closed her eyes and moaned. "A sex toy¡­doesn''t do that," she said, voice pinched as she gripped his hair. Her nipples were obviously sensitive like Becky''s, which was definitely a good thing. She''d found Mason''s increasingly hard length now pressing against his pants, and started grinding slowly against it. Her body was so small and tight and amazing, Mason couldn''t decide what to do with himself. On one hand he had the urge to be gentle and sweet, to take his time and make sure she loved every second. On the other, he wanted to see how much she screamed as hepletely stuffed and rammed her cute little body into the table. He pulled back and just looked at her squirm on top of him, admiring her beautiful face as she kept on grinding. "What?" she said, smiling at him when she opened her eyes. "You''re really enjoying yourself, aren''t you?" She opened her mouth in mock offence, pping his cheek lightly. "A gentleman''s not supposed to point that out." Mason snorted, the desire to make this girl scream his name and beg for more rising with every second. "I ain¡¯t a gentleman." He unbuttoned and unzipped, watching Lexi bite her lip as he stripped down his pants until only the tinyyer of her panties was between them. "You''re really going to fuck me? Right here?" she whispered. Mason grinned and kissed her, moving the strip covering her to the side, until her lips were sliding up and down his length. She gasped and kept going, her wetness soon coating half his shaft. "I''m not doing anything," he said with a grin. "You''re the one ying with your toy." "Uh huh." She moaned and started moving faster, swollen lips sliding back and forth, sometimes wiggling as she ground down into him. For once he managed some patience and just held her ass to help her move, giving the asional p of encouragement, or sucking on her nipples. "Oh God." She started shaking and screwing up her rhthym, so Mason helped her along with his hands on her hips. She took several ragged breaths before crying out, biting his shoulder to muffle her scream as she came. "I think I bit you," she said a littleter, wiping some spit off his shirt. "You''ll make it up to me," he said, adjusting her position slightly. He put his tip against her opening. She gasped and gripped his shoulders, then he slowly slid himself inside her. "Oh shit." She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a nice view of her toned back and ass as he kept sliding her down his shaft. She winced and kind of whimpered a few times as Mason slowly pushed her all the way down. "Good girl," he said, growling at the warm, tight feel of her, at the pleasure of his world narrowing and shrinking, his mind clearing of everything else. He wasn''t sure exactly how drug addicts felt, but he was pretty sure it was about the same as him in that moment. He took her in long, slow strokes as she clung to him, lost in her moans and quivers, her incredible tightness as she mped around him almost every second thrust. "I feel like I''m being rewarded," she moaned in his ear. "Like your cock''s my prize for being so good for so long." Mason groaned and sped up, kissing her and giving her his tongue, which she sucked and licked with a wild enthusiasm that worked perfectly in the moment. It was like she could read him, the same way she''d seen right through him before. "You deserve to be taken care of," she told him, meeting his eyes. "I want to take care of you." Mason was slowly realizing this might not just be some friend of Rosa''s he had the good fortune of fucking. He looked into Lexi''s deep, brownish, greyish eyes and lost himself as quick as he lost himself in her body. He felt selfish, then, having a girl like this when he already had Haley. And Becky. And Rosa. And Naya¡­ But Lexi knew all that, and didn''t seem to care. He had no idea how long they stayed like that, Lexi half riding him, half taking whatever he gave, moaning and kissing him with her hands in his hair. He didn''t even think about finishing, it just happened. One second he was lost in the little Brit''s moans and smile. The next he was groaning and grabbing her perky ass and pumping up into her. Lexi put her forehead to his and kept moving when he slowed. "Let go," she said. "I want it all. I want all of you." Mason shuddered as the pressure released. He groaned and gripped Lexi''s ass he pumped and released inside her, mind a total nk except for the feel of his pleasure filling her. She cried out in something like joy, mming down on his cock and clenching like she was squeezing out a tube. When he feltpletely drained he finally let out a breath, looking into Lexi''s still smiling face before she kissed him again. Then she sighed and leaned forward without a word, just hugging him tightly with his cock still buried. It was perfect. Just what he wanted. He held here there without a word and breathed, not entirely sure what had just happened to him. * * * "Do you want to eat more? Or go back?" Mason blinked as Lexi kissed him awake. She was adjusting his cor as if to fix him, which was a bit funny since she was mostly naked and still speared on his cock. "Ahh." Mason winced, not sure he should even suggest it. "You can say no. But, before we left, Becky was hoping...I might...we might, let her be...involved, somehow, before the night was over." Lexi stared into his eyes with that increasingly familiar look of sharp intuition, and Mason was about to reiterate she could definitely say no before she grinned. "Becky is brilliant. And...the whole cowgirl thing is pretty sexy. I''d love to. As long as I''m with you." Mason kissed her again, hardlyprehending how easy that had been, and how he''d been unsure about a date night with Lexi. "Want another drink first?" "Yes please." Lexi leaned back as if to teleport something, then realized there wasn''t a pad. "Hmm. Now how am I supposed to..." A blurred arm literally emerged from the purple shield holding some kind of pink, girly drink. Lexi giggled and took it. She raised it as if in toast, then chugged it back with a few swallows and a grimace. Then she kissed him, and she tasted sweet and cold and it felt like some kind of post-coital dessert. "OK," she said, wiggling a little in excitement. "Let''s go make the beast with three backs. The menage a trois. Oh shit that probably just got tranted. I can''t even use French expressions. So much wasted education." Mason grinned, tempted to start another round right then. "It didn¡¯t trante. But that might be my only knowledge of French. Now stop wiggling or we aren''t going anywhere." "Oh. Right. Sorry. But not really." Lexi pulled up her dress and Mason helped with the straps, kissing Lexi''s shoulders first and causing her to shiver. "Um. Yep. Do thatter. And..." Mason ran his fingers lightly up her back, and Lexi shivered again with a grin. "And that. I''ll probably do whatever you tell me." "You''ll do whatever I tell you anyway," he whispered in her ear, then slowly lifted her off hisp. She whined as he came dripping out of her, then did her best to get her dress and hair straightened. "Oh dear," she said, looking at several wet spots. "I''m pretty obvious." "It''s dark," Mason said, getting his clothes back on. "Anyway..." "I know, you don''t care," Lexi finished. "But a girl should have a bit of modesty. My parents would be mortified. And wouldn''t you like my newly discovered sluttyness all for yourself?" Something about the words had Mason going again. He grabbed Lexi and pulled her close, though she was so short she hardly made it up to his chest. He picked her up so he could kiss her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, grinning as she met his eyes. "I can''t believe you were in my house for weeks and I didn''t do a damn thing about it." Lexi shrugged, looking up with a quirked mouth like she wasn''t surprised, and he was just a big dumb idiot. "Can I make it up to you?" he said, feeling better already than he had all day. And maybe for quite awhile. "Oh I think I can find some use for my toy," she said, then looked a little shy. "Do you think you can...get Becky to wear her hat? And maybe her boots? And um, not much else? But do not tell her it was my idea." Mason chuckled as a wave of lust shot down his body. He set Lexi down as he dropped the ''private'' mode he now realized was a temporary option in his profile view. "Oh, I am absolutely going to tell her," he said. "Mason you will not," Lexi said, hriously trying to crush his big, superhuman grip with her tiny little hand. He just grinned and led her towards the door, feeling every eye crawl back over him. Of course the eyes were all over him before, so he had no idea if it was ''busted for having sex'' stares or just more ''there goes the anti-christ'' stares. He supposed it didn''t make much difference. And strangely enough, he was kind of getting used to it. He walked Lexi back down the romantically lit path, tempted a few times to drag her into the bushes or the lush looking grass. When he nced her way he could see she felt exactly the same, which was a thing all in itself. Instead he rushed her forward, lifting her in a fireman''s carry when she struggled with her shoes. She giggled and kicked her feet as he sped up to proper speed, damn near sprinting to get back to the hotel room.
Chapter 392: A successful date (NSFW) Chapter 392: A sessful date (NSFW) Mason set Lexi down outside his private ''elevator'', then pushed her against the wall. He kissed her and lifted her up, toned legs wrapping around his waist. "We''re supposed to be getting Becky," she said with a grin, chest rising and falling with quick breaths. "We are." Mason kissed her again, then growled and carried her wrapped around him. She shrieked andughed as he stepped in and reached for the button before the thing just dinged that they were back. "I really hate this ce," he said, not sure how to exin he kind of liked the dy, and the idea of being trapped alone with Lexi for a minute... "Doesn''t matter," she said. "To Becky. Carry me, faithful steed." Mason didn''t need more encouragement. He moved through the mostly dark suite, eyes hardly needing light at all anymore. He took a second to remember which room was Becky''s, then opened it without knocking, Lexi still clinging to his chest. Becky was lying on the bed with her head towards the foot, her feet up on the wall, watching the screen upside down. She was wearing a white system t-shirt and panties, the remote in her hand, a stick of licorice in her mouth. She jumped as she saw Mason and Lexi, sitting up and looking them up and down with a nervous smile. "You got her drunk as a skunk, didn''t you?" "No." Lexi dropped down and brushed some brown hair out of her eyes, leaning into Mason, and suddenly looking a lot shyer than a minute ago. "Though I did have a few drinks." "Well. I''ve got a bottle of whiskey, if y¡¯all need it." She held it up for effect. "Shit ain''t doin'' much for me." Lexi smiled and looked at Mason with both eager and also frightened eyes. He just grinned, stepping behind her. He kissed her neck and ran his hands up her legs, dragging her dress up her thighs. "Lexi doesn''t want whiskey," he said, grinning as Lexi groaned from his touch. "But she does want to see you in your hat and boots." Lexi froze and red at him, which just made himugh. "Is that so." Becky walked the bed on her knees, lifting her cowboy hat off the chair. "I see how it is. Fancy city boy and an even fancier city girl want to get country." She rolled off the bed and bent over like a stripper to put on her boots one at a time. Her ass looked amazing, and she was trying to put on a sexy show, but Mason couldn''t help it. He burst outughing. "Damnit, Mason!" Becky stomped over and punched him in the arm, then a couple more times as he keptughing. He grabbed her and pulled her in, Lexi on one side, Becky in the other. Becky struggled and tried to keep her face away, but eventually he got her turned for a kiss. She bit his lip. Then kissed him back. "He, um, wasn''t supposed to tell you," Lexi said, looking somewhere between excited and mortified. "You''ll find Lord Mason does pretty much what he wants." Becky stuck out her tongue, and Mason pped her ass with enough superhuman strength to even make his fellow yer wince. Then he turned around and pushed both girls against the wall side by side, inspecting them with a hand on their throats. Something primal was rising up inside him, possibly making him sniff them before he''d really thought about it. A sh of a look like helpless concern actually passed over both girls, and Mason couldn''t help but grin. Especially as the concern transformed into a look of growing lust. He turned on Blessing of Gaia, watching Becky''s brown and Lexi''s grey eyes focus and dte even more. "And what do I want?" he said, the first words he''d spoken since he walked in the door. "Umm. Both of us," Lexi said, both her hands on his, her legs squirming and spreading. "Kneel down and taste her," he said to Becky, letting her go. The cowgirl dropped and pushed her hat back to just hold on her neck with a string. She pulled up Lexi''s dress, the Brit looking down at her with slightly widening eyes. "Umm, but...Mason. You already...came inside me...I mean..." Lexi flinched as Becky started licking. Mason pulled down her straps and the top of the dress to expose her tits, groping them as he kissed her. Pretty soon she was moaning and putting a leg up on Becky''s shoulder, spreading them wider so the country girl could really bury her face between her legs. Watching them was pretty amazing, but Mason wasn''t a patient man. He picked Lexi up and carried her to the bed, tossing her on her back. "Keep going," he said, and Becky swayed her hips and licked her lips as she walked over, bending over and gripping Lexi''s thighs as she went in for seconds. Mason pulled down her panties, admiring her perfect peach of an ass, the moist, puffy lips that practically begged to be parted. He ran a finger up and down them as he took off his pants. He was already very hard, so he used his tip to slide up and down Becky''s swollen lips before pushing the head inside. She moaned and pushed Lexi further onto the bed, so Mason could pound her into the mattress from behind. He started slow, taking her in long, deepening thrusts, enjoying every inch and sensation as he buried himself in the Arkansas beauty. He spread her cheeks and gripped her ass as he sped up, soon bouncing her face into Lexi. The Brit was trying to watch it all, but her eyes kept closing as she put her hands on her face and twisted beneath Becky''s increasingly talented tongue. Lexi cried out as she came, both hands burying in Becky''s long hair as she writhed and pushed against her mouth. Mason grinned, and pulled Becky back, still buried to the hilt inside her. "Very good girl," he said, kissing her wet cheek. "Want a ride for your reward?" "No, just like this," she said, eyes rolling in lust. "I want you to pound me hard." Mason growled and lifted her onto the bed, spreading her legs and arching her back. He moved behind her on his knees, ramming inside as he held her hips. He grabbed Lexi and spun her around, then dragged her under Becky so they were 69ing. He didn''t bother telling them what to do as he pped against Becky''s ass, driving his cock deep inside her. Pretty soon both girls were licking and sucking each other, Lexi''s tongue sliding against the bottom of Mason''s shaft as it came out wet with Becky''s juices. She started ying with his balls, too, and he groaned at the wet tightness of Becky mixed with Lexi''s yful mouth and fingers. Becky started to tremble before long, then clenched so hard Mason slowed down his thrusts. She held her breath and shook as she came, and he was so turned on at the feel and sight of her, he felt his own release build. He thrust straight through her sensitive, bucking orgasm, Becky crying out and putting her hands back as if to stop him as he kept on smacking against her ass. Becky reached forward and gripped Lexi, biting her thigh with a muffled cry as Mason sted her full of cum. She was shaking and dripping with her own juices, Lexi doing her best top it all up as she kept squeezing Mason''s balls for every drop. He slowed and thrust a fewst times, giving Becky another deep spray as he pulled her back by her hair to see her face. He grinned to see her eyes mostly closed, rolling in ovee bliss. He slid out and let her roll over, then put his cock to Lexi''s lips. She opened her mouth and licked, so he pulled her to the edge of the bed and started thrusting inside her mouth upside down. Her face was covered in Becky''s juices and Mason''s cum, and he yed with her tits as he started driving further and further towards her throat. He let her lick and suck and swallow him while Beckyy half unconscious on the bed, letting Lexi gag a little and practice getting him deeper. "Come here, cowgirl," he said. "Help her out." Becky groaned and crawled over, right on top of Lexi, to help lick and suck Mason''s cock. He held her hair as she looked up at him, and he put a thumb to her cheek and swapped, sliding his cock between her lips as she stared up at him and sucked obediently. Lexi wrapped her arms and legs around the cowgirl, gripping her ass as she smiled and stuck out her tongue for another turn. This round Mason took his time and enjoyed. He let both girls lick him top to bottom, run his shaft through two sets of pouty lips, and take turns sucking him. They hugged and cuddled as they yed, their amazing bodies squished together and covered in a sheen of sweat as they worked hard to please him. It was Becky''s turn for a face full of cum, so when he finally exploded he pulled back and sprayed her first. She closed her eyes because the first shot hit her high in the cheek, and she squealed as a few more sttered all over and dripped. Lexi giggled and pulled her down to lick, groaning as she got a better taste of Mason''s Gaia enhanced seed. Mason slid his cock between their faces, and they grinned and licked and sucked for everyst drop as they cleaned each other''s faces with their tongues. He watched with his hands on their hair, eyes half closed. It was a hell of a way to finish his date.
Chapter 393: Why didn’t you move? Chapter 393: Why didn¡¯t you move? Masony between Reba and Lexi, both girls cuddled into him and fast asleep. They¡¯d showered off basically in silence, just smiling and pressed together in the warm water before staggering back to the bed and closing their eyes. But Mason couldn¡¯t seem to drift off. He eventually gave up and crawled out of the bed, covering the girls as he paced around the suite. The pretty prison crafted by their synthetic overlord. Though it was actually mostly something Becky had said that was rattling around his brain. Way back in Nassau when she¡¯d been angry about his doing the 2v2 alone. She¡¯d said it was some kind of ¡®macho shit¡¯, implying it was about ego. That wasn¡¯t right. He¡¯d known that. But was there a piece of him that just wanted the challenge? Yes. That was the truth. Though it didn¡¯t make his original thinking wrong. He wished he had an open field or a road so he could run, then realized the system probably had something. He walked to the elevator and was about to search when ¡®Private track¡¯ popped up as a button. He sighed and pushed it, and walked out into what looked like a god damn olympic style, maybe four hundred meter loop of soft, springy floor. He honestly would have preferred dirt, but he started running. It felt strange on his bare feet. Too consistent. No little rocks or nts or grass jabbing his now hardened soles. The track was definitely a good metaphor for the Neutral Zone. A thin veneer of pampered gloss coating a world of blood. Mason was already tired of waiting. Of pretending. Of ying these stupid games inside a game. He looked at the digital clock on the wall, which gave him a meaningless number. Night or day was all the same here. Like a perpetual, frozen slice of reality. Come on, he thought. Stop this nonsense. Hurry up and get on with it. Their alien overlord and this ''emperor'' probably weren''t so different, he decided. They both covered what they wanted with fiction. Mason just wanted it to be over. ¡°What are we waiting for?¡± he shouted. ¡°A fancy breakfast? A puppet show?¡± We''re the fucking puppets, he thought, so get on with the show. He had to endure a whole week of this? He''d break his girls in half that unless they gave him something more to do. Something to upy his body or at least his mind. A voice boomed throughout the closed track. [Attention yers. Individual fights will begin in: 5 minutes. Please prepare yourselves for another friendly match!] Mason stopped running and snorted. Had it just been a coincidence? Had the damn thing heard him and obliged? Friendly match. Sure. It couldn¡¯t even make a fight real. Go fuck yourself, Mason thought. We kill each other in there. We''re not making best buddies. He went back to running, sprinting faster and faster around the loop until the five minutes dripped like the sweat down Mason''s face. Come on. He tried not to watch the clock tick down. Come one on. Then he heard a ding and stopped as Becky came out with a t-shirt and shorts, a smile and a stretch. ¡°Haley said you were here. You don¡¯t mind?¡± Mason just shook his head and smiled, and Becky started her ownps. They were both in their own heads now. Getting ready. He couldn¡¯t fight for her. Couldn¡¯t help her. He would have hated this thing just for that. The seconds ticked, ticked, ticked. Then thest one was finally gone, and the fake hotel world vanished. Mason was back in a prison inside a prison inside a prison. He kicked the holding cell wall until it cracked. ¡°You hear me, you son of a bitch?¡± he shouted. ¡°You think this isforting? All this horse shit. All this pleasure? Turn up the pressure because I''m fucking bored of you. Stop pretending to be something you aren¡¯t.¡± Nothing happened. And the timer ticked down until Mason rose from the ground into a new arena. He hardly care where he was. He just turned on Aspect of the Cheetah and ran, senses tuned, deciding not to Call Streak for the solos. He sniffed and realized it was a natural environment, the scent of moisture and nts and even animals on the air. RoboGod had even added real birds, their calls of warning spreading through thinly spread trees. The grass below Mason¡¯s feet was dry and crunchy. The ¡®sky¡¯ blue and wide. Then he smelled an entirely different, and far less pleasant scent on the breeze: magic. A bolt of mixed affinity energy streaked from a nearby tree. Mason saw it was going to miss him, probably channeled but poorly timed as Mason moved so quickly. But with a very strange impulse, he turned¡ªand ran straight into it. The projectile struck and sort of...sttered, strange colors wrapping around him like rope. He watched First Blood re. He felt Apex Predator sniffing at the spell without much concern. He growled and stretched out his arms until the ''ropes'' strained and snapped. "Come on," he shouted at the trees. "You don''t need that. I won''t move. Hit me with your best." He smelled the magic channeling again and stood perfectly still, his arms held to the sides. Little hairs rose on his body as the spell neared its finish, this time the ground all around him bursting apart as a kind of sphere swallowed him. Apex Predator shed briefly with Elemental affinity, then seemed bored. Mason grit his teeth as a mixture of heat and pressure tried to steal his breath, to force him to the ground. He kept his feet, letting the growing sphere cook his skin and try to tten him. He closed his eyes and breathed the heat, reaching out to touch the edges of the sphere. He didn''t know how long it went on, knowing only that it hurt. But Mason weed the pain like cleansing water. He felt like it was purging his anger, his hatred, focusing his mind. The sphere finally burst, and Mason stood there with his eyes closed, breathing the cool air with healing lungs. By the time he opened his eyes, he found a man in a red robe staring about thirty feet away. "How are you still¡­I¡¯m¡­almost out of mana. But you just...why¡­why didn''t you move?" Mason was trembling from the pain. But as the worst of it healed and the beautiful agony faded away, he took a deep breath and summoned a w. "You should say your surrender words now." The man shook his head, probably about to exin that he couldn''t for the same ridiculous reason the first man had. Mason lunged forward and cut him off, putting the de through his opponent''s chest. The trumpet red. Some fake apuse pped in his ears. Mason waited until the arena vanished. When he opened his eyes back in the ''Neutral Zone'' hotel, he turned and smashed the closest chair to pieces. He roared and smashed a hand through the wall, ripping at the ''food teleporter'' in the kitchen without sess. He bashed his fists into the wall when it wouldn''te off, hitting it again and again until the fake, horseshit stic started to crack. Heughed, not caring about the pain, hitting the weakened spot again and again until the thing shattered. He finally got his hand through and reached behind the teleporter device, ripping it out from the wall with abination of electrical and arcane burning that ckened some of his skin. He turned to throw it, and found Rosa, Lexi, Becky and Haley all staring from the hall. They looked frightened. Ready to run except maybe Becky. She stepped forward, but not to help him¡ªit was the same stance she had when she was rushed into battle. "You''re alright now," she said. "It''s over." Masonughed in her face. What exactly was over? The genocide of most of the human species? The imprisonment of the survivors? He was sorry he was scaring them but for the moment couldn¡¯t stop himself. "Look at this ce." He gestured at the walls. "It''s a lie inside a lie. We''re trapped like rats. And you know what? Sometimes I look forward to doing what it wants. Or maybe getting killed so it all stops. But it fucking can''t do it. Or won''t. I don''t know if killing or dying is what it wants from me anymore. Probably both. Either way, it wins. It always fucking wins." Becky just nodded. Haley tried to send the other girls back to their rooms, but both stayed. Mason dropped to the floor and put his head in his hands. "I don''t want to hurt these people," he said. "That man had no chance. None. And when I killed him..." he looked at his hands and shook his head. "I liked it. I always like it." Becky knelt down and hugged him, and so did the rest of his girls. He closed his eyes and just held on, knowing this was weak and selfish and that he had no time or room for it. It was good only his girls had seen. He couldn''t afford for his yers see something like this. He couldn''t be seen to doubt, to lose control. To be anything less than confident they were all doing the right thing, that they¡¯d survive. "I''m sorry," he said, giving Becky a smile. "I know it''s not just me. I know we''re all in this. I just feel...responsible. How was your match?" "It put me up against Tommaso." She grinned. "I beat his ass ¡®till he gave up. Two points." Mason didn''t fight theugh. He pulled Haley in and kissed her forehead. "Sorry if¡­I scared you. I''m fine. Really. I''m just...this thing is making me into a bully. Like what it wants is some awful version of me. But it''s not life or death. At least not yet." Haley nodded, putting a hand to his cheek. "I knew who you were the moment you saved me, Mason. You''re not like Jeong. Or Sebastian. Or even ke. We know exactly what you are. That''s why we all trust you." "Yeah?" he said, fighting off the emotion. "And what am I?" Haley grinned, and even the other girls smiled. "You''re a sheep dog, city boy," Becky said like it was obvious. "You ain¡¯t a wolf. It''s just this thing keeps makin'' you act like one." Mason snorted, wondering what ''Cerebus'' would think of that. The Nexus event had called him a protector of life, of mankind. Is that what he was? What he was supposed to be? Most predators exploited the weak. They weren''t evil, they were simply doing what they had to in order to survive. But Mason was built for something else. To protect the weaker things inside the herd, just like Becky said. She was right. He hated this ''emperor'', then, even more than before. This tyrant who was forcing Mason to kill these people when they should just be able to submit. [Attention yers, announced the system. Your next team fight will be taking ce in 5 minutes. Please prepare yourselves.] There you are, Mason thought. There was reality. Endlessbat without all the bullshit. "Get with your team," he said, standing and helping his girls up with him. "You''re alright?" Becky said, watching his eyes. He did his best to smile. "I''m fine, country girl. Now go tell Carl to get his ass in gear. And tell him all about beating Tommaso down." "Oh I will." Becky grinned, waving as she ran for the elevator. Mason squeezed Haley''s hand and gave the civilian girls another hug before waving them off. He nced back at the teleporter, then realized it had alreadypletely repaired itself. He stared for a long moment, trying not to feel the helplessness of fighting this thing. Patience, he told himself, trying to hear ke''s chastising voice. This thing had made him immortal, right? Well, one day, he promised, one day it would regret that decision. He forced himself to wait in silence for thest few minutes, then vanished again into the darkness of teleportation.
Chapter 394: A different kind of marathon Chapter 394: A different kind of marathon The system put Mason against two more yers he didn''t recognize, this time in some kind of Indian bazaar with everything but the people. The yers fought him together with practiced teamwork. They fought brilliantly, and with great skill, using the terrain to set mechanical traps andunch hidden sling bullets, managing to keep ahead of Mason¡¯s speed. And then they died, having had no chance at all. This time as Mason grabbed his enemies and held them with impossible strength he paused first. "I know you can''t surrender,¡± he said. ¡°You want a stab in the heart, or want me to choke you out?" After considerable confusion, both men eventually indicated they¡¯d like to be choked unconscious. Mason felt a little better as he ''killed'' them. But not much. He came out with a diminished form of the same energy he''d felt before, wanting to smash the walls, the ''emperor'', his robot overlord. But he couldn''t do any of it. Mason didn''t much care for anything these days that wasn''t fighting or fucking, and when he found the three civilian girls Haley took one look in his eyes and started undressing. It helped. A little. But the system might really have been listening to Mason¡¯s rant. The fights continued every fifteen minutes for almost two days, mostly individual matches, but maybe three or four team fights in a day. Every yer in Nassau except Mason became a kind of walking zombie, their bodies always renewed, their minds exhausted and vaguely traumatized. Win or lose (and it was almost always win), after about a day the yers of Nassau would walk out and drop in whatever room they''d materialized, the 3 and even 6 man teams basically lying in a row, or a pile. For his part, Mason went and found his girls (except for Becky, who was usually passed out on the floor). Rosa and Haley were very d for Lexi after a few sessions. Despite being able to sleep and rx more or less as much as they wanted, their bodies were being...worn down. "It''s your turn, sweetheart," Haley mumbled as she staggered towards the bathroom after a particrly long session. Lexi and Rosa were tangled up in the sheets beside Mason, and both pointed at themselves, not sure who Haley meant. Mason was pretty sure she didn''t care. And anyway, he took them both. Sometimes the system interrupted him while he was in the middle, mind in a lust-fueled fog. Those fights didn''tst long. And the opponent''s usually didn''t get the choking option. As time went on Mason wasn''t sure if the system had heard him and was now giving him what he wanted. Or if it was trying to punish him, to show him what the game would be like if it listened to him. Or if it truly didn''t give a shit and all this was coincidence. None of it would have surprised him. ke came to the room for a visit at about hour thirty. He looked surprisingly chipper and awakepared to everyone else. "Just another benefit if being me, brother," he''d grinned. "I can sleep with one half of my mind at a time. It''s all veryplicated. But I do have to say this endless fighting is truly unfair to casters. You physical types can grind away on muscle memory. But I''ve seen casters literally forget their powers." "I have magic, you know. And us ''physical types'' have powers same as you," Mason said, grumpier than he should have been. "Phuong and Carl haveplex powers. So does Becky." He took a breath. "I don''t know why I''m fighting you over this. Juste in and drink coffee or something." ke grinned and stepped inside. "Where are the girls? I''m partially here because Sylvie wants to know if Haley is dead. She and Rosa haven''t been at the bazaar or anywhere else for over a day. "She''s fine." Mason gestured at the bedroom. "Sleeping." "I see." ke drummed the table with his fingers, then summoned himself some breakfast. "I think it might be lunch technically but at this point who really cares. Want some bacon?" He stuffed some in his mouth and held out a piece. Mason stared and held back the reflexive no. Then he snatched it and summoned his own before realizing he was starving. ke grinned with that ever-annoying, know it all smile before pushing away his own te. "How much longer do you think this''ll go on?" He nced at his watch. "Theoretically we have about ten minutes, by the way." Mason shrugged, chewing noisily and still trying not to think. "Until it''s over. Until it breaks us or gets bored." ke sighed. "I tried sleeping properly in a match, by the way. Mind controlled my opponent until he agreed. We had a good five minute nap until the system warned us to fight or get ''punished''. So that''s out." Mason snorted and kept chewing. Haley wandered out of the bedroom in a t-shirt, freezing when she saw ke and his eyes sweeping her with a smile. "Stop creeping her out," Mason mumbled through his food. "Good morning, my dear," ke ignored him entirely. "I''m d to see you up and about. Are you hungry?" Haley groaned and shuffle-walked to the table, picking pieces off Mason''s te and throwing back most of his coffee. "How are Annie and Seul-ki doing?" she asked with a yawn. "Oh just fine, thank you. Seul-ki isn''t fighting. And Annie...well. She''s had to rely a bit much on her power, but, nothing she can''t handle now. I think." Mason was curious about Seul-ki, but not enough to ask. Haley teleported herself another te of food, then waved at ke and stumbled back towards the bedroom. "Tell Sylvie I won''t be back until the fights stop. She can handle things." ke looked through the door as it opened, another wide smile as he nced at Mason. "Oh how far you''vee, brother. It smells like an orgy in here. I almost envy you. Except it looks exhausting. "Five minutes," Mason said. "Spit it out. Whatever it is." ke took a breath and tapped his fingers some more. "I just wanted to say...in the event that we...are forced into some arena, which seems inevitable. Well, I intend to surrender." Mason stopped eating long enough to look up. He was about to speak when ke held up a hand. "I know you won''t. And probably can''t. You''re the one with the reputation to uphold, with all eyes glued to your matches. And you''d win anyway so it''s not like I''m making some grand gesture. I just...wanted things to be clear." Mason felt his mostly numb brain flicker through several emotions. But he just nodded, and went back to eating. "Oh please, don''t mention it," ke said. "No, no, you''re the gentleman and schr. I couldn''t possibly ept such thanks andpensation. Such praise and ttery. No, it''s my brotherly duty, and I do it dly. Please." "You want a parade?" Mason said. "You''re right, I''d win. So you''re not some heroic martyr. And I might enjoy beating your ass a bit so don''t feel you need to surrender too quickly." "Well." ke cleared his throat and stood. "Unbrotherly, and unfriendly, I call it. I came here to speak man to man and ease our minds, and you threaten me with actual violence. Maybe I will fight. Maybe I''ll fly around with Telekinesis and make an arrow box¡ªthat''s what I call it¡ªright on the ceiling, until you get so bored you give up and look ridiculous." "You fight our three man team yet?" Mason said, finally leaning back with a sigh. "No." ke nced around the room. "They''re doing well, I trust?" "Carl likes you, but I''m pretty sure he''s going to try and murder you in there." "Well of course he is." ke rolled his eyes. "I''m terrifying. And I''ll probably find him first and make him think your girlfriend is trying to kill him with evil mind powers until he..." Here he winced. "Alright this isn''t actually that pleasant. Should wee up with some¡­ground rules? I don''t know...maybe a touch-hit sort of thing?" "I don''t know." Mason stood and made to walk ke to the door. "Just don¡¯t fuck with their minds, alright? You shouldn¡¯t need that. You can work out anything else amongst yourselves. You''re all big boys and girls. Now I think I''m going to try and sleep for four minutes. When this grind is over, we''ll go to the promenade. We can sit and talk. Or whatever." "Capital." ke pped Mason on the arm and shook his head. "Christ you don''t have any fat at all. It''s like hitting a metal bar." "Wait a minute to give up when we fight, I''ll give you a demo." "I should make you kill a few constructs, at least. Actually a test would be kind of useful. Maybe I should start trying to design a specific¡­Masonator. Something that can..." "Out. Sleep. Goodbye." Mason closed the door and allowed himself a grin. He was d he and ke were getting back to normal, but he had to be at his mental best to withstand his endless energy for long. "Sleep with half his mind," he muttered as he staggered for the bedroom. "It''s all veryplicated. I should smear that big brain all over some dirty arena." He opened the door and got a collective groan from all three girls. "Mercy," Rosa said into the pillow she''d been biting, still exactly where he''d left her. She''d been pretty cocky at the start, and he definitely took extra pleasure in breaking her down. He swept her with his eyes, and she nced over with incredulous and maybe slightly frightened eyes. "Haley," she said. "Help. He''s looking at me." [Attention, yers. Your nextbat match will take ce in exactly: five minutes. Please prepare yourselves for a possible individual or team event. And good luck. We''re rooting for you.] Mason sighed and flopped down on the bed as he closed his eyes. "Saved by the bell. But I wouldn''t go far." Rosa just groaned, and stuffed her face back in the pillow.
Chapter 395: Three versus three Chapter 395: Three versus three Carl stared at the ¡®waiting cell¡¯ monitor with the others, blinking dry eyes as he watched the description of the other team¡¯s affinities. ¡°Arcane/Psionic. Martial. And¡­unknown? OK. That¡¯s ke¡¯s team or I¡¯m too tired to understand reality.¡± They all kind of went silent at the prospect. They¡¯d ¡®nned¡¯ for it, in a kind of loose, ¡®we should get ke¡¯, three drinks in kind of abstract way. But they all knew it was bad news. The lift took them up in what felt like seconds, into what looked like an outdoor, rolling hills kind of almost scenic arena. They saw ke and his team instantly on a hill several hundred feet away. "Fuck me.¡± Carl ran a hand over his smooth scalp. "We should have worked this out. I''ll go talk to him." "Uh. You sure?¡± Reba pped herself awake. ¡°Maybe we should just¡­you know, jump ''em." "What and fake-kill them?¡± Carl looked at his Shard and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m just gonna stab little Annie? No. We need some rules or something. ke''s reasonable." Becky snorted, but put her hands on her hips and waited. OK, ke wasn¡¯t like his brother in most of the ways that made you trust him. But still, he was a good kid. A scary, unpredictable, nebulously powerful kid. But he was Mason''s brother and he''d done his best for Nassau. Still, after a few steps, Carl went invisible. When he was about halfway he yelled. "Uh, hey kid. Looks like it''s that time." He saw ke smile, but had no idea if it was genuine. "Carl, old boy. Well that''s too bad. Want to just give up and save us all the trouble?" Carl winced, a little annoyance oveing his exhaustion. "Now that doesn''t sound quite fair," he called. "But I was thinking¡­ground rules. Like if we''ve got each other square, we go down and y dead. Surrender when everyone''s ¡®down¡¯. How''s that sound?" "Sounds capital, Carl. Except it''s a bit hard to know when that moment is. If it''s not obvious, I suppose we''ll have to keep at it." "Fair enough." Carl sighed, not excited at the prospect of fake death, but not too frightened either. "How about if I go down, it''s over? No way Tommaso and Becky can finish you. And let''s say the same for you. So, you or me bite it, the fight''s done." A small dy, then ke shouted back. "That''s a deal, Carl. I''ve been stabbed before. But do try and keep it clean. In the tiny chance you get to me." "Not that tiny!" Carl shouted, grinning a little now, the excitement of a fight mingling with fear of whatever the hell ke was about to do. "I''m heading back to my team now. And then we''reing." "Oh. Take your time." Carl winced, expecting the son of a bitch was probably over there channeling and summoning God knew what with every second, even as they talked. Whatever else he was these days he was a kind of ''crafter'' caster and probably time was not on Carl''s side. He ran back to the others to exin. "Yeah we heard," Becky said, her arms crossed. "I ain''t scared, you know. You bunch of lily livered city boys don''t need to treat me like I''m some kind of..." "I know, OK?" Carl cut her off. "It''s not that...it''s just...there''s no way you two can kill ke unless he''spletely tapped, in which case I expect he''ll give up anyway. It''s not good for any of our mental health to hurt each other, win or lose. Right? So now it''s just me and him, and we''ll get over it. OK?" Becky shrugged and rolled her eyes, then literally spit on the ground. "Much appreciated," said Tommaso, wiping some sweat off his forehead. "Happy not to die, eh? Fake death. Real death. All bad where I''m from." "Well we''re wasting time." Carl sighed and turned invisible again, flicking through his powers with a mental scroll. "I''ll try and get ke. But he knows that so who the hell can say what he''ll do. You''ll probably need to get them distracted." "I''m chargin'' right at the bastard," Becky said. "Let ''em throw everything at me. I''ll blow ''em all to hell." "Your shield may not stop his mind powers, Becky," Carl warned. "He might intend to knock you out of the whole damn fight." "Let ''em try." Becky summoned her shield and started walking, and Carl took a deep breath and moved to her nk. All he could really do was hope her powers had evolved and given her some kind of mental protection, or that her stats were high enough she could shrug it off. Surely Mind Control wouldn''t work as well on yers as it did on monsters. That was usually yer versus yer 101. But even if the answer was yes, ke would have his other magic, his constructs, and his physical shield. Carl expected he could cut that shield apart in about a second, but he doubted Becky could. Could ke''s magic help him see Carling? Maybe. Could he levitate himself up high enough Carl couldn''t even warp to him? Also maybe. But he couldn''t fly around forever without running out of mana. And certainly not with his side kick Seul-ki also being floated. Carl winced as he realized he might be forced to take out Seul-ki or Annie for tactical reasons. But he hoped it didn''te to that. "Tommaso..." "Run around. Stay alive. Try to help," said the Italian. "Yes I know." Carl pped him on the shoulder, which made the man jump in terror because Carl was almost entirely invisible. "Sorry," he said, then hurried out from the trees. * * * ke used both halves of his mind to set up his defences. Becky and Tommaso would try and distract his team, then Carl would try and kill him. It was a simple, if effective strategy. It might even have worked¡ªif ke didn''t do anything about it. "They areing, Master," Navi chirped from above. "No sign of the rogue. But I can detect him within twenty feet. Shall I go search now?" "Yes, thank you Navi," ke said. "When you find him, float above his position. Just be ready for his constant warping, it doesn¡¯t go more than about thirty feet. sh red if you lose him, please." The orb familiar zipped off towards the trees, and ke kept channeling. He was creating a concrete pir, three foot square, thirty feet high, which took a good 20% of his mana. Or rather Seul-ki¡¯s mana. She watched it rise up from the ground and frowned. "Can Carl not...destroy the pir? Topple us off? I don''t see it helping us long." "He certainly can," ke agreed, smiling as it finished. He took Seul-ki''s arm and floated them both up with Telekinesis, leaving a silent Annie at the base in his other, already finished protection. They settled on the narrow tform at the top, Seul-ki clutching ke''s arm now as she nced around from the height. Becky had crossed about half the clearing now. ke mentallymanded his constructs to advance as he started channeling True Making again. This time he made cables attaching his tform to the nearby trees. "He might still cut us down," ke said as he cast. "But it will take him considerable time. Time he will not have." Seul-ki nodded, fueling his mana with her active regeneration. The ground shook slightly as ke''s temporary Defender advanced on Becky, two legionnaires at its side. He¡¯d designed a kind of ¡®Becky attack pattern¡¯ into their behavior already. They¡¯d fight in turns and stay just far enough apart she couldn¡¯t easily st them all to hell at at once. Annie stood at the base of the pir in the half-sphere metallic shield ke had made for her, only exposing her from the front, axe at the ready. Her face was a neutral mask, but her void power wasn¡¯t active. She probably wouldn¡¯t need it at all for these three. But she was at considerable physical risk from Carl, who could likely end her with a single stab of that terrifying de. Her job was just to stay alive and pose a threat. Once Navi found the dangerous rogue, Annie would likely be able to fend him off and maybe hurt him quite badly if he tried for her first. "What kinda cowardly horse shit is this?" Becky yelled, looking up at ke and Seul-ki. "Worry about yourself," ke called as his legionnaires readied their spears to throw. They would aplish approximately nothing, of course, but ke only needed a bit of time. Sooner orter Carl would have to help her face the constructs, and reveal himself. The robot-like creatures engaged with the cowgirl, who soon transformed her shield to her mace and started cracking bits and pieces as ke''s minions smashed and red her purple shield. Navi found Carl, then circled in confusion and blinked red as the man warped away. Tommaso looked totally unsure what to do, and ke had enough ''cables'' now it was time to get a bit more aggressive. With a grin, he started on another temporary construct with Duality of Ambition, this one designed specifically to smash as quickly as possible on something just like Becky. Annie shouted in rm. ke nced down expecting Carl had made a move, except it seemed Tommaso was throwing some kind of¡­ming Molotov cocktails into her protection. ke grit his teeth, using his partitioned mind to catch the next few hurled potions with Telekinesis. But the damage had been done. Annie was forced to jump out from her still burning protection, exposed now entirely from a sudden warp from Carl. After a moment of dy, and obviously a difficult decision, Annie rushed out straight at Tommaso. * * * Carl wasn''t thrilled with how things were going. First of all, ke''s ''crafting'' powers were apparently about ten times more impressive than Carl anticipated. That pir thing was a real problem. "Tommaso!" he shouted. "Forget her! Kill this God damn flying robot!" Mostly they needed to fall back and re-assess. Or at least that was the n¡ªuntil Annie came running out. Carl winced, having no interest whatsoever in hurting the girl. But if they wanted to win, he had to exploit her vulnerability. He waited until she''d moved a good fifty feet from the pir and the other yers. Becky was still tangling with ke''s constructs, looking mostly annoyed as she hit them without doing much damage. Tommaso was falling back in a panicked hurry, tossing a glue off target before bolting back towards the trees, ignoring the flying construct. The thing was a problem. But not enough to stop him. Carl took a deep breath, activated his warp, and instantly crossed thest twenty feet to Annie. He abandoned his Reflection invisibility, grabbed her by the waist, and put his Mirror Shard to her throat. "Gotcha, girly. Drop down and y dead, OK?" Annie screamed bloody murder. It was an unexpected, awful sound that made Carl jump. Then she grabbed his knife hand and pulled, thrashing against him as she tried to move it away. "Stop!" Carl didn''t know what the hell to do. Annie was strong. Stronger than him pretty easily, which became quickly apparent. He lost control of her, then her forearm smashed into his face as she tried to spin and back kick him into oblivion. Only his reflexes saved him. He stepped away and spit blood and maybe a tooth, pain and fear taking over any higher thinking. He shed her with a spray of blinding colors, but Annie¡¯s eyes zed and she just came barreling straight through with a nk expression and unaffected, open eyes. Carl warped as her awful axe swiped through his Exploding Clone, detonating as he appeared maybe ten feet on the other side. But still he hesitated. Annie shook her head and spun,ing straight for him now. "Aegis!" Carl yelled, warping away again and running for the trees. Becky''s magic moved over him like a warm, safe bath, and his heart stopped hammering quite so loud. He nced back to see ke had just summoned another construct, which was now moving towards Becky with a pair of deadly looking picks. And Annie was stilling. Enough was enough. Carl summoned a clone, then vanished. He saw that God damn flying construct was still over his head, but he warped, then again, annoyed to be burning mana so fast but deciding he could always fall back after this. Annie fell right into his trap. Carl heard ke shout in warning, but it was toote. The little red-head smashed into Carl''s clone with a growl, shattering it sopletely it made him shiver at the thought of it being him. Then he stepped behind her with his Mirror Shard, and rammed it through her back, straight towards her heart. Annie instantly spun with her hand right under the axe head to pull it close. She nearly took his head off with the de, and he realized she hadn¡¯t been tricked. She¡¯d decided to sacrifice herself. Again Carl¡¯s speed and Spider-man like intuition kept him alive, his body ducking before he¡¯d really thought about it, the horrible axe gouging a chunk of his scalp instead of his neck. Blood ran down Carl¡¯s face, but Annie¡¯s legs gave out. She staggered to the ground in silence save a little puff of air. She gasped but failed to breathe, theny t on the grass, her eyes closing almost peacefully in seconds. A kill trumpet red. Carl took a breath and tried not to hate himself. He wiped blood from his face then started moving towards the constructs, deciding he''d just kill this batch then pull Becky back and re-group. He was about halfway when a figure dropped out of the sky. ke hovered maybe fifteen feet above the ground, his eyes wide, and crackling with energy. "Deal''s off.¡± Carl¡¯s danger sense screamed. He practically smashed the warp button with his mind, feeling a frightening rush of power surround everything as he blinked.
Chapter 396: A very long week Chapter 396: A very long week ke activated Mind Rend as Carl warped. He had learned it was actually targeted mostly based on location, so escaping it physically was a good tactic. But he suspected it had at least grazed the man before he escaped. Not that he''d ''escaped'' anything. ke was going to teach that man some God damn humility. And some fear. Annie''s scream had sent a shiver down ke''s spine. He''d heard it before in her dreams¡ªthe pain, the fear of failure. She thought she was letting him down like she''d let down her friends in that awful ''school''. He realized she wasn''t going to quit again, ever. He should have known that. Should have talked to her first and sorted this out. Instead he''d let her down and gotten her hurt again. But Carl should have stopped at that scream. ke would have quit then and there once he''d realized Annie couldn''t take this for a ''game''. To her it would always be real. And they''d ''killed'' her. So now she''d wake up feeling like she had in that tutorial, lost for a little while maybe in the terrible dreams, reminded of the trauma that had almost broken herpletely. ke had gripped Seul-ki''s hand as he watched her fall. "Do it," he said, and she gave him what he affectionally called a ''super-charge''¡ªa temporary boost of every power, and every major statistic. She couldn''t hold it long, her mana draining with terrible speed. But he didn''t need long. He left Seul-ki andunched off his tform with Telekinesis, intending to put an end to this as quickly as possible so he could go to Annie. But Carl just had to make things difficult. ke turned and watched Navi zip after his target, preparing to float over and startunching javelins before getting his Arcane st lined up perfectly... Another of Tommaso stupid potions came whistling at ke''s head. He caught it with Telekinesis with one half of his mind, spun on the Italian and released his channeled and waiting Arcane st with the other. Tommaso cried out in rm. Then dropped to the grass in two pieces. ke turned his attention away as the trumpet red. He just floated towards Carl''sst position, charging another Arcane st. He nced at Becky and was tired of waiting. He needed his constructs hunting Carl, and turned them all away in a ¡®Seek and Destroy¡¯ pattern across the clearing. Becky was smashing one with her mace in the back, but she''d have to hit it about a hundred times to actually break it. ke followed Navi, floated his bundle of javelins forward, and startedunching everywhere Navi pointed. One spear shed blue light with Reba¡¯s Aegis, and Carl shimmered and warped again. ke turned and loosed his Arcane st as the faint blur of the shield re-appeared, throwing a dozen javelins with a stronger burst of Telekic power. "Shield is dropping!" Becky called, looking frantic now as she tried to stop the constructs. They were getting closer to Carl now, spread out in a ragged line about 25 feet apart. ke was officially done with these people and this farce of a fight. He turned on Becky with a brutal jolt of Mentally Influenced panic. She cried out and activated a power, glowing with arcane energy as a circr wall wrapped around ke''s constructs, trapping them and her inside. Clever, ke thought, but irrelevant. Carl appeared again. Twice. Both charged ke, no doubt trying to get close enough to warp. He simply floated backwards and up, moving himself to the very maximum of Carl''s jump. His mana was draining fast, but he didn''t care. He grabbed one Carl with a super-charged Telekinesis and held him still, then skewered him full of javelins. The other cried out and jumped, then warped. ke''s mind was busy. Both his partitions were working on overdrive. He was holding Telekinesis open twice, holding himself, holding Carl #1, throwing spears. He already gave up trying to control his constructs. His shield red as the real Carl shed at his face with that awful dagger, not quite breaking it in a single hit. It was their one chance. And it was over. Carl didn''t even try to warp away, holding his arms out as he fell. Probably he was out of mana. Instead of skewering him, ke grabbed him with Telekinesis, and threw him with all his arcane might at the ground. Either Carl didn''t have the mana to warp again, or he just didn''t bother. He hit the earth hard and t on his back, his breath sting out of him with a groan. ke dropped down with a summoned javelin to end it, but Carl spat blood and whispered a surrender, then vanished. Becky followed a momentter, and the arena yed its victory music as ke''s world disappeared. I''ming, Annie, he thought. * * * Carl woke with a cry and a deep breath. He''d probably broken his back and who knew what else when he hit the ground. He could still almost feel that demonic mind power racing through his thoughts like a hurricane. "Jesus H Christ," he said, looking over at Phuong and Alex sitting on chairs next to his couch. "OK. We got to fight Mason''s fucking brother. How''d you boys do?" "Some team." Alex shrugged. "Very easy. Seamus took nap." Carl put his hands to his face and blew air before heughed and let out as much exhausted anxiety as he could. He watched Tommaso get cut in half again in his mind and tried to shake it off. "God that kid is scary. I killed Annie. Not much for it. Part of the deal but I still feel like shit." "I''m sure she''ll understand," Phuong said with an encouraging smile. "I assume you were ultimately...?" "We lost," Carl confirmed. "ke just floated around and took us apart. If they''d put us somewhere with a damn roof maybe. Course then he''d probably make a dozen steel walls. Or who the hell knows. I''m d that''s over, I tell you what." Phuong pat his knee and smiled. "At least in the real world, he is on our side." Yeah, Carl thought. I fucking hope so. The idea of another match in fifteen minutes brought some bile to his throat, so he stood and went to get some water, forcing himself to avoid any more coffee. There was only so much caffeine a man could drink before his bowels turned to mush. Or at least so much before Carl''s did. "I''ll go see Sylvie," he said. Alex and Phuong just grunted and closed their eyes, trying to rx before another round. It was the first loss for Carl in the arena. Phuong hadn''t lost yet. And even Alex had won all but one of his single bouts. How exactly wasn''t precisely clear, but Carl didn''t ask a lot of questions. It was something like a reflective power that didn''t work well against certain builds. Carl got the impression the average ''support'' ss was basically screwed, and lost almost every time, so Alex was something of an exception. He got to the room he shared with Sylvie and flopped down on the bed. Fortunately she was back from the bazaar, letting Rosa take over for a rare few hours of rest. She knelt beside him and started to massage his shoulders. "Was it bad?" Carl groaned and nodded into the bed. He fought desperately to resist saying ''I''m too old for this shit.'', because she always teased him. After a few minutes of massage, he turned and took Sylvie''s hands. "We should get married." She just stared and blinked a few times, a smile slowly spreading across her lips. "OK." "That''s it? I propose and you say ''OK?''" "OK...good idea?" Sylvie grinned and leaned down, hovering her lips a few inches from his. He smiled and pulled her in for a kiss, everything always a little better when Sylvie was in his arms. "It''s going to be a very long week," he said, lying back with Sylvie''s head on his chest. He tried to resist, he really did. But willpower could only do so much. "I''m too old for this shit.¡± * * * ke opened his eyes and leapt to his feet, charging straight to the door that separated ke''s room from Annie''s. It was locked, so he ''unmade'' the handle and pulled it open with the hole. He found Annie hugging her knees in the corner of the room. "I''m sorry," she said, tears in her eyes. "You don''t have to be sorry," he said,ing to sit in front of her. "You did your best. And it''s not realbat. No one expects you to..." "No," she said, rolling her eyes. "I know it''s not real. That it''s a game. I hate that everyone thinks I''m crazy. I''m sorry I freaked out. That I couldn''t just give up when he had me. I knew it but I was just¡­so mad. That I couldn''t..." She shook her head, and ke felt himself rxing. He was afraid she''d backslid towards that awful darkness. But she was maybe just an upset,petitive teenage girl¡ªa warrior angry for getting jumped and beaten, for making a mistake. He grinned and smacked her foot. "You fell hook line and sinker for that clone. He does it almost every time against melees like you." Annie met his eyes with a very feminine re. "It looked exactly like him. He even turned. He took like a fighting stance!" ke shook his head and slid over to sit beside her, his back to the wall. "Did you turn on your power? I know I say not to. But maybe inbat¡­I don¡¯t know. It would keep you calm, you know, more...focused?" "I did, when he used his stupid spray!" Annie stomped on his foot and sighed. "It maybe didn¡¯t help. I get almost¡­too focused, you know? Like I get kind of tunnel vision. So maybe I shouldn¡¯t have. I just want to be...like, the best I can without it, you know?" ke nodded and put his head back. He caught a glimpse of Annie pushing some red hair behind her ear, the system shirt pulled tight across her ample chest. His mind flopped around in panic, telling him she was too young, she was too damaged. Another piece was reminding him he was only twenty-one years old¡ªtwo or three years older than her. That if he wasn''t in this ridiculous alien world they''d be at university together¡­ Yeah. It was definitely time to go. "I''m d you''re OK," he said, moving to a knee and ready to stand. "We won by the way. Oh I guess you''d see the points. Best haul yet with tier 1 yers like..." Annie grabbed his neck and kissed him. He sort of froze as her soft lips pressed against his. "Annie..." he managed, trying not to lick his lips. "What?" She met his eyes, not looking away, not seeming shy or afraid. "I just got killed. This isn''t so scary." She kissed him again, and ke''s useless brain was fresh out of arguments. Somewhere in there was Ilya and Seul-ki and just enoughplication to keep a man busy. But it all just drifted away. Theyy down on the carpet and made out like...well, teenagers. ke didn''t make a move below the belt, and she didn''t either. After awhile they justy together on the floor, Annie cuddled up next to him, her eyes closed. "This is nice," she said. "Can we just stay here until the next fight?" "Yeah," he said, stroking her hair. She was so innocent, so inexperienced, so...good. ke stared at the ceiling as Annie put a very sexy leg over his, wrapping an arm over his chest as she cuddled into him. It felt wonderful. Sweet. And sent waves of lust through his whole body. He told himself he wasn''t going to hell. It helped a little.
Chapter 397: What can be done in a day Chapter 397: What can be done in a day Tommaso woke up and cringed as he put his hands to his gut. Getting cut in half by some spell hadn''t been the greatest experience, but it hadn''t hurt nearly as much as he''d feared. Once he¡¯d managed to collect himself, he looked at the clock on his wall, then rushed down to meet his newest beauty at full speed. This one was Moran. Dark haired and eyed with a body even Tommaso hardly deserved. And she spoke Italian! This she did with a French ent and a girlish voice that might have got him going even if she wasn¡¯t so beautiful. They''d agreed to meet in the hotel after Tommaso''s next match, and even civilians could watch the bouts, so she¡¯d know he wasing. The anticipation of a woman moved him like nothing else. He raced to the ''elevator'' and thought of the right room number, the machine''s ding sending a jolt of electricity through his heart. He stepped out, and his breath caught in his throat as he saw her. Farah stood between the kitchen and a bedroom in a white robe, her hands on her belt. "You took your sweet time," she said, fiddling with the cloth as she tossed her hair and stuck out a bare leg from the opening. "My apologies, lovelydy." Tommaso came forward with growing confidence, stripping off his shirt as he crossed the distance. "How can I ever make it up to you?" "Oh I can think of something." She grinned, and Tommaso came forward and pulled her into his arms, kissing her roughly as he took a handful of her dark hair and put a hand inside her robe. She panted against his touch, the false mask of resistance crumbling as had happened with so many women before her. He had met her in the hotel lobby. Their eyes met and then the beautiful girl pretended not to notice him. But Tommaso was no stranger to the amorous looks of women, and it hadn''t taken him long to pin her down for a drink. Only a few minutes, really, of flirting and touching and saying all the things a woman liked to hear. And now here they were. "Who are you?" she asked breathlessly as Tommaso''s hand crept closer to its target. "Where do youe from?" "I''ll tell you anything you like, curious girl," he said, kissing her ear as his hand found its mark, which was just as incredible as he imagined. The girl gasped beneath his touch, panting as she held his eyes. He smiled, leading her towards the bed without removing his hand. "After." * * * The emperor of the world sat at his temporary mand post'', hating this ''Neutral Zone'' and its rules. To think that his enemy was so close, so vulnerable. All Jeong had to do was cross the small space between them with his army of yers and ughter him and his in their beds, and the game would be all but over. Instead he could do nothing. He had considered sending yers to kill several Westerners in their sleep anyway, letting them pay whatever price was required. But it was no simple matter to actually enter the rooms of his enemy. And it seemed entirely possible their alien overlord might not permit them to actually die. That it might punish Jeong as the ultimate guilty party and ¡®resurrect¡¯ his enemies. Better to be patient, he decided. Better to be sure. "Tell me what you''ve learned," he said once his small council had gathered. "I want to know everything about Mason and his key yers." Jeong''s people werergely getting ughtered by the Western yers. That was clear. None of his council elite had fought any of them yet, so that test was still toe. Jeong himself, of course, had defeated therge Scotsman easily. But tier 1 was proving a nebulous bracket. The distribution of power of the tiers was nowhere near equal, and to be in the ¡®top 10%¡¯ could mean a vast gulf. The fact was, a handful of yers were far more powerful than the rest of the yers in the world. Jeong''s people had been watching the fights, and making a list. "Finding information about their yers is proving...difficult," said Michael, Jeong¡¯s spymaster. "Outside of what we see in the arena, their people aren''t talking to us except about trade. None of my spies have managed to learn anything useful about their yers in the bazaar." Jeong did his best to hide his sneer. They knew roughly who the power yers were¡ªa fire caster, a divine support, some kind of mixed melee, an arcane defender, an arcane rogue, a caster with constructs. A few others were still uncertain. But these, plus Mason himself, seemed to be the ''key'' yers with him he had likely captured his Nexus. Michael was still talking. "Their leader did take a civilian girl to a public restaurant," he said, as if it were some incredible bit of knowledge. "They seemed to be a couple. A short, attractive brte. We''ll learn who she is soon." "You think I care about some useless civilian?" Jeong felt his temper re dangerously. "About what hole my enemy sticks his rod in? I asked about their yers. And you''re telling me you have nothing new? After a full day?" "I am in the arena as much as you are, lord," said Michael, sweat beading on his brow. "As are all my yer spies. We have only our civilians with which to..." Yasmeen opened the conference door and stepped inside with a bow to Jeong. She seemed a little flushed, probably from beingte. If it were anyone else he would have reprimanded them then and there, but with his wife there was always a good reason. She came and knelt at his side, whispering in his ear. "I have information, lord. Would you like it now or in private?" "Now," he said, no attempt to be quiet. He gestured for his closest assistant to get out of a chair so his wife could sit. Yasmeen bowed in apology, then sat and smiled at every man at the table politely. Jeong tolerated it all, knowing subtlety and politics were part of her craft, and she plied it well. "I have the names of every key yer," she said, ¡°and considerable knowledge of the trials and tribtions of the main Western settlement thus far. Though I have only a single source, I believe him trustworthy." Her words hung in the air, and Jeong almost leaned across the table to stare at his spymaster with contempt. ¡®There is what can be done in a single day!¡¯, he wanted to shout. But he knew he didn''t need to. He just smiled and gestured for Yasmeen to go on, and she bowed and began. She told a tale of desperate survival¡ªof very few yersing together in almost random ways, all eventually beneath the banner of House Mason. Jeong''s enemy sounded like a folk hero. He had killed some tyrant settlement leader and saved his ''brother''. He and the others had fought off orcs and goblin raiders. He had killed a huge worm. A stone giant. Defeated a dozen dungeons and who knew what else. "Mason is said to ne walk," Yasmeen said, meeting Jeong''s eyes. "My source says he can cross the continent in days. Without a teleportation beacon. Though he has one of those, also." Jeong said nothing, regretting slightly now that he hadn''t had Yasmeen inform him alone. It seemed this Mason was both weaker and stronger than Jeong expected. His brother, by Yasmeen''s description, was the truly ambitious one¡ªthis Mason more like an idental king, stumbling into his rulership and even possession of the Nexus. "We must win this ke to our side as soon as possible,¡± Jeong said. ¡°Sew division, at the very least. Entice him with offers of anything he might possibly want." "Contact has already been made," said Erik. "He has agreed to join the Arcane Order. As soon as such things are possible." Jeong nodded, not entirely pleased. He didn''t trust the swede or his order. Not truly. But for now it was better than nothing Brothers! He thought. How incredible. And on a continent with so few people left alive. And both two of the most powerful yers in the world. And so young. It seemed almost impossible, and not at all to Jeong¡¯s fortune. Butining about luck was never useful. And the news wasn¡¯t all bad. Mason and his brother were exceptionally young. Their inexperience would be useful and exploitable. Jeong would order his wife to seduce one or both brothers as soon as possible before they left the Neutral Zone. He would finish this ridiculous arena with as many prizes as possible. But in truth, he didn''t much care who won. He would avoid losing to this Mason, if it seemed he might. Though he doubted it. By watching him fight, it seemed he had never truly encountered something stronger than himself. That he had used abination of his ranged powers and speed to defeat his adversaries, relying on his swords against weakened targets. But Jeong would not weaken. Mason''s bow would make no difference when Jeong crossed the distance in seconds, moving too fast to be shot. His ''healing'' powers wouldn¡¯t matter when Jeong caught hold of him, and literally ripped him limb from limb. The strength of Jeong¡¯s Vessels flowed through his veins, even now bringing him a boundless, restless energy. All of Jeong''s yers were exhausted from the grueling schedule. Most stared nkly with half lidded eyes throughout the meeting. But not Jeong. He was ready for whatever came. He looked forward to meeting Mason''s elite one by one, crushing the life from their eyes as their patron watched. It would be soon now. Very soon. "My lord?" Yasmeen was looking at him, but he hadn''t heard whatever was said. He found he no longer cared. "The meeting is dismissed," he said with a polite smile. "Thank you everyone, that is all. Go and rest. And good luck in your uing matches." With that he stood and walked towards the exit, patting the ever silent Damian on the back with a friendly gesture. They had entered the two man team together, and thus far crushed everyone who opposed them, just as they always had. He hoped they met Mason together before Jeong fought him alone. He expected to win now in both cases. But it would be a fond memory to share with his one true ally. "I''ll see you soon, my friend," he said. "Drink more coffee, yes?" He paused, thinking perhaps the man might like his wife in his bed again. He hadn''t used her in some time. "Yasmeen?" he said, seeing the fear in the woman''s eyes as she sensed his intention, however she might try to hide it. "Please go with Damian and help him rx. He will need his rest." "Of course, husband," she said, no trace of her disgust. Jeong smiled politely, pleased with her as ever. She took Damian''s arm as they walked for the door, and Jeong put his arms behind his back as he waited, clearing his mind by humming a tune from his youth. It was propaganda, of course, another song to worship the rulers of his homnd. But the mind was a strange thing, and no matter how much he hated the words, it still always brought himfort.
