Date: 2022-04-30T16:00:00+00:00

Eternal Dominion Book 6

Resolve

Bern Dean

Bern's Books LLC

Copyright © 2022 Bern's Books LLC

All rights reserved

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

Cover design by: ebooklaunch.com

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Morning October 31, 2266.

ED year 1, day 320.

Evening October 31, 2266.

ED year 1, day 321-322.

Morning November 1 to Evening November 3, 2266 & ED year 1, day 323-329.

ED year 1, days 330-331.

Morning November 4, 2266.

ED year 1, day 332

Evening November 4 to Morning November 5, 2266 & ED year 1, days 333-335.

Afternoon November 5, 2266

ED year 1, days 336-337.

Morning November 6 to Morning November 9, 2266 & ED year 1, days 338-346.

ED year 1, day 347.

Evening November 9, 2266.

ED year 1, days 348-349.

Morning November 10 to Evening November 11, 2266 & ED year 1, days 350-355.

Morning November 12, 2266.

ED year 1, day-356.

Evening November 12, 2266.

ED year 1, days 357-358.

Morning November 13, 2266.

ED year 1, day 359.

Evening November 13 to Morning November 14, 2266 & ED year 1, days 360-362.

Evening November 14, 2266.

ED year 1, days 363-364.

Morning November 15 to Evening November 17, 2266 & ED year 1, day 365 to year 2 day 8.

Morning November 18, 2266.

ED year 2 days 9-10.

Evening November 18, 2266.

Morning November 19 to Morning November 22, 2266 & ED year 2 days 10-22.

Evening November 22, 2266.

Thanks!

Preview

Afterword

Morning October 31, 2266.

Alex looked up from the pair of plus signs to see both Sam and Nicole looking at him with a mix of emotions clearly displayed on their faces. With no further hesitation, Alex stepped forward and pulled both girls into a group hug, raining kisses on them as he did so. Before they knew it, they were a mess and it was time to hurry up and get ready to head out to the kendo dojo for their morning lesson. It was Nicole who pulled herself together first.

“Okay, we need to pull ourselves together and get ready.”

“Nicole, I think we can skip a day. Besides, should we really be putting that strain on our bodies now?”

“Sam, Nicole is right. Until we are ready for everyone to know, we need to act as normal as we can. That said, we need to get you both appointments soon. We might want to move up our move date with this as well.”

“Wait, why would we move early?” questioned Sam with confusion.

Nicole replied, “It can be hard to secure a good OB-GYN (Obstetrician-Gynecologist) after ten weeks.”

“I see, and that is the doctor who will deliver our babies, right?”

“Sam, honestly, I would have thought you would look this stuff up like I did once you thought you were pregnant.”

“Nicole, give Sam a break. I think it would have been too real for her if she had, so she avoided it. Now, let’s get ready for the morning’s exercise and I’ll look into what it will take to make sure everything is smooth.”

“Okay. Oh, are we still planning on letting everyone know on Thanksgiving? My mom will probably force it out of me if we wait any longer than that.”

“We’ll see. Now, let’s get going or we will be late.”

The three of them went about getting ready as they let it sink in that they really were going to be parents. For Alex, it was something that he had long since accepted he would never be in his last life and the emotions he was feeling were distorted as he still was at a loss on exactly how to process this. He could handle every curveball that Eternal Dominion and other players could throw at him inside of the game. He could handle the day to day operation of a few million people’s needs, but how to be a father was nowhere in his list of skills. He couldn’t help but smile as he thought about what it meant for his life, while at the same time feeling anxious about everything that needed to happen. Sam and Nicole were simply pure balls of raw emotion as they kept processing that it really was real, but when they saw the goofy smile stuck on Alex’s face, it caused them to smile back and feel a bit better about the whole situation.

That morning’s kendo lesson passed by in a fog to Alex as he was still focused elsewhere and it had caused him to be sloppy. This made Sensei Sano question where Alex’s mind was as he was usually the most composed of the group. The smile that Alex couldn’t keep off his face had drawn a few questions as well, but he passed it off as him feeling good about how everything had played out in the latest operation. Princess Enye would finally be free of Hugo Mercer’s unwanted advances and the kingdom of Nium shouldn’t have to worry about manpower from adventurers in the future, thanks to the contracts Tyelk and Drezar signed. It was looking like his path to tier 5 was wide open and he just needed to get there now as fast as he could. His parents and friends accepted his statement with a bit of reluctance, but they didn’t press any further beyond a questioning look here or there. When Alex, Sam and Nicole got back to the apartment, they couldn’t help but laugh at how bad Alex had been at hiding his feelings as they debated if everyone already suspected the truth. Still, Alex had drawn all the attention so they figured it was still safe to assume that no one knew just yet. They also knew they all needed to get ready to hide their feelings for the next few weeks a lot better than they did that morning if they hoped to get through Abysses End’s visit in 12 days. With these thoughts on their minds, the three of them returned to ED.

ED year 1, day 320.

Xeal awoke, to find Maxwell awaiting him with a letter in hand, once he left his room. Inside the letter was a summons from Prince Victor for Xeal to be present at the palace at 6:00 in the morning. Xeal knew this had to deal with the aftermath of the failed assault on FAE’s headquarters. As he had been expecting a summons, Xeal had already told his party to take the current login off. Instead, Xeal made his way to the capital’s training center to spend the morning facing off with the doppelgangers that the mirror shards he had held onto created, until it was time to meet with the prince. When 6:00 rolled around, Xeal found himself seated across from Prince Victor, who looked tired but happy.

“Xeal, you really know how to make things move.”

“Is that a good thing, or a bad thing, your majesty?”

“Drop the formality. Now that you have put the Mercer house in a difficult position, they can’t put nearly the pressure they used to on the royal family. Soon, yours and Enye’s courtship will be announced, and once you become an earl, the wedding will be held. So, as my future brother, please treat me as you would your family when it is just us.”

“Alright, Victor. It seems you are in a good mood, so I apologize, but now, more than ever, you need to be cautious. An enemy that is cornered is dangerous as they can act erratically and cause deadly injuries in a last attempt at life.”

Victor let out a sigh that morphed into a yawn halfway through, before continuing.

“Yes, I know. I just want to enjoy the moment as it is, even if it will be fleeting.”

“So, what happens now?”

“Now, in all likelihood, Hugo will be disinherited and his younger brother will step up to be the next head of the family while Hugo lives out his life in a remote territory. The Mercer house will need to prove their loyalty and will have to spend at least a decade carefully, after which they will likely return to their current status and resume their plans to rise in power.”

“So it will be business as usual once everything is said and done. Hugo takes all the blame while the Mercer house has to step carefully and nothing changes.”

“Hopefully. There is always a chance that they make an unexpected move to try and avoid the loss of influence from this event.”

“I take it this will all play out shortly.”

“In a few hours, which is why you are here now. I wanted to ensure you wouldn’t add in any surprises this morning when Hugo is put on trial.”

Xeal smiled as he replied to Victor.

“Surprises, what ever could you mean?”

Victor just chuckled as a servant brought in his breakfast, with a portion for Xeal as well. The next few hours were spent talking and going over what to expect and how to act in the following proceedings when the inevitable counter accusations came from Hugo. Then it was finally time to move to the throne room where the trial would take place. As Xeal entered this room for the first time, he took note of the opulence of the room, with red drapes and marble floors. Marble columns lined each side of the room except the back where two thrones sat on a raised floor in front of a half dome wall and ceiling with beautiful artwork that told the first king’s story of founding the kingdom of Nium. The throne that the king would sit upon was covered in gold and jewels and sat much higher than the small one covered in silver and a few jewels, that sat to its right, for the queen. Atop the columns sat a viewing area large enough for a few hundred people that was manned by several guards dressed in fine armor and wielding polearms with swords hilted on their waists. The center area of the room was around the size of a basketball court and would be where the trial would play out shortly. Victor quickly led Xeal to an area to the right of the throne area where Princess Enye was already standing alone with a few other nobles Xeal recognized, but whose names escaped him. Enye gave Xeal a smile that he returned before taking up the position Victor directed him to. It was about 15 minutes later that the room started to really fill up, with the viewing area on the second floor filling up as well as the left side of the throne where Marquess Mercer and his house were standing alone. Finally, after everything had calmed down, the arrival of King Vincent Vidfamne and his wife Queen Eleanor was announced and the whole room, save for the guards charged with the king’s and queen’s safety, were down on their knees. Once the king and queen were seated on their thrones, the king ordered all present to rise and for the accused to be brought in.

As Hugo Mercer was walked in with his arms chained behind his back, his gaze was scanning the room until it landed upon Xeal. Hugo focused on Xeal with pure hatred for a few seconds before he was brought into the center of the room and forced to his knees. Once he was on his knees, he looked upon the king with a look that said he was just ready to get this farce over with. Sighing, Prince Victor stepped out and began speaking to those present.

“My fellow countrymen and ladies, we are here this day to deal with an unfortunate matter of rebellion in our midst. Sir Hugo of House Mercer stands accused of going against the direct decrees of the kingdom by involving himself in a grievance dispute purposely and forcefully. He has also admitted to a plot to replace the royal family’s line with his own one day.”

Victor paused for effect while several gasps could be heard from the crowd as the second accusation was announced. It had not been made public beforehand as the Mercer house may have caused an issue before the trial otherwise.

“Now, it is my hope that this is simply a delusion born in the mind of an overly ambitious youth and not the intent of one of our kingdom’s greatest houses.”

Marquess Mercer stepped forward, bowing to the prince.

“It is not, my prince. While we did hope to pair our son with Princess Enye, we did so only to increase cooperation between our lines in the future.”

“Very good. Though as unfortunate as it is, prudence dictates that we must keep a closer eye on your house in the near future to ensure it is as you say. I am sure you and your house will be found to be the loyal subjects of the crown and kingdom you have always been and I look forward to putting this trouble behind us.”

“Thank you, my prince.”

“Now, Hugo, how do you plead to these charges.”

“I’m innocent. I was simply setting up to enjoy a good show when Viscount Bluefire ambushed me and tricked me into misspeaking. This is all a misunderstanding that has been crafted to remove me from the picture so he can steal Princess Enye’s hand from me.”

“Viscount Bluefire, is there any truth to Hugo’s accusations that you set him up?”

Xeal stepped forward and knelt before speaking.

“Prince Victor, you know each action I took as I shared them with you beforehand. Yes, I did manipulate events to expose Hugo. My information networks alerted me to his involvement behind two other guilds’ actions that were having what we agreed was a negative effect on the kingdom as a whole.”

“True, you ensured that the kingdom was fine with each move you took. Now, did you trick him into announcing his desire to replace the royal family with his own line?”

“The conversation was leading and he did realize his mistake immediately. It is questionable if he would have acted on those thoughts, or if they were simply said in the heat of the moment.”

“Very good. It appears that you may only be guilty of having a thought, not a plan, when it comes to the throne. Now, as for the other charge, I believe the three witnesses who have been prepared will clear any doubt that is left.”

With a wave of the prince’s hand a pair of guards led Templar Fall’s guild leader Drezar into the throne room.

“Guild Leader Drezar, would you in your own words explain exactly what involvement Hugo here had in undermining FAE.”

As Drezar started to speak, Hugo’s face turned red as he opened his mouth and began to speak loudly, but was quickly gagged before an intelligible word could be formed. The guards behind him then held him down on his knees. Prince Victor simply shook his head as he turned to Drezar and motioned for him to speak. After the brief scene, Drezar composed himself and gave testimony that Hugo had been involved from the very start and had even insisted that his guild and Red Crushers both funnel players into Rising Oblivion to cause FAE difficulties. He went on to speak of how he had demanded them to find a way to create a grievance with FAE that would allow them to attack FAE’s headquarters with Rising Oblivion once FAE had secured Rising Oblivion’s guild authority token. He went on to explain how they had come to an agreement with FAE to avoid the complete destruction they felt following Hugo’s plan would have led to for their guilds. Once Drezar had finished testifying, Tyelk the guild leader of Red Crushers followed, repeating a similar recounting of events. Friva, the ex-guild leader of Rising Oblivion was last as she explained how she had been the initial bait as she knew her guild was done for and her best option was to merge into FAE, regardless of the outcome of events. Once all three were done speaking, the room was quiet as Hugo shook on his knees in rage, giving Xeal a death glare while Prince Victor spoke.

“I believe we have heard enough and witnessed enough to understand what happened. While it is true that events were orchestrated to expose Sir Hugo’s actions, they were still his decision to rebel against a royal decree without going through the appropriate channels. I turn this matter over to you, Father, for your verdict.”

King Vincent Vidfamne stood as he looked down upon Hugo who had finally stopped glaring at Xeal and was doing his best to hold his rage in check. King Vincent looked at Hugo’s father who was kneeling before the king like his life depended on it, and then over to Xeal, who was still standing on the side calm as could be.

“It seems that this generation’s game of chess will be far more active than my generation’s was. Hugo, understand that you have lost the game in a rather complete fashion and that your actions have long been known to be opposed to those of my son’s. I had hoped you would be a good grinding stone for him, but it seems he has already surpassed the challenge you can offer him. Now, before I pass my verdict, I will allow you one last chance to speak. Understand that I have already decided that you are guilty. It is simply how I should punish you that is left. Were I to simply kill you, it may lead to issues with your house down the line. That said, you can’t be allowed to stay as you are, so please tell me what should I do with you?”

After a moment King Vincent motioned for the guards to remove Hugo’s gag, allowing him to speak once more. With the gag out, Hugo took a moment before replying to the king’s words.

“Your majesty, I accept your judgment and maintain that my actions were directed at hindering Viscount Bluefire, not the country as a whole. I ask for your mercy and to be released to my family. There I will step down from being the heir to the house and govern one of our smaller holdings.”

“Hmm, Marquess Mercer, what are your thoughts on your son’s request, knowing your house would be held responsible should he ever act out again?”

“My king, we will not accept him, as we do not believe he will remain obedient in the future under our care. We ask that the crown find another house to act as his warden who would be willing to match him with a wife from their house. My hope is that being separated from those that followed him and starting a family might help mellow him.”

Hugo couldn’t believe his father’s words. They ruined any ambitions that he could have for the future and forever put Princess Enye beyond his reach. Upset, he couldn’t help but have an outburst.

“Father!-”

Marquess Mercer silenced Hugo with a single look before returning his eyes to the king.

“As you can see, your majesty, my son is in need of guidance and my house cannot afford to be held responsible for any further actions he takes.”

“Indeed. Very well. Hugo, you are no longer a noble of this kingdom. You will be sent to a branch family house of a noble’s house yet to be determined. Once there, you will spend your days as an aid in the administration, or whichever task they determine you fit for. If they decide to allow you to marry a daughter of their house, you will do so and you will be beholden to her in all things. I believe that takes care of everything, unless anyone has anything further to say before we close this matter.”

Hugo looked utterly defeated as he heard his fate. He didn’t even have the presence to give Xeal one more glare as the guards brought him to his feet and prepared to lead him out. Just as everyone was about to start dispersing, Marquess Mercer cleared his throat and spoke once more.

“Your majesty, if I may ask that, with the loss of my house’s heir and the promotion of my only other son to replace him, that my daughter’s courtship be ended as well to allow my house to find a more fitting match for her in light of recent events.”

The room went silent as the king stopped to consider Marquess Mercer as the queen’s gaze turned cold. King Vincent sighed and turned to his wife to get a read on her before responding to the request.

“Marquess Mercer, I will consider your request and consider your daughter’s desires on the matter as well.”

“Thank you, your majesty.”

With that Marquess Mercer bowed once more before backing away and the room started to empty, leaving Xeal alone with the royal family. It was then that Prince Victor motioned for Xeal to follow him and the five of them left together as they made their way to another room inside the palace. This room reminded Xeal of the room he usually met with Prince Victor in, only larger. All five of them were seated as tea was brought in by a servant before the room was cleared, save for them. It was the king who spoke first.

“Hmm, Viscount Xeal, I must say, you certainly have been busy and quite reckless in my eyes. You have outed multiple corrupt nobles, given us control of our border forts that have been inaccessible for decades, and handled multiple adventurer insurrections like they were nothing at all. If my family didn’t insist that you are completely on our side and have no aspirations to sit upon the throne, it would have been you who I was removing from society in there today. Honestly, if you are allowed to mature, I fear for my house’s ability to keep you in check in the future should you decide to turn on us. Now, please tell me why I should allow you to court my daughter. Now that Hugo is out of the picture, no issue stands between her and several other noble houses.”

Xeal looked at the king, knowing very well that this was a test, one which could very well end his courtship with Enye. He also knew that there was no do-over and he would walk out of this room either all but married to Enye, or cut off completely. Xeal wasn’t sure what choice he would have made had the same option been in front of him the first time he met her, but he knew where his heart was at this point.

“Honestly, your majesty, the first time I met your daughter and she latched onto your son’s joke about having her marry me, all I was thinking about was how I could go about avoiding it as I didn’t want the complication. I had three ladies who were already attached to me and a fourth seemed beyond my means. I still feel that I am way over my head with all of them, but I have grown to care for each of them and I believe they feel the same. If you wish for the most politically advantageous arrangement, I will stay quiet because I will have no part of that play, as that was how Hugo thought and it is a game I hate.”

“You speak of caring for my daughter, but you avoid saying love. Why is that and how am I to trust you when you stand to lose a significant amount should I call the courtship off?”

“Love is a very strong word, your majesty. It should not be treated lightly lest it be confused with lust. I know what love feels like and I would not say that I am there yet with your daughter.”

Xeal could see Enye’s face turn downcast as Xeal said these words while the queen simply smiled at his words.

“However, I can feel the potential there that, if nurtured, can grow to become love. Even if I did feel it now, I would not say so, as the first time I say those words to her deserves to be special.”

Enye’s face quickly brightened as Xeal finished speaking and the queen gave a slight nod to the king.

“Very well, I will trust my family and do as my daughter wishes and approve of the match, contingent on you becoming an earl in the next year. There will need to be an official announcement and it would be best to do so at another banquet here shortly. Hmm.”

“How about we announce it during the Founding Day activities in ten days, Father? That will give Xeal and I some time to coordinate everything and set everything up so our wedding can be part of the following year’s Founding Day.”

“Wonderful idea. How about it, Viscount Bluefire, will that work for you?”

“Yes, I will need the time to prepare for it, as I originally planned for it to be several months before it became public, your majesty.”

“Unfortunately, that is not possible now that Hugo has insinuated that you two are already a pair. Now the other noble houses will start to take action to try and secure her hand, and without a suitor that she is courting in hand, it will just cause issues. In all likelihood we would have seen the first moves made just after Founding Day as they will wait to see if we make your courtship official for propriety’s sake,” supplied Victor.

“I see, I really moved up the timetable with my actions. Well then, there is nothing to do but move forward together and hope for the best, my prince.”