Chapter 398: A pretty good run Chapter 398: A pretty good run Becky stomped into the hotel room and mmed the door. Mason let her pace back and forth a few times muttering to herself before he decided to test the waters. ¡°So uh¡­what happened?¡± "Yer Goddamn brother happened." She kicked a shoe across the room and flopped on the couch. Then she stood and paced again, looking more cute than scary to Mason. "I used to go out riding when I was mad. When my family made me so damn angry I could just...punch one of ''em right in their stupid faces." "Save a horse..." Mason said, remembering the very annoying song. Becky''s eyes red, but a corner of her mouth twitched as she nced at Mason. "Yeah? You seen a cowboy around, city boy?" Mason grinned and came closer, but he could tell failure definitely wasn''t an aphrodisiac for Becky. He just sat in the closest chair and waited until she was ready. "I couldn''t do a damn thing," she said, kicking the other innocent shoe flying. "Couldn''t hurt his constructs. Couldn''t save Carl or Tommaso. I pretty much just got to watch him take us apart. And I''m pretty sure he fucked with my head." Mason winced at that. He¡¯d told ke not to use mind powers on his people, though he knew it wasn¡¯t exactly fair to just cut off a portion of a yer¡¯s powers. ke had plenty of tools, so if he¡¯d used mind powers it must have been pretty intense in there. Becky gave him a side-eye. "How the hell are you out so fast?" Mason shrugged. He''d been up against two very mediocre eastern yers. And he¡¯d ughtered them. "Just lucky, I guess." Becky shook her head and paced a few more times before finallying back and sitting in Mason''sp. He gave her a one armed hug, pretty sure she was going to...yep. She was up and pacing again. "And he acted like taking Annie down was Carl''s fault. Except that crazy little bitch wouldn''t give up like we agreed, so what the hell was he supposed to do? Then he just killed Tommy. Like it was nothin''. I mean nothin'', Mason. He ran off so I didn''t even get a chance to see if he was OK." Mason did his best not to show any kind of irrational, possessive annoyance every time Becky called Tommaso ''Tommy''. That the very few numbers of Nassau¡¯s yers were close, especially one on Becky''s team, was perfectly natural. Even a good thing. But he just couldn''t help it. Becky looked at him and quirked her head like a bird of prey before she smiled. "Mason Nimitz. Is that...jealousy I see in your face?" She seemed to forget her loss in a split second,ing forward with all her usual swagger to sit in hisp again and put arms around his shoulders. "He''s pretty good looking," Mason said, "in a punchable kind of way. And he¡¯s good with women. And you have a nickname for him." Beckyughed, looking genuinely pleased. "I could start callin'' you Macy, if you like." Mason gave her what he hoped passed for an intimidating look, which just made herugh more. She kissed him slow and tender and sighed, her head against his. "You know I watch you literally sleep with other girls, right?" Mason cleared his throat. "I realize it''s¡­not even approaching fair. And probably hypocritical. And some kind of...what did you call it? Macho man bullshit. It''s just..." Mason sighed, practically seeing Cerebus look at him with a judgmental impatience. "If I''m being honest, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do to him if he even tried." Becky raised her eyebrows, frowning and obviously not sure how she felt about that. She took a breath. "Since we''re being honest, my head says that should bother me. But...the rest of me is a little turned on." Mason nodded, putting a hand on Becky''s beck. She wasn''t like his civilian girls. She''d eventually told him that as a yer she had some kind of ''switch'' that controlled whether or not she could get pregnant, so nothing they did carried that risk until she switched it. It made things...different, in his mind. Lessmitted and final. And she was also a soldier like him. That made things different, too. It didn''t make him care less about her. As far as he was concerned, he was hers and she was his. But it wasn''t quite true. Not if she said otherwise. Because there was no risk of a child. Mason was an orphan. A bastard. And the idea of ever abandoning a child was maybe even less imaginable than betraying ke, or someone else he considered family. So once he''d been with a girl in a way that could mean a child, in his mind...well, that was pretty much that. The debate was over. He was involved. But Becky wasn''t like that...not technically. "Your brain looks busy." Becky poked his head and he did his best to smile. "upational hazard." "Well." She kissed his cheek and ran a finger down his arm. "You got my mind off things. Least I can do is return the favor." Mason didn''t have to fake the smile, then, wrapping his arms around his beautiful cowgirl and kissing her with growing passion before he stood and set her down with a little shriek. "Rain check? I need to go see a few people. Hopefully Sylvie. Learn how things are going in the bazaar. And I probably have less than fifteen minutes before another damn match." Becky nodded, the slowly increasing exhaustion instantly consuming her eyes now that the emotion was calming down. "Go. Lie down with the other girls I''m sleeping with." He grinned and kissed her eyes as he pushed her towards the bedroom. She gave him a bratty look but almost drooped as she opened the door and stumbled towards the bed. Mason decided he must have been getting at least a little better at lying. While it was true he should probably talk to Sylvie, it wasn''t who he meant to find. It was time for him and ke to have another little chat. * * * He realized at the elevator he didn''t actually know ke''s room number. "Uh. ke Nimitz," he announced. The thing didn''t move. He sighed and was about to walk to the lobby when the image of a blueish, genderless system servant appeared. "Greetings, honored Founder. Visiting the rooms of non-house member yers is strictly limited to invitation only. Please be reminded that violence in the Neutral Zone will not be tolerated. Would you like us to ask ke Nimitz whether or not..." "Yes," Mason said impatiently, and the servant locked in a creepy, frozen smile. "Thank you for waiting. You may enter now." The thing dinged and Mason stepped out into a room far more like a typical hotel. ke smiled and set two cups of coffee on a nearby table. No doubt his expression would have fooled most anyone else. But Mason knew him too well. "You fucked up in there,¡± he said, moving to the chair. ¡°You shouldn''t piss off Nassau yers if you want them to actually help you one day." ke sighed and slid the coffee as Mason took a seat. "I know. I should have predicted...and then I got¡­a touch protective. Well, it doesn''t matter now. What do you send to someone you killed? A fruit basket doesn''t really seem adequate." "Tommaso''s probably fine. He''s a walking dick with just enough personality to use it. I don''t expect an existential crisis. But you pissed off Becky, and I haven''t talked to Carl." "Carl likes me," ke said, sipping his coffee. "Carl likes Annie, too," Mason said. "He still put a knife through her heart." "Touche." "She alright by the way? You taking care of her?" ke literally blushed, and Mason rolled his eyes. "For Christ sake. We found her screaming and covered in blood. She was seventeen two seconds ago, are you really..." "First of all." ke held up his cup like a weapon. "You telling me who or what I shouldn''t be sleeping with isughable. I never thought I''d say this, brother, but you are a legendary manwhore. So I''ll be the captain of my dick, thank you." Mason found he had no credible response. ke sat up in his chair. "Second...honestly I hadn''t really thought you''d let me get to a second...not that it''s any of your business, but I''m not sleeping with her." The way he said it left out an obvious ''yet'', and Mason sighed. They sat and drank their coffee, which like most everything the system did was annoyingly good. Mason eventually put his arms on the table and slumped. Who the hell else could he talk to about these things? "Speaking of manwhores, I''m sleeping with Lexi now," he said. "She''s really great. Like if it was my second date in the real world I''d be bringing her home great. And if I''m honest? My elven bride''s mother keeps giving me the eye. I saw her naked the first time we met. It''s not a good situation." ke spasmed and choked on his coffee. He dabbed at a couple spilled drops and met Mason''s wandering eyes. "Are you¡­looking for advice? Or is this a kind of confession to your priest type situation?" Mason snorted as he held back theugh. "You would literally be the worst priest on earth." "I would not. And this isn¡¯t earth." ke grinned, then tapped his fingers on the table. "Advice? You''re courting disaster. Having said that, we''ve both almost died more times than I can count. The world is mostly destroyed. And there''s no obvious reason the human racees out of this at all. So...have fun? You''ve certainly earned it." "It''s not always fun," Mason muttered. "I''m supposed to be thinking about how I''m going to stop some power mad emperor from destroying us all, and I keep thinking about some British girl''s legs wrapped around me while my wife cheers me on." ke raised his cup and shook his head. "Mazel tov." "I''m serious." "So am I. If you die tomorrow I think most men would agree you''ve had a pretty good run." Mason winced, thinking about his own death. It wasn''t something he could entertain anymore. Not until this Jeong and his empire was pacified. Not until his people were safe without him. Not that he wanted to die at all, of course, but since founding the Nexus and getting his people real safety he''d stopped being so...concerned with it. "What if I can''t beat him?" he said, not sure how long he hadn''t spoken. He looked up and ke smiled as their eyes met. "I''m a betting man, so I''ve thought about that quite a lot. I''ve seen him fight. Want me to tell you what I think?" Mason just waited, and ke winked. "I''m betting on Jeong. Then I win either way." Mason kicked him under the table, probably a bit harder than he should have. The system red some kind of yer violence warning. ke (while hissing in pain) had to wave it away.
Chapter 399: Is it over? Chapter 399: Is it over? The system made Mason and all the other yers fight for another twenty four hours, approximately every 30 minutes. Which was at least was better than every 15. There were far more individual bouts than team bouts, and Mason''s opponents were almost always Easterners. Despite a few very bad arenas, they always had no chance. One or two gave him a workout. These were faster yers who kept their distance and were good at dealing with his arrows. But his regeneration, near endless stamina, and either infinite or nearly infinite arrows (the mana cost was getting pretty damn low for him now, even in unnatural environments), meant it was always just a matter of time. The more direct and melee-oriented types he ughtered, their strength and speed just totally inadequate. The casters were rare, interesting, and sometimes surprising, but never any real threat. Eventually Mason was also forced to fight some of his own yers. "Ah hell." Garet had stepped out with a pink face and a salute. "I''d like to y it out, chief, if you don''t mind. But you know...maybe just...go easy on me." Mason had nodded and started with a few easy shots in a rtively open arena. Garet apparently had a kind of ''deflection'' spin with his spear, and he did a good job with the basic arrows. Power Shot had him cry out and leap to the side, though, the missile sting a chunk out of his bicep. He looked at it and winced. "OK to keep going?" Mason called, and the tough spearman nodded. Mason drew his ws and advanced, giving a few test swings before Garet growled and activated his ''phantom spears'', or whatever it was called. Being on the other side of it was actually a good experience¡ªMason was d to see just how terrifying it was. Ghostly spearpoints jabbed at him in a half circle, basically forcing anyone with any sense to withdraw. Garet came charging straight through it with a powerful thrust and a good ambush, but the attack was just too slow. Mason deflected it easily, pretty sure he could just wade into the phantom spears and end it. But he backed up like any normal fighter would. They went a few more blows before Garet just shook his head. "Man you''re fast. Not sure what to do about that." "Can you close those spears?" Mason said. "Like make a full ring all around me?" Garet shook his head. "I wish. It makes me give you an out. And I can make it a lot bigger if I make it straighter. If I could get you cornered, maybe, like against a wall." Mason nodded, reminding himself that all kinds of other people were very likely watching, analyzing. "We can trainter. Well fought. I''ll see you after." Garet had nodded and muttered a surrender, and the arena vanished. Mason fought Seamus, too, and the fire mage leapt out from behind some kind of bunker with his prestige ss power sting, raining death as he threw every projectile and some kind of fierynce, all in a well-timed inferno. Mason just stood in the middle and took it. His flesh burned and healed, Apex Predator ring with elemental affinity, Transformation started changing the very nature of his flesh as he waited until it was done. "Good enough?" he said. Seamus slumped and unsummoned his staff, fiery glow in his eyes shrinking until he sat down and kicked a rock. "You know it''s even more depressin¡¯ that I got it off, and that it didn''t do a fecking t¡¯ing." "Not true," Mason said. "It hurt. A little." "For Chrissakes. I fecking surrender." Mason had warped out of that one with a grin. But Becky was next. She came out swearing, her shield turned to a mace, eyes focused in concentration. "Ohe on," Mason said. "Do we really have to do this?" Apparently they really did. Becky came at him with a yell, promising to ¡®mess up his pretty face¡¯. He gave her what she wanted. He smashed the absolute shit out of her shield, letting her reflective power build and build until her eyes had gone wide with glee, and she''d released it with a triumphant yell. It actually blew him flying. He managed to flip in the air ande down on his feet, sliding a few feet back before he stood. "Pretty good," he said. "I can see why that''s effective." "Ah ." Becky stomped a foot and stared. "Look at you. You ain''t even fuckin'' hurt." "Nope," he agreed,ing forward with his ws swinging. "Want to test that metal on your arm? Or should we just call it a day?" Becky slumped, waiting until Mason got closer before she lowered her voice. "I bet Rosa I''d at least hurt you. Can''t you just...let me hit you a couple good ones? You know, give you a bloody lip, or somethin''?" "What was the bet?" Becky went a little pink and shrugged. Then she lined up and swung her mace. Mason zipped past and got her in a choke, watching her arcane shield eventually crush away and pop in his arms. "Give up yet?" he said, grinning as he started to squeeze. "Never.¡± Becky struggled and thrashed and Mason tried and failed not to grope her. Her shield was entirely vanished now, and he gave her a chest and waist a good crush, hard enough to make her groan. "We''ll have to try this again when the whole world isn''t watching," he whispered, getting a lot more turned on than anticipated. Becky finally nodded and seemed to give up, but as Mason let her go she leaned forward and rammed her heel straight into his crotch with a backwards kick. He grunted and gave her a re, and she leapt away with a big grin and yelled ''I win!'' then ''oh shit, I surrender, I surrender!'', vanishing before he could make her pay for it. It was thest interesting fight for him. After that it was all non-council member eastern yers, none of whom posed any kind of threat. They did start talking, though, repeating some kind of scripted line when they realized it was him, obviously for the crowd. "You may strike me down, Savage, but the emperor will defeat you.'' Mason had at first been very confused, but soon just sighed and as usual asked if they''d like to be stabbed or choked out first. Usually they covered their mouths, whispering an apology first or just asking to be choked out. Mason always obliged. These were just people, after all, and he didn''t hate them. In fact he continued to find it beyond distasteful to have to fight and kill people so much weaker than him. The amount of points he was getting was hriously small, and he soon learned the top points ''contenders'' had something like ten times the amount he had. Finally the seemingly never-ending slog ofbat ended. The system red out its congrattions, naming the point leader (some easterner), and providing a list of the undefeated solo yers. [Thank you, yers, for your continued cooperation and adherence to Neutral Zone rules. Please rest and rejuvenate. Enjoy the amenities and discuss new strategies with your teams. There will also be the first ever, voluntary, mixed yer and civilian ''Meet, Greet, and Dance'' held in Meeting Room One in exactly: 12 hours. The final portion of the games will begin in: 24 hours. As ever, we are rooting for you.] "Thank the lord." Becky copsed onto Mason''s couch in their hotel suite, flopping on top of him. "You''re not a good pillow," she said, eyes closed and mouth half pressed against his chest. "Too hard. Need more donuts." Haley, Rosa and Lexi all came out of the bedroom in various states of dress. He¡¯d kept them about as busy as yers. "Is it over?" Haley had slightly bruised eyes and she was walking like most of her body was sore. "For now," Mason said, looking his three civilian girls up and down. Their hair was totally disheveled, their legs bare, their tops covered in ruffled, hastily thrown on t-shirts. Mason was pretty sure they hadn¡¯t left the hotel room for...quite awhile. Without much else to upy his mind or time, and almost never enough time to sleep, he''d been practically banging them routinely every 30 minutes for a day. Or maybe it was two days. "Haley," Rosa said, her voice a pleading whine. "He''s looking at us again." Haley linked arms with her, then Lexi on the other side. They all sort of raised their chins like righteous warriors fighting for their cause. "Mason," Haley said. "Our jaws are sore. And...so are other things. We haven''t slept properly since I don''t know when. And Becky can speak for herself. But we all need to sleep and then maybe get massages and a little rxation time. We''re not sex robots. We''re on strike." Becky seemed to snort, but when he looked down she was basically drooling on his chest, so she was probably already asleep. He looked at the three girls and fought his smile as well as he could. "OK." Haley looked back and forth like it was some trick. "The bedroom is off limits," she said, like she hadn''t expected sess. "It''s for girls only. For...eight hours." "OK." Rosa whispered something in her ear and Haley licked her lips. "Also, we''re not saying we didn''t like it." "Sex strike. Eight hours. Tired but you liked it. Anything else?" "Umm.¡± The girls conferred again in whispers. ¡°No." With that they all kind of stepped back towards the bedroom like Mason might change his mind. After stopping and exchanging a final look, they all came forward and gave him a kiss on the forehead one by one, then turned and practically ran back to the bedroom. Lexi wentst, giving him a big smile and blowing another kiss before she vanished and closed the door. Mason grinned. He ran his hands through Becky''s hair and felt his eyes starting to close, letting the intensity of thest few days drain beneath his cowgirl''s warm body. It wasn''t over, he knew. Not by a long shot. He hadn''t fought any of the eastern ''council'', or learned if the others had. And, of course, he hadn''t fought the emperor. He wasn''t sure how important it was. If a victory bought Nassau peace or if it would enrage the man and invite war even faster. Would it create some doubt and chaos in the east? Bring down this ''emperor'' without firing a metaphorical shot in the real world? Mason just didn''t know, and probably couldn''t. But he decided to leave the politics for others. All that mattered, in the end, was that he was going to step into a ring with other men one or two at a time, and only Mason was going toe out alive. The reasons didn''t matter, and the doubt was a waste of time. He was going to fight, and he was going to win. As his eyes closed and his mind drifted, it was the only thing he knew for sure.
Chapter 400: Horny young idiots Chapter 400: Horny young idiots Mason woke when Becky did, his lover smiling and cuddling closer on their shared couch, stretching like a cat. She shook with augh. "Did I hear the girls say they were on a sex strike?" Mason just wiggled his eyebrows, and Becky grinned. "So I''ve got you all to myself. For hours." "Aren''t you tired?" Becky blew air through her lips like he was an idiot. "I can oust you any day, city boy." Then they were tearing at each other''s clothes, and Becky went about proving why she deserved to be called cowgirl. Mostly Mason justy back and enjoyed. And enjoyed. And enjoyed... Sex with Becky was getting more and more athletic all the time, as she seemed to be getting morefortable with her ever-enhancing body. He certainly didn''t mind. What itcked in emotional intimacy, it definitely made up for in porn-like enthusiasm, and she rode until she was covered in sweat. But as many of the equally dangerous creatures of the new world had discovered¡ª''ousting'' Mason wasn''t really a thing. He left her unconscious on the couch a good two hourster. His mind and body were calm and satisfied, and he put on his ''business casual'' clothes, admiring Becky''s nakedness onest time. It made him realize he missed all his girls with him together. Especially Naya. It just wasn''t quite right without her there now, those dark eyes looking up at him, her courage in the face of natural and cultural shyness. And the girls definitely would have loved to have her help over thest couple days¡­ His libido was bing ridiculous. He''d now left four women in apletely exhausted mess in his hotel room, one of whom had a kind of superhuman body. If he had a week off with nothing to do, even adding Naya wouldn¡¯t be enough. So how many damn women could he exhaust, exactly? And what happened when Haley (and maybe others) got so pregnant they couldn¡¯t contribute that much? He decided he¡¯d probably have to go get Calypsa from the tree... At least managing women physically was a hell of a lot easier (and more enjoyable) than managing them¡­.emotionally. For the moment, kind of unbelievably, it all seemed to be working out. But how many women in a kind of harem could Mason really manage? He tried not to think about it¡ªthe other women he might add. But his mind was already going there. Becky¡¯s friend A topped the list, the dark-haired, pale-skinned nurse from Find. Then of course there were the other elven women¡­especially a particr elf woman, who also happened to be his mother inw. That was definitely not a ce his mind should be... Purpose. Mason needed purpose. And fighting. A lot of fighting. He rushed out to the teleporter/elevator, wanting to talk to his yers, and probably Sylvie (who was managing the bazaar in Haley''s absence). Killing and dying, even if it was fake, on top of constant intensity without sleep¡ªit was hard, even on Mason. There was a decent chance some of his yers were breaking down. He found almost all of them back at the promenade on their reserved balcony. Some were sleeping there in cozy looking bags. The others sat around eating and drinking, talking in subdued voices. Most smiled and nodded when they saw Mason. "How are we doing?" he said, sitting down next to Carl. "We''re alive," said the older man, gesturing at Phuong with his chin. "Sombitch fought one of them eastern council boys. Tough fight, but...well, you tell it." Phuong shrugged but was obviously pleased. "A kind of rogue, much like Carl. He was able to create darkness all around us, and I believe used some kind of mind powers. But I am no stranger to fighting blind, or under duress. He was caught by a stun and didn''tst long after that. I expect he was mostly offensive in nature. He had a ck de I''m very pleased not to have felt." "Well done." Mason smiled, then looked at the others. A few yers told their own stories of difficult or interesting matches. Everyone but Tommaso and Alex had won all their fights (and John, of course, who''d fought the emperor, and Seamus and Garet, who''d fought Mason). Their teams were all undefeated, except to ke in the threes. "So far so good," Mason said, knocking on the table. He was about to go find Sylvie before remembering he could probably just talk to Carl. "How''s Sylvie doing at the bazaar?" "Oh. Real good. Mining stuff sells like hotcakes. We''re picking up all kinds of tools, nice-to-haves. Clothes are pretty cheap so the women are probably going overboard. They''re getting jewelry, make-up, all that kind of crap." Mason waved a hand to move on and Carl nodded. "We''re getting quite a lot of recipes, which is good." Mason quirked a brow. "Don''t we have ess to like...the entire database of human knowledge? In the system archives or whatever?" "Yeah," Carl said. "Earth shit. But this is...''new physics'' recipes. That''s what our crafters call post-earth naturalws. You know, fantasy mixed with science. Anyway, stuff that shouldn''t really exist but does. So we need new moulds, ingredients,pounds, metals, you name it. We can convert all kinds of crazy shit. Our mines are incredible, so many uses for that stuff we didn¡¯t know about. Anyway, we''re still being careful with money, like you said. We try to just spend what we make from the ore and so on." Mason sighed, looking at his House ''bnce'' of points, seeing it was hardly touched. It was pretty clear their settlement was rich. All these small purchases didn''t make any kind of dent at all. And he obviously hadn''t realized how much useful stuff they were going to be able to buy. "OK," he said. "Austerity is over. Tell Sylvie and the crafters they can buy anything they want until we''re out of here." Carl raised an eyebrow. "You sure? The eastern types will figure out we''re rich pretty quick." "Let them." Mason shrugged. "The emperor already wants us conquered. I''d rather show his civilians things are pretty good on our side. Go ahead and start telling them things, too, even if it''s one way. I don''t care what they know. Be nice. Be open." "OK, Boss." Carl winked. "Sylvie and the girls will be happy. It''ll be like a bunch of college girls with someone else''s credit card. Almost literally." Mason rolled his eyes and went to stand again before pausing. He had another thing he wanted to take care of and didn''t see why he should wait. "I also need to assign some...court positions, or whatever the hell they''re called. I''ve made some decisions, but...well, obviously people can say no." He met Carl''s eyes and smiled. "I need a Chancellor. It''s like a second inmand...I know you and Phuong have sort of been sharing it, but there''s only one role. And anyway..." he nudged Phuong, "I have another job for you. I need a Minister of War. Figured an old soldier made sense. Emphasis on old." "While it is most unwise to insult a man who mean to honor...I humbly ept." Phuong grinned, eyes zing as Mason clicked his name into the prompt. "Ha." The swordsman pped Carl''s arm. "Look here. In a time of war, I can overrule you. That should be just about always." "Well that...depends how you define it," Carl grumbled, his eyes zing, too. "Anyway, it says ''in military matters'', so let''s not overstate things. I''m still in charge of the city. And the Nexus. And...Jesus." He blinked and looked at Mason. "You sure about all this, kid? That''s a lot of responsibility." "Yeah. That''s why I''m giving it to you. Good luck, you poor bastard." Mason winked and stood with a stretch. "It''ll get worse, I expect. If we start taking more civilians. Speaking of which, I still need a Minister of Tomes, and the Treasury, and¡­a High Priest, apparently. I have a few ideas, but I''d love your thoughts. Sylvie is probably right for the Treasury." Carl nodded, then frowned. "What are you making Haley? Nothing much fits here. I realize she doesn''t need an official title, but it would probably help. Especially as we get new faces who haven''t been around and don''t know how things are." Mason took a breath and sighed, agreeing with all of that. But he''d already figured out the answer. "Baroness would give people the right idea." Carl grinned, looking at the others as he gave Mason''s face a mobster-style pat. "Ehh. You hear that, boys? Our fearless leader''s getting married. To a woman he doesn''t deserve. And maybe that elfdy. Wasn''t that the n? And can we get some kind of package deal? Sylvie''s bugging me, too." Mason shrugged, about to answer before Jason cleared his throat. "Uh, me too. I mean, my girl. Anna. She''s pregnant. And Catholic." He shrugged like the man of few words he was, and a few other yers were perking up and looking ready to add their own feminine problem to the mix. Masonughed and held up a hand. "Maybe we can have some kind of¡­group ceremony. Pacify a bunch of women at the same time." "And piss off a bunch more," Carl said, "you horny young idiots." Mason (and a few others) drooped at the thought. Carl burst outughing.
Chapter 401: Prowling the promenade Chapter 401: Prowling the promenade After enough sitting on his ''private'' balcony and staring at the rest of humanity''s yers, Mason remembered a survivalist he''d paid to teach him a few things outside Houston. The man was generally abrasive and hard to get along with, full of venom about the world and everyone in it. But he did have a few nuggets of wisdom. A specific quote came to mind: ¡®Eat when you can eat.¡¯ Mason stared at the teleporters and all the other yers enjoying themselves, and he supposed he''d better not let stubbornness stop him from making use of the endless system gourmet on offer. He eventually teleported himself up some Texas brisket with sauce on the side, then every other piece of meat he could think of, about as smoked as the system allowed. Halfway through, he supposed his new super metabolism had its upsides. "I can''t tell if I''m impressed or disgusted," Carl said. Mason belched and looked at his graveyard of bones. He felt Streak sensing him eating, and a soulful howl/whine nearly crossed the nes. He rolled his eyes and activated Call Beast. The system red some warning about keeping animals under control¡ªthat any aggression by the animal would count as violence done by the owner, with no mitigating circumstance. Mason epted the prompt, impressing Streak with a harsh feeling of being good, and forced starvation if he ran off and hurt anyone. The wolf whined its version of a teenage ¡®yeah, yeah¡¯, licking its lips as it sat there quivering. Mason summoned him his own collection and set it on the floor, jumping as the wolf attacked with abandon. "He''ll never be quite as cute and fuzzy after almost biting my arm off," Carl said, watching the wolf throw back chunks of meat without a hell of a lot of chewing. "That was a love tap. But it''s probably best you take him seriously." The feeling of being truly full and satisfied was almost bizarre, and Mason could hardly remember thest time he felt it. "I need to walk this off," he said with a bit of a groan. "Want to go scare some people?" Carl grinned and nudged Phuong, who nudged Alex, until half the damn yers were all gathering up to march through the promenade. The other half mostly grunted and curled up on little mats to sleep. Somehow Streak actually finished and leapt down the stairs to join them, his face still covered in bits of meat. Mason shook his head and gave the wolf a scratch. Now they were definitely going to turn some eyes. "Where to, chiefy?" Seamus grinned. "Oh! Let''s go find some yerdies, like. I''m top tier, man, I''m probably a celebrity." Mason rolled his eyes, but Carl cleared his throat. "He kind of is. Those western casters keep trying to talk to him, have him join their stupid order." "Like I''d join some stuffy, stupid club full of posh and noble shites." Seamus rolled his eyes. "I hated school, man. Fecking hated it." "I expect if they knew what Seamus was actually like, the mystique would quickly end," Phuong said dryly. "Well alright. Shots fired. There''s no need fer it. And after we''ve shed blood together, man. After I sent a dozen men to their fiery graves for you. After..." "If we find any ''yerdies'' who love Irish celebrity wizards," Mason cut him off. "You get first choice. OK?" "You see? The chief gets me. Don Juan himself gives me his blessing. That''s all I was askin'' fer. Let''s go." Most of the yers couldn''t help but grin, especially as Seamus puffed up his chest and summoned his robe, popping the cor. Seamus was a dangerous, unpredictable, annoying kind of man. But he was also upbeat, and pretty funny. And Mason knew he couldn''t underestimate the value of a soldier who kept a positive attitude in difficult times. Despite their...inauspicious beginnings, he reminded himself to reward him. And somehow avoid inting that ego too much... They walked down the stairs and around the curving pathways as a loose pack, inspecting the many pools, tables, and artwork. They had sculptures and paintings set out that belonged in some fancy museum. The asional card that described the period of human history like it was all some ancient civilization. "Is it just me," Carl said, "or does this stuff feel like the worst attempt ever to tter us?" Mason nodded, finding himself surprisingly calm about it. He started to wonder how much of his recent impatience and temper was actually a kind of never-ending hunger he hadn''t satisfied because of his changing body. It made some sense, considering his libido. It probably wasn''t the only appetite he had to deal with. "This piece speaks to me,¡± Mason said, gesturing at a painting. ¡°It says: look how impressive you were before I turned you into a science experiment.¡± "I think it is more like a zoo," Phuong said, inspecting some kind of maybe Aztec pot. "A menagerie for man. To make usfortable." "Yeah." Carl rolled his eyes. "After those perfectly natural fictional fights to the death, it''s like I''m back home." Phuong shrugged. "I did not say it was good at it." Mason walked on, noticing a lot of eyes now that they were getting closer to other yers. He was trying to do a rough count, but it wasn''t easy with all the visual clutter. "How many actual..." "My estimate is five hundred," Phuong said, grinning as Mason quirked a brow. "I could see you counting, Patron. Most are likely sleeping in their rooms, but I''ve watched them since the beginning. Though it does ur to me there might be other gathering areas. It might have broken us into groups. Or else ced a limit to how many the Eastern capital could bring per house. Or well...who really knows." Mason nodded, knowing roboGod well enough now not to make too many assumptions. On one hand, only 500 yers in the world was a pitifully small number. On the other hand,pared to Mason''s even more pitiful 10 (13 with ke and his), it was an army. "Fourty to one," he said, shaking his head, then ncing at his ''Minister of War''. "We''re talking Alexander against the Persians outnumbered." The ex-soldier grinned. "Yet Alexander defeated the Persians, Patron. With superior troops, and tactics." "Maybe." Mason shook his head. "But we''re not up against underfed peasants. Those are all baby superheroes not so different than us." "Themb is not so different than the lion, Patron," Phuong said with a subtle smile. "If you look at its gic code. But I would not bet on a herd of sheep against a pride." "Ancient Buddhist wisdom," Carl said, sticking his head over Phuong''s shoulder. "He''s full of quotes. We could probably make fortune cookies." Phuong sighed. "Are you certain about your second inmand, Patron? This is the man in charge of the West if you fall." "A scary thought," Mason agreed, leading them to a busier, louder area that had more yers. Quite a bit of conversation stopped as people turned to stare at Mason and the others. Some were just curious, others concerned. But there was also plenty of open hostility. "I think you can forget about fangirls, Seamus," Carl muttered. "The good ones¡¯ll be getting their beauty sleep," said the Irishman. "We''ll find them at the dance." "Ah Christ I already forgot that." Carl winced and looked for a clock. "I''d better go find that girl of mine and check in." He looked the other yers up and down. "Clean yourselves up. You''re all sweaty, disheveled messes and you make us look bad. You''re representing Nassau. So take a shower. And stand up straight." The ever-silent Jason actually tried to stand a little straighter. Everyone else just rolled their eyes. "You know, when I met you," Mason said, "you were pretty much wolf food, pissing yourself and covered in tree sap as you hid in a tree." "And now I''m Chancellor of the West," Carl said without missing a beat. "Better be careful. I''ll probably be your boss, soon." Masonughed, which made Streak howl, which made pretty much every yer in a wider radius go silent and stare. For the first time, Mason found the attention didn''t bother him. That''s right, he wanted to say, look at my giant wolf and remember. He might be thest thing some of you see. He turned and walked the narrow pathways back around the unused pools and hot tubs, and the mostly un-examined artwork. He hadn''t seen the emperor or any of his council, who were likely all meeting or resting for the next round of matches. As usual, Mason expected a twist. Maybe it would change the environments to something awful. Maybe it would add monsters. Maybe it would make the fights actually to the death. You could never know with this fucking thing, which in itself had be a kind of ''norm'' that Mason realized was making him morefortable with unfair chaos. A part of him wondered if that was the point. "Go listen to your Chancellor," Mason said, waving the others back towards the elevator. "I don''t care if you go to the dance. Up to you. And feel free to talk to these yers as much as you like. I''d like to find anyone else in the west, especially. I was hoping they''de find us but it sounds like no one has." Carl shook his head in confirmation, and Mason sighed. They probably saw Mason''s yer killer aura and assumed he''d hunt them down like dogs the second he found them. How he was going to convince them otherwise he had no idea. If it was him, he''d be equally afraid. But one problem at a time. He was going to go rest and get cleaned up, then put on his friendliest face and smile to hopefully win over as many people as possible. But considering his aura, and the efforts already to brand him the ''Warlord of the West'', he didn''t expect a miracle.
Chapter 402: The Meet and Greet Chapter 402: The Meet and Greet Mason paused as the elevator dinged to his hotel suite. Sometimes he felt like he''d worked out everything with his girls, then other times he realized howplicated it was. Or that things and people could change. Making a woman happy wasn''t like buying a couch and having the couch problem solved. It evolved. It demanded constant attention. Attention Mason didn''t have at the best of times, and the apocalypse wasn''t the best of times. All he could do was his best. And of course rely on Haley to pick up the ck. But Carl was wrong¡ªMason deserved her, and she deserved him. They needed each other, brought different strengths to help round out the other. Naya was his wife through circumstance, and he saw plenty of opportunity for growth there. But Haley was his wife by choice. He stepped out expecting to find his girls all sleeping, maybe a sign on the bedroom that said ''No Masons''. Instead he found a female jungle of scent and sound. Perfume and some kind of spray, scented soaps and the smell of singed hair. "Yes I¡¯m fixin¡¯ to. And no I don''t remember what it''s called," he heard Becky say, clearly exasperated. "If I remembered I''d have already teleported one. It''s the thing that you...you know, hook it in. Like this." Rosa froze as Mason stepped into the living room. Her hair was in curlers, her face thered with something green. She had a push-up bra that showed enough cleavage to make women hate her, and a pair of ck panties held up by strings. Mason'' eyes went up and down her body, and she held up a hand. "No. It''s only been..." Rosa turned and called towards the others in the bathrooms. "He''s back! How much time do we have left?" "I don''t remember signing anything." Mason came forward with a grin, and Rosa backed away and shook her head. "This took me thirty minutes. If you ruin my hair I''ll spit in your breakfast. The next potion I give you will be acid." "I heal." He came forward until she''d backed into the wall, then slid a finger down her side until she shivered, moving closer to those strings... Haley cleared her throat from the hall, her hands on her hips. She looked totally ready, her long blonde hair smoothed around her shoulders, a dark dress tight over her curves, a slit up one thigh. Mason''s eyes couldn''t decide where tond. He kept his fingers moving against Rosa''s skin as he watched Haley''s eyes narrow. "If you think you''re helping..." "Not until after," she said. "We''re going to mingle. And dance. We''re going to look nice and friendly and show everyone the man behind the ''warlord''. Because then maybe we can get you more yers some day. And technically we have two more hours. You agreed." Mason took his hand off Rosa with a sigh. "Well hurry up. And I assume you have some kind of..." Haley summoned another suit on a hangar in her right hand. It was a bit brown, and Mason had never worn a brown suit in his life. "It''ll go well with your eyes," she exined. "And there''s shoes. Now go get dressed. That bathroom is yours." She gestured, then held out a hand to Rosa like waving over a kidnap victim in an exchange. The Mexican bolted, shrieking as Mason pped her ass. But he took his stupid suit and shoes, then went and showered. Haley had set out all kinds of oils and shampoos and deoderants and possibly cologne, and he used a little. But it all felt so ridiculous after the months of blood and brutality. Not to mention he could just turn on Gaia''s Blessing and show whatever chemicals was in those bottles how it was done. Then he heard a soft knock on the door. Lexi opened it with a naughty grin and a nce back, then stepped inside wearing a towel. "I figured," she whispered, "they''re pretty busy. And if we were really fast. Or...I think my jaw''s recovered." She looked him up and down and put her hands behind her back as she swayed back and forth. Mason crossed the bathroom and kissed her, soft lips instantly taking his tongue. "Alexis Swinton!¡± Haley yelled through the door. ¡°We have a pact!" Lexi moaned in frustration. She mouthed ''sorry'' before vanishing out the door, leaving Mason more than a little turned on. But he couldn''t help but grin. Haley was right, of course, they needed to make full use of this ''meet and greet'' to make as many friends and allies as possible. It was the only chance Mason would have, probably, to be seen by the eastern civilians. To show them he wasn''t the boogeyman. He finished getting ready, then went out and waited on a couch scratching Streak until the girls were all finally prepared. "OK," Haley said, Mason''s half-closed eyes shooting open. "How do we look?" He stood and took in the four beautiful women that were all his, standing a bit awkwardly in a line. "I''m takin'' these off as soon as we get there," Becky said, lifting a heeled shoe and looking at it like she''d stepped in shit. Mason grinned and resisted the urge to get closer, amazed at the transformation of the usually make-up less,fort-clothes wearing farm girl into a superhero out on the town. She''d always been fit, but even her upper body was getting some visible muscles now, made obvious in a strapless dress. "You can do flying somersaults," Rosa said. "I think you can handle some heels for a night." Rosa and Lexi were in almost matching red colored dresses, though they wore them very differently. Rosa dripped pure sex, her lips painted the same color, her dark hair up and curled, big hoops dangling from both ears, her curves the stuff of young men''s dreams. Lexi looked ready for a charity g. She had a jacket covering her arms, far less cleavage, heels with half the size. She was still absolutely stunning, but she was obviously trying to attract far less attention. Mason shook his head. "You all look incredible. But I''m not sure I''ll make any friends. The men will hate me. And the women will hate you." Haley grinned. "They''ve already seen you with Lexi. So she''s your date. I''m your assistant. Becky and Rosa are going ''single''. The eastern men probably can''t talk, so I''m thinking if they get approached, it''ll be western stragglers. Maybe from the south." "Clever," Mason said, then winced. "Except for the fact I might end up wanting to kill them." "We''ll be with the other Sanctuary girls," Becky said, rolling her eyes. "They''ll probly be the ones gettin'' hit on. We''re just there to see what''s shakin''." "Jesus," Mason said,ing forward a little now. "She doesn''t even know, does she?" "Know what?" Becky kicked her foot like she was trying to shake off her heel again and sighed. Haley grinned and put her head on Becky''s shoulder, and Mason did his best to trail a hand over every girl before shaking his head. "Just try not to break any hearts, alright? Or make me break any faces. I''m not kidding." He looked at a grinning Rosa in particr, then made a dramatic show of scooping an arm through Lexi''s, then Haley on the other side. "Shall we? * * * The ''Meet and Greet'' had its own wing of the hotel, in a kind of art gallery ending at a giant auditorium. "My God," Haley said, staring at the art as they walked through with a growing crowd. "I think it''s a re-creation. It''s like we''re in the Louvre." Mason couldn''t give two shits about French art, so he kept his mouth shut. As expected he was attracting considerable stares, but it didn''t bother him quite as badly. Still, he wished he had Streak beside him growling at people. The whining wolf had eventually agreed to stay in the room. Once or twice he caught sight of a yer he''d fought in the tournament. Most turned away, actively avoiding his eyes, but an Eastern European type gave him a respectful nod. Mason hardly remembered any of his fights or the people''s powers, but he always remembered how they''d died. This man had asked for no quarter, and gone without a hint of fear. Mason returned the nod. The auditorium was filled with tables and chairs on one side, an obvious dance floor on the other. The sound and light was somehow split in half. As they stepped across the currently empty dance floor, there was a quiet but obvious techno kind of beat in mostly darkness. But the moment they crossed to the tables, the light was brighter and the music something like a ssical score. "Please, honored Founder," said a system servant as Mason entered with Lexi and Haley. "Follow me to your table." Mason saw they''d been arranged by Houses. So much for forced mingling around the dinner table. Apparently any socializing was going to have toe from specific effort. None of his people were wearing ''system uniforms'' anymore, any he saw they¡¯d dressed more or less appropriately for a high end affair. He assumed Haley had either helped or at leastmunicated expectations, and Mason supposed all the civilians had been out shopping at the bazaar pretty much non-stop for the past three days. He missed the simplicity of being half naked and covered in mud and blood. "Great and honored Founder," said a familiar voice, and Mason turned to find a smiling ke. He''d always cleaned up ridiculously well, and with his blonde hair and blue eyes he looked like some Disney prince. Or possibly a Nazi''s Ubermensch. "May we have the undeserved, and noble privilege of seating ourselves with your esteemed and..." "Shut up. For Christ''s sake. Yes." Becky and Rosa waved and went to sit at a different table as the ''single'' girls they were. Mason helped Haley and Lexi sit, then gestured for the system servant to get more chairs for ke''s trio. It simply looked at the table and transformed it into a slightly bigger set up. Mason shook his head, then saw Haley thanking it quietly before it left. Annie sat beside ke looking supremely ufortable, and apparently also holding his hand. Even Seul-ki looked a bit less neutral than usual, as if she''d rather not be here at all. ke took a good long minute to praise how beautiful Haley and Lexi were, how lucky and oafish Mason was. They all summoned themselves some drinks and tried to nce around at their table neighbors, not seeing much besides their own people. At least Mason wasn''t being stared at. ke leaned in and lowered his voice. "I''m thinkingter we have a big, loud fight. Then I go and make nice with our eastern friends. What do you think?" Mason frowned, thinking it was probably a good move. Except for the fact he didn¡¯t want to. And would suck at it. "I can''t trick anyone. You''ll actually have to piss me off." ke leaned back with what could only be described as twinkling eyes. He looked like a child who''d been handed the key to a candy store. Mason rolled his eyes as ke cracked his knuckles. "That''s a tall order. But I¡¯m sure I''ll think of something."
Chapter 403: Pride Chapter 403: Pride Surrounded by his own people, sitting with ke and Haley and Lexi¡ªand after a drink or two that probably did more for his brain than his body¡ªMason found he was fortable. "And then we were locked out, so..." keughed as he remembered his own story, Haley smiling, Lexi leaning forward as if enthralled. "Mason climbed up to the balcony, which was two stories. He was drunk, freezing, ice everywhere. And then the balcony was locked, too." "Oh my God." Lexiughed and nced at Mason, who did his best to sip his drink and look disengaged. "So there we are. It''s snowing," ke went on. "We''re drunk. We''re locked out. It''s three hours past our curfew." "We only had a curfew because you stole their car," Mason said. "Not important to the story," ke said. "And please don''t interrupt. Now Mason is pretty much trapped on the balcony, because when he looks down he realizes how high he is, and there''s no way he''sing back." Lexi wasughing and staring at Mason now, who hid his own grin beneath a mostly fake glower. "So he''s telling me toe up," ke says, stillughing. "Because somehow in his drunk mind it''s better if we''re both trapped on the balcony." "The barbecue had a tarp," Mason said. "We were going to sleep there and share body heat." ke gestured as if to say ''you see? this was the insanity I was dealing with''. "So what did you do?" Lexi said. ke pulled back as if it was obvious. "I woke up our parents and lied my ass off. They grounded me for an extra two weeks, which I got out of anyway. And after letting Mason suffer in the cold an hour or so, I snuck over and let him in. He got away scot-free." "I can''t believe that''s how you remember that story," Mason said. ke quirked a brow and said nothing, and Mason rolled his eyes. "This idiot woke me up in the middle of the night and convinced me to go to some girl''s party, which we never found. Then he convinced me to get drunk in a parking lot. Then he realized he hadn''t taken his keys. And since I was still wearing my damn sweat pants, I didn''t have any. So we froze our asses off for no reason, and I''m pretty sure the next day I flunked a test." "Theck of personal ountability is astounding," ke said, shaking his head as he looked at the still-smiling girls. "You''d think I put a gun to his head. And kept him from studying for the two weeks before that night." "Well I was an excellent student," Lexi said, sitting up straighter. "And I didn''t go out to random boy''s parties in the night, either. You were very naughty boys." "Some of us are still naughty boys," ke said, wiggling his eyebrows as he leaned towards Lexi. The Britughed and nced at Mason again. "I can see why he''s a bit of trouble." "He''s more than a bit," Mason confirmed, nudging Haley. "I can''t help but notice a certain Canadian isn''t telling any drunken war stories." She smiled, but Mason knew her well enough to know it was mostly a mask. "I didn''t have much time for such things. I was always with my father, singing, ying. He was a musician and we didn''t have much money. Every penny went to my school, so, I took it very seriously." Mason was reminded how lucky he''d been with the Nimitzs. And certainly how ungrateful. That his aimlessness and struggle to fit in still involved a life of wealth mostly free of real worries. "Well. Now I feel like a shit," ke said, because of course he did. "But if you need to make up for any lost drunken, hedonistic experiences, I would be more than happy to..." ke met Mason''s eyes and stopped with a nervousugh. Haley smiled and put a hand to her stomach. "I think that time is past for now. At least the drunken part." Mason squeezed her hand, feeling the urge to take his girls back to the hotel room right now and to hell with the ''Meet and Greet''. But he knew they had things to do here. If there was a chance to recruit whatever other western yers existed, he definitely had to take it. Seul-ki and Annie had hardly said a word, but they both seemedfortable to just listen and eat. The table ''ordered'' themselves some food, Lexi getting them all a big te of oysters with a deviousugh as Haley shook her head. "I''ll remember that tonight," she said with a wink at Mason. "When she starts to beg for mercy." Lexi just grinned and swallowed one back, and for a moment Mason forget where he was. "We should probably go and socialize," Haley said, looking around. "I kind of expected something more...official. Some kind of announcement, or, I don''t know." "Oh I''m supposed to be making you angry," ke said. "I kind of forgot. It''s nice to just sit and rx." Mason nodded, d for the rxing evening with some of the girls and with his brother, the closest he''d felt to ''normal'' in a long time. It made him expect some kind of terrible fight or suffering in a few minutes. And sure as hell, the robotic voice of the system soon quieted everything else in perfect surround sound. [Good evening yers and civilians. We hope you''re satisfied with your experience in the Neutral Zone. Please enjoy the formal entertainment. Currently awarded point prizes and civilian trade awards will also be handed out shortly. Though you may reserve them until the end of the tournament.] [Additional news: From this point forward, all tournament matches will be elimination rounds. A single loss ends your progress in every category. And no further points will be scored. But please, rx and rejuvenate. No further matches will be held for: 10 hours. As always, we are rooting for you.] Before Mason or anyone else could consider that, the air itself seemed to get warmer and fill with a kind of mist. The techno-like beat overcame the softer, ssical music. Hologram-like humans and animals were shown in various disys, dancing or just running along the walls, or on rising tforms. People wereughing and standing, holding up their arms as different tables looked...rained on. Rosa caught Mason''s eye from her table and gestured him over. He excused himself and went to her, nodding to the few Sanctuary girls she was sitting with. "There''s a drug in the air," she said. "Can''t identify it exactly without my kit, but it''s definitely a kind of party drug. It won¡¯t affect me. But I think it''s going to get wild in here." Mason sighed, his paranoia ring. He was tempted to take his people and get the hell out. But if the system wanted to hurt them it didn''t have to be clever about it. It was probably just trying to turn the ce into a giant orgiastic rave. And it likely wouldn''t affect him, because if it actually dosed them enough to do that it would leave everyone elseatose. "Alright," he said. "Becky should be fine, too. Look after the civilians, OK? I don''t want any...problems." Rosa nodded, her ss protecting her even from Mason¡¯s Blessing of Gaia unless she turned it off. "There''s some more tournament information on my civilian ess," Haley said when he got back to the table, her eyes zed. "Apparently you can usually defer House battles until the end of the tournament. So you can knock out most everyone else before you have to fight your yers." Mason felt a huge weight drop off his chest. He was actually a bit surprised roboGod permitted something so downright...helpful. It reinforced the importance of ''Houses'', which led Mason to the realization: ke wasn''t actually part of his house. What about the easterners? Were they all part of the Emperor¡¯s house? Or were there several? Haley might know. But he did see several banners around, so he was guessing there were. Should he recruit ke right now? He turned to exin the situation and do just that when he noticed a small crowd of red-robed ''imperial'' yers had apparently walked straight into his House''s cluster of tables. The emperor himself stood not six feet away, face curled with a small smile as he watched Mason and the others. "I came to congratte your tournament point winners," he said, then shrugged. "But it seems...you don''t have any." Mason refrained from rolling his eyes as he stood. "What do you want?" The older Chinesepdog beside the emperor narrowed his eyes as if offended and ready to intervene, but Jeong held up a hand. "I''ve enjoyed watching your matches, Baron. But I can''t help but notice you''re fighting them alone. Was your partner injured? Killed?" Mason''s yers were gathering up behind him now, and it all would have felt very dangerous if they weren''t in this ''Neutral Zone''. He shrugged. "I don''t need a partner to beat your people." Jeong smiled, but it didn''t touch his eyes. "Pride is the very worst of sins. In the Christian religion, is it not even considered...demonic?" "Remind me," Mason said, "what titles did you make for yourself again?" Jeongughed. It was a sudden, almost violent sound, ending as quickly as it began. "Very good," he said, gesturing to the others he was finished. "I''m sure I will see you on the battlefield soon, Baron. But hopefully not before I defeat your pitiful number of yers." "Maybe we''ll be lucky," Mason said as the emperor turned. "With our alien overlord, you never know. Maybe it''ll let us make challenges. Then we can sort it out right away." "We can only hope," Jeong said, with no enthusiasm, then walked back towards his own, muchrger area of the auditorium. "What a wanker," Seamus said. "But if it''s all the same to you boss, I hope you fight him before I do." Mason sighed as he watched more and more of the system''s drugs pouring over tables, turning civilians into aughing, whooping mob. He supposed it was a kind of perfect dichotomy, or duality again. The false, opulent, faux hospitality of the Neutral Zone¡ªthe barest veneer covering the reality of opposing warriors waiting to kill each other. Civilization in a nutshell, he thought, hating the facade as he always had, whether here or back on earth. He turned to tell his yers the good news about House ''deferments'', and hopefully recruit ke.
Chapter 404: He has a gift Chapter 404: He has a gift "I''m afraid...I can''t do that," ke said, giving Mason a tight lipped smile. Mason stared for a long moment, no idea what the hell is brother was thinking. "What? Why? Haley tells me there''s nothing preventing you from joining my house. Literally right now. It keeps us from fighting." ke was well on his way to actually pissing Mason off. The drugs were almost finished smothering the auditorium, every civilian and most of the yers all dancing andughing like they were in a freshman rave. So far the drug wasn¡¯t touching him, but Mason''s senses were getting overwhelmed, his ears practically pulsing with too much sound. Whatever the system was doing was everything Mason hated about clubs and bars. And he was forced to shout over the noise. That was annoying enough. But if ke didn''t join his house, it meant they could be randomly forced to fight in a one on one at anytime, knocking one of them out of the tournament far before the end. And it meant ke could do the same against any of Nassau''s yers. "Do you have your own House?" he shouted. "Not...as of yet," ke answered, tapping his fingers on the table. "But I intend to soon." "Then join mine and leave itter for all I care. We''re just trying to..." "He can''t," Haley exined as quietly as possible over the noise. "At least not without an experience penalty for six months. And it prevents him from creating his own house or joining another for the same duration." ke pointed at Haley with a finger gun, which for whatever reason annoyed Mason even more. "If you knock out a top contender like Carl I''m going to be seriously fucking angry, ke." ke held up his hands like it wasn''t his fault, like there was nothing he could do. "OK," Mason shouted, standing. "You can officially go to your new eastern friends, because I don''t want to look at you. You''re disinvited from all the things. Except I don''t actually know how to do that. Haley, disinvite him. Now go. And if I see you in the arena, you might want to surrender quickly." ke sighed and bowed his head like some stupid courtier as he stood. He threw his napkin on the table. "Well. To hell with you, too!" he shouted, winking at Haley, before turning on his heel and stalking off with a gesture at his girls. Mason watched him go, clenching his hands into fists. "I swear to Christ. He has a gift. He really does." Haley stood and stepped into Mason''s chest, wrapping her arms around him and kissing his cheek. She gestured for an awkward looking Lexi, and soon both women were hugging him. He was still mad, but it definitely helped. "I...have to tell you something else," Haley said, her expression of real concern enough to focus Mason''s mind entirely. ¡°I should have told you sooner but I hadn¡¯t understood until we came here.¡± "What''s wrong?" His beautiful blonde sighed and nced towards the emperor''s party before meeting Mason''s eyes. "There is some kind of civilian equivalent to yer killer aura. Many of the emperor''s civilians have it. It means..." she took a breath. "His key civilians have killed other civilians. I can''t say how many.¡± Mason blinked, a bit shaken. He''d known that was possible¡ªthat civilians could hurt each other. But he also understood it made them viable ''targets'' to yer patrons. So it seemed not a great life choice. Unless you had a rigid enough,plicit enough yer system that allowed it. And protected murderers¡­ "Jesus Christ," he said, not sure what else to say. He thought far back to sending Haley into Nassau back when it was under a tyrant''s clutches¡ªwhen he was trying to rescue ke. At the time he''d assumed she waspletely safe, protected. But he realized now the yers could have had loyal civilians do anything they''d wanted to her. He shuddered at the thought, one fist closing in anger at his own stupid ignorance, orck of imagination. "We need to get those people out of there," he said, feeling the burden of those many lives slowly creeping towards his shoulders. Haley and Lexi were smiling up at him. "What?" he looked between them, and Haley kissed his lips gently. "Just admiring our sheep dog," she said. Mason rolled his eyes. Before he had the chance to fire back some kind of quip, he heard a jet of water or steam, and the unavoidable drug-like mist descended all over his house from above. "Oh..." Lexi grinned and stuck out her tongue like she was in the rain, giggling as the mist seemed to tickle her skin. Mason hardly felt it, and didn''t expect to have to worry. Haley seemed to be holding her breath, and Mason almost panicked when he considered she was pregnant. But he calmed when he reminded himself this thing seemed more interested in babies than just about anything else. Surely it wouldn''t do anything to harm them. This room was almost certainly full of pregnant women. Haley eventually gave up and breathed, but didn''t seem as affected as Lexi. The Brit was already grinding against Mason''s leg, her eyes half closed as she swayed to the music. Haley smiled as she watched her, hugging Mason again and mouthing that she was fine. "Happy, remember?" she said. "We should go mingle. Dance. I¡¯ve put the word out, any western yer can ask to talk to any of our people, whoever they want, before they talk to us. And I¡¯ve offered some gifts, exining we want allies. All the civilians are spreading the word. Or...at least they were going to. Before the roof started spraying...whatever that is." Mason smiled, shaking his head in wonder. "What would I do without you?" he said, pulling Haley as close as Lexi. "Probably live happily in a cave," she said, putting her beautiful face to his. Mason grinned and kissed her. "But a lot less happily. Let''s go wander. I don''t agree to dance." He took a girl in each arm and moved them forward, doing his best to put away the many concerns for an evening. Or at least an hour. * * * Maybe an older, wiser man could have resisted a pouting Haley and Lexi pulling his arms, grinding against him. But Mason wasn''t either of those things. The girls had him dancing in minutes. It helped that just about everyone was high as a kite. Suddenly no one seemed to care that the ''Western Warlord'' with glowing green eyes was moving amongst them, dancing with two incredible women. As he watched the girls move and smile, he probably even started to have a little fun. He also spotted Becky and Rosaing closer hand in hand, and instantly stopped caring about their fiction. He moved closer and grabbed both, pulling them into their little circle. Rosa''s hips and ass were pretty much eye-mas as she turned and swayed to the beat, her dress doing its honest best to keep in those curves. Becky even pped him as he stared, thenughed and kissed him full on before pulling back to dance beside Rosa. "What''s this shit anyway? I want some country!" she yelled. Mason grinned. It definitely wasn''t that kind of vibe. If anything he decided the lights were getting lower, the music louder, something like strobe lights shing as whatever drug they''d been dosed with was probably kicking in. People were swarming the dance floor now, faces in masks of bliss, bodies pushing up against Mason from multiple directions. He realized it was at least eighty per cent women. Mason only lost track of his girls for a second before he was surrounded by a sea of done up hair and flesh, unknown women''s hands grabbing at him. He wasn''t sure when his shirt had been unbuttoned, but some little blonde was literally licking his chest before he realized it wasn''t Haley. Apparently the system didn''t worry much about sexually molesting strangers in its Neutral Zone ¡®rules¡¯. Not that Mason was too surprised. Or very concerned. He did his best to move away without dragging anyone down or crushing them, tolerating considerable groping along the way. He found Haley again in the mob, probably as blind as anyone despite his enhanced vision because of all the shing lights. Fortunately it looked like his girls were still all together andughing, mostly mocking the particrly drugged up Lexi. The little brte had stripped her jacket and was grinding her ass into Rosa as the Mexicanughed. "Enjoying yourself?" Haley called to his ear, her hands moving up his chest. He looked down to find lipstick smudged all over his abs. "The hunter has be the hunted," he said back, and Haley shook her head as if she couldn¡¯t hear. "There''s private rooms," she called, hand moving a bit south as she bit her lip and gestured towards the side of the auditorium. Mason met her eyes and didn¡¯t hesitate for a second. "Get the girls." Haley practically raced over and got their attention, all fouring back in a line holding hands. Mason took Haley''s and led them on through the crowd, mostly failing to fight off the continued groping as he went.
Chapter 405: No point in fighting (NSFW) Chapter 405: No point in fighting (NSFW) Mason pushed his way through a literal crowd of grabbing, jealous looking women as he tried to get to the private rooms with his girls. But he honestly couldn''t really get through. At least not without trampling someone. By the time he turned back to try and exin to Haley, he felt hands pulling at his fly and had to p them away. These women were like drug-addled sex zombies. He looked into the eyes of some middle-age brte licking her lips as she went for his belt, and she seemed hardly in control of herself. Another, much younger ck girl had stripped down to her bra and was now pushing her big chest into his. He wasn''t exactlyining. But he also had four beautiful women literally following him to getid in whatever back room he could find. ''Excuse me'' didn''t really seem adequate when a woman was rubbing you with her tits. Mason lifted the woman with his free arm around her waist, carrying her like a feminine shield. She squealed in delight, then wrapped her legs around his waist as he walked. She was kissing his face, his ear, his neck. "You can fuck me, green-eyes," she said. "Right here. I don''t care." Mason realized there were more ''misted'' drugs raining on the dance floor. This shit was getting out of control. For a single, psychotic moment Mason wondered what would happen if he turned on Blessing of Gaia. But he quickly squashed the thought and felt like shaking his head at Cerebus, who was probably over his shoulder nodding like that Jack Nicholson GIF ke always sent him. After another minute of pushing and snaking through every gap, Mason managed to get out of the crowd of women, at least enough to see the line of curtain-enclosed rooms lining the wall. Curtains definitely didn''t seem like they were going to do the job. As Mason pulled one back, he saw the rooms were kind of tiny. Like a single, cushioned chair kind of tiny, as if they were made for ap dance in a strip joint. But maybe there were other options. Mason pulled all four girls to the wall, getting his body in front of them, his arms stretched out so they were all safe and ounted for. Except he still had some stranger wrapped around his waist licking his ear. "Who the hell is that?" Becky said, blinking as she tried to focus her eyes. Mason shrugged and was about to make fun of the cowgirl for being affected until he realized even he was feeling a bit...strange. Like hardly even caring about a strange girl hanging off him strange. "Fuck it. I stopped fighting it," Rosa said, taking a deep breath. "It really smells amazing." Even Haley looked like she was riled up now. She started running her hands over the mini-skirt covered, ample ass of their mystery guest, grinning at Mason like a naughty school girl. ''Can I have her, please?'' she mouthed. Mason ran a hand through his short hair. He blinked, trying to clear his head, wondering where the fuck Apex Predator was. What the hell was his n here? He didn''t actually know anymore. Bigger room, right? Right. Best not overthink. Best just to do. He pulled his girls along the wall without a word, tossing back curtains until he found something at least more like a couch. Even so, the space was way too small, but sometimes in battle you just needed the initiative. Mason pushed through the curtain and got as far in as he could. It was dark, almost pitch ck, his enhanced eyes the only reason he could see. He tossed his mystery girl onto the couch, then pulled in everyone else as he closed the curtain. A dull kind of luminescence glowed as he did, filling the space in reddish light, all of Mason''s girls standing in the narrow space looking up at him with expectant eyes. "Seriously, who is that?" Becky shook her head, looking at the girl on the couch already kicking off her heels and stripping her panties down. "Oh who cares," Haley said, undoing Mason''s belt and dropping his pants. "As long as I get my turn." Lexi and Rosa were already gone. The little Brit cupped Mason''s balls and kissed his chest. Rosa wrapped a hand around his shaft. Mason definitely wasn''t going to stop to ask questions. He just pulled Becky in and kissed her, pulling up her dress and pping her ass. "You just stop worrying and do what you''re told." Becky groaned and nodded, and Mason stripped her panties down to her thighs. He slid a hand between her legs and started working her, but she was already pretty wet. Haley dropped to her knees and started nting kisses on his tip, Lexi following and sliding her lips down one side of his shaft. "The floor is squishy." Haley giggled. "It''s nice andfy on the knees." Fucking roboGod, Mason thought, torn as ever between hating and loving the son of a bitch. He slid two fingers inside Becky, grinning as she squeezed and moaned. He pulled down her dress until her tits bounced out, cupping and squeezing as he yed. "Come here." He pulled Rosa closer, getting his other hand under her dress to give her the same treatment. Lexi and Haley kept sliding their lips on either side of his shaft. The dark beauty was watching them on the couch, legs spread as she touched herself. Mason took a hand from Becky to pull up Haley. "Go get her ready for me." He let her suck Becky''s wetness off his fingers first, then she cked over in her heels and dropped down in front of the new girl, spreading her legs as she started to lick. Becky had a small sh of a ''wait you''re going to fuck her?'' kind of look. But Mason turned her against the wall and got behind her, getting Lexi up and pushing her and Rosa on either side of Becky. He pped her ass hard, then pulled it out to arch her back before sliding his tip inside her. She took it easily, so he pushed deeper and deeper until he was buried. Becky moaned and pushed back against him. He took her in steady thrusts as he worked at Rosa and Lexi''s dresses, getting the tops pulled down under their tits, and the bottoms up around their waists. He groped and yed with them as Becky''s ass bounced against him, her ever-strengthening body practically trying to crush his cock inside. Not that she had any chance. Whatever was happening to her body, it was happening at ten times the extreme to Mason. His limbs felt like organic iron, and so did his manhood. His libido was getting out of control, his obsession with women bing like an addiction. No doubt the five beautiful creatures all aching for his body helped. But he''d never been so rock hard in his life. He couldn''t stop touching and groping Lexi and Rosa even as he rammed into Becky. He hardly even realized Blessing of Gaia had clicked on. He might not have noticed at all except Becky just suddenly orgasmed out of nowhere. She clenched her hands on the bunched fabric of the other girls'' dresses and cried out, dripping down Mason''s balls as she clenched again and again. Then Rosa was making out with Becky, Lexi dropping underneath to lick and suck anything she could reach. "She¡¯s ready," Haley called from the couch. Mason groaned as he looked over and saw Haley beside the new girl on the couch, one arm around her as she kissed her cheek, helping to hold her legs apart. "My master is going to fuck you now," she said into the other girl''s ear. Mason pulled out of Becky, but brought Lexi and Rosa with him. He squeezed them onto the couch beside the other girls, then stepped up and put his cock in the new girl''s face. She looked into his eyes as she took him in, sliding him between her thick lips as she sucked off Becky''s juices. "Very good," he said, feeling himself growl as he groped the girl''s perky tits. Then he pulled back and grabbed her hips, scooting her forward and lifting her ass. She was soaking wet from Haley''s treatment, and he pushed into her shaved, puffy pussy, lifting her legs almost over her head. She grabbed the couch with both hands and moaned as Mason dipped deeper. Then he grabbed Lexi with a grin and lifted the little Brit over, setting her down straddling the stranger''s face. He pulled up her dress again, pping her ass as he pushed her down to get her pussy licked and sucked. Then he spread both toned, dark legs, lifting them up to basically drive downwards into the girl''s body. He buried himself to the hilt, then started taking her in deep, steady thrusts, feeling her body twitch and shake as her lips smacked and slurped under Lexi. Becky came over and wrapped her arms around him from behind, chuckling as she kissed his neck and yed with his balls. "Our man is such a stud," she said with a sigh, like it was just a fact of life and there wasn''t much reason toin. Mason grinned and reached a hand back to grope her, then pushed her over towards Rosa. The cowgirl got on the couch on her knees, straddling Rosa as the once rivals embraced and kissed, touching each other in the corner as they watched Mason fuck some stranger. Haley was pretty much in paradise. She just kept touching and kissing Lexi as she rode the new girl''s face, wrapping her hand around the base of Mason''s shaft as it mmed into the girl¡¯s soaked hole with wet ps. The new girl finally came with a breathless shudder, her legs twitching as Mason hammered straight through. But it was definitely time to cum. He pulled out, and Rosa, Becky and Haley rushed forward and dropped to their knees beside the new girl. His balls clenched as the pressure exploded, and his first shot sprayed over the girl''s tits and hit Lexi in the back and ass. Then three mouths were working him, licking and sucking as the girls fought to swallow every drop. He just let them have their fun, watching the half naked beauties giggle and kiss as they exchanged his seed like it was theirst chance. But he knew he was far from finished.
Chapter 406: The pinch hitter (NSFW) Chapter 406: The pinch hitter (NSFW) A pretty good start, Mason thought, looking down at the half naked women on their knees,. New Girl had her legs up over her head with Lexi wiggling on her face, the Brit turned with Mason''s cum leaking down her back. But thisck of space was a pain in the ass, and all the girls definitely needed their turns. "We''re going to the hotel room," Mason said, lifting Lexi off New Girl. He set her down beside him and gave her a kiss. "You''re wee toe along, if you like." Seeing the mystery girl with her legs apart and puffy lips begging to be spread¡ªit almost inspired Mason to start another round. She bit her lip and nodded, rolling to her feet and trying to get slightly cleaned off as she put her dress back in ce. All the other girls started doing the same, though they were all pretty obviously sex rumpled. "How do we look?" Haley said, standing beside the other girls in a line. Like you''ve all just been banged in a club, Mason thought. "Perfect. Hold hands and keep moving." He took a quick nce out from their room, picked his path, then went for it. Fortunately the horny zombie mob of women still seemed pretty distracted. Mason wasn''t the only target in their sights. He was pretty sure he saw John the Scot sticking out from the crowd. He looked vaguely panicked as he was mobbed by civilian women. Good for him, Mason thought with a grin. It was probably just what the big man needed. And need it or not, like the loyal tank and soldier he was, he was providing an escape route for his lord. Mason hurried along the wall, pulling his line of giggling, grabby women towards the elevator doors. He wondered briefly how many awkward situations this night was going to create. And how many babies. The thought managed to pierce the fog of drugs and lust to make Mason think about tomorrow. At least for a second. Did his mystery girl have some other man? Was she from the East? The West? Oh who cares, he almost heard Cerebus growl. Stop thinking and take what you want. The nature god wasn¡¯t always the wisest voice of reason. And maybe it was the drugs talking, but for the moment it did seem like pretty good advice. Especially since Mason had absolutely put the words in the god''s mouth¡­ He pushed his way past a few final clusters of women, most of whom humped him with their eyes and seemed to wonder how they got on board that train. Then he was at the elevator and ushering all five women inside. They went to the back wall, all staring up at him with a mixture of anticipation and lust. OK, he decided. It was pretty good just to still be alive. The girls all still looked pretty recently banged. One of Haley''s nipples was actually sticking out of her dress, and Mason grinned and pinched it as he stepped forward and kissed her. She moaned, pushing the elevator button to get them warped back to the room. For once he was d how fast it was. He backed out and gestured the girls forward, their heels cking like a soldier''s march as they followed towards the bedroom. "Water," Rosa said, blinking drug addled eyes as she went for the kitchen. Lexi jumped into Mason''s arms and wrapped her legs around his waist, shoving her tongue in his mouth. Her panties were apparently gone. If she¡¯d actually been wearing any. He put his hands under her dress and grabbed her bare ass, exploring further to the newly shaved, wet skin. She grinned against his mouth and worked down his fly. Or maybe Haley did beside him. Either way he was inside her before he got to the bedroom door, sliding deeper as he walked. He dropped her down on the bed and thrust deep, pounding her into the mattress as the other girls started dropping shoes and maybe dresses as they climbed up. "Two at a time," he said, rolling to his back with Lexi on top. She closed her eyes and rode him with her red dress still on as Haley climbed over his head and hiked up hers. He slid her soaked blue panties aside, licking her wetness with long, slow strokes. Then his world was just the eager, soft warmth of both women, his face jammed between Haley''s legs as he tasted her, his cock ridden by Lexi. Other girls were stripping down his pants and taking off his shoes. Someone started sucking his fingers and he didn''t even know who, then she was using them to y with herself, and pretty soon he was slipping them inside her. He heard Rosa giggle as she started doing the same with his other hand. Then all he could hear was women moaning. All he could taste was Haley. Lust like lightning shot down his body as everything became wetness, four beautiful women using his hands, cock, and mouth. Lexi shuddered as she clenched and squeezed his cock in orgasmic spasms, her nails digging into his chest. Haley came as she watched from her perch on his face, and as Mason''s tongue worked her sensitive clit. His wife moaned and squeezed her thighs around his head until she''d finished, then moved off and tossed back her long hair before dropping down beside him. She smiled and kissed him, licking her own juices off his lips with a sigh. "I want to watch the girls ride you," she whispered, and Mason took back an arm to pull her in like they were watching a movie together. Lexi eventually slipped him out and fell over in a heap on the bed. New Girl just about jumped in to rece her, eyes closing in pleasure as she slowly slid down his length. She''d stripped entirely naked now, her big breasts bouncing as she rode Mason like a pro, rising up to his tip before plunging down in smooth, twerking motions. Rosa stood on the bed behind her and grinned, gathering up the girl''s long, dark hair and pulling it tight as she pped her ass like she was riding a bronco. The girl moaned and still didn¡¯t open her eyes, bouncing on Mason as even Becky came in to cop a feel. "Look at you, girl, you''re in heaven," she said, cupping a big breast from behind, ying with her hard nipple as she pressed against her. New Girl just mumbled something and kept riding, oblivious or else not caring as the other girls yed with her. Becky looked at Mason over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow. "Enjoyin'' yourself, cityboy?" Mason grinned and grabbed the girl''s big ass to help thrust. She gasped and lost her rhythm, falling forward until she was a few inches from Mason''s face. She finally opened her eyes, stared into his as he pounded her. He felt his cock twitch in anticipation. "Lie there and take it," he growled. "Don''t move an inch." She nodded and obeyed, and he pounded her there for several minutes. Pretty soon New Girl was panting as she took his cock, trying not to moan too loudly. Haley was still right beside him, touching everything and kissing his neck, cupping his balls as she writhed against him. Becky and Rosa were still ying with the girl¡¯s ass and tits and giggling like school girls. Mason knew he shouldn''t finish inside her. At least some very helpless, currently muffled part of him did. His body tightened and bled heat, pleasure rippling through him as the pressure built and begged for release. "I like her, Master. Fill her and get her for me," Haley whispered in his ear, which pretty much stripped him of any chance to do otherwise. New Girl was basically staring at him with half rolled back eyes, long legs spread and back arched as she took everything he gave. Since they hadn¡¯t gotten to niceties like ¡®hi, my name¡¯s Mason, what¡¯s yours?¡¯, they definitely hadn¡¯t had the ¡®where do I cum¡¯ talk. And there wasn¡¯t much room left for talking. He let go and exploded inside her, groaning as his cock twitched and released with hard, deep thrusts. New Girl was definitely not pulling away. She cried out and squeezed her walls around him as his seed shocked her system into another orgasm, the ever improving Blessing of Gaia like a different kind of drug. Mason slid her against him with his hands on her ass, looking up at her as he finished. Her face dropped when he slowed, and she bit his shoulder as he finished pumping her full. Haley was even squeezing his balls as if to milk out every drop. "Shit, y''all, we don''t even know her name," Becky said. New Girl muttered something iprehensible. Then she took a few breaths and swallowed, half opening her eyes. "Um. It¡¯s Monica. Why are you people so hot?" ¡°The drugs,¡± Rosa said, falling back on the bed with a very sexy, squealing stretch. ¡°And because Mason¡¯s Mason. And also because we¡¯re hot. She¡¯s a bit like Naya¡¯s pinch hitter, hey?¡± Monica sat up enough to look around, her plucked brow scrunching. ¡°Wait. Do you all know each other? I thought this was like¡­I don¡¯t know what I thought.¡± She took a breath and looked down at Mason she was starting to not really care, smiling maybe a bit shyly as her eyes searched him. ¡°You know you look a lot like him¡­I mean the guy in the sky. You have green eyes, obviously. But doesn¡¯t that just mean you¡¯re affinity, or whatever? I mean you¡¯re not¡­you¡¯re obviously just¡­¡± Mason just raised an eyebrow and Monica sat up to look at the other women. After seeing pretty much amusedughing in every direction, Monica¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Um. OK. I¡­have to go.¡± The girl¡¯s body and mind were definitely not on the same page. She wiggled a bit and moaned again as she tried to get up, but Mason didn¡¯t make it any harder. Eventually she un-impaled herself and rolled off the bed, scrounging for her clothes. ¡°I''m not supposed to...I mean, just forget this happened, OK? It was the drugs.¡± Mason frowned, trying to focus and get some blood back in his brain despite all the naked women around him. ¡°We took things a bit far for that,¡± he said. ¡°And you can stay.¡± Monica shook her head, looking at him almost longingly. But he saw fear there, too, and felt the urge to find whatever was putting it there and crush it. Except he suspected he couldn¡¯t do a damn thing. ¡°I''ll figure it out,¡± she said, taking a final breath and rushing for the door, still only about half dressed. Mason gave Haley a look, and she nodded and chased after the girl to at least help her out. ¡°Well that¡¯s a bit of a rain on our parade,¡± Reba said, flopping over next to Rosa. Mason turned his attention back to the three naked, beautiful women still in his bed. Becky and Rosa were looking up at the roof with sleepy faces, but Lexi gave him a smile. ¡°In Texas we still y with a little rain,¡± he said, crawling his way towards them. He saw Becky fight the grin as she turned. Rosa put a foot on his shoulder and tried to push him back, moving it to his face in desperation. He kissed it and crawled on top of her, pulling all three girls together until they lined up underneath him looking up. ¡°Not everyone got their turn,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve gotta keep things fair, don¡¯t I?¡± Haley was back in a few seconds. She jumped onto the bed to get in the line-up, forcing her way between Reba and Rosa with a bit of tussling and fake fighting andughter. The girls were soon all squished in, chests squeezed together with their arms at their sides, their hair all mixed and strewn about the bed. For a moment Mason forgot about the game or the meet and greet or Monica, just looking down at the beautiful women who were all his. Yes, he decided, it was good to be alive. And the only thing he had to think about for a few hours was which girl to touch and take next.
Chapter 407: Civilized animals Chapter 407: Civilized animals ke watched the mind-altering substance slowly transform the crowd with extreme curiosity. He summoned Navi and tried to identify it, but his familiar frowned and shook her head. ¡°Sorry, Master, but it¡¯s protected by powerful magic. My powers are useless.¡± ke thanked the construct and dismissed it again, hoping he could collect a sample to study itter. ¡°Annie, use your void power please,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to feel a loss of control.¡± The young warrior nodded as her eyes zed, and ke turned to problem number two. ¡°Seul-ki, I don¡¯t suppose you have some...¡± The Korean put a hand on Annie¡¯s shoulder, and a momentter her eyes zed in almost exactly the same way before she blinked and seemed herself again. ¡°I will be fine,¡± she said, and ke nodded with a smile. He could feel the mind altering effect probing at his senses, but between his affinity, his partition, and probably just his mental stats, his brain was mostly protected. He could almost see it trying to infiltrate, like he was watching tetris blocks fall, and could somehow move the pieces and cancel them out with arcane chemistry below. "You girls are alright if I leave you here a minute?" he said, then looked at the expressionless, disinterested stares. "Right. Well. I''ll be right back." ke had always been a people watcher. And the roof raining inhibition-prohibitor mixed with God knew what else proved a bit too overwhelming for his curiosity. He walked amongst the growing crowd, standing near their tables, watching pupils erge and skin flush, mouths opening in excited smiles. But it didn''t take long before he was attracting feminine attention, and he decided to try his very neglected, though once life-saving, Adaptive Veil. With a gender ratio like this, he knew being male at all might make him a source of interest. But some kind of ¡®averaged¡¯ look would still probably help a man like him. As usual, activating the power didn¡¯t actually seem to do anything from his point of view. He felt the same, and saw no difference. But it didn¡¯t take long before women only nced at him and moved on. He still had to shake his head and decline the asional dance offer, but it definitely improved things. With his new disguise in ce, he walked towards the eastern leadership, curious to see what he''d find. They seemed as effected as anyone else, their yer leadership leaving their tables one by one to go join the growing mob. Everyone, that is, except their leader. The emperor stood alone watching the others, expression a kind of impatient boredom. ke got a little closer, and with no warning the man suddenly turned, his eyes locking with ke''s from across several tables. They both stared until Jeong finally turned away, as if only curious, and maybe disgusted by the scene around him. It was a bad sign. It meant the emperor likely had mental defences that could resist whatever this was, or else some other kind of protection. He would be a difficult target for ke''s mind powers. It also meant he was disciplined enough not to indulge himself. Unlike Mason, ke couldn¡¯t help but think. He did his best to shut it out. But the reality was, Mason seemed more inmed by his passions since entering the great game. Whether it was the growing power, the constant flirting with life and death, or the influence of the various ''gods'' that seemed interested in him, the result was the same. ke wasn¡¯t the same person he was a few months before. And neither was his brother. Close, certainly, but not the same. Of course ke had made his own mistakes as patron of Nassau. He had used his powers when he should have been building real trust. He had treated the others like pawns and problems more than allies and solutions. He''d had his reasons, but ultimately his own fear had blinded him to a growing inclination towards tyranny¡ªa personality trait or maybe w that blinded him to other possibilities. Mason was not immune. He turned out to be an inspiring leader in a dangerous world, able to make decisions and take the consequences, able to earn the trust and love of others. But he was impulsive. Too emotional, too quick to judge. Unwilling to bend or consider sometimes there was only wed solutions toplex problems. And he was building a harem like an ancient king. ke wasn''t sure how to help, and couldn¡¯t decide if this was a serious problem. But every weakness was exploitable, and soon enough every one of Mason¡¯s ws might be tested. Might even be fatal. As ke watched the civilian women surrounding and groping most of the men in sight, he supposed the harem might ultimately be fine. Except it was like Mason was indulging in his favorite drink. He was getting drunk on women with no one to hit the brake. "Who are you?" ke blinked and turned to find Emperor Jeong a few steps away, his dark eyes drifting around the room. "No one important," ke said, heart racing, not wanting to give away one of his abilities. "I can see your magic, but not through it," Jeong said casually. "I know every important yer on my continent. And to resist...whatever is happening, makes you an unusual man. Why aren''t you with the others?" He gestured at a gathering of Nassau''s yers near the dance floor. ke shrugged, mostly thrilled his disguise was working so well even if detected. He was reminded it was his version of Mason''s incredible ''Apex Predator''¡ªa kind of unique ability ''gifted'' by the system early in the game. It made him wonder if he hadn''t been paying enough attention to it¡ªif it had some kind of upgradeable, or at least expanded uses he hadn''t exploited. "I''m usually alone," he said, because it was how he''d felt all his life, whether he was with other people or not. He felt strangelypelled to tell the truth, maybe because he was in disguise. Mason was the only exception to his usual solitude. Though not always. Jeong nodded as if he understood. He met ke''s eyes for a long time before looking away. "I grew up hungry," said the emperor. "I didn''t know what a full stomach was until I was twenty. All my sister and I did was search for food, almost every day. It was all we talked about. All we thought about. Do you know what that does to a person?" ke shook his head, strangelypelled to hear more. Jeong sighed. "It makes us animals. That''s what it is to be every other living thing in our world. Everything except us. At least some of us." ke said nothing, and Jeong took a breath as he pointed out at the crowd of partying people. "When I look at them, do you know what I see? I see civilized animals six meals from beastial chaos. But they did none of the civilizing themselves. It was gifted to them by great men. They are the spoiled children of titans. The ungrateful offspring of a line of survivors unbroken since time immemorial." ke turned to see Jeong''s lips curling. "The gods should have culled more. That''s what the tutorials were. The unfairness, the destruction, it wasn¡¯t an ident. They wanted us harder. To know what this universe is. And even after everything, all we''ve been through, the people left are still weak. Just look at them. Soon they''ll rut like animals." ke looked in the man''s eyes, and shivered. "If you hate them, why lead them? Why make yourself emperor?" Jeong blinked and seemed to remember he was talking to someone. He quirked his head and reached out to touch ke''s arm before seeming to change his mind. "Forgive me, I''d forgotten where I was. I may hate these wretches, but I love mankind. His potential. What he could be, with the right direction. I will improve him, ke Nimitz. I will perfect him. Even if it takes me a thousand years." ke winced and turned, wondering how long exactly Jeong had been observing him. No doubt there would be spies, other yers constantly using their own powers to watch him and probably every other yer. He sighed, dropping his disguise. Jeong smiled. "You are loyal, and clever, I think. You have many gifts, Mr. Nimitz. I wonder: will you squander them like these fools, or will you one day join me in the sun? Perhaps you will look to the future, as I do. And not..." he waved a dismissive hand at the crowd. "Watch your brother breed with the pigs, toiling beneath his shadow. Good evening." ke found himself uncharacteristically speechless as Jeong wandered away, looking serene now as he held his hands behind his back. It was clear already this was a dangerous man. But for the first time since he''d been locked in a tower with an orc king, ke felt a stab of true fear. This emperor was no Sebastian. Jeong wasn''t some simple brute who intended to dominate mankind with pure force and have his wicked way. He had a n. Probably a lot of them. He was subtle and cunning and what he did or said was probably all considered and designed. In the realm of politics and maniption, Mason was no match for this man. Not by himself. His only chance was on the battlefield. And what if he wasn''t a match for him there, either? ke squashed the thought. If Mason couldn''t beat this emperor in a fair fight, it was hard to see any oue except surrender. Nassau was horribly outnumbered, both in yers and far worse in civilians. ke could handle changing teams. He could do what he had to, say whatever words were required, survive and bide his time. But Mason? Mason would die. When it came to his simple philosophies about life he had never bent and never would. It made him admirable, it made him inspiring, it made him the kind of leader most of humanity would rather follow. But as far ke was concerned, it also sometimes made him stupid. And it was up to ke to protect him from that stupidity. To be the malleable reed in the wind while Mason''s oak held firm. ke was definitely going to destroy this ¡®emperor¡¯, and anyone who stood with him. He didn''t know when, and he didn''t yet know how. But he was going to be whatever was required¡ªto join these easterners in every way they wanted. He would take his time, see they of thend, nting himself in their midst. Then he would rip their leadership out by its roots. For now he grit his teeth and pretended to be confused, to be torn. To be thinking deeply about what Jeong had said, warring with his conscience. He put on a good show for whatever spy was watching, putting away the reminder to behave from now on as if he was being observed every moment of the day. He eventually sat back down with Annie and Seul-ki, waiting for Seul-ki to ask him what was wrong. "I''ve met the enemy," he said, face suitably grave, hoping someone was listening. "And I''m not sure I''m on the winning side."
Chapter 408: Wolf of the West Chapter 408: Wolf of the West Their synthetic overlord gave them eight hours, just as promised, and not a second more. Mason left his girls a few hours earlier and slept on the couch to remove temptation. He didn''t need much sleep these days, but he did need a little. He woke to the robotic, overly chirpy voice of the Neutral Zone dinging and ringing in his ears. [We hope you''ve enjoyed your stay so far in the Neutral Zone. Please prepare yourselves for another exciting round of individual and team matches, this time to elimination! As a reminder, the final ten finalists in the individual matches, and the top three teams in each category, will be eligible for highly desirable final rewards. Good luck, yers! We''re rooting for you!] Mason stood and paced in his suite as the five warning minutes counted down. Becky joined him about half way, and they exchanged a silent smile and put their foreheads together. "Defer if it''s a House match. Hit ''em with your metal stick. You got this," he said. Becky grinned and nodded. "It didn''t even say if it was team first or what." "Par for the course." Mason took a breath. "Be ready for anything." They waited thest minute or two in silence, lost in their own thoughts. Mason stared at the clock for thest few seconds, then vanished into the now familiar dark of teleportation. [House match detected. Do you wish to defer this official match until non-house matches are unavable?] Mason mentally mmed yes, ignoring the system''s acknowledgment and message of re-calction and arena modification as it found him a new opponent. It was a bit of confirmation, at least, that it was picking the terrain with more thought and purpose than just random draw. The new opponent must have been a non-house member because the fifteen second warning red. It was a solo match, so Mason didn''t bother calling Streak. Even if it was the emperor, he wouldn''t want to give the man the chance to hurt his wolf. Against an opponent like that the animal might be a liability more than anything, just because Mason wouldn''t be able to ignore his suffering, and it might not have the strength to help enough to matter. The waiting room lifted him up into a decidedly non-natural environment. It looked more like a mad scientist''sboratory, with strange looking furniture and an assortment of tables covered in tools. As Mason looked more closely, he realized boratory'' was the wrong description. This was a torture chamber. He caught movement in the corner of his eye. A dark shape seemed to expand against the wall then vanish. A rogue, Mason thought, why was it always a rogue. He dropped a series of four traps between a triangr shaped clearing between tables, deciding it would be his ''escape'' point if he needed one. For now he kept out his bow, hoping to detect his opponent through his other senses for one good shot. He touched one of the devices and activated his Sleeves, creeping through the disturbing collection of torture devices, trying not to get distracted by figuring out exactly what they were. He was no expert, but he saw a few racks, an iron maiden. There were knives and all kinds of tools one might expect to find in a surgeon''s kit, at least one to crack ribs. Mason felt a kind of insight strike as he considered the nature of the arena. Had it been designed for Mason, it would have been a forest or a mountain range, an open in with high grass. But this was all useless to him, and therefore seemed designed for his opponent. If a robotic observer decided your preferred, natural environment was a torture chamber, what exactly did that say about you? Shadows flickered on one of the four walls, and Mason turned and loosed. His Power Shot smashed into the wall with a crack, splitting what appeared to be concrete. Whatever he''d seen he''d missed, or else his opponent was making distractions. "Jumpy, aren''t you?" whispered a voice, seemingly from multiple directions. Mason squinted and turned in a slow circle, debating now if he should call Streak just to help find the man. But he''d wait a little longer. "You''re awfully calm," Mason said, "for a man about to die." Another shadow flickered. This time it flew at Mason with incredible speed along the floor. Not sure what else to do, he leapt to the side as if to dodge an attack. But the shadow stopped at his feet and expanded. And expanded. Mason was several feet away before darkness seemed to swallow him. He kept moving, banging off a torture device with a wooden crack before he emerged back into the normal gloom. Even his eyes hadn''t been able to see in that shadow. "Jumpy. Afraid of the dark," whispered the voice. "The Big Bad Wolf of the West." Mason sighed and unsummoned his bow, forming his ws. He got the feeling he wasn''t going to actually hit anything at range today. At least not until he''d gotten out whatever tricks the man had. "What else are you afraid of, I wonder?" Mason¡¯s eyes narrowed as he felt some kind of mental effect starting to probe. It was hard to describe, exactly, like water trying to find a crack to seep into. It swirled around him and failed, not even activating Apex Predator. Mason considered sitting on a table and waiting, but he figured he might as well use his time. He stared at a particrlyrge boulder attached to some kind of crushing device, hoping he might gain some ''insight'' into its nature for Runic Magic. "Just go ahead and attack when you''re ready," Mason said. "I''d say I don''t have all day, but, I guess I do." His opponent seemed to be running out of quips. The mental searching came again, this time with a little more water pressure. Mason winced and kept his eyes locked on his boulder, wondering if he should shoot a lightning bolt just to fuck with the guy''s eardrums. Apex Predator finally red with some kind of resistance warning. A bit of the water ''got in'', and Mason resisted the urge to shake his head. He kept on staring, feeling the contest renew, though he wasn''t so much ''fighting'' as ''ignoring.'' It was a bit silly, maybe, but Mason didn''t really feel like running all over the damn room chasing shadows. And the longer he stared at the rock the calmer he felt. Yes, this idiot was going to jump out at any moment and try to kill him. But so what? Even if he took the hit, he''d just heal. Worst case maybe he''d spray some blood from a cut jugr or something until it closed. He knew in his bones it wouldn''t kill him. "What are you doing?" the voice hissed, clearly frustrated. "Staring at a rock," Mason said. It was a ridiculous conversation, but then it was a ridiculous world. Mason''s impatience was probably growing in the post-apocalypse, but for a moment as he stared at the stillness of the stone, he was reminded he could be far more like it than the thing he''d been so far. He was immortal, after all, almost invulnerable. He could weather the madness and escape from the world, leaving everyone behind. He could oust almost everything. He blinked as a symbol formed on the rock¡ªa series of circles inside each other like tree rings. He smiled, feeling the weight of the ''godnguage'' carving a new rune into his mind. [Druidic rune identified: Lapis. You have gained a new rune!] He grinned, still admiring the rock before everything vanished again in darkness. This time he didn''t move. He just waited like a spring, a human trap ready to strike, annoyed he''d lost his view. The hiss of air came from his left. He moved, but not away. Something sharp and terrible struck his face as he reached out and simultaneously activated Aspect of the Cheetah, hunting for the wielder. He heard his own blood spray, heard his enemy scrambling to hide again somewhere in the dark. But not fast enough. Mason caught fabric with one hand. He clenched and reached with the other, taking another stab in the chest before he found flesh and bone and rammed his body into his opponent. They tumbled together through the shadows, silent and struggling like predator and prey, only one of them knowing which was which. Mason took another stab in the shoulder. A kick. The rogue screamed as Mason snapped his forearm. He found the other arm and held it fast, clutching both and running through the shadows, smashing into tables and chairs without concern or interest. He activated Shapeshift as he ran, feeling his joints popping, his damaged face twisting with canine features as he finally emerged from the ck. He tumbled his opponent to the ground with himself on top. As he looked down into the frightened, enraged eyes of the rogue he recognized his face. It was one of the men sitting by Jeong in their first meeting. Some kind of elite yer in the emperor''s council. Mason growled as his fangs emerged, and looked down at his enemy with a smile. "Wolf of the West," he said matter of factly. ¡°I like it.¡± The rogue was still struggling to free a hand, but Mason knew he had no chance at all. And he could recognize the monster now in the man¡¯s eyes, even without the proof of the torture chamber around them. The usual mercy he felt drained away. "Tell me," he said, ¡°what are you afraid of?" Before the rogue could answer, Mason snapped forward with a growl and an open mouth. He ignored his enemy''s screams as he chewed.
Chapter 409: East meets West Chapter 409: East meets West ke rose up from the holding cell into what felt like a scene from the Matrix. It looked the loading zone the crew of the Nebuchednezzer used to simte the program¡ª apletely nk, almost white space with nothing except t ground. The sky was white. The horizon was white. It was uniform enough it actually screwed with ke''s perception of distance. Erik the Swede of the Arcane Order stood maybe two hundred feet across, inspecting his surroundings with total calm. ke wasn¡¯t sure if he was pleased. He¡¯d have preferred to smash his way through the Order against everyone except the Swede first. But he supposed one had to y the hand one was dealt. With his preparation mana caps and fifteen seconds to prepare, ke had brought himself a trio of constructs¡ªtwo arcane legionnaires, and one psionic ''jaguar'', plus a big bundle of javelins. Erik seemed alone and not to have prepared at all. But even from a distance, ke could see the magical enchantments surrounding him in barely colored bubbles. "Everything he''s wearing is enchanted, Master," Navi chirped above his shoulder. "Would you like me to describe the total list?" "No, thank you," ke said with a sigh. Suddenly his demonic ne and mana gem didn''t seem so impressive. How many tricks might his opponent have that had nothing to do with his ss, and everything to do with his ''gear''? Their eyes met, and Erik gave a polite nod, which ke matched. "Ready when you are, Mr. Nimitz," he called. ke took a breath. Standing there and channeling seemed somehow...rude. At least for now. Instead ke sent his constructs forward in a spread pattern to disrupt area effects. He kept his attention on his shields, ready with Telekinesis, ready to counter any kind of mental energy. The problem was: he had no idea what sort of powers Erik actually had. He definitely should have done a little research and watched the man¡¯s fights. But no time for that now. "I want everything he does identified," he said to Navi. "Yes, Master." The little orb floated forward and ke tried not to worry about it getting fried. It was definitely resistant to magic and other kinds of damage, but he had no idea how resistant. Erik started moving his hands in some kind of spell, arcane energy swirling around him. ke was a bit jealous, to be honest. His powers didn''t involve any kind of drama at all. He mostly just thought and things happened. There was something definitely cool about weaving a spell like a physical thing. ke supposed he could sometimes pretend. His constructs were about half way when the spell finished. A red sphere appeared, growing just above Swede''s head. "Navi?" "Elemental magic. Projectile based." The red sphere split a momentter, three missilesunching like fiery basketballs towards ke''s constructs. Out of curiosity more than anything, ke used the ''counter'' he''d only ever tried against mental effects. It was more or less like using Telekinesis or even Mental Influence, except instead of physical objects or minds bing his targets, it was the magical energy itself. To his considerable surprise, it worked. It wasn''t as easy as countering mind magic, but ke could still see the contours of Erik''s spell. The next tricky part was deciding how much mana to actually burn. If he used too little, it wouldn''t stop the effect. If he used too much, he was just wasting his mana for no reason. He decided on about 10% of his total remaining. Purplish psionic energy loosed like three res into therger auras of the flying spheres, and shattered them. Erik instantly went into another spell, this time swirling with visible power as the constructs closed. "Pure arcane, Master. Aura." With his runic sight, ke saw the size of this one''s ''aura'' and instantly rejected any attempt to block it. It seemed whatever his ability to counter exactly was, it worked far better against magic that was ''released''. Trying to block something like an aura felt like trying to spray a housefire with a garden hose. Erik turned blue as a sphere formed around him in something like a fifteen foot radius. ke''s constructs crashed into it, shing and wing as the thing flickered but held. ke moved forward and started channeling an arcane st, Erik starting another spell of his own. "Elemental. Ray." A ''ray''? That was new. ke was sweating as he watched his channel tick down, but he also couldn''t help but smile. Sure, this was simted life or death. And yes, if he lost now he was out of the tournament. But the fact was: this was fun. Erik finished his ray a hair''s breadth before ke finished his st. A red beam like a shlight sizzled then mmed into one of ke''s legionnaires with an audible thwack. Erik held out a hand, and the beam followed where he pointed. It disintegrated ke''s construct like high powered water jet hitting sand. ke''s Arcane st struck the wizard¡¯s blue shield with a sh of light. And not much else. Erik held his ray until both ke''s legionnaires had burst apart, their arcane y crumpled to the ground. The psionic Jaguar, though, just refused to die. It started leaping back and forth, and even when it was being struck it held together with twice the resistance. "OK," ke said, a little annoyed now as he activated True Making. "Try this one." He activated Duality of Ambition for a temporary psionic Defender construct, setting the duration to two minutes. He made it unreasonablyrge, a kind of stooped over ape with fists the size of ke''s head. ke''s body just froze as he channeled, but he did his best to hold a pose to something suitably cool and wizard-like first. His jaguar shattered about the same moment he finished. Erik dropped his ray, looking out curiously at ke before True Making snapped a circle of psionic power and ripped his creation into the fabric of reality. ke devoted half his mind to personally rushing his new pet forward, straight for his opponent''s shield. Erik didn''t hesitate. He started another cast of his ray spell, but ke was moving forward now and getting ready to try and counter it. The shape was not at all ''ray-like'', and moreplicated to deal with than ke expected. He supposed it was because it was actively channeled, or still attached to his opponent''s body. It wasn''t impossible to stop, but probably not worth the effort. ke decided to try anyway. He let his construct go on auto-pilot, using both halves of his partitioned mind to chart the magic and figure out where to strike it for maximum effect. Than heunched another ''re'' of energy, this time with at least 20% of his mana, which passed straight into Erik''s shield and struck his channel with another sh of light. The Swede flinched in obvious surprise as his spell fizzled. He blinked and re-doubled his efforts as ke''s construct mmed into his shield with repeated, violent cracks, the energy crackling and flickering as it waned. This time ke ignored the spell. Heunched himself forward with Telekinesis, getting as close as possible as he took his ne in hand and activated Mind Rend. The demonic artifact clenched and red, the burst of foreign energy leaping forward like a w to ke''s eyes. Erik could apparently stop his channels. He waved a hand and held both in the air as if to catch the psionic w, a sh of white light overtaking the blue. "Divine Shield," Navi called. Divine? Apparently Erik had multiple affinities, or at least could use them. But ke hadmitted now to a strategy of ¡®overwhelm¡¯. Sparing no mana, he lifted his many javelins with Telekinesis and started raining them at the Swede¡¯s shields with one half of his mind, starting yet another True Making with the other. This time it wasn¡¯t a construct, though¡ªit was a kind of huge, metallic cup, made right over Erik¡¯s head, a spike pointing down in its center. The Swede had blocked the Mind Rend, andshed out with a swiped hand in ke¡¯s general direction. ¡°Elementa¡­¡± The spell was too fast for Navi to keep up. A spray of light much like Carl¡¯s washed over ke, turning everything white. He closed his eyes and blinked but knew it was toote. He couldn¡¯t see a damn thing. Well yed, he thought with cold rationality. Magic shields were great. But they didn¡¯t stop you from getting blinded by bright light. But then blindness (hopefully temporary blindness) didn¡¯t stop ke¡¯s magic, either. His construct was still hammering away, timer ticking down but still with a good minute. ke didn¡¯t know if his opponent had moved, but there wasn¡¯t much for it now. He finished his channel, hoping the giant piece of metal helped smash that shield. It fell a good thirty feet and nged with an arcane sizzle. ke grinned as he heard Erik grunt, then tossed a few telekic javelins towards the source of the voice and started a huge Arcane st. He just hoped his vision cleared before his channel finished. ¡°Teleportation, Master!¡± Navi chirped. ¡°Fly to him,¡± ke said. ¡°Call to me where he is.¡± He heard the little construct zip away, still blinking to try and gain some sight. Little dots and swirls were appearing with grey overtaking the ck, and he almost sighed with relief. His channel ticked down, and some kind of spell shed against his shield and sizzled all around him. Then another. His mana was dropping, his shields fading. Navi called out just in time, obviously knowing when ke¡¯s spell would finish. With a leap of faith, ke aimed at the location with his ears and tiny bits of vision, sting a huge 20% mana st at ground level. He heard something hit the ground with a soft thud. A trumpet red. *** "What happened, gentlemen?" Jeong said calmly, masking his rage at the Spymaster and High Wizard''s failures. Both men said nothing, though for entirely different reasons. Erik looked lost in thought, probably trying to consider exactly what he believed had urred. Michael looked like an angry, pouting, shame-filled child. Jeong mmed his fist on the table, cracking the hard stic with a sound like thunder. "My mind powers did nothing," Michael said, shaking his head. "Then I hit him full force in the head with my strike, but..." "You should have struck his neck, or his heart," Jeong countered. Michael opened his mouth as if to yell an answer before remembering himself. "I considered that too risky, my lord. From what his people tell us, we know he heals absurdly quickly. He might very well heal a heart wound. I decided an injury to the brain was the best option. I intended to exploit that weakness to injure him further." "The temple, then. The back of the skull. You should have..." "With respect," Michael cut him off. "I attempted that. He moved like you do. Inhuman speed. I''dmitted, so I struck. I felt my Shadowde bounce off his bone. It damaged him badly but not enough. I didn''t expect him to chase me so quickly, so effectively in the dark. You know my powers. With the failure of my mind powers I had limited time and tools. A decisive first attack was my best chance. It failed." "He ate your throat like a deer, with the entire world watching," Jeong said, trying to keep his voice under control. "Far better if you had just surrendered." Michael said nothing because what could he say. Erik took a breath and spoke like he was discussing the weather. "I was outmatched. I countered his spells more or less correctly, save for underestimating his construction abilities. We have nothing like this. He is unique. Next time, perhaps, I would ignore his constructs and attempt a quick kill, or else deal with his familiar. But familiars are notoriously resistant to magic. His defenses are not trivial, either, and to ignore his offense would be to die quickly. I see no obvious solution.¡± Jeong calmed as the Swede spoke. He was correct¡ªthe wizard had been clearly outmatched, probably getting lucky with his blind spell, but failing regardless. Unlike Michael, the man would have at least learned useful things from the encounter. And Jeong was not entirely displeased at the second Nimitz'' brother''s power. If he could be recruited, he might bnce the power of the European wizards. If Jeong could win him personally, could gain him as an ally, he might both destroy Mason and help cow his chief rivals in the east in a single blow. But he kept the same expression of rage and disgust on his face. Without another word, he rose from the table and exited his make-shiftmand room. His best were at least close to a match for the western elite. Considering his superior numbers, to crush them in a straight fight might be entirely feasible, and probably preferred. There was only a single question left¡ªthe question of Jeong himself against Mason Nimitz. But even the Spymaster¡¯s de had near fatally wounded him. Yes, he regenerated, but not enough. The same de wouldn¡¯t pierce Jeong¡¯s shield no matter how it struck. Soon, very soon, the arrogant young man was going to find an opponent he couldn¡¯t defeat so easily. And Jeong would crush his spirit along with his spine.
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 410: Ready for anything Chapter 410: Ready for anything "I¡¯m feckin¡¯ out.¡± Seamus flopped into a chair on the House¡¯s balcony, then jumped up again and paced. Mason winced, still trying to get the taste of blood out of his mouth, and also trying not to want more. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Some rat bastard.¡± The Irishman punched the air and went to spit before ncing at a nearby system servant and rolling his eyes. ¡°I dunno who. Some Brazilian guy. He wouldn¡¯t feckin¡¯ burn.¡± Phuong frowned and gave Mason a look. ¡°It¡¯s one of the emperor¡¯s elite. He¡¯s very bad for casters. I believe he can change his affinity, like you. For someone like Seamus, with a single strategy, he is probably unbeatable.¡± ¡°What the fuck you say?¡± Seamus said, eyes still wild with rage. ¡°I mean no offense,¡± Phuong said. ¡°But you have a single element. If it isn¡¯t effective, you have no alternative.¡± ¡°Take a walk, Seamus,¡± Mason said, suddenly d for the Neutral Zone¡¯s rules. ¡°We¡¯re your allies. We¡¯re your friends. We just need to figure out strategy.¡± The Irishman threw up his hands and walked away, still punching invisible enemies. Mason sighed. ¡°Anyone else?¡± ¡°Tommaso¡¯s out,¡± Carl said. ¡°Everyone else is still good, I think.¡± ¡°Alex? Becky?¡± Both nodded, though Becky winced. ¡°I had to beat down some tank. It wasn''t pretty, but¡­yeah.¡± Mason nodded and squeezed her leg. ¡°OK. Their rogue is down. I saw the end of ke¡¯s fight, and their wizard is down. That basically leaves the emperor and that Brazilian guy. Besides the affinity thing, what does he do? Anyone watching his fights?¡± ¡°He''s a martial warrior,¡± Phuong exined, ¡°able to summon many kinds of weapons and armor. He seems to adapt to his foe. Very skilled and dangerous. But I think I can defeat him with speed and a superior de. Carl shouldn''t have any trouble. You, of course. Anyone else...¡± "That impressive?" Mason said, a bit surprised. "Unfortunately, I believe so, Patron. He''s exceptionally strong and fast. I don''t think Becky will be able to harm him well enough. Our lower level physical yers will be outmatched." Mason nodded and grit his teeth. "There is more bad news," Phuong said, nodding to Garet. "Two other powerful yers," said the younger man, blushing a bit at the attention as usual. "One from the east. Not part of the capital. Must be some other settlement or maybe a nomadic type, maybe? He''s a, uh, hybrid? Bit like Carl, I guess, except less uh...subtle. Magic attacks. Defences. Shield and spear. Don''t think many of us could beat him." "Super,¡± Mason said. ¡°Hope we can recruit him. And the other?" Garet looked at Tommaso. "She''s the one," he said miserably. "Wasn''t even close, boss. Some kind of naturey ss like you. Caster maybe. Truth is I don''t know what happened, eh? Was pretty good terrain, but there were..mushrooms, or I don¡¯t know, something. Was this filthy, damp dungeon thing. I couldn''t see, then everything was exploding and my throat, my eyes, all burning. Then a thing smashes me, just like that." Garet cleared his throat and spoke again. "I watched her in a few other matches after Tommaso. Hybrid caster. Maybe a druid like you, but not really sure. Nature for sure though." "Where''s she from?" Mason asked, and everyone shrugged. It got him a little excited because maybe that meant the west. Which meant maybe a proper recruit he could actually get without figuring out teleportation devices. He turned to Haley but she was already bringing up a profile. "We have lists now. Tier one. No patron titles. I can start trying to make contact." "Do that." Mason leaned back in his chair trying to process. That made for what? Six yers in the whole world on reasonableparison to Mason''s strongest yers? The emperor. That ''shadow'' rogue Mason dealt with. The Swede that gave ke trouble. This nature woman. The arcane/warrior hybrid. The Brazilian warrior. Four were left in the tournament. Technically, the top ten people got some kind of prize, but Mason had no doubt the top five would be a hell of a lot better than the rest. Ultimately, there wasn''t much he could do. It would be pure luck that determined who fought who, so all he could do was hope they matched him or ke against the toughestpetition before the weaker yers, buying them a chance at the top. As long as Mason could truly beat this emperor, of course. If he couldn''t, not much else mattered. "Get some rest," he said. "I don''t see them giving us much time." "Figure it''s teams next, boss?" said Seamus. "Least I''m still in the fecking thing." Mason nodded. "But who the hell knows. Just..." "Be ready for anything," said half his yers. Mason snorted. "Yeah. That." The restughed, and a few people excused themselves to head back to their rooms. Becky cuddled up to Mason on the couch and closed her eyes, promising only a five minute nap. The rest opened their own personal screens or operated the ones on their tables, obviously watching other yer fights. Mason touched Becky and let his mind drift, sipping a drink as he started watching each of the emperor''s matches in his profile. They were all the same. Short. Brutal. One sided to the point of triviality. He hadn''t given anyone the same ''treatment'' he gave John, executing his opponents with ruthless efficiency, no sign of cruelty or pleasure. But it didn''t hide what he was from Mason. This one wasn''t mindless, wasn''t a ve to violent impulses. He was cold, calcting, patient. But he was a monster all the same. Mason forced himself to watch the man break John''s body again and again, the emperor''s final look towards the ''camera'' at the top of the arena, a smile curling his lips. Mason didn''t know much. But he knew one way or another he was going to wipe the smile off that man''s face. It was less than an hour before the system warning red and silenced the promenade. Becky jerked awake, all the other yers blinking back to reality as the screens nked. [Greetings, yers. Your next team match will take ce in: 5 minutes. Please prepare yourselves, and good luck!] Mason met the eyes of his yers one by one and nodded, giving them a grin. "Nothing left to think about, gentlemen. You''re the best teams in the game. Go act like it." "I hope we get that mushroom bitch," Tommaso said, and Carl snorted. "Why? Want to watch me deal with her for you?" "OK old man," Tommaso actually went a little red. "I listen to a lot, ah? But a man can only take so much. So why don''t you take your fucking little dagger and..." "Save it, both of you," Mason said, his tone short and sharp enough it hit both men like a whip. "It''s life and death in four minutes. I don''t care if it''s fake. Get it together. I''ll see you after." Carl nodded and cleared his throat, looking suitably chastised. Tommaso at least held his tongue. Mason watched the final minutes tick down with a mostly nk mind, not fearing any ''friendly'' fights in his category. In the twos, there was only him, and enemies. It made life so wonderfully simple. This time he decided to call Streak before the he vanished, wanting the wolf beside him in the moments before a fight. Streak knew the score by now and said nothing, his quiet strength a source offort, his bright, eager eyes a reflection of Mason''s in more ways than one. Then the final ''beep'' arrived, and the false safety of the Neutral Zone vanished, Becky mouthing ''good luck'' in the final second before they all went away. * * * Mason summoned Streak again in the holding cell this time. Mostly just because he missed him. "What''s it like where you are, eh boy?" he said scratching his face and ears enough the creature closed it eyes and growled in pleasure. "Are you just frozen or something when you''re not with me?" Streak didn''t understand the question. And also didn''t care. He just turned to get Mason''s useful ape fingers into the itchiest spots as they both waited for another fight to the death. As usual there was nothing to prepare, nothing to say or do except wait. Mason finally rose up out of the ground with considerable surprise. It was a natural setting. He heard bird calls, smelled grass and trees and possibly water. It was the first time in the arena he''d been given a natural setting, but he supposed even he got the good end of the stick sometimes. The system had clearly been giving his opponents terrain that suited them, doing its best to ''even'' the odds. Possibly his opponent was ¡®natural¡¯, maybe this mushroom woman that had beaten Tommaso. But the thought stopped him as he considered the alternative: maybe it decided this time he was at a disadvantage. This didn''t seem likely, though. It could only be true if he was fighting the emperor. Which he supposed was possible due to the ''randomized'' fights. But knowing roboGod¡­ Their synthetic overlord loved drama. You didn''t put your two heavy-weight champs against each other before the finale. You saved it for the end. Whatever the reason, Mason moved out over the mostly t, high grass with a smile, senses sharp and tuned for any sign of change. Streak soon sniffed and warned of something ahead. That ¡®something¡¯ stood in the open, unmoving, maybe waiting for Mason. Streak hunched down, so big now he struggled to ''creep'' up on much of anything. Both he and Mason camouged themselves with his Sleeves and their Fang Brothers bond, moving slowly to take a look. There was a figure standing in a shorter patch of grass on some rocks. Mason moved a little closer with his bow ready, focusing until he had a better view. He realized he''d stopped breathing as he recognized the man. It was Jeong. The ''emperor of the world¡¯ stood on a t rock wearing something like a martial arts gi. He was looking up at the sky with his hands behind his back, seemingly admiring the view. "I have very good hearing," he called. "I can''t see you. But I know you''re here somewhere. It is you, isn''t it?" The man smiled. "Oh your arrogance is astounding. Had you faced me alone I think your chances were already poor. But the two of us?" Heughed. "My cautious friend doesn''t like your bow. He''s in hiding." "I am not hiding," said a gruff voice from somewhere near Jeong. "One of us needs to pay attention to tactics. And it''s not going to be you, is it?" "Right as usual,¡± said Jeong happily. ¡°We should do things properly." The short Korean held out his arms. "We''re ready when you are, Baron. The world will be watching. I have to tell you, I''ve been looking forward to this. We may make a kind of peace here today, don''t you think? Remove all doubt as to the future of man, without taking a single human life. It''s almost...elegant." Mason took a deep breath and met Streak''s eyes. He smiled as the creature whined, sensing his intent. "Next time, buddy," he said, returning him with his dismissal power. Mason felt a weight lift as the animal vanished, no possibility of being hurt and used as a weapon by the sadistic Jeong. And it was important this went how Mason had intended. He stood, unsummoning his bow and summoning his ws, stepping out and dropping his camouge until Jeong noticed him. The ''emperor'' smiled, looking pleasantly surprised. "A mistake, I think, to show yourself. You might have at least done some damage before I caught you." "I don''t need tricks to beat you. I don¡¯t even need weapons." Mason got rid of his ws, too, fighting the grin as the emperor¡¯s expression changed. "Today you¡¯re going to break your own rules,¡± Mason said. ¡°You¡¯re going to lose, and then you¡¯re going to surrender." Jeong stared, and he wasn''t smiling anymore. He stepped off the rock, flickering with golden light. He charged like a man-sized freight train. As his enemy rushed, for a small moment Mason wondered if he was indeed a stupid, arrogant, lunatic¡ªif his ''n'' here was crazy. If he was about to get stomped into the dirt and break the morale of his whole continent. But the thought passed through him, dust blown off into a foreign sea. Then it struck him as almost¡­funny. As usual, as violence loomed, all of Mason''s fears died away. His body filled with anticipation, his muscles reacting before his conscious mind told them what to do. He wasn¡¯t really doing this for some calcted result. It didn¡¯t matter if he won or lost. His girls were right. He really was a ''sheep dog'' made to protect the herd from wolves. ¡­and giant worms. And dragons and mind-controlling bug queens. And monsters in the shape of men. Mason wasn''t afraid because win or lose he was doing exactly what he was supposed to be doing¡ªwhat he was built for by some cosmic hand, far before roboGod. It was a very soothing thought. That no matter how they manipted him, however he might fray at the edges, what he was had been set in stone. Long before the apocalypse, facing down monsters was what Mason had been born to do. And it was time to get to work.
Chapter 411: Team fight interlude Chapter 411: Team fight interlude "It''s the fecking wizards!" Seamus shouted, floating down from his hovering position above John. Phuong (and probably everyone else on the six man team) winced. By ''wizards'', Seamus meant what appeared to be a full team of casters all belonging to the Eastern ''guild'', led by their Swedish leader, who''d apparently been a decent challenge for ke. And however powerful the other five yers were, someone who was ''a decent challenge for ke'', was a fucking problem. Every eye turned to Phuong. They''d discussed this possibility briefly, but hadn''t watched nearly enough videos of the team fighting. What they had seen looked something like a firing line. ¡®The wizards¡¯ typically all just moved up in loose formation, got in range of something, and started bombarding with a frightening barrage of elemental and arcane magic. Besides the eclectic powers of the Swede, they had a more ''support'' or at least defensive oriented caster, maintaining what looked like a long, oval-shaped shield that could somewhat protect the whole group. Another sent in ''pets'', but these seemed mostly made out of magic and also very temporary, more like ''smart-missile'' spells than ke''s constructs. Another used almost pure, rapid-fire projectiles. Another used mortar-like, bigger sts. And the sixth...what the hell had the sixth even done? Phuong¡¯s mind was nking. "We need to break them up as nned," he said. "I want a lot of fire raining down on that shield, Seamus. The rest of us are going to charge in at full speed. I want two spear walls splitting them up. Hopefully the shield will either be gone or won''tst long when we reach it. It''s an all out attack, killing them before they kill us. Alex...will try to keep us alive." "It''s ''a'' n, at least, like," Seamus said, then grinned. "Anyway, I can stop more than fire now, boyos. So if ya see spellsin¡¯ at me, don''t you worry, old Seamus''ll be just fine." Alex nodded, saying nothing, and Phuong put a hand on his shoulder. They both knew he was the most important person in the fight. How much magic he could actually stop was going to determine if the rest of them could get to the casters and kill them, or if their whole team was just going to burn. They sure as hell could have used Mason. That was for sure. It was even ''natural'' terrain, which would have made him even more terrifying. But Phuong had been in too many shit battles to worry about things he didn''t have. And he definitely didn''t have a mostly magic immune, arrow shooting, regenerating monster at his disposal. In war, you used what you had. "The clock is against us," Phuong said. "I don''t know what they can do with time, but more than us. We go full speed when they cross that little rise, and we charge." "Like the fecking light brigade, aye?" Seamus pped John on the arm. "Don''t worry, big man, I''m pretty sure we won in the poem." John frowned and cracked his knuckles one by one as the yers all crawled forward and peeked over their hill. The wizards wereing out, probably to stand in what was basically open ground so they couldn''t be ambushed from any direction. They''d certainly seen Seamus just as he saw them, so it wouldn''t exactly be a surprise. But beggars couldn''t be choosers. "Move," Phuong said, and the yers all stood and raced over the hill. * * * Becky looked at the broken teeth sticking to her mace and tried to shake them off as the trumpet red. "Got ''em," she called, turning just to see Carl warp off into some kind of maze of pirs. They hadn''t fought ''mushroomdy'', as Tommaso hoped¡ªnot that they even knew if she was on a 3s team¡ªor anyone else who seemed particrly frightening. They''d fought some random batch of yers from the east, and Tommaso had run around throwing glue and being generally annoying until Carl started murdering them. At least one of them. Becky managed to get their archer while he was focused on chasing Carl. It was pretty satisfying, actually, if a little gross. Now there was only one yer left¡ªsome kind of utility-belt wearing, knife-wielding rogueish type, who was definitely really screwed. Apparently he wanted to y it out and hadn''t surrendered, though, so they all got to chase him around. "Don''t out-run my aegis!" Becky called, walking towards the pirs. "I mean it goes pretty far, and all. But still. If you get yerself killed I swear we ain''t never gonna let you..." A trumpet red. The arena fake pped and faded as the system announced them the winners before Becky had time to cheer. Then they were back in the promenade, grinning and high-fiving. "OK, I¡¯ll admit, your glue is kind of awesome," Carl said with augh. "That son of a bitch was fast and probably two seconds from hiding and making us take an hour. I have no idea how you actually hit him on the move." "It''s all in the wrist." Tommaso flicked a suggestive hand and winked, and Becky rolled her eyes. But actually the three of them did make a pretty great team. "Shut up and let''s pull up the others," she said, sliding into one of the booths. It was always better to watch a fight ''live''. The system spruced up and edited the recorded ones, showing highlights and doing weird things with the ''camera'' angles like it was some Japanese cartoon. When you watched live it was just the actual thing in all its brutal glory, usually from a few angles. "I got the six," Carl said, widening the image to fit a screen built into the wall. Becky felt her eyes shoot up as she saw the Nassau yers running across a field, straight into a swirling maelstrom of magic death. "Shit," she said with a wince. "They got the Swede." Carl whistled and pped her arm, pointing at Alex in the back. "Look at that magnificent bastard. They''re all...I think¡­most of them are fucking shooting just him!" Carl was right. Most of the magic power was whipping right past the others to streak into Alex. It was hard to tell exactly what was happening, but the Brusian was more or less consumed in swirling mes all around his personal bubble, hands shooting up like he was ying dodgeball against a whole team. Reba knew he was very tough to anything ''ranged'', so he was probably the bane of the caster team''s existence. The Nassau¡¯s melee finally closed and struck, ramming straight into some kind of shield. And smashing it in a second. Phuong, Garet, John, and Jason broke through and charged as phantom spears and more magic shed in a clusterfuck of pure chaos. Becky lost track of what the hell was even happening. She heard orders and screams all mixed up with color spraying in every direction. A trumpet red. Another. Two more. "Jesus," Carl said. "What''s even happening?" Reba shook her head, heart pounding as she looked for her friends. "Do it! Do it now!" she heard Phuong yell. The sky went red. Then Seamus wasing in behind Alex covered in mes, and everything was on fire. Another trumped. One more. When it was over Reba saw a half burnt John and three-quarters burnt Phuong struggling against magic...snakes? Or living ropes? What must have been Jason, Garet, and four wizardsy dead on the field. The Swede and one other were backing up still loosing sts at John and Phuong. But Seamus was untouched and loosing a stream of projectiles, and the casters had to turn their attention. The Irishman walked forward with Alex beside him, staff up and robes billowing as a never-ending stream of fire emerged like a methrower, slowly overtaking his targets. The Swede finally stopped it, blowing a gust of what looked like hail right back until Seamus'' fire flickered and died. John and Phuong roared and charged, the second caster making more of the ''snakes'' until Phuong''s stun hit him right in his stupid face. "Got ''em!" Carl fist pumped as Phuong leapt over the coiled magic and shed the bastard''s head off. A trumpet red, and the Swede vanished, re-appearing somewhere behind John. Carl, Reba and Tommaso all screamed in warning at the screen. Then the Scotsman dropped with a small hole in his chest, wincing as he copsed forward. A trumpet sounded. "Fuck." Carl kicked the chair like he was going to walk off, but obviously couldn''t look away. Phuong wisely fell back to Alex and dropped, the Brussian hopefully healing him as Seamus and the Swede made a few more multi-colored fireworks. But Becky rxed. With Alex and Seamus alive she figured it was only a matter of time. A few more minutes of magical exchange, and Phuong was up again, circling as he loosed his own sts. Alex protected him until they circled the impressive eastern caster, probably running him out of mana and attention. He went down in the end to a well ced Soulstrike, not even flinching as he dropped and vanished. The watching trio cheered. "Alright, let''s see what poor bastards got Mason. Though I guess it¡¯s probly over," Carl said, doing the post-apocalypse version of channel flipping. Reba let out a long held breath as Phuong and the others shimmered into view, congratting and checking on each other before they all sat and started ordering drinks. "Good job, boys, we were watchin''." Reba shook Garet''s shoulders and punched Seamus in the arm. She exchanged a smile with Phuong and the others before wandering back towards Carl. "Give us a sec and we''ll get Mason-vision up next." "Uh. Guys?" Tommaso was watching his own table screen, and he looked up at Reba a bit like he did before someone tried to kill him. Reba felt her heart skip a beat as Carl stepped back from the screen in silence. "What is it?" she said, honestly having no idea what would spook both men like that. She got closer and focused, really trying to make sure she was understanding what she saw. When she finally did she felt her heart pounding all the way to her face. Mason was fighting Jeong. And some other man. He was unarmed and falling back, seeming to do his best to keep both fighters from really getting hold of him. And he was covered in his own blood.