“Yes, I had hoped you would be stronger before you stepped into the danger that this will bring.”

“It will be fine. This will just require that I move with stealth as I work to become an earl. Hindering my actions to do so will likely be how they try and prevent our union as they know adventurers like myself don’t stay dead and I could prove foul play easily if they killed me.”

“Ah, so you believe they will try and keep your achievements from warranting a rise in station as they know that a prolonged courtship is out of the question,” concluded Victor.

“I don’t care. I will still marry Xeal, even if he is just a viscount.”

“Dear, we know that you have your heart set and I can’t blame you, everything considered, but your mother and I know what you doing so would mean for the kingdom. As a princess, you cannot marry too low or it will show weakness in our house. Marrying into a newly promoted earl’s house is already a stretch that we can only manage due to the speed of his rise and the solid justification Viscount Bluefire has provided. Stating his actions were all to win your hand just adds to it enough that it can be justified. Honestly, when your mother told me of his possible plan to take over the Mercer house if Vanessa had cooperated, I had hoped it would succeed as that would easily qualify him for your hand in marriage.”

“That could still be done, Father. Marquess Mercer has given you an easy opening to do so. Tie Vanessa to Xeal as a secondary courter under the pretense of fostering a closer relation between houses just as they wished, only without a mixing of our lines.”

“My lady, please, no. I have no desire to bring an unwilling woman into our relationship as it will simply breed conflict in our ranks.”

“Enye, Xeal is correct. It is why I was so quick to tie her to my nephew to get her out of the way. Trust me when I say that even among your father’s concubines there have been such issues forced upon us due to politics. It is why your brother refuses to marry before he is crowned. As soon as he has an official wife, the nobles will start trying to insert ladies from their house as a concubine for him.”

“Mother, I think it is what she wants, but she doesn’t know it yet. Besides, I would expect that Xeal is still their target for her once Father grants their request.”

“Indeed, it likely is, which is why I am hesitant to do so as it will likely lead to issues once they make a move for him. They will claim it is to mend the fence and show that their house wishes to have good relations with his and ours. That said, is Xeal willing to take her on?”

Xeal pondered the queen’s question for a good solid minute as the room watched him. He thought about his few encounters with her and thought about if he felt it was possible for things to work until he finally made up his mind and answered the queen’s question.

“Queen Eleanor, if I am honest with you, no, I do not wish to accept her, or any more brides. Four is more than enough. However, if it is in the interest of the kingdom that I do so, I am willing to speak with her once more to see if she has fixed her attitude after everything that has happened. However, under no circumstances will I accept her being forced upon me against mine, or her will.”

“Thank you, Xeal. I am happy my daughter found you and I trust you to care for her.”

“It will be my pleasure, Queen Eleanor.”

After that, the discussion turned to planning for the announcement of Enye and Xeal’s courtship, as well as setting up a meeting with Vanessa for the following login. By the time Xeal was able to leave, it was already the early afternoon and he decided to spend the rest of the day in the forge working on his smithing with the small amount of funds he still had left. As he walked to the royal forging room that he usually used, he thought about just how little the king actually talked. Xeal felt like King Vincent was content to go along with what would please his family in matters that they discussed. He could also tell that Prince Victor’s words held the most weight and it felt like he was already king in all but name from where Xeal was sitting. Perhaps it was the king’s way of easing Victor into being king, or perhaps that was just how King Vincent was. Either way, Xeal knew that as things stood, Victor held the true power right now.

Evening October 31, 2266.

Alex awoke to find that both Sam and Nicole had logged out early to prep for Halloween as they were hosting everyone for a party that night. Alex had to be back in ED for his meeting with Vanessa by 7:30 PM so he would be the first to duck out that night, but he was still looking forward to it. The plan was to play a haunted house game that had various scenarios for players to work through, most of which saw one of the players betraying the rest. The six of them had enjoyed playing it together every Halloween for the last few years, but with Ava and Mia joining, they would have to take turns as only six players could play at a time. Still, everyone was looking forward to playing and Ava and Mia had agreed to sitting out the first round and Alex would only have time for two games due to needing to get back to ED. So, all things considered, he figured things would work out well as long as everyone had fun.

Around 4:30 everyone started to arrive, with Ava and Mia being the first ones as they just had to walk down some stairs to be there. Both of them gave Alex a hug and a kiss on his cheek before entering the apartment and chatting with Sam and Nicole. Fred, Dan and Amanda arrived together shortly after, bringing the game with them, as well as a bunch of snack foods to eat alongside the quick finger foods Nicole had in the oven. Once everyone was ready, Alex and Fred set up the game and everyone selected a character. Alex ended up with the green kid and spent the first game acting the part until he found himself as the traitor and quickly lost due to a bad start to the haunt. He had also spent the entire game with Ava and Mia to each side of him as he taught them how to play. With the game over, it was time to reset for the next round and Mia asked Alex a question.

“So, we don’t know who will be our enemy until it’s almost too late?”

Alex smiled as he replied, “Yep, it makes it exciting and difficult to predict the outcome.”

Ava picked up on Alex’s suggestion and smiled back as she spoke, “So, you are excited by my sister and I. Good to know.”

“Ha, well, life would be no fun if I already had all of the answers. Still, I am more than content with just Sam and Nicole. Don’t be mistaken, I appreciate you and Mia, but what we have is all for show for the benefit of those outside looking in.”

“You’re no fun. You could at least give us a chance to see if you want it to be real.” Mia pouted.

“Yes, here we are risking our career as professional gamers and you won’t even let us have a real chance,” added Ava.

“Ava, Mia, trust is needed for anything to happen. Believe me when I say that this is me taking you seriously. If you are hoping to have what Sam and Nicole have already, you are skipping over years of friendship that built the foundation of what we have now. The fact that they are letting you two in at all still baffles me,” stated Alex.

“So cold, it’s like you feel nothing for us,” Ava dramatized by pretending to shiver and Mia joined in, hugging her sister.

“Indeed, it’s like he has no heart.”

Alex sighed as he looked around at his friends. Dan and Fred were doing their best not to laugh at the over-the-top performance Ava and Mia were putting on, Amanda just looked like she was over the show, while Sam and Nicole just wore troubled smiles as they looked back at Alex.

“Look, right now I am just getting to know you both and this whole situation is just weird. I am not ignoring you or trying to lead you on, I am just trying to protect what I have.”

Ava and Mia both gave Alex a warm smile before Ava replied.

“Alex, we are supposed to look like your girlfriends to everyone outside of this room, yet you can’t even return our kisses, let alone hold us like you do Nicole and Sam.”

“Exactly. We have let this slide hoping that comfort would come as we spent more time with you, but you have not made any real progress,” Mia continued.

“You don’t even dance with us, or pair up with us for sparring. Abysses End will be here in less than two weeks and you will have to show passion then, or the ruse will fail completely,” added Ava.

“So, either you start treating us like we are just as much your girlfriends as Sam and Nicole, or we will have no choice but to say we couldn’t secure you and go begging back to Abysses End for forgiveness, and we hate begging,” finished Mia.

Alex went quiet at the twins calling out his lack of intimacy with them, as did the rest of the room. Even Amanda was paying attention to how this was playing out. It was Nicole who spoke first with a resolute tone.

“Alex, they’re right. You need to get more familiar with them and lose the awkwardness when they show you affection and show it right back to them. However, Ava, Mia, don’t cross the line. You can kiss and hug him but, don’t let your hands wander too much.”

“Nope, Mia and I aren’t pretending here, we really are treating Alex like we want to. When that would mean we let our hand brush a certain area, or give something a quick squeeze, we will.”

“No! You need to respect my wishes as well, and at no time do Sam, Nicole or I ever do those things in a public place, so neither will you. Just treat it as I don’t like it so you don’t do it, like couples in any normal and healthy relationship do.”

“Fine, we can agree to that. Now, how about for the next game you sit out and help us play like a good boyfriend would,” proposed Mia.

Alex sighed as he agreed to Mia’s proposal and spent the rest of his night, before returning to ED, learning to be comfortable, flirting openly with both Ava and Mia while doing the same with Sam and Nicole. This included not just receiving kisses, but initiating them as well. He was still keeping the ones he started quick chaste ones while both Mia and Ava found an excuse to give him deep kisses before his time was up. As he bid his farewell to return to ED, he could tell that Sam and Nicole were less than happy about everything that had played out, but both assured him that they were okay with it.

(*****)

As Fred, Amanda and Dan left for the night, Ava and Mia hung back for a bit to talk with Sam and Nicole. However, Sam beat them both to the punch.

“What the hell was all that about tonight?”

“Whoa there, calm down. We know we pushed things tonight, but it needed to happen,” Ava calmly replied.

“Not like that. You could have at least talked to us about it beforehand!” shot back Sam.

“Sam, drop it. It was good for all of us, I believe. It hurt to watch and that just helps confirm how we feel about Alex. He told us this would happen and that it was a bad idea, but we went ahead and moved forward with it anyways,” Nicole said calmly.

“See, Nicole understands,” commented Mia.

“Oh, make no mistake, I am upset, and if you two hurt him I will not think twice about doing whatever I can to ruin you both. Don’t think for a second you have earned my trust yet. I hope you two prove to be our friends and not a pair of traitors,” Nicole stated coldly.

Ava stared Nicole down before responding to her threat.

“Make no mistake, we are traitors. It’s just who we will betray that is still in the air. Either we are trying to seduce Alex into Abysses End, or we push all of our chips into the center with FAE. One way or another, we will betray someone.”

“Yes, our redeeming quality is that we are being honest with you, and in that spirit, know that we are debating on if we should try and find our way permanently into this arrangement you have going,” added Mia.

“Wait, what? That wasn’t supposed to happen,” cried Sam.

“What Mia means to say is it is hard not to be smitten with Alex as I am sure you both know. Don’t worry, we can tell he loves you both and if we even tried to push you out, it would end very badly,” responded Ava longingly.

“Are you two still able to play your role in this plan?” questioned Nicole.

Mia gave Nicole a look that said are you serious, before replying.

“Don’t worry, we have no issues playing the hypocrite and keeping more women away from Alex while also keeping Abysses End from sending the truly terrible ones.”

“Oh, so there are worse ones than a pair of succubus twins?” Sam quipped.

Ava gave Sam a hard look before replying in a serious tone.

“Much worse. We are talking not even giving him a chance to resist, and when they are done with him, he would be changed completely. The methods they use are beyond intense and when they are done, their victims are like putty in their hands.”

Sam and Nicole exchanged a look as they felt that Ava wasn’t exaggerating that much from the look in her eye, and before they could ask any questions, Mia cut in.

“Look, you really don’t want to know. It’s bad and the women we are talking about relish the opportunity to play. Just never let Alex leave our sight in public for any reason and he should be fine.”

The four of them continued to talk after Sam and Nicole let the twins’ warning sink in while they discussed how best to integrate both Ava and Mia into the public eye as Alex’s new girlfriends. It was decided that having him take them out on dates together would work best as it would emphasize the whole idea of him being drawn in due to them being twins. After everything was settled, Ava and Mia left as Sam and Nicole returned to playing ED.

ED year 1, day 321-322.

After logging in, Xeal quickly made his way to the palace where one of Prince Victor’s servants met him before leading him into a side room that was full of tables and chairs that would normally be used for outdoor dining events. A few minutes later, Vanessa entered, dressed in a uniform with her dark hair done up in a bun, making her look more like a maid than the daughter of a Marquess. When she looked at Xeal with her ice-blue eyes, a look of shock and then understanding crossed her face before she spoke respectfully.

“Here I thought it would be someone from my house who I was to meet with and instead I find you, Viscount Bluefire. To what do I owe the honor?”

“You seem different.”

“Indeed, life has been simpler since I last saw you.”

“I take it you have been enjoying it.”

Vanessa looked contemplative for a moment before responding.

“Yes and no. Being with Rufus is nice in that I no longer have to worry about the political games, but he really is a bit of a waste as he has no ambition and quite frankly, is quite simple in his thoughts.”

Xeal frowned as Vanessa talked around the mental issues that were the root cause of Rufus being considered a waste. It wasn’t that he was mentally unstable, just very much simple in his thought process and unimaginative.

“I see. I think you and him may actually be a good match when I think about it.”

Vanessa looked taken aback at Xeal’s words and had a tone of annoyance in her voice as she responded.

“What makes you think that I am the same as him?”

Xeal couldn’t help but laugh as he retorted.

“You’re not in the slightest. It’s just with him you don’t need to pretend and put on airs. Simply show him kindness and he will dote on you for it. Your family has no way of utilizing you while you’re with him and they can’t blame you for anything due to how it was arranged. All together I dare say it is more than you could have hoped for, all things considered.”

Vanessa looked thoughtful as she replied.

“True, though it was quite rough at the start. Now it’s like the world doesn’t matter.”

“Yah, I heard that Queen Eleanor made things difficult for you at the start. That said, your father is making another attempt to end the courtship. Is that something you want to happen?”

Vanessa looked scared as she looked around trying to ensure no one was around before responding.

“Of course it is. I am my house’s daughter after all and my role is to help bring further prosperity to my house.”

Vanessa’s words and actions didn’t match up as she spoke. Her words said yes, she would like it to be called off, but Xeal could see that she was giving him a thumbs down from an angle that only he could see. Xeal wore a troubled smile as he replied to her.

“I see. Well, I am glad you are well. It was truly nothing personal when I set this all in motion and I hope things work out for you.”

“Thank you. It is nice to know that I haven’t been forgotten about, Viscount Bluefire.”

Vanessa curtsied to Xeal before turning and leaving while Xeal sat and waited for a good minute before he did the same, making his way to Prince Victor’s study. When he arrived, he found Prince Victor already awaiting him, and after taking care of the formalities dictated by etiquette, Xeal sat across from him at the table in the room.

“So, what did she say?”

“She is scared, her actions speak louder than her words to me.”

Xeal went into everything that had transpired, including how she seemed to believe she was being watched and had to hide her true reply. Victor took that fact very seriously as it told him that it was likely that the Mercer house had enough of a presence in the palace to make Vanessa believe nothing was private when it was obvious that she had been led to a secret meeting. When they had finished with that topic, Victor shifted to the next task he hoped Xeal could handle in a favorable manner.

“Xeal, the orc settlement that is just outside our eastern borders along the Kursk River needs to be handled. Their presence has the locals uneasy and they pose a threat if they were to attack en masse.”

Xeal thought back to what he knew of the area from his last life and remembered how it was one of the areas Nium absorbed before they went to war with the kingdoms of Habia and Paidhia to unite the continent. He was unsure how, but the orcs had joined Nium as a vassal state and their warriors, both players who converted their race, as well as NPCs, were important to Nium’s victory.

“If I am not mistaken, that settlement is where the orcs rear their young. Have there been any major incidents?”

“Not that can be traced to that settlement, but orc raids have long plagued that border area and the kingdom’s army isn’t equipped to chase them into the wild lands as they slip away.”

Xeal thought for a second as he worked to recall all he knew about orcs.

“Orcs raid, it’s part of their culture. Getting them to stop is impossible and the last thing that the kingdom needs are orcs on the warpath with vengeance in their heart. They respect strength in battle, but I am not yet strong enough to impress them. This was one of your tasks that I had planned to hold off on until I was much stronger.”

“I understand your hesitation, but this is something that we need to have dealt with sooner rather than later. Right now we fear a coordinated assault from both Habia and Paidhia could leave us vulnerable to an attack from the orcs.”

“And you could see Habia or Paidhia working to cause the orcs to go on the warpath, covertly. I see. Of the surrounding areas with independent settlements that elude the kingdom’s control, the orcs would be the easiest to accomplish that with.”

“Exactly. And we can’t afford the losses it would take to bring them to heel.”

“So, you are hoping that I can figure something out. Hmm I will work on a plan, but it will be three weeks before I can leave for the border area.”

“That is fine. Thank you and let me know if you need anything to accomplish the task.”

“A dragon to ride might help,” Xeal quipped.

Victor just laughed and reassured Xeal that he would be fine before they spent a bit more time sharing information before Xeal left to return to grinding for tier 5 and gold-ranked smith for the remainder of his login. Though he still needed to reach silver rank in smithing before gold.

Morning November 1 to Evening November 3, 2266 & ED year 1, day 323-329.

The next stretch of time went by quickly for Alex/Xeal and his friends. They continued their morning routine with aikido on the 1st, swing dance on the 2nd, and kendo on the 3rd. Sam and Nicole were not very far along, but the sparring was definitely a bad idea so they quietly informed Sensei Kikuchi that they were feeling a bit off and didn’t think sparring was a good idea for them. Alex had already messaged him as well, informing him that both girls were going to be transitioning to non-contact for a while. Sensei Kikuchi gave both girls and Alex a look before giving Nicole and Sam an alternate routine that focused on stretching, with light simulated sparring where they worked on the techniques in slow motion with only their sparring partners ever going to the floor. The thing that had surprised him was when his mom and Amanda joined in the same routine after seeing Sam and Nicole doing it. He figured neither of them had enjoyed all the times that they had been taken to the mats and moved on as he focused on his own mastery of his body’s movements. For swing dance, the only thing of note was Alex was now dealing with a five-person rotation when it came to dancing with him as Ava and Mia had been insistent and Sam and Nicole had ensured that Jessica hadn’t been ignored. Their instructor Samuel had been surprised with the change in arrangements, but rolled with it just fine. For kendo they were still focused on proper shinai control and swings and Sensei Sano was adamant about them all needing to attend lessons in the evening once they had the basics down to begin sparring.

The evening of the 1st of November was both game six of the World Series between the Dodgers and Angels with the Angels up three games to two games, and his first date with Sam since she found out she was pregnant. Alex could tell that she was still a bundle of nerves over the whole situation and just needed time to unwind. So, Alex decided that a nice relaxing drive along Highway 1, parking near Point Mugu to watch the sunset and simply talk for a while would be just right. Sam was ready to go and they hit a drive-through along the way and by 5:00 they were parked in position to enjoy the view while eating some burgers and fries in the back seat, seated so that Alex’s back was against the door and Sam could turn and lie back on him. The two talked a lot about nothing for a good bit until the sunset was only a few minutes away when Sam snuggled into Alex and asked.

“Alex, do you think we will still have time to do things like this once we’re parents?”

“Not as much as we do now, but yah, I think we will be able to make time if we remember to.”

“It’s weird. I’m going to be a mom. Six months ago I would have said no way I’m having any kids before I’m 30. Now I’m sitting here with you and I just feel like everything has turned upside-down, but I’m happy. It makes no sense. Why is all of this happening and why am I not freaking out?”

“Sam, I love you. All I know is that I am happy you’re here with me. Honestly, it makes no sense to me either, but you, me and Nicole just work for some reason.”

“I love you too.”

Sam and Alex enjoyed the sunset before returning to the apartment around 7:00 and returning to ED.

The evening of the 2nd was Sam and Nicole’s first OB-GYN appointment with a doctor who Background Inc. had arranged for them. They had even managed to book them to be looked at together, though it was more of a quick consultation visit where they were going to take blood for lab work and set up a second appointment for December to ensure everything was still going fine. Then they would be sending everything to the OB-GYN clinic that Background Inc. already had lined up in Colorado. Alex also took note of the fact that the Angels had lost game 6 and were playing game 7 tonight. It made him wonder just how big of a ripple he was creating with his actions and just how much would be different moving forward.

As Alex, Sam and Nicole entered the OB-GYN clinic, they found themselves in what could only be described as luxury. Quite obviously Background Inc. had taken Alex at his word that price wasn’t an issue when it came to getting Sam and Nicole the best care possible. It hit all three of them at that moment just how much they had stepped into a different world from the one they had known all of their lives. Even Alex had never entered into this world in his last life as even as a vice guild leader for a successful workshop, he only ever made around 1,000,000 credits a year. That was enough to be considered well off and be able to easily live a comfortable life if you weren’t stupid with your finances, but not enough to live like a true king. The three of them were interrupted by the receptionist looking at them questioningly and asking them if she could help them. Alex recovered the quickest and informed her that they had an appointment to see Dr. Beckett and gave her their names. Once their appointment was confirmed, the receptionist led them to an exam room that was split in two rooms such that one room could act as a private waiting room while the physical and well woman exams took place. The following hour had the three of them meeting Dr. Beckett, who was an older woman with graying hair and reading glasses that hung from her neck. When she learned that Alex was the father of both babies, she gave him a stern look but kept any comment to herself, thankfully. Both exams went by quickly as Dr. Beckett didn’t find any issues and they left with some pamphlets and instructions on what Sam and Nicole should and shouldn’t do. This included things like which prenatal vitamins Dr. Beckett recommended. Alex, Nicole and Sam stopped by a store to pick up several of the suggested items before returning to the apartment and logging in for the night.

On the 3rd, Alex, Sam and Nicole all logged out early to allow them to be in game for the entirety of Founding Day in Nium as they were expected to play a large role in the day’s activities as new nobles. This was especially true for Alex who needed to spend the entire day with the royal family. Alex’s parents had been okay with shifting their visit and had logged off early as well to spend their Saturday family time together. They ended up spending the time eating a simple meal and playing a board game together before Alex, Sam and Nicole left together around 4:15 and logged in just after 4:40. Alex also was relieved to see that he had won his bet on the Angles even if it took one more game than it should have. Seeing 150,000,000 credits headed for his accounts he smiled. He kind of laughed as he thought about how that would be just enough to handle his tax bill when it came due next year. In the meantime, it was time to invest it and let it grow for a fair bit first.

Xeal spent the week worth of time in ED continuing his grinding as well as doing prep work for the upcoming Founding Day. This meant he had to attend several rehearsals to go over exactly how everything would play out for the announcement of his courtship of Princess Enye, who was enjoying every minute of time this caused them to spend together. Xeal found himself smiling at just how much Enye was acting like everything was right in the world. When he wasn’t resting, rehearsing, grinding or smithing, Xeal was looking up all the information he could get his hands on about the orcs and the area surrounding them. He had a few ideas on how to complete the quest and he was sure it was possible as it had been done by a tier 5 player in Xeal’s last life through some unknown means. The question Xeal was working to answer was if he could accomplish it before he reached tier 5, or if he would need to wait. The good news was that his guild had unlocked a nearby town that was only a few days’ travel from the orcs the week prior to Victor asking Xeal to take care of the issue. This was also advantageous as a level 80 to 89 leveling area was between the two and Xeal reached level 75 before he logged out on day 229. This made their current area completely obsolete as he would no longer receive the boost from Behemoth Slayer and the area Xeal had originally planned to use was not as efficient as the one there. It was a forest map that specialized in plant and insect-type monsters. With his plans made, Xeal was ready to execute them and reach tier 5 before day 390, or year 2 day 25 in ED.

ED year 1, days 330-331.

Xeal awoke just after 8:00 in the morning of Founding Day in Nium, leaving him just under an hour to meet up with the royal family. He would spend the first half of the day acting as Victor’s right hand. This would show that Xeal had his favor. While Xeal was with Victor, Aalin and Gale would be acting as ladies in waiting for Princess Enye, showing that she accepted them and they accepted her as the head wife. By the time early afternoon arrived, everything would be set for the official announcement of what most of the royal court would be aware of by that time, if they were not already. After which, Xeal and Enye would treat the remainder of the day as their first official courtship date. It all sounded simple and easy when Xeal thought of it like this; however, he had been warned that this would be the last chance anyone who wished to prevent the courtship would have to do so. None of them were aware what would be tried, but they all agreed there would be at least one attempt before it was official.

Xeal ate his breakfast quickly, after giving Midnight the first bite as always. As he ate, he couldn’t help but think about the possibility of using Midnight for his companion slot that would open up at tier 5. This slot was typically used for a mount of some kind to increase the speed at which players could get to grinding locations, but it allowed other options as well. The rules of the companion were simple. The creature must belong to the player, the player must have a set location for the creature to reside while not summoned, and the creature could not assist in combat. In later tiers, more slots would open that allowed creatures to assist in battle. There were even classes that focused on taming extra creatures and were allowed to have more companion slots at the cost of skill points. If Xeal used Midnight, it would increase the drop rates of monsters significantly at the cost of mobility. He would also have to ensure that Midnight survived, as while Midnight couldn’t attack, he could be attacked by monsters. It had been common for companion creatures to be killed off when the mechanic was new in Xeal’s last life as many players forgot to unsummon their mounts when battle started. With Midnight, Xeal wouldn’t have to worry for a long while as matagots were known to be elusive in Xeal’s last life. There had only been a few players who managed to acquire and use one as a companion to Xeal’s knowledge, and all of those players had been considered experts, reaching the peak of tier 7 at the very least. Xeal couldn’t think of a better companion that he could acquire between now and tier 6 unless he prioritized speed of travel. With these thoughts, Xeal finished his breakfast and made his way to the palace.

Once Xeal arrived at the palace, he was guided directly to Prince Victor who was awaiting his arrival. Prince Victor sat in ceremonial armor. This was worn by the crown prince every Founding Day and it shimmered silver with gold trim and in the center of the chest plate was the royal house’s crest. The crest was an overdone affair in Xeal’s eyes, with a golden wreath surrounding a pair of lions holding up a crown with several other symbols denoting their status mixed in. Next to Victor stood a servant and a manikin that held another set of ceremonial armor. This armor was plain and dull to the point that it was almost black. Xeal knew that it would be his outfit for the morning and its lack of ornamentation was to signify the nameless subjects who ensured the kingdom stood the test of time as its foundation. When wearing this armor, Xeal had to ensure he played the role of protector to the crown while not outshining it. While Prince Victor would signify the bright future of the kingdom, Princess Enye would play the role of benevolence as she performed acts of charity all morning. These roles would end in the early afternoon as the king and queen made their official public appearance to address the nation, so to speak. In the speech that the king would give, he would address things regarding the state of the nation and announce a few major things as well. Included in these announcements would be Xeal and Enye’s courtship being recognized.

Once Xeal was suited up in the armor, it was time for Prince Victor and Xeal to depart for their morning route. As they stepped out into the palace’s main entrance, they were met by a group of royal guards who would be their escort for the day. Each of these guards were at least level 200 tier 7 NPCs, with the leader who would walk to the left of the prince being a level 250 tier 7 NPC. After the guards paid their respects to the prince, it was time to be off and the group left the palace. At the same time, Princess Enye, Dyllis, Aalin and Gale were leaving from one of the side entrances wearing cloaks that hid their appearance to represent how charity was meant to be performed selflessly. Their guards also wore plain clothes and outside the one that walked with the ladies under a cloak as well, the rest did their best to stay out of sight. They would stop by several locations such as orphanages and churches throughout the capital to leave behind donations quietly.

As Xeal walked with Victor, they made scheduled stops to greet prominent noble families’ heirs who were waiting in designated areas, holding small public events of their own. These included things like archery competitions and martial tournaments that both players and NPCs could participate in. Many of the winners of these events would be targets for recruitment for noble houses in one way, or another. Each of these events was also divided by level in groups of ten as to avoid a level 40 player facing off with a level 100 NPC. Events like this were also happening all over the kingdom at this time, from the smallest village to the capital. Competitions were one of the main benefits of the event as players could secure prizes, from gold coins to excellent equipment not normally sold by NPCs. As Xeal and Prince Victor approached one of these events that was based off an obstacle course, they paused. This was their first stop of the day and they were greeted by a young nobleman in his early twenties with short wavy blond hair and blue eyes, who bowed before the prince.

“Greetings, your majesty. It is a pleasure to welcome you to House Musgrave’s event.”

Prince Victor took in the young man who was a level 100 NPC for a moment before responding.

“It is good to see you, Cosmo. I take it your father is doing well?”

“Indeed, my prince. He is hosting the day’s events in our city while I fulfill our house’s duty here.”

“Very good, Cosmo. I believe you had a brief chance to meet Viscount Bluefire here when I introduced him at a banquet, but I don’t believe you have become acquainted yet,” Victor prompted.

“It is as you say, my prince. Viscount Bluefire, it is nice to make your acquaintance once more.”

Xeal could feel the annoyance in Cosmo’s words as he spoke. Holding back a sigh Xeal responded.

“Indeed, it is good to make the acquaintance of the heir to one of the kingdom’s eight great houses who form the backbone of the kingdom.”

“You honor me. Say, why don’t you and I have a friendly bit of competition?”

Xeal saw the trap as Cosmo smiled at him and all he could do was walk into it.

“Certainly, as long as Prince Victor joins as well, what did you have in mind?”

Xeal had to restrain his chuckle as Cosmo’s face looked like it cramped at Xeal’s answer, but he recovered quickly.

“Ah, it’s simple, I just thought it would be good to run the obstacle course and see who makes it the farthest.”

“Cosmo, I assume we would be using the same course with no changes between runs, correct?” questioned Victor while looking at Cosmo disappointedly.

Cosmo looked like he had swallowed something sour as he responded to Victor’s words.

“Certainly, I believe Viscount Bluefire should do the honors of choosing which level we will compete at,” capitulated Cosmo.

(Do you wish to accept the quest, “Outperform Lord Cosmo in gauntlet challenge." Rewards: unknown. Warning: failing quest will have negative repercussions on your account. Yes or No)

Xeal selected yes as the three of them made their way to the gauntlet-type obstacle course that was made up of a straight path through padded swinging poles that went back and forth, side to side and all around. Add that the floor moved and you had a decent challenge for most. Typically, the amount of movement would be altered to match the level of the challenger. However, due to Cosmo challenging Xeal, Xeal could set it for its max of level 200 if he liked. However, as Victor was participating, he knew that he needed to set it for a level that would be easy for him. As Victor was a level 150 tier 6 NPC, Xeal was sure that the level 100 course would pose no issue for Victor. At the same time, it should pose a decent challenge for Cosmo, while a normal level 75 player would have no chance. However, thanks to the boost provided by the elder dragon mark and his skills from his last life, Xeal felt he should be able to keep pace with Cosmo at the very least.

When Cosmo saw the selected difficulty, he was surprised as he had been sure Xeal would set it for around level 120 to ensure both he and Xeal would fail to make any significant progress while Prince Victor completed it with only slight difficulty. Now, however, Cosmo was sure that he could complete at least three quarters of the course, if not the whole thing. Smiling, he motioned for Victor to go first and as Victor passed him, he looked at Xeal with a sneer.

Xeal simply smiled as Victor took on the course, treating it more like a casual stroll than a challenge, quickly completing it as the NPCs present cheered. It was during Victor’s run that Cosmo stood next to Xeal and quietly spoke.

“I must thank you for digging your own grave. It seems that you do know your place despite rumors to the contrary. That’s good. Princess Enye would be wasted on an outsider like you. Now when you lose this be sure to hand over that armor as I will gladly fulfill the role of the kingdom’s future’s right hand.”

Xeal smiled at Cosmo as he stepped forward to challenge the gauntlet without giving Cosmo a response, other than a smile. As Xeal stepped onto the platform, he took a deep breath and cleared his mind before starting the challenge. Entering the gauntlet, Xeal was quick to move around the various poles that tried to knock him off balance as he pushed his concentration to his breaking point. He was forcing himself into a state normal players wouldn’t be able to reach before tier 5 and if he didn’t know what it was like to be an even higher tier than that, doing so would have been impossible. Still, he was just glad that this gauntlet was only around 100 feet and a skilled player could get through it in under a minute like the prince had. The issue was that Xeal needed to ensure that he didn’t outperform the prince by finishing faster than he did, so he had to waste a bit of time along the way and play up his struggle a bit. The prince had finished in 53 seconds and Xeal was aiming for exactly one minute to balance his goals.

Victor stood next to Cosmo as Xeal took on the gauntlet and spoke to him.

“Cosmo, I will treat today as a lesson for you as you learn why I value Xeal as my right hand. Not just today in a symbolic sense, but when I become king as well.”

Cosmo looked taken aback at Prince Victor’s words and didn’t respond immediately, instead pausing to think while he watched Xeal tackle the challenge. As Cosmo watched, he was astounded at Xeal’s ability to move like the challenge wasn’t set 25 levels above him as he smoothly maneuvered the course, evading the poles by the slightest of margins at times. Still, Cosmo knew that Xeal was going to finish the course in a respectable time, putting all the pressure on himself, especially after his words to Xeal. Cosmo knew Xeal was able to manipulate events from the shadows from how he managed to maneuver Hugo into the trap he did. He also knew that he was competent at combat from the quests he had completed that were on record. Still, all that Cosmo had been able to gather only suggested that he was able to challenge opponents five to ten levels above himself. So why was he moving so easily through these obstacles that were set to challenge a level 100 tier 5 player like himself? As Xeal completed the gauntlet in 61 seconds, Cosmo knew that even if he completed the gauntlet with a better time than Xeal, it would still be his loss. With a complex look stuck on his face and without responding to Prince Victor, Cosmo made his way to the gauntlet.

The crowd could still be heard clapping at Xeal’s successful run when Cosmo started his run. Determined to at least not make a complete fool of himself, he tuned out everything and put his everything into the gauntlet. Still, to all those who watched, a clear difference could be seen. Where Xeal’s movements had been fluid, Cosmo’s seemed forced and stiff at times. Still, Cosmo was able to complete the gauntlet, if only barely, and after 90 seconds had passed. It was clear to all who had performed better and Cosmo knew it, so with dignity he approached Prince Victor and bowed.

“I understand, my prince. Forgive my arrogance.”

“Very well. Do not fail to see what is before you again.”

After Victor’s cold reply, he and Xeal received a system notification.

(Quest, Outperform Lord Cosmo in gauntlet challenge: Complete, calculating completion rate… 99% completion, rank S. Rewards: 1,000,000 XP, 10,000 guild renown points, improved acceptance by kingdom of Nium nobility…current acceptance rate 43% and 100 gold)

Xeal took note of the acceptance rate as this was the first time he had ever heard of such a stat. As he thought about it, he could only come to the conclusion that it was in regard to his courtship of Princess Enye. He also wondered what he had started at and how much he gained from that quest completion. Still, he knew one thing and that was he needed to raise that number to as high as he possibly could. Xeal was not naive enough to believe that he could ever hit 100%, or that the number couldn’t drop without him even knowing. The system could be that cruel at times. Still, now that he knew of its existence, he couldn’t afford to ignore it. Xeal accompanied Prince Victor to one event after another, each of which was manned by one of the eight marquess houses’ younger generation members between 20 and 30 years of age. At each of these, Xeal would find himself the target of a challenge in one way or another. Some were truly a friendly struggle while others, like Cosmo, wished to show up Xeal and make the prince recognize them. In the end, Xeal was able to put up a good show and win all of the challenges, whether it was a test of skill with the blade, or logic puzzles.

It was around 1:00 in the afternoon when Xeal and Prince Victor arrived at the second to last stop of the day and found themselves at an archery event. Out stepped a young noble lady with auburn hair done simply in a high ponytail that draped down her back, stopping between the shoulder blades. Additionally, she had a slight tan that was uncommon for a noble lady to have as most would only spend a short while in the sun each day. As her amber eyes caught sight of Prince Victor, she smiled and approached to greet him while curtsying.

“It is wonderful to see you today, Prince Victor.”

“As it is you, Nora. How goes your house’s event?”

Xeal took in the prince who for the first time Xeal could remember looked stiff. Xeal knew that Nora belonged to the Bexley house as they and the Mercer house was all that was left for the day. From what Xeal could remember from his last life, the Bexley house was a military family which prided themselves on leading soldiers, and if he wasn’t mistaken, they were the house that the Smythe house was under. While Xeal was thinking, the interaction between Victor and Nora was still ongoing.

“It’s going quite well. All of these new adventurers have really livened up the competition, though they are a bit disorderly at times,” Nora said while smiling at Victor.

“Indeed, well, I suppose Viscount Bluefire and I will take a turn before moving onto our final stop of the day,” stated Victor like it was a badly rehearsed line for a play.

Xeal held in his thoughts on why Victor seemed so awkward around Nora as a system notification appeared.

(Do you wish to accept the quest, “Take part in Bexley house archery event." Rewards: unknown. Yes or No)

Xeal accepted the quest just as he had done at each of the other events, relieved that it didn’t have any negative repercussions for failure as he was not the best at archery. As they each took a turn on the archery range, Victor performed slightly worse than Nora despite the gap in levels, while Xeal didn’t even come close to them in skill, barely managing something passable. Even in his last life, Xeal had rarely used ranged weapons as he was focused on close-quarters combat. Still, he received another notification after his turn.

(Quest: Take part in Bexley house archery event: Complete, calculating completion rate… 75% completion, rank C. Rewards: 100,000 XP, 100 guild renown points, improved acceptance by kingdom of Nium nobility…current acceptance rate 49% and 50 gold)

Xeal smiled as this confirmed that each event quest completed netted him a 1% increase in his acceptance rate. His main concern was how it looked like he needed to complete a quest related to a noble house to increase his acceptance rate. He also wondered if he had to do so for different families, or if multiple quests for the same one would have an effect. It was with these thoughts that he approached Victor and Nora who were talking, or more like Nora was talking and Victor was giving simple answers that were clearly meant to cut the conversation short. With a wry smile, Xeal stepped in.

“Lady Nora, thank you for your hospitality. I must say, your skill with the bow is something else.”

“Ah, Viscount Bluefire, you are too kind. I still have much to learn before my skills can be called exceptional,” replied Nora while smiling brightly at the compliment.

“Still, your skills are praiseworthy as I am sure there are but a few here who could match your skills,” flattered Xeal.