Chapter 412: Mason v Jeong Chapter 412: Mason v Jeong Mason kept his feet moving, and tried to keep Jeong''s fists from hitting his head. He''d been knocked dizzy from several blows, and he knew if he got knocked out entirely he probably wouldn''t wake up. The ''emperor'' was strong, obscenely strong, though not as strong as a mountainous elemental giant. The problem, fundamentally, was how fast he was. Here in a natural environment, when Aspect of the Cheetah was active, Mason moved about the same speed. But he''d already used it and had to wait a couple minutes before he could use it again. Meanwhile, Jeong just kept after him, throwing punches at various angles, seemingly happy to hit whatever he could. Every hit was like a bluntednce jammed into Mason from a charging horse. Mason tried to take the hits on his arms. Failing that, he just tried not to take it in the face. Besides his Vitality and Transformation, the only thing keeping him from getting knocked out was his opponent''s smaller reach. Despite Jeong''s speed, Masonrgely managed to keep his head away and block. But his torso was getting pounded. As the Emperor slipped in a jab, a rib cracked with an audible snap, the air sted from Mason¡¯s lungs. He backed away and spit blood, holding his breath as he grit his teeth against the pain. The emperor kept on without pause, a slight smile on his face as his eyes rxed. He thought he¡¯d gained the measure of things now. Hit by hit, Mason¡¯s body broke, then healed. He struck back every several seconds like clockwork, each hit allowed through by the emperor, bouncing off that shield like it was nothing. "I didn''t think I''d enjoy this so much," Jeong said in a rare pause, just as calm and collected as the moment they''d began. "I know you''re healing. But it makes no difference. I don''t ever tire." The emperor came in as nearly a blur to Mason¡¯s eyes, another low jab deflected off his hip with a painful crack. The other warrior had just been watching from a short distance away, but he wasing forward now with a scowl. "We should finish him," he said. "He may have tricks we haven''t seen." Jeong snorted, hammering another punch into Mason''s chest and knocking him back a few steps to spit more blood. "His attacks are pitiful. He''s not arcane or divine. There''s no power so dramatic in any natural ss that could possibly save him." The other man said nothing, still watching with careful eyes. He didn''t look convinced. Wise, Mason thought, you should listen to your friend, Jeong. The clock is ticking. Transformation, of course, was doing its work. The moment the first blownded Mason started directing its energy into his body, as internally focused as possible. He didn¡¯t want the changes to be too obvious. With every blow breaking him or knocking him back he was getting heavier. Denser. His flesh was thickening like hide, his bones expanding and hardening even as they repaired the cracks and breaks from Jeong''s fists. "He''s taller," said the other fighter. "He''s bigger than when you started." Jeong frowned and stepped back. He looked Mason up and down, eyes narrowing as he scanned. "I see it. Some kind of strength that grows with time. You¡¯re more clever than I thought, maybe. It won''t help you, but still, Damian is right, as usual. I''ve been holding back, my dear Baron. But it¡¯s time to finish this." Holding back my ass, Mason thought. But Jeong was right about one thing¡ªit looked like the ruse was over. Mason stopped acting like he was hurt and suffering. Compared to the damage he''d taken in the past, so far this was almost...disappointing. ¡°If you wanted to kill me,¡± he said, rolling his shoulders, ¡°you should have done it a long time ago.¡± He shook with a growl as he activated Shapeshift, joints popping with a horrible sound but no pain as his coiled and hardened muscles shifted. "I''ll hold him," said Jeong, rushing forward now as his partner formed some kind of...war-pick in his hands. Mason decided he''d rather not have that thing driven into his skull. As Mason''s body still twisted with growing bestial features, Jeong grabbed for his forearms. Duality of Strength had already been tick ticking away, but it red now with real enthusiasm as Mason strained. Jeong was still stronger. He squeezed Mason¡¯s wrists like a vice, pulling down his arms in a slow but inevitable press. As their skin stayed in contact, the emperor¡¯s strange shield moved like liquid gold over his skin, the man¡¯s eyes focused on Mason''s face as he struggled to hold him still. But sometimes ant-like strength wasn''t enough. Only inic book movies did some super-strong man stand perfectly still as he got hit by a bus. That just wasn''t how physics worked. Mason lifted Jeong off the ground by standing to his full height and raising his arms. He was towering over the emperor now, and probably weighed four or five times as much. The smaller man kicked him full force in the chest. He grunted and stepped back, another rib maybe cracking before it started to heal. Mason didn''t really give a shit. He turned and ran, leaving the second warrior easily behind as Jeong kept thrashing and kicking him. "Be right back," Mason called over his shoulder, rushing into the nearby trees. He activated the renewed Aspect of the Cheetah again, sprinting through the woods as he felt his strength increase with every step, every blow, every second. The ''pathetic blows'' he''d been hitting Jeong with were actually Exploiting Strikes. He¡¯d pulled them intentionally,nding softly not to make attention, just to build the ''charges'' he could feel growing with every blow. The real difficulty had actually be holding them back, because every activation now felt like a massive force trying to propel his hand forward. Jeong¡¯s body started to glow, probably with some power he¡¯d been holding in reserve. The same liquid gold that surrounded his skin shone brighter and brighter as he let go of Mason''s wrist to free up a hand, then smashed him in the face. It was like getting punched by the sun. The world exploded and Mason went blind, but he held on. He felt himself staggering drunkenly through the trees, but he seized Jeong¡¯s arm again and gripped with all his strength. The emperor resisted, and Duality of Strength red and pulsed as it once had when Mason strained against Rochmananoch. Maybe the son of a bitch had been holding back. The blinding light was slowly dimming, pulled apart by little ck dots as Mason blinked and soon saw the green of the fake natural world. He spit blood and a few teeth in the emperor¡¯s face, watching it drip down that golden shield. He smiled and let go of one of the emperor¡¯s arms when Duality stopped ticking, grabbing the man¡¯s throat. They were in a small clearing in the trees, the emperor still dangling off the ground in Mason¡¯s grip. "Go on," he growled, licking blood off his lips. "Break me like you''ve broken all those weak little things you call warriors." Mason let go of Jeong''s other arm. He dropped his guard and focused all his attention on crushing the smaller man¡¯s throat in a wed fist. Duality of Strength red again and went wild as the golden shield flickered. Jeong tried to pull off the hand around his throat and failed. He kicked Mason''s thighs and chest and crotch. It hurt. But who gave a shit. Jeong¡¯s small body bounced away with his ant-like strength, gravity fighting against him. He grabbed at Mason''s arm again, tried to break his elbow, punched his chest, missed his now out of reach chin. "Is that all?" Mason roared as he squeezed. "This is what broke the east?" Whatever the hell was happening with Duality of Strength, Mason literally felt like he was on fire. Incredible heat was flooding down his limb, Transformation mostly just trying to keep his hand from breaking. His arm was changing before both their eyes, thickening and losing color as it seemed to turn a greyish green. Mason blinked as he stared, because he soon began to recognize it. It looked like Cerebus. Jeong''s eyes were wild with rage and panic now. He pulled at Mason''s fingers and kept striking him with glowing golden kicks. But it was toote for any of that. Mason heard Damianing and ran again, smashing Jeong through trees as he raced across the generated woods. When he was through he walked out into the tall grass with his hand still on Jeong''s throat. "Maybe I can''t kill you," said the emperor, finally rxing. "But you can''t kill me, either. Not like this. No matter how hard you squeeze." "Maybe," Mason said, forming his shorter w in his other hand. ¡°Let¡¯s try this.¡± He activated Exploiting Strike and drove the de into Jeong''s gut. The speed and force were incredible, the green de colliding with a spark and metallic ring so loud it sounded like a bell. Mason didn''t hesitate. He pulled back the de and drove it again, then again, using Exploiting Strike on its very fast cooldown as Jeong just stared and waited. "My faith protects me," the emperor said, looking up at the sky. "The devotion and loyalty of a hundred thousand souls. The favor of a god who wishes to save mankind from barbarians like you. You cannot harm me. You cannot..." The golden shield shattered. Mason''s sword pierced and mmed into Jeong''s chest. The smaller man''s eyed widened as his words cut off, staring as if in iprehension. He looked down at the de sticking through him, the blood leaking down his gi. Then his eyes flickered as the trumpet red. Mason tossed his body to the ground. He flexed his Cerebus-like hand and remembered he was supposed to make the man surrender. A kill would have to be enough. He looked up to see the other warrioring out of the trees, staring at the ground before looking up like he hardly understood what he was seeing. Mason walked towards him, not actually knowing what the man''s powers were. But seeing as he was so filled with strength and power it was hard to walk without bouncing, it was a little hard to care. "You don''t get mercy," he snarled, the lust of the kill still fresh and coursing through his veins. The Brazilian took a breath and twirled the pick in his hands. "This isn''t the first time I''ve seen him die." Mason wanted to just charge and kill this man, but he waited, warring with curiosity. Damian seemed to sense it. "You and me, we aren''t so different, I think. I was ready for all this. I enjoy it." Here he smiled as he met Mason''s eyes. "But not little Jeong. When I met him, I thought he would die in a day. He fought a goblin and almost did, wrestling in his own blood with this thing in the dirt. He bit out its throat to survive, then stitched his own arm." Mason was losing interest quickly. He took another step forward and Damian raised his pick and a hand for calm. "He died a week in," Damian said, which at least got Mason to pause. "Fought to thest breath. Nevermind he was weak, and outmatched, he held his spot in the line until he dropped with a spear through his neck. Then I watched him pluck it out, pale as a corpse, and golden light reced his blood. I''d suspected already this strange, little man was something different. A man who''d been chosen, maybe by God, maybe by fate. In that moment I knew it for certain." Mason snorted. "He looked in old dead to me." "Yet he lives. And sooner orter, he''ll beat you. He¡¯s not just some man who got lucky. Like you and me. He¡¯ll win in the end." Mason almostughed thinking about his experience being ''lucky''. Oh he¡¯d had his moments, no doubt, but without knowing the oue, he couldn¡¯t imagine anyone would have taken his initial circumstances. I¡¯m just a sheep dog, he was tempted to say. But the whole world was watching and he needed something better. He wasn''t sure what he''d say before he did. But it felt right. He bared his regrown, shapeshifted teeth, activating Inner Fire and hoping his eyes red with the magic''s brightness. "I''m not a man anymore, Damian, I¡¯m the gargoyle men build on churches. And if I were you, I¡¯d figure out which monstrous god chose that cruel piece of shit you serve. Because even though mine¡¯s one of the better ones, he still wants me to eat your heart.¡± The big Brazilian stared, no indication of anything in his eyes. Before Mason had taken another step, he held out his pick with the point aimed towards his chest, then fell t forward. The tip of the metal came out his back covered in blood, and the trumpet red. The system made some congrattory noises. The world vanished and re-appeared in the cheering of Mason¡¯s yers all around him, but for a long moment he was mostly just angry to be denied the kill. He''ll beat you in the end, he heard the Brazilian''s words again and grit his teeth. The game isn''t a sprint, he heard Haley''s words those many weeks back, still in the tutorial. It''s a marathon. For the moment he banished it all and grinned at his cheering yers. He''d just knocked out his only realpetition in the twos, which turned out to be lesspetition than he¡¯d feared. He knew almost for certain now he was going to win the twos, and the individual matches as well. So today was a pretty good day. He grabbed Becky and gave her a kiss, holding up an offered bottle of champagne with a wink. ¡°Two down,¡± he said. ¡°How¡¯d you boys do?¡±
Chapter 413: Survival Chapter 413: Survival "We kicked the bejesus out of ''em," Becky said with a grin as Mason tried to rx in a booth on the house balcony. "I even got a kill with Old Betsy." She summoned her mace for effect. Carl nodded in agreement with his eyes closed. "They pretty much broke and ran instantly. But these other boys damn near got themselves exploded. It was a pretty close thing, and..." "We fought the Guild," Phuong interrupted. "But our strategy, and Alex''s incredible strength against ranged, won the day with three losses." Mason nodded, feeling another wave of relief. "That''s a tough team. Anything else out there left to match it?" "Unlikely." Phuong frowned. "I wonder if the winners will be simplest men standing, or if some of the ''losing'' teams willpete again. It seems unfair for the caster team, or indeed Jeong and his partner, to be out so early based on nothing but chance." "Chance, and our fecking badassery," Seamus said, raising a ss of something obviously alcoholic. Mason gave Phuong a ''keep your people in check'' kind of look, pulling Haley next to him in the booth. She smiled and gave him a shoulder nudge, which was a bitical given her sizepared to his. "I was worried for a minute there," she said quietly. Mason grinned and put an arm around her, not bothering to say anything. She took a breath as her eyes zed. "No change messages from the system. As far as I can tell, you just keep on fighting until it''s over. But I don''t see any real risks now. You''ve as good as won." Mason nodded, feeling a good chunk of his worry lifting off his shoulders. At least for now. "You think the fight...changed anything?" he said. "I mean...for the eastern people. For Jeong. Any idea what the mood might be now?" Haley shook her head. "We''ll wait and see. I''ll ask all the girls to talk and see what people are saying. But it can''t be good. There isn''t much yet to leaders in this new world except ''who''s the strongest''. And if you lose a fight what exactly makes you legitimate? No offence." "None taken. That''s what I was saying all along." "What are we whisperin'' about?" Becky slid across the bench and mmed into Mason''s other side. "Is it somethin''...sexy?" "You know I remember when you were a scared, half-helpless girl lost in the forest," Mason said, putting his other arm around her shoulders. "Wasn''t half helpless," Becky muttered. "And I wasn''t really lost, neither. Can''t be lost when you''ve no idea where yer goin''." Mason supposed he couldn''t argue with that. He lost himself in the warmth and pleasure of both girls in a three-way hug, kissed Haley''s hair. His yers were allughing and celebrating like they''d already won, and he supposed theyrgely had. There was still a few good teams in the threes¡ªincluding ke''s. But they had likely already won the twos and sixes, and would ce very highly in every category. The individual fights, of course, were far from over. Jeong was still there. He could knock out plenty of Nassau''s yers before Mason fought him again. The thought wasn''t a pleasant one, because when a man like that lost hisposure you could never know what would happen. Would he get unstable? Would he try to beat every yer with as much damage and torture as possible before they gave up or died? Mason took a breath and hoped the man was flying off the handle right now. That maybe he''d be so angry he''d break the Neutral Zone rules and get himself kicked out or even killed. But it didn''t seem likely. Haley tapped his head to tell him he was probably thinking too much. He gave her a smile, lifting her to hisp sideways as she draped her arms around his neck. "We need more champagne," he said. "And whatever French Canadian food you''ve been missing. And we need it now." Haley grinned and kicked her feet in Becky''sp on Mason''s other side. "Cheese," she said. "It definitely all starts with cheese." * * * Jeong stared at the hollow eyes of a god in the darkness. Golden light flickered with ck beams, the skeletal giant sitting in his throne, hidden in the dancing shadows. "You¡¯ve disappointed me," he said in his rasping voice. "How many times do you think I''ll spare your life?" You didn¡¯t spare me, Jeong wanted to say, I didn¡¯t actually die. But knew now wasn''t the moment for arrogance. The reality was, though, his own rage and shame at the loss against his enemy was already crushing. He didn''t need to be chastised further, to be reminded of his failure. What was the point of admitting his errors? Did the eternal god think he didn''t know? "What will you do now," hissed the giant. "How will you build my immortal kingdom?" "Nothing has changed. I''ll adapt," Jeong said, feeling sweat bead on his brow. He wondered if he was still in the Neutral Zone physically, or some other ce. Was this all in his mind? "Everything has changed!" roared the skeletal mouth. "I can still hear the horned god''sughter from beneath the ancient paths. I hear him rutting with his whores. Drinking from his cups. And why shouldn''t he? His champion bested mine." "Today, my lord," said Jeong quickly. "But I have an army. I have a Nexus to exploit. I can force many more of my citizens to be Empty Vessels. This tournament is lost, but there will be other moments." Jeong felt the unfairness, the constant defeats. He felt like a little boy again standing before his mother in tears, trying to exin how he''d failed again to find any food. ¡®There were rats again, mother,¡¯ he¡¯d said, hands twisting in front of him. ¡®They''re so fast and there''s so many. They find the scraps before I do.¡¯ She''d beaten him when she had the strength. But usually she just called him names and slunk off in despair. She hadn''t know, of course, that Jeong was lying. He ate anything he found himself and didn''t bring it home. It was wasted on his useless mother and sister. They were never going to survive. The skeletal giant stared with its hollow sockets and brief shes of shadowy eyes. "Though it shames me, you are correct. Despite your failure, you remain my best hope. But you will not allow that man to beat you again. Ever. You will surrender from the tournament and return to the holy city, abandoning any chance at reward." Jeong bit his tongue so hard it bled to keep from speaking, lowering his head. His patron god waited as if for interruption, finally speaking again. "You will go out alone into the deserts to the south, there you will seek my ancient temple. There is a weapon of immense power buried beneath it, left long before the doom. With all your gifts it should not have been required. Wielding it will be...difficult, even for an immortal. But it will make you strong. Strong enough to destroy this horned prince and silence his sire. Find it. Defeat its guardians. And perhaps you may yet usher in the endless empire." Jeong saw the new objective enter his profile. He tried to thank his patron but the darkness vanished with a terrifying screech. Jeong felt himself yanked back to some other realm, felt the hated Baron''s de enter his heart, then ripped again into the Neutral Zone where he awoke in his private quarters. He was shaking as he stood from his chair, walking mindlessly for a drink of water he soon dropped to the barren tile. What damage would his loss have done to his ns? To the loyalty of the others? He couldn''t know. But he suspected not as much as he feared. His people couldn''t leave, couldn''t fight him. Not yet. One day, perhaps. But for the foreseeable future Jeong could still rip them all apart. They had no choice but to serve him, to work with him. Their only other hope was to one day betray him for Mason and flee like rats. Jeongs vision blinked, and he was back in China after his escape, living in the streets with all the other broken, miserable wretches. Jeong had survived. He had caught those quick, clever rats just as he had in his homnd, cooking them over bonfires and even sharing them with others to build goodwill. My first Empty Vessels, he thought with a brokenugh that scraped the bottom of a sob. He had survived. He had caught and eaten the rats and one day escaped again, bing more each time. Who was loyal? His wife, in her way. She at least would be one of thest to abandon him. No other civilian, but then that was expected and unchanged. As to the yers... Damian, as ever. No other. Not truly. Jeong would go to him soon because he was a man unustomed to losing and wouldn''t take it well. Jeong would send him a woman. Maybe a few. He hadn''t failed Jeong because nothing could have defeated that boy. Not in that moment, not with the immensity of his current power. But there would be other moments. Jeong smashed his fist into the wall, cracking the strange stic and sending a shake through the room. He heard footsteps and nearly rushed to destroy whoever it was. His door cracked open and his wife entered with a tray. "Husband?" she said, stoppingpletely still to wait. Jeong said nothing and she came closer, setting a cup of tea on the table. He threw it across the room to shatter in a spray of liquid and stic shards. She set another on the table. Jeong sipped it. "I should kill a powerful yer," he said. "To wipe away the memory of my defeat. But I can''t. I will need them all for the Nexus. I''ll be leaving the tournament, I don''t know how but it''s decided. Let that boy ughter his way through all my men and they might remember he''s the enemy. That fucking boy." Jeong gripped the table and ripped a chunk off the edge. Maybe the dear leaders of his homnd were right. Maybe all those stupid American bastards were the ruin of everything. His wife lowered her tone and wisely kept froming too close or touching him. She was his ve and under contract rules he could hurt her badly without breaking the rules. Even here. "It was only the first round," she said. "People like you, and me, husband. We win in the round. That is the only round that matters." Jeong took a deep breath, knowing she was right. That she was wise. It was why the eternal god hade to him, no doubt, his ability to endure. He hade from nothing, yet learned and improved himself, rising to prominence in a gang on the streets of Shanghai. He would never go back. And he would not allow mankind to go back, either. There was only the future. "We still vastly outnumber them," he said. "Yes," his wife agreed. Jeong took a deep breath and turned to her, putting on his polite mask again. "I''m going to need your help." "Of course, husband, I am yours tomand." Jeong put a grateful hand on her cheek, not displeased when she flinched. He still had apetent, loyal civilian. Apetent, loyal yer. It was more than he ever expected. More than he needed. He had lost many times in his life, but he''d stupidly allowed himself to get used to winning. It was good to be reminded of the ever-present closeness of failure. He had underestimated the boy. Perhaps even been tricked. That was the truth. But Jeong would put his faith in his patron, find this hidden weapon and thenplete the Nexus. He would be whatever was required to destroy his enemies and make his vision a reality. As his wife watched in silence, he put his hand to his teeth and bit so hard he drew blood, smearing it across his cheek. He swore it with his own blood.
Chapter 414: Just like old times Chapter 414: Just like old times Announcement And so begins book 10! Thanks so much for reading anding along for this weird (at least for me) chapter-by-chapter adventure. As ever, thements/feedback really helps with my own interest in the story. And there''s plenty to go. Two updates: 1. I am taking my first vacation in two years. There will be no chapters from The First Great Game posted next week (Dec 30 to Jan 3). I will, however, be posting 5 chapters from an entirely different unpublished story on my Patreon for free, for anyone, so you can go there and check it out without paying, if you''re so inclined. (Which story will depend on the results of a patron poll, but it''ll either be more harem, or a story from my ''main'' writer name that''s more traditional fantasy.) 2. I have at longst started working with audiobook narrators for this series, and the story will be turned into ebooks/audiobooks probably by February 2025. But usual chapter programming will continue, so if you''re keeping up to date with the story this won''t matter to you at all. Unless you want the ebooks/audiobooks, of course! That''s it. Thanks again, and merry Christmas / happy holidays / keep the change, you filthy animals. Shortly after Mason beat the emperor''s two man team alone, the system started a new round of endlessbat. Match after match with no more than fifteen minute breaks, a mixture of individual and teambats that left every yer an exhausted, mentally numb mess. Except ke, apparently. "What do you mean you''re sleeping now?" Mason sat across from his brother in his house''s private balcony trying to swallow down as much Texas barbecue as he could. Pretty soon he''d be back in Nassau, after all, eating more or less the same three gamey meats. "I mean, brother, one half of my brain is sleeping, and the other half is sitting here talking to you." ke sipped his pretentious looking cocktail and reached for a piece of sauce-thered pork, pulling back after a nce from Mason. "You were never like this, you know,¡± he grumbled. ¡°You''re like a dog now. You can literally make infinite barbecue." "Then make your own," Mason said, shoving another piece in his mouth. Giving each other shit was back to normal for the Nimitz brothers. Because all in all, they were both in a pretty good mood. They''d been ughtering their way through thergely eastern continentpetition, individually beating everyone with something approaching ease, all while managing to avoid each other. ke''s 3 man team was now almost certainly in the top five with only a few matches left. And so were Mason''s yers. They had to ''fight'' each other soon, but Nassau and the western yers in general werergely destined to take the top spots in the whole tournament, with the more numerous yersing in behind with all their teams just because they actually had them. "You don''t have to give up, you know," Mason said, ripping off another chunk of meat from a smoked turkey bone. "I mean we can fight to some kind of determined point. We''re supposed to be putting on a show for your wizard friends." Mason meant the currently half-hearted ruse that ke might betray Mason and the west for budding new arcane friendships in the east. ke shrugged and grinned at his own forming te of brisket covered nachos. "You''re not a good enough actor to pull it off. And if you want to fight my constructs you only have to visit me in my tower. There''s dozens now. Actually, I take it back, it took a long time and I don''t want you breaking them all." ke''s current existence in his ridiculous orc tower was a big source of tension between the brothers, but Mason hadrgelye to terms with it. He knew ke was going to do whatever he wanted and to hell with what anyone else thought. Or what reality was. He''d have to let him y it through to ever change his mind, or watch him somehow pull it off. Whatever it exactly was. Mason eventually sat back with a deep exhale, looking at the ludicrous number of empty tes stacked beside him. Until he came to the Neutral Zone, he hadn''t really eaten until he was ''full'' in awhile, or paid attention to how much he was eating. He wasn''t really sure how it was physically possible. "Lust. Gluttony. Wrath. Working on pride," ke said staring at the stack. "I''m not sure if I should be disgusted or impressed." "I feel a little like throwing up," Mason said, taking a few deep breaths. He felt Streak''s jealousy through their bond, the wolf now in his imed corner of the balcony already stuffed beyond reason. Mason looked at him and shook his head. "You literally can''t eat more. And when we get back home you better not turn up your nose at anything. This is temporary." Streak''s usualplete disregard for the notion of ''time'' came back through the link as hey his head down and closed his eyes. He was in goodpany. Pretty much every yer in the whole damn promenade except Mason and ke were passed out on lounges or mats, or else back in their hotel rooms. ¡®Gluttony¡¯ helped when you were sleep deprived. But it could only do so much. Even the civilians had been swamped in thest twenty-four hours, with new system point ''discounts'' and inventory, with their own private ''market'' temporarily growing and expanding the already bustling trade taking ce between every human civilian in the world. Or so they''d been told. Haley and a few of the other civilians had apparently been doing the math and weren''t so convinced. They''d been talking to yers from the east about their tutorials, about the initial stages of the game, getting on pretty friendly terms with a lot of them. Especially since Mason had beaten the emperor inbat, and he''d ''left'' the tournament. No one knew quite knew how or why, but after Mason beat him and his partner in the two man arena, ¡®Emperor¡¯ Jeong had simply¡­disappeared from the Neutral Zone. After that, a lot of his people had gotten more open and friendly. Whatever happened next in this insane game was anyone¡¯s guess, but it was clear lots of civilians had decided it was wise to start keeping their options open. "I''m telling you, there has to be more people," Haley had told him on the fifth night. "The easterners had way less casualties than us. And when you start breaking down the poption of earth and putting any kind of average per cent survival rate, it doesn''t make sense. There should be more people." Mason had mostly just shrugged, not interested in trying to figure out what the hell their robotic God was doing or why. For all he knew it had wiped out a big chunk of humanity because it didn''t like the cut of their jib. Or because it was Tuesday. You couldn''t predict or understand this thing. It wasn''t human, and probably not remotely like them. "You saw the beacon lights," he said, meaning the Communication Beacon that had lit up and showed them all the settlements on their continents. "There''s us, and a few stragglers, and them. That''s it. That''s all there is." "Unless there''s more continents," Haley said. "Maybe there''s more ''worlds'', more ''games''. Maybe it''s just hiding the others from us." Mason shrugged because yes those things were all possible. Maybe even likely. But he didn''t see what the hell difference it currently made. They had enough to deal with. "One day feel free to say ''I told you so''. But for now I deal with what''s in front of me." Haley had eventually epted this with a smile, unwrapping her robe to reveal the very appealing body beneath and all his. Mason''s mind started drifting back to the long, enjoyable evening before ke snapped his fingers in front of his face. "Neutral Zone to Mason. Were you even listening, or is this a meata?" Mason blinked, banishing several images of his women with a sigh. "What vital insight did I miss?" "I was trying to invite you to my wedding." Mason found his mind temporarily nk. He eventually blinked and wiped his hands absently on some paper towel, trying to process literally what the actual shit. ke wasn''t the marrying kind. Nevermind now...in his...situation. "Are you telling me you''re marrying an orc?" "Her name is Ilya. But yes. An orc tower lord. Erdy. Which will make me a tower lord. And it''s about time I start a ''House'', which I can''t exactly do without supporters. And since most of the humans are taken, well, it just makes sense really. You don''t have to be a best man or anything. Orc marriages are pretty simple affairs. But we''ll need a little pageantry for the whole ''first orc and human'' thing." Again Mason just stared as his brother semi-rambled. Once his brain had caught up and started thinking like ke, he eventually frowned. "You''re worried they might try and kill you. You want a show of force." ke blinked. "Leadership has truly changed you, brother. The cynicism is almost unbelievable. Here I am, your only living rtive, inviting you to the first inter-species marriage, which might possibly cement asting alliance between..." ke trailed off as Mason stared, then sighed. "Would it really be that much trouble? I was thinking...you could bring a few yers. And Haley, of course. Or however many women you''re sleeping with now." "I wouldn''t bring a civilian within ten fucking miles of those towers," Mason said. Their first experience with orcs had been nearly getting killed by them. And thest time Mason was at the towers he had ughtered a dozen orcs, including a tower lord, then told ke he would only ever be back to kill the rest. So asking him to an orc wedding so soon took the kind of balls only ke possessed. The prick smiled with his perfect, white teeth. "Just some yers, then, hmm? Maybe...Phuong? Some of the young men? There''ll be plenty of curious orc women. And maybe even some goblins. Though¡­I haven''t really seen many. I think maybe the wizards have been hiding them. They aren''t the most trusting creatures, it has to be said, though I don''t suppose..." "I have a lot of shit to do," Mason said, then sighed, fighting against himself but knowing he''d lose. "We can teleport now. With our Scout Enve. So technically we can just warp over once a week with a group. I''m not saying I agree. And what we really need to do is explore the rest of the continent, which is exactly what I''ll be doing. But, if you gave me a date. With a lot of time in advance. I guess I could...probably..." ke pped his hands and shook Mason''s arm, which was more like rubbing since ke couldn''t actually move Mason in the slightest. "My man! Just think of the fun we''ll have. It''ll be like old times. Even an idiot can getid at a wedding. We''ll introduce you to a nice, thick orcdy with more courage than sense. Pretty soon you''ll see they''re not all bad. We''ll make some friends! Don''t act like you don''t need some with that emperor seething across the pond now." Mason took a breath and tried to shut off his brain. "I ate too much meat for this. I forgot how exhausting you are." ke nodded in total agreement as he smiled, and Mason shook his head. First the man gained mind powers to talk to him from pretty much anywhere, including in his dreams. And now he could apparently ''sleep'' while he was awake. There was absolutely no escape. "I should have left you in the forest," he muttered, opening a dessert window before fighting back another urge to vomit. "I''d have made it somehow," ke said with a sniff, ordering another drink. "Brothers forever. We made a pact. And I for one intend to keep it." Mason fought the grin and any sign of affection, knowing he''d never hide it well enough. He supposed an orc marriage would be kind of interesting, and as long as it was just him and a bunch of yers he really wouldn''t have to worry. And if the orcs did something crazy, it would give him another excuse to¡­remind them what their situation was. With that logic, he might even get Carl toe along. "You see?" ke said, apparently noticing some sign of pleasure. "You look downright enthusiastic." This time, Mason didn''t bother to fight the smile.
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 415: Mushroom girl Chapter 415: Mushroom girl Demi Adair sat at her table near the ¡®House of Mason¡¯ balcony, and did her best not to look like she was staring. The bright green eyes of the ''Western Warlord'' looked out over the promenade like a conqueror surveying his domain. He''d been talking to some handsome blonde for at least an hour as he shoved down enough meat to feed a tiger. She''d seen his fights, of course, especially when he beat this eastern ''emperor''. The emperor''s attacks had been basically blurs on the screen, hitting with so much force Demi had winced at half the blows. She wasn''t sure if that or the fact that ''Baron'' Mason had withstood them had been more terrifying. It had only made her decision harder. So she stared and pretended not to. She turned her eyes away and kept eating, still trying desperately to put on as much weight in the week of free food as she could. Only two days left in the Neutral Zone, then back to her hidden cabin and her ''swamp'', as she liked to call it. There was quite a bit of food for someone with her powers and survival skills, but winter wasing, and she had no idea what things would be like. Her gut told her it would be bad. If the water all froze and most of the nt-life stopped producing, what exactly was she going to eat? Back before the world blew up, she''d eaten vegetarian as much as not. That wasn''t possible anymore, but she wasn''t sure there''d be enough game near her safe little cave. She would have to move. But the problem remained: where? She knew now her home was rtively south in this new continent, but it was also still definitely to the north of the equator. Not that the world seemed to really worry much about physics. She''d seen terrain change so fast it was like some creator drew a literal line in the sand. And in a world like that, what the hell else might she be taking for granted that would bite her in the ass? After a few more struggling nibbles at her food, she again looked up at the hulking warrior above and winced in her seat. He was like fucking Conan the Barbarian from Texas. ¡®Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear thementation of their women, y¡¯all!¡¯ She supposed it was probably good he was American, and from a state just five or six hours from her native Ohoma. They were bound to have at least have a few things inmon. Probably. Except it was yet another white man in charge of her fate. But he seemed better than the alternative. These weird eastern people scared the crap out of her and lived in a giant city on purpose, which she hated. ¡®Baron¡¯ Mason at least offered his opponents mercy, she''d seen it with her own eyes. He had a diverse group of loyal people who all seemed free to do or say what they wanted. He wasn''t wearing crazy religious robes and decreeing himself the master of the world. At least not yet. And he''s young and handsome, practically shouted the sex-crazed piece of Demi''s brain that just wouldn''t shut the fuck up. Nights were¡­long in her little cabin. And the days were pretty long, too. She was alone in a way she''d never been in her entire life, not even back camping or fishing near the reserve. She''d always had a phone. Or books. Or the ability to drive or canoe a few miles to a friend or at least some trace of civilization to talk to another human being. But she''d lost the few people she trusted in this new world, then hidden herself away hoping to ride out whatever madness this was. She was stubborn, she knew that.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om She''d resisted the obvious signs that this thing wasn''t just going to ''end''. That she couldn''t hide forever and that this alien thing wasing for her one way or another. And then the Neutral Zone happened, and she''d been pped in the face hard with just how screwed she was if she didn''t make a change. Sooner orter, if she didn''t keep up to the rest of the world, she''d be found and destroyed like her ancestors. The thought made her feel so angry and helpless she had no idea what to do, who to me, who to talk to. The answer was no one, of course, except maybe the god-like alien that wouldn''t give a shit. Little flowers were blooming out of her broli and she fought down her Primal Growth power. It often sprouted when she was emotional. And this time the power was right. It was time to do something. To take a chance before it was toote. Demi took a deep breath and summoned a Floating Bloom. She knew this Baron of Nassau was nature affinity like her. He''d notice her magic. Maybe even be able to understand it. The thought sent a little thrill down her body and pretty soon re-activated that asshole horn-dog inside her gut. "You can do this," she whispered. "You have to do this." She held out her hand and blew, watching the Floating Bloom¡¯s seeds drift up towards the balcony. The baron¡¯s head snapped up like some animal that sensed food, or danger. Demi felt herself flush with panic and sess and oh who even knew what it was. She could tell instantly she''d been right, that whatever natural affinity gave her the control over her bloom was strong as hell in him. The magic was drawing itself towards him like a fucking ma. "Shit shit shit." She turned and stared at her food again. She couldn¡¯t control the message in the bloom. All it did wasmunicate desire, emotion. She was just hoping it would make the man trust her. And maybe bring him over. But it was so honest she could have died. He was going to feel the magic and probably get the messages, whatever they exactly were. It was all so embarrassing and terrifying and she could only hope she didn''te across like the desperate, lonely, probably horny idiot she was. Not to mention she''d knocked at least one of his house members out of the tournament. And, oh shit, he was probably angry about that... Demi forced herself to sit still. There was no going back now. But she desperately wanted to get up from the table and run. * * * Mason stared out over the promenade without really seeing it, just doing his best not to puke. "Why didn''t you stop me," he said. "And why did I eat like half the pie?" "Brother, the days of my being able to start or stop you from doing anything are past. Like everyone else I''m but a helpless observer of your descent into a feral state. You''re like a wild animal that broke into a pantry." "So many words." Mason groaned and felt himself sweating. "Why so many words." "Also, I''ve been thinking, we can probably smoke now." ke looked like he was trying to produce a cigarette in his fingers. "Our generation practically ouwed it, but I always thought smoking was cool. I don''t imagine we''ll get lung cancer anymore, would you? Not a dramatic enough death. Maybe I should wait until I find immortality. How did you do that, anyway? We need to talk about this again. You''ll be a miserable immortal but I''d be fantastic." Mason let out a breath and thought back to the dungeon and the cave where he met Gaia. It was a good point. actually, and they really ought to figure out if they could find ways to get something simr to... Mason''s nostrils red as a scent like the nymph caves hit him. His bloated stomach was temporarily forgotten as the scent seemed to blow straight into him and overwhelm his senses. There were¡­words in it somehow, whispering without sound, a quiet but feminine and beautiful voice like the great trees calling to him in the fey. It sounded sad. Afraid. Lonely. It reached out to him like the white stag that had needed his help, but this time feminine and urgent and¡­true. He was standing before he really thought about it. "Oh please don¡¯t actually throw up," ke said, leaping away. "If you do I¡¯m next. You know that. I have a weak stomach." "I smell something. I''ll be back." "Are you serious?" ke gave him a horrified look. "You can''t possibly eat more." Mason groaned as he forced himself across the balcony and swiftly down the steps. The system servant bowed as it always did and he ignored it as he always did, almost frantic as he searched for the source of the voice. He sniffed and followed the scent like a dog, doing his best not to identally run over anyone as he followed to a secluded spot just under the balcony. He found a young woman at a table, half sitting as if ready to run. She had long, dark, and somewhat disheveled hair, wearing green and brown shirt and pants that looked home-made. The scent was obviouslying from her. It was so good and powerful Mason damn near walked up and grabbed her just to take a sniff. "Hi," he said, realizing with a bit of embarrassment he had no idea what he was doing here or how he''d exin himself. So. You smelled like you needed me? "It was me," the girl said, her voice cracking. She cleared her throat and slowly sat properly in her chair. "I called you. It¡¯s a spell." Things were starting to make at least a little sense now. But Mason was feeling a bit awkward at just how fast and thoughtlessly he¡¯de running when he heard (smelt?) a woman in need. He wanted to tell himself it was some kind of mind control, but not only was that off limits in the Neutral Zone, Apex Predator was damningly silent. So this was all him. "Should I¡­sit?" He gestured at the seat, and the girl almost jumped to gesture towards it like she was going to pull it back, then flushed a little and just kept still. "Yes, ah, please." Mason really wished he hadn''t eaten most of a pig. He sat with as much decorum as possible, keeping a polite but neutral smile on his face. It took him several long seconds of sitting in totally wordless, awkward silence to recognize her. He snapped his fingers. "Mushroom girl." She stared, then her pretty face crinkled and she lowered her voice, like somewhat might overhear. "Excuse me?" Mason began to realize a stomach full of meat and afortable hour with his brother had left him about as close to drunk as he now got. He pulled himself up and tried blink his brain back to reality. "Sorry. You, uh, beat one of my people with exploding mushrooms, or something. They''ve been talking about you. They call you mushroom girl." He decided even this exnation was quite stupid, and took a breath and held out his hand. "Let''s try this again. Hello. My name''s Mason." The girl smiled and took it awkwardly, mostly by the fingers, then pulled back like she''d grabbed a snake. "I''m Demi. From the west. I mean the western continent. Which you know obviously, since you are too. And I guess..." Mason decided Demi looked and sounded like someone who hadn''t actually talked to anyone in awhile. He waited patiently, silently cheering her on, no stranger to the feeling himself. She took a breath and finally looked him properly in the eyes. "I guess I''m wondering if I cane live with you. I mean your settlement. When this is over. But it''s OK if I can''t. I mean I understand. We aren''t friends, I realize that. I mean you just learned my name so obviously we aren¡¯t. But I..." she swallowed and forced out another breath. "I''m pretty strong. I think. And I have some knowledge. I¡­I could be an asset." Mason smiled, thinking he probably shouldn¡¯t sound too relieved or eager before just giving up. He would especially be happy to have someone else who had nature affinity. Though for a moment he kind of wished she was a middle-aged dude, and not another attractive young woman¡­ "Demi, we would love to have you."
Chapter 416: Nature walk Chapter 416: Nature walk "Oh." Demi looked like an animal that had caught its own tail. Mason quickly realized she expected her pitch to be recruited by Nassau was going to be¡­a bit harder. "Are you...sure?" Mason almostughed but fought it down. However desperate she was to join the settlement, he suspected his need for yers was worse. "We have plenty of room, food. You''d get your own house. Not many rules except don''t get in fights. Though as a yer you¡¯re a bit like a soldier. You''d get some guard duty. And we need people leveling up, exploring, looking for dungeons." He stopped, getting more serious. "And one day maybe you have to fight. If there''s a war." The girl''s expression was hard to read. Mason was doing his best not to inspect her, but from her face he honestly couldn''t even tell her ethnicity. Asian, probably? Except she had freckles, and slightly Caucasian features. She was actually pretty unique looking, but an obvious natural beauty without wearing any kind of make up. "I don''t want to fight in any wars," she said, looking a bit angry as she shook her head. "Why do you people never learn. Can''t you just leave each other alone?" "I don''t want to fight in any wars either," Mason said, feeling defensive. "As far as I''m concerned, they can stay over in the east, and we''ll stay here, and that''s the end of it. But if they pick a fight, I don''t have much choice." "You whites. You never start it," said the girl bitterly. Mason felt his eyes narrow.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "Ny-nine point nine per cent of our species is probably dead and gone. So you can leave whatever racial horse shit that is in the ash. You¡¯re a yer, and you¡¯re a human, that¡¯s all this ¡®game¡¯ cares about." He could tell the girl was surprised. She sat up a little straighter, meeting his eyes again before looking away. "You''re right. I''m sorry. It''s just...been hard." Demi''s shoulders slouched again, and some wetness touched her eyes. "Some days I don''t even know what the hell I''m fighting for. What''s happening to us. I lost my friends. Everyone. It''s just me now and I..." she shook her head. "I''m sorry. I''m supposed to be selling myself as useful. And I am, I promise. It''s just..." Mason knew an attractive young women in need was basically his kryptonite. But he was also looking at a terrified, isted person who had apparently been on her own now for quite awhile. He couldn''t remember seeing someone who needed a hug more, except maybe Annie. He stood and took her hand from the table and helped her stand. "You''re not alone anymore, Demi," he said. "When this is over, we''lle get you. Don''t worry about who beats who in the tournament. There''s all kinds of people in Nassau, I promise. Civilians. Good people. Not just giant, warlike white men." He smiled. Demi looked embarrassed, and fought a sob. Mason stepped in and pulled her into a hug before she could think about it. Pretty soon she was trembling and probably crying against his chest, squeezing him tightly enough she had to have a little apocalypse-strength. "Sorry," she said finally, pulling away and wiping at her eyes. "Don''t mention it," he said, ncing at his balcony. "You can eat and drink for nothing up there. You don''t have to talk. No one will bother you." He remembered ke and winced. "OK, after I get rid of someone, no one will bother you." The girl looked nervous but nodded, and Mason gestured for her to follow with a hand on her back. He managed to get her all the way to the stairs before really looking at her as she walked. But curiosity and yes probably interest eventually won. She was skinny, but definitely not too skinny, with obvious hips and legs that went on forever. He decided it was probably best to find her a husband. And quickly. He noticed ke staring at him over the railing with an incredulous head shake. "This is Demi," he said, getting her up the stairs. "A new yer prospect from the west. Demi. ke. He was just leaving." "Was I? Yes I must have been. Charmed." ke stood and gave Demi a winning smile before looking between her and Mason a few more times, his smile transforming into a moremon smart-ass grin. "Right." He pped his hands and went for the stairs. "Good luck in the rest of the tournament. I apologize in advance for wiping out your yers." "Not if I see you first," Mason said. ke red and gave a one handed dismissal as he went down the stairs. "He''s not part of your house?" Demi said. Mason had no idea how to exin theplexity of his brother so he just shrugged and shook his head. "What can I get you? It''s all on the house." He snorted at the words. "Guess I know where that expressiones from now." Demi looked a little shy but she started flicking through the table teleporter and soon grinned as she clicked a few times. "It''s not like I''m starving or anything. But there''s not much variety where I am, and I didn¡¯t want to waste my points here so I got basic stuff. It gets a little nd." "I know what you mean," Mason said. "I''ve been eating what we call salted ''stupid bird'' for weeks." Demiughed and showed her teeth with a wide smile as she looked at the magically appearing tes. "I don''t have much salt. Oh my God." She took a deep breath of what looked like fresh baked bread, opening her almost grey, brown eyes and giving Mason a big grin. "Oh I''m sorry, do you want some?" Just the thought had Mason¡¯s stomach threatening to revolt. "I''ve been stuffing myself for hours," he exined. "But go ahead. I''ll drink something and avoid staring as you eat." Demi grinned and attacked her food, mostly silent for a few minutes. Eventually she sat back and sighed, her eyes half closed. "This ce is the cleanest and safest I''ve felt in..." she shook her head. "It''s hard. On your own. Back in the old world I thought I''d be happier alone. But I don''t think I''m made for it. I can''t believe I miss people." Mason grinned. "I''m the same way. Can''t live with ''em. Can''t live without ''em." Demi smiled and wiggled into the couch. "If I don''t get up and move around I''ll fall asleep." Mason was about to excuse himself and tell her to do just that but she reached across and grabbed his wrist, then pulled back shyly. "Can we walk? I...haven''t spoken to anyone...you know, in awhile. I don''t want to stop." "Sure. I can go anywhere in this ce but I''ve hardly tried anything. Want to see what there is?" Demi nodded enthusiastically and Mason stood, pointing towards the exit. He resisted the urge to pull her along, not sure what he needed in his life was another woman. On the other hand, there was nothing technically stopping him. And Demi was both exotic and attractive. Not to mention she smelled vaguely like a nymph, mixed with soap and a young woman¡¯s fresh sweat, like she was a potion mixed just for him... He blinked and did his best to think of something neutral and pleasant to say, reminded he actually wasn''t all that smooth with women. He eventually gave up and just said what he was thinking. "You know, I almost envy you." She turned and stared like he was crazy. "All I wanted was to find some cave, some swamp, and hide away from the world. It''s what I was trying to do before..." he shrugged. "All this." "Well you did a terrible job," she said, and Masonughed. She pursed her lips and looked a bit more serious. "How on earth did you get to be...a ¡®Baron¡¯?" A dozen scenes of violence andplexity shed through his mind. Killing gnolls. Meeting Haley. Killing Sebastian and saving ke. Taking over as Patron. Fighting the orcs and goblins and centaurs and...everything else. "Sometimes I have no idea." She smiled a little, and he opened up the Neutral Zone ''amenities'' list when he got her to the elevator. A few dozen things popped up, most of which didn''t appeal to him at all, and he blew a little air looking for something simple. "What do you figure ''Old Earth Terrain'' means?" Demi shrugged, but Mason clicked it, and another list of just about every geographic area of earth opened as a list. They both looked through before Demi stopped and pointed. "There. That one." Mason nodded and clicked ¡®South Central North America¡¯, and the elevator dinged instantly just like it always did. They walked out together into high, yellow grass, with a few trees ahead and a winding river stretched across a in, a few mountains in the distance. Demi put her hands over her mouth. She stared until she shook with a sob. "How¡­it''s my home," she whispered. "I''ve been here. That''s the Poteau river. It looks exactly the same." Mason just stood in silence, eventually putting an arm around Demi''s shoulder. She soon clung to him like a life raft and cried into his shoulder, finally calming with some deep breaths, not even attempting to wipe her tears, seemingly unconcerned with the show of emotion. Mason found it extremely disarming, and appealing. "My mother was Cherokee," she said quietly, pointing out towards the horizon. "There''s...there was a reserve there, from the mountains to the river. It wasn''t our ancestralnds. But it was ours." Mason nodded, still silent, only talking after a few minutes of looking out over the peaceful scene, and walking a bit more. "What about your father?" "A professor," she said, shrugging. "It''s a long story. They met in Florida when she was a waitress there. It didn''tst long but he kept in my life. What about you?" "Orphan." He shrugged, not really wanting to exin. "Got adopted by rich people. Pretty lucky." Demi smiled a little. "I can see why you''re a leader," she said, and Mason raised an eyebrow. "You can say a lot without a lot of words." He thought about that as they watched a few birdsin and fight over the tree branches. He activated Speak with Nature, smiling as he felt the life all around him moring for attention. He shook his head. "Somehow...this ce is real. It''s not fake. This is an actual ce I can feel with my magic." Demi nodded. "I feel it, too." She was still leaning against his shoulder and hadn''t pulled away. "Do you talk to them? The nts, I mean. The animals. Can you do that?" Mason nodded, shaking with augh. "Trees are boring as hell. They only ever talk about the weather." Demi covered her mouth and spasmed with augh. "The trees near my cabin ask me every day how many days since it rained. They''re like kids in a car. Is it rain yet? Is it rain yet?" Masonughed and thought of the great tree in Nassau, Streak and Violet and the growing number of living things disturbing his thoughts. "I have a bonded wolf. Literally all he thinks about is food. OK sometimes ying or hunting. But mostly food." Demi''s eyes went wide with interest, and she held out her hand. Green...sparkles red from her palm, and a kind of stalk grew out of her hand until it formed a little mushroom. Demi grinned, then went pink. "Oh. Um. This is..." she paused and kept getting pinker. "His name''s¡­Dick." Mason raised an eyebrow and Demi looked increasingly mortified. "We didn''t get along at first. So I called him Dickhead. Because...you know, he''s a mushroom, and he...well. It just stuck." Masonughed and lifted a hand, touching the little fungus and getting a spark of natural magic like a jolt from a battery. "Mushroom girl," he said with a smile. "Mushroom girl," Demi sighed, vanishing the fungus-pet with another re of natural magic. "You know I have real sses. I can use any kind of nt. It''s not like..." she gave a defeated sigh. "OK. I''ve been on my own quite awhile." They''d both turned inward and Mason now had his arms sort of casually draped behind Demi''s back. Her hands were on his chest, and it was suddenly feeling a lot less forting'' her and a lot more ''hitting on'' her. She seemed to notice about the same moment he did, looking a bit shy but not ufortable, or opposed. And she smelled so damn good. "I suppose you have a woman," she said, sting away any further doubts Mason had about how she might be feeling. "I¡­have a few." Her eyes flicked to his then away. She made a little sound like ''oh'', then before either of them had enough time to consider, Demi got up on her tip toes, pushing herself against his chest, and hovering her lips about an inch from his. He kissed her without hesitation.
Chapter 417: No pressure Chapter 417: No pressure Demi tasted as good as she smelled. Some kind of magical energy wasing out of her, surrounding them both in subtle green mist that had the same...whispering as before. It was somehow flickering between a warm and cool sensation on his skin that sent tingles up and down his body. And he nearly froze when he heard a few of the actual words. It was like¡­dirty talk mixed with a woman''s internal dialogue. The soft, but urgent voice, flickered between sweet romantic appreciation, and the small hope that Mason might throw her down in the grass and fuck her. Then there were far more sensible concerns¡ªlike the fact that she''d met him about five minutes ago, and she probably shouldn''t even be kissing him. He did his best to tune out the voices, or at least not to listen, feeling like he was intruding, but he had no idea how. After a very long and sexy kiss that left his whole body ready for more, Mason eventually pulled back. As he did, Demi''s almond shaped eyes blinked open. She looked at the green mist around them before flushing pink. "Oh. God. I didn''t mean..." she covered her face with her hands. Masonughed, not pulling away. "Don''t worry. I didn''t hear much. And if you could hear my inner thoughts it would be way, way worse." Demi¡¯s ¡®mist voice¡¯ was practically begging her to grab for his crotch. But she slowly pulled away her hands and took a breath, and the mist began to fade. She hadn''t moved away entirely, though, and she put her hands prettyfortably on Mason''s chest. "Define worse," she said, with what could only be described as a mischievous nce. Mason grinned and kissed her again. She didn''t fight it, but this time ended it a lot more quickly and didn''t let out any magic. "I''m...pretty slow," she said. "I mean I was. Before whatever these things did to our brains. And I haven''t..." she trailed off but Mason understood. "Don''t worry. I shouldn''t have...you''re just...a bit hard to resist."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Demi looked shy but her grin was not at all displeased. "Maybe once we...after. Not in the Neutral Zone,¡± she said. ¡°Back in the ''real world''. Maybe we could go on a date." She put a hand to her face again. "Wow that sounds so stupid. Do people date anymore?" "They do," Mason confirmed, trying not to wince as he thought about literally just adding Lexi officially to his bed. And also sleeping with some random civilian at the system induced orgy. Jesus, what the hell was he even doing? Didn''t he have enoughplexity in his life? ke was right, he started to realize. He was a dog in a pantry. Or maybe a dick in a vagina shop. He wanted Demi right here, right now, and didn''t really care about problems or details. And his ''patron god'' was pretty much over his mental shoulder nodding like the perverted, undisciplined mentor he was. "Should we...keep walking?" Mason said, blinking away the lust as best he could. "You know, I can sort of hear you too," Demi said, ncing at him with that same torn look. "It¡¯s not very loud. But it''s there." Mason cleared his throat. ¡°So, what ss are you? I''ve never met anyone else who¡¯s nature affinity, except in the arena. I¡¯m pretty sure we''re rare.¡± Demi grinned with a very ¡®nice topic change¡¯ sort of nce as she walked towards the river. ¡°I picked a seer ss to start. Thought I''d be able to avoid danger. Now I''m a Blight Seer, technically. And an Elementalist, though I really only have one power there.¡± Mason blinked. Blight seer? ¡°I¡­realize how it sounds,¡± Demi added. ¡°But there''s many kinds of life. It''s perfectly natural. Everything decays and dies.¡± ¡°I started as a ranger,¡± he said. ¡°But¡­then I picked up druid. Morphed into some kind of feral druid that shifts and..." Mason noticed Demi''s eyes were wide and staring. "You''re the druid?" "Ahh.¡± Mason nced back and forth. ¡°Yes?" Demi let go of his hand. She looked like she''d seen a ghost, or else realized something she hadn''t quite processed. "You''re the one who fixed the ley lines? In the North?" Mason frowned, recalling a few mentions of ''ley lines'', from the elven oracle, and from some fey trickster he was pretty sure was called an ''unseelie''. Whatever else that thing was, it had screwed with Mason in the fey and talked about rules and ley lines. "Well. I restored the great trees," he said. "Is that what you mean?" Demi squinted and shrugged like she wasn''t sure. "I use...a different kind of natural magic than you," she said, almost carefully. "All I know is a month ago I felt a huge shift in the magic I draw from. It got stronger. Easier. I felt a source to the north, and the system wanted me to go, but...I didn''t want to leave my cabin." Mason nodded, trying to take that in. A different kind of natural magic? Did she use something more like the elven seer? The ¡®trickster¡¯? It made sense, he realized, based on what he¡¯d learned of the ¡®emotion¡¯ magic once described by a librarian in the elven city. And he could understand her hesitation to leave somewhere safe in the madness. But he also knew you didn''t get more powerful in this game by ying it safe. As annoying as it was, you had to move in the directions it guided you towards and face whatever insanity got in your way. The mood of increasingly hard to resist, pure lust was at least broken. Mason didn¡¯t try to take Demi¡¯s hand again, and was about to ask more questions about exactly what sort of magic she used and how it worked when the system red. [Attention, yers. Exciting news! The tournament finals will be begin shortly. Another series of team and individual duels willmence in five minutes, continuing every fifteen minutes until every final winner is decided. Good luck! And as always, we''re rooting for you.] Mason met Demi''s eyes as the message stopped scrolling. The human moment they shared squashed and banished beneath the imminent violence. "You can wait on our balcony, if you like," Mason said. "But no pressure." Demi smiled, but shook her head. "Thank you. I''ll go to my room. I''m pretty good at fast napping, even for a few minutes when I get the chance between fights." Mason nodded, moving back towards the sci-fi like exit portal just hovering a bit above the grass of their fake but not fake earth escape. "When this is over, I''lle find you," he said, fully intending to still recruit her, no matter what else. "I know enough, I think. We have a decent map of the continent." A more natural smile found its way to Demi''s lips as she nodded. "I might note back right away," Mason said as he realized. "I''ll be exploring. So I can either get you on the way down or the way back. I move pretty fast, though, so you probably can''t really..." "I can keep up," she said with total confidence, then shrugged and put some hair behind an ear. "I can sort of..tch onto things. I can keep up." Mason grinned, kind of excited to see all her powers. But¡­preferably not in the arena. "OK," he said, "when this current horseshit is over, it''s a crazy apocalypse date." He held out a hand to help her towards the exit. After a moment of hesitation, and through a little awkwardness, she took it. * * * The five minutes ticked down as Mason stood in the promenade, silent with a few of his yers. He went to each and pped an arm or put a hand to a shoulder without a word. They were all in their own minds and knew the score by now. As thest seconds ticked away, Mason just said ''see you after'' before the world disappeared. Then he was waiting in the holding cell with his profile telling him it was a single duel. He didn''t bother with Streak for now, then rose up to what looked like a long, metallic corridor. He crept forward, bare feet making no sound as he activated his Sleeves, skin taking on a greyish hue. There were more corridors practically every ten feet, all of them ending in the same metallic walls with more passages leading on. It didn''t take long before Mason realized he was in a maze. He heard a whirring sound from somewhere to his left, a nging to his right. It was definitely different than the other arenas he''d seen, but he knew others had experienced some fairly wild scenarios like the tops of skyscrapers. Mason''s paranoia told him whatever those noises were he was wise to avoid them. So he did his best to head in a different direction, no idea how he was going to find his opponent. After a few more corridors he changed his mind and activated Call Beast. Streak appeared with azy yawn, but leapt up with excitement when it saw him. "We''re hunting," he said, not needing to exin anything more. The wolf growled and turned in a circle, obviously confused by all the metal walls. But as ever the wolf adapted to reality with surprising quickness, never burdened by all the questions of man. All Streak knew was that there was prey in this ce, and he had to find it. That was it. That was all. And it was enough. The wolf took off with a growl like he''d smelled something, and Mason followed a few feet behind with a smile. As far as he knew, whoever was left had little chance against him, but he had no intention of going easy. It was time to end this damn tournament and get the rewards, then get back to the ''real'' world. He had a continent to explore and hopefully unite. And a new phase to deal with along with whatever the hell it brought. But first, apparently, he had to kill a rat in a maze.