“You are too kind. Perhaps I could stop by your guild to give some of your members who focus on the bow a few pointers.”

“That would be wonderful, though I do not believe now is the time to set such a thing up. I would be happy to discuss it further after the day’s events. Feel free to stop by or send a representative to my guild’s headquarters at your leisure to request a meeting at any time. However, for now, Prince Victor and I must depart for our final stop of the day,” Xeal said as politely as possible.

Nora looked conflicted on the fact that Victor and Xeal needed to depart, but she smiled as she bid them farewell for the time being and promised to set up the meeting in the next few days. As Victor and Xeal left, Victor let out a sigh before speaking.

“Thank you, Xeal. I can never seem to get Nora to stop when she gets going.”

“So, do you like her, or is she being pushed on you by her family like Hugo was towards Enye?” queried Xeal.

“That obvious?”

“Yes.”

“It’s complicated. Nora is not a bad woman and her family has respected my wish not to be wed before I take the throne, but she has been set on the idea of being with me since we were much younger. Now that she is 18 and of prime marrying age, she has only increased her efforts to get me to court her,” sighed Victor.

“You see her more as a little sister.”

“Unfortunately, yes. I have known her for her whole life as she and Enye would often be brought together to play in their younger days. It wasn’t until she was 12 that her family started her training in archery. She and Enye grew apart, but memory is different for me who was 18, and Enye, who was 13 at the time,” lamented Victor.

“I see. It’s a pity, really. If she hadn’t been around you so much as a child she might have a chance, but it is likely that she grew infatuated with you during those years as well,” consoled Xeal.

“True. Hmm, you wouldn’t be interested in adding another bride to be, would you?” quipped Victor.

“Do you want me to help her secure you?” shot back Xeal.

Victor just smiled while chuckling softly as they made their way to the Mercer house’s event. Upon arrival, Xeal could instantly tell the difference in atmosphere around this event. While there were still a few players taking part in the event, Xeal could not spot a single noble, with the exception of the new heir to the Mercer house. The new heir was only 14 years old and looked well within his element as he ran a chess tournament. When the young man noticed Victor and Xeal, he calmly made his way over to greet them with a bow.

“Prince Victor, thank you for taking the time to visit. Would you be interested in playing a game of chess with me?”

“Howard, there is not time for two games to be played and I believe it would be better for Viscount Bluefire here to play against you while I watch the show.”

“If that is your wish, Prince Victor. Viscount Bluefire, if you would join me at the table, I’ll take black as the host.”

(Do you wish to accept the quest, “Impress Howard Mercer in a game of chess." Rewards: unknown. Warning: failing quest will have negative repercussions on your account. Yes or No)

Xeal selected yes, grateful that he had to play chess often in his last life as many NPC nobles would only meet with honorary nobles like he was over a game of chess. The worst part of this was you needed to play well enough that they felt you were a challenge, but not well enough to beat them most of the time. Fail to do either and they would likely not meet with you again in the future. This had led to Xeal developing his skills at the game quite well, even studying many of the famous games of the past. Still, he knew better than to underestimate a young noble who had likely been playing the game constantly since he could understand the rules.

Xeal smiled at Howard Mercer as he took his seat across from him behind the white pieces.

“It is good to meet you, Lord Howard,” said Xeal as he moved his pawn in front of his king forward two spaces.

“Indeed, though I dare say it could be under better circumstances,” responded Howard while moving his own pawn in front of the king forward one space.

“True, but life is what it is,” stated Xeal, moving his pawn in front of his queen forward two spaces.

“Indeed, life can deal us difficult hands at times,” replied Howard, mirroring Xeal’s move.

“It’s what we do with those hands that matters.” Xeal took Howard’s pawn in front of his queen with his own pawn in front of his king.

“True, sometimes trading blows is the best we can hope for.” Howard used his queen to take the pawn that had just taken his own pawn.

“All that trading blows does is leave both sides weak.” Xeal moved his queen side knight out to the bishop side, threatening Howard’s queen.

“True, sometimes posturing is for the best.” Howard brought his king side bishop out, stopping next to the knight, trapping it as if it moved, Xeal’s king would be in check.

“Posturing can be good for a time.” Xeal smiled as he brought out his king side knight to the bishop side.

“Although something meaningless at the time could prove consequential later.” Howard smiled as he once again mirrored Xeal’s move.

Xeal and Howard traded lines and moves like this as Xeal smiled as the game was playing out exactly like one of the games he remembered studying thoroughly between Aron Nimzowitch and Gyorgy Fluss in 1907.

Xeal moved his bishop to threaten Howard’s knight while being protected by his own. Howard responded by taking Xeal’s queen side knight with his bishop, putting Xeal in check, though Xeal simply took the bishop with a pawn. Howard moved his queen side knight out to the bishop side, allowing Xeal to take Howard’s other knight with his bishop. Howard quickly took that bishop with a pawn and Xeal simply moved his king side bishop out one space directly in front of his king. Howard moved his king side rook over one space, to which Xeal responded by castling his king, placing it behind the pawn that was threatened by Howard’s rook. Howard paused before moving his queen side bishop out one space, putting it catty corner to his own king. Xeal moved a pawn forward to threaten Howard’s queen and Howard moved the queen all the way horizontally to the king side of the board. Xeal simply moved his pawn that the queen had been blocking forward. At this point Howard was looking distraught as he was taking several minutes to make his moves while Xeal was only taking a few seconds. In reality, Xeal was simply checking to ensure that the game did not deviate before making his move. The moment anything left the script in his head, he too would need several minutes to figure out his next move. Howard castled his king to the queen side and Xeal pushed his remaining knight forward behind the pawn that he had moved on his last turn. Howard moved his queen directly in front of Xeal’s far king side pawn that had yet to move and Xeal simply moved his pawn forward, preventing Howard from putting him in checkmate with his next move. Howard looked lost for a while, finally just moving his king side rook forward two spaces. Xeal then took Howard’s last knight with a pawn. That pawn was taken by Howard’s remaining bishop as Xeal smiled, knowing the game was his.

“I must say, for one so young, you play very well.” Xeal took Howard’s last bishop with his knight, exposing his own queen by doing so.

“You flatter me. I feel like I have been dancing in your palm this whole match.” Howard moved his rook that sat next to his king straight across to take Xeal’s queen that had never moved from the start.

“No, it has been a top-class game from the start.” Xeal used the rook next to his own king to take Howard’s rook. This left Xeal with both his rooks, one knight and one bishop left, outside pawns. Howard only had a rook and his queen left and the match was already over.

“Yes, but now it is simply how much damage I can do before I lose.” Howard took Xeal’s last knight with a pawn.

“I am afraid that will be all you can do.” Xeal pushed his pawn forward, blocking the ones in front of Howard’s king and opening his bishop’s path to check the king.

“We will see, it is not over just yet.” Howard pulled his remaining rook back to his base line, protecting his king from one of the possible checkmates.

“No, it is.” Xeal simply moved his queen side rook over one space and trapped the king, leaving no way to avoid checkmate on the next move.

“I see. Well played. I dare say I can understand why my brother lost to you,” commented Howard as he smiled bitterly.

(Quest, “Impress Howard Mercer in a game of chess.”: Complete, calculating completion rate… 99% completion, rank S. Rewards: 1,000,000 XP, 10,000 guild renown points, improved acceptance by kingdom of Nium nobility…current acceptance rate 50% and 100 gold)

Xeal smiled as he shook Howard’s hand and thanked him for a good match, before leaving with Victor to return to the palace. After Xeal and Victor were out of sight, Howard still sat at the table looking over the game and how it had played out. He would sit like that for a good half hour before his guards announced it was time for the king’s address. Sighing, he stood and made his way to the to the palace where, like him, each noble house would be represented.

(*****)

Once Xeal and Victor had returned to the palace, Xeal found himself ushered into another room where his suit of armor was quickly changed out for formal attire. Once that was done, he found himself being led to the same room that played host to the banquet that Prince Victor had put on to introduce Xeal to the nobility. However, the room was set up differently, with a podium and stage added to the area below where the thrones were stationed. Additionally, only three thrones were there as only the crown prince was allowed to sit with the king and queen during this event. Xeal found himself positioned in the general standing area just off the stage where he could easily make his way up when called for. It was only a few minutes later when the room began to fill as the various representatives from the noble houses arrived to hear King Vincent give his address. Xeal knew that for many this was simply a formality and they would typically send their heir to attend as a way to help integrate them into the court. Which was why when Xeal noticed the amount of older men in the crowd he knew that this was not going to be a simple address like normal. No, there were expectations of major announcements being made today and Xeal doubted his courtship of Enye would be enough to draw this crowd.

As Xeal’s mind wondered about as to what was expected, a herald announced the arrival of King Vincent, Queen Eleanor and Crown Prince Victor. The room went quiet as all the nobles present knelt while the royal party made their way to their thrones, with King Vincent going straight to the podium to begin his speech. Xeal once again took in the thin man who was clearly in his twilight days as he prepared to give his address with a fierceness that was clearly channeled from his younger days.

“To all our kingdom’s noble houses, it is good to see you all here as we celebrate another year of the kingdom’s prosperity. Ever since King Vasska, our founder, rallied many of your houses to form our kingdom, it has prospered. There have been trials and tribulations that have tested our resolve and our ability to exist, all of which our kingdom has overcome. Even when it is a poison from within, we have triumphed. Now, as many of you know, I am getting older and with age comes wisdom as well as perspective. This year our kingdom, as well as other kingdoms, have been inundated by what many would see as invaders to our lands. These invaders simply appeared one day and they come and go from our world as they see fit. Many do not recognize our authority, and some don’t even see us as people.”

King Vincent paused for effect as he took in the reaction of the room and took a deep breath. Xeal felt a bit awkward as the only player currently present as many eyes had turned to him.

“Now as you all know, these visitors have not been all bad. Some show us reasons to hope. Our kingdom especially has much to be grateful for when it comes to these invaders who call themselves adventurers. One of them now stands among our ranks. He above all has done more for our kingdom than any other when it comes to helping deal with these adventurers. Viscount Bluefire has from the very start of this invasion pushed for him and his guild to integrate into our kingdom and form a symbiotic relationship. Very few other kingdoms have been as lucky as we have been with having Viscount Bluefire standing at the helm of the adventurers, and it is with pleasure that I announce his courtship with my daughter, Princess Enye.”

King Vincent gestured to both sides of the stage, which Xeal knew was the signal for Enye and him to make their way to stand next to him. Due to the placement of the stage, Xeal had not seen Enye yet and he got his first look at her for the day at that moment. She was eloquently dressed in a purple dress that left her neck line open where the princess-style necklace with multiple purple gemstones hung for all to see, as the pair of purple gem earrings glimmered as the light caught them. Xeal smiled brightly at Enye as she wore his gift to her in such a way to ensure everyone would notice it for what it was. Enye smiled back to Xeal as they came to a stop on opposite sides of King Vincent.

“Now I am aware that Viscount Bluefire is a bit low in station to be considered for courting my daughter. However, I trust that he will clear those doubts before another year passes by, among other things, becoming an earl through meritorious deeds to our kingdom, so that here next year we can all gather once more to join them together in marriage.”

King Vincent took Enye’s hand and placed it in Xeal’s, bringing them together and directing them off stage back to the direction Enye came from, before continuing his speech. King Vincent’s speech lasted for another 20 minutes before he drew it to the last item on his agenda.

“Now, as many of you know, I have been allowing my son and heir Victor to make more decisions for our kingdom over the last year. This is in preparation for him to assume the throne when the time is right and verify that he is indeed the correct choice to be the next monarch. I am pleased to say that he has shown that he is capable and ready to take up that mantle and I have decided that one year from now, Prince Victor will assume the throne in its entirety. I do this with full confidence that he will succeed in leading our nation to prosperity during these tumultuous times. Now it is time for this gathering to come to a close and for our kingdom to step forward once more to grow stronger with each day.”

As King Vincent finished, the room was filled with applause, both sincere and obligatory, as to do otherwise would be insulting to the crown. King Vincent could have simply stood and waved his hand and left it at that and the room would have still been expected to give him applause. This was one of the major issues with monarchies with too much power in the king’s hands; dissenters had to work from the shadows, meaning when you finally saw the knife, it was already being thrust at you. From what Xeal remembered from his last life, Victor would need to weather more than one of these individuals and Xeal was likely in some of their sights as well, now. King Vincent had all but declared that the next year was open season on Victor and Xeal. Any noble who wished to prevent either from succeeding had one year to do so. Xeal knew this meant that life in ED was about to become far more difficult as the power struggle of the next generation entered its final stages. In his last life, King Vincent hadn’t announced Prince Victor’s ascension to king for another year, and all Xeal could think about was just how much his actions had already altered things.

Xeal was pulled out of these thoughts when he felt a hand grasp his own and found Enye smiling at him. Smiling back, he exited the room with her as they were followed by a few royal guards tasked with Enye’s safety. It was a few minutes later that the pair found themselves in one of the nearby side rooms which had been set up as a staging area for the royal family to use for the day’s events. Inside awaiting them was the king and queen, as well as Victor, all of whom took notice of Xeal and Enye as they entered as Xeal bowed to them.

“Be at ease, Viscount Bluefire. You can relax a bit in private with us. After all, you will soon be family,” chuckled King Vincent.

“Thank you, my king, and thank you for your confidence in your son and I.”

“Good, you recognize just what the next year will be.”

“Dear, let us leave the serious topics for another time. Today should be a joyous occasion. Let the dark reality wait a little longer,” gently advised Queen Eleanor.

“Yes, yes, I simply am happy to know that he is aware of the gravity of the situation. Now onto you two, as I promised, I have arranged a special privilege for you both. While it may only be for a few hours, I have arranged the royal airship to take the two of you on a flight around the countryside surrounding the capital.”

“Thank you, Father, that sounds wonderful.” Enye smiled.

Xeal smiled as he knew that for guilds and players, even the simplest of airships were something only a tier 7 player could even dream of obtaining. For the truly massive battle-ready ones, even top guilds would struggle to produce, maintain and operate them. They were unrivaled when it came to waging war, and if a guild without one were to be targeted by a guild with one, defeat was almost a foregone conclusion. Xeal also knew that this was about the only way Enye would be able to leave the palace for the next year, or so, in a way that did not require a small army of guards. She was simply too valuable as a hostage and bargaining chip and she would remain so until she had her first son, so long as he lived.

“It is much appreciated, your majesty.”

“Think nothing of it. Now go and enjoy yourselves.”

Enye moved forward giving each of her parents a hug before returning to Xeal’s side and leading him towards the garrison where the airships were housed. When they arrived, they were greeted by the captain of the royal airship, Rupert Beckett, a level 250 NPC who looked to be in his mid-50’s, with salt and pepper hair and grey eyes that seemed to see right through you when you looked at him. Xeal instantly knew who this man was from his last life as he had been instrumental in Victor’s campaign to unite the continent and had died a hero in the final decisive battle that Paidhia and Habia had managed to pull together with the last remnants of their forces in a last-ditch effort to turn the tide of the war. Xeal still remembered that battle, including how he was among the players who had died to secure Nium’s victory that day. He had been an insignificant ant in the scheme of things that day and every other battle of that war, as it would still be a few years after that that he joined Twilight Sky and reached the level of the elite players.

“Ah, I see my two charges are here. It is an honor to be your chaperone for the day, Princess Enye and Viscount Bluefire,” stated Captain Beckett while bowing.

“We are in your hands, captain. I know that you will ensure our safety today,” responded Xeal respectfully.

“Of course. Now we best be off now while we still have daylight.”

Xeal held Enye’s hand as they boarded the airship which looked like one would expect a vessel from the 15th to 17th century would have appeared, except without sails. It still had the masts. They were just set up as miniature mage towers which a group of mages could channel their magic into to produce amplified effects for both offense and defense in a battle. Additionally, there were various weapon stations, both magical and mundane, set up from bow to stern on both sides of the vessel. As Xeal and Enye stepped on, Xeal instantly noticed the runes running along the interior. They were charged and ready to go. Each of these runes were like a small battery that held the power needed to maintain flight for any extended period of time. Xeal took in the whole sight in admiration as he could have only dreamed of riding on such a grand ship in his last life. Only the true powerhouses could afford such a massive vessel and the ones that had it hid them until absolutely necessary, as airships were targeted heavily. This was due to the fact that if they were left alone the battle was lost, and even if you lost the battle but destroyed or captured a major airship, it would be a massive blow to your foe as well.

As Xeal took in the airship, a hum could be felt as it started to lift off its supports until it rose above the walls that protected it while docked. Xeal watched as the capital came into view, growing smaller with each second, then the crew unfurled a pair of wings that extended 20 feet out at the stern, narrowing to the bow where they tapered off. Smiling, Xeal walked with Enye to the bow to enjoy the view as they sat together on viewing chairs that held no purpose but to allow a passenger to enjoy the scenery. Xeal draped his arm over Enye’s shoulder as they simply enjoyed the moment as the airship moved at a slow pace while traveling in a circle at the edge on the capital. To those below this was likely viewed almost like a parade would be, which was likely partly how King Vincent had justified Enye and Xeal enjoying the ride.

“Xeal?”

“Yes, Enye?”

“Are you sure you’re okay with how things turned out?”

“Things are not set in stone yet, but that’s life. All I can do is work with what I have been given and I think they will turn out just fine by the way things look.”

Enye smiled as she leaned in and stole a kiss from Xeal.

“One year, one year and you and I will be officially married.”

“Yes, though there is much to accomplish and figure out before then. Perhaps I should work to pay Victor back.”

“Oh, how so?” Enye perked up.

“Oh, I was just thinking he could use a wife as well.”

“Ha, Victor courting a woman, that would be fun to watch. For how well he can run the kingdom he is completely oblivious when it comes to women.”

“I think he is intending to simply marry once he is king and has accomplished his goals.”

“Still, did you have someone in mind?”

“No, the only one who is obvious is Nora Bexley, but he sees her too much like he does you.”

“Nora, ah, I did enjoy playing with her when we were younger, before we knew what our stations in life meant.”

“Yah, it won’t be an easy task, but I think it could be fun.”

“What about one of your guild members?”

Xeal took a minute to think about that and couldn’t help but laughing when he thought of pairing him with Taya or Amser.

“That is a difficult task. Most adventurers never intend to have a child in this world and if I did manage to raise one of their stations to where it would be acceptable, they would still need to be willing to give him an heir.”

“Ah, I see, you do want a child with me, correct?”

Xeal pulled Enye into a kiss before answering.

“Enye, I want more than just one.”

Enye simply snuggled into Xeal as they enjoyed the rest of the airship ride with a bit of light conversation here or there, oftentimes about different features that dotted the landscape below. Finally, the airship furled its wings up once more as it started its descent after circling the capital once. The weapon of war was returning to its home where it awaited the day when the flames of war would require it. Until then, it was simply a show pony that was pulled out from time to time to remind everyone of its existence as the jewel of the royal fleet of Nium. Once the airship was docked, Xeal walked arm in arm with Enye as they disembarked and were met by Queen Eleanor on the ground.

“You two look like you enjoyed your time together.” Queen Eleanor smiled.

Enye smiled and gave Xeal a kiss on the cheek before stepping away.

“It sure was, though I worry that our future dates will be forever in its shadow now,” cooed Enye.

“I will have to endeavor to ensure that they don’t, though I will need to have a few conversations on what can and cannot be done for activities.”

“I look forward to seeing what you come up with. However, until next time, Sir Xeal.”

“Until then, Princess Enye.”

With a bow, Xeal smiled as Queen Eleanor took her daughter’s hand while giving Xeal an approving smile before the pair made their way back to the palace, flanked by guards as they did so. Xeal watched as they left, feeling pity at them needing to be guarded even now as they simply crossed the royal estate. He also knew that it was crucial for the next year as if someone intended to make a move on Enye, now would be when they would act. With these thoughts in his head, Xeal left the garrison and made his way back to his home where he enjoyed a nice meal while giving Midnight some attention before meeting up with the rest of his party and making their way to the new town that his guild had unlocked near the orc area where they would be grinding for a while. They spent the rest of the login working to reach the map that would be their new hunting grounds. They reached an adjacent map before they needed to rest and they all promised to log back in at the normal time in the next login to get back on schedule.

Morning November 4, 2266.

Alex awoke at 2:00 in the morning alongside Sam and stretched before pulling her in close. He was prepared to enjoy a four-hour break from everything as it was their rest day and they needed to return to their normal schedule. The login for Nium’s Founding Day had been a busy one and now Alex was content just to enjoy some time with Sam and Nicole. After a bit of stretching, Alex and Sam got out of bed and made their way to the living room where Nicole was already working on making French toast. After a good morning kiss, Alex pulled out a pack of bacon and started to cook it. 30 minutes later, the three of them were lounging on the couch with Alex in the middle as they watched a web series together as they simply passed the time while enjoying each other’s company. Around 5:00, the three of them started to talk about the upcoming holidays and how they would like to spend them as well as how to tell their parents about being pregnant.  As they discussed it, they decided that a larger combined event would be best and Nicole even felt that with them leaving for Colorado at the end of the year, she would be fine with her parents being invited as a last chance of sorts. She was still on the fence about letting them know she was pregnant, but felt like if she didn’t invite them and have the opportunity to decide in the moment, she would regret it. So, Alex called up his mom and dad and talked to them about what they wanted to do and asked if she would be fine to handle it. When she agreed as long as Alex paid for it, he told her to just get it done and send him the bill. After that, the three of them enjoyed lounging about for a while longer until it was finally time to return to ED for the day. Alex gave Sam a kiss as he and Nicole headed to her room and lay down together to log in once 6:00 arrived.

ED year 1, day 332

Once Xeal logged in, he quickly met up with the rest of his party to continue his grind for tier 5. He knew that ED day 342 would be the last day that the group would be working together to level. Xeal would leave to handle the orcs and the rest would start to prep for their own tier 5 quests. For Amser and Takeshi, that would mean taking direct action to obtain their last few levels and face their challenges head on as both had the needed skills already. Whereas Aalin, Gale and Vento all needed to spend time honing their skills to the level Xeal had set for each of them to ensure that they would pass their quests with a first-time clear. Still, until then, they would be working together to power level in the forest map that they were about to reach. This journey took them away from the orc village that Xeal needed to visit, but he was unconcerned as he knew that he could return to the town and be there in just a login and a half. For now, he was simply focused on the task on hand while also doing everything he could to give Aalin and Gale pointers to improve their skills as much as he could. Xeal had been enjoying having them with him almost every login for the past couple of weeks and hoped to be able to have them join him even more in the future.

After a few hours of travel, Xeal and his party arrived at the outskirts of a massive forest where the trees grew closer together the further you entered. Xeal knew that for tier 4 players, trying to move around anywhere here where the trees were closer than ten feet apart was suicide. Even here on the outskirts was extremely dangerous as the gap in tiers between them and the tier 5 monsters put them at a major disadvantage. This was why most players in Xeal’s last life that had been accustomed to fighting monsters three or four levels above themselves would stop doing so when they drew close to the next tier. Every tier meant a massive boost in a monster’s difficulty, and even with the bonuses to Xeal’s stats from the elder dragon mark, Xeal knew that without reaching tier 5 he would not last long against the onslaught that this forest could dish out towards its center. After a quick reminder of the need to remain vigilant of the danger, Xeal led the party into the forest.

They had only been walking for around five minutes when the first encounter happened. One of the trees had swung one of its limbs like an arm the moment the group had passed it. Had Xeal not placed Amser in the back to act as the rear guard, the tree would have likely succeeded in its sneak attack. However, Amser moved quickly and managed to turn a major blow into a glancing one and engage the living tree in combat as Vento, Aalin and Gale turned to support her. Xeal hung back and directed Takeshi to stay alert for another attack as he knew this was too easy. Sure enough, 30 seconds after the fight started to the rear of the party, came two level 80 moss monsters. Smiling, Xeal and Takeshi each took one as Amser and the rest easily worked on destroying the level 80 living tree as it was rooted in place. Xeal also knew that in another five levels that tree would have been able to use its roots as legs and whips, launching attacks and moving around the battlefield, albeit clumsily. Still, add that to the moss monsters and a party of six would be completely overrun. As it was, Xeal knew that they were at best ready to handle the level 82 monster areas in this forest. Anything more and they would die. Even so, Xeal and Takeshi were not having an easy time as Gale, Aalin and Vento noticed their struggle and were torn on what to do for a moment as all three melee players were engaged in a fierce battle. Amser was having the easiest time as her foe was immobile and while it could attack from a full 360 degrees, it couldn’t dodge and its health was dropping quickly. Gale and Aalin cast their buffs on Xeal and Takeshi, giving a quick boost, before returning to their onslaught of the living tree, figuring it would be the easiest one to kill. Xeal smiled as he watched the growth of the party that had occurred. A few weeks ago, Aalin and Gale would have hesitated in this situation and their indecision would have led to a much harder fight. Now, however, they were able to quickly evaluate the situation and come up with a plan. While they still had room for growth as they paused a bit longer than they should have, Xeal knew they were growing and still had potential that needed to be unlocked.

20 minutes later, the group sat as they recovered from what had been a hard fight that had pushed them until the living tree had been finished off and everyone was able to focus on the moss monsters. The loot was raw materials that an alchemist would mainly like, as well as a few gold pieces. As they recovered, Amser was the first to speak.

“Damn, those things were annoying.”

“Yah, it was like they were a colony of organisms instead of a single one. The way the damaged moss just fell off as it shifted around to keep its attacks coming in such an erratic way. I don’t know how you two managed to keep up with them so long before we could help,” commented Gale as she leaned on her staff.

“Yeah, what is the lore behind this area again, Xeal?” inquired Vento.

“The Mist Woods are said to have been just a normal forest until a tier 7 undead druid took root in its center. Using a cutting from the tree of life that had been his prized possession in life, he was able to corrupt it into a tool that warped the life of the forest and all the surrounding area. The closer one travels to the center, the more corrupted the woods become, until you reach the center where his crypt resides.”

Xeal knew that what lay inside the center of the forest was a massive dungeon with level 90 to level 279 monsters inside. To make matters worse, the final battle to clear the crypt completely and turn this forest from a death trap into a valuable alchemist development area, was the undead druid itself and it had become a level 280 tier 8 NPC. When the details had leaked in Xeal’s last life that the corrupted cutting was a drop for being the one to kill the undead druid; the guild that had managed to achieve it had been destroyed completely by Abysses End. Still, that guild had done the rest of ED a favor in their last moments and threw the cutting into the sea where it was lost for years until a new dungeon spawned from its resting spot. That dungeon had never been cleared as it was in the middle of the ocean and the first level had tier 8 monsters. The only reason anyone even knew that it had been a result of the cutting was due to a tier 8 player, with one of the best identification skills in the game that allowed him to see the origins of anything, looking into the dungeon to see if it was worth the time to challenge it. Needless to say, for a few months after that information became public, Abysses End went at the dungeon with their full force. The results were the same as when you put meat into a grinder, and like almost all revived or reincarnated dungeons, it was never cleared.

“Does that mean there is a dungeon in the center?” Amser asked with a glint in her eyes.

Xeal just chuckled. “You’re not even ready to reach the center and you are already thinking about the possible adventure beyond.”

“What? You always seem to know these things.”

“Yes, there is one, if my information is correct. It should be similar to the Kobold mine, or the Vault of Ucnuc. Still, it is not something we should worry about until tier 5 is common among our players.”

“Xeal, I’ve been wondering, why doesn’t the kingdom take over these areas if they are so valuable?” inquired Aalin out of the blue.

“Oh, well there are a few reasons other than ED is a game, but the main two would be they need training areas for their soldiers to test their might and they are not immortal like us. Even a tier 8 NPC could die if they get overwhelmed inside these woods which, while unlikely, is still part of the consideration when they move. It is why the wild lands are still wild. The kingdom has simply not felt the need to risk any of the few tier 7 NPCs they have on expeditions to claim the land. I know that you have gotten used to seeing tier 7 guards whenever you spend time with Enye, but those are 90% of the kingdom’s tier 7 troops. If I were to put numbers to it, in all of Nium there are likely less than 10,000 tier 7 NPCs. A great example of a time the kingdom did act is with the Vault of Ucnuc. Over 1,000 NPCs entered, 50 of which were tier 7, but only a few dozen returned, and they only reached the 140th floor and they expect there was still more.”

“Wait, what!? How is that possible?” interjected Vento.

Xeal spent the rest of that recovery time talking about how clearable dungeons were not as simple as they seemed, emphasizing that the information was confidential for the moment as he didn’t know how many other guilds had looked into it yet. Still, he wasn’t saying anything that a good deep reading of a city lord’s library wouldn’t reveal. In the end, the whole party looked pensive as they thought over what this meant moving forward.

“I believe Xeal-san has given us much to think about while we hone ourselves so that one day, we can accomplish what the kingdom has not,” stated Takeshi as he stood to resume their grinding session.

“Takeshi-san is right, and while some areas like the Kobold mine are more valuable as a grinding area for new players, others like the Vault of Ucnuc are best cleansed. This forest belongs to the latter,” closed Xeal with a note of importance.

After another moment, the group was battle ready once more and they passed the rest of that login grinding before resting the last 12 hours at the end, during which Xeal took Nicole out for a date in ED and Lady Nora arrived at FAE headquarters where she and Xeal chatted for a bit before arranging for her to stop by a couple of times a week to spend an hour teaching archery. Once that was taken care of, Xeal turned in, getting some good sleep in game before logging out.

Evening November 4 to Morning November 5, 2266 & ED year 1, days 333-335.

Alex, Sam and Nicole had a busy time over the following few days, with one thing after another. Sunday dinner with Sam’s parents was awkward as Mrs. Carter kept trying not to press Sam to reveal if she was pregnant, but couldn’t help herself. Sam was exhausted by the end of it and had finally threatened to cancel the following two weeks if she couldn’t control herself. Still, all three of them had been successful in not confirming it and Alex was just thankful that the Carters didn’t join them for morning exercises as it would have been way too obvious with both girls on light duty each morning. With dinner done, it was time for the three of them to continue grinding in ED.

(*****)

That session the group continued their grinding in the outskirts of the Mist Woods, fighting more ambushes from living trees and a rotational group of monsters that included the moss monsters, living vines, giant insects, as well as swarms of smaller ones. The swarms were the worst as melee players had to use area of effect (AOE) items to do any damage to them. Vento and Aalin had shown their worth when they used their AOE spells to make quick work of the swarms. By the end of the session, the party had gotten the hang of the area and were looking forward to the next login.

(*****)

The morning of Monday, November 5th was uneventful, other than their morning aikido lesson with Sensei Kikuchi. Once again Nicole, Sam, Mrs. Bell and Amanda took it easy while the rest of the group rotated their sparring partners. Alex was for once not working directly with Sensei Kikuchi, but instead he was working with one of the senpai who had been joining them each morning as Sensei Kikuchi walked around seeing how everyone was doing. For Alex it felt awkward to refer to a 20-year-old as senpai, especially as if he used non-aikido techniques he would easily win. However, he kept this to himself. After the lesson, Alex was chatting with Kent the senpai he had sparred with while they cleaned the dojo to close the lesson and he learned that he had been practicing aikido since he was 12, and was the senior of the group that had been joining them each morning. When Alex had asked about ED, he found out that like the others, he had been considering the game for a while, but didn’t want to have his life revolve around playing a game. Alex smiled and asked him if he would be interested in treating it like a part-time job when he logged on during his sleep to teach aikido to his guild in game. Kent hesitated as he thought about it and Alex told him to talk it over with the rest of the group and if he or any of them were interested, let him know. After telling Kent that he would offer any of them 6,000 credits a month for an eight-hour login where they spent eight hours of the in-game time teaching, eight hours leveling and eight hours sleeping, Kent stared at Alex for a good while before agreeing to talk it over with the others. Alex smiled as he figured he would land at least a few of them, and while they were not on the same level as Sensei Kikuchi, they would still be able to teach the basics to his members and boost their abilities.

(*****)

When Xeal logged in at midnight on ED day 335, he quickly left his mansion to return to the grind, knowing that he had to log out by 2:00 PM in reality as the trial was due to start today, and unless a deal was reached beforehand, he would need to be present to take the stand at 3:00. Still, that gave him and the rest plenty of time to get some good work in. When he rejoined his party, he found them ready to go and they spent the rest of that login until it was time to rest, in the Mist Woods.

Afternoon November 5, 2266

Alex awoke and quickly went about getting ready as Nicole and Sam were already doing the same. It was a quarter after when Alex was behind the wheel with Sam, Nicole, Ava and Mia all in the car headed to the courtroom. When they arrived just after 2:30, they were met by Officer Chen who had a parking spot held for them and escorted them all into a waiting room where they would wait to be called into testify. Alex was annoyed at being here, but could do nothing about it as the five of them were going to be taking the stand over the next two hours, and first up was Ava, then Mia, followed by Alex, with Sam and Nicole going last. The five sat and talked, knowing that they would be taken to a different room once they testified to ensure that they did not give each other a heads up about the questions that they were asked.

It was 4:00 when Alex was called in as both Ava and Mia had taken around 30 minutes each, and he expected his to be around the same, with both Sam and Nicole being only 15 minutes as they were less involved in the whole matter. As Alex was sworn in, the prosecutor began by asking Alex to retell his version of events. Alex went ahead and did so in a very clinical fashion as he didn’t want to waste time with the defense attorney objecting to anything. When he was done, the prosecutor asked a few simple questions as a follow-up that Alex easily answered, before turning things over to the defense. As the head defense attorney stood up, Alex got his first good look at the man as he had been hiding behind a notepad while Alex was testifying.

“Mr. Bell, I just have a few questions about the events of October 15th. You were heading to the hotel to pick up the two prior witnesses, correct?”

“Yes.”

“And what is your relation to them?”

“Objection, irrelevant,” cut in the prosecutor.

“Your honor, I am simply establishing why Mr. Bell was there and why he may have overreacted causing my client’s response.”

“I’ll allow it, but be careful.”

“Thank you, your honor. Now, Mr. Bell, please answer.”

“Our relationship is complicated, but we are definitely friends.”

“Complicated how?”

“Objection.”

“Sustained, move on, counselor.”

“Alright. Mr. Bell, you said that Mr. Castlio drew a gun. Did he ever point it at you?”

“I can’t say for sure. I just remember seeing it and acting. I didn’t really have time to think.”

“Thank you, Mr. Bell. I am done with this witness.”

Alex was dismissed quicker than he had expected and was happy as that meant that he could leave earlier, although that last question had him a bit concerned. Still, he wasn’t overly concerned as he was led to the next waiting room while Sam and Nicole gave their testimonies. When he entered the room, he found Ava and Mia sitting while looking irritated. Still, when they noticed Alex, they both perked up.

“So, how did your time as a witness go?” questioned Ava with a mix of annoyance and playfulness.

“Yes, please share with us. Did that jerk try and get you to say we are a pair of sluts?” added Mia, annoyance winning out.

“Ah, so that was the reason for that question. Well, all I said was it’s complicated when he asked what our relationship is.”

“Would it have killed you to say you are dating us?” Ava pouted.

“Yeah, it’s kind of true.” Mia pouted as well.

“Huh, what am I going to do with you two?”

As Alex closed his eyes to think for a second, he quickly found himself sandwiched in a hug between Ava and Mia. He was torn as he could tell that the defense attorney had probably made it out that the two were acting like prostitutes when the four men came up to them. It had likely gotten heated both times as the twins rebuked the defense attorney harshly. Still, Alex felt guilt simply by being alone with these two, guilt over how Sam and Nicole would feel to see him like this, guilt over how he knew both Ava and Mia wanted more than he was willing to give, and guilt at the fact he wasn’t putting a stop to all of the deception. Making his mind up, Alex decided he needed to speak up or he would regret it.

“We need to talk.”

“No, I don’t like that tone.” Mia frowned.

“Yeah, if we let you talk right now, you’ll say something stupid.” Ava pouted.

“You’re right, I am about to say something stupid, but it needs to be said.”

“Please don’t,” cried Mia.

“I’m sorry, but I have to live with myself and I can’t stand what I am doing to you two and Sam and Nicole.”

“Alex, just stop!” Ava stomped her foot.

“Ava?”

Mia was looking at Ava with concern, but Ava just launched into her tirade.

“Mia, let me speak. I know, just let me go first! Alex, you don’t know a thing about us that we haven’t told you and you think that you’re leading us on and will just hurt us when you drop the act. Well, news flash, we didn’t grow up in what you could call a good area. Now let me paint you a picture of just what we grew up around. Our father is a giant unknown as our mom, bless her soul, tried to stay clean. She did what she could, but yeah, she was gone too by the time we were 14. Thankfully our grandma was around. Still, as bad as the area she lived was, she at least gave us a place to sleep. Do you know the reason we got into gaming? I’ll tell you. If we went out after dark, we would be lucky to make it home without being molested, or worse. So, we stayed home and played, just the two of us. That, and we wanted to make sure we could take care of ourselves. So, if you think you can hurt us when you walk away like this was nothing, know that we’re big girls and we’ll get over it.”

As Ava finished, her breath clearly out of sorts, Mia spoke calmly before Alex could respond.