Chapter 418: Shit in the milk Chapter 418: Shit in the milk Mason raced after Streak, trying to understand all the strange, mechanical or at least metallic noisesing from different parts of the maze. He still hadn''t smelled or heard his opponent, but he trusted Streak''s senses. Passages whipped by in shes of different shades of dark. There was a metallic roof over the corridors and even Mason''s enhanced eyesight revealed everything in a hard to distinguish, gloomy sameness. Streak stopped suddenly and growled, sniffing at the air. Then he turned and ran straight back the way they''de. Mason said nothing, though he was sure the wolf felt his skepticism through their bond. Whatever Streak was smelling couldn''t just up and vanish to the other side. Probably... But he didn''t have any better ideas, so he followed and kept trying to get a sense of the ever-increasing nging''s distance. It was definitely getting closer. Streak and Mason both found what they were looking for in the same moment. A dark-haired man with glowing red eyes came out from a passage and turned towards them. Behind him,ing down the main tunnel, was what could only be described as a giant, metallic mouth, chomping over and over as it came forward at about a man''s jog. Mason lifted his bow and loosed a Power Shot, the missile whistling with force as it flew straight on target. It crackled as it hit some kind of shadowy sphere, the arrow swallowed and sent into a constant spin around Mason''s enemy. The man grinned, then bolted back into a side passage just as the mouth came by, blocking any attempt to follow. And also before Mason thought to turn on his Mark. "Great." Mason grabbed Streak and pulled him away from the main passage. The wolf struggled to chase his prey, but Mason yanked him along. "We don''t eat if we get crushed." As he ran he gave one of the metallic walls a brutal front kick for science, but the metal didn''t even dent. He jumped and punched the roof, but it seemed equally thick and strong. He shook his hand then remembered Wayfinder, activating the power with a sigh of relief as he watched everywhere he''d been in the maze sh open like a transparent map. It didn''t show him anywhere he hadn''t been, but he could see all the way back to where he''d started. It was a hell of a lot better than nothing. It looked like he was ying Apocalypse Pacman in the dark, but at least he wasn''t blind. Now the question was why the hell did his opponent seem so confident? Clearly he could see with whatever power had changed his eyes, but in theory he''d be as lost as Mason. Unless he had some kind of even better mapping or scouting power. And if he did, what then? Obviously his n would be to bait Mason (or probably Streak) into a trap, putting them into some kind of dead end that would end in an unpleasant metallic mouth hug. It seemed he could teleport, too¡ªbased on Streak''s nearly infallible sense of smell getting turned around so quickly. So not only might the man know where he was going, he might be ''free'' in a way Mason wasn''t. At least it seemed best to assume these things until proven otherwise. Mason thought it wise to overestimate his foe and let things take longer than necessary, rather than underestimate him and end up crushed. So what was the n? The cold, calcting side of his brain seemed to be waking up. Don''t worry about the kill. Ignore him. Stay ahead of the danger. Get the whole maze mapped. Then we hunt him down and trap him with speed and teamwork. It seemed as good a n as any. And with the seemingly ever-increasing emotional impatience, Mason was just d he could still think clearly. He took a moment tomunicate himself to Streak, but the wolf was already whining in unhappy eptance, ready to follow Mason''s lead. Trying not to feel trapped like a damn rat, together they raced through the metallic jungle, mapping one corridor at a time... * * * "Shit in the milk, look at him. He hardly blinked. I''d be pissing myself," said Julio. "I can''t believe that shit rat Karthik got given a fucking arena like that. Unbelievable." Chinua squinted and looked at his friend and ally, ncing away from the same monitor as his small team of ''rebels''. ¡°¡¯Shit in the milk¡¯? Who says that?¡± ¡°What? Oh. We say it in Spanish all the time. Not my fault trantions are weird.¡± Chinua grinned. The man wasn''t wrong, of course. The arena Mason Nimitz had been given was a special kind of nightmare, which incredibly benefited the emperor''s finest scout. Karthik ¡®the cat¡¯ seemed almost preternaturally environmentally aware, and Chinua suspected he had a kind of permanent map of his surroundings. He could see in the dark. Set traps. Move through walls. Who knew what else. And here he was in small metal spaces, almost pure darkness, chased by huge metal crushers that might even kill his terrifying opponent. It was obviously an attempt to bnce the western leader''s...advantages.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om But Chinua still expected nothing would. Not after what he''d seen when the ''warlord'' fought the emperor. "The man let Jeong beat him half to death to make a point," said Ad beside him, giving him a meaningful stare he ignored. "I don''t imagine a moving garbagepacter frightens him. But we''re running out of time, Captain." She was also correct. This young man had done the impossible. Chinua and his soldiers hadn''t dared face the emperor on their own. When ¡®the holy city¡¯ had been formed, and Jeong had demanded his ''Promation of loyalty'' Chinua had been forced to decide: could he and his soldiers kill Jeong together, if they somehow got him alone? Or did they have no choice but to run into the wilds and hide? The answer had been a brutal reality check. Chinua knew the dangerous Brazilian Damian was always at Jeong''s side. His spies and scouts like Karthik were always watching, his ''council'' of other powerful yers never far. So the chances of getting him alone were already negligible. And the simple fact was¡ªor so Chinua believed, but with good reason¡ªthat Jeong could kill him and all his warriors by himself, maybe without so much as a scratch. And still, yes, still. Chinua wouldn''t serve him. Not ever. Nor would the yers who had fled at his side. Chinua and his team had all been soldiers or agents of the state, serving different nations and armies in the real world. Some of them had done terrible things, groomed as children to be soldiers in wars they hardly even understood. They had seen the very best and worst of mankind, the spiritual crucible ofbat revealing them and those they knew in a way no civilian would ever understand. For some of them, the apocalypse was a wee relief. A chance to start over. And for awhile they had. Despite the terrible nature of the tutorials and many of the circumstances after, they had found each other and begun to build something like a family. But Jeong had been building, too. Far faster. With far more purpose. Before long he and his loyalists had ''joined'' with half the settlements on the continent, subduing them all with intimidation and violence. Chinua hadn''t seen everything, but he''d seen enough. He and his yers had all agreed it was better to die than serve a man or an organization like that. Not again. Not in this ''new'' life. So they''d run and nearly starved in the mountains. Without a proper system settlement they had been forced to live like ancient man, building their own shelters, their own fires, hunting and gathering to survive. Fortunately, they had a dozen brave, like-minded civilian supporters with invaluable skills and ess to the system market, without whom Chinua knew they''d all be dead. It was for them mostly he finally turned to his second inmand and nodded. He owed his soldiers, of course, but they were like him¡ªyers in a game that had existed long before the alien. A game of life or death that burned away any real hope for a better life, a better reality. An understanding of violence and violent men and the harsh reality of the world. But he was also a kind of feudal lord in this new existence, and he owed the men of peace more. They had trusted him and his with their lives, and it was his duty to protect them. "He may be as bad as Jeong," he said, knowing it was an old argument. "His yers are loyal," countered Ad. "Yes and maybe he bribes them with ves and the best of everything." Chinua added, mostly for the sake of it. "What''s your girl been saying?" "She says the civilians of Nassau are fat and happy," said his capable Sergeant. "They''re buying up everything in the bazaar. So they''re rich, too." Chinua argued on¡ªmaybe they''d only brought the favored civilians, that maybe the rest were living lives of desperation. That they couldn''t know how things truly were unless they saw them with their own eyes. "We voted," said the almost always silent Ayden, eyes far away now as he looked out into the promenade. "We voted. It''s done. Stop wasting time and breath." Chinua snorted and looked around the table, and his soldiers all took turns giving him little grins. Ayden the Turk didn''t say much, but when he did it was always straight to the heart of the thing. They all knew they had to risk it. It was Mason Nimitz and the slim hope of some way to cross the sea. Or it was hide until Jeong found them, then fight to the death. It wasn¡¯t the first time Chinua had faced an unpleasant choice. And though by temperament he might wait until he was sure a mortal decision had to be made, when the moment came, he didn¡¯t hesitate. "I''ll talk to him," he said. "As soon as he''s out."
Chapter 419: Cats and dogs Chapter 419: Cats and dogs Mason near got chomped by the relentless mechanical mouth. He''d gone down a series of side passage and found nothing but dead ends, almost toote when he doubled back to get ahead of his pursuer. He''d gotten close enough to feel the power of it. And while he was a bit curious what might happen if the thing caught him and he tried to break it apart with Duality of Strength, ultimately he decided this was a curiosity best left for a st resort''. His opponent also had traps. Which was just great. As Mason and Streak ignored their enemy and kept at their mapping quest, the wolf hit maybe his fifth one in a corridor crossroads, roaring and howling in fury. Shadowy tendrils wrapped around his forelegs like rope, crushing and hissing with a kind of acidic hiss as they burned fur and flesh. Mason hacked the strands carefully with a w, taking some of the damage with Shared Pain. Though it probably didn''t matter. No doubt the traps would be pretty bad for the average non-tanky yer. But Streak regenerated, too, and could take a lot of punishment to begin with. So the trap mostly just slowed him down. And pissed him off. "No you can¡¯t eat him alive when we catch him," Mason said with a sigh as they kept running. "And I told you to watch out for the weird shadowy lines. Think about it¡ªthere''s no light so why would there be any shadows? Because...no. You don''t have to understand. Just do what I tell you. Follow me. And avoid the shadowy lines." Streak growled and fell back behind Mason feeling more murderous than usual. Apparently he''d had kin hunted and killed by trap-using humanoids when he was young. Considering the animal seemed to eject nearly all memory as irrelevant, this one seemed impactful and important to have stuck. Mason definitely didn''t envy his opponent if the wolf ever caught him. That moment wasing soon. The maze was nearly mapped now. For the most part it was square and consistent, with a few areas cut off and leading to dangerous dead ends. Other than those, there was nearly always a way to keep moving and ahead of the chomping constructs. Which meant Mason''s opponent was swiftly running out of advantage. But catching him would still be tricky. He could definitely teleport, or something simr, easily moving around Mason and Streak as they explored the maze. asionally heunched some sort of shadowy daggers ory traps to annoy them an try and get their attention or direct their movement. Mason ignored it allpletely. A few magic dagger blows, though, had given him pause. He''d mostly resisted some kind of ''corruption'' effect that interfered with his regeneration. But even so, the strange power had stuck in his back and vanished into mist, the wounds still healing but slowed considerably to take about a minute. If this particr enemy was grouped with other powerful yers, Mason knew that regenerative debuff would be a serious issue. He decided in the ¡®real¡¯ world, this man would have to die quickly. For now, though, the rogue¡¯s traps hadn''t been strong enough to deal with Mason¡¯s stats or titles, the few he''d hit breaking apart as he kept on running. "Good enough," he said, seeing everything on his map now except a few little edges. "We find him. We kill him. Sniff him out. Do you know your way around or do I need to..."N?v(el)B\\jnn Streak flew off down a corridor like he''d slipped his leash, an eye-rolling feeling of confidence hitting Mason. He wasn''t sure if the wolf had just memorized their surroundings or if he had some kind of ess to Wayfinder through their bond. Either way, it felt like an annoyed teenager. Mason grinned and took a different path, watching Streak and trying to figure out a way to cut off their target if the wolf found him. It took a few tries, and several minutes of racing around the maze. Mason finally saw his enemy long enough to get up a Ranger''s Mark, the power blinking back the almostical ''advice'' to: ''Kill in closebat''. "Great,¡± Mason mumbled. ¡°Thanks. How do you suggest I catch him, exactly?" He activated Aspect of the Cheetah and flew after his prey, seeing him turn and run straight through a wall a moment before Mason mmed into the metal. He sighed, not sure if that was better or worse than teleport. But at least his instincts had been correct. He''d beenying traps as he explored, but decided the man would somehow get out of snares and instead had just dropped lethal variants. Now he suspected he could walk right through snares. But he also suspected the son of a bitch could detect his traps, because he hadn''t heard a single one go off. And he had some kind of impressive defensive barrier that caught the few stray arrows just like the original power shot. So. It was catch him or nothing. Mason cracked his neck and decided to Shapeshift, knowing the enhanced senses might help him. He was perfectly aware of all the eyes of the other yers on him, and he hoped it didn''t scare the wrong people away. But he ultimately figured to hell with it. His joints popped, his body shivering in a strange kind of pleasure as it re-shaped with a variety of canine features. Even his eyesight improved, and Mason grinned as he inhaled the far more obvious scent of his opponent. He was slightly slower over long distance in his wolf form, but was faster in a sprint. Though he realized with a bit of regret, as he''d grown a good foot he now nearly scraped the roof with his head. But it was morefortable hunched forward now anyway. He loped forward through the tunnels sniffing for his prey, knowing it was only a matter of time. For maybe half an hour he and Streak circled the map, staying ahead of the metallic trap as they ran their enemy like a deer. The man''s ''n'' was soon obvious¡ªhe got closer and closer to the metallic jaws, hoping to lure Mason or Streak close enough they''d make a mistake. Mason could smell his enemy''s sweat now, and almost licked a spilled drop off the floor. He heard himself growling like the wolf he was bonded to, his wed hands clenching in anticipation as he threw himself down the halls. He found his prey waiting with the chomping jaws right behind him, staying just ahead as he jogged towards Mason''s position. The man''s dully glowing eyes widened when he saw the changed Mason. He looked ready to turn and run but alsopelled to try and finish his n. Mason just waited. Instead of trying to cut his enemy off he just charged ahead, straight into the ''trap'' that would close any chance of escape. But they were at the corner edge of the square now, and there was only one way for the clever rogue to go. As Mason got close the man panicked and did just that, vanishing through the wall to his left and into a more open series of corridors. Where Streak was waiting. Mason leapt at the nearest side passage just before the metal crusher found him, forced to loop around for a minute before he could circle back to his enemy. But even from his far position, and with all the distance between them, he still heard the man''s screams echo down the halls as Streak caught him. He couldn''t help but wince. * * * "Oh that''s nasty." Ad looked away, but Chinua kept his eyes on the screen as the Baron''s animal literally chewed Karthik the cat¡¯s cheek off. The giant wolf was pinning the man down with his ws and eating him alive as he screamed. It went on for a good minute before Nimitz showed up and ended the match with a swipe of his ws. "I mean¡­he deserved it. But I doubt our good western warlord knew that," said Julio. "He probably just likes watching his enemies get chewed on. So uh, enjoy your chat, Cap." A few soldiersughed. Chinua just sighed. But there was no point in re-hashing the arguments and debating anything. Ayden was right, they''d already voted. And it was time to go meet the monster. Chinua stood without a word and made his way to the House of Mason, getting a few mocking/supportive salutes as he went. He stopped at the foot of the stairs and looked up with a deep breath, hearing the yers up top talking andughing. Soon enough these might be his allies. Or another batch of terrifying enemies to avoid. He wondered again (and again and again¡­) if it was foolish to announce themselves, if it wasn''t better to just hide and hope the great powers destroyed each other. Maybe then they could... "Hello. Can I help you? Would you like to speak with the Baron?" A beautiful, young blonde stepped up beside him, long hair tied in a bun, dressed like some kind of office executive. Chinua took a breath, still warring with himself. "Would I?" he said, letting out a breath. "I''m not sure. Will he let that wolf eat me if I''m rude?" The woman''sugh was very genuine, and very appealing. "Baron Mason prefers honest rudeness to polite lies." She smiled. "Tell him the truth, and you''ll get along fine. Shall I take you up, Mr...?" Chinua said nothing, a bit disarmed by the woman''s charm. He knew well though how many dangerous and powerful men kept sweet smelling flowers in the front to cover up the rotten smell behind. He just kept looking up those stairs, trying not to picture the worst case scenario. "He isn''t like Jeong," said the woman, and Chinua blinked and turned. She smiled again, almost kindly, as if somehow she could see the horror of Chinua''s fears, and looked right through them. "He is young and very American. But all he does is protect us. It''s what he is." Chinua watched the girl''s blue eyes a long time before he nodded and looked back at the stairs. It felt like either the stairway to hell or heaven¡ªlike the best or worst decision of his life. Somehow, he felt if he climbed them there would be no going back, one way or another. But Chinua Keita, a soldier who had spent a lifetime fighting for his country, and against it, and for it again, was not a man who let fear or difficulty prevent action. He turned to the girl and asked her name, straightening his posture to his usual self, and sharpening his mind for the meeting toe. The time for deceptions were over, he decided¡ªhe would meet this baron man to man. "My name is Chinua. In my country I was a general, and once also I served the UN, and before that the French foreign legion. I''m very pleased to meet you, Haley. And yes, thank you. I will see your master now."
Chapter 420: Allies Chapter 420: Allies Mason growled when Streak tried to leave his punishment corner. The wolf hunched and sat back down with his face on his paws. "Yes, you were bad. Very bad. No I don''t care about the traps. I''m in charge, not you, and I said no eating yers. So sit there and feel bad about yourself." He rolled his eyes when the wolf just whined and stared at him with confusion. The satisfaction of winning his bout had been pretty much stolen at finding his enemy screaming with half his face ripped off. The emperor and his cabal of supporters were one thing. But he wasn¡¯t going to win support by maiming and terrifying all his opponents. Excessive violence against a human who had no choice but to fight would have been bad enough, but Mason also knew the whole damn world was probably watching. Now he looked like some kind of sadist who fed people to his wolf alive. "I''m sure it wasn''t that bad," said Carl, all grins after his own victory. Then he watched the video and winced. "OK. It was...well, it was pretty bad." "I have seen much worse on the battlefield," Phuong said, also back after earning another easy victory, smiling politely and trying to be helpful. Mason sighed and got himself a beer and some wings, readying to pick away at the chicken bones as if in heaven as Streak watched. "Oh yes I will," he said to the wolf''s indignation. "Food''s the only thing you understand. So you just sit there." He groaned in fake pleasure as he chewed the meat, offering wings to every yer in sight. He could pretty much feel the drool on his leg before Haley came up the stairs. "Mason?" He nced up and smiled, and she hurried over to exin he had a man who wanted to speak to him waiting at the stairs. "Brave guy after our little disy." Mason gave Streak another swat on his nk, and the wolf growl/whined but didn''t move. "We know anything about him?" "Only what he told me. He said he was military in the old world. French Legion. The UN." She leaned in closer. "He said his name is Chinua. And from our talks with their civilians, there''s some kins of outcast rebels who escaped Jeong led by a man named Chinua. He might be a potential ally." Mason sat up straighter now. He was asionally reminded he was young and had no actual experience leading people. Or dealing with foreign dignitaries. Or fighting in wars. He was just some damn kid from Texas. Sure, he''d survived the apocalypse, and gotten increasingly, ridiculously powerful. But probably so had real armymanders and politicians. "Alright,¡± he said, not sure how best to prepare. ¡°Let him in." Haley squeezed his hand then collected their guest. Chinua was a lean, six foot ck man with grey stubble covering his scalp and face. His skin looked as hard and weathered as his eyes, his mouth curled in a kind of perpetual frown. He gave the overall impression of a man who saw the world clearly, and didn''t much like it. "Baron," he said,ing forward with a hand extended. Mason stood and shook it, instantly d he had apocalypse strength at the other man¡¯s grip, but not trying to flex his own.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "Just Mason, please. Made up titles annoy me." Chinua didn''t smile, or frown, or really react whatsoever. He just let go of his hand and stood there watching Mason''s eyes. "I won''t waste your time. I belong to a unit of yers with limited civilian resources, currently with no settlement. Assuming we''re able to reach you physically, in return for your protection, particrly of our civilians, we would be willing to serve your house in an affiliate or allied capacity. I am authorized to negotiate terms." Mason blinked and tried to keep up. It sounded like the man wanted to join him without bing part of his house, which frankly Mason didn''t care about anyway. If it didn''t have advantages he wouldn''t have made the thing in the first ce. "If you can join us physically," Mason repeated. "Does that mean you''re in the east?" Chinua stared. His stone face finally cracked enough to make sound. "You can appreciate geographic information is highly sensitive." "Yeah." Mason snorted and gestured at a chair, taking a seat himself. After a moment of hesitation Chinua sat opposite. "It doesn''t really matter," Mason added. "Wherever you¡¯re from, we¡¯d be happy to ept you. There''s no terms except don''t make violence. Everyone knows already we have a lot of space and resources, so it doesn''t cost me to say so. There''s plenty of room for you and your people. You don''t have to join my house or make any promises except to defend our settlement. If ites to that." After another soul-searching stare, Chinua spoke. "Define ''defend''." Mason grinned. "Physical invasion," he rified. "Anything or anyone whoes to us looking for violence. That happens, I''d expect your help. That''s pretty much it unless we worked out something else." Chinua blinked and shifted in his chair as if uneasy. "How would we...support ourselves. Could we hunt? Fish? Farm? Does your settlement have..." he looked a bit at a loss. "What are the rules? Thews?" Mason shrugged. "No need. About the food, I mean. Of course your civilians are wee to help or do whatever their specialties are. I mostly let the civilians handle themselves. As for the yers, my soldiers have some duties. They''ll probably get more. But if you''re just guests..." he ran a hand down his face. "We''ve agreed to three civilian women per man. But it''s more like a guideline. Just don''t hit on anyone else''s girl and we''ll probably be fine." Chinua kept on teaching statues a lesson in stillness. When he seemed to get tired of that he put an elbow on the table, though his posture didn''t change. "You mean to tell me, my people may stay in your settlement, protected by your yers, with ess to food...water. Housing? And all you ask is we...defend the settlement, and therefore ourselves, if attacked?" Mason pursed his lips and shrugged again. "Yeah. I guess so." "That...isn''t sustainable," Chinua said tly. After taking a second to see if the man was serious, Masonughed. "I¡¯m starting to see maybe you eastern boys have had a different experience of the post-apocalypse. Where I''m from, we don¡¯t worry much aboutws. We worry about survival. If we get that knocked out then maybe we try and enjoy ourselves for a minute. Then it''s right back to getting stronger and not dying before the phase changes. And that''s pretty much it." Chinua watched his eyes, and Mason felt his concern about old world generals and politicians slowly fading as he epted all the rules had changed. These people were still thinking about a world where physics had been understood and taught in books. Where magic and gods and an actual creator were just things in art and religion, not the concern of worldly men. "I''m not re-building mankind, Chinua," Mason said, meeting the man''s stare. "Frankly, if in a hundred years people want to live likemunists or monarchists, or if they want to build temples and worship clouds, I don''t really care. The only thing I''m doing, the only thing I care about, is keeping humanity alive. So you''re wee in Nassau, not because I need you, though I probably do, but because I want you and your people to live. What you do is your business. And frankly I''m way too American and Texan to give a shit." It took awhile, but Chinua the statue eventually cracked. His weathered face tried hard to remember how to smile. "Alright, Baron Mason of House Mason, who does not like titles. My people are in the east, as you say, thest remnants of those who would not be ves to Jeong and his ambitions. And though we currently have no way to cross the ocean between us and your settlement, when this farce is finished, know that doing so will upy our every waking moment." Again the man held out his rough, callused hand, and again Mason took it. "If we cane get you, Chinua, we will. And I''d bet myst dor that¡¯ll happen sooner orter. So just keep safe, and hold on. If you don''t want to give me more precise geographic detail, I understand. We have seers and scouts and we''ll look for you. But I''ll leave that up to you." Chinua didn''t hesitate this time. He took out a folded up piece of paper and ced it on the table. "This is my civilian scout''s map of the eastern continent. It includes a few dungeons, resource settlements unattached to the capital, monstrous dangers and tribes, along with the usual topographical information you''d expect. It''s dated, of course, as we''ve been separated from the capital for months. But most will still be urate. Our location is marked." Mason slowly took the map, a grin sliding across his face. "This is more valuable than you know, Chinua. I might be able to teleport using this information. We could be closer than you think." "Than I am pleased," said the old soldier. "I have decided to trust you. I ept the possibility of destruction if this is an error. But in life, as in battle, sometimes a man mustmit, and face whates." Mason nodded, liking this stone-faced man, and pretty thrilled at the possibility of having not just a new group of yers, but probably men who understood war and violence. With time he hoped they''d be just like any other person in Nassau, binding their fate together and doing everything they could to help. If their leader was any indication, Mason expected they would. His paranoia tickled the back of his spine as usual, but the gift of the map (if urate) was a huge boost to his trust. And if Mason was able to teleport across either with the beacon or with Wyrdwalk, he''d be discovering if the soldier was telling the truth very soon. They both stood, and Mason nodded a goodbye. "Good luck to you and your people," he said, "in the rest of the tournament, I mean. I''m sorry if we knock you out. And I''m happy to offer mutual surrenders if it looks over." Chinua finally smiled with a bit of teeth, the whiteness a stark contrast to his near pitch ck skin. "May the best teams win," he said, then walked towards the stairs. Mason sat and soon weed Haley back with a grin and an arm around her shoulders, feeling a lot of anxious tension fade. "So it went well?" she said, obviously knowing it did. Mason kissed her cheek and ''teleported'' them a couple drinks before staring at the table screen. Apparently it was time to look up Chinua''s team and their match history...
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 421: Foolishness Chapter 421: Foolishness Chinua left his meeting with the young baron feeling¡­very strange. It was a subtle lightness, like a pocket of helium forming somewhere in his gut. He tried to strangle the sensation, thinking it a foolish kind of optimism. A lifetime of disappointment had taught Chinua the naive foolishness of expecting improvement. But the stubborn little pocket of gas remained, roiling his insides all the way back to his people. ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± asked Ad, every eye from the nearby yers watching and hiding their emotion. Chinua shrugged. ¡°He wants soldiers, that is clear.¡± ¡°Good. Otherwise he¡¯d be an idiot,¡± said Julio, to a chorus of grunts. Chinua had a total of seven yers left alive, including himself. Only five of these were real soldiers and powerful enough to be used for much. The other two were weak, one crippled physically, the other emotionally. Chinua and the others would always protect them, but they were no longer fit for the game, and they knew it. ¡°I gave him the map,¡± Chinua said, and everyone silenced. ¡°Well.¡± Ad blew out a breath. ¡°That¡¯s it, then. Now we get to sit on scout duty and watch the ce our camp¡¯s supposed to be.¡± ¡°The baron implied he could teleport to us based on the information provided,¡± Chinua said. ¡°It might be soon.¡± ¡°Yeah and then what?¡± Julio said. ¡°Unless he can teleport us all back, doesn¡¯t do us much good. We¡¯ll still need to build a boat or something.¡± ¡°You and your fucking boat,¡± Ad said for the hundredth time. ¡°We¡¯re in the future. There¡¯s gonna be a fuckin¡¯ teleporter. Or a spaceship. Or some shit.¡± Julio rolled his eyes, but Chinua basically agreed. The young baron hadn¡¯t exined how exactly he intended to retrieve the ¡®rebel¡¯ soldiers, but that didn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t have a way. It didn¡¯t bring Chinua muchfort, but he saw no option except to trust the man. At least a little. Chinua¡¯s only deception and protection was to lie about the location of his camp. It was close by, but old habits died hard. Chinua wanted onest look at the man and whatever he brought with him in the real world before exposing his peoplepletely. If he was wrong, if the young American warrior had decided to eliminate any possible threat, it would be thest mistake Chinua ever made. He had to bepletely sure. The yers silenced as more text scrolled through their profiles, warning of another team match in a handful of minutes. Chinua took a breath and looked at his people. ¡°Time to impress our potential employer. No deceptions, no screwing around or withholding powers. We go full strength.¡± Ad winced. ¡°The emperor¡¯s people will still be watching.¡± Chinua knew that, of course. But it was probably useless to try and trick the man anyway. Back before the split he¡¯d seen enough of their powers to get the idea. A held back trick or two wouldn¡¯t save them against him now. But he knew it helped his people to think they had some control, some possibility of improving their odds in what seemed otherwise a hopeless situation. It wasn¡¯t quite ¡®hope¡¯, maybe, but it was better than nothing. ¡°Let them see us at our full strength. Maybe the first scouts to find us will be afraid.¡± The others nodded, and Chinua sat and closed his eyes, moving through his powers and stolen power gems, readying his mind forbat. He meant what he said. Now was the moment to impress, and also to warn. If Mason actually held some notion of killing Chinua and his people, there was only a chance or two left to change his mind. Chinua needed him to at least doubt the automatic sess of that n. And they also needed to convince him they could be loyal, that they would join them and weren¡¯t turncoats and spies. No pressure, he thought, not yet sure how to do this. But weakness was always provocative. Strength, first. Then, honor. It was how Chinua had lived all his life. He saw no reason to change strategies today. * * * Chinua waited with Ad and Julio in the arena holding cell, considering their strategy. Two martial, one divine, read the system screen. Martials were usually good for them, but¡­ Divines were quite rare, and often dangerous. They tended towards extremes, or specialists, which meant you needed to make sure you exploited their weaknesses and didn¡¯t let them focus on their strength. ¡°Figure he¡¯s a support?¡± Ad asked, summoning her chakrams. ¡°We can¡¯t know. But he¡¯s our target.¡± Chinua looked at Julio. ¡°You¡¯re on the martials. Keep them busy. Get them separated. But be ready to help us take the divine down.¡± Julio nodded and winked. He was always cockiest before a fight, convincing himself more than anyone. His powers wereplex but extremely effective if used correctly. And Chinua didn¡¯t begrudge any man who found a way to courage. He¡¯d seen plenty who couldn¡¯t. There wasn¡¯t much to say in terms of technique or tactics. They had little to do in their mountain hideout, and the three soldiers had fought and practiced together so much they were more like brothers and sister now. The timer counted down, and the tform lifted them up into a kind of coliseum filled with obstacles like a gym. ¡°Oh man. It looks like American Ninja Warrior,¡± Julio said with a grin. ¡°I loved that show. And the Japanese one, too.¡± Ad gave him a good 60% of her contempt face. ¡°You like the stupidest shit. It¡¯s incredible.¡± ¡°Focus up.¡± Chinua channeled the lowest tier of his Mana Shield, the currently small, blue disc of energy forming on his forearm. He held his innate spear in his other hand like a javelin, ready to throw it if a target appeared. Julio and Ad went silent, professional eyes moving over the terrain as they spread out but kept in power range. Julio had adaptive ¡®team¡¯ oriented powers, with one in particr that had an incredible range of abilities based on circumstance. It took time, but it was always impressive. Ad was their main killer. Whether in closebat or at range, the focus of their team was to keep her on something until it was dead. If the enemy got frustrated enough and overmitted, or tried to take down Chinua or Julio, they usually lost quickly. When the three of them were working well and in sync, they could prove very difficult to deal with. The trio moved out and around the various obstacles, avoiding the more involved andrger clusters of ¡®obstacles¡¯. It really did look like a game show or something. Though one built by a sadist. There were slides and spinning shapes that would probably be made of foam or something with a bit of cushion on TV. These looked like hard stic if you were lucky. Metal tipped with spikes if you weren¡¯t. The few pools underneath more gymnastic like bars or swings bubbled with an acidic, acrid smell. Chinua was about to point it out when a bolt of energy arced over an obstacle and mmed into his Innate Shield. Julio and Ad bolted behind cover. The former started his dance-like hand movements, his strange powers almost all requiring an actual physical pattern. Ad just got her back to something and waited, eyes and ears tuned. Chinua didn¡¯t move. He grew his Mana Shield a little and ducked down a bit, pretending like he gave a shit about the enemy spell. But killing him with projectile magic was a bit like drowning a fish. Depending on the affinity and spell, it often recharged him more than it cost. Unfortunately, the attacks stopped as he heard the enemy whispering and muttering from behind a kind of tower, and he expected they¡¯d decided he wasn¡¯t worth targeting. Julio was still weaving his opener, so Chinua decided to spice things up a little. Maybe he¡¯d get back their attention. He charged his Spear with elemental fire, and tossed it hard at the edge of the enemy¡¯s tower with a grunt. It struck and exploded, sting away a chunk of wood with a spray of cinders. Then he re-summoned his spear and advanced, not terribly worried about whatever his enemies could throw at him. His sses (including his prestige ss) made him both tough and destructive, with a simple answer to most problems. But his power came with a cost. He was about as slow as any yer he¡¯d seen in the post-apocalypse. His Mana Shield sucked energy all around him. The more he ¡®grew¡¯ it, the more it drained, often taking enough heat from the air his breath frosted. And it took kic energy, too. If he only walked it made no difference, but if he tried to run it was like pushing through water. He had to de-activate it to really get around quickly. Which wasn¡¯t a great idea inbat. But he had encountered very few superior defensive powers in the world. It protected him from almost everything, its only limitation being spatial¡ªthe primary protection centered on the ¡®shield¡¯ in his hand. Even so, it wrapped him in an invisible barrier that, while weaker, protected him from any threat. And his enemies, it seemed, had not watched him fight. As Chinua separated himself from the others, two yers stepped out from behind the tower¡ªthe firstunched another magical projectile, the other a bolt from some kind of crossbow. Chinua raised his Shield and kept walking. The magic fizzled with no effect, the bolt¡¯s kic energy slowed so much it barely pinged. Chinua charged his Spear and threw it again. The caster leapt to cover, the crossbowman stepped away and shot again as his weapon re-armed with a mechanical click. Julio whistled he was ready, and Ad leapt up and came running full speed. A mixed Arcane and Elemental ¡®corridor¡¯ of energy surged straight through Chinua towards the tower, visible only in the air as a soft blue light. Julio¡¯s powers were basically everything Chinua¡¯s weren¡¯t. Slow. Easy to disrupt. Not built to make the user himself useful. He was a bizarre, sometimes frustrating, almost eye-rolling kind of support. But in the right circumstance¡­ Chinua ¡®grabbed¡¯ the path of energy coursing through him and around him, tethering on like linking a cable with a hook. It could propel even him forward at a sprint, simultaneously filling his already full mana, and charging him with a temporary burst of power.N?v(el)B\\jnn The crossbowman called out a warning, tossing some kind of disc that hit the ground and exploded as Chinua came in. He flew through the explosion unharmed, activating elemental boosts for every single power. Fire erupted over his weapon. Shards of ice formed on his shield, and floated all around him in the air. He tossed another ming spear, the weapon shing violently off the caster¡¯s defences and disrupting whatever he¡¯d intended to do. Another crossbow bolt came flying, and Chinua caught it on his Shield before stomping to direct an earth-charged Shatter at the man¡¯s feet. Dirt and bits of stic flooring sprayed in every direction, but again the caster¡¯s shield protected him. This time he managed to keep hisposure, and he stood his ground and charged some kind of force wave. Chinua held his ground and pretended he was concerned enough to raise his Shield. These guys weren¡¯t weak. They were just inexperienced. The worst thing they could do was fight in Julio¡¯s Arcane Wind. All they needed to do was back up, regroup, and keep the hell away, because Julio couldn¡¯t move it without re-doing the slow channel power. Instead they had apparently decided to try to bring Chinua down. The third yer finally made his appearance¡ªsome kind of divine rogue shing from the shadow of the tower with a good thrust of a spear. It came in shining with white light, sizzling with brutal power as it crashed into Chinua¡¯s Shield. But it wasn¡¯t enough to break his defences. And Ad was waiting. She leapt over Chinua¡¯s head with her movement power, practically flying in Julio¡¯s Arcane Wind. The faster she moved, the more she hurt. Her Chakram whistled through the air, shing so fast it might have been a bullet. The enemy rogue failed miserably to dodge, his arm severing in a spray of blood as Ad¡¯s weapon arced and returned like a boomerang mid-air. She came down and rolled in one swift movement, taking down the weakened caster¡¯s defences with her other ¡®punching¡¯ disc, cutting his throat before he could blink. The trumpet red, and the rogue tried to run. Chinua drove his Spear through the man¡¯s back, and the trumpet red again. The crossbowman fled with impressive speed, and Chinua let Julio and Ad chase him down. They¡¯d enjoy the obstacle course, he decided, taking a seat on the closest block of stic. No reason not to let them have a little fun. The short and brutal fight had been an effective disy of strength, though they hadn¡¯t really had the time to show off. And he still had no idea how to make this young baron trust him. Julio hooted as he leapt through some ¡®ninja¡¯ obstacle,ughing like a child with a new toy, despite a still dangerous enemy trying to kill him. Chinua sighed. He had been a soldier long enough to know the battle for discipline was never-ending. And in the real world carelessness might get a man killed. But one problem at a time, he supposed.
Chapter 422: See you on the flip side Chapter 422: See you on the flip side Carl whistled as he watched the eastern rebel team take down theirtest batch of the emperor¡¯s yers. He nced at Becky watching beside him, and the ex cowgirl winced and took a drink. ¡°They ain¡¯t yin¡¯, I¡¯ll say that.¡± ¡°That guy with the spear. He looks tough, and scary.¡± Becky¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°As opposed to me? Who¡¯s just tough?¡± Carl held up his hands for peace, ncing at Tommaso at another table. ¡°We¡¯re gonna have to¡­exploit their weaknesses before they exploit ours. I¡¯d say I sneak in and drop that guy at the back. But you¡¯ve gotta think they¡¯ll expect that.¡± Becky nodded and eventually shrugged. ¡°Not sure they can do shit all about it. Guess we don¡¯t really know. Maybe we take down that girl with the¡­ring things. Then we just keep away from the big fe. Seems pretty slow. Just wait till you re-charge. Pick ¡®em off.¡± Carl took a breath and another sip of water. Christ he wanted a proper drink. But between the constant matches and the stress of thest few days, he knew if he gave in to temptation he¡¯d be neck deep in booze, heavy food, and probably Sylvie in no time. Better to keep some discipline. ¡°Well. We¡¯ll decide if it happens. If we¡¯re lucky maybe we get to see them fight again. Now what the hell do we do if and when we fight ke.¡± It was definitely an elephant in the room. After their first disaster against Mason¡¯s brother, they hadn¡¯t talked much about a potential re-match. But unless one of them lost (which seemed pretty unlikely), that re-match wasing. Mason had been pretty clear he wanted nothing to do with it¡ªthat however they all handled it was up to them. ¡°Don¡¯t ever ask me to pick sides,¡± he¡¯d said a night or two after the first match, looking Carl right in the eyes. It was about the coldest, hardest thing Carl had ever seen in the kid¡¯s expression. He¡¯d fought a shiver before he nodded like it was no big deal. Becky was quiet awhile, but Carl knew her well enough now to see the mixed emotion, and the anger winning out. ¡°Well there won¡¯t be any rules this time, that¡¯s for damn sure,¡± she muttered. Carl clenched his teeth but couldn¡¯t disagree. He had no desire to really hurt Annie or Seul-ki, but this was a game and he had a team depending on him to win. If ke and his people were willing to kill, even if ¡®fake¡¯, they had to be willing too. It was hard to make a ¡®n¡¯ against Mason¡¯s brother. The kid¡¯s powers were weird and ridiculous, and a lot would depend on the arena. The best thing would be just to end him as quickly and efficiently as possible, but it was damn hard to actually get at him. So it probably made sense to bring down Annie and Seul-ki as quickly and brutally as possible, then take ke three on one and hope for the best. Carl winced when he considered they might very well still lose that. ¡°These brothers are fucking crazy,¡± he mumbled, and Becky gave him an eyebrow raise. ¡°Just thinking out loud,¡± he said. ¡°But really, what the hell was in the water for these two.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Becky shook her head. ¡°At least we ain¡¯t fightin¡¯ the other one.¡± Carl¡¯s mind started trying to imagine that before heughed out loud and shut it down. He¡¯d been there when Mason beat the Devourer. When he¡¯d taken down a living dragon and then a dead one. There was no ¡®fighting¡¯ Mason. Not for mere mortals like Carl. And hopefully not for this ¡®emperor¡¯. ¡°At least we ain¡¯t fightin¡¯ the other one,¡± Carl mockingly copied Becky¡¯s ent with a grin, and she kicked him under the table. It wasn¡¯t long after when that God damn hated timer started ticking down, and Tommaso came from his seat with Garet and Jason and plopped down next to Carl and Becky. ¡°So,¡± he said, looking between them. ¡°Try to live, ah? Do something useful?¡± Carl rolled his eyes, knowing the man was more effective than they all let on. ¡°Just try and glue someone, alright? Preferably someone scary.¡± Tommaso winked and swallowed down something that hopefully didn¡¯t have alcohol. They all went silent after that, Carl putting a hand over Becky¡¯s, and an arm on Tommaso¡¯s back. ¡°We got this,¡± he said with a grin. He was the damn ¡®Chancellor¡¯ of Nassau, after all¡ªthe right hand man of the ¡®Wolf of the West¡¯ himself. And though he¡¯d never have believed such a thing in his former life, he figured it was his job to show a little encouragement to his underlings now and again¡ªeven if he did feel a bit like a fraud. But Becky gave him a smile and a nod, and even Tommaso seemed to straighten up a little. Carl dared to hope maybe he wasn¡¯t so terrible at this leadership thing after all. * * * Carl opened his eyes in what was bing the familiar, hated, confined space of the arena holding cell. ¡°I bet it¡¯s ke,¡± Tommaso said, forming and unforming his fiery cocktail in a hand. ¡°Inside. Long corridors, ah? No room for us to get around his bullshit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinkin¡¯ a big ol¡¯ stadium filled with nonsense.¡± Becky rolled her shoulders and stretched her hamstrings. ¡°Plenty of crap to get in our way.¡± The Italian¡¯s greedy eyes roamed her body as she moved, and Carl gave the idiot a head shake. They¡¯d had a ¡®heart to heart¡¯ about the man¡¯s open lust and bad behavior a night or two ago. It was vague and pleasant enough, until it came to Becky. ¡°I¡¯m just gonna say this once,¡± he¡¯d told him, just trying to be honest. ¡°You might think all¡¯s fair in love and war. And maybe you could even charm that girl with enough time. But son, the day you managed it is the day you¡¯d fuckin¡¯ die, and not me or anyone else on this earth could save you.¡± Tommaso had opened his mouth as if to say something clever. But he¡¯d seen the look in Carl¡¯s eyes and nodded. They¡¯d left it at that. Carl was pretty sure Becky wasn¡¯t actually at all interested. But with young, horny idiots you could just never know what the hell they¡¯d do. He honestly tried not to think about it. ¡°Well I¡¯m d we¡¯re all feeling optimistic,¡± Carl said, giving them both a re. ¡°It could be some resurrected garbage team. But I¡¯ll stick with you, Becky, so just get that aegis going now. And if it is a corridor, separate someone out the second you can.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The ex cowgirl nodded and activated her power, and Carl tried not to touch his smooth scalp as the seconds counted down. Even the sudden jerk of the lift startled him, and he closed his eyes to steady his nerves. In another second, they were out. Turned out Becky and Tommaso were both kind of right. Three separate ¡®corridors¡¯ with see-through ss on the top and in between stood beneath the teams like giant bowlingnes, the yers on raised tforms in clear sight of each other maybe 500 yards apart. The eastern ¡®rebels¡¯ stood staring and inspecting just like Carl. It was a kind of sloped ground heading into the corridors, and from where they were standing at least it looked like there was no way to get from one ne¡¯ to the next once you were inside. Unless you could smash those ss/stic separators, of course, but Carl doubted it. What he didn¡¯t quite understand is why they would separate or pick different corridors in the first ce. If you couldn¡¯t actually help each other in between, wasn¡¯t it obvious both teams would pick a corridor and get ready to fight it out in the narrow space, or wait on either end? ¡°We¡¯ve got gs,¡± Becky said. Carl turned to see three little red gs on poles hanging behind them, with three empty holes with space for more. Each had one of their names, and a little text below. [g removal will result in immediate reduced power effectiveness. g capture will result in immediate death. Try not to lose them!] Carl winced, mind racing as he tried toprehend this new variable. Becky looked spooked, and he understood why. She was one of the toughest yers in the whole game, and here was this little red g that could just¡­instantly kill her. ¡°I could wall off our gs,¡± she said instantly. ¡°But that walls off our ability to capture theirs, too,¡± Carl said. Even so, he thought it might be worth it. Maybe it was optimism, but in a straight fight he had his money on his own team. These rebels had tricky bursts of speed, and they might very well consider just going for the gs instead of the men. ¡°Or I could block off two tunnels,¡± Becky said. ¡°Make ¡®em fight us in one.¡± Carl winced, not so sure. Between that support and the spearman, he didn¡¯t think a narrow little battle was to their benefit. They needed to get Carl out and free to pick his target and strike at will. It was a bad God damn arena, that was the reality. He hoped that meant the system favored his team, and thought their enemies needed an advantage. ¡°We¡¯re all pretty decent on our own,¡± he said, meeting Becky¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯ll give us all the time we need to get to you. Tommaso can fall back. I¡¯ll just kill whoever.¡± The more he thought about it the more it made sense. ¡°I say we each take a tunnel. They won¡¯t see me, won¡¯t know if I¡¯m on my own or with one of you. I expect they¡¯ll be too worried about me and just stay back and guard their gs. We get to their end, and I pick my target. You separate them with a wall, if you can. If not, we just bring them down in a straight fight. What do you think?¡± Becky¡¯s face scrunched up as she considered. But she nodded. ¡°OK, y¡¯all,¡± she said, giving a now customary, and very endearing wink, which Carl seriously hoped Tommaso didn¡¯t think was personal interest. ¡°I¡¯ll take the middle. See you on the flip side.¡±
Chapter 423: Something useful Chapter 423: Something useful Ad smashed her de off the¡­clear metal, or whatever it was, and shook her head. Chinua stared at the corridors and held back his swear. His team¡¯s strength was in unity, in teamwork. This ce had clearly been designed to screw with them. He took somefort in the knowledge the system must have felt the enemy team needed an advantage. Ad and Julio just waited, looking out at the enemy and waiting for Chinua to decide. If they had anything particrly insightful to add, they would. Otherwise they trusted him to make their strategy. It was a faith he did not take for granted. ¡°All that matters is their rogue,¡± Chinua said, mostly to himself. ¡°We cannot know which tunnel he¡¯ll take. And we cannot split up.¡± ¡°So we wait,¡± said Julio, one hand on the top of a corridor/tunnel as he looked inside. ¡°We could let them get halfway then go murder that weak guy.¡± ¡°He¡¯s irrelevant,¡± Chinua said. Though of course, he realized, with the gs in y he actually wasn¡¯t. Not entirely. But they would never let him reach their g, or else their own end to capture it. So Chinua¡¯s original calction remained correct. They had to kill the rogue. Two choices went back and forth through his mind, and he knew he had to decide soon or his enemy would move first. Hold, he thought, or charge? ¡°Weave me a Wind,¡± he said, wanting the option as he continued to weigh. ¡°Pick any corridor. Go now.¡± Julio didn¡¯t hesitate, moving his hands in the power¡¯s circr pattern as he stepped to the right side. Chinua let out a deep breath as he watched the other team start moving. The tank went down the middle. The weak ranged to the left. The rogue vanished from view, and probably went with one of the others. The tank, if Chinua had to guess. They would expect him to wait, no doubt, and guard the tunnel exits, or try to attack one of them while protecting their gs. But Chinua had been a soldier far too long to let his enemy seize the initiative¡ªto let them dictate the terms of battle. And he wasn¡¯t afraid of chaos. ¡°We go with the Wind. If they don¡¯t fall back, we take the rogue¡¯s g, ande straight to nt it. If they¡¯re faster, we meet them in the tunnel. Inbat, we kill the rogue on sight, the range on opportunity. You don¡¯t touch the tank until the others are down. Period. Be ready for newmands.¡± ¡°Roger,¡± Ad confirmed. Julio just kept on weaving. This was for the finals now, and a desperately needed reward. And it was time to show these westerners they weren¡¯t the only powerful yers¡ªthat Chinua and his would be an asset, and also not to be trifled with. He waited for the arcane power, counting in his mind to keep his heart rate steady. It was an old trick since his first battle as a boy¡ªsomething he could control, despite the drugs forced and coursing through his veins, the heavy rifle in his hands. Even in the thick of battle, Chinua rarely got excited now. His hands were steady. His mind was sharp. It was time to show his ¡®enemy¡¯ what a lifetime of war had wrought. * * * ¡°Sheeit, they¡¯rein¡¯ fast!¡± Becky yelled through the tunnel barrier, and Carl winced as he saw them charge. They certainly were. Right at him. Could they somehow see him with their powers? He fucking hoped not. And he obviously couldn¡¯t fight them alone in the little space. But then¡­he didn¡¯t have to. Though he could very likely warp past them and try to get at the weaker targets¡­ Except they¡¯d probably expect that and maybe space themselves out. Or have some trick¡­it was definitely a huge risk. ¡°Becky, fall back!¡± he shouted, hoping it didn¡¯t give his position away yet. ¡°Tommaso, keep going. Go get a damn g!¡± The Italian sprinted away as Becky turned and ran back for their side of the arena. Carl wavered as he watched the enemy teaming, ultimately deciding to fall back. At least for a minute. He wanted to get to the ¡®end¡¯ of that damn line-buff power. The thing was enormous. It almost made it to the very end of the corridor, but Carl went just past it and waited. Becky was almost outside now, the enemy teaming in fast. Too fast. They almost beat her, but not quite. Carl sighed with relief as she got close enough and he felt the aegis-hug wrap around his body. This wasn¡¯t what he¡¯d expected or really wanted from this fight, but it didn¡¯t look like he had a choice. He nced at Becky, and he could see she knew it was go-time. His heart pounded in his chest, but Carl decided to win this fight he had to go big, and trust in his powers. He filled the tunnel with a trapped and condensed Color Spray, putting up an Exploding Clone a momentter¡ªbefore warping straight at the spearman in the front. Time slowed as usual as his body propelled itself in a kind of incorporeal state. He blinked and focused every shred of his perception, tuned to any warning from his upgraded Prescience power. He passed through the spearman, into the expected small gap behind him, to what was clearly the waiting ring-tosser. Carl had no trick. No special move to counter the expected strike. All he had was faith in Becky, a lot of speed, and a mean God damn dagger. Ring-tosser cried out and went for it, lunging or maybe diving right at him with unstoppable momentum. Carl pretended to try and dodge. Then he struck with Surprise Strike. He collided with Ring-tosser in a brutal sh of magical and kic energy, the woman¡¯s frightening de sting into his face with horrifying speed and uracy. He jammed his dagger into her exposed gut like a prison shanking. The guy at the back was doing¡­something. But it sure as hell wasn¡¯t enough. Weird symbols and blue-tinged energy was spraying over everything, the sound like a steam engine mixed with bad sci-fi from the 80s. Carl felt his Aegis get brutally smashed, faster maybe than he¡¯d ever seen except from his fight with ke. It was impressive. It was somewhat frightening. It wasn¡¯t enough. The first trumpet red as Carl dropped his enemy, trying not to notice the feel of her severed spine as it bounced off his arm. She was pretty much in two pieces, the bloody mess covering everything as Carl stood up and met eyes with the support behind. Prescience shed. Carl warped straight ahead again with his Leap, just enough slowed time to nce at the ming spear stab straight through where his head had been. He zipped right through the support and turned back to murder him, but the guy wisely fled towards his friend. Becky was making noise now, swinging her mace and trying without much sess to get the attention of the fellow with the spear. Carl ducked another fiery javelin. Or so he thought. This one hit the low roof and exploded, sending a cluster of fiery sparks that red off Carl¡¯s failing Aegis and squeezing his teeth. He decided it was probably time to fall back. Because that spearman in a narrow tunnel was a damn problem. Carl could hit him and get away out in the open, but he had no interest in any kind of ¡®exchange of blows¡¯. The support was easy picking on his own, too, but not stuck to the other man like a buffing shadow. But Carl was fully aware he didn¡¯t actually have to do anything. Because Tommaso was theoretically en route with a g. Hopefully the right g. ¡°With me,¡± ordered the spearman, literally running past Becky like she wasn¡¯t swinging a mace at his face. ¡°Block them off!¡± Carl shouted, but it was toote. The spearman and his support blew by and made it to the gs, obviously intending to get between Tommaso and any kind of capturing effort. There wasn¡¯t much space there, the walls handily at the spearman¡¯s back and protective enough to keep Carl from warping in except from the front. Becky stepped away, but the spearman smashed another javelin near her head and she couldn¡¯t just stand there and take it. Probably. Either way she backed into the tunnel, and for a moment the two pairs of yers just stared and obviously tried to decide what to do. Tommaso was about halfway back now in their tunnel. ¡°The damn thing slows you down,¡± he called as if struggling. ¡°And if I drop it she goes back all the way.¡± ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t drop it,¡± Carl said, deciding whether or not he should run around to another tunnel and at leaste at the enemy hidden again. He supposed he could do it just as well from this one. But he also preferred not to take a spear in the face. ¡°How¡¯s the mana?¡± he whispered. Becky shrugged, obviously annoyed with herself for not dropping a wall in time. ¡°Can¡¯t hold your shield much longer. But I can do my own shit.¡± Carl nodded. ¡°Go annoy them. If they keep hurting you, blow them up. I¡¯ll wait for the opportune moment.¡± ¡°And how will I know if I¡¯m gonna blow you up along with them?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Carl frowned. ¡°Give me a one second warning.¡± ¡°Should I throw some fire, boss?¡± Tommaso asked. ¡°We can cook ¡®em out.¡± Carl was pretty sure that spearman was going to put a javelin through Tommaso¡¯s heart the second he stepped out. ¡°Stay back for now. Be very cautious. But if you see a chance, feel free.¡± A secondter, Becky swung her mace and charged out to bash some heads. The spearman watched here with passive eyes, and made no attempt to attack. When she arrived and swung, he just moved away, blocked it off his shield, or rammed her back with a brutal shove. It almost looked easy. The guy at the back was weaving his arms again, and Carl didn¡¯t like the look of it. They hardly knew what the guy¡¯s powers did, despite watching quite a few matches. Carl stood there watching, battling indecision until he finally decided to wait until the power was done then step out and see what he could do. The weaving ended with a pop. A blue fog moved down the ramp with a slight wind. When it touched Becky she recoiled, and ran.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°It drains fucking mana. And energy!¡± she yelled, then cried out as the spearman shoved his spear between her legs just to trip her, sending her tumbling down the ramp. Carl saw actual panic in Becky¡¯s eyes. Apparently they¡¯d run out of time. He activated Simcrum and warped, his cloneunched at the leader while Carl went for the support. The dangerous spearman seemed to sense the moment and red with power before stomping his foot. A shockwave rippled through the ground, but made no difference to the warping Carl. He passed through the slow-mo swing of the spear, appearing directly beside Wind-boy with his dagger on the hunt. He rammed the impossibly sharp de into the man¡¯s side with a satisfying squish, ducking as the man swung his police-baton like stick into the wall in a desperate attempt to hold Carl back. He expected the spearman to try and kill him, but relied on his clone and Prescience as he kept stabbing, dropping the poor support to another trumpet re. Except there were two trumpet res. Carl turned to find his clone has somehow vanished. And Becky impaled on the ground. He blinked in shock, realizing his mana too had been damn near sucked dry the second he¡¯d arrived in the mist. It must have dispelled his clone, too. He wasn¡¯t sure how he¡¯d kill that spearman without mana, but he was moving forward before he really considered it. He managed to dodge the first spear with good old fashioned agility,ing in and looking at that wide shield with no idea how he¡¯d get around. The spearman roared and threw another spear, this one way off target. Carl still didn¡¯t know how he¡¯d get in past that guard and reach, but he lurched to the side and went to make his move. Another trumpet red. For a horrible moment Carl realized the man hadn¡¯t missed at all. He must have thrown it at Tommaso. Then the big warrior¡¯s face went ck, and he dropped to the ground. Carl turned to see Tommaso slump against the wall, a bloody spear through his thigh, leaning on the nted g. He winked just before the arena vanished.
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 426: Don’t say God Chapter 426: Don¡¯t say God ke shivered as he was forced from Carl''s mind. He was in his consciousness for the final seconds¡ªhe felt the moment the system interfered, somehow wiping everything clean like a disinfected countertop. ke''s perception tumbled out with not the slightest chance to resist, a fly swatted from the corpse of Carl''s dying brain. The final trumpet red. Fake apuse roared in ke''s ears as thousands of fake people pped from the fake arena. He only had enough time to find a smiling Seul-ki and a barely rising Annie before the world started to fade. [Title gained: Arena Team Champion. +2 to primary statistic] ke sighed and allowed himself a satisfied grin. Carl would be¡­shaken, after the temporary mental destruction, and Mason would be angry. But that was partially the point. ke intended to make sure Phuong and whatever other ''officers'' Mason gained maintained a healthy level of terror of him. Maybe then they''d hesitate in ughtering any of the non-humans ke intended to protect and employ. And the easterners were supposed to think ke and Mason were at odds. For his many strengths, Mason wasn''t much of an actor. He needed to be genuinely angry to convince the emperor''s people some sort of rift could be made between the brothers. Screwing with Carl''s brain had really killed two birds with one stone. Or three, if you counted winning the tournament. Which ke definitely did. His vision faded totally to ck, and he expected to blink and see the Neutral Zone again, both his ally yers ready to cheer and celebrate their victory. Instead the darkness lingered. And lingered. ke blinked again and again, eventually trying his limbs in the total ckness, feeling like he could move but with no idea ''where'' he was. Or if he was. Had the system somehow screwed up his teleport? "Boring, isn''t it? The universe.¡± A confident, almost melodic male voice was all that existed. It echoed like it spoke in some old cathedral, a kind of power reverberating in its tone. ke felt his heart speed up, his mouth went dry. ¡°This is mostly what it is,¡± continued the voice. ¡°Nothingness stretched and rolled on forever, and ever, and ever..." "If this is the universe," ke said, licking his lips. "Where are the stars?" "Oh they''re rare enough. In the grand scheme of things. But¡­as you wish." ke shielded his face as star-light flipped on like amp, surrounding him in every direction with tiny dots of multi-colored beauty. He looked down at himself floating in space, somehow able to breathe and...you know, not die. "Who are you? Where are you?" he asked. "In our office," said the voice, sounding amused. "Tell us, why did you give up rulership of your little settlement? Why would you ever give up power? Did you fear your own ''brother''? The small number of yers youmanded?" ke blinked, trying to sharpen his wits. Whatever this was, it clearly wasn''t an ident. It was therefore one of the system''s tests, some kind of ''god'' or potential system patron as Mason had described. ke sensed the opportunity and tried not to salivate or seem too eager. To pass a test with potential patron meant figuring out what the thing wanted, which might be easier said than done. But ke had always been very good at passing tests. "Short term pain for long term gain," he said with a shrug, as if it was obvious. "Exin," said the voice, with far less amusement. OK, ke decided. Confident good, arrogant bad. You have to exin yourself without insulting this thing''s intelligence. Assume it has considered every possibility and wants to know which is correct. "I can''t be everywhere," ke said. "My brother was happy to manage the yers and settlement. But only I could begin my work with the other humanoids. Eventually we''ll converge and be more powerful." "You mean the House of Mason will be more powerful,¡± echoed the voice. "No." ke shook his head. "Well. Yes. But that serves me. My brother is a loyal ally, powerful, with no ambition. Soon I''ll make my own house, and with every race permitted I expect it to grow beyond any current human house. Though they''ll be wee, too. Mason will kill this emperor eventually. When he dies I''ll take his casters, the thinkers, anyone I think matters in the long term." "To what end?" said the voice, tone more neutral now. For a moment ke had no idea what to say. It was the pivotal question, of course, and the real answer was something like ''to beat roboGod''. But he was pretty sure these system ''gods'' weren''t exactly in on the game. They were more like super-powered elves or orcs¡ªpart of the world-building, unable to see beyond the fourth wall. Probably. "You should know," said the voice, with an almost amused warning. "We will know if you lie." A lie, ke decided. And an almost transparent one¡ªas if it amused the thing to y some kind of game they both understood. ke took a breath. "To keep every option open," he said finally. "To shape reality on any given day, to change the world how I choose, even if no one understands. To make the whole world dance to my tune, even if only I can hear the music." The voice said nothing for a time. Then itughed with a thousand voices and something pped like pping hands. Bright lights red and formed strange, incoherent shapes that tickled at ke''s mind, as if they might mean something but he couldn''t figure out what. "Good," said the voice. "Very good. You''ve amused us, ke Nimitz. We think you''ll go on amusing us. We can offer no higher praise. Ask your questions now before we grow bored." It hadn''t answered the question of who it was, but ke knew asking again would be a mistake. What was all this ''we'' about? He had to think. If the Swede from the Arcane Order was correct, it would be associated with one of the affinities, and somehow associated with ''order or chaos''. Of course it was entirely possible the man was wrong. But at least the affinity association seemed clear. And it seemed more likely that ''gods'' from your affinity would be more likely to show interest. ke had two: Arcane, and Psionic. So which was this thing? The....location of their meeting likely mattered. ke wasn''t at all sure he was physically here at all, which made him think this was all in his mind, and might indicate it was psionic. On the other hand, it seemed entirely possible an arcane god could either use mental magic or else transport him to some kind of alternate ne that seemed like the same damn thing. By the thing''s...capricious seeming words, ke would have guessed it fell more towards the ''chaos'' side than the ''order''. If that was even correct. I just don''t know enough, he thought, knowing he had to answer. He decided humility was best. "I don''t know your name," he said. "But my guess is you''re a god of psionic magic." "Don''t say ''god''," the voice said with disgust. "''Gods'' think they''re eternal. We know nothing is eternal. And don''t say ''psionic magic''. This is an absurdity. A contradiction in terms. Psionics are entirely different than magic, which uses a second-order, lesser, manipted form of energy. We don''t use parlor tricks. We don''t use stencils to draw our shapes. We use the energy as it is. In its purest form." "You keep saying we." ke licked his lips. "Who do you mean?" "Don''t bore us, little maker. Don''t ever bore us. We are the wise and privileged few who wield energy in its purest form. We are they who can shape time, and space, and thought." "What do you want from me? Why am I here? And why did you call me a ''little maker''?" "So many questions. Are you not a maker of things? As to what we want...we haven''t decided," said the voice, almost petntly. "But the others are collecting toys and we don''t have any. Gambling is more fun when you have a stake. Are you going to y to win against the horned god''s toy?" ke blinked as his mind raced.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "I''m not going to try and beat Mason in the tournament, if that''s what you mean." "Of course it is," the voice snapped, then sighed. "Then we''re not sure we do want anything from you, little maker. You''ll only fail like all the others. We don''t y games we cannot win." ke grit his teeth as he felt the power around him starting to move, starting to leave. "Wait," he called, activating Mental Influence to try and get some better idea of where the thing was or what it was doing. His vision red with possibility as he did¡ªa swirling maelstrom of minds that looked somewhere between jellyfish and Japanese dragons, flying in loops and whorls around him. "I''ve told you. He''s my ally. Fighting him doesn''t serve me. I want to win in the end. Not every step along the way." "That sounds terribly tedious." The voice yawned. Then hardened. "And like a lie. We think you''re just afraid. Afraid because you know you''ll lose. Goodbye, little maker. Thank you for the amusement. Even if it was very brief." "Wait!" ke felt something like panic as the energy swirled and drifted further away. Would he get another chance if he lost this one? Would another god be more sympathetic to his thinking, more interested in his ns? And how the hell did he attract their attention in the first ce? For all his confusion and questions, he knew he wouldn''t be getting answers. The Neutral Zone returned just as he''d expected, almost dull nowpared to the swirling lights of whatever the hell that was. Seul-ki and Annie were both smiling and lifting sses filled with champagne. "What took you so long?" Annie stuck out her tongue as she twisted the cork, clearly struggling to find just the right amount of strength to use. ke put on his usual mask of confidence, but the experience with the ¡®god¡¯ had deeply disturbed him. He tried and failed toe up with some kind of amusing joke before he watched the text swirl into his profile. [New Objective: Defeat Mason Nimitz in the arena. Reward: Divine Patronage.] He stared and felt the words dry on his tongue, a swirling cocktail of emotion rippling through him. "ke? Are you alright?" Seul-ki put down her ss and came forward, her exotic eyes full of concern. "You look pale." ke fought a moment of dizziness as he sat down, feeling almost numb as he tried to imagine doing what the thing was asking. Fight Mason for real? Try to kill him in the arena? The ''god'' was right. The thought was terrifying. ke and Mason had always got along so well partially because they didn''tpete. They had different talents, different strengths and weaknesses, different interests. Even different taste in women. Nothing had ever put them at cross-purposes for long. Or was that just something ke told himself? A kind of cope for always putting himself above Mason''s interests, assuming he''d alwayse along? He clenched a fist, angry that all it took for him to question his rtionship with his brother was some damn super-carrot dangled by the system. He took a breath and pat Seul-ki''s hand. "I''m alright," he said, giving her a smile. But he didn''t need the cunning Korean''s piercing stare, or a psionic god to question him. As he heard the words out loud, ke didn''t even believe himself.