“Alex, we know that you hate this whole situation. Nicole and Sam are your world. Every time you kiss us, we can tell you’re holding back. Yes, we are after more than you want to give and yes, we have hope, but we expect nothing. Ava touched on where we are from. Now let me finish the picture. Women where we grew up hardly ever had a man that hung around once she got knocked up and the ones that did were lucky to have a man with one of the big three qualities, as Ava and I put it. Looks, income and a decent person. Most of the men who stuck around were bums whose idea of a job was placing bets on sports, seemed to be allergic to any exercise more strenuous than pressing the buttons on a remote, and their idea of a romantic night out is telling her to make him a sandwich. Understand that we just want to pretend a little bit longer.”

Alex could see the emotions behind both Ava and Mia as they finished holding each other for comfort and was just about to respond when Sam entered the room. At first she was confused, but then she turned to Alex.

“What did you do!?”

Before Alex could even speak, she cut him off.

“Forget it. We will talk on the way home. Honestly, you can be so dense sometimes.”

Alex was at a loss for how to act as Sam went over to Ava and Mia to comfort them while Alex just stood there like an idiot. Shortly after, Nicole entered the room and was confused by the scene, but didn’t say anything as Officer Chen entered to let them know they were good to go and that she would let them know how the trial turned out as it had ended for the day. As Officer Chen left, Alex could tell she was more than happy to avoid whatever was going on. Once they were in the car and headed to hit a drive-through on the way home, Sam explained what she had walked in on as then Ava and Mia shared what had happened from their point of view, placing emphasis on how they felt Alex was about to end the arrangement. Nicole had stayed quiet and Alex just sat at a loss on what to do as it seemed all four women were focused on him. Finally, Nicole brought the topic back up after they were headed home from the drive through.

“Alex, you did this because we’re pregnant, didn’t you.”

Ava and Mia looked like they had just been slapped at this news.

“That probably has a fair bit to do with it. I just feel guilty every time I do anything with either of them.”

“Wait, back up, you’re both pregnant!” exclaimed Ava.

“Yes, but keep it quiet. We aren’t announcing it until Thanksgiving,” grumbled Sam.

“I apologize, Sam. I know I should have asked you before letting them know, but I didn’t see any other way for them to understand where Alex is coming from.”

“It’s fine. They would have figured out soon enough anyways.”

“Both of you, at the same time…” muttered Mia, still in a daze.

“Honestly, Alex, I love you, but you try too hard sometimes. Yes, I don’t like seeing Ava and Mia flirt with you and yes, I think they both could tone it down, but I have accepted them as friends despite that. I understand where you are coming from and I agree with your why, but not with your how,” lectured Nicole as she folded her arms with a frown on her face.

Alex took a moment to think before responding.

“Well, now that the cat is out of the bag, yah, I’m going to be a father. Not going to lie and say that it has not influenced my decisions. That said, all that we are doing right now is perpetuating a lie, and all that continuing it will do is hurt us all more later, and yes, that includes both of you. I have known Sam and Nicole since we were preteens, and that has a lot to do with why I am okay with how things are right now. Abysses End will be visiting again in a week. I think acting like there is some friction in the relationship will be enough, but after that week I want the whole charade to end and I want to move you both into the friend category. I don’t want you to disappear as both Sam and Nicole see you as friends, and while I doubt I will ever want more from both of you, I know that as things currently are, it will end badly.”

“You really got both of them pregnant? Honestly, just how irresponsible are the three of you? Did you know before, or after we showed up?” interrogated Ava.

“We knew on Halloween. We thought they might be a few weeks before that, so, just after.”

“To be clear, you won’t be abandoning us, or leaving us out to dry,” confirmed Mia.

“No, regardless of anything else, recruiting you into FAE is still something I want to do.”

“How can you be sure that we won’t sell you out to Abysses End? I’m sure that they would love to use the fact that Sam and Nicole are pregnant against you,” scoffed Ava.

“Ava, we would never-” started Mia.

“Mia, I want to hear his answer,” cut in Ava.

Alex took note that for the first time since he had met them, Ava and Mia were out of sync, before he calmly replied.

“I am sure that Abysses End is already aware, or will soon be. The moment we made an OB-GYN appointment I knew they would find out. As for what will happen, if they try anything that would harm Sam, Nicole or our unborn children, let’s just say I can’t answer that for legal reasons.”

The amount of menace that Alex put in to the last words made both Ava and Mia gulp as they felt like a pair of lambs before a lion. With that, the rest of the ride passed in silence, and once they were back at the apartments, they each went their separate ways.

ED year 1, days 336-337.

Xeal awoke and made his way outside to his garden where, once again, Maxwell was directing the staff as Midnight sat next to him watching the servants work in preparation for the upcoming tea time. Xeal greeted them and gave Midnight some attention before making his way to the table to relax. A few minutes later, Aalin and Gale arrived, both leaving the guild headquarters and joining Xeal at the table.

“Why do you have to be so dumb? Honestly, I held my tongue after Nicole said her piece, but come on, Ava and Mia were at least straight with us. What are you going to do when the conniving ones start to show up?”

“Sam, I know and you’re right, we will have to worry about our blind spots a bit more now, but Ava and Mia were never going to be a long-term solution. If things had continued as they were, one of two outcomes would have played out. One, they manage to join the relationship fully and it creates rifts between us all as guilt and distrust fosters between us. Two, I break it off and they feel wronged over how long they played along hoping to be accepted. The last thing I need is those two becoming scorned women and wanting to take it out on me.”

“Still-”

“Sam, drop it. Alex is right. Besides, he didn’t slam the door on them, just told them they needed to do it the right way. I agree with Alex that it is unlikely that they will work their way in, but I think that given some time, they will find a decent man who is willing to try and handle both of them.”

“Fine, but we have to invite them to come with us when we move.”

“Thank you, Sam, and I agree that if they are still around after Thanksgiving, I’ll extend the invitation,” agreed Xeal.

“Good, now let’s drop this subject before Enye and Dyllis arrive,” expressed Aalin.

The three continued to chat about happier subjects for another ten minutes before the arrival of Princess Enye and Lady Dyllis was announced, and after taking care of formalities, the four of them took their seats, with Enye on Xeal’s right. The smile of contentment on Enye’s face was infectious as she looked at Xeal, and the first bit of the tea time passed with light conversation as everyone talked about recent events. This continued for 20 minutes or so before Enye brought up a serious topic.

“The nobles have started to make their moves in reaction to our courtship and marriage announcement, as well as my brother’s pending coronation.”

“Oh, and just what reaction has been the norm?” inquired Xeal.

“For my brother’s coronation most are fine with it, while a few feel it is too soon. As for us, the court is fractured. Most feel you are too low of standing, and even if you become an earl in a year, they feel you are too much of an upstart to be allowed to be tied to the royal family. There are several other camps that oppose it, one way, or another. It has even brought my brother’s judgment into question and is the main rebuke that any of the nobles have to his coronation. As for the nobles who approve of our pairing, they cite reasons like, it will show adventurers that they can rise in Nium, and it shows that Victor is embracing the future. Though our strongest support has come from the few nobles you have interacted with directly. Earl Smythe has made his support well known and even gotten the Bexley house to wish to open a dialog with you.”

“Well, I have a year to show them that Victor was right to tie me to the kingdom so closely.”

“Oh, Xeal, Enye hasn’t even told you the funniest aspect of the factions,” giggled Dyllis.

“Dyllis, honestly, that faction is just a bother and I would rather not talk about them,” huffed Enye.

“Fine then, I will. Xeal, one of the factions that is in the middle call themselves the historic figure faction. They believe that you will have great accomplishments that will bring the kingdom glory, based off your achievements so far, that were beyond the kingdom’s abilities for decades.”

Dyllis paused as she couldn’t stop giggling as she tried to get through the rest of her explanation.

“I don’t see how that is funny,” cut in Gale.

“What Dyllis is unable to stop laughing at is the fact that this faction believes every noble house should tie themselves to you. Their goal is for you to take a wife from each house, and to make matters worse, it is the Mercer house that is heading this group.”

Xeal could feel the headache coming on as he thought at just what that faction would accomplish if they were left unchecked. He had a flash to a show where the main character was running away from an army of women who wanted to marry him. All he could do was shake his head at the notion. Sighing, he responded.

“Enye, that faction may be the most dangerous of the lot. The Mercer house leading it just makes me more sure of the danger. To counter them, I want it spread that every child I have, save for the ones given to me by you who will be considered the heirs to the Bluefire house, will be commoners upon coming of age. I believe that they need to earn their status by their own merits, not through my name, and I will ask Victor to decree that none of them may be adopted into another house before they become knights, or dames, in their own right. That should give many of them pause while also building support from others.”

“I think you would be better off simply stating that you do not wish to have too many wives, as it would detract from your ability to accomplish anything,” countered Enye. “Besides, Dyllis and I have already been rebuffing several houses who are sending their daughters to try and join through me. Honestly, it’s exhausting, but it has been effective so far.”

“And it will be for a while later, but what would you do if the Bexley house sent Nora?”

“You would have another wife and you would like it.” Enye smirked. “Honestly, there are a few noble ladies that if they were put forward as a match for you, I would happily accept them.”

“Really, Enye, think about how Xeal feels about things. He is worried about the balance between each of us. The four of us are able to coexist, but with each new lady that joins us, the whole dynamic will have to find a new equilibrium,” interrupted Aalin.

“I don’t understand the issue. Most earls take at least six wives, and if we’re honest, Xeal will be a duke through marriage and his house could easily become a pillar of the kingdom. As its founder, him having 20 or so wives to establish his house’s foundation would be within expectations.”

“Enye, if you expect me to have 20 wives, we are going to have problems. I will say it again, the four of you are more than enough for me. I accept that more may happen, but the day I have 20 wives is the day I step into the wild lands to never be seen again.”

The table grew quiet at Xeal’s words as he looked Enye in the eye, conveying his seriousness. It was Gale who broke the silence.

“Got it. 19 is your limit. Good to know.”

Gale just smirked as she tried not to laugh while Aalin just groaned from the terrible joke as Xeal just gave her a look that said “smart ass”. Still, the tension was broken and Enye smiled.

“I understand. I will ensure that your feelings on this become well known in court and I will not be the one to bring you a lady who wishes to court you.”

Finally, Xeal sighed as that topic ended and they returned to lighter matters until it was time for them to leave. After saying their goodbyes, Enye and Dyllis returned to the palace and Xeal, Gale and Aalin returned to grinding in the Mist Woods for the remainder of the login, with Xeal reaching level 76 before they needed to rest.

Morning November 6 to Morning November 9, 2266 & ED year 1, days 338-346.

The morning of the 6th saw Alex and company at another swing dance as they continued to improve as most of them were able to step past the basics as they enjoyed themselves. Overall, it was an enjoyable time, though Ava and Mia were still in a bit of a funk and they felt awkward being around the group. Though Sam and Nicole took time to ensure that they felt noticed and welcome. All things considered, Alex felt like the situation was better than he had feared when he looked at it. The other thing of note was when Jessica asked Nicole and Sam if they would be willing to attend her next appointment with her psychologist, to which they agreed, though they did so with some reservations.

The mornings of the 7th, 8th, and 9th, Alex informed each instructor of the upcoming visit from Abysses End and that they should expect five extra people for two lessons each, starting the 12th. Beyond that, the mornings were uneventful as the group continued to exercise every morning and improve in each discipline. The only other thing of note was that Officer Chen had told them that all four of the guys who had been involved in the altercation would be getting at least six months, and the idiot with the gun was getting a year. He had gotten off light due to the fact that it was unproven that he pointed the gun at anyone. She then asked them that if it was okay with them, she would like to continue to join them in the morning for exercise as she had been enjoying it. Alex agreed, seeing no reason to say no, and they continued about their daily routine.

The evenings of the 6th to 8th saw Ava and Mia coming over for dinner each night and Alex was enjoying them not instantly clinging to him the moment they walked in. Things were still a bit weird, but it was clear that they were trying to be friends. Alex could tell that there was still something bothering them, but they weren’t ready to share it yet.

Xeal’s time in ED was spent grinding and now that he was level 76, it was time to move slightly deeper into the Mist Woods to find level 81 foes. The main difference in the new area was that the living trees would use one or two of its roots like whips, occasionally. The first few times this happened it caught Amser off guard and she took a bit of damage, but she was quick to adapt and it wasn’t long before the group was as efficient as they had been in the level 80 area. They continued to grind in the area until the end of ED day 342 when Xeal reached level 77, and the scheduled block of time for them all to grind together came to an end. Xeal could only laugh as everyone else in the party had reached level 79.

On ED day 344, when Xeal logged in, he started his journey to the orc village for the next quest that Prince Victor had assigned him. Still, Xeal had no idea of what he would need to do to complete the quest and the only information he had gotten from the town he was currently using as his fallback point was that they would see orc raiders in one of the surrounding areas once every month or so. These raiders always went after cattle and seemed to go out of their way to limit their damage as long as they weren’t attacked. There had been a few instances over the last few years that an entire ranch was raised, but most believed that it was due to the ranchers attacking the orcs. Xeal knew that it was possible, but he had never known an orc NPC that was very talkative, and to them a tier 4 player would be seen as nothing but a weakling. Still, Xeal believed that he could accomplish the task as he didn’t think there was much difference in skill and strength between him and the level 100 player that had pulled it off in Xeal’s last life.

Xeal double-timed it the whole time as most of the 120 miles between him and the orc settlement was cattle land. This whole area was one of the anomalies as normally as you closed in on the borders to the wild lands, you ran into level 80 to 100 maps, but along this border the whole section was a giant flood plain where farmers grew crops for the whole kingdom, including feed crops for the cattle ranches surrounding the area. Xeal knew that this region was responsible for a quarter of Nium’s food supply even after taking into account how much was lost to orc raiders. It was at the end of his login on ED day 346 that Xeal arrived at the last safe point he could use an advanced return scroll with before crossing into the area under the direct control of the orc settlement, and returned to rest for the day before logging out.

ED year 1, day 347.

Xeal walked the last few miles towards the orc settlement just across the border and he quickly found himself surrounded by orcs mounted on tamed boar monsters the size of a full-size truck. Orcs in ED had grayish green skin and as a race were sexually dimorphic, with the males typically being a wall of muscles with tusks that protruded out of their bottom lips, standing seven to eight feet tall. The females were more of a toned but lean muscle build without the tusks, though they still had larger canines that were pronounced when they smiled, and typically stood five and a half to six and a half feet tall. Currently, Xeal found himself surrounded by five male riders, all of whom looked ready to attack at the slightest excuse, and Xeal found himself having to keep from smiling at his own thoughts and he thought about how many players had attempted this quest just to be killed for reacting at this point. Xeal held his arms out like he was going to hug someone to show that he had no intention of going for either of his swords, and stood still until the group stopped circling him as the largest of the orcs dismounted and stood in front of Xeal, towering over him at a full eight feet and likely 300 pounds.

“What puny human want in orc lands?”

Xeal kept his expression neutral as he took in the level 199 tier 6 orc, who was on the cusp of reaching tier 7, who was clearly the leader of this group. He privately wished that bringing Ceclie had been an option as she would give him a greater sense of security, but dark elves and orcs did not mix well and he knew that she would have been attacked on sight. Taking a calming breath, Xeal responded to the orc in front of him.

“My name is Xeal. I have come at the request of the rulers of the land you live next to. If possible, I would like to meet with this settlement’s chief.”

“Ha, puny man wishes to sit with Chief Xuk. You not even worth sit with Narfu’s woman. Go back to your lands before your head is sent as message.”

Xeal needed a way past this group, but he knew that he had no way to escape and he needed them to take him into the settlement, or he knew his quest would end here. It was then that he got a system notification.

(Quest: Impress Narfu. Do you wish to accept this quest? Rewards access to orc settlement, further rewards unknown. Warning, failing quest will have negative repercussions on your account. Yes or No)

Xeal quickly accepted the quest and came up with a plan of action to impress the orc in front of him, which he believed to be Narfu, but needed to confirm first.

“I take it you are Narfu.”

“Ha, yes I is Narfu. Narfu the strong.”

“I see, and what was your warrior’s rite prey, Narfu?”

“Ha, you questioning Narfu strength, puny man?”

“Not at all. I know I am clearly not your opponent, and I know that with my current strength replicating the same feat that you did to be accepted as a warrior would be the best way to move forward.”

“Puny man use too many words, but if you think you can kill cave worm, Narfu will be happy to see you eaten. Should be good show. I tell others to come watch too. You stay here.”

Xeal resisted the urge to retort as he knew better than to argue with an orc as if he did, Narfu was likely to increase the challenge and Xeal knew that cave worms were solidly a tier 5 opponent, and the weakest would be around level 85. Xeal also knew that Narfu had taken one down when he was at level 79 to complete his tier up to tier 5. As Xeal went over everything he could remember about cave worms, Narfu gestured for one of the other riders to head in to the settlement. Around a half hour later, around 20 more orcs riding boar monsters arrived, all of whom looked like they were excited and ready for a good show. Finally, Narfu spoke.

“Puny human wish to feed cave worm so it grow big and strong. Narfu happy to watch.”

Without even waiting for Xeal to respond, one of the new orcs jumped off his boar, pulling out a sack as he did so. Xeal didn’t even try to avoid being shoved into the sack as he knew this was normal for this trial in their society. Though he felt like he was far too small for the sack that normally would hold an adolescent orc inside of it. The next thing he knew, Xeal was secured to one of the boars and they were off, with Xeal feeling every bounce as he was thoroughly disoriented along the way. Finally, after what had to have been at least an hour, the ride came to an end and Xeal found himself being dumped unceremoniously out of the sack onto the rocky ground. As Xeal struggled to reorient himself, Narfu started to talk.

“Now we see you fight. Don’t die too quick. Not good show if over too soon.”

“Not going to die, I’m going to kill it.”

“We see. At least you brave. May remember you when need laugh later.”

Xeal simply smiled as he took in the surroundings and could see a group of orcs pulling a 25-foot worm out of one of the several caves that dropped down into the ground, while the rest created a circle surrounding the worm to keep it from escaping. Xeal smiled bitterly at the massive gap in strength between him and these tier 6 orcs, who were able to manhandle a level 86 monster that weighed more than all of them combined, like it was an eager dog wanting to go for a walk. As Xeal looked over his skills and finalized his plan of attack, he debated if he should use the 36 points he was saving to upgrade elemental blades to level 3 when he met the 100 MP stat requirement. Now, however, Xeal knew he was lacking a good tool as the worm was too massive for Xeal to trap it in a chain combo with double downward and upward slashes, and piercing thrust was just a quick skill that wasn’t upgradable. Going through his list of options, Xeal landed on what he knew would work well for this fight and still be of use in the future. The main issue was it was a MP-based skill, and with 7,284 magic points available to him, he would only have 72 attacks if he didn’t use any elemental blades. Xeal found himself wishing he had been able to put more points into his other stats instead of charisma for most of his recent levels. As it was, he was putting two of the five stat points he was getting each level to keep it even with his MP stat that his elder dragon mark was still boosting by two points every level. As things stood, he had base stats of 35 in constitution, 86 in strength, 118 in dexterity, 86 in MP, 45 in SP and 86 in charisma. Once all of his gear and other boosts, including his title, were added, all of his stats were above 100 except constitution and MP, which were in the mid 90’s. Xeal was taking all of this into account as he thought about exactly what his options were as he knew stat wise he was over qualified to tackle the worm, but the deficit in reaction time and the other boosts tier 5 provided could be costly here. He watched as his available points to buy skills dropped from 36 to 6 as he selected to learn the skill dragon’s breath, which Xeal figured was only available to him due to the elder dragon’s mark on his chest. The one thing of concern that Xeal had was exactly what form the breath would present itself as the skill’s description just read: (Inhale deeply and let loose a mighty roar with fury transforming your breath into a breath attack. The energy will be based on the dragon you are connected to. Cool down 30 seconds.) Xeal was unsure of exactly what form the attack would take and had to hope it would not be a status ailment type. Even so, what was done was done, and it was time to charge forward as his audience had already started to lose patience.