Chapter 427: The very last time Chapter 427: The veryst time Phuong and his team came out of the final six man match looking five years older. They all copsed around a table, a few putting their hands to Alex or Phuong in silence before they started to grin a little. "Christ Jesus that was close," Seamus said. "Bein¡¯ honest, I don''t even fecking know what happened." Mason hardly knew either, and he''d been watching. It was the best eastern team left, which included his shadow rogue friend, some caster, and a host of hybrid types. They''d been forced to fight in a far more confined space than usual, with long halls connectingrger rooms defended by traps. Or constructs. Or huge, self-repairing doors. The teams had first each held a room as a kind of base, then had to decide on ways to attack the other without getting ughtered. There''d been secret doors and tunnels, teleporters, small constructs they could ''recruit'', and half a dozen otherplications. Both teams had split up and started trying to use every tool at their disposal, and pretty soon Mason lost track of what the hell was going on. But he''d definitely seen his rogue friend catch and kill Jason in one of the darker halls. After that, things got pretty wild. "It was Retribution," Alex said, after the silence gave way to frenzied conversation. "I channel. Get back mana. Use before die." Phuong had been the literalst man standing, also near death as he fought in thest battle that imed everyone else. The final yers on both sides had died in a vicious brawl in the Nassau team''s ''base'', including Alex and thest two yers on the eastern team. But apparently Alex had gone out with a bang. "You can do that?" Garet asked. Alex just shrugged. Then the men were allughing and pping the Brusian''s back, teleporting drinks and going over their own moments of glory in intricate detail. Mason went and congratted them, trying to give each a moment of praise for something he''d seen inside. As usual, it was impossible to tell if Alex was pleased or not. Rather thanpliment him on any particr action, Mason decided just to say what he meant. "Thank you. For helping them win. I know you...don''t enjoy any of this. But you''re a vital part of Nassau. I hope you know that." Alex shrugged as if it wasn''t important. He seemed as if he had no intention of saying anything else, but as Mason went to go talk to another man he cleared his throat. "I enjoy," he said. "Living in Nassau. The people are good. Not a problem. But maybe¡­we need music, ah? Maybe we make a room for music." Mason just nodded and gave a tight-lipped smile, never quite sure how to talk to the man. It would help if he spoke in his native tongue, certainly, but for whatever reason he always preferred his limited English. After joining the winning team for a drink, Haley came to remind him it was time, and he hurried back to watch Carl and ke''s re-match without the others. Again he hadn''t intervened or tried to set any rules, letting them decide how to handle it. Though he''d told Becky to surrender if her shield went down. Not that she particrly listened. This time there was no waiting around. The yers rushed almost right out of the gate, and Mason tried to rx as he watched, feeling Haley''s hands gripped tensely on his arm. Tommaso went down pretty fast and Mason found he didn''t even enjoy that. Becky fought Annie and the constructs. And it looked like ke had decided to y ''fair'', and Carl might actually get his chance to end things in a hurry... But his attempt failed. Then he was screaming and ke was clearly using his mind powers. Mason winced, wondering why the hell he felt he needed to do that when he could have just beat them pretty much the same way. It went on and on, then Carl warped away and vanished. Little hairs rose on Mason¡¯s neck, and he knew what wasing before it happened. Haley''s fingers dug into his arm as Carl stabbed Becky through the chest. Then he broke the control and started freaking out, but only for a second before ke finished him. Just like that, it was over. Mason sat staring at the screen. Little fireworks were going off on a thousand monitors as the system red the 3v3 winning team. His brain warred with itself as he blocked out the fake apuse. One piece argued that ke''s mind powers were a major part of his ss. That it was perfectly reasonable he used them inbat, that powers weren''t ''good'' or ''bad'' they were just weapons, and you used the weapons you had. The same part told him he hadn''t chosen any of this, that he was forced to fight just like everyone else. A very different part didn''t give a shit. It thrashed like an enraged animal even as Mason saw Becky forming and sitting at a table, perfectly safe and alive, if obviously shaken and disappointed. Carl and Tommaso also shimmered into view, both taking their own seats without a word. The older man was pale, eyes far away and flicking to Becky and away again with obvious shame. What ke had done to him was...cruel. Petty. Almost certainly unnecessary. He''d avoided the ambush and caught him clearly enough. He could have just killed him and dealt with Becky himself. There was no earthly reason for that mind control. So why did he do it? And not just to some stranger. He''d done it to Carl, a friend, and to Becky. Mason''s love for his brother and his hatred of bullies fought like caged animals. "I''ll check on Becky," Haley said, probably sensing Mason''s mood. He nodded and let her go, d when he saw her fight through Becky''s shrugs until the women were hugging and sitting together without a word. The Mason of ¡®old earth¡¯ would have left that balcony, would have run away. Instead he stood and pulled up a chair next to Carl and waited. The older man gave him a half-lipped smile, sipping his drink for awhile before he let out a breath. "I thought she''d..." he shook his head. "It felt like a dream, you know? Like Becky turned on me, like I had no choice. Except it wasn''t even really me. I couldn''t stop it. All I had was a feeling. And it was all wrong." Mason felt the man''s hurt and shame and the angry piece of his brain was starting to win. "It''s not your fault," he said. "It''s just how ke''s powers work. There was nothing you could do." "Yeah." Carl took another sip of his drink. "I''ll be alright. But I''ll be looking for mind defences. I can tell you that. Maybe the civilians can make us something." Mason nodded and forced himself to smile.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "That''s a good idea. We''ll talk to them." And ke can probably help, he didn''t add. Out in the real world, he¡¯s on our team. "You fight him next?" Carl looked up for the first time, and Mason nodded. "He just going to surrender?" "That''s what we agreed.¡± Carl''s head bobbed and he looked at his drink, thumb swiping across the ss. "If he doesn''t." He nced at Reba''s back, the two still not having spoken. "Feel free to hit him once for me, yeah?" Here he snorted like it was a joke. But Mason could see the man''s emotion. He wanted to say ''he didn''t mean to hurt you, it''s just the game''. The piece of his brain that defended ke reflexively had all kinds of arguments loaded and ready. But none reached his tongue. He''d watched a powerful thing rip apart weaker things with something like glee, reveling in his own power even at the expense of friends. A sick feeling welled in Mason''s gut and sent acid up his throat, forcing him to swallow it down. He had to talk to ke. To scream at him and tell him what he''d done wrong. It was probably ignorance. Or maybe he''d made some foolish n to make Mason angry as their show to the easterners, just choosing the wrong way and going too far. Mason could forgive that. It was ssic ke. An ill-conceived n without considering all the details, thinking other people were as resilient or ruthless as him, that they would see the results or the goal and think ''well that makes everything OK''. He stood and went for the stairs, then stopped as ke floated up just outside the balcony. "No invitation required," he said, a big shit eating grin on his face. The son of a bitch even winked. "Just wanted to pass along mypliments to your people. No shame ining in second." Mason found himself at a loss. Was this part of his stupid ''let''s pretend to fight?'' too? It had to be. He needed to get ke out of there, get him alone, scream at him privately until he understood and came back to apologize. He was about to walk forward and gesture for ke to follow when he heard Carl stand up behind him. "No offence, kid, but go fuck yourself." Mason knew his brother well enough to see the displeasure in his eyes. He saw the mask hiding how he really felt, which was clearly bad. So Mason was right, it was part of the stupid act. This came as a bit of a relief, but not much. He''d gone way too far and really hurt people they cared about, even if the scars weren''t obvious. "This isn''t the ce, ke, and it''s definitely not the time. Let''s go for a walk before..." "No need for that," ke said, looking away from Carl as if bored. "I''ll leave the House of Mason alone. I just wanted to tell you our deal''s off. It''ll be a proper match, our little final. Do your worst. Or best. And I''ll do mine. Let''s see if those arcane resistances of yours have kept up." Mason blinked, still caught off guard. What the hell was he ying at now? Did he think they needed to sell the fiction of a conflict with actual physical violence? He wanted to grab the son of a bitch and shake some sense into him. Toe here and wipe his people''s nose in that awful match? To pick a fight with Mason and actually make them hurt each other? Even ''pretend''? "What do you say, idiot? Should we find out who''s really the best?" ke said. Everything but his eyes was still a mask, his words obviously designed to tell Mason it was all for show. That he didn''t really mean it. But he''d fucked up here and Mason didn''t want to y his stupid game. He''d never really cared much about their dumb ruse, and the lengths ke was apparently prepared to go was fucking crazy. Even for him. Mason nced back at a practically trembling Carl, seeing Becky''s big, brown eyes looking at him with a hurt he knew he still needed to figure out and helpfort. He clenched his teeth and met his brother''s eyes. "OK, ke," he said, making sure not to say the words his brother wanted to hear. "Yet again you''re a selfish, ruthless asshole, and now I''m angry. So good work, I guess you win. When this thing puts us in that arena, I''m going to show you how it feels to be everyone but you. And maybe you''ll fucking learn. Privacy mode." The balcony beeped and shimmered as a shield rose up to cover the sides. ke faded from view looking mostly confused, and possibly impressed. Like he was pleased Mason had managed to join his ridiculous game. The stupid bastard. "You really going to hurt him?" Carl said. Mason turned, looking into the watery eyes of the man who''d been loyal since the day they met. He nodded slowly and put a hand on his officer''s shoulder. "That¡¯s the veryst time ke uses his mind powers on anyone in Nassau," he said, knowing as the words left his mouth, he truly meant it. Except probably me in that arena, he realized. But the thought didn¡¯t scare him much. Carl nodded, and pat Mason''s hand before walking back towards Becky, the two smiling a little as they came together for a hug. "You know, he killed me too," Tommaso said miserably from a nearby table. "That fucking cat bit my throat out. And I hate cats." Mason gave him a re, then walked back to his table, trying to figure out exactly what the hell he was going to do. To protect his people. To make ke truly understand it wasn''t just them against the world anymore. That other people mattered, and not just as pawns in whatever stupid game he was ying. He wasn''t clear. But he was getting an idea. And he was pretty sure it involved pain.
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 429: If that’s how you want it Chapter 429: If that¡¯s how you want it It was a long hour before Mason''s final match against his brother. Haley and Becky offered to...distract him, maybe even go get Rosa and Lexi to help...but Mason didn''t want the oblivion of beautiful flesh. OK, he did. But with all four girls an hour wasn''t enough. And he didn''t want to meet ke feeling anything except the currently cool anger still simmering in his chest. His yers all came in support, but once they''d sensed his mood they sat at their own tables and drank and ate andughed, politely ignoring him. He paced around the balcony, eventually Calling Streak and walking out towards the promenade. "Want somepany, Patron?" Phuong asked as he reached the stairs, and he smiled in thanks but shook his head. "I''ll see you after." The man nodded, and a few yers raised their drink in his direction, then he was down to the floor level and walking as his mind churned. He felt the eyes and tried to ignore them. It seemed every yer hade down now for the finals and no doubt to see (or receive) their rewards. He walked the winding paths around the artwork and pools, almost none of which had ever seemed to be used by the yers. Another miscalction by their synthetic god, Mason supposed, fighting down the contempt and hate. "Hard to predict, are we?" he muttered. "Don''t behave like good little ants. What''ll you do if we all just stop. If we all sit here and refuse to y your stupid game. What then?" He realized he probably looked crazy as he marched around talking to himself, but he just didn''t care. He felt his pace increase, felt Streak''s impatience and matching mood beside him, ready to hunt, ready to kill. "Where''s the new objective, you son of a bitch? Shouldn''t I get a cookie for killing my brother?" Mason kicked some sculpture so hard it smashed off its pir, flying a good twenty feet before sshing into a pool. The system beeped with a gentle sound. [Please refrain from any kind of violence in the promenade,] intoned a polite voice. [Intimidating fellow yers may result in an infraction.] Mason snorted and kicked another sculpture over. "Yeah? What''ll you do? What''ll happen to your big, exciting finale without mean old Mason of House Mason?" He kicked over another sculpture, and the silence was deafening. Heughed and picked up another, this time smashing it with his forehead, which took two hits and hurt both times. The thing must have been made of some kind of harder stone. It looked Greek and was probably some famous work. A nearby table of yers gasped and one woman literally shrieked. Mason walked over and set the broken sculpture''s hand on their table. "I''m not scaring you, am I?" The young woman shook her head slowly, looking extremely intimidated. Mason growled and walked back towards the path, angry at himself, but a lot angrier at roboGod. It wasn''t these people''s fault. And it wasn''t his, either. How could anyone stay sane in this polished piece of hell? So far he''d been thinking there wasn''t a damn thing he could do about it. But as he walked and smashed the asional piece of art he started to realize, maybe sparked after watching his own image on video: this thing wanted drama. What could be better than two brothers fighting for first prize? Might versus magic. Brain versus brawn. It was fucking Shakespearean. But Mason wasn''t some mindless, helpless pawn in this fictional game. He could say no. And what the hell could this thing do to force him? Threaten to torture and kill the rest of humanity? At least things would be more in. At least if it did that, all the gloss and shine woulde off and show this thing for what it was. ke was getting lost in the fiction and needed correcting, that was true. But almost everything wrong with ke and everyone else was because this thing was giving them superpowers, immortality, obscene objectives to bring out their worst natures. It was time Mason took back some control. As he kept pacing around the promenade, and the final minutes ticked down to seconds, he finally stopped and felt a moment of peace. Go on, he thought, as his vision darkened before the thing sent him to the arena. Offer me things. Offer me power. I don''t care. It was time to see what the machine god would do if its leading champion decided to quit. That its stupid game didn¡¯t deserve to be yed. Let it go on and threaten him. Force him to do what it wanted by putting a knife to innocent people¡¯s throats. At least everyone would be reminded who the real enemy was. * * * Mason opened his eyes in the holding cell, hand moving to Streak''s side reflexively. It was the same as all the others, but he expected the arena above to be something wild, probably timed, designed to make the finalists fight. Mason''s first order of business would be breaking it. He felt Streak''s confusion and gave him a scratch. "We''re not doing it this time, buddy. No hunting. No eating. But I''m d you''re with me." The wolf did his version of shrug, growl/whining as he flopped down and yawned. Mason felt shockingly calm as the seconds ticked away, wondering what exactly ke intended. If he wanted to put on a show he''d probably make a bunch of constructs and say a bunch of nonsense. Mason would break them, or ignore them, until the idiot ran out of mana. Worst case, he¡¯d make him say uncle like they were kids again. The gears clicked, and the metal slid with greased precision as Mason rose up into a well-lit, roofed arena. It was far more open than he expected. It looked like a half sphere, with a high roof maybe a few hundred feet in the center. Covering damn near every piece of it except the floor looked like stic grips, the kind you might find at a rock-climbing ce. tforms were scattered above, connected to the roof with metal bars to hang a good hundred feet up and more. Mason could see a variety of things on those tforms, though he couldn''t make out exactly what. All he could really identify was what looked like floating blue spheres. It wasn''t a natural environment. Of course. In fact everything looked metallic and dark, a bit like the sci-fi ship Mason had watched in Alien with Lexi and Rosa. Though that event wasn''t a very helpful thought in this particr moment... As he turned and scanned the arena he saw ke on the far side. Or at least he saw ke''s work. Two big constructs and a square metal...wall were blocking the view. Mason sighed and walked towards them, no intention now of hurting his brother now that the anger had gone. At least not if he could avoid it. "I''m not doing this shit, ke," he called. "I''ll kick your ass for Carl back in the ''real'' world. On our terms. Without all this horseshit. So let''s just...not. OK?" For several seconds nothing much changed. Mason kept walking slowly towards his brother''s constructs, no weapons summoned, Streak loping behind him thinking about sleep. And possibly barbecue. "OK who''s been feeding you?" Mason turned and hissed then shook his head. "You''d better not be used to it. Back home you''re eating dry stupid bird like the rest of us." The wolf quirked its head and licked its lips, simple brain desperately fighting the image of a tall, blonde woman that slowly formed no matter how it might try to hide or cover it... "Haley." Mason narrowed his eyes. "You cunning bastard. She''s the only one I won''t punish, and you probably know that. But I can still..." "Are we going to put on a show, or do you need to talk to your dog some more?" Mason winced and turned at ke''s voice. "Didn''t you hear me? We''re not doing this." "So you''re surrendering?" Mason rolled his eyes. "Don''t make me smash all your shit. You have no chance. Constructs? Please. And your Arcane sts are going to be like..." A half dozen whistling sounds came from above, and Mason leapt and swatted at least one spear away with a Sleeve before another hit his shoulder. One re-directed, probably with Telekinesis, and managed to clip Mason''s cheek, scraping a bloody line before it bounced off his armor and stuck in the ground. The pain focused Mason¡¯s thoughts even as he felt the wound closing. "I''m not joking, ke. I don''t care about your ns. I''m done with this shit. I just wanna go home." "You never did care about my ns, brother. And I''m tired of exining them. So just surrender," ke called again.@@novelbin@@ Mason could smell the stink of more arcane magic. "Stop it. I''m not kidding. I''m not ying your stupid game and I''m not ying it''s stupid game. Surrender out, if you want. Or we can just sit here and see what it does. But piss me off and I''ll hold you down and make you look like an idiot." The floor thumped as ke''s two big constructs came lumbering forward. Mason balled his hands into fists, the cold anger he''d been pushing down glowing again as his brother dropped ember after ember. No one could get him riled quite like ke. He activated Aspect of the Cheetah and charged, still not bothering with his ws. The first clumsy construct reached out to grab him, and Mason weaved past its grip and smashed a fist into its hip. The crack echoed around the coliseum, followed by the sound of thousands of fake, roaring people bouncing around the walls. Mason hit twice more, dodging the arms before he fell back and grinned at the stumbling construct. He nced at the walls as he realized they''d grown transparent. It even looked like the stands were filled with people, though Mason assumed it was all as fake as the apuse. Now that he was looking around he also realized ke was creating more tforms, rising all the way up to the ones above. Something like cables were growing and connecting them, and at the same time Mason could see his brother was vaporizing some of the hand-hold grips on the sphere. "God damnit, ke," Mason muttered, no idea what his brother was up to. But whatever was up on those tforms was probably an issue Mason was going to have to deal with. And the longer he screwed around down here the worse it was likely to get. So now the son of a bitch was going to make Mason climb around like a monkey in roboGod''s zoo. "OK," he said, gesturing for Streak to keep on the constructs. "If that''s how you want it." He raced for the sphere''s closest wall, ready to climb at full speed.
Chapter 430: Just a game Chapter 430: Just a game Mason raced up the curved wall towards his brother and the tforms. He knew his climbing speed up the hand and footholds would be ridiculous, but for a moment his brain tried to contrast his time on earth against his current ability, and just about shut down in amazement. He practically flew up the wall, instinctively grabbing the holds and leaping or pulling himself up in big jumps at a time. This was a good thing, because ke was just flying up. And also apparently using his ''Making'' abilities to ''unmake'' handholds near the top.@@novelbin@@ "Whatever''s up here isn''t going to change things," Mason shouted, trying to keep an eye on whatever the hell his brother was doing. Then he noticed something on the wall was...moving. Like maybe some of the handholds were falling off together, severed by one of ke''s spells, or...wait, why did the falling handholds have fangs? He slowlyprehended arge, spider-like...thing, the same colors as the wall. It raced straight towards him, several legs clicking along as two more raised with spear-point ends. Mason climbed on, waiting for the first ded leg to jab. When the construct caught him and tried, he reached out with increasingly inhuman speed, seizing the ck leg just beyond the de, snapping it off with a violent tug. The other came immediately after, but Mason was bored with it already. He let the de strike his hip, turned himself to get a little leverage, then smashed the thing''s bulbous body with a front kick. It went sailing off the wall in silence, shattering most of its limbs when it hit the ground. "There''s more where that came from!" ke called, still making whatever nonsense up on one of the tforms. Mason felt his jaw clench as he kept climbing. As he saw more handholds vanishing he stopped and started activating Shapeshift. "You think I need these?" he growled. "You think you can stop me with stupid tricks?" He shuddered as his body popped and contorted. His fingers and toes curled slightly and grew ws, his limbs lengthening and narrowing, his jaw expanding and growing fangs. It felt disturbingly good as always, like he was loosening some tightened muscle. He dug his ws into the wall, and smiled. Then heunched upward, using all four limbs to grip and hurl himself up as fast as possible. He''d done it several times before the wall he leapt to somehow...vanished. It was like a good three feet of the stic-like surface had just been cut out. Mason growled in rage, scratching and grabbing for something, anything as he fell. He eventually slowed himself with one w, dragging it down the wall until he could jam his other deep enough to stop. ke was hovering again,ing towards him with blue light shining from his eyes. "The orbs are pretty much infinite mana," his brother called with a smile. "Navi thinks they respawn. Isn''t that delightful?" Mason knew it was probably a lie. On the other hand, it was just the kind of ridiculous arena ke would get to fight him. So now what, exactly? Did he just keep climbing and getting knocked down until one of them got bored? "Great. Now how exactly are you going to kill me?" Mason said, trying to brace himself with just his feet. If he could dig in his ws or possibly use two good rests, he decided he could probably get a shot off with his bow... "Not sure yet. But I''lle up with something. I always do." ke started channeling, and Mason summoned his Bow of Anshan. He kicked his wed toes awkwardly just above two of the holds, leaned his body back and drew, releasing a Power Shot just as he lost his bnce and fell. The shot mmed into ke''s shield and red, but didn''t pierce. An Arcane st followed a momentter, shing a gash across Mason''s face, just beneath his eyes. It was a crazy urate shot, and a bit of blood sprayed down his chin. It was also a shallow wound and would heal almost instantly. "Ha! And to think I was aiming for your ws!" Mason caught himself and started climbing again, doing his best to stay m. ke was obviously putting on a show. Goading him. Doing his best to show the eastern continent they''d had a falling out and that ke would be a wee ally. It made a perfectly rational sense, in a very ke kind of way, but Mason didn''t want to do it anymore. First of all, considering how difficult this new world was for everyone, he wasn''t sure their rtionship was strong enough right now to pull it off. They were both changing and ying this game differently, and it was hard enough just to keep an open mind andmunicate properly. Nevermind engage in some kind of¡­secret scheme. Lying and sneaking and betraying were effective tools, no doubt. But they weren''t how you builtsting trust. It was things like this that had already ruined ke''s reputation in Nassau, and Mason decided it was only a matter of time before Mason ruined his, too. But the whole damn world was watching and it wasn''t like he could just say ''I''ve changed my mind, call off the fake betrayal!'' All he''d wanted was for this to be over. And somehow, yet again, it was like roboGod had swooped in with exactly the right pin for his Mason-shaped voodoo doll, and jabbed it in. "I think I''ll try some flyers," ke called. "I have a few new models. Arcanes with a big spear. I''ll be back in a bit. Now stay down there and don''t make me vanish half the wall so you can¡¯t climb up." Mason half closed his eyes as he started channeling. He was torn between a test and trying to end this in a single, devastating st of lightning. But as ke floated further and further he was forced to pick somewhere halfway in between. Mason heard ke''s annoying floating robot call out a warning. But toote. Energy coursed through Mason¡¯s skin as the channel came to an end. He held up a hand and gestured at his escaping brother, and the brilliant bolt lit the ck walls in a sh before the boom. Mason saw just enough to see ke''s shield re. "I can deal with magic now, too!" ke shouted, voice untroubled. "Though that sound was¡­extremely unpleasant. Stop it." Mason sighed, his hope for a quick victorying to an end. Unless this arena started doing something crazy, he saw no obvious way to reliably get up there and deal with a mana-boosted ke in the air. All he could think to do was keep trying now, and quickly, reaching the tforms before ke destroyed too much of the arena walls. With no more thoughts about magic or his bow, Mason dug his ws into the stic, and again started to climb. ke was soon taunting him again. He summoned flying and more spider constructs as promised, and both started trying to skewer Mason as he picked his way past the now holdless section of wall. Mason did his best to fend them off, but just as often let the damn things hit him. His back and limbs were soon a torn up mess of ruined armor and bloody, healing flesh. That it was ke doing this to him felt vaguely impossible, like he was in some kind of awful dream he couldn''t quite grasp. But it was just as hard to believe what he himself intended when he caught his brother. It''s not real, he told himself. It''s just a game. He''ll be fine the moment he wakes up. The stink of arcane magic filled the air as one of ke''s flying constructs seemed to make half its body a spear and dove. Mason twisted and struck it with a Sleeve in the final moment, turning it off course to smash into the wall and drop. Mason''s grip vanished again, the wall around him ''unmade'' in a square. This time when Mason went to catch himself, he felt an invisible force pulling him further from the wall. ke was trying to fling him off with Telekinesis. First Blood red. Mason set his will against the magic, feeling the force like a physical thing trying to find some better purchase on his mass. It soon became obvious it couldn''t move him so much as ''hold'' him. And not for long. After a second of falling, he burst out of the effect and again shed his ws into the wall, climbing back even faster with ever increasing strength. And anger. ke wasn''t taunting anymore. His remaining constructs came back for another round, and he started Making a new metallic wall, like a roof over Mason''s head. Mason reached it and smashed it with a fist, denting it badly. His third strike broke the metal, and he yanked it wider and pulled himself through, scraping himself bloody, then using the small lip as a tform to leap up with all his might. ke hadn''t had the time to get rid of all the holds up near the top of the spherical arena. Masonunched himself easily now, racing across the holds until finally leaping for one of several avable tforms. The metal nged beneath his feet, his wed toes drumming the tform as he stood and stared at his brother only a leap away. "You got a n B?" he growled, walking forward as he flexed a wed hand. It was time to end this.
Chapter 432: First, the cost Chapter 432: First, the cost Apex Predator and First Blood were ring red with warning. Mason felt (and smelled) ke''s magic probing, wrapping around his senses like a poisonous fog. He wanted to pretend he was surprised. But he wasn''t. The son of a bitch was unbelievable. On the back of being chastised for using his powers on Carl, now he was trying to do the same to Mason. And why? What the hell was the point? Did he think he could honestly beat Mason by giving him the world''s worst headache? Or did he think he could somehow make him catatonic and finish him? Mason had known from the beginning that being off limits to his brother''s mind power was a problem. It wasn''t malicious. It was¡­curiosity. ke was like the world''s most annoying cat, running into every room and ying with everything that dangled because he just had to see what happened. If he got pped or sprayed enough he''d move on without much concern. It wasn''t personal, it was just his nature. Today, apparently, it was time to fuck around and find out. Mason mped down with Apex Predator like a steel trap. He felt ke''s Mental Influence cut off and go limp, the cord of the magic severed as Mason soldiered on through the diminishing Telekinesis. A sound like thunder shook his whole body. A screaming,ughing voice followed, echoing around the darkening arena as Mason fought to stay standing. It wasn''t arcane or psionic. It was¡­something else. Something that stunk like sulfur and rotting egg and made Mason gag. With the smell came a kind of mental fog, like Mason was drinking moonshine mixed with paint and losing IQ in the double digits every second. He spun and saw his brother''s hand on his ne. "What...the fuck...is that thing?" he snarled. ke shrugged as if apologetic, but kept one hand on the ne, the other raising with palm held out. Again Mental Influence probed and ripped at Mason like a physical thing, warring with Apex Predator in a kind of mental siege. Mason turned back to his real job. He broke free from the Telekinesis, racing towards the cluster of orbs and shing them one by one with his ws. "Shiiiit," he heard ke cursing behind him. The mental assault was stilling. Again the horrible thunder red with evilughter. Again the stink and closing off of some of Mason''s thoughts. But not enough to matter. Orbs, he thought. Break orbs. Orbs bad. Something was trying to stop him. But it was weak and stupid. Masonughed as he ripped apart the blue spheres, watching the stinking magic leak out and drip off the tform. That''s what you get, he thought, watching them ooze away. Stupid, smelly orbs. "God damnit," said some annoying voice. "Why won''t you just..y down...and let me...have this!" Next, Mason was going to shut up that annoying voice. Then he was going to get rid of that stink. He turned and roared as he raced towards the source of both, fighting the same weak force that thought it could stop him. He felt his muscles growing, his body thickening and getting heavier. He smiled because that''s what always happened before Mason won. He took step after step before he looked up and saw a horrible...creature, with a human face. He froze as he stared, memory whipping through the empty halls of his mind like a hurricane. It had a woman''s face. His woman. The wonderful, beautiful blonde girl he loved was hissing and slithering towards him. But that made no sense. She had the body of a snake, and her jaw distended to bite with big fangs. Mason caught her by the throat. Why would she betray him? And more importantly, why was she a snake? These were questions Mason seemed no longer capable of answering. But it was a trick. It had to be. He roared in fury and snapped off its monstrous head, knowing only there was a thing hurting him and it was going to die. He heard a sound, a terrible sound. Then a boom and moreughter,ughter that shook the world in reds and purples and washed over him like a wave on the beach. And it was filled with snakes. Why was it always fucking snakes? Mason screamed and tried to get them off. He looked at his hands and saw ws, but that made no sense. What was he wearing? Some kind of green and brown leather covered in fur? Except the hair¡­it was his. Why was he so hairy? And why did everything stink? He fought against something that was trying to lock his limbs but he couldn''t see any rope or chains or anything at all. It felt a little like water except he could breathe. Where was he? Why the hell did his head hurt so much? And what was that smell? He blinked and looked up to see a face. A familiar face, somehow, though he had almost nothing left in his mind to grasp. The face flickered with a little blonde haired, blue eyed boy with a wide, impish smile. He looked like a devious angel, and Mason heard the whisper of a name but forgot it. It didn¡¯t matter. This was his brother. His family. And he would know it anywhere. He smiled with relief as he stumbled forward. "What''s happening?" he asked, taking step after step to get to his brother, fighting against the strange force stopping him. "Are you alright? Are you OK?¡± He couldn''t remember his brother''s name. This confused and enraged him, like someone had stolen it. And his brother''s face was¡­pale, and blue. He was grabbing at his throat, at some kind of jewelry around his neck. He was in pain. Mason threw off the force holding him back and sprinted to his brother just as he fell. He caught him and eased him to the strange metal tform, trying not to hurt him with his monstrous hands. It made no sense. It had to be a nightmare. It had to be. His brother was gasping for air with panic in his eyes. Mason tried to pull at the jewelry, to slip one of his big, unwieldy fingers underneath and snap it. But he couldn''t do anything. He was afraid he¡¯d hurt his brother with his stupid, useless ws. How the hell did you even get this on? he wanted to shout. "Help!" he roared, looking for someone, anyone. But they were alone¡ªalone in some awful ce, far above the ground. He looked into his brother''s bulging eyes and felt tears down his cheek. "How do I help? I can''t...I can''t think." He put his hands to his head and winced at the pain. His brother was dying. There was something in his brain trying to tell him something, that he could do something to his brother''s throat, open it somehow to help him breathe. But he didn''t know how. He didn''t understand. And he was too afraid to just sh at it with his nightmarish hands. His brother''s eyes had rolled back. The strange force finally stopped trying to crush him. The head ache and fog was clearing ever so slightly, but not fast enough. Mason dropped to his brother''s chest and gripped him, feeling his body shake with a broken sob. "I''m sorry," he said, his voice strange and alien. "I''m sorry." He twitched as some kind of instrument red. He thought maybe help wasing. Then all around him, from every side of this awful ce, he saw people standing and watching him through some kind of ss. He tried to call for help, but his voice was drowned out by the never-ending sound of pping hands. They pped and pped as his brother died. And he screamed in rage and swiped at their stupid faces. But it made no difference, either. * * * ke woke and grabbed for his throat. For a moment he stared into the endless darkness, wondering if he was truly dead. All he could see was thest look in Mason''s eyes. The confusion. The terror. The love. As his mind had broken down from the series of Mind Rends, he must have forgotten what they were doing or why. He''d clearly had almost nothing left. The final thing his mind, the veryst thing besides his name he¡¯d held onto, was his memory of ke. So. Maybe this was hell. Maybe it was time to sit in darkness and see nothing but the innocence in Mason''s eyes, trapped with the knowledge of his own betrayal. All ke¡¯s reasons and justifications suddenly felt like ash in his mouth. What in the name of God had he done? A tear dripped down his cheek as he saw his brother''s eyes. It was like he''d looked up into two green suns, the imprints burnt into his vision. What had he been doing? How had he convinced himself to do something like that to Mason? And for what? "Very good. Very entertaining," said a melodic voice in the darkness. ¡°You like these, don¡¯t you?¡± A million stars blinked into existence, and ke felt the presence of the same ''god'' that had somehow summoned him before. A lot of thoughts went through his mind. Fuck you to start, for giving an objective to hurt his brother. Followed possibly by what do you want? Or just leave me alone. But it got more opportunistic after that... "You almost had him, you know," said the voice. "You broke the mind of the horned god''s monster. You almost had him." "Yes," ke said, feeling bile rise to his throat. "I''m d someone enjoyed it." Laughter. From every direction. Some cruel, some genuine, some¡­insane. ke was reminded he wasn''t talking to an ''it'' but a ''they''. "Well now that your unpleasant defeat is out of the way, we have decided to grace you with our favor." ke blinked. What? The objective had been to win. "We didn''t truly care if you won," said the voice, as if reading his mind. "We would have preferred it if you had. Mostly we just couldn''t allow our champion to lose. Certainly not to that muscled fool of a ''god''. You see? Now that you¡¯ve lost on your own, we will build you up. Next time, we expect, you will do better." ke again tried to blink away the image of Mason''s final expression and failed. It was somehow seared into his vision, the green light of Mason''s eyes looking at him with concern, with love, even as ke was trying to ''kill'' him. "I have no interest in fighting my brother again, win or lose," he said with a shudder. "If that''s what you want from me, then thank you, I''m not interested." "Is it?¡± The thing paused as if talking to itself. ¡°No, we don''t think it is." The voices buzzed like a swarm of insects. "We already approve of your ns, ke Nimitz. So carry on. We see your cunning now. Make the world dance to your silly little human tune. When you are ready, we will help you build an orchestra." ke felt his heart beating faster now. He had somehow snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. What exactly this god could do for him he had no idea, but he was sure it was more than nothing. And he had seen Mason ''switch'' his allegiances to a different god after deciding he hadn''t enjoyed it. ke expected he could one day do the same¡ªthat agreeing now wouldn''t bind him in any meaningful way. He had to get his foot in the deific door, so to speak. "How exactly will you help me?" he asked, trying not to smile as he felt the shift in interest. "I''m doing pretty well on my own." Some voicesughed. Others scoffed. Others snarled. "Observe, little maker. What can be done with true power." One of the infinite stars grew in size and intensity. The light came closer and closer, until it filled the ''space'' ke was floating in with light...and heat. It got worse and worse, until ke was trying to shield his face. But he could see through his eyelid, he could see through his hand. Soon he saw his own skeleton as clear as day. His flesh burned. He tried and failed to scream, to stop it, to hide. Then it all vanished in an instant, and again ke was floating in peaceful space surrounded by his swarm of divine fish. His profile blinked. He opened it and scanned his prestige ss and powers, watching the text change before his eyes. His ¡®Makers Apprentice¡¯ prestige ss blurred and faded, reced with new text. His True Making power also shimmered and glowed with blue light.@@novelbin@@ [New Prestige ss Avable. Psion¡¯s Apprentice. New Prestige ss Power: Primordial Making. Makers y freely with the blocks of the universe, but they are chatans and copy-cats, making nothing of their own. We will teach you how to make new blocks.] "True Making," hissed the melodic voice. "What nerve. What arrogance. The only true thing about the makers was their stupidity. We will teach you the essence of creation. We will teach you where true poweres from. If you have the will to learn." Yes. I do. I have. ke epted the unanswered question floating in his profile. He blinked to clear away the green of Mason¡¯s eyes one more time, gripping this new opportunity as at least somepensation for what he¡¯d done. The blue colors sizzled and locked in, the text swirling and rifying with a thick finality. ke groaned as the power warped him, his gem glowing in his palm. He heard Navi crying in terror in his mind, screaming for help. It''s alright, he thought but couldn¡¯t say. Don''t fight it. Change is painful. And he was d for the pain¡ªd he was paying at least some cost for hurting his brother. He reminded himself again there was a purpose to suffering. Despite what he¡¯d done, they''d both be stronger. Wouldn¡¯t they? Yes. And they needed to be. That¡¯s what the system was telling them. Maybe what roboGod himself was telling them. They had to be more, better, stronger. For what was toe. Whatever that was. First the price, he thought, keeping his eyes wide open as the energy scorched him like fire. First, the cost. Only then, power.
Chapter 433: Nice to see you, too Chapter 433: Nice to see you, too Mason yawned and woke with afortable stretch. He sat up from his booth in the house balcony, a bit surprised he''d managed to sleep. Everyone seemed to be staring at him. "Mason?" Haley came forward slowly and with a gentle tone, like he was a wild animal. He saw all his yers behind her like a shield, clustered together, staring like prairie dogs at a potential threat. Had he shouted in his sleep, or something? Slowly he started to remember. The arena. The huge sphere and the tforms and the mana balls and constructs. And ke''s mind powers... The whole fight dripped with painful precision into Mason''s brain. He saw himself, saw from his own eyes, remembered how he felt. He saw ke¡¯splete focus, his obsession after he¡¯d decided. The stupid, reckless idiot. What in the name of God had he been thinking? Why had he cared so much if he won? "I''m alright," he said. Every yer stood still or even took a step back as he spoke. He rolled his eyes. "We''re in the Neutral Zone. You''re literally safe from everything." "You had crazy fuckin¡¯ eyes, mate," said Seamus. "And you ripped that table up." Mason realized his booth waspletely destroyed. The walls were smashed, the table ripped into chunks, everything covered in scrapes about the size of human fingernails. He nced at the woodchips all over his clothes and sighed. Didn¡¯t really take a detective. "Well. I''m fine now. And I guess I won, so where¡¯s my prize? I want out of here." Haley ran and threw herself into his arms. He gave her a squeeze and a pat on the arm, not nearly as angry as he might have expected. It was more like...sad. Disappointed. He knew ke too well to be surprised by anything he did. But he felt a kind of disconnection, a pulling away. Was it a loss of respect? A loss of trust? Thest thought practically dinged in his mind like a bell, and he clenched his teeth. "Well done in there, kid," said Carl with a grin. "Looked messy. Streak was losing his damn mind down on the floor by the way." Streak. Shit. Mason had forgotten him entirely once things got wild. He Called through his bond and felt the wolf''s hesitation and pain before he appeared. What exactly to the wolf''s mind during all those Rends? He had no idea. "You alright, buddy?" he said, crouching to give the animal a hug around the neck. Streak whined and curled up kind of hriously considering his size and strength, then stood to lick Mason¡¯s face. ¡°There he is.¡± Mason grinned and took a minute to just scratch andfort the wolf. "Yeah. Well I didn''t enjoy it much, either." A trumpet much like the kill sound red throughout the promenade, making pretty much everyone jump. This time it was followed by other horns and maybe string instruments, the ''music'' building in a crescendo as the whole ce filled with sound. The crest of Mason''s house rose in the center of the promenade on a stage. An image of his face followed like a hologram, then the faces of every finalist in a line, followed by the faces of every yer from the winning teams. "Congrattions to our victors!" called the enhanced voice of a system servant. "Any arena points contributions may now be spent in your profiles. All points will carry over to the next season of the games, so please don''t feel required to spend them exactly." The promenade darkened, and multi-colored spotlights waved frantically over everything. Mason squinted and nced at the others as he rolled his eyes. "As you can appreciate," continued the servant,ing forward on the tform. "Our victors may not wish their powerful prizes to be known. No doubt some of you will experience them soon. But we can give you an idea of what you might earn next year. Behold!" More lights shone on a line of pirs disying gems, weapons and armor. "Every item is innate," said the speaker. "Every gem power is unique and suited to their yers. And there are other, unmentioned rewards for the top individuals. Join me in congratting our victorious yers!" The speaker pped, and so did a number of other system servants. How many actual yers followed suit was hard to tell. Though the House of Mason definitely cheered. Fake apuse surrounded them from every direction. Mason and his people were pretty much all smiles. Not everyone had seeded in the individual rankings, but everyone was on a top team. Mason had won the 2s. Carl''s team hade in second in the 3s. And Phuong and his group had won the 6s. Because of the ''house'' rules that had let Mason''s people avoid each other until near the end of elimination, they''d alsorgely cleaned up in the top spots there. With the emperor mysteriously vanishing early, and Mason and ke wiping out some of the toppetition in the world, it had cleared up the field considerably. Whether or not they truly were the ''best'' against every other yer, Carl and Phuong hade in third and fourth in the individual fights (after Mason and ke), with the emperor''s team mate ''Damian'' managing fifth. After that, the eastern ''shadow'' rogue, ke''s Swedish friend, and two of their mysterious new eastern friends had also ced in the top 10. So it wasn''t all sunshine and rainbows. The top Nassau yers were the best in the world, but the emperor and his council were powerful, and nearly their equals. Considering they had literally hundreds of yers to support them, Mason knew they couldn''t survive a direct confrontation. At least not without losing almost everyone and everything they had. Which meant they had to change the equation. Recruiting Chinua and his people would be a hell of a start, and hopefully mushroom girl. Er, Demi. Her name is Demi, you manwhore, interrupted Mason¡¯s mind. The girl you gave a bit more tongue than anticipated? Try using names. Mason sighed, hoping they would have had the chance to speak with more western yers, but whoever they were and wherever they were exactly from, none had seemed to want to reveal themselves. It was theseplicated thoughts running through Mason''s head when the dimming light of the ''award ceremony'' wentpletely ck. He blinked and suddenly found himself standing on the stage in front of two glowing pirs with orbs. "Congrattions, Champion.¡± The androgenous system servant smiled. ¡°As the victor of the individualpetition, and the two man teams, you have earned two separate prizes. Mason nced around the ''room'' and decided the promenade was either frozen in time or gone entirely. "They cannot see you," said the servant. "Every award is given privately." Mason nodded and stepped forward, staring at the orbs. One was ck as pitch, the other swirling with green and blue smoke. "Do I have any choice?" he said. "Does it matter which I take first?" The servant stared with a nk expression, and Mason sighed. He reached out for the swirling orb. [Unique Power Modification Orb: One-use only. Searching: unique Power discovered. Modifying: Apex Predator with new active effect. Long cooldown. Activate to produce a fully natural environment in any setting.] Mason grit his teeth as the orb glowed and shattered, entering his palm just as they had in the Maker hall. He blinked and stared at his profile as Apex Predator shed. Produce a natural environment? Did that mean...grow a forest, or something? He wasn''t sure, but he was sure as hell going to test it. After a few deep breaths and no reaction whatsoever from the system servant, Mason reached out for the ck orb. [Customized Greater Power Gem: Earthsoul. Innate. Activate to counter or dispel any magic without natural affinity. Enhanced recharge rate.] The next orb glowed but didn''t shatter, instead shrinking down to the size and shape he recognized as a kind of slot for cing gems in a different item, like his ws or Elven Bow. His ws still had room, and he figured he''d better leave his bow slots open for something more specifically for ranged items. He summoned his longer w and clicked it into ce, the thing vibrating slightly and pulsing with a dark light. The new power entered his mind like a new word he''d just learned, and he felt the urge to activate it but instantly knew he couldn''t. It needed magic to smother, but whatever the Neutral Zone was using obviously didn''t count. "Thanks," Mason said, with as much politeness as he could muster. The system servant smiled and bowed slightly. "Congrattions again, honored founder. If you are ready, we will return you now to your settlement. No humanly perceptible time will have passed. You and all your yers and civilians will arrive concurrently."@@novelbin@@ Mason nodded, and the bright lights and dark tform started to shimmer like they were bathed in heat. ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t you say there was some kind of announcement?¡± he managed to say just before the world vanished. [First Annual Friendly Games: Complete. Reward tier: Champion. Results: Calcting.] [Title gained: Champion of the Arena. Gain resistance to a variety of debilitating physical and mental effects produced by yers.] [Title Synergy Discovered: First Blood and Champion of the Arena. Champion resistances are now applied universally, and not just against yers.] [Experience awarded: Major. You have earned enough experience to reach level 21! Please select a power for a tier 2 upgrade.] Mason smiled as he scanned the text, very happy as he felt himself fading from the Neutral Zone. A piece of him wanted to activate Wyrdwalking and see if he could somehow figure out how toe back or leave on his own, but the power seemed greyed out and locked. So he waited impatiently, expecting to open his eyes and see Nassau, which brought a surprising kind of homesickness he would never have expected. In the meantime, he decided he could at least pick his power upgrade. All his ranger powers were already tier 2 since the Nexus event, so it was really down to druid powers. That left him with three choices: Shapeshifting, Fang Brother, and Strength of the Pack. All of them seemed like good choices. Streak definitely needed more power support. Strength of the Pack was probably the most ¡®powerful¡¯ except Mason was on his own more often than not. In the end, he picked Shapeshifting, hoping it improved his options or at least his half wolf form. As if it was waiting, the world immediately turned green with nt life, covered by a thick, cool mist. Mason blinked and tried to understand. He smelled sweat and blood and maybe sex, and little hairs started standing up all over his body as he sensed a predator lurking in the mists. Horns and green/golden eyes emerged over a maw of yellow fangs. The huge, terrifying figure walked towards him from atop a throne of skulls, its cloven hoofs crushing bones as it stepped closer. It lifted a raw chunk of flesh and took a sizable bite, looking Mason up and down. "You make it hard to congratte you, little wolf, looking so...ridiculous. What has Gaia and her whores draped you in?" Mason took a deep breath and tried to gather his wits. He could feel the moisture on his skin, and smell the copper and salt. This was definitely not a dream. It was happening. He didn¡¯t feel immediate danger, but he didn¡¯t feel safe, either. "Nice to see you too, Cerebus."
Chapter 435: A date with the elves Chapter 435: A date with the elves Mason kind of expected to ¡®warp¡¯ back to Nassau, the system deciding now that he was finished it would end the side-track. But apparently Cerebus had actually disrupted the teleport. He had to make his way back through the Fey, hoping the different ¡®time¡¯ speed of the nature ne would mean he didn¡¯t show up a few hourste. Fortunately, with his Blessing of the Stag, and his growing familiarly with the Fey, it was getting kind of¡­easy. As he rounded a set of trees and avoided a ¡®ley line¡¯ without thought, hardly thinking about the many voices calling to him, he stopped and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Has bonding you made this easier, even over the blessing?¡± he said, looking back at the Stag still following behind. The creature snorted, and Mason was starting to gather this meant basically: obviously, you idiot. ¡°No need to be rude,¡± he muttered, taking thest few ¡®steps¡¯ to the Great Tree of Nassau. ¡°Don¡¯t know what happens when I bond an immortal stag, do I? Bunch of made up nonsense. ¡®There are rules¡¯,¡± he mimicked Cerebus with a mocking voice. ¡°Nobody tells me the stupid rules.¡± The voice of Nassau¡¯s tree was stronger all the time, and Mason smiled as he approached. He¡¯d hardly recognized it. It wasn¡¯t like a frightened child calling for him anymore¡ªmore like a happy toddler humming to itself, contentedly ying with its toys. Calypsa¡¯s presence was obviously doing it wonders. He reminded himself to pay the nymph a visit soon, but then he hadn¡¯t actually been ¡®gone¡¯. As far as the nymph was concerned, thest week had probably been about two seconds. Mason stopped at thest step and nced at the stag again. Another rather pressing problem urred to him¡­ ¡°We have a menagerie. A kind of¡­uh, ce for animals. And you can stay there, if you want. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Mason shrugged, not sure how to put this gently. ¡°I¡¯m bonded to a veryrge, hungry wolf. And he and his whole pack might¡­OK, definitely will consider¡­ah, eating you. I can stop them. When I¡¯m there. But¡­¡± The creature didn¡¯t look terribly concerned. Then it started shimmering, its white fur glowing with a subtle light before vanishing entirely. Mason felt his Dismiss Beast power activate, just as he felt the Stag return to somewhere else in the Fey, presumably until called. That was at least one problem solved. Mason vanished into the great tree with his final step, vision darkening then returning with a dull view of the huge trunk. Whether it was just practice or the new bond, he could even decide exactly how he exited the Fey,ing out anywhere physically along the tree, or inside its hollow sanctuary. As he stood there trying to decide, he also realized he could ¡®see¡¯ as if from the tree itself, like he had a hundred cameras all looking out from the thing¡¯s bark. Everything looked frozen in time, so it was only a snapshot and not a method of watching. But it was still pretty damn cool. He stepped out near his new house, and the ¡®real¡¯ world returned with an almost quaint sense of silence and normalcy. Mason closed his eyes and breathed, smelling the moisture and life of the forest and the settlement. He didn¡¯t hate the Fey. But it was still like being conscious in a dream. The sights, sounds and smells weren¡¯t quite right. There was a disquieting stillness that was closer to to the forced trappings of a prison, rather than a peaceful ce. But this. This was home. For a few seconds the world felt like it came back in a rush. The silence shattered with excited voices andughter, life returning to Nassau in a blink. Mason smiled and walked to his house, feeling the awful Neutral Zone and everything that happened already easing from his mind. The fight with ke wouldn¡¯t go away anytime soon, but Mason wasn¡¯t sure yet how to handle that. In the past his instinct would have been to yell and exin to ke what he¡¯d done wrong, and make him apologize. But this time¡­he just didn¡¯t have the urge. He wasn¡¯t angry, he wasn¡¯t anything except maybe hurt, and tired. Like it was some kind of burden he was slowly putting down, and giving up. He thought of God asking Cain where his brother was, and the killer¡¯s answer: Am I my brother¡¯s keeper? All his girls were inside the house. Rosa and Lexi had flopped onto the couch and were hugging it like an old friend. Becky was on a nearby chair, holding the remote to the system entertainment, her boots up on a stool. Haley had clearly been watching the door, and she came running from the kitchen and threw her arms around Mason¡¯s chest. He smiled and hugged her back. ¡°Are you alright?¡± she said, pulling back to search his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said, mostly honestly. ¡°d to be home.¡± Haley smiled but it didn¡¯tst long. ¡°Do you remember¡­the fight? All the details?¡± ¡°You mean cutting off a giant snake with your head?¡± he asked, and she shuddered. At the time he¡¯d kind of thought it was all in his head. But when he¡¯d ¡®regained¡¯ his mind he realized it was a special construct ke made just for him. Which meant he¡¯d pre-nned the fucking thing. ¡°How would a person evene up with that?¡± Haley said, her voice low and filled with disgust. Mason sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve always known ke¡¯s capable of anything. He was just¡­trying to win.¡± He could tell from Haley¡¯s expression she wasn¡¯t taking it as lightly. He shrugged, maybe trying to convince himself. ¡°He¡¯s good, deep down. I mean he wants to do good. He just needs¡­a little help sometimes. Some re-alignment.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re ke¡¯s moral chiropractor? Masonughed, kissing Haley¡¯s hair and breathing her in with closed eyes. ¡°Something like that.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t deserve you,¡± she said tly. ¡°We don¡¯t all get what we deserve.¡± ¡°No,¡± she agreed, pressing herself against him. ¡°But tonight you will. When we¡¯re all back in our bed.¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± Mason grinned, trying to keep his body from reacting. The idea was definitely appealing, though he wasn¡¯t sure why or if he was going to be waiting¡­ ¡°Husband!¡± Naya came running down the stairs from the upper floor. She was wearing what for her were practically rags¡ªa white, too-small, system t-shirt she must have found in Haley¡¯s things, and kind of puffy, colorful shorts.@@novelbin@@ It showed too much skin and curve for Mason¡¯s rousing brain in that moment. And as he looked at his elven bride¡¯s beautiful smile and maybe exasperated confusion, he¡¯d missed her more than he realized. Unlike Haley, she stopped short of contact, bowing slightly as she put her fingers to her forehead. ¡°It was so strange,¡± she said, looking at the floor. ¡°It was like I blinked and then¡­¡± she shook her head. ¡°Then everyone was gone. And I wandered the house and I couldn¡¯t find anyone. Then suddenly you were back. And Haley said everything was fine. But I don¡¯t understand.¡± Apparently the system hadn¡¯t made the transition seamless. But then who was surprised. Mason stepped forward and lifted her chin. Despite the fact that she¡¯d been with him basically in an orgy with all his girls, she was still shy about affection in front of them. She also didn¡¯t understand the ¡®system¡¯, or what the world really was. Whatever roboGod had done, he¡¯d created apletely fictional world for Naya and probably everything else that wasn¡¯t human. It had left it up to the humans how or if to try and tell them, seemingly not that concerned either way. But he had no idea what would happen if he tried to tell her everything she knew was a lie. Or else created as part of the ¡®game¡¯ designed for humans. He¡¯d decided to earn herplete trust and love before he ever tried, and even then it was probably risky. He kissed her forehead and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re not crazy. We have a¡­human god. It summoned us. Time moved there like the Fey. It was a week for us.¡± It sounded ridiculous, of course. But Mason knew enough now about the nes and about the world¡¯s magic it likely made sense to an elf who grew up in Shariss. He was relieved when Naya smiled. ¡°I understand, husband. Thank you for telling me.¡± She gave a subtle side-eye to Haley. ¡°It wasn¡¯t exined to me before.¡± Mason decided to ignore that bit of feminine tension. His ¡®wives¡¯ were mostly getting along, but of course he knew there¡¯d be¡­the asional hup. He figured the best way to keep the peace was to let them solve their own problems (unless it got really bad), and never allow them to catch him in the drama. And, for the moment, Mason¡¯s mind was following his eyes up and down Naya¡¯s lithe body. His never-ending libido had very nearly been sated in the Neutral Zone. But now that he looked at Naya, it was like he¡¯d been neglecting dessert, and suddenly he had a sweet tooth¡­ ¡°I was thinking,¡± Haley said, a pointed tone in her voice. Mason blinked and nced her way with a very ¡®make it quick¡¯ kind of stare. She raised a fearless, plucked brow. ¡°Since we¡¯ve all had¡­so much time with you. It would be nice for Naya to get some. Maybe some kind of human date. We¡¯ll even clear out to another part of the house.¡± Naya looked torn between trying to figure out exactly what ¡®so much time¡¯ meant, and being thankful for the suggestion. She reached out for Mason before just ying with her hands, shrugging demurely. ¡°I would like that, sister, thank you. If our husband can spare the time.¡± Mason smiled, fighting the thing in his brain reminding him about the emperor and the eastern yers, and all the work he had to do to get strong enough to fight them all¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll make the time,¡± he said, taking Naya¡¯s hand. ¡°Is there anything in particr you¡¯d like to do? I¡¯m happy with anything.¡± Naya rubbed her thumb over Mason¡¯s, obviously fighting her excitement. It was pretty clear she had a lot of ideas, or at least one or two waiting for the right moment. She spoke with hardly any pause to breathe. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know anything about human ¡®dates¡¯, but I¡¯ve wanted you to know me better. And to do that you must know my people. We are kin, and I have grown up with them for a hundred years. Perhaps we could prepare a feast for you? Though¡­¡± she looked a bit shy. ¡°It won¡¯t have much meat.¡± Mason smiled, fighting his natural dislike of parties and socializing. She was absolutely right¡ªhe needed to get to know the elves better. Especially if he was ever going to try and tell them about the ¡®game¡¯. ¡°I¡¯d be honored,¡± he said. As Naya gave him her radiant smile, he decided it was worth a few hours of making nice with a bunch of beautiful women.
Chapter 436: Elf cake Chapter 436: Elf cake Naya actually asked for his permission to go see the elves and get things prepared. He definitely hadn¡¯t adjusted to her far more conservative culture, and as he stared at his closet trying to pick something to wear, he¡¯d mostly just waved a hand until he realized she hadn¡¯t moved. ¡°You don¡¯t need my permission,¡± he said, which just resulted in a confused stare. ¡°You are my husband,¡± she said. ¡°Of course I will not leave your house alone without permission.¡± It wasn¡¯t like it bothered him, exactly. There was even something oddly¡­attractive about it, especially to his Cerebus-infused brain. It just wasn¡¯t how he was raised. And it also didn¡¯t seem fair since none of Mason¡¯s other women had any kind of rules. Plus Mason really didn¡¯t have the time or energy to tell her what she could do all the time. On the other hand, Naya was probably equally ufortable with his way of doing things. She expected her husband to act in certain ways, to conform to what she¡¯d probably seen from her father and other elven males her entire life. He suspected if he didn¡¯t at least attempt to y along, she might think he didn¡¯t care about her. Or their marriage. You didn¡¯t tell someone ¡®just ignore centuries of your culture now, OK?¡¯ Even if she was ¡®adapting¡¯. ¡°What I mean is,¡± he said, trying to pick his words. ¡°You¡¯re free here¡­in Nassau. We¡¯re all your family. So you can go where you like and see who you like. In Nassau.¡± She yed with her hands in that increasingly familiar gesture of difort. ¡°I understand, husband, and I thank you. Perhaps¡­one day, I may feel as you say. But today I do not. I know I¡¯m supposed to be changing to a new world. But¡­I can¡¯t imagine being around¡­human men. Alone.¡± Mason took a breath and stepped away from his closet, putting his hands on Naya¡¯s arms. ¡°You¡¯refortable enough with me,¡± he said, forcing his hands not to wander. ¡°It¡¯s not the same,¡± she said, almost pouting. ¡°You smell different. And you have proven yourself a friend to our people. I can¡¯t¡­I can¡¯t trust them, Mason. We are taught since childhood not to trust other races. And for good reason.¡± Mason had kind of forgotten about the whole ¡®everyone wanted elves¡¯ thing, and slowly started to understand. He knew elves carried all kinds of benefits, probably both perceived and real, to the other creatures of roboGod¡¯s world. He had actual objectives to win their trust, to gain them as followers. And now to impregnate as many as possible, he reminded himself. When he¡¯d first seen the objective he¡¯d assumed it meant¡­in general. Like he should hold some kind of mass wedding between the elves and his people. His men certainly wouldn¡¯tin. And with the system¡¯s push to mate and Nassau¡¯s aura of life, he figured a few months and Bob¡¯s literally your uncle¡­ But he was starting to realize that might be trickier than expected. Who knew what other tempting objectives might pop up between people and elves? And he also needed to make sure Naya felt like he was taking her (and her people¡¯s) safety seriously. ¡°OK,¡± he said. ¡°I have an¡­animal friend named Violet, and she needs something to do. How do you feel about a giant purple worm following you around everywhere?¡± Naya grinned, and Mason figured he was on the right track. He went a little further. ¡°And feel free to take Streak whenever you go out. I¡¯ll make sure he understands and will bite any human man who touches you. If he¡¯s gone too, talk to Becky. She¡¯d be happy to help.¡± Naya came a little closer and put her fingertips on Mason¡¯s chest, obviously pleased. ¡°Thank you for understanding, husband.¡± She rose up to her toes and kissed him almost chastely, soft lips sending a bolt of lightning down his body. For a moment he forgot what the hell he was supposed to be doing, his arms trying to curl around the slim little elf as he envisioned ripping clothes off¡­ Naya smiled and bit her lip. ¡°My people,¡± she said, pulling away. ¡°We have a ¡®date¡¯, remember?¡± Mason fought the growl. Naya¡¯s nipples had hardened through the shirt, and he could smell her arousal. But he decided to consider this a lesson to his dick about who was in charge. He pulled back with a deep breath and as much of a civilized smile as possible. ¡°Streak¡¯s waiting outside, and he¡¯ll have the idea now. Go ahead. I¡¯ll be there in¡­thirty minutes? I mean I can help cook, or clean dishes or something, too.¡± Naya looked ready tough in his face, but just shook her head. ¡°The head of the house does not cook or clean, husband. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± With that she hesitated, then kissed him again, face flushing pink. ¡°Thank you for taking this seriously. It¡¯s very important to me.¡± ¡°Well. You¡¯re important to me,¡± Mason said, smiling as Naya kept moving closer into his arms. But with onest kiss she pulled away and grinned with excitement, waving as she hurried for the door. Mason took a few calming breaths, and considered a very cold shower. Now he just had to get through an evening of being surrounded by unearthly beautiful women. All who¡¯d be waiting on him hand and foot with ¡®yes lord¡¯ and ¡®of course, lord¡¯. And somehow he¡¯d have to do it without letting his ridiculous libido get out of control. He wasn¡¯t quite sure if it was his dick or Cerebus faintlyughing on his ears. * * * Mason walked with annoying anxiety to the new ''elven'' quarter, realizing he hadn''t actually been there before. After the creation of the Nexus, most of the elves had moved up with everyone else on the tform houses. Their actual purchased ''buildings'' (like the scout enve and the seer''s hut) were still below, but the elves themselves lived in the tree. The houses were better, but Mason expected the main reason was safety. It was the main thing on his mind now that it urred to him. He needed to make Naya and her people feel safe. And not just from the outside world, but from the people in Nassau. He hadn''t ever really considered that, and he supposed he should have. He trusted his yers with his life¡ªwith a couple minor exceptions. And he didn''t think about his civilians as any kind of possible threat, except maybe as spies. But anyone could hurt an elf. And the system seemed keen to encourage the various creatures of the world to do just that. Being part of his House probably helped. But they still hadn''t really interacted with him. All they had was their trust in Naya. He arrived at the tform and stared at the many beautiful houses all variously integrated into the tree itself. The elves had already been decorating the outside, both with familiarly mundane things, and also with magic. Colorful paints had been used on doors and walls to make what Mason assumed were elven symbols. Some lines were hung forundry and now covered with eye-catching silk and cloth. After a few seconds of admiring the obviously feminine touches, he stopped and realized: he had no idea where he was going. It''s not like the elves had a ''hall''. On the other hand, he assumed the entire lot of them were all crammed in the same house preparing...something. So he probably just had to knock until someone answered... Then he remembered Wayfinder literally showed him everyone in his House as little dots. And also he basically had super senses. Around the same time he stopped and started paying attention to hear themotion, he''d found the swarming hive of elves on his map. He walked to the obvious house and took a few deep breaths. It''s just a bunch of foreign women, he thought. You can do this. There''s no killing or dying or mortal danger. The stakes are low. Some women might not like you. It''s fine. You''re immortal and they live centuries. Plenty of time to try again. His pep talk wasn''t helping, so he just forced himself to knock. Scurrying and panicked feminine voices followed. "What? Already? I thought you said we had an hour!" "I said half an hour." "We can''t make Husband Cake in half an hour!" "Go!" Someone hissed. "Me? Why me?" said a rare male voice, followed by a lot of hissing and probably hand waving. It all helped Mason¡¯s nerves a little. He fought the grin as the door cracked, and Orlon the scout master touched his fingers to his temple and smiled. "Good evening, Baron. Pleasee in." The man was dressed in his scout uniform, long hair slicked and tied, every perfectly symmetrical inch of him the sign of a careful, military man. He actually looked sharp as hell, and Mason unconsciously nced at his suit, hoping he wasn''t wrinkled or disheveled. Had he even touched his hair? "Good evening, Orlon. They wrangled you into this, too, did they?" The elf smiled, but it was polite. "It''s a great honor to be served before one¡¯s wedding, my lord. And I was happy to ept the invitation." Male solidarity failure plus insult cultural event. Check, Mason thought. Good start. Maybe I should spit on the floor next. He cleared his throat and walked in, struck by a wave of pleasant scents, mixed between perfume and cooking spices. Naya practically came running from another room. She¡¯d changed into a new silk outfit full of colors and borateyers, as well as a collection of jewelry that highlighted everything it touched. Not that Naya needed highlighting. Mason¡¯s eyes were particrly captured by a blue pendant dangling down her neck, resting between the elf¡¯s thin-fabric covered breasts. She bowed and touched her head as usual. "I''m sorry, husband. I should have been here to greet you." "Oh, Orlon and I managed." Mason nced at the scout and couldn''t help but see the slight grimace at the word ''husband''. He realized these people were very formal and just because Naya had decided to ''adapt'', it didn''t mean her people had. His mind screamed something and he added quickly: ¡°You look beautiful, by the way.¡± Naya smiled but didn¡¯t otherwise react. And Mason also realized, for all he knew, the other elves thought his treatment of her was terrible¡ªthat he was taking advantage of their situation and forcing her hand. Maybe even dishonoring her. Figuratively and literally. He had no idea how he should be treating a ''wife'' in front of a bunch of elves in any case. His nerves stopped rxing, and mostly he tried not to panic. Fortunately, Naya came forward and took his hand, still looking happy. "We''re mostly ready. Come and sit. We''ll drink some special¡­tea, and eat some...I think you''d call them pastries. Though there''s not so much sugar as you humans use. And you might find the flour strange." Mason went along with the same smile he expected to ster on his face all night. But Naya looked so thrilled and excited it was pretty easy to go along. This was for her, after all, he reminded himself. And if Mason could literally twist his body into a weapon with awful suffering, surely to God he could be a pleasant, confident, social being for a night. When she got him to the spacious living room now filled with women and tables, a good portion of the room quieted as the elves bowed or touched their heads. There were women everywhere, and they were all statuesque and gorgeous and why couldn¡¯t he remember literally any of their names. They were staring like he was supposed to say or do something. "At ease," he said with what he hoped passed for charm, already regretting trying to be clever. The elves mostly just seemed confused. "Thanks for the invitation," he finished verymely. Some smiled and went back to working on what looked like a good fifty bowls or tes. Mason wiped some sweat off his temple, already hating the damn suit and fighting the urge to rip his tie off. But considering he¡¯d marched straight through a desert he knew it wasn¡¯t actually the heat. Still, after so much time being practically naked out in the wilds, the feeling of clothes and shoes (and people) was always ufortable and restrictive. Was he going to be like Cerebus one day, he wondered? Pretty much naked and sitting on some throne of skulls? Naya took him to a table and fussed over seating him, and soon vaguely familiar, beautiful elven faces were whisking by, delivering half a dozen dishes and drinks. "I hope you''re hungry, Naya said, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze. Now that she was closer he realized her formal silks seemed less restrictive, even thinner, and more natural looking, like they had lessyers. The fabric clung to her curves, inviting Mason''s eyes in ways he definitely didn''t think he should be epting in public. "Always," he said, suddenly very d Haley had lessened the tension.@@novelbin@@ He leaned back to let his ''servers'' keep filling up space, trying to smile at and thank the women as best he could. "OK," he said, staring at the tes and bowls of mystery food. "Where do I start?"
Chapter 437: Fertility Rituals Chapter 437: Fertility Rituals Mason realized he had more to fear inside Nassau than anticipated. These elves were trying to assassinate him through stomach bursting. But like everyone else, they would find him a hard man to kill. ¡°More cake, lord?¡± said another beautiful brte who¡¯s name Mason couldn¡¯t remember. He nodded and she leaned over to serve him, and he kept his eyes squarely on his food. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said around a mouthful of¡­something green. The girl smiled and withdrew as gracefully as she¡¯d appeared. Mason stared at the elvestest weapon, then attacked. ¡®Cake¡¯ was apparently the elven version of ¡®sd¡¯. It could mean almost anything. But then again maybe human ''cake'' could mean almost anything, too. Each dish had a kind of ¡®specialist¡¯, with a particr elven woman who had prepared it and took some particr pride. The women woulde and exin the food, and often sit right there and watch as Mason ate it. His ability to make newly appreciate noises and smile had long since been tapped. But the elves seemed genuinely interested in his opinions, more like scientists than chefs¡ª like they might pluck some primal insight from his simple, human brain. Naya came and went, moving about her people and talking to them like old friends. Every now and then she¡¯d exchange a nce and a smile with Mason, which he hoped meant things were going well. As far as he was concerned, the ¡®cake¡¯ was pretty much all tasteless mush. The long exnation of ingredients and styles was like listening to an artist tell you about the thousand year history of art before someone drew a can of soup. ¡°It¡¯s very good,¡± he said, to an elf named Mina. ¡°Can you taste the silver leaf?¡± she said, tone like an anthropologist. ¡°Mmhm,¡± Mason said, taking another bite. ¡°Delicious.¡± Mina looked a little surprised, but smiled politely and nodded, thanking him for trying the dish before leaving him in a few moment¡¯s of blissful peace. ¡°You can¡¯t taste a thing, can you?¡± Naya¡¯s mother appeared beside Mason with a sly grin on her beautiful, and upsettingly youthful face. He sort of froze as he turned and saw her, even pausing his chewing until he¡¯d gathered himself. ¡°Ayet,¡± he said, trying to smile. ¡°Of course I can. Look how much I ate.¡± ¡°You really are a dreadful liar,¡± Ayet said, still grinning. She nced at her daughter. ¡°Naya looks happy. Radiant, actually. I suppose I have you to thank for that.¡± Mason hoped that was true. Of course his new bride had also fulfilled her father¡¯s dream, and maybe prophecy. She had found what she believed was some kind of promisednd, delivering her people to safety and to a real future beyond the frozen immortality of Shariss. So that probably helped. Mason was likely just a nice bonus. And all that remained was to start getting elven women pregnant, starting with Naya. But considering Mason had a literal objective to help with that, he knew it must be possible. The only question was if they had to do something¡ªother than the obvious. ¡°She is pretty wonderful,¡± he said, watching Nayaugh with a group of elves. ¡°Her father and brother would have loved to see her like this,¡± Ayet said, a little moisture in her eyes. Mason turned and took Ayet¡¯s hand. He hadn¡¯t really thought about it, he just saw a woman in pain and it felt like the thing to do. Ayet flinched in surprise but didn¡¯t pull away, squeezing his fingers a little. Mason searched for something to say, annoyed he still never quite knew how to handle women. Especially elven women. He figured he¡¯d just talk to her like he did a man. ¡°I met your scout Orlon in the enve,¡± he said, drawing at least a curious eyebrow raise. ¡°He¡¯s lost¡­everyone. Old friends and colleagues. All the other scouts of your husband¡¯s house. I didn¡¯t know what to tell him. Except¡­they¡¯d won.¡± He gestured at Naya with a chin. ¡°That¡¯s what a man wants. What soldiers want. They¡¯ve done what they set out to do. They gave their kin a chance. They won.¡± Ayet smiled and wiped away a tear. ¡°Yes. Most of them. I thank you, Mason. For everything you¡¯ve done for us.¡± She looked at him like she wanted to say something else. Then she pulled back her hand and put on the increasingly familiar mask of elven politeness. ¡°Please enjoy the celebration.¡± He let her go, no idea what else to say. There was something very tragic about Ayet. He saw a woman who¡¯d been almost imprisoned by culture and circumstance, seemingly punished in every direction for trying to do her duty. He resolved himself to find her a husband, and to get Naya¡¯s help. She deserved some happiness, and another chance, just like the rest of them. But for now the elves kept bringing him food, and he kept eating it. By the time their politeness started turning to amazement and maybe disgust, he decided he¡¯d won the day. ¡°No more,¡± he said, waving a hand. ¡°I can¡¯t eat another bite.¡± He saw some of the women rx, possibly d to see he did indeed have physical limits. Naya came up beside him and took his hand, whispering what to do in his ear. He bowed his head to the women and thanked them, and they all bowed or touched their foreheads. He was almost too full to be horny, but he was at least looking forward to taking Naya back home and rxing with his women privately for a few hours.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Now,¡± his wife said with a renewed smile. ¡°We drink and socialize.¡± Mason probably failed with his smile. * * * The drinks went much like the food. Though at least now the women were all seated and talking andughing and Mason didn¡¯t have much focus. He was a lot happier watching other people enjoy themselves. Every pack of friends or direct kin seemed to have some special ¡®brew¡¯ that had been in their families for a thousand years. Each was very excited to reveal hints of secret ingredients. This time Mason thought it all tasted like vodka. Which was to say, like not very much at all, except alcohol. And probably not enough to affect him with his ridiculous powers. ¡°Mm, yes, I can taste the fruit,¡± he said, and Kitya the beastmaster smiled widely. Naya was sitting at his side now, talking to the elf beside her. She had a hand casually resting on his thigh, which was a bit surprising, and also increasing his impatience to get her home. ¡°I haven¡¯t found any in your forest yet,¡± said Kitya, ¡°the climate isn¡¯t quite right. Only berries. Once I run out I¡¯ll have to improvise.¡± Mason nodded, really hoping this wasn¡¯t leading to a personal request to harvest nts. He was at least feeling a little drunk. Though he wasn¡¯t sure if it was the strong booze, or being stuffed with mystery nts. But his inhibitions were definitelying down. He felt himself talking louder,ughing more, his vision was maybe even blurring. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was supposed to be touching Naya in public, but she¡¯d started it. So he definitely went for legs, waist and back like a handsy teenager, and she didn¡¯t seem embarrassed. She even went back and forth between touching his leg or holding his hand, always smiling when she looked at him. At some point, Kitya had apparently been reced in the chair with the blonde elf who¡¯d spoken pretty bluntly to Naya when she first announced the dissolution of her house. She was as beautiful as the rest of the elves, but had a definite serious edge. ¡°We have been wondering how you¡¯ll be arranging our marriages,¡± she said, after what Mason was pretty sure was not adequate time for elven small talk. He opened his mouth and closed it again, searching for words. ¡°We, uh, humans¡­from my culture¡­we don¡¯t usually ¡®arrange¡¯ marriages. We just sorta¡­meet. People decide on their own.¡± The elf stared. ¡°We don¡¯t know any of the human women. We share no kinship with them. How would we ¡®meet¡¯ any men?¡± Mason winced, reminded how different these people were. He had no idea what he was about to say, but Naya leaned over hisp. ¡°We aren¡¯t sure yet, sister. Obviously we could choose at random. But I should think everyone would like some choice. At least take a good look. Or meet the men once, maybe with guardians? What would you prefer?¡± The blonde frowned. ¡°They all look the same to me, mydy. I¡¯d just prefer proven fertility.¡± It wasn¡¯t what you¡¯d call a ringing endorsement of his species, but Mason tried not to take it personally. Naya nodded along like this madeplete sense, and the elf turned back to Mason. ¡°You are a druid, lord. Are there not spells for such things? Perhaps you could bless us with life. To help the unions seed.¡± Mason nearly choked on his drink imagining how his particr brand of magic might bless them. ¡°I¡¯m¡­not a very experienced druid,¡± he said with a shrug. But he fingered the nymph charm around his neck and pursed his lips. ¡°There might be something, though. I know two nymphs in the great trees.¡± ¡°You know nymphs?¡± said both elves at the same time with wide eyes. Naya practically jumped in hisp as she gripped his hand. ¡°It is said¡­bathing in the pool of a nymph makes fertility almost certain, husband.¡± She licked her lips. ¡°Among other things. Do you know where they are? Where their groves are? Can you find them and force them to obey?¡± Force them to ¡®obey¡¯? Probably not. Find them? Well. One of them was living in his tree. He decided not to reveal that little piece of information yet, and just nodded like he was thinking. ¡°Like I said, I know them. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d help. And I can get to them easily through the Fey,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not difficult. At least not if your people can follow. And anyway we can get there onnd, it¡¯ll just be a couple days of travel.¡± Again Naya and the blonde exchanged a look, Naya taking the woman¡¯s hand as she held Mason with the other. They looked up and muttered some kind of prayer before the other elf excused herself. Naya kissed Mason¡¯s hand, her face a little flush. ¡°I know I didn¡¯t have time to exin everything, but this celebration is a fertility ritual, husband,¡± she said. ¡°If we could go to a nymph¡­if I could bathe in the life-giving waters of Gaia, on the same night as the ritual¡­¡± she shook her head, excitement clear in her eyes. ¡°I feel a child would be almost certain. No. I know it.¡± Mason was a bit overwhelmed by the idea of imminent fatherhood, especially with multiple women. But he knew this is why Naya and her people hade. It was what he¡¯d promised her. ¡°OK,¡± he said, hoping he sobered up quick. ¡°I can take you to Thea. There¡¯s a pool there and an old grove full of life.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready now,¡± Naya said, practically jumping to her feet before deting. ¡°But¡­I¡¯ve never walked the Fey without¡­what I mean is, I don¡¯t know if I can just¡­enter, not without a portal.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve taken Streak,¡± Mason said with a shrug as he stood. ¡°I can probably take you.¡± ¡°A bonded animal is different, lord. But I can help you,¡± Ayet said, standing close by. She smiled and gestured for the door. ¡°If your husband opens the passage, I can help guide you through.¡± Naya rose and hugged her mother, looking so happy it was hard to look away. She reached for Mason¡¯s hand.
Chapter 438: Daughters of the moon Chapter 438: Daughters of the moon Taking his elven wife to a sex-fueled fantasy creature wasn¡¯t how Mason had expected his evening to end. But such was life in the post-apocalypse. And he wasn¡¯t exactly . How it would go when he arrived he honestly had no idea. The most likely scenario seemed that Thea would help them, that Naya would get in the pool, and then Mason would bang her brains out while Thea crept on them. That was fine, and certainly nothing he hadn¡¯t seen before. On the other hand, Thea might try and do more than creep. She was known to be a bit¡­less than truthful, to get what she wanted. And she might try to trick Naya into thinking she just had to be involved. This¡­also seemed fine. Mason was probably too horny and not stupid enough to contradict her. His main concern was that the nymph might say no altogether. That Gaia might use the opportunity to ask something more of him, to make some kind of unpleasant demand. But she did seem to want the elves getting pregnant. So probably she wouldn¡¯t interfere. Except maybe just to make Mason dance to her tune. And if she did, Mason really didn¡¯t want to see that big smile on Naya¡¯s face disappear¡­ ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Naya said, standing at the bottom of Nassau¡¯s great tree. Ayet nodded and Mason lifted his wife to sit on his forearm, his mother-inw putting a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You open a kind of individual portal when you walk the nes, Mason,¡± she exined. ¡°Taking your bonded animal is one thing. It¡¯s a part of you, much different than another living creature. But I will try to open it wide enough for Naya.¡± He nodded, waited for her signal, then stepped into the tree. It should have felt strange, and probably stupid, but it didn¡¯t anymore. It was like he could see through the solid matter into another world. Like he could feel the breeze on his face, could sense the open air waiting to wee him in. It was always just right there. Ayet was muttering a spell as his face touched and entered. Natural magic flickered with the unpleasant hint of the arcane, and Mason felt both elven women gripping him as the world transformed. Light and shadow danced from the endless canopy, and Mason grinned as Naya slowly unburied her face from his chest. She looked around and met his eyes with a big smile. ¡°We did it!¡± Then her face dropped as she stared past Mason¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Yes, we certainly did,¡± said Ayet, apparently still holding Mason¡¯s arm. ¡°I wasn¡¯t¡­the magic wouldn¡¯t let me release. And I¡­I can¡¯t go back. Not without your help.¡± ¡°If I take you back,¡± he said. ¡°Could you try again and not get taken with us?¡± Ayet shook her head. ¡°Your magic¡­it¡¯s not the same as ours. I thought it was just a single target portal, but it¡¯s more like¡­a personal portal. You can¡¯t use it without going yourself. And therefore I can¡¯t affect it without being affected in kind.¡± Mason nodded, not sure what the hell this scenario looked like. The most logical thing was just to continue, to take both women to Thea and¡­have Ayet make chitchat with the nymph while Mason banged her daughter nearby. A little awkward? Yeah. And not ideal, maybe. But such was life. ¡°I could just take us back,¡± he said, but Naya shook her head as if panicked. ¡°We¡¯re family,¡± she said, obviously understanding at least a little. ¡°There¡¯s no awkwardness. And there¡¯s nothing more important than this. Please, take us to the nymph, husband.¡± Mason nodded, about to move before he hesitated. ¡°We should be careful,¡± he said, getting an intuitive sense of both understanding and danger now in the fey. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happens if you let go of me, but it might not be good. Especially if we''re moving¡± He turned and picked up Ayet with his other arm, holding both women easily with a forearm under both. Naya made nothing of it, but Ayet actually flushed and met Mason¡¯s eyes before looking away. Yeah, he thought, family or no family, it was definitely a little awkward. He followed the path, and between his Blessing from and Bonding of the white stag, it was actually easy. He even noticed the animal loping along somewhere in the distance, giving him a bored look and possibly one of its ¡®idiot¡¯ snorts. He expected he hadn¡¯t chosen the exactly perfectly most efficient path, or something. But he was still pretty pleased with himself. He hardly even listened to the calling voices, carrying the elves in the almostically small number of steps until he was staring at the mist-shrouded tree with an easy sess. ¡°And here we are,¡± he said, listening for Thea¡¯s voice. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything, husband.¡± Naya looked around with such confused, innocent eyes, Mason chuckled. ¡°Trust me. It¡¯s there. Hold on.¡± He stepped into the grove, vanishing between worlds with as much effort as changing terrain, no more difficulty than walking from grass to gravel. He felt Thea sense his presence, a kind of sleepy haze giving way to excitement. ¡°Wee back, druid. And what have you brought me? Does my sister fare well?¡± Mason ignored her for now and walked to the tree, letting down the elves but keeping them pressed to his chest as he put a hand to the bark. Here we go, he thought, doing his best not to get nervous or excited, keeping his expectations low. Then he vanished again, and felt the familiar warmth and mist of the nymph grove. * * * ¡°It¡¯s beautiful!¡± Naya said, running forward to inspect flowers and pond fronds, or the many vines running along the floors and walls. Mason decided not to mention he had helped create some of that life. Or how he''d done it. ¡°Druid.¡± Thea¡¯s voice was surprisingly cool. She stepped from her pool, thankfully wearing what for her was downright formal¡ªa skin-tight, green dress. Unfortunately, as she rose from the water properly, Mason could see it only covered one of her veryrge breasts¡­ Both Naya and Ayet bowed their heads and touched fingers to their foreheads, and the nymph smiled a little and did the same. ¡°Honored daughter of Gaia,¡± Naya said. ¡°We are blessed to be in your presence.¡± ¡°The blessing is mine,¡± said the nymph almost rotely. Then she wasing forward as if to embrace Mason, and in panic he quickly gestured at the elves. ¡°This is my wife, Naya, and her mother, Ayet. We¡¯vee to see if you¡¯d let them bathe in your pool.¡± Mason had hoped this information might affect Thea¡¯s behavior. Like she might decide a wife was something a bit less open to her overt sexuality. He was, as seemed often the case, mistaken. Thea first of all looked surprised, and maybe annoyed. Then she came forward and pushed her half exposed chest against his, kissing his cheek like an old lover before taking a deep breath of his scent. She stayed there with her eyes half closed, sighing as she inhaled. Finally she stepped back and swept the elves with her gaze. ¡°As you wish, druid. But¡­only if you join us.¡± She smiled suggestively and walked towards the water, holding out a hand in invitation. ¡°Come, daughters of the moon. This is quite an asion. Gaia will restore you, despite your matron¡¯s many slights against her.¡± Mason was slowly starting to realize there was more going on here. What slights? And who was this matron she was talking about? But Naya was already taking off silkyers and Ayet seemed ready to do the same. ¡°Not me. I wasn¡¯t¡­I¡¯m not sure I¡­¡± she shrugged. ¡°I only came to help you, daughter.¡± Naya took her mother¡¯s hands. ¡°This is a ce of legend, mother. And you are still young. I know you¡¯ll never marry again, but¡­¡± she shrugged. ¡°You could be a concubine. Or¡­who knows what the future will bring? Why not give yourself that chance?¡± Ayet looked torn, but eventually started to undress. Mason started working at his suit, but Naya stopped and reached for the buttons on his shirt. ¡°Please, husband, I should do that.¡± Half her silks were down to her waist, the clear outline of her firm breasts pushing against a singleyer. Mason looked between her and Ayet, the other elf matching his gaze as she stripped as bare as the first time they¡¯d met. With no expression, she turned and walked towards the pool as Naya stripped down his pants. ¡°Oh,¡± she said, her cool hand running down his stomach, drifting just around him without quite touching. She grinned. ¡°You¡¯re already so ready, husband. I hope it isn¡¯t painful. The silver leaf from the feast¡­I feared we let you eat too much. But you were just so impressive.¡± Mason blinked, wondering now what they¡¯d given him. ¡°Uh. What exactly is silver leaf?¡± Naya frowned, seemingly struggling to look up and meet his eyes.@@novelbin@@ ¡°A love nt. An aphrodisiac. Do humans not have such things? I thought druids knew every nt by touch, or taste.¡± An aphrodisiac? What insanity had possessed them to give him something to make him hornier? Naya saw the look in his eyes and actually lost a little color. ¡°I¡­I assumed¡­don¡¯t humans do such ceremonies for a new marriage? I thought that¡¯s why you ate so much! With the silver leaf, it couldn¡¯t have tasted very good. Your endurance was a symbol of strength, and virility. I thought you were trying to impress my people.¡± Mason took a slow, deep breath, wondering exactly how long it might take to properly kick in. But as he watched Ayet as she disappeared naked into the water, he had a feeling it was already starting. He also had a feeling elven food wouldn¡¯t taste very good in any circumstance, and that he¡¯d missed all subtleties both good and bad. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s go make use of it. And no, I don¡¯t know nts on touch. Might be an old elven wive¡¯s tale.¡± Naya looked confused but let out a breath of relief. Then she grinned and worked down the rest of her silks, quickly naked in all her beautiful, impossibly youthful glory. She took Mason¡¯s hand and led him towards the water, pausing at the edge with a deep breath. ¡°It feels wonderful,¡± Ayet said from deeper in, brown eyes half closed as shey back and floated out towards the center. Naya squeezed Mason¡¯s hand and stepped in, startling at the feel of the water. ¡°It tingles,¡± she said, moving further as Mason followed. Once it moved up past her waist she shivered and looked at him meaningfully. He was guessing it ¡®tingled¡¯ everywhere, and he gave her a grin as the water moved up to their chests. ¡°It has been an age since your kind were in my pool,¡± Thea said from one edge, dipping her hair to float in the water. ¡°I feared the daughters of the moon had all but perished. Are you from the fey city?¡± ¡°We are,¡± Ayet said, almost carefully. Thea asked something else, and as the nymph and older elf moved closer together, Naya came to Mason and pressed against him. ¡°Please, husband, I don¡¯t want you to be ufortable. You may have me now. I am ready.¡± He could tell that was definitely true. He knew his answer was already ¡®yes¡¯, though he still had a few nagging questions¡­ ¡°Your mother¡­¡± he said, trying to figure out how to ask if maybe they should wait until she was at least out of the pool. ¡°It¡¯s nothing to us, husband,¡± she said. ¡°Outside the family we are very¡­conservative. But not inside. We are married, and there is no shame now.¡± Mason definitely wasn¡¯t going to push back. Especially with Naya¡¯s slick body pressing against him. Whether it was just his standard, ridiculous lust, or medicinally enhanced ridiculous lust, it really didn¡¯t seem to make much difference. She smiled and held his hand as he walked her towards the edge of the pool.
Chapter 439: Family honor (NSFW) Chapter 439: Family honor (NSFW) Thea (and Ayet) were soon watching Mason thrust into Naya on the edge of the pool. He¡¯d lifted her up out of the water, pinning her against the stone as he took her, too horny to let difort stop him. His elven bride¡¯s face was flushed, her legs spread around him, her lips sucking at his tongue whenever he kissed her. She seemed oblivious to being watched, so eager he started to wonder if he wasn¡¯t the only one who¡¯d eaten the sex-cake. Or possibly it was the pool doing something to her. His Blessing was already active without conscious thought in the Gaia-infused waters, and it maybe affected elves even more than humans. Whatever the reason, Naya moaned constantly. When her eyes weren¡¯t fluttering closed she stared into his eyes, and her tight, warm body squeezed desperately around his shaft. He understood the feeling. Despite being buried inside her, it didn¡¯t feel like enough. He had his hands all over her, trying to spread her from beneath and feel her folds even as he slid inside. When he couldn¡¯t touch enough to satisfy him, he eventually took a handful of her hair and just held it tight as he rammed. She seemed to love every second. Her eyes had rolled back entirely now, body flushing as she held her breath and came just from his thrusting. She clenched so hard she cried out, juices flowing visibly down his shaft as her sex started to feel like a flood. Mason had no reason in the world to hold back. Between the elven cake and every ridiculous, magical boost to his libido, he felt like a never-ending fountain of lust. And it was what they were here for, after all.@@novelbin@@ With a final growl and a grip on Naya¡¯s wide hips, he spread her even further and mmed deep in a brutal rhythm. He pulled her chest against his, kissing her as he filled the air with the sound of her flesh pping against his. She held him for dear life as he came, pressure sting inside her eager sex as he groaned and released. When he finally blinked and nced at the other women, he tried not to react as he saw Thea sitting on the edge of the pool, rubbing Ayet¡¯s shoulders with her legs spread around her. The nymph actually winked at him. He looked away and and buried his face in Naya¡¯s shoulder, erection still sheathed inside her. Despite feeling like he¡¯d just emptied a few day¡¯s worth of lust into his wife, it hadn¡¯t even started to go down. Naya was wiggling her hips, making a delighted little giggle as she noticed he was still rock hard. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you even finish again, husband,¡± she whispered in his ear. ¡°Take me however you wish. I can¡¯t think of anything else. I feel¡­like I¡¯m going mad with desire.¡± Mason¡¯s mind was clouding over again, but fortunately he didn¡¯t really need it. He just kept sliding into his elven wife¡¯s incredible body, feeling her twitch and squeeze and tremble around him as she wiggled and moaned. ¡°Careful now, druid,¡± called Thea from the other side. ¡°You¡¯ll need to save some strength. You have another moon daughter to make fertile.¡± Mason¡¯s clouded mind slowly caught up, and he froze. What did she say? He looked over to see Ayet with a simr reaction. He nced at Naya to see she looked equally confused. Thea looked between them all and frowned. ¡°It will only be required once. After this, you will be fertile without Gaia¡¯s waters. How much I cannot say. But with the druid¡¯s many gifts, and my power, I should think it quite effective.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand,¡± Mason said. ¡°Naya is my wife. It¡¯s only going to be her.¡± Thea¡¯s perpetually pleasant face transformed into something¡­less kind. She stopped touching Ayet and stood at the edge of the pool. ¡°You came to me. You asked for the blessing of Gaia¡¯s waters, and I weed you as friends, despite your¡­heritage. And now you say you didn¡¯t even intend to use that gift? Do the daughters of the moon insult my mistress again?¡± Mason had never seen Thea so angry, and didn¡¯t have a damn clue what was happening. Naya looked surprised and embarrassed. Ayet looked mortified. ¡°I apologize, honored daughter of Gaia.¡± Ayet looked down at the water and blinked. ¡°I should have thought¡­I didn¡¯t mean¡­we meant no offense.¡± ¡°Your intent is irrelevant,¡± Thea said, looking at Mason now. ¡°A gift is rejected. A price must be paid. I will begin the ritual.¡± Mason was pretty sure a ¡®ritual¡¯ meant summoning Gaia to p all their ass cheeks. He¡¯d probably wake up in a cave with broken legs again and have to drink some kind of poison while listening to a lecture. Not so bad, in the grand scheme of Mason¡¯s suffering. Though the elves didn¡¯t know that. He was also still hard and buried in a naked Naya. If anything she seemed to be thinking even less clearly than him, but she and her mother were exchanging subtle, probably meaningful looks. ¡°When I said¡­I hadn¡¯t meant¡­my lord,¡± Naya said, then shrugged. ¡°But¡­he has several concubines already, mother.¡± Mason blinked, looking between the elven women with what he thought was understanding, but definitely couldn¡¯t be understanding. Ayet said nothing. Her daughter went on. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like the¡­scent, or really the sight of humans, mother. But¡­he¡¯s really very different. I think it¡¯s because he¡¯s a druid. And¡­¡± she made a little moan as she moved and remembered where she was. ¡°I, um. Well, I¡¯m your daughter. And I am definitely enjoying it.¡± So Mason was maybe actually understanding. He looked at Ayet again hoping for rity, his lust promising they could ovee all obstacles. She met his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d mind.¡± Naya closed her eyes and licked her lips like a drunk person trying to think. She pushed against Mason as if to say he should back up, and he slowly eased himself out of her. They both sighed at the loss of contact, then Naya gave him a quick kiss and swam towards her mother. ¡°We could raise children together,¡± she whispered, taking her mother¡¯s hands. She lowered her voice even more, but Mason could still hear it. He considered sshing around or something to distract his ears, but he kind of figured this concerned him, too. ¡°I know we haven¡¯t been¡­as close as we could be,¡± Naya said. ¡°But don¡¯t you think this would change things?¡± ¡°Maybe, daughter, but he¡¯s your husband. It¡¯s only happened in Shariss a few times in a thousand years.¡± ¡°Yes, but it has happened. And my position as wife will never change. I want you to be happy, to be protected. To have a future. And there¡¯s no other human lords. I know you won¡¯t take amoner.¡± Both women turned and looked at Mason like they were inspecting a prize horse. Their wet hair dangled at their shoulders, the top of their breasts barely showing in the water. They were obviously rted, but where Naya was dark and almost Arabian, probably like her father, her mother was far more Caucasian, her long brown hair with a bit of curl. Mason had never really had a type. These days it was mostly just ¡®naked and willing¡¯, and on top of beautiful, these two elven women were that in spades. They were also discussing the details of exactly how they¡¯d belong to him. Including in the next few moments. It was a lot to take in. ¡°I know it¡¯s unusual, husband,¡± Naya said more loudly. ¡°But would you be willing to ept Ayet as your concubine? For the gift of your protection, she would do her best to serve you, and to adapt to your household. You can consider it a¡­marriage favor. A gift from husband to wife.¡± Mason couldn¡¯t seem to stop staring, sparing a brief nce at a very smug looking Thea. As usual, he wondered just how much of this was the creature¡¯s deception. ¡°Uh. Yeah,¡± he managed. ¡°Sure.¡± Naya beamed and pulled her mother into a hug. ¡°We¡¯ll be like sisters, too,¡± she said. ¡°And we¡¯ll get to see each other every day. Oh I hadn¡¯t even dreamed of this but I think it will be wonderful. I won¡¯t feel so outnumbered in that house. And he¡¯s a very talented lover, mother, you¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ayet said, seeming far more nervous and embarrassed than her daughter. ¡°I was¡­watching.¡± Thea sat back down on the side of the pool, her face warming again. ¡°Then it seems no gift has been rejected. Take her now, druid, and a ritual won¡¯t be required.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Naya said, looking a bit less sure. ¡°I¡¯d almost forgotten about...that. I know it¡¯s sudden, Mother, but¡­perhaps the nymph could¡­help you? To be¡­ready?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Ayet said, swallowing visibly. ¡°If your husband makes the contract formal. I¡­I can do my duty.¡± Contracts. Right. Mason suddenly wished Haley were with them, possibly in more ways than one. He pulled up his profile query with no idea how to find ¡®concubine contracts¡¯ other than some kind of search, and sure enough. RoboGod¡¯s ridiculous game let people drown again and again in some tutorial, seemingly unable to anticipate a bunch of terrible situations. But it was fully ready to hammer out the details of an elven concubine contract. The fucking thing. Mason skimmed the details but didn¡¯t see anything meaningful enough to worry him. She¡¯d join his house, any children would be official, she¡¯d be owed a certain standard of living. He swiped the eptance with his eyes, and Ayet blinked and put a hand to her mouth. She was obviously breathing hard, her chest rising and falling as she stared. ¡°It¡¯s done, then,¡± she whispered. ¡°I belong to him.¡± Again Naya hugged her mother, turning to look at Mason with her head on her bare shoulder. ¡°Thank you, husband. You have done our family so much honor.¡± Yeah, he thought. I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m going to honor both of you quite a lot. Starting now. His mind was already plunging into a sea of lust, imagination running wild with scenes of mother and daughter, one after the other. Or maybe both at the same time¡­ Jesus, Mason, he tried pitifully to scold himself. It was too far. They¡¯d need separate rooms at least. Naya would stay in the big bed. Ayet would be on her own. That would work. That would be reasonable, right? Did all this make him some kind of degenerate creep? God, he realized¡ªhe was going to have to exin this to the girls. To everyone. ¡®No, no,¡¯ he imagined saying, ¡®it¡¯s not like that, I¡¯m honoring them! I¡¯m really the hero in this situation and not at all a pervert!¡¯ Thea was back behind Ayet, rubbing her shoulders again. Naya lifted her head and kissed her mother¡¯s cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll be right over here. But you¡¯ll be fine.¡± Ayet swallowed again as Mason starteding forward. Unlike his wife seemed to believe, he knew Ayet wasn¡¯t actually dreading this. If anything, he suspected she was afraid of revealing just how much she was about to enjoy herself. He had a lot of words on the tip of his tongue about the first time they¡¯d met. Partly out of anger, partly out of boredom, she¡¯d propositioned him right then and there. But he knew it was also partly due to lust. The eptance of this new reality was slowly starting to sink in, and Mason¡¯s heart was beating faster as he got close enough to touch. Ayet wasn¡¯t nearly the innocent, sweet, obedient girl her daughter was. She was stubborn and maybe spiteful. A talented enchantress, and the once wife of an important elven lord, who yed politics well enough to sit on the fey city¡¯s council. When she¡¯d first looked at Mason it was as some lesser thing. Something to ke her lust on, a temporary distraction from a life doomed to boredom and dismissal. Since then she¡¯d watched him intimidate and use the elven leadership that ignored her. She had watched her daughter take him as a husband, and just a moment ago watched him fuck her until she came in his arms. Now he was going to do the same thing to her. The reality was, every bit of hope she had left in this world was because of him¡ªthat lesser thing she had dismissed those weeks ago. She belonged to him. His concubine. And when they were alone he fully expected to remind her of a few of these things, whether with words, or without them. But as he closed the gap between them and pulled her chest against his, bringing out a tiny, startled moan as he stared into her brown eyes, he was pretty sure she knew.
Chapter 440: Moon riser (NSFW) Chapter 440: Moon riser (NSFW) Mason went to kiss Ayet, then stopped as her lips moved to ept. He lowered himself in the water and slid a hand between her legs, the other on her ass as he slowly used both to move her away from the other women. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Ayet gripped his forearm with both hands. ¡°That is, I know we have to¡­but, if you can¡­for now, if you¡¯ll avoid¡­¡± He put his lips to her long, slender ear. ¡°Are you saying you don¡¯t want me to make you scream for more in front of your daughter?¡± Ayet put her forehead against his shoulder, moaning quietly as he wiggled his fingers against her clit. ¡°I promise, when we¡¯re alone¡­I¡¯ll¡­mm. I¡¯ll happily¡­¡± Mason slipped a finger inside her and nibbled an ear lobe, then trailed his lips down her neck. It was harder to tell under the water, but she was definitely already soaked. ¡°Mason¡­¡± she begged, her grip weakening on his arm. ¡°You¡¯re my concubine now, Ayet,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ll do as I say. And I don¡¯t care who¡¯s watching. Now tell me what you wanted when you first saw me outside your tub.¡± The elven exdy nibbled a trembling lip as Mason got her to the edge of the pool. He kissed her passionately and kept fingering, exploring her body with his other hand. It was almost impossible to believe she¡¯d ever had a child, or that she was something like two hundred years old. She had the figure of a fit human woman in herte twenties. She was all gentle, soft curves, thin body with just enough meat everywhere that counted. Mason was torn between taking her slowly and enjoying every bit, or jack hammering her like he had her daughter. ¡°I wanted¡­¡± she whispered, legs spreading slowly to let Mason touch her. ¡°I wanted your mouth¡­between my legs.¡± Her face was pink now and Mason smiled. Ayet wasn¡¯t an easily embarrassed woman. He lifted her easily out of the water, setting her on the lush moss andying her back as he spread her legs. There was only a tiny strip of hair over her puffy, pink lips, and Mason decided it was the first appetizing elven meal he¡¯d seen all day. He went in slow and steady, running his hands over her body to cup her breasts as he licked. She was arching like a cat in seconds, almost squirming away from him until he forced her back down. He tasted every piece of her, running his tongue over and inside every fold and bit of flesh. Ayet started panting and buried her hands in his short hair. She was as responsive as her daughter, and Mason had to fight the urge to climb up and bury himself inside her. Instead he started working in a finger then two as he licked. Her juices were flooding his hand in seconds, and he grinned as she started to shake. She bit down on her own arm to keep from shouting, her body trembling as she orgasmed for damn near a minute. When she finally stopped and let out a long held breath, her body practically melted into the moss. He had a feeling she¡¯d been waiting a long time. Mason grinned at herpletely ck legs, still sending twitching pulses through her body with his fingers and tongue. ¡°Are you alright, mother?¡± Naya had apparentlye around the side of the pool. She knelt down naked beside Ayet and eased the arm away from her mouth, eyes full of concern when she saw the tooth marks. ¡°This is supposed to be pleasurable, but¡­maybe it¡¯s been too long.¡± She looked at Mason and smiled. ¡°Thank you for easing her into it. But I think we¡¯d better just hurry.¡± Mason blinked, no idea what to say. He pulled Ayet back down into the pool, the water here only up to the elf¡¯s thighs. He was basically holding her up, but he turned her around and put his painfully hard length against her back, kissing her neck and face until she seemed toe back to reality. ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± she said, standing on her own now. Her eyes fluttered and Mason did his best not to smile. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­you can¡­I¡¯m ready for the rest.¡± Naya actually hopped down beside them, looking ready to aim Mason¡¯s cock and help him thrust. She took her mother¡¯s hand. ¡°Gently please,¡± she said, kissing Mason¡¯s cheek. ¡°I promise she¡¯ll improve, husband. She just needs a little practice.¡± Mason was too turned on to question any of this. He slid himself down the elf¡¯s narrow back, over her jutting ass and down to the soaked opening between her legs. He gave her the tip and felt Ayet quiver with anticipation, her body definitely ready to take him fully. ¡°Maybe just some of it?¡± Naya suggested, smoothing her mother¡¯s hair. ¡°You humans are sorge, husband, she¡¯ll have to learn to take you properly.¡± It took a lot of will for Mason to keep it slow. But he pretended the beautiful elf wasn¡¯t desperate for the full length, working himself inside her an inch at a time. She was panting again as he finally pushed up against her ass, growling as he leaned forward and bit her shoulder. ¡°Oh gently, please, husband.¡± Naya turned around beside her mother. ¡°Perhaps take turns with us. Until you¡¯re nearer to finishing. Or I could use my mouth to get you close?¡± Mason grabbed Naya by the waist and pulled her next to Ayet. He took a moment just to admire them both side by side, their incredible profiles from behind, his cock still buried inside Ayet. ¡°Good idea,¡± he said, thrusting slowly as he used one hand to y with his wife. ¡°You¡¯ll take turns. You can show her.¡± ¡°Yes, husband,¡± Naya said, trying to act like she was just being helpful and not turned on. Pretty soon Mason¡¯s hands were ying with both women¡¯s clits as he thrust inside Ayet. The older elven woman¡¯s body was back to reacting like she was in heat, her sex practically gulping him in and trying to hold him there as she moaned and squeezed. She was so wet she was making sucking sounds as Mason¡¯s cock slid in and out covered in her juices. But there was definitely something wrongly hot about Naya having no idea how much her mother was enjoying herself. And she needed a distraction. Ayet bit her hand again as Mason pulled out and swapped, putting a hand on his bride¡¯s ass as he lined up and drove in. Naya closed her eyes and sucked in her lips as Mason took her in deep thrusts, spanking her as he smacked against her amazing ass. ¡°You¡¯ll find¡­¡± Naya tried to say between thrusts. ¡°My husband¡¯s¡­women¡­have to wear him down¡­together.¡± That was definitely true tonight. Mason gathered up Naya¡¯s dark hair and pulled her head back, arching her back as he hammered her and kept spanking her with the other hand. Ayet was watching them with a longing stare, one hand on her breast, the other moving between her legs. Naya started to tremble and moan again, and Mason kept driving into her until she cried out and came. This time he hammered her straight through, pping her ass red as he pounded her body. As she finally came down from the orgasm, he let go of her hair and pulled her up for a tender kiss over her shoulder, hands on her tits. She looked like she¡¯d forgotten her job here entirely, half-lidded eyes looking up at him with total satisfaction. He grinned and slipped out of her, moving his slick member back to Ayet. Naya seemed to remember what she was doing here and turned around with an even more flushed face. ¡°Are you¡­are you almost finished, husband? Let me help you.¡± This time she reached beneath to y with his balls as he started fucking her mother. She smiled and kissed his shoulder and chest, Ayet biting her fist as she took his cock. ¡°Thank you, husband,¡± Naya said, looking up at him. ¡°For bringing us here. For signing my mother¡¯s contract. You¡¯re so good to us. We¡¯ve been selfish, but I hope you¡¯re enjoying it a little. I promise we¡¯ll make it up to you.¡± Mason growled and put a hand on his elven bride¡¯s neck, kissing her intimately, the feeling of Ayet¡¯s silky tightness and Naya¡¯s soft hands absolutely amazing. That these women thought this was him doing them a favor was difficult to imagine, and yet true. ¡°I know you will,¡± he said, pulling Naya closer with a hand on her ass to keep kissing her, pushing Ayet over further with his other hand on her back. ¡°You both will.¡± Seeing that incredible body bent over with his hard-on skewering her was incredible enough. But to have Naya urging him on, massaging his sack as she sucked his tongue¡­ ¡°I know she¡¯ll do her best to please you,¡± Naya said when she pulled away. ¡°And I¡¯m sure your other concubines will teach her. We aren¡¯t used to so much¡­virility. But, I¡¯m enjoying it. Very much. I¡¯m sure my mother will learn.¡±@@novelbin@@ Mason nced down at Ayet¡¯s juices dripping down his wife¡¯s hand on his balls, the older elf almost tearing at her hair just to stop from screaming in pleasure. ¡°Yeah,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sure she will.¡± Naya looked down at his cock moving in and out of Ayet, eventually running her hands over both of them, gasping a little at the wetness before holding Mason¡¯s shaft. ¡°Are you alright, mother?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ayet squealed. ¡°Is he¡­almost¡­finished?¡± ¡°Should I use my mouth, husband?¡± Naya said. ¡°I don¡¯t think either of us can take much more.¡± Mason practically shivered at the thought. He also decided they could take much more, and probably would before the night was over. But it was time to give Ayet what she was here for. ¡°Later,¡± he said, groping his wife¡¯s body again as he picked up speed. He wed a hand down Ayet¡¯s back before he took her hair, spanking her exactly like he¡¯d spanked her daughter, giving her the exact same treatment. ¡°Husband¡­¡± Naya said, still trying to milk his balls. ¡°She can take it,¡± Mason said, his lust too hot to resist. Ayet finally lost her battle with her own desire, shuddering and crying out as she started to cum again. This time Mason held nothing back. He rose with Ayet¡¯s crescendo, watching her beautiful body bent over and totally his, totally submissive to his lust. Naya was still kissing his chest and squeezing him as he took her mother, doing everything she could think of to make him cum. ¡°Goddess,¡± Ayet was mumbling, followed by something incoherent. Her body was going ck again, her sex turning into what Mason was starting to internally call ¡®mush¡¯ after he¡¯d totally exhausted a woman. Her walls losing all strength to squeeze. But she clenched onest time as he yanked her back by her hair, thrusting hard as he released the pressure and sprayed deep inside her. ¡°You did it, mother!¡± Naya said as Mason kept moving, letting another huge load in Ayet a stream at a time. He gripped his wife and pulled her in again, looking down to see his cum still clinging to her thighs. Something about filling both of them was driving him wild, and he knew between the aphrodisiacs, his libido, and the ridiculous situation, there was almost nothing the women could do to truly put an end to his desire. It would have taken all his girls, and maybe then some. But he kept thrusting and emptying until Naya looked perplexed and maybe frustrated as she kept massaging. Ayet was barely standing now, Mason¡¯s seed literally dripping out of her despite still being plugged by his not at all reduced erection. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but¡­we can¡¯t take much more, husband, though I can¡­certainly try,¡± Naya said, obviously worried. ¡°We aren¡¯t like your human women yet. We¡¯ll need more practice.¡± The earnest, innocent way his elven bride said it definitely didn¡¯t help stop him. He wanted to swap again and start the training session right there. But there was only so much they could take. The women looked more than just exhausted, and he remembered the effect the nymph pool had on everyone the first time. He lifted both into his arms, carrying them out of the pool to a bed-shaped patch of especially thick moss,ying them down beside each other with a kiss to each. ¡°Sleep a little while,¡± he said. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take us home.¡± Ayet was already out. Naya smiled up at him then wrapped an arm and a leg over her mother and closed his eyes. They were both covered in red patches of skin, obviously from w, bite and p marks. Mason didn¡¯t remember leaving most of them. They also both had a sheen of sweat, and Mason¡¯s cum still leaking down their thighs. ¡°You have done something no one has done in a hundred years, druid,¡± Thea said from behind him, her soft body soon pressing against his back. ¡°They will be fertile now. The young one especially so, I think. Gaia will be pleased.¡± Mason smiled, not at all surprised as he watched a title scroll. [Moon Riser: Increased sensitivity to the moon god¡¯s cycles¡ªincluding improvements to fertility, powers, and magic.] Then he actually read the ¡®reward¡¯, and smacked a hand to his face. More ¡®fertility¡¯? Again? This was getting ridiculous.