Xeal charged right through the ring of orcs as they gave a cheer as the pair that had been holding the cave worm in place quickly got out of the way. Xeal’s first move was a double downward slash to get the worm focused on him, as if he had led with the breath attack while the worm was still focused on the orcs, it would have been seen as cowardly and underhanded by the orcs. As it was, Xeal knew that while they would still respect his win by using his dragon breath, they may see him not as a strong warrior, but as a powerful mage. While they would respect him for it, they favored the warrior in their society, so it was important that Xeal put on a good show for them as a warrior before using the breath attack to turn the fight from a violent struggle to hopefully a one-sided slaughter.

The cave worm let out an earthshaking cry as Xeal’s first strike landed dealing modest damage. The cave worm began attacking the area Xeal was in erratically as it could not see and had to rely on tremor sense, which its own movements were interfering with. Xeal knew that out in the open like this he had the advantage as the cave worm was an ambush predator that relied on the narrow caves to keep its prey in front of it. Still, with how it was writhing about, carelessly attacking would only see Xeal flung to the side like a rag doll. Even so, he had to press the attack and could not hesitate in this battle, so utilizing every bit of concentration he had, Xeal struck as the worm created momentary openings, utilizing piercing thrust over and over as it was his best hit-and-run skill. The battle continued like this for a solid 20 minutes with Xeal taking a few glancing blows here and there that had left him at around three quarters health, while the worm’s health was still above 90%. Taking a quick moment to take in his surroundings, Xeal could see Narfu smirking as he and the other orcs laughed and cheered at the fight. Xeal simply smiled as he knew now was the time to act. Taking a deep breath, Xeal let out a war cry with everything he had, activating dragon’s breath as he did so. The next thing Xeal knew, a blueish white light was being expelled from his mouth that burned its way out. Upon contact with the cave worm, Xeal watched as a full two percent of its health dropped. To add to the carnage, the worm had what looked like a skin rash everywhere the breath attack had hit and it seemed to be in pain any time those sections came into contact with the ground. Xeal took note of his own situation as using the breath attack had not been pleasant, and found that it had caused him damage as well, and he could still feel a bit of discomfort in his mouth and throat. Still, the look on Narfu’s and the other stunned orcs’ faces was worth it as Xeal charged back in while they recovered from the shock.

The orcs didn’t stay quiet for long as Xeal returned to his dance with the worm, which now recoiled in pain any time something touched its rash. Xeal could see that it was growing accustomed to the rash and recovering slowly, but not fast enough as Xeal let out another breath attack, adding to the rash. Xeal’s own pain from using the attack increased with each use as did the amount of health he was losing from using it. At first it had done some negligible damage, but after the tenth use, it was robbing Xeal of a full one percent health every five minutes and he spat up blood after using it, which dealt around a tenth of a percent on its own. Still, the tide of the battle had been turned in those five minutes as Xeal was still above 70% while the worm had dropped below 65%. Xeal had also started to use his elemental blade once he realized using that breath attack 72 times would be suicide. 10 minutes and 20 breath attacks later, the worm was on its last dregs of health as Xeal worked to finish it off, blood running down his face as he was dealing with a bleeding debuff that was slowly robbing him of his health and stamina. Still, this fight was over and with one last breath attack, Xeal watched as the worm’s health hit zero as he sprayed out a mouthful of blood. He was at 15% health, but was racked in pain as he fought to breathe through the blood that was running down is throat. Xeal knelt using one of his swords for support while waiting for his natural recovery to take care of the damage he had done to himself as using an item would be seen as weak to the orcs. Narfu approached.

“Puny human not so simple. Perhaps I kill now before you grow up.”

Xeal simply started to laugh like a madman as he sent blood spraying everywhere as he did so. Finally, Xeal managed to speak in a croak of a voice.

“Narfu is still unaware of the changes to your world the last year has brought. You could kill me 100 times and I would not die.”

“You evil spirit?”

“No, something much worse to have as an enemy. I’ll explain more when I see Xuk.”

Finally, when Xeal was at seven percent health, he stabilized and he could finally breathe easy as the blood had stopped flowing. He stood up to take in the results of his battle, and as he did so, he received a system notification.

(Quest, impress Narfu: Complete, calculating completion rate… 98% completion, rank S. Reward: 500 gold, 8,000,000 XP, 300 renown, access to orc settlement.)

Smiling with blood still on his lips, Xeal turned to Narfu and spoke confidently.

“So, is this puny human worth your woman’s time of day?”

Narfu couldn’t help but break out into a full belly laugh at Xeal’s words as he responded.

“No, Narfu not want lose woman in future. Best you just sit with Chief Xuk.”

As the pair exchanged one-liners, the other orcs had already started to break down the cave worm as out here in the wild lands, letting such a feast go to waste was never allowed. Xeal did his best not to grimace as he knew that there was a good chance a feast would be held if talks went well and he would be eating that worm soon. Still, he was happy with the results, and once the worm was harvested, Xeal found himself on the back of one of the boar monsters with Narfu as they returned to the orc settlement where Xeal hoped his meeting with Chief Xuk went well.

An hour later, Xeal was walking through the gate of the orc settlement, following Narfu and flanked by four other orcs to ensure he didn’t do anything funny, as well as ensure he was able to move through the settlement without an orc deciding to attack him. As Xeal got his first look inside the settlement, he took in the rough wooden and animal hide structures. It made him feel like he was in more of a hastily constructed forward operation base than a city, except for the magnitude as there were easily over 10,000 orcs going about their daily lives. Xeal also took in the lopsidedness of the population distribution as mature male orcs were rare, while female orcs made up half of those Xeal could see as he walked. Orc younglings and adolescent orcs made up the rest. As Xeal moved about the dirt path that functioned as a road, he could see the looks he was receiving, dried blood on his chin and all. As he thought of how he looked to these orcs, he had to hold back a laugh at just how perfect his current appearance was for making a strong impression on them. Orc NPCs were unlike humans NPCs in that they never stopped striving for the next tier. In fact, the leading cause of death in their race was failing to reach the next tier as to do so as an orc warrior always required a life or death struggle that only grew more brutal as they rose higher. In Xeal’s last life he had known of a few tier 8 NPCs, but none of them had been an orc as from what he knew, the orcs believed that when a tier 8 orc appeared, he would be their king to lead them to conquer the whole of the world. Xeal wondered what would happen if a player who converted to the orc race reached tier 8, but from what he knew, the tier 8 challenge for orc players was simply insane as it pit them against an incarnation of a primordial beast, an entity even gods had to exert some effort to defeat.

Narfu came to a sudden stop before what Xeal knew to be the chief’s long house as it was the largest building in the whole settlement, with a full 100 feet separating it all around from any other structure. It was also the best constructed of any of the buildings and Xeal knew that it had existed before the settlement was built here. It was ambiguous on just who were the original owners as several races had warred over this area in the early days of the kingdom of Nium. The orcs eventually claimed it as their own, and using the geography to mount a strong enough defense, they had been able to hold on to it for several hundreds of years now. When Xeal looked at it, it made him think of an upturned ship that had been converted into a building.

“You wait here. I see if Chief Xuk will see you.”

It was ten minutes before Narfu returned, looking like he had been in a scuffle and was out of breath.

“Chief Xuk see you now.”

Xeal raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything as he followed Narfu into the long house and found himself in a large open room and took in the interior of the building for the first time in this life, or his last life, as only a few players had ever been allowed inside here in his last life, unless they wanted to suffer a death penalty. The walls were lined with weapons and animal parts displayed like trophies. Towards the back was a large bed that went wall to wall and made the one in Xeal’s mansion look small. The front area that Xeal currently walked in looked like a makeshift wrestling ring and in the center of the large open space there was a fire. At the fire sat a muscular orc with gray hair that made Narfu look small. While he was sitting so Xeal couldn’t be sure, but it felt like when standing, this orc would reach nine feet tall easily. Several other orcs could be seen sitting around the room as well and Xeal got a war council vibe for the gathering as Narfu stood in front of Xeal and announced him.

“Here is Xeal, come to speak with great Chief Xuk at the behest of human Chief.”

Xeal was actually impressed that Narfu remembered his name as he had only said it once back before he had impressed him. Chief Xuk spoke before Xeal could finish his thoughts on the situation. Xeal could tell from the look in Xuk’s eye that he definitely was not a simple individual.

“Xeal, why have you come here today? We have not done anything to concern your human chief in many moons.”

“Chief Xuk, thank you for meeting with me. I am sure that I have inconvenienced you, but I come at the request of Crown Prince Victor of the kingdom of Nium. As the kingdom’s lands borders yours, they hope to establish a mutually beneficial dialog between you.”

“I see. You’re not here to die then. Sit. Let us talk about what your prince wants and I will tell you what he must do to obtain it.”

Xeal held his expectations in check as he sat across from Chief Xuk to begin the dialog, thankful that his charisma was high enough to make it this far as he knew if Chief Xuk didn’t like what he said he would be dead and his head would be the reply Victor received.

“Chief Xuk, are you aware of the changes that have come to the world over the last year?”

“You speak of your claim of being undying and there being many more like you, correct?”

“In a sense, though I will ask you not to test my ability to come back to life as it takes three days and has negative effects on us when killed. Though I do promise that this world has been overrun by us and we are only starting to spread out and in 20 years there won’t be any lands left that have not felt our effect.”

“Chief Xuk, this puny human speaks like we are powerless to stop him and his kind like a plague that ravages the land-” cut in one of the orcs in the periphery who was silenced when Chief Xuk raised his hand.

“He speaks truth. He has not hidden that dying still has negative effects on him and his kind and our own seer has spoken of the great upheaval coming and invaders to our world that will herald it for years now. Today we decide how we handle it as we can’t hope to simply weather it as we have so many other things over the years. Now, what is it your prince wants? Be blunt as I have no time for a dance of words with you, human.”

“Put simply, prosperity.”

“And just where do my people and I fit in his plan to secure it?”

“Well, for one, while I will not claim they come from this settlement, the raiders that take cattle from the nearby ranches cause him to worry about the situation in this area.”

“Ha, our brethren who live and hunt outside these walls are simply taking their payment for acting as a wall to dangers that would spill over into those lands without them.”

“Why not negotiate an agreement with the kingdom?”

“Xeal, you do not understand us. We do not ask, we just do. For us, raiding is a right, one which is important for the younger warriors to undertake to show their worth.”

“I said nothing of stopping the raids. No, the agreement would be along the lines of the kingdom continuing to look the other way as long as no farmers are killed, and telling the farmers they can drive off any raids, but lethal force is prohibited.”

“Why would we need an agreement for that when we can enforce it ourselves?”

“Because, soon the prince will not have the luxury of leaving a potential threat to his rear, and while I know none of you fear battle, this would not be like what you have faced before. There will be no glory in this fight beyond a glorious last stand as your people are reduced to small groups that must live in hiding to survive.”

“You speak as if we have no chance?”

“10,000,000 of my kind charging at you with no fear of death, raining down attacks that, while insignificant on their own, overwhelm you all. It will not be a fight that has any purpose but to eliminate a possible threat. Make no mistake, I am aware that you will win that battle and the second one, possibly the third one, but the fourth, and fifth?”

Xeal watched as Chief Xuk’s face went dark at his words and he knew he was playing with fire by spelling out the obliteration of the orcs. Especially in front of the orc who Xeal believed had given up the life all orcs dreamed of, to protect his people’s future. Chief Xuk responded in almost a growl.

“This is what will happen if we do not bend the knee like weaklings to your prince?”

“No one is asking you to bend a knee. No, I believe I can ensure that your lands remain your own and while you will need to recognize that the kingdom of Nium is above your kingdom, a simple tilt of the head from you would be enough. Your lands would also receive great boons from doing so, such as many of my kind coming to seek out adventure with your people. There will also be those who seek to do your people harm that the kingdom would assist in dealing with if you agree to terms.”

Xeal watched Chief Xuk relax slightly. However, he could still see the apprehension in his eyes as they continued to discuss things. Many of the orcs in the room were not as calm, but each held their tongue as their chief discussed the situation with Xeal, who expounded on adventurers in general and the advantages of joining with the kingdom. One point that Xeal highlighted that caught many of their interests was that safe passage to the mountain at the center of the continent could be given with this deal. This was of great significance to the orcs as they needed to travel there if they wished to grow past level 250, as it contained the only maps that reached that level and above outside dungeons that required one to descend, or ascend, many levels to reach the areas that offered them growth. After a good bit of back and forth, Chief Xuk finally had enough and declared that he needed to think over everything and Xeal needed to see the seer before he could agree to anything. This led to Xeal being led by Narfu out of the long house and the settlement for a few miles until they came to a simple cave. The outside of the cave was decorated with totems carved from the bones of large creatures and painted in dark colors that highlighted their features. As Xeal looked into the darkness, Narfu spoke and his words were followed by a system notification.

“You walk in, path of truth tell seer about you, then her speak to you, great honor.”

(Quest: walk the path of truth. Do you wish to accept this quest? Rewards unknown. Warning, failing quest will have negative repercussions on your account. Yes or No)

Xeal paused for a second as he had never heard of the path of truth in his last life and wondered just what he was about to experience that would activate a quest as that meant he could fail to reach the end. Just what would failing this quest mean? Would he become lost with no hope of escape except for a return scroll or the like? Would he have to die to escape? All of these questions were going through Xeal’s head as he worked to calm himself and accepted the quest and stepped into the cave, since not doing so would mean failing the prince’s task.

Instantly the outside world disappeared as Xeal began to walk forward. As he did so, visions began to appear around him. The first of which was when he had been six and was learning to ride a bike for the first time. As he looked down at himself, Xeal found himself as a six-year-old Alex on his bike, riding with no control as he slammed into a tree a block away from home. He was not meant to be here as it was far away from where he could see his house, but he had been bored of just riding up and down his street’s sidewalk and figured he would be fine if he just did a quick lap of the block. The pain Alex remembered from breaking his leg that day was as real as it had been in that moment and he found himself screaming in agony when a pair of boys both his age came out of a nearby house. Alex looked at the six-year-old Dan and Fred, remembering that this was how they had met. Fred had been over at Dan’s for a play date when Alex had crashed his bike. Quickly, Alex watched as the boys ran over to see if Alex was okay. Finding his leg bent at an odd angle, Dan told Fred to stay with Alex as he went for his mom. The next few minutes were filled with Fred telling terrible jokes only a six-year-old would find funny, which Alex had found funny enough to distract him that day and today could laugh at in nostalgia. He watched as Fred’s face lit up when Alex’s screams turned into whimpers mixed with a few laughs. Then the scene shifted to Alex in his cast as Fred, Dan, and him were playing with cars on a track Alex’s mom had gotten him for his sixth birthday. Alex was set up so he could launch the cars from the starting point next to the bed as he took turns with Fred and Dan as they passed the remainder of the summer playing like this. Alex remembered that had it not been for the pair practically living at his house that summer, he would have been bored out of his mind with nothing to do but reading the simple books he had, or watching children’s shows, which he had still done a fair bit of. That summer had cemented Dan and Fred as his friends who he knew would always have his back and he would have theirs. Alex watched as several more scenes played out where the three of them played, or took on a challenge, always working together.

As the scenes progressed, Alex found himself growing older with each one as he kept moving forward until he was eleven. He, Dan and Fred had grown to be inseparable and now that they were in middle school, they didn’t get to see each other as much due to no recess. It was here that Alex found himself sitting next to a younger Nicole in a science class. Alex remembered how he had at first found Nicole to be quiet and unassuming as she seemed to do her best just to fade into the background. Alex watched from inside his eleven-year-old self as he and Nicole were paired up for a project and for the first time he spoke with her. He quickly felt like he had hit the jackpot as he could tell she knew the subject well and would easily make this project simple for him as he just followed her lead. It was about a week in when the pair had been working on the project during lunch that Sam showed up with Amanda, both of them working on the same project, just from a different class period. Alex watched as Sam brought Nicole’s confident self to the surface as they talked like nothing in the world bothered them. Sam had been quick to tease that she wouldn’t have come had she known that Nicole was on a date, making Nicole pout as she deflected the joke. Over the next week Alex found himself talking with all three girls as they worked to complete the project before the deadline. Alex had ended up not wanting to drop the budding friendship that had developed and before long had brought Dan and Fred around and quickly the six of them had formed their own clique as they talked about the different games each was playing. This was also where Alex had learned that Nicole only was able to play a bit on the weekends when she hung out at Sam’s.

Alex watched scene after scene play out as the six of them grew closer over the next seven years until they graduated from high school. It was the same meeting that Alex had gone to on his first day back and he could see the group as they discussed their starting locations. Alex noticed that Nicole looked troubled as they talked about how they would meet up. Sam had picked to start in a town that shared a first city with Nicole, but they still had to wait until level 20 to meet up and the rest of the group would have to wait until level 40. Several more scenes of them all meeting up during the early days of ED as each complained at just how lost they were as they tried to figure out how to level up and gain a class. Alex had been the quickest and was the only one at level 20 when Nicole had moved in to Sam’s bedroom when her parents found out about her not going to college. Alex watched as Nicole quickly became quieter over the following months as it was clear that her parents weren’t relenting in their verbal assaults on Sam and her parents. He also watched as each of his friends started to get part-time jobs and played ED less and less as they met up less and less. It was during these times that Alex started to find himself comforting Nicole when she needed to get out. Quickly Alex found that she was always around when his nightly logouts happened. His mom had smiled as she watched the pair grow close, as their relationship slowly shifted from friends to something else as Alex struggled in ED, making just enough credits to afford a tiny studio apartment a year later, but no food. The following year saw Alex struggle to make ends meet as all of his friends became casual players who just hopped on when they would normally be asleep, or had nothing else to do, for a while. Each were focusing on their own lives as they worked to establish themselves as adults.

As time passed, Alex found himself living a shell of a life with ramen noodles as his only regular source of food as he spent all his time grinding in ED and researching on the forums when he was offline. Nicole came over every once in a while, usually with Sam or Amanda, typically she brought some real food with her; but it was not often enough to make up for his poor diet. All five of his friends always gave him a bitter smile when they talked about ED as they all still played, but only while they would normally be asleep. Dan and Fred tried to get Alex to see that he was hurting himself the longer he held on as while Alex was getting by, he only ever had just enough to exist. This went on until his body almost shut down on him. It had been Nicole and Sam who found him barely able to get out of bed due to lack of exercise and poor nutrition. The furthest he had been from his apartment in the last year was the front door to pick up the order of ramen that had just been delivered each month. As Alex remembered just how weak he had been at that time, he shuddered and cried as he watched Nicole take full charge of his life for the next three months. She had forced Alex to let her stay over to take care of him as she was the only one of his friends who could afford to do so, as she had ended up back at home after she had started going to the local community college, and had a part-time job. She had used some of her savings to buy some cookware and forced Alex to spend his time working to build back his strength. This was also when Alex made up his mind and started seriously pursuing Nicole romantically in his last life. At first, she was a bit apprehensive as she didn’t think it was a good idea with how focused on ED Alex still was, but around the time Alex was able to function again, she gave in and the best years of Alex’s life followed. With Nicole now completely moved in, Alex shifted his schedule so that he was offline when Nicole needed to get up each morning and when she was off from school, or work. This led to him hopping in and out of ED several times during the day, hurting his earnings slightly, but with what Nicole brought in from her part-time work, they were still able to afford decent food and live relatively comfortably. As time went on, Alex watched himself slip back into spending more time in ED as Nicole completed her associate degree and got a decent job. Alex was finally able to afford to live off his ED earnings as well and the pair decided that they should move out of the closet they called home and into a small two-bedroom apartment. During this time, Alex watched as he dealt with Nicole’s parents on an increasing level as he worked to be able to afford the next step. As one year became two, and two became three, Alex and Nicole’s relationship became strained as Alex was still unable to earn enough to fully support them and take the next step as Nicole grew frustrated at waiting. Alex cried as he watched the best thing that he had ever had in his last life disappear as he moved out of state back into a small studio apartment and his diet became readymade meals instead of Nicole’s home cooking. He still made sure to stay in shape as he never wanted to have his body shut down again, but he was a shell of himself. Slowly he established himself in ED and reached the point where he could afford all of the things he had wanted with Nicole, but along the way he had lost touch with not just her, but Sam, Amanda, Fred and Dan as well. He went through several failed relationships with other ED players and NPCs, finally not even feeling like it was worth his effort to try anymore. Alex watched as he convinced himself everything was fine and he was happy as he made friends in game and laughed and joked with them like he used to with Fred and Dan. Alex looked at himself in his late 30s with no human contact outside of a phone call home once in a while, or in ED, and almost broke down.

Then there was a white light and Alex found himself awakening for the first time in this life. He noticed the teardrop that made its way down his face as he read the message from Dan that he hadn’t noticed in the moment. The smile he had when he saw the whole group together like they had been when the world was right for him. He watched Sam and Nicole pull him into their lives as he fought his own guilt over the whole situation. He watched as one thing after another played out in this life, finding himself unable to hold back his emotions for the first time in what felt like forever as his new life played out with his first one still fresh in his mind. Still, he pushed forward although he had forgotten why he was doing so in the first place, until he found himself in a small room carved out of a cave’s walls and remembered what he had been doing, standing there as Xeal again as he received a system notification.

(Quest, walk the path of truth: Complete, calculating completion rate… 100% completion rank S. Reward: 100 gold, 2,000,000 XP, 100 renown, audience with orc seer.)

Xeal took in the room. Simple as it was, it consisted of more totems that hung from the ceiling, a simple bed with covers and a fire pit in the center, at which sat an elderly orc woman with white hair and milky eyes, and behind her knelt a young orc woman dressed in simple clothing, her long dark hair pulled in a high ponytail behind her and down her back as her dark eyes took Xeal in. Before Xeal could speak, the old woman spoke in a weak voice.

“One who comes from beyond this world, come and sit with me. I have things of importance to speak of with you.”

Xeal only hesitated for a moment before sitting across the fire from the old woman.

“Good, now we can speak. I am Durz and I have served as the seer for the orcs for many years now. The visions I have had of your kind’s arrival have been plaguing me for the last several of those. I must say, after meeting you I understand much better why my visions have been shifting so frequently this last year. Your actions have truly been beyond what fate could have predicted. I see bright days for those who stand beside you and darkness for those who pit themselves against you. You understand what it means to know of a possible future as if you have already lived through it. You are quite the interesting one, Xeal Bluefire, or should I call you by the name you use in the other world, Alex Bell?”

Xeal took a moment to compose himself before responding to Durz.

“Seer Durz, I must say that all of this is unexpected and I believe you know me better than any other in this world, or my own at this point. One question though, how long was I on the path of truth?”

“Ah, yes. The path can cause one to lose all sense of time and if they are not careful, they can lose themselves in their own past. Relax, young Xeal, as you were only on the path for a few hours, though it likely felt like years as you relived your life’s significant moments, one after another.”

“And you saw all of them?”

“And more. Still, like all those before you, only I will ever know what I saw as it would only cause issues otherwise.”

“I thank you for that. So, does that mean you will support my solution to the tension between our lands?”

“Yes, with one condition. You must take Bula here with you on your journey to witness it as your seer.”

Xeal paused as he thought over what Durz had just asked of him while looking over Bula. As he did so, he found that Bula was a level 80 oracle and knew that once she reached level 200 and became a true oracle, her sight would be taken from her just as Durz’s had been. Replacing it would be one of the best predictive skills in the game as during meditation an oracle could see several probable outcomes if they took different actions. The system had always had issues with predicting player actions as they were so volatile, but when it came to defeating a boss, the skill was invaluable. In Xeal’s last life he had only known a few players who played as an oracle. This was largely due to the fact that even when they took skills like blind sight so they could move around like normal, the loss of sight was still a major negative. The few Xeal had known though were always highly coveted by guilds as they always knew something major was coming before it did. Still, Xeal was unsure what it meant to take Bula as a seer.

“Seer Durz, I am unsure what it would mean to take Bula as my seer. There will be places she will be unable to come as it is only thanks to my ability to revive that I can go many of the places I do.”

“Worry not. Bula will listen to you should you deem it unsafe for her to follow, or inappropriate. Outside of that she will focus on chronicling your life and warning you when danger approaches once her skills mature.”

“That is all? There is no fine print you’re not sharing here?”

“Xeal, life is full of fine print, as you say it. The world will watch how you and Bula interact. It will either show that orc and human can integrate with one another, or that we are better left separate.”

Xeal thought back to his last life and how while the orcs had become a vassal state, there had never been a true mixing in Nium. Other countries in ED had seen various races, including orcs, integrate successfully and it made Xeal think of how it was likely started the same way this was. It also made him think about how he was interacting with Ceclie and if that could lead to dark elves integrating over time. Xeal sat in thought for a long time as he went over the various possible outcomes if he agreed, versus disagreed, until he finally came to his decision.

“Bula, what are your thoughts on this arrangement?”

Bula almost seemed surprised to be asked a question directly, but after a moment she responded.

“I would be lying if I said there was no fear on my end. I have long known that I would need to journey the lands as part of my trials to receive the sight completely. This is normally a journey we undertake on our own as the sight guides us to our destiny. That said, my own sight is telling me to walk in your path. With Seer Durz proposing it, I believe it will be for the best.”

“You should not trust others, or the sight, so blindly, child. My sight sees many possible endings should you follow Xeal, many of them have you dying before you reach maturity as a seer.”

“Am I ever unhappy at the end?”

“Rarely.”

“Then it will be fine. I am sure Xeal will be welcoming to me and I will be able to see things few others would be able to witness.”

Xeal felt like he was missing a piece of the puzzle as he listened to Durz and Bula, but as Bula seemed fine with the arrangement, Xeal’s mind was made up.

“Alright, I will accept you as my companion on my adventures, though there will be times you will find yourself left behind.”

“Very good. Bula, ensure you heed the sight when it comes and hand this to your father.”

Durz pulled out a roll of parchment from her robes and handed it to Bula who bowed her head upon receiving it.

“Now, a few last words of guidance before I send you to make peace between our people. He who marked your chest has a vested interest in your future and will guide you with care. However, his gift should never be taken lightly and the fruit you carry must be held closely as without it you will hesitate and it will be your undoing.”

Xeal paused as he took in Durz’s words, looking at his own actions and plans and realizing that he had only been as bold in walking towards the orc settlement due to having the fruit of life. He also knew he planned to lend the fruit to Dyllis and Enye in order to take them hunting. Xeal wished to level them both to ensure their survival when the war that would consume the continent reached its height and assassinations were common. Now he knew he needed a new plan, or more items like the fruit of life.

“Thank you for your warning. You wouldn’t happen to know where I could pick up another of its kind, do you?”

“Such items hide well from the sight. If not, they would have long been harvested and controlled by others.”

Durz smiled at Xeal as she answered his question while Bula stood and went to a small chest along the wall and removed a leather backpack with several small pouches lining one larger one. Xeal watched as she packed what looked like various alchemy ingredients and concoctions and another set of plain clothes. Xeal made a note to himself to ensure that he outfitted Bula in the best gear he could as her survival was paramount if he wished to ensure the best outcome between humans and orcs in Nium. Xeal followed behind Bula as she walked out along the same path that Xeal had entered from, only this time no visions came to either of them. Once they were out of the cave, Xeal found Narfu lying on his side with his head propped up by his hand looking bored, with his back to the cave.

“Well, Bula, where do we need to go to deliver that message to your father?”

Bula simply smiled before talking in a commanding voice that hadn’t existed inside the seer’s cave at Narfu.

“Warrior. Xeal and I need to visit my father to deliver the seer’s will.”

Narfu jumped at Bula’s words as if he had been struck by lightning.

“Yes, Narfu take you and human to father.”

“You will use his name from here forward. Ensure that all know it as he will be respected.”

“Yes, Narfu will remember that Xeal is Xeal. His tale will surely be known by all in time.”

Xeal just watched as the scene played out. The Narfu who had been overbearing before Xeal had met with Seer Durz was nowhere to be found. Now it seemed like Narfu had a true fear of Bula as she commanded him to act as a guide to her father and Xeal was sure he was missing a vital bit of information. As they walked, Xeal quickly realized they were headed back to the chief’s longhouse and the pieces fell into place and he wanted to groan about what he had just gotten himself into. As they reached the longhouse and Bula strode right in, Xeal had no choice but to follow as he watched Narfu slip away like a condemned man who had been pardoned. When the inside of the longhouse came in view, Xeal found Bula hugging Chief Xuk who looked happy to see her as he started asking questions.

“My dear Bula, how you have grown. I see that my sister has finally seen fit to let you leave that cave. How long till you must return?”

“Daddy, I will not be able to stay long, but I won’t be returning to the cave. Instead, I will be journeying with Xeal to witness his adventures. Here is a scroll from Aunty explaining what she felt like explaining.”

As Chief Xuk took the scroll from Bula and read it; his face went through a variety of expressions while Bula waited as Xeal felt a weight in his stomach settle. When Chief Xuk was done reading, he told Bula to go visit her mom who was in the market at the moment while he had a few words with Xeal. Smiling, Bula accepted the direction, leaving by saying “Be nice, Daddy.” Chief Xuk simply smiled gently at her in a way that Xeal felt didn’t belong on such a massive orc. Once she was out, Chief Xuk’s expression turned to a scowl as he looked at Xeal and motioned for him to sit across the fire from him once more. Once seated, Chief Xuk wasted no time before speaking.

“Will you keep her safe?”

“That is not something I can promise as my road is full of adversity.”

“Good. Never make a promise that you can’t keep. Now I will warn you that should something happen to her and I learn of it, I will ensure that you will not live to see another day, even if I have to kill you endlessly. Never return here without her as to me that will mean she is no longer among the living.”

“I understand, but know that I will not hide.”

“Wonderful. At least I know my daughter is in the care of a true warrior, something rare even among my kind. Now return to your prince and inform him that I will attend talks hosted by you in 27 days.”

(Quest: convince Prince Victor to attend summit. Do you wish to accept this quest? Rewards unknown. Warning, failing the quest will have negative repercussions on your account. Yes or No)

After selecting yes, Xeal shifted to his immediate needs.

“Very well. If it would be alright, I would like to rest here for a day before I make the return journey, but I am unsure if there is a suitable location.”

Xeal would need to journey back to the town without using a return scroll as he needed to bring Bula with him. He also couldn’t use his normal trick of returning to a city to rest as he couldn’t leave her behind as he was essentially her pass to travel in Nium.

“I understand. Unfortunately, it would be unwise for you to sleep within these walls, especially when it spreads that Bula will be accompanying you. No, I believe I will have Narfu transport you and my daughter near the town where the humans in the area gather.”

Xeal smiled at this development as it solved most of his problems, other than the fact that he would be a rag doll for a good bit of the journey as he would have to log out during the journey.

“Thank you, Chief Xuk. Your aid is appreciated. Are you going to be fine traveling to the capital, or should I make other arrangements?”

“As you said, I will be inclining my head, not kneeling. I believe a temporary location outside the town nearby would work best.”

“I shall make sure it happens.”

“Good.”

Xeal and Chief Xuk went over various other details while they awaited Bula’s return. When she did, she was accompanied by her mother, Bulfim, who had several gray hairs in her black hair that was shaved on both sides, with the top done in a long high ponytail. Xeal could tell that while she was staying quiet, she was giving Xeal an appraising look and looked to be deciding if she should kill him as she spoke.

“You, take care of my Bula.”

“I will do my best to ensure that she has a long life.”

“Good. Man no good if can’t keep woman safe. You warn him, Xuk?”

“Yes, he knows what it means to fail. We shall have a feast and send them off on their journey afterwards.”

“Good, I go tell others.”

With that Bulfim turned and left, leaving Xeal with Chief Xuk and Bula in what could only be called an awkward silence, which Xeal broke with a question that was bugging him.

“Chief Xuk, Bula, please don’t take this the wrong way, but why are your orator skills so much better than the others?”

Bula had to fight a laugh as Chief Xuk cleared his throat to respond.

“Ah, I am the chief and Bula has been training to be a seer. Both of us must have better command of the language to express ourselves. Most of our kind simply focus on their other skills, whether that be fighting or hunting. Our line tends to be more inclined to leadership roles as we have seer blood in our veins and are trained in linguistics in our youth, unlike most of our kind. Make no mistake, I have to still be the strongest of my kind to keep them in line. It is why you don’t see any of my 30 of-age sons around as they are all out striving to become my replacement. Some will never return and the few that do will have earned the respect of their war parties and be ready to make a push to replace me as chief.”

“If you have 30 sons how many daughters do you have?” asked Xeal out of reflex, regretting it as he did so. He watched as Chief Xuk’s face turned into a scowl as he answered in a stern voice.

“I have 40 sons, but Bula is my only daughter. Part of the seer blood makes daughters rare, as they are where the blood manifests its potential. Should Durz pass before Bula has brought out her potential, our people will be without the sight until she does. Should something happen to both, the next seer would have to learn from the records of their predecessors.”

“I see, and as your daughter, her fate was sealed from the moment she was born, to become the next seer.”

“No. While it is rare, the blood can fail to manifest, at which point I would have become the prize which every orc warrior would chase after. My father would have had war on his hands as our blood is part of what lets us hold onto power here. The fact that I must remain pure or lose the sight keeps even the most ambitious clans in check as all the others would destroy them for depriving them all of the seer’s guidance for decades. From what is told, it was over 200 years ago that one of the clans tried it and their end was swift and cruel.”

“I understand. Still, if there have been cases of females being born without the gift that have had children, how has your clan maintained its monopoly of the gift?”

“Ah, none of them have ever given birth to daughters and none of the sons have survived in the wilds long enough to earn the right to breed,” answered Chief Xuk with a smile that told Xeal all he needed to know about how the issue had been handled.

Xeal took full stock of what he had just learned and was happy about the fact that Bula needed to remain pure as it would make things far easier on him. As well as the fact that her death would all but seal the fate of Nium and the orcs as enemies as her death would be a major blow to their people. Xeal wondered just what Durz saw that made her send Bula with him as it was clearly not normal for her to do so. As Xeal thought over what the whole situation meant for him and his guild, Bula and Chief Xuk started talking and it wasn’t until Bula said something that caught Xeal’s attention that he registered anything they were saying.

“Father, don’t worry. I know you can have another daughter if you give it your all. Aunty Durz promised me that she still has a few decades in her.”

“I know. Your duty has been shifted as the world has shifted. Still, it is best kept quiet as to not worry the other clans.”

Xeal stayed quiet as he observed the exchange, and a few minutes later Bulfim returned with several more women carrying a table and several dishes of various foods that were a mix of meats and root vegetables, prepared in ways that lent itself to eating with one’s hands. Over the next few hours, Xeal came to know several of Chief Xuk’s harem, of which there were currently 25 members, the oldest of which looked to be in her later years, and the youngest looked to be younger than Bula. Xeal learned that by tradition the orc chief added one wife each year he stood as chief. Each wife was expected to give him two children, meaning Chief Xuk was still expecting another nine. As to highlight this, Xeal could tell two of the younger wives were pregnant and two others had babies swaddled, and eight young orcs that looked to be between two and ten years old. Once the feast was done, Xeal and Bula were bid farewell as a reluctant Narfu sat atop his mount with a group of ten riders behind him. Once the farewells were complete, Narfu spoke.

“Princess Bula and Xeal share mount. Stay middle. We guard.”

Xeal could see one of the boars in the middle was riderless and had a two-person saddle on it and headed to it with Bula, who looked at home as she climbed up and took the front seat and the reins. Xeal did not mind this as he had not picked up a riding skill as of yet as it would be fairly useless until he was ready to get a mount and use it to fill a companion slot. When Xeal took the spot behind Bula, a few of the orcs could be heard unsuccessfully holding in a snicker which Xeal ignored as Bula shot them a look that said she would remember them. Once they were settled in, Bula spoke to Xeal in a quiet voice only he could hear.

“Strap yourself to me. I know you will be helpless for several hours of this journey.”

“Well, that saves me from needing to ask in a few hours. I apologize now for the inconvenience.”

“Xeal, I am your oracle. You are my life now. Taking care of you and guiding you is my purpose. Even with the limits of my connection to the sight, I see the nexus you are to the path of our world.”

Xeal took in her words as he started to realize just what his and Bula’s relationship would be.

“Thank you. Now let’s get this trip out of the way.”

With that, Xeal strapped himself to Bula. This included putting his arms around her such that they came together around her waist where she tied them to herself. Xeal then worked to get into a comfortable position that would allow him to sleep a bit