Chapter 442: A new day and a new Blake Chapter 442: A new day and a new ke ke opened his eyes to white walls and a familiar sound of tinkering. He sat up to see the goblin engineer Pliny, fiddling with some device in a corner of hisboratory in the orcish white tower, hammering away, oblivious. Seul-ki sat up from a couch nearby. Annie sprung up from the floor to leap at ke and bury her head in his chest. ¡°Was it very horrible?¡± she whispered. Yes, ke thought, it was. He knew she meant his final match in the arena¡ªthe awful decision to try and break Mason¡¯s mind. The demonic cor that ultimately choked him to death. He put one hand on her arm to give a reassuring pat, the other to the ¡®jewelry¡¯ around his neck. He suddenly couldn¡¯t stand the feel of it against his skin. He pulled trying to break it, then tried uselessly to slip it over his head. He¡¯d try other methodster, but that wasn¡¯t a good sign. ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± he said, obviously not alright. Though he exchanged a polite smile with Seul-ki. He also noticed his profile was shing like a strobe light with different colors vying for attention. He flipped it open to see he¡¯d leveled to sixteen. He was supposed to pick a power enhancement, and also rewards for his 3v3 arena victory, and his 2nd ce in the overall tournament. Why he hadn¡¯t received these things in the Neutral Zone he wasn¡¯t sure. But it¡¯s not like the system was in the habit of exining itself. He decided he¡¯d get to it in a minute. First, he stood and convinced the girls everything was fine, praising them for their excellent work and saying he needed just a little while alone to choose rewards. ¡°Everything continues as nned,¡± he said, kissing the back of Seul-ki¡¯s hand. ¡°I have things to tell you. New possibilities. But I want to understand them first.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± she said, bowing and wandering to her own room. She¡¯d have seen straight through him, but that was fine. Whatever he told her, it wouldn¡¯t include his conversations with ¡®Psion¡¯. ke trusted her. More or less. At least as much as he trusted anyone. But he intended to keep his new ¡®divine patron¡¯ very close to his chest. And certainly until he understood exactly the ramifications. He said a quick goodbye to a much less shrewd Annie, then closed the door to his own room. He opened his profile and went to his sheet, eyes narrowing as he watched Duality of Ambition glow. Of course, he realized. He¡¯d changed his prestige ss, which was the source of his ¡®duality¡¯ power. Considering how spectacrly it had failed in his duel against Mason, he wasn¡¯t terribly disappointed to see it go. Though it had been fairly useful in the past¡­ [Prestige power changed: Duality of Ambition ==> Duality of Sentience. With infinite freedomes paralysis of choice. Will you keep your universe simple? Or will you riskplexity for power? Modification power.] Cryptic as usual. At least roboGod was consistent¡ªeven if its only consistency was being unhelpful. Duality of Ambition had also been a ¡®modification¡¯ power, so he assumed this too would trigger as he used something else. He¡¯d take his other rewards first, he decided, then immediately try both his new duality and his new making power. He picked his 2nd ce reward first. As he did, the world darkened and shifted, and there he was, seemingly back in the Neutral Zone, standing on the stage with two podiums and a smiling system servant. ¡°Apologies for the minor dy,¡± it said. ¡°You were¡­temporarily unavable.¡± Yeah. Snatched by a God, ke thought. But how curious. Exactly how much ¡®power¡¯ did these gods have to disrupt things, or one another? ke definitely needed to create a kind of spreadsheet of all the rules, and exactly who could break them. And then figure out how to do it himself. For now, though, he reached for the closest orb sitting on the podium. The system servant blinked in surprise and stepped away, sputtering something about an exnation. ¡°Do I have a choice?¡± ke said. The thing blinked and stared in what he assumed passed for a robotic shrug. ¡°Well, there you go then.¡± The orb glowed as he touched it, swirling with blue energy and tingling the skin all over his hand. [/error. /Sysmod. Unable to find appropriate power for power gem use. Re-calcting.] ke saw the error sh and started locking everything about the moment in his partitioned mind. He immediately assumed it had something to do with ¡®Psion¡¯ and the disruption to the Neutral Zone¡¯s reward. Had it tried to give him something applicable to his old duality or making power, only to find it obsolete? It seemed likely. And if that was so, it served as absolute proof that this ¡®system¡¯ relied on multiple decision makers, or at least conflicting ¡®programs¡¯. They¡¯d disagreed, or at least hadn¡¯tmunicated. A spike of excitement shot through ke, hard to articte at first until his conscious mind caught up. But insight gave way to realization: if the system could make such mistakes¡ªif it could interfere with itself and be forced to change, then ke could exploit those interferences. All he had to do was find the fault lines, the grey areas, the uncharted waters with no precedent or rules. With the right knowledge, he could, in a word, cheat. Though it did also ur to him that finding an exploit in a game didn¡¯t always work out very well for the exploiter¡­ [Receiving reward: Unique Power modification orb: Power modified: Primordial Making. Unique. The Essence of War. Considerably increase the maximum energy level for allbat designs.] ke smiled and waited patiently for the power to work its way through his body with the usual pain and paralysis. He didn¡¯tpletely understand the gem, since he had yet to actually use the new power, but the direction seemed clear enough. It looked like it raised some kind of ¡®cap¡¯, which in theory meant it improved the power he was capable of producing in any single bat¡¯ construct. At least that was his theory. ¡®Maximum energy level¡¯ was a new concept, but he supposed he would soon see what it meant. First he reached for the 3v3 champion orb. This one didn¡¯t cause any kind of error. [Unique Power Gem. Chains of Friendship. Not all shackles are a punishment. Always found in two or more sets. Wearers can activate to: transfer power effects, power point of origin, as well as sustain channels.] ke had to read this one several times. He assumed this meant Annie and Seul-ki received the same prize. The orb melted and reformed as a silver chain around ke¡¯s wrist, and he really hoped this one didn¡¯t shrink and start crushing him if he used it too much. But transfer power effects? And channels? Did this mean he could move a shield to Seul-ki? Or that Annie could let him use her ¡®voidsoul¡¯? Or that he could use her to ¡®channel¡¯ while he kept on doing other things? Some of that feltplicated, but he hoped yes. Though of course as a power gem the thing would have limited juice. Still, it definitely sounded like it had potential. ke took a deep breath and was about to start Making when he remembered Navi. When he¡¯d changed his prestige ss she¡¯d started freaking out. He searched his profile, suddenly frantic, looking for his innate ¡®familiar¡¯ before finding her with arge sigh of relief. He summoned the little orb just ahead, then went wide-eyed as he stared. ¡°Hello, Master!¡± Navi was now a glowing patch of purple color. It twirled and blinked as it spoke, shining enough light to sh off the walls. So. That was new. But at least it had kept its enthusiasm. ¡°Uh. Hi, Navi. How are you¡­feeling?¡± ¡°Great! Can I assist you with something, Master?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve¡­changed, Navi. Can you do anything now you couldn¡¯t do before? Do you remember?¡± ¡°Of course I do! And¡­yes. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t do some of the things I could do previously. Like touch things. At least not normally. So¡­I won¡¯t be able to protect you. Sorry, Master. But I can fly through walls! And I can¡¯t be harmed except with special kinds of magic.¡± The ¡®protection mode¡¯ Navi had before was quite literally useless, so there wasn¡¯t much loss there. ke nodded with encouragement, and his new (and improved?) familiar went on. ¡°Most importantly, Master, on top of identifying for you, I can interfere with magic now! I can help boost your spells, and I can even pull apart the spells of others. Though not if it¡¯s instant. I¡¯m not very fast yet, and I¡¯ll always need some time.¡± ke grinned, liking the sound of that. He also decided he couldn¡¯t wait another second to try out his new abilities. He activated Primordial Making, not surprised as a kind of disy took over his vision as before. Except¡­where True Making had ¡®categories¡¯ and all kinds of specific ¡®builds¡¯ for its constructs, this new one seemed¡­nk. It was more like an borate art program filled with toolbars ke didn¡¯t really understand. After looking for some of his old ¡®models¡¯ or a way to pick a basic temte, he eventually just started ¡®drawing¡¯ a basic shape. An ovey instantly appeared, wondering if he wanted something dedicated tobat or not. He picked yes. Not that it seemed to change anything. Two ¡®energy¡¯ bars became prominent, one showing total possible, the other nk one showing current allocated. ke started trying to make something like his old ¡®legionnaires¡¯¡ªa humanoid with four limbs. It was almost¡­awkward doing it now. Like the thing didn¡¯t understand what he was trying to do and wouldn¡¯t help him in the slightest. ¡°Tell me what you know about Primordial Making, please,¡± he muttered to Navi as he kept trying to mould his invisible y. ¡°I¡¯ll try, Master. I can tell you first it¡¯s the mostplicated power in existence.¡± ke sighed, but also felt a stab of excitement. If a thing wasplicated in a game, it was almost certain to have incredible potential. If he could just figure it out¡­ ¡°How do I create a useful shape forbat?¡± Just as he asked he noticed one of his ¡®icons¡¯ said ¡®legacy¡¯, which he opened and sighed in relief. It had pretty much everything from his old True Making power, including every design he¡¯d ever made. Though they were all in a weird, vaguely reddish color. He picked a big, psionic defender, smiling as the outline filled his disy. But he frowned as he watched the ¡®total¡¯ energy bar drop like a stone. It was like his design had somehow damaged the efficiency of the system, though it still had enough to make his defender. ¡°You see what I did there, Navi? What just happened?¡± ¡°You mixed runic magic with primordial magic, Master,¡± said the floating ball of light. ke squinted, at least partially understanding. His old Making had been based on symbols and runes, basically like anguage, but his new Making seemed more like¡­art. His new patron(s) had been pretty clear with its¡­er, their¡­distaste for ¡®True¡¯ Making. He was d he could still use it, but obviously he had a great deal of work to do to figure out the new method. He swiped away the defender and went back to the literal drawing board, this time thinking more about purpose, about function rather than form. He imagined the weapon, first¡ªa kind of il with a heavy ball on a chain. The ¡®designer¡¯ clearly understood this time, helping him form the idea like a second pair of hands. As he pulled back he saw sphere after sphere, the whole construct bing a kind of ball with a il attached. It looked vaguely insane, but ke didn¡¯t care. He realized he saw no obvious ¡®affinity¡¯ or ¡®intelligence¡¯ categories but for the moment he didn¡¯t care about that, either. He didn¡¯t even know how the damn thing would move, but it looked cool and doing whatever he wanted was really just¡­fun. By the time he¡¯d clicked the thing into some version of apleted shape, he was maybe halfway up the total allotment of power. But it looked like it would let him summon it now. With a giddy shiver up his spine, he started the channel without a second thought. Light red and filled the room. ke could see he was glowing and projecting something. What looked like symbols danced and melted like they were mocking their own shape, blinking and swirling around the walls. There was also no bar that told him how long the channel would take. Finally the light stopped, and the spherical ¡®weapon¡¯ formed on the floor of ke¡¯s room like a lifeless alien ship with a chain.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Well.¡± ke winced as he inspected, seeing no obvious sign the thing could really do anything at all. ¡°At least it worked. Maybe I can¡­¡± The orb hummed and floated into the air, its chain lifting with a rattle. ke blinked and felt the same ¡®presence¡¯ he had with former constructs. It wasmandable. It understood him. Without a word, he mentally floated the sphere towards his door and stood well back, activating both his shields to be safe. The sphere spun on a dime, twirling with instant violence as the attached metal ball smashed into his door. It sted apart in a spray of shrapnel. Not sure who might be outside, ke caught everything with Telekinesis as he walked forward. He stepped through the floating chunks of wood as Seul-ki and Annie came running in concern. ¡°Is¡­everything alright?¡± Seul-ki asked, blinking and staring in obvious rm. ke picked a chunk of his door from the air and grinned, letting everything fall to the floor. He floated out his orb and sent it drifting through hisb, bringing Navi closer but mentallymanding her to stop glowing quite so much. The light dimmed down to nothing, and his spherical construct floatedzily in a loop above them, slowly swinging its chain. It was a terrifying construct, really, clearly durable, and packed a hell of a wallop. He had no idea if it had an ¡®affinity¡¯, though with Primordial Making that might have been a feature and not a bug. But whatever else it could do, it could fly. It had only used half his potential power. And it had only been his first attempt! ¡°Oh yes,¡± ke said, feeling a very genuine smile. ¡°Everything is just fine.¡±
Chapter 443: Obsession Chapter 443: Obsession ke told Annie and Seul-ki he had some ¡®power changes¡¯ due to the tournament. He had no interest yet and maybe ever in describing his new rtionship with Psion, and was pleased when neither girl asked any questions. Annie didn¡¯t because she believed him, and also because she didn¡¯t care. Seul-ki, he had no doubt, because she recognized he was lying, but was perfectlyfortable with that. It reminded him he had chosen the perfect women. Though he did wonder how Annie would react if she knew his exact rtionship with Seul-ki or Ilya¡­ But there was no time to worry about the merits of his love life. ke decided it was time for a new round and generation of Making, to be interrupted only by an army of demons pouring out theirst portals in the remaining orc towers. ¡°I¡¯m not to be disturbed,¡± he exined to the others. ¡°Unless Ilya asks for me, or there¡¯s a fire or something. I¡¯ll be busy. Possibly for days.¡± Pliny looked back down at his experiments without a word. Seul-ki bowed politely and wandered off. Annie put her hands behind her back and scuffed the floor with a dainty foot. ¡°Well, what am I supposed to do? There¡¯s nothing to do in this tower.¡± ¡°Whatever you like, my dear,¡± ke said, already opening his Making power and staring at the disy. ¡°You can wander the tower. You can leave and explore a little, if you like. Seul-ki might like toe along. But don¡¯t go far. And do be careful.¡± Annie didn¡¯t leave right away, and he sensed a definite teenage huff when she finally marched off. But for now, he just couldn¡¯t care. He knew he was about to drop down one of his rabbit holes, mind entranced and addicted to a new puzzle, the boring world reduced to an interfering annoyance. He tried to make a new ¡®sphere¡¯ to smash his old one. But he basically¡­couldn¡¯t. It was like Primordial Making refused to clone a project. The more he tried, the more it varied. The more he pushed for a specific design, the less efficient it became. When he finally gave up and went back to a focus on purpose and function, the power instead made a kind of giant bat with a spike. Like it was almost mocking him. This too floated¡ªthough slowly¡ªand happily chased after his swinging sphere before smashing it like a big pinata. ke winced as it crashed into the wall, bringing down tiles and chunks of stone and maybe even cracking a support beam. Pliny popped up from under a table, ears flopping as he pulled off his dust covered goggles. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± ke called. The engineer just shrugged like these things happened before going back to his hammering. ¡°Perhaps I should try some nonbat models,¡± ke muttered, not sure if he could fix the damage so easily with his new power. Turned out he was right to be concerned. Sort of. Primordial Making was very good at fixing things, it just wasn¡¯t good at making them consistent. If reality was a kind of image his new Making power was modifying, it felt like all he had was a big random brush to swipe it with. The colors and surfaces never matched. White, uniform tiles became a rainbow. Broken floorboards changed from stone to concrete to stic in the space of a few feet. It did the job, technically speaking, but it was the kind of tool that would drive a perfectionist to lose his damn mind. Fortunately, ke wasfortable with chaos. And he had to admit there was something¡­beautiful about the seemingly random nature of his creations. He started making sculptures just to see what would happen, and usually ended up with hybrid monsters suited for Greek drama. He made table and chair ¡®sets¡¯ so ridiculous only kids would appreciate them. He made ¡®tools¡¯ that might technically work, but which no self-respecting craftsman would use. All in all, it was a wonderful, frustrating, absorbing first day. ke was eventually forced to stop before his body gave out, his mana getting too low to do anything. Seul-ki refused to re-charge him until he ate something. ¡°I thought you were going for a walk with Annie,¡± he said, chewing some impossible blend of Korean and Orc cuisine mechanically. His maybe main ally in the game raised her carefully plucked brow. ¡°We were gone all day. And then we slept. It¡¯s the next morning, ke.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± He nced at the sun through a window with a scowl. ¡°Have I eaten enough? I want to try some morebat models. I think I¡¯ve learned a few things from the sculptures. At least enough to stop making basic shapes.¡± Seul-ki quirked a judgmental head. But she eventually leaned forward and kissed his brow, sending a delightful jolt of power through him. ¡°What would I do without you?¡± He smiled, taking her delicate hands in his. But he saw Annie near her room staring and let go. ¡°Well. Thank you. I promise I¡¯ll sleep. Soon. Ish.¡± Seul-ki gave him a ¡®I don¡¯t believe you but that¡¯s fine¡¯ kind of look before walking towards her room. ke managed to smile at Annie, not getting one in return. But for the moment he didn¡¯t really care. There was only the next construct, and applying all he¡¯d learned. He had so much to do, so much to understand, and so little time. He didn¡¯t intend to waste a moment. **@@novelbin@@ Jeong, Emperor of the World, crawled through an ancient sewage pipe. He was beginning to suspect his God had created the dungeon entrance intentionally¡ªa reminder, perhaps, for his would-be champions, of what he thought of the living. Another little dose of humility. It was the third time Jeong had gone inside. He had found the Eternal God¡¯s ancient temple in what he¡¯d taken to calling the Desert of the Dead¡ªfifty miles south of the capital, past the outskirts of the civilized world, through a few aggressive tribes of orcs and half animal humanoids. A raiding party of hyena-men had thought they found easy prey when Jeong entered the desert alone. ¡°We told you humans,¡± said their leader with a snarl. ¡°This ce. Forbidden. Tonight you roast in fire. We send your ugly head to your people.¡± Jeong had crushed the leader¡¯s throat without a word. He¡¯d snapped the legs of the other raiders, dragging them one by one into a pile before breaking their bodies apart as they screamed and begged for mercy. Only one he¡¯d spared¡ªthe young warrior weeping silently as he stared at his kin. Finally he¡¯d met Jeong¡¯s stare with the expression they all should have had since the beginning. ¡°Go and tell your people,¡± Jeong said, holding the creature¡¯s chin in a bloody hand. ¡°Tell them humans go wherever they wish. Show them this pile of dead fools. Tell them they crossed the chief of all men.¡± The creature nodded, and Jeong let him go. He had always been fond of turning enemies into servants. Though he supposed ve was preferable. No other creatures had bothered him, at least not until he¡¯d arrived at the temple. Skeletal things guarded the entrance, from man-sized humanoids with spears to mammoth-sized beasts with gold-ringed tusks. Jeong had destroyed them all easily enough. He was fond of fighting the walking dead, even before his Golden Shield. They were always so slow and ponderous, and with his Divine Vessels providing his inhuman speed and endless stamina, he could smash them apart without much concern. But the dungeon itself wasplicated. The undead inside were truly never-ending, and a foul mist spread over everything, even wearing down Jeong¡¯s shield over time. As far as he could tell, he was required to solve a series of intricate puzzles, collecting pieces of tile to build a kind of colored pyramid in a central hall. But every room teleported him, seemingly randomly. He had yet to discern any kind of pattern, and each time he teleported he was required to destroy more of the endless dead, wasting more time standing in the foul miasma. So he was forced to eventually retreat before his Shield wore down. A day or so outside and it rejuvenatedpletely, then he would take whatever tiles he¡¯d found and go to the hall outside the teleporting rooms and ce his pieces. Then he¡¯d return to the teleporters, searching and crushing the walking corpses until he¡¯d weakened enough he knew he had to get out again. Losing time was a problem. What was happening in the capital in his absence he had no idea. His loss to Mason Nimitz and his premature exit from the tournament would have caused a scandal and a stir. The many disloyal yers and opportunists may well be plotting against him this very moment, telling each other and others he had fled the city and wouldn¡¯t return. That the time of Jeong was over. Some would try to seek out his Vessels, no doubt. But only the Vessels themselves knew who they were. Any member of Jeong¡¯s House could be used¡ªall that was required was to sign a kind of agreement, binding their power to his, and suffering the physical or mental consequences. All had been sworn to secrecy by contract, and they would only be discovered with physical or cognitive tests administered by someone who understood the power. Otherwise, the only reasonable way to eliminate them would be to force every yer and civilian to quit Jeong¡¯s House with the threat of violence. Or gather all those Jeong had favored in some way, assume they were Vessels, and kill them. That¡¯s what Jeong would do. But only Damian and his wife understood his Vessel power. And there were enough loyalists and fear of him that building the support to oppose him would be difficult, and take time. Jeong would return before long. He was making progress. Soon enough he would have the weapon he was promised¡ªa way to defeat Mason Nimitz in battle, and erase the shame and failure that had cracked the foundation of his dynasty. In a hundred years, he told himself, there would be no one left who even remembered. Jeong would destroy his enemies, unite mankind, and re-write the history of this world. The name Mason Nimitz would not exist, and therefore Jeong¡¯s defeat would not exist. The final ticks of his Golden Shield renewed, and Jeong stepped to the rune-covered door that would lead him to the ancient temple. He had no idea what it said, nor did he care. His god kept things from him, of course, he knew that. But all that mattered was power. He had warned this weapon would be difficult to wield. That it would cause Jeong pain. That he would suffer as long as he kept it. But suffering was an old friend to the emperor of the world. He had been afraid most of his life¡ªof starvation, of weakness, of betrayal. He feared nothing now except failure. If suffering was the price of victory, it was a cost he would pay without a moment¡¯s hesitation. He reached for the temple door for what he hoped was the third and final time, imagining the faces of any traitors in the capital when he returned. He hoped it was Erik the Swede. Or maybe Michael. He truly did. Even if it cost him more time to conquer the Nexus, wiping the smug caster¡¯s brains off the floor would be a day of days. And perhaps he could rece him soon with a different Nimitz. The young ke seemed to Jeong a like-minded soul. His potential betrayal of his brother would be a psychological blow, if nothing else. And unlike Erik, his inexperience would make him¡­far more malleable. Jeong was patient. He would wait and see. If he was required to kill traitors to secure his rule, he would kill them without hesitation. He would kill ke. He would kill Mason. He would butcher nine out of ten men if it meant re-shaping the rest. But first, the weapon. Then his triumphant return to the capital to set things in order. Then the Nexus. And finally the West, and with it, the world. Jeong touched the temple of his God, and vanished inside.
Chapter 444: First, you survive Chapter 444: First, you survive Mason woke feeling more rxed than he could remember. And also slightly dehydrated. How many times, exactly, and for how long, Thea had tried to suck out every drop of his ¡®magic¡¯, he honestly didn¡¯t know. And he was pretty sure he¡¯d technically ¡®won¡¯. At some point, the nymph had stood up and wandered off like she was drunk, diving into her pool without another word. Mason stumbled over andy down beside his wife and ¡®concubine¡¯, falling asleep the moment he closed his eyes. ¡°Good morning, husband.¡± He smiled as the dark-haired elf leaned on his chest and gave him an almost hriously chaste kiss, considering the night before. ¡°How¡¯d you sleep?¡± he asked.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Almost too well,¡± she said, looking down shyly. ¡°I hope we haven¡¯t overstayed our wee.¡± ¡°Oh I doubt that.¡± Mason sighed and stood, lifting Naya to her feet. He was a bit disappointed she was already dressed, then kind of hated himself for even imagining more. Maybe it was time for a week of celibacy. Just to see if he could do it. Like some kind of sexaholics anonymous assignment. He was pretty sure he heard his dickughing. It didn¡¯t help when his new elven concubine, ie, his beautiful and recently banged, young-looking mother inw, yawned and stretched on her moss-bed like a cat. She blinked awake and looked at him with a smile before she seemed to remember where she was. Then she jumped up and started throwing on clothes, turning away as if embarrassed. Mason had no idea what to do to smooth over anything. Thea had definitely pressured them all into their situation, not counting the magic of the pool. Even Mason was feeling a distinct ¡®morning after¡¯, walk-of-shame kind of energy. Except¡­they¡¯d also signed a contract. So this was no ¡®let¡¯s all forget about it¡¯ kind of ¡®what happens in nymph Vegas stays in nymph Vegas¡¯ fling. Ayet was officially Mason¡¯s concubine, which involved a good page of legalese that (admittedly on a quick,yman¡¯s read) amounted to her very nearly being his property. ¡°Morning,¡± he said, doing his honest best to seem cool. Ayet half turned and put on a polite mask, nodding her head as she did her best to cover herself entirely with her silks. Naya went to help her, and the women exchanged at least slightly less awkward looks. ¡°Well. Let¡¯s get you home.¡± Mason was feeling increasingly desperate to go do something. Fortunately, there was a whole heap of things that needed his attention, so it wouldn¡¯t be much of a stretch to get himself on the road. ¡°Wait.¡± Thea stepped out from behind a giant mushroom. She was thankfully fully covered in a dress that looked like fresh leaves. She smiled and walked to Mason, kissing him with an equally almost hrious chastity on the cheek. ¡°Thank your for visiting me, druid. It was nice to see you again. My sister is well?¡± ¡°Yes. Safe and happy,¡± Mason said, clearing his throat and avoiding looking at the elves. ¡°Ready when you are,dies.¡± ¡°Thank you, Thea.¡± Naya took a step towards the nymph, looking a bit reluctant and shy. ¡°But¡­I feel no different than before. How will we know anything has changed? That we can¡­have children now? What should we do?¡± The nymph closed the gap, lifting a hand to Naya¡¯s stomach before ring with a soft, green light. She smiled and slid a finger down the elf¡¯s cheek. ¡°A seed will grow in you now, moon daughter. You need only nt it. Gaia¡¯s curse is lifted.¡± Naya nodded. She seemed ready to turn away, then threw her arms around the nymph and squeezed. ¡°Thank you. Thank your mistress for us. We will never forget her generosity, or where our ancestors came from.¡± Mason winced, pretty sure Gaia had no intention of forgetting, either. Thea just nodded and walked towards Ayet with the same glowing green hand. ¡°I¡¯m¡­sure it worked for me as well,¡± said the enchantress, pulling away. Thea shrugged and walked towards the deeper recesses of her grove, waving at Mason with a twinkle in her eye. ¡°Feel free to bring more of the poor creatures, druid. I would be happy to help them. The world is better with more feykin. Even if they are distant rtives.¡± With that the nymph was gone from sight, only Mason and his two lovers standing in awkward silence. ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking,¡± Ayet said, her face flushing. ¡°I mean about what we¡¯d say. To the others. There¡¯s so many younger.¡± She put her hands through her hair. ¡°So many without any children at all. I¡¯m being so selfish. I wasn¡¯t thinking at all.¡± ¡°They can¡¯t all be Mason¡¯s concubines,¡± Naya said. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to find other solutions. He can¡¯t just¡­bring everyone here.¡± Ayet frowned. ¡°Why not? It would only be our people who knew. If it was kept¡­discreet. Secret. There would be no official dishonor. They could find husbands or lovers after, whenever they wished. No one would ever have to know.¡± Mason looked between the women, trying and failing to find words. He was pretty sure his new elven lover was suggesting he quietly take something like fifty other elven women and jump start their wombs. With his dick. In a hidden sex grove. Naya rolled her eyes, then looked Mason up and down and frowned, maybe the first traces of jealousy he¡¯d seen on her face. ¡°I¡¯d know,¡± she said. ¡°We must share him already with the others. You¡¯ll see soon enough. You¡¯ll want him constantly but be forced to wait.¡± ¡°I¡¯m right here, by the way,¡± Mason said finally. Naya sort of huffed and came forward, putting her hands on his chest as she met his eyes. ¡°You¡¯d have to spend a whole night away. Taking the girls back and forth for who knows how many. I know it¡¯s selfish, but we¡¯ve just been married. I¡¯ll never get to keep you.¡± Some of the awkwardness was definitely sting away with renewing heat from the night before. Mason took Naya in his arms. ¡°You¡¯re in charge of this, alright? If you want me to do this, you tell me when and how. Or we can another way. I just want to help.¡± Naya¡¯s jealousy was clearly fading as she hugged him. Ayet came closer, shoulders sagging with a sigh. ¡°We all know what that nymph was up to in the night,¡± she said, making Mason freeze as she met his eyes. ¡°Your new husband isn¡¯t a normal human. I¡¯m sure you coulde with your people to avoid¡­missing anything.¡± ¡°Still right here,¡± Mason said, not at all concerned. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Naya pulled back and looked up at him with a grin. ¡°We could probably even do more than one at a time. But mother would need to help with the portal. Do you think you could get three or four of us through the fey at a time?¡± Mason was definitely already imagining a repeat of the night before, this time with Ayet, Naya, and Kitya¡­or maybe that blonde¡­plus the addedfort of having already done it. With maybe some more degenerate creativity on his part¡­ He cleared his throat. No. Bad. They needed to at least find some alternatives. He couldn¡¯t possibly do them all this way. And was Naya thinking her mother could help him teleport multiple people at a time? That seemed like the important detail here. ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± he said. ¡°There might be other ways. I¡¯ll only do it if you want me to.¡± Naya nodded and hugged him again, Ayet looking far more suspicious behind her. It might have been a mildly disapproving look, but it also wasn¡¯t unhappy. Mason tried not to get too excited. ¡°I¡¯ll have to talk to some of my people, but¡­¡± Naya shrugged. ¡°I think most would be willing to do anything to conceive. And¡­this certainly won¡¯t be a hardship.¡± She gave Mason a look like he was a naughty boy caught with candy. ¡°Most are virgins. We¡¯d be there to help, of course. But you¡¯d have to go easy on them.¡± Cerebus, or possibly Mason¡¯s evil, sex-addled libido twin was maybeughing again. Blood was draining out of his brain, but he smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ** With Ayet¡¯s help, Mason soon had his elven wife and concubine back in the Fey, moving the few steps towards Nassau. He could practically feel little lightning bolts shooting between him and Ayet when she was forced to step into his arm. Naya was obliviously chatting away about how she might approach her women and what she might tell them. Ayet was looking up at Mason and fighting a speeding pulse, pulling out the fabric over her chest. Mason wanted this beautiful creature alone. He wanted her stripped of all her masks and clothes, until she had nowhere to hide and nothing left to say as he imed every piece of her. She could definitely sense it as she looked at him. As his hand slid down her back, her body reacted instantly. ¡°Will you put my mother in another room, husband?¡± Naya put a finger to her lips in thought. ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯d befortable with the others. And a bed can only hold so many women. It¡¯s already kind of ridiculous.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± he said, sliding a hand down Ayet¡¯s curving lower back as he stepped to the shadow of the great tree. Naya smiled and went to give him another chaste kiss, but he pulled her in. She made a surprised little squeak as he gripped her. ¡°Whatever happens with the others, I promise I¡¯m going to keep you both very happy,¡± he said, tempted to start then and there. ¡°Yes, husband,¡± Naya said breathlessly, Ayet still desperately looking away. He Wyrdwalked them both back into Nassau, unable to fight the urge for another few gropes before he left them near his house in the Nexus. ¡°Get her settled in,¡± he said, eyes locked on Ayet as she pulled her silks over her hair and followed her daughter. They both turned back to give Mason onest look, the fight already draining from Ayet¡¯s eyes. Mason shivered as he fought the urge to follow and get her in a room right then. The elven women were like catnip to Mason¡¯s new superhuman body. They smelled and tasted incredible, nevermind how beautiful and soft and feminine they were¡­ The idea of secretly sleeping his way through the entire group of them¡­with his wife and ¡®concubine¡¯ beside him every step of the way¡­it was definitely not what he needed to keep his mind focused on the game. If he even understood the damn game. It seemed impregnating elves was just as important to his objectives as anything else. Which was a hell of a good job to have. But it also made no sense in a world where human yers were supposed to fight to the death. He wondered again about his ¡®immortality¡¯, about the potential length this damn thing seemed to imply. It definitely didn¡¯t make him feel better, and he tried not to think about it. But even if he focused on the now¡ªmaking a new army of half-elven babies made no difference if he wasn¡¯t strong enough to keep them alive. So it was time to gather his yers, and light a fire. They needed to move out and explore the continent, finding every dungeon and useful piece of resource, as well as all the remaining yers. And they needed to do it before the next crisis took over their time. And before the eastern yers started finding ways through. Mason would have liked to pretend that wasn¡¯t going to happen soon, or maybe ever. But he was the ¡®expect the worst, try not to die¡¯ type. With onest look at the women disappearing into his house, he walked down the Nexus bridges. RoboGod had told them from the beginning it was ¡®biological imperatives¡¯. And you had to survive before you could procreate. Mason ran for themunication beacon, already filling with a different kind of restless energy. He couldn¡¯t help but grin as his mind went through teams and objectives. His yers were about to have a rude awakening. And hopefully a very long few months.
Chapter 445: Preparation Chapter 445: Preparation ¡°You¡¯re not leaving any guards?¡± Even Phuong and Carl looked surprised. Mason had all his yers around the circr table in themunication beacon. He¡¯d been able to ¡®ping¡¯ them all through it, and felt a momentary stab of a pleasure ke probably enjoyed all the time. Power was definitely a hell of a drug. ¡°Everyone needs to improve. And a guard or two won¡¯t make any difference.¡± Mason shrugged and looked around the table. ¡°We have walls, defences, and tree guards now. All our people are safe in the trees. And I can get back quickly if I need to.¡± ¡°If you even know there¡¯s a problem,¡± Carl said. ¡°How would they reach you?¡± Mason frowned. They had themunication beacon, but it only talked to other beacons, or else had some minor functionality in the settlement. They also had the scout enve, but it seemed like it only worked for ¡®scouts¡¯ to talk to each other or the base. Mason still wasn¡¯t sure if his Wayfinder counted enough to let him send a ¡®text¡¯. ¡°I¡¯m looking into it. But Orlon thinks he canmunicate with me. I¡¯m more worried about what we do if you guys get in trouble. You¡¯ll probably be in a lot more danger than the Nexus.¡± Some yers looked more worried than others. Tommaso was visibly sweating, looking about as unhappy as Jason. And possibly Alex. But that might have just been the Brusian¡¯s morning face. ¡°Well go in teams, though, yes?¡± The Italian chewed a fingernail. ¡°I go with Becky. I survive and get stronger for sure, eh?¡± Mason imagined Becky and the Italian out together, day and night for who knew how long. His hands gripped the table, and he only blinked back to a non-violent reality when Carl cleared his throat. ¡°Becky¡¯s with Carl and Seamus,¡± he said, raising a hand when he sawintsing. ¡°I¡¯m sending people simr in strength, with proper set ups. I¡¯ve seen what happens when you get a weaker yer with a stronger in certain dungeons or challenges. You get killed. We want people of roughly equal ¡®power¡¯. In teams that make sense.¡± And, he thought but didn¡¯t say, Carl and Becky are a hell of a lot more important than you, and I¡¯m not risking either of them to give you a boost. ¡°So who goes with me?¡± said the Italian, looking increasingly miserable. ¡°I¡¯ll go with him, Chief,¡± said Garet. ¡°Maybe we can take Jason, too. Two melee and a ranged support. Not so bad. Is three OK?¡± Mason nodded, positive Garet already worked out that was the n. ¡°Most will be threes. Everyone will get a big bag of Rosa treats. Healing ointments, antidotes, whatever she¡¯s been brewing up since the Nexus. And you don¡¯t need to rush out. Get armor and weapons and anything else the crafters can give you first. I assume they¡¯ll be making a lot of new things since the tournament haul.¡± ¡°Phuong, you¡¯re with Alex and John,¡± Mason continued. ¡°I know it¡¯s physical heavy and maybe too defensive but we just don¡¯t have any more ranged.¡± Phuong shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll make do, patron. Don¡¯t worry. But¡­¡± here he hesitated ncing at some of the other yers. ¡°Some of us have been talking¡­what do you think about us taking some civilians?¡± Mason blinked, mostly just confused. Before he could ask any questions, Phuong exined. ¡°We can protect them. Help them along. And many civilians have powers to identify and understand the world far better than we do. Many want to go out and see things. They want to help.¡± The usually confident older man looked almost like he was blushing, and Mason took a breath. He suspected Phuong wanted to take his previously abandoned son. Mason couldn¡¯t even remember the kid¡¯s name, but they¡¯d found him in the bug tunnels, the same ce they¡¯d rescued Becky¡¯s cousin. There was another problem he hadn¡¯t considered in awhile, and hoped the former drug addict wasn¡¯t making any trouble in the settlement. And that the escaped bug queen wasn¡¯t plotting some terrible revenge¡­ ¡°Alright,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°If you want them, and they want to go. But I suspect they¡¯ll slow you down. Their bodies won¡¯t hold up if you set a brutal pace. And just make damn sure they understand the risks. yers can¡¯t hurt them, but everything else sure can.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Phuong bowed his head. ¡°Perhaps it will be a mistake. But I think a few tests are wise.¡± Mason couldn¡¯t disagree with that. But he sure as hell wouldn¡¯t be sending out any civilians he loved. Not unless he literally never left their side. ¡°So we can bring our women?¡± Jason said. Mason gave him a re. ¡°You want to take your pregnant girl trekking across a giant, unknown world?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Jason went red. ¡°Maybe not the pregnant one¡­¡± All the men grinned at that. Becky rolled her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s avoid taking women,¡± Mason said, ¡°unless they have some ss that makes sense, that is. But if you¡¯re banging Brenda the builder maybe just say your sweet goodbyes for a month. Alright?¡± ¡°There is literally a builder named Brenda, chief,¡± said Seamus, grinning at everyone like this was terribly funny. ¡°I mean she¡¯s old and t as the cliffs of Dover. But, I guess I¡¯d still¡­¡± Becky mmed a fist into the Irishman¡¯s arm, smiling as he bit his tongue and let out a squeak. Mason actually thought about other civilian involvement and tapped the table as he considered. He¡¯d intended to send Kiaan out on his own, but he could send him with a yer group instead. It also meant they could maybemunicate back to the scout enve. Tell them what they found. Tell them if there was trouble. And what about the goblin? Whatever the hell his name was. And hadn¡¯t the elven scout and Kiaan implied other civilians could gain the scout ¡®ss¡¯, if they chose? There might be others interested. Billy the brewer came to mind. The young man had managed to evade practically a whole army of goblins with nothing but his wits. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the civilians,¡± he said, mostly to himself, then spoke a little louder. ¡°If we¡¯re taking civilians, we might as well see if we can get scouts. Phuong, would whoever you¡¯re nning to take want to¡­¡± ¡°I have already discussed it with him,¡± he said, again fighting some obvious embarrassment. ¡°The young man in question, I mean. He will be taking up the scout ss.¡± Mason nodded. ¡°OK. I¡¯ll send Kiaan with Carl. We also have a goblin scout. I¡¯m not sure I trust him, but he seems to really want to impress us. If I can¡¯t get anyone else, think you can make use of him, Garet?¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Sure. No problem, boss,¡± said Garet, maybe equally eager to impress. Mason took a moment to worry he was sending three yers out to die. But it¡¯s not like they were weak, they were just weaker than Mason¡¯s other yers. He also knew he couldn¡¯t treat them with kid gloves. If they wanted to improve, to get stronger, to catch up¡ªthey were going to have to ept some risks. And so was he. ¡°OK,¡± he said, standing. ¡°Meeting over. Go see the crafters, see how long they need. I¡¯d rather you all totally prepared. Get your Rosa packages. We¡¯ll have up to date maps and suggested routes for everyone by tomorrow morning. But feel free to deviate as thingse up. Try and make as much progress as possible, but be back in a month. Oh, and when you¡¯re out there¡­¡± ¡°Be ready for anything,¡± intoned most of the room, with a mixture of nervousughter. Mason frowned, actually forgetting how predictable this was in his speeches. ¡°God damnit,¡± he said, then turned for the door. Becky caught up to him as he walked for the house. She sighed and took his hand. ¡°I thought maybe we¡¯d go together.¡± She was obviously disappointed. Mason gave her hand a squeeze. ¡°Not this time, cowgirl. But only because I¡¯ll be going alone, running like a madman, warping around. I want to see how far south I can get.¡± She nodded and did her best to look like she didn¡¯t mind, probably for his benefit. He appreciated the effort, but it didn¡¯t make him sad to know the amazing girl just wanted to spend time with him. He told himself one day they¡¯d actually get it. With ast smile he turned his mind to the scout enve, hoping to get a few things better understood before he left. Between his new stag bond and blessing making Wyrdwalk easier, as well as the various buildings and beacons, he was hoping he could really take a good chunk out of the unexplored south. But first he used themunication beacon again to ¡®ping¡¯ some civilian leaders to meet him at the elven quarter. He wanted to spread the word about the potential new ss, get their thoughts and hopefully a few recruits. Then it was time to go. The idea of being alone again out there in the wilderness, exploring new mortal dangers and who knew what else¡­well, he tried not to get too excited. At the end of the day, he had toe back, and not just to his girls for a night. They needed him to stick around, and so did everyone else. This was his life here in Nassau and he couldn¡¯t escape it, couldn¡¯t push it all off onto other people. He couldn¡¯t expect ke to handle all the people problems. As usual, he buried any stray thoughts of his brother. They¡¯d have their reckoning. They¡¯d argue out thetest nonsense, the tournament, then apologize and make up sooner orter. But for today Mason at least had way too much to do to go off and waste time screwing around with a stubborn ke. He refrained from summoning Streak, expecting he¡¯d want the stag for exploration and moving between the fey. But first, the scouts and civilians, a goodbye to the girls. Then, he thought with a smile, a chance for proper danger, and freedom.
Chapter 448: Nowhere to run Chapter 448: Nowhere to run Carl was definitely too old for this shit. God damn demons popping out of the sky like rain clouds. God damn life being sucked out of the trees. ¡®How¡¯s the weather, Carl? Oh, not bad, Bob. Windy, a little cool, a slight chance of demonic invasion.¡¯ At least this time he was going in with a team of heavy hitters. Becky charged right towards the dying trunks with that shield of hers held high, increasingly muscr frame moving faster than ever. ¡°I need my rope. Walking is shite.¡± Seamusined behind her, puffing already as he scurried along and almost tripped on his robe. ¡°Stay out of the dying circle¡­thing,¡± Carl said. ¡°And keep that aegis on me please, Becky.¡± ¡°I¡¯ma step ahead of ya,¡± she said, stopping at the now obvious shift in vegetation color as they arrived at the portal. ¡°So, uh, guess I just walk inside?¡± For the moment all they saw were swirling shadows that grew a little before shrinking again. As Carl opened his mouth to suggest they wait and see, one shadow kind of jumped up off the ground. And grew legs. Seamus was shooting fire before Carl thought to suggest it. Hissing bolts of me loosed like anti-air rounds, hitting the forming demon with audible force and a spray of light as the thing howled and tried to run before toppling over. Seamus grinned. ¡°Wee to earth, ya feck,¡± he said, then winced. ¡°Er, New Earth. Er whatever the feck. Shite I¡¯ve screwed it up now.¡± Carl grinned, feeling quite a bit better on seeing the smoking ruin of a demon. ¡°It was still cool. Maybe we just let Seamus barbecue until something tries to get out?¡± Becky shrugged, then stepped into the circle. She formed her shield into a mace and pped it against her other hand in an almost nonchnt gesture of easy violence. Despite being a cute young woman and sort of harmless in Carl¡¯s eyes, he had to admit, she was starting to get kind of bad ass. ¡°Now don¡¯t you use that damn rain of apocalypse whatever,¡± Carl said, pausing before he jabbed a finger at the crazy Irishman. ¡°And no I don¡¯t care that it¡¯s almost the perfect size for the portal. This isn¡¯t the arena, this shit is for real.¡± Seamus rolled his eyes, waving Carl onward like that was obvious. It wasn¡¯t all thatforting, and Carl regretted reminding himself this was very real mortal danger. He ran a hand over his scalp and took a breath. At least he had Becky¡¯s Aegis. It was pretty hard to feel much fear as long as the almost invulnerable bubble-hug was wrapped around him. But he still activated Reflection, feeling even safer as his body matched the world around him. Even if that world was currently kind of ugly, and dying. And also demon infested. * * * Phuong swore as he noticed another ring of trees had started turning grey. ¡°Another.¡± He pointed. ¡°There could be more portals opening and we just can¡¯t see them yet.¡± He turned to the other yers and settled on Tommaso¡ªhe was probably the fastest. ¡°Go get Haley. And maybe the elves. Or Kiaan. I need someone, anyone who can see the portals besides Mason. Quickly. We need you back.¡± The Italian nodded and took off, probably happy to run away from the spawning creatures. The man was a bit of a problem and Phuong didn¡¯t trust him, sometimes still wondering where he¡¯d been going all the time when they were all in the Neutral Zone. But now wasn¡¯t the time. He took a breath and drew his de. Theirck of ¡®portal sight¡¯ was the perfect example of why they needed civilian scouts and maybe other things on the road. What else were they missing? ¡°Let¡¯s go, Alex. I think we can manage alone. Garet¡ªtake the rest as soon as you see another portal.¡± ¡°On it, boss.¡± Boss. Is that what Phuong was now? It was strange to work with foreign ¡®soldiers¡¯ with no training or discipline or hierarchy. Phuong had decided as the new Minister of War he would suggest Mason start a kind of boot camp for yers. They had ability, even camaraderie, but they needed¡­discipline. Practiced methods. But no time for that now, either. Phuong dropped down and opened the gate, racing out knowing Alex would be close behind. He knew it was a bit of a risk going with only two yers, but with his increasingly powerful friend beside him, and his own growing skill, Phuong was bing more confident. He reached the portal edge and ran on without pause, Soul de held ready as he searched for something other than shadow. A guttural voice muttered something iprehensible, and Phuong noticed his already purpleish sword had begun to glow. He spun and weaved a Stun, and the symbol whipped across the portal, striking what looked like smoke in the shape of a man. The creature roared in surprise, shadowy mouth open in an ¡®o¡¯, red eyes blinking as the creature¡¯s body seemed to melt and droop. Phuong closed the distance in a few hurried steps, and sliced off what should have been its head with a Lethal Cut. The thing¡¯s body yielded like butter, the ¡®smoke¡¯ sttering with inky droplets all over the ground. [Abyssal demon killed. nar aura increased.] [Hidden feature discovered: Open Soul. Nothing is more alluring¡ªand terrifying¡ªto the hollow beasts of the abyss, than the warrior who would face them so exposed. Greatly increased power effect, and increased nar attention, when facing certain nar creatures.]@@novelbin@@ [Title gained: Bold Soul. Use a soul-based weapon or power against nar entities capable of capturing it. +2 to primary statistic. Greatly increased nar aura.] Phuong didn¡¯t watch the text until he was sure the demon was dead. He frowned as he saw the words, pleased at the apparent boost, but also¡­concerned with the implications. He hadn¡¯t really considered his weapon or powers as far as their actual names. He assumed ¡®soul de¡¯ was just¡­a fantasy-like description, not really different than Carl¡¯s ¡®Mirror Shard¡¯ or anything else. Apparently he was wrong. What exactly ¡®trapping a soul¡¯ meant he had no idea. But it didn¡¯t sound appealing. Could these demons give him something worse than death? It was hard to imagine. And Phuong¡¯s religious beliefs told him such things were ridiculous. But this was the Great Game. And their new, synthetic god seemed capable of almost anything. Two more shadows sprouted solid limbs, the gangly creatures stepping out and raising their heads in the air like dogs sniffing meat. They turned to Phuong with widening eyes, and he was pretty sure he knew what the meat they were smelling was. ¡°Come.¡± He raised his sword and scrolled through his powers, weaving a Way of the Sword: st. ¡°Come take it. If you can.¡± * * * Tommaso got back to the wall with Haley, three pretty elfdies, and Mason¡¯s fancy scout man. He looked out to see the most powerful yers all tangling with awful creatures, and thankfully doing pretty well. If he was lucky, he decided, he might not even have to fight at all. ¡°Ah, not so bad,¡± he said, grinning at Garet as he took his ce beside him. ¡°They¡¯ll close those portals in no time, eh?¡± ¡°There¡¯s six more,¡± said the dark-skinned scout on his other side, looking out over the edge. Tommaso felt his shoulders droop. ¡°Closest there, there, and there.¡± The man pointed and turned to look at Tommaso with an obvious ¡®so you better get moving¡¯. When that didn¡¯t happen, he narrowed his dark eyes. ¡°Shall I shout for the Baron?¡± Tommaso didn¡¯t like the man¡¯s look or tone. Not one bit. Who was he inferring was a coward, eh? Tommaso was a yer. A soldier. And what was he? A civilian who enjoyed the protection of others. ¡°Shout all you like. That¡¯s what you¡¯re good for, ah? Let the soldiers go kill the demons. Ready, friend?¡± Tommaso smacked Garet¡¯s broad shoulder and grinned. The American was sometimes very annoying, but also clever, and brave. He¡¯d know what to do. ¡°Ready enough,¡± he said, looking a bit paler than usual. He gestured at John and Jason and waved a hand for the gate, and the men all dashed down the stairs. Tommaso followed and tried not to drag his feet. ¡°Not too fast, eh boys?¡± he said. ¡°Maybe we only take a portal or two. We¡¯re still low and getting stronger. No need to be heroes.¡± ¡°Shut up and run,¡± Garet called back, and Tommaso rolled his eyes. He could have easily sped past all of them with his ever-increasing speed. His muscles weren¡¯t stronger, exactly, though he supposed a little. He could just somehow move¡­faster than he ever had in his life. Like the world slowed down whenever he started to run. But that wouldn¡¯t save him from something even faster. Like a damn wizard¡¯s spell or a monster like Mason or probably Jeong. And anything that caught him pretty much ruined his day. Tommaso preferred not to see if demons were faster than him or not. ¡°Take the south side, Jason,¡± said Garet, and Tommaso rxed knowing his friend would have a n. ¡°I¡¯ll take the north. John the east. Tommaso the west. Don¡¯t let anything out your side. If you need help, shout.¡± Tommaso felt his stomach try and float away. He had to guard a whole side? By himself? ¡°Ahh, I don¡¯t know, my friend. I don¡¯t kill so quick as you boys. Maybe I should¡­¡± ¡°Four of us. Four sides,¡± Garet said. ¡°Unless you want to take your chances in the middle. But we have no supports and there¡¯d be nowhere to run.¡± Tommaso¡¯s new friend turned and gave him one of his ¡®you¡¯re doing this¡¯ kind of annoying looks, and Tommaso took a breath. ¡°OK,¡± he said. ¡°No problem. No problem. I¡¯ll call if I need you, don¡¯t worry.¡± He summoned a Fire Potion and tossed it back and forth. A bad habit, no doubt, but he¡¯d yet to ever drop one. He¡¯d always been quick and a pretty good juggler to make kids smile. And now the speed of his hands matched the new impressive speed of his feet. ¡°No problem,¡± he said again, as the others ran off to take their ces. He stared at the dying trees and the swirling shadows and tried not to cringe. ¡°No problem.¡±
Chapter 449: Grumpy old Grandma Chapter 449: Grumpy old Grandma Mason sighed with relief as he and the other yers closed the portal in Nassau. The grass all around it was dead, a few buildings looking aged by about a decade. But since the town was empty, no one had been hurt. Not that any demons got out of the circle anyway. By far the best thing to do was to reach a portal before the creatures started to spawn, then kill them as they came out blinking to the new environment. The problem was when you didn¡¯t stay on top of them. After the town portal closed, he raced back out to the ¡®oldest¡¯ looking red cloud he could see, thinking some kind of triage was wise. All his yers were now busy with circles of their own, so again he ran straight in on his own. The shadows had grown. And grown. And now the man-sized creatures were often a head taller than Mason and sometimes just as wide. He loosed a Power Shot into the neck of a four-legged¡­dino-demon, spraying shadowy blood before leaping at a vaguely humanoid giant with his ws. The thing spun and caught his wrists, eyes burning with fire, forehead horned, nose and mouth more like circr hunks of bone. Mason¡¯s momentum kept him flying in, and he mmed his forehead into its face. The circr nose cracked and punched back, and the thing looked too dazed to react. Mason pulled back and mmed his head again, driving the bone even deeper. The thing¡¯s eyes rolled back. It went ck and Mason fell a good six feet to the ground before the thing fell back and pounded into the dirt. A few other, much smaller demons, turned and ran. Mason wiped the blood off his face with a Sleeve as he watched half a dozen scatter in different directions. He re-summoned his bow to take down three before others started spawning behind him. Too many are escaping, called Stag through their bond, ramming another flying back in. ¡°I see that,¡± Mason shouted, turning to shoot down another few demons that bolted the moment they spawned. His ¡®kill everything himself¡¯ strategy was turning out to be a problem. Because demons, apparently, weren¡¯t mindless killers. What was getting obvious was after he killed something (and sometimes just after the creatures took a good look at him), the demons bolted. He threw down his traps, he kept shooting arrows, but with every portal and wave more just kept getting away. But what the hell was he going to do about it? He ran for the group of four yers he saw dealing with another portal, hoping maybe to swap one of the ¡®spearman¡¯ to join him just to cut off a demonic retreat. Kiaan found him first. ¡°Patron!¡± The scout came flying across the lightly forested terrain outside the settlement walls. ¡°The elves have offered their assistance. They say they can assist in closing the portals.¡± Mason was about to ask exactly how they intended to spill demon blood with a single scout and no real warriors, but he assumed they meant with magic. With a nce at all his yers still battling portals, as well as the variety of demons getting loose and running off like dogs that finally caught their tails, he frowned. ¡°It¡¯s not safe here. They¡¯ll need escorts.¡± Mason dropped to the nearest patch of living grass, activating Speak with Nature. Come to me, hemanded Streak and his pack. And Violet. And maybe anything else that listened. He rose up and looked to Kiaan. ¡°Get them out here. And any civilians that think they can do something. I¡¯ll meet them at the gate.¡± Kiaan nodded and ran, and Mason decided he had time to close one more portal before he escorted the elves and civilians out. **@@novelbin@@ ¡°Mother, we can¡¯t risk it. It¡¯s too dangerous out there. Not now. Not when we¡¯re so close to the prophecy. We could be pregnant already!¡± Ayet took her daughter¡¯s shoulders and met her eyes. ¡°You were right, Naya. About this ce. About everything. But these humans are clueless about portal magic. Mason was like a babe in the woods in Shariss. I¡¯m an enchantress trained in the exact thing they face. They need my help.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll watch over her, mydy.¡± Dariya stepped from the open doorway to the elves group house, leaning on her staff, wrinkled lips set in a line. ¡°Thank you, Oracle,¡± said Naya, her tone carefully polite. ¡°But there are demons running loose in our ne. We can¡¯t simply escape if they¡­¡± ¡°Who said anything about escaping,¡± the old seer snapped, and Ayet couldn¡¯t help but smile. She was no stranger to the real daughters of the moon goddess. Most in Shariss no longer kept the old ways, forgoing the ancient gods all together to embrace magic of their own. But it didn¡¯t mean their disciples had no power. Even the acolytes of the temple were said to be able to channel divine light. Ayet had seen a priestess boil several pots for a wedding with little more than a wave of her hand. And Dariya was no acolyte. ¡°Your husband will protect us, I¡¯m sure,¡± Ayet said, still supremely ufortable referring to Mason as her lord. Or as her lover. Dear Goddess don¡¯t think about that! But with action oveing thought, Ayet pulled her shawl over her shoulders and hair and stepped out into the tree city. The humans were all standing on the edges of the tforms, looking down and pointing and looking increasingly panicked. They weren¡¯t wrong to be. Ayet saw half a dozen growing portals¡ªthe life-sucking magic draining everything around them as they expanded. Goddess help us, she thought, hardly believing she was seeing demonic magic with her naked eyes in the prime. What was happening to the world? Was there another Doom? Had some ambitious fool torn theyers between the nes? She forced herself to the somewhat frightening lift, giving Dariya a grateful smile as she joined her without a word. But the damn thing wouldn¡¯t move. ¡°How do we¡­¡± Ayet stared at the strange bar covered in different colored rectangles and something like arrow-heads. ¡°I think they just push these,¡± Dariya said, reaching for one before pulling back in indecision. ¡°It¡¯s pointing. Like up and down,¡± said one of Mason¡¯s concubines, stepping up next to them on the tform. ¡°Probably not safe at the bottom. Still going down?¡± She was dark haired and skinned and very beautiful, but Ayet didn¡¯t know her name. The girl also wouldn¡¯t know they were now equals and potentially vying for the same man¡¯s attention. Ayet smiled politely. ¡°Yes, please.¡± The woman pushed a square, and the tform jerked and started to move. Both Ayet and Dariya grabbed the rail, causing Mason¡¯s concubine to grin. Ayet did her best not to flush with embarrassment. At the bottom, all three of them hurried towards the gate, and pretty soon the concubine was watching them with narrowed eyes. ¡°Where exactly are you going?¡± ¡°To help with the demons,¡± Ayet said. She was tempted to hold up her book of enchantments, but realized the human wouldn¡¯t have a clue what it meant. The concubine swept her eyes over both elves with obvious skepticism, particrly Dariya. The old seer made a guttural sound of contempt in her throat and walked to the gate, stopping to mutter about theck of a gate keeper or any sort of civilized systems. ¡°Well is there another silly little arrow?¡± she said, gesturing. ¡°One going sideways, maybe?¡± Mason¡¯s concubine was obviously entertained. She walked towards the gate to open it before the doors flew open, and the baron¡¯s chief scout came running towards them. When he saw the women inside his eyes red with concern. ¡°Run! Or close the gate! They¡¯re behind me!¡± he shouted. Ayet¡¯s heart picked up speed. She saw two satyr-like infernals hopping and scurrying after the man with bloodlust in their eyes. He seemed slightly faster. But Ayet and the others were definitely not. ¡°Close the gate,¡± she hissed. ¡°We need it clear.¡± ¡°Oh enough.¡± Dariya stepped to the open gate and raised her staff towards the heavens. The moon was maybe two thirds full, big and bright in the cool evening air. Ayet knew little enough about moon magic, but she knew her people had abandoned it because it came and went. Too random, it was thought. Too weak in the wrong moment. Ayet jerked as a sound like thunder cracked. Blinding light red from the oracle¡¯s staff, a thin trail pointed towards the moon above, and Ayet covered her face with a hand. The light shed and loosed¡ªthe power sending little hairs up all over Ayet¡¯s body before it raced across the open ground. Mason¡¯s scout leapt aside with a panicked shout. The infernals did not. When the light faded, Ayet took her hand from over her eyes, and saw two sets of smoking hooves. There was nothing left above. ¡°Well move on, then,¡± Dariya said as she walked out from the gate, gesturing for Mason¡¯s scout. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt you, human. No need to leap about. And there¡¯ll be more. So hurry up and take us to your master.¡± The concubine was making some religious gesture on her chest and head. The scout staring with wide eyes as he stood. ¡°My God. I thought she was just some grumpy old grandma,¡± whispered the concubine. Ayet grinned, proud of the old priestess. Though she was a little frightened, too. Nobody quite knew just how old the ancient seer was. It was said the moon goddess granted unnaturally long life to her disciples¡ªunnatural even for elves. And the order had longined that being in the fey weakened them¡ªdisconnected them from the source of their spells. What secrets might the old matron hold? What powers might have awakened after she finally left the Fey? Ayet followed behind the seer, and the pale-faced scout. For a moment, at least, she was feeling she had some kind of upper hand, and knew what she was doing. But she still flinched and turned when she heard what sounded like arge number of running feet. She screamed when she saw the wolves. They were charging straight at her, Mason¡¯s huge monster at their front with its bright and glowing green eyes. The concubine leaned over and smiled, practically catching one wolf as half a dozen swirled around her and licked or yipped or growled like they¡¯d found their mother. ¡°I feed them,¡± she exined, pouting her lips and making kissy sounds as she scratched a few necks. ¡°They didn¡¯t scare you, did they? I expect they¡¯re our bodyguards. Aren¡¯t you? Yes you are. Yes you are.¡± Ayet saw the verypetitive glee in the other woman¡¯s eyes, and realized she might have a hell of a time ahead fighting for Mason¡¯s attention. And wait, why was she even worrying about that? This was a ridiculous situation and he was still her daughter¡¯s husband. She should keep her distance anyway. Demons, you silly woman, trying to invade the world, her brain practically shouted. Life had truly be unbelievable. She¡¯d had decades of almost no change. And then in a few months, the loss of everything, the gain of something else. She took a breath, feeling more alive than maybe she ever had, and certainly more terrified. With a list of portal spells in her mind, she ran and chased after the seer.
Chapter 451: There’s always demon portals Chapter 451: There¡¯s always demon portals Carl lost count of his kills. He and Seamus had found a kind of deadly rhythm, where the fire wizard blew up or fried the first round of spawning shadows, then as the rest tried to kill him, Carl warped out and cut them down. ¡°Y¡¯all don¡¯t even need me,¡± Becky said with a frown, standing near the wizard. ¡°Maybe I should, I dunno, run over and help with¡­¡± ¡°Big boy!¡± Seamus interrupted with a yell, his fiery projectiles bouncing off what must have been a nine foot lizard-beetle. ¡°I think my fire¡¯s doing shite all.¡± Carl gave Becky a ¡®you were saying?¡¯ kind of eyebrow raise, then vanished himself with Reflection before moving forward. So far his arena rewards hadn¡¯t been particrly helpful. He had a power gem that let him detect detection¡ªlike a counter-espionage power to help him hide better. It was a damnforting thing to have, but it didn¡¯t do him any good in a straight up fight against a horde of demons. He¡¯d also leveled and got a new power called ¡®Second Chance¡¯, which was supposed to basically save him from a lethal hit and give him some mana back once on a long cooldown. This also definitely made him feel better, but wouldn¡¯te up very much. Or so he hoped. Seamus gave up and switched targets, his seemingly endless rain of fiery missiles now sting away at the next poor bastard that entered the world. The ¡®big boy¡¯ came scuttling forward, somebination of ck arms and mandibles chomping in anticipation as it moved towards the Irishman. Becky got in between, and Carl circled. He honestly had no idea where to hit it. Without any obvious way to get at its head (except warping¡ªbut warping into the air usually sucked), Carl eventually just settled on ¡®generic torso¡¯. He timed his Surprise Strike and sh/stabbed his Mirror Shard into the thing¡¯s gross nk. The de sliced through carapace as easily as it sliced through pretty much everything else. A horrifyingly juicy burst of demonic bug goo sprayed like water from a kinked hose, a good portion into Carl¡¯s face. ¡°Oh God.¡± He warped out of principle and spat, horking and trying not to throw up or taste. Or even imagine tasting. ¡°Why didn¡¯t your aegis stop it?¡± he said in a kind of choked, drunken tone, spitting and trying to wipe it off. ¡°It don¡¯t stop harmless.¡± Beckyughed, smashing her mace into the beetle as she dodged and swatted away its mandibles. ¡°It ain¡¯t acid or poison, or I¡¯d have known. Now stop bein¡¯ a big baby and kill this thing.¡± Carl dry heaved and stumbled his way back to the demon, this time slicing off its ¡®main¡¯ legs as he kept his face well away. When it was suitably de-limbed, Becky dragged the whole damn thing back to the portal area before smashing in its head. ¡°Shit, you¡¯re getting pretty strong,¡± Carl said, still trying to wipe goo with his sleeve. Becky winked and started walking back, then looked at his face and shook with a snort. ¡°What?¡± Carl touched his face, suddenly worried. But it didn¡¯t burn or anything. ¡°I hope Sylvie don¡¯t like eyebrows. I guess it was some kind of weak acid after all.¡± Carl sighed and refrained from checking. He supposed he was already mostly bald. Except now he was going to look like those dudes from that new Dune movie or something. With his paleplexion he hardly ever tanned. ¡°Well that¡¯s great. If we get new people soon their first impression will be the hairless chancellor. I¡¯ll never live it down.¡± Becky covered her mouth to hide theughter, but her expression changed as she looked out past a sparser section of trees. ¡°Shit. Is that Phuong and Alex?¡± Carl turned to see a giant mob of demons attacking another group of yers, though it was too much of a cluster fuck to tell who. He turned to Seamus, but the Irishman was already running. ¡°On it, chiefy! Hold the fort for me!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell if he¡¯s excited to help, or just wants a big target,¡± Carl muttered. But he supposed it didn¡¯t really matter. He sighed with relief as their shadows started to get sucked up into the now closing portal, ncing at more dying trees in a circle not far away. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said, gesturing at Becky, then moved to the next and started digging his knife into the still-forming creatures. Becky came in beside him now with no Seamus to protect. She swatted at the shadowy creatures with her mace, or smashed them with increasingly forceful looking kicks. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been thinkin¡¯,¡± she said. ¡°With everyone gettin¡¯ jobs in the ¡®house¡¯ and stuff.¡± She sttered shadowy ichor over a tree trunk. ¡°I mean I don¡¯t know what all the positions are, or whatever, but I think I¡¯d kinda like one. Since I¡¯m not¡­you know.¡± Carl gutted a pig-goat and frowned. ¡°I know what?¡± Becky rolled her eyes and tossed up her free hand. ¡°Not pregnant. I¡¯m gonna need more to do, is all. I can¡¯t just be lookin¡¯ after babies all the time.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Carl decided this was one of the more ridiculous conversations of his life. ¡°Well, talk to that man of yours, why are you bothering me?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re the damn chancellor or whatever!¡± ¡°Oh right.¡± Carl grinned, then stabbed another demon and hopped back, still afraid of horror-movie level acidic spray. ¡°Hell, Becky. Can¡¯t it wait until there¡¯s¡­I don¡¯t know, not a cluster of demon portals? What job would you want?¡± ¡°Well I dunno! And there¡¯s always demon portals, or some other shit. I grew up on a farm. Ain¡¯t there somethin¡¯¡­farm rted?¡± Carl shrugged, but of course the girl couldn¡¯t see it. Prescience went off and he ducked some kind of shooting spine, warping over to cut off the preying-mantis looking thing¡¯s head. ¡°I mean weren¡¯t you more like a¡­hired hand? Just because you grew up on a farm doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re an expert. I¡¯m guessing your Mom and Dad were in charge of everything. Or your older brothers. Or¡­¡± Carl nced over to see a shockingly angry looking Becky. It was at this point he knew he¡¯d definitely fucked up. ¡°What the shit did you just say to me? A hired hand? Is this because I¡¯m a girl?¡± ¡°Uh.¡± Carl ran to another just spawning demon and sliced it in half. ¡°No. It¡¯s because you¡¯re young. Can we please talk about this when I¡¯m not fighting demons? I¡¯m just thinking out loud. I mean I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°No, we cannot.¡± Becky took a few steps towards him, and he damn near ran away before she hit something else. ¡°Becauseter I can¡¯t drop yer shield and let you get yer ass sttered all over the fuckin¡¯ trees.¡± Carl cleared his throat. ¡°Your shield is mostly just backup. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve really been hit yet.¡± ¡°Old man, you better stop messin¡¯ with me. I¡¯ll make Sylvie a widow I swear to Jesus.¡± Carl put up his hands, spinning without finding a target. He paused and took a breath. ¡°OK. We can talk about it. Alright? Yes, there¡¯s some kind of minister of agriculture. I don¡¯t know how it works, or what it does or gets. But it¡¯s not like there¡¯s any farnd yet, so¡­¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°So you can give me the job, and I can start nnin¡¯ where it¡¯ll go, or somethin¡¯!¡± Becky grinned. ¡°We could clear trees. We could maybe make some buildins¡¯.¡± ¡°Christ, Becky.¡± Carl gave her a re, which she met with her hands on her hips. He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask Mason.¡± Becky¡¯s eyes narrowed and she pointed at a new round of forming shadows. ¡°Horse shit. That¡¯s like a man who says he¡¯s gotta ask his wife. Put on your big boy pants, Carl.¡± ¡°Jesus, Becky.¡± Carl aborted a few more forming shadows. ¡°You only brought this up two seconds ago and you¡¯re like a dog with a bone. How does that boy deal with you?¡± ¡°He bangs my brains out till I forget why I was pissed off,¡± Becky said,ing dangerously close again with her bloody mace raised. ¡°But you¡¯re too old and bald and breakable. So gimme what I want.¡± Carl blinked and found himself temporarily speechless. ¡°I¡­still gotta talk to Mason.¡± ¡°If you make it to Mason.¡± Carl killed another demon and happily warped across the portal, one eye on his shrinking mana bar. Two more kills and he flinched as a huge explosion rocked the horizon just above the canopy. Carl nced at Becky. ¡°Seamus?¡± ¡°Seamus. Now keep killin¡¯ demons, but don¡¯t think you¡¯re wigglin¡¯ out of this. We ain¡¯t done talkin¡¯. I can¡¯t be stuck in a house full of pregnant women and babies all the time. I want that fuckin¡¯ job.¡± Carl sighed, finally understanding. He¡¯d learned female yers had some kind of automatic birth control, but Mason had civilian girls¡­and elves. Becky was the only yer and would probably soon be the only without a bun in the oven. In fact Nassau seemed likely to be a damn children¡¯s creche in theing months. Civilian women were getting pregnant all over the camp. Carl nced at the still asionally staring, narrow-eyed cowgirl, no idea how to deal with her except agree. After another demon kill, and a growing feeling of defeat, he prayed the baby growing in Sylvie¡¯s belly was a boy¡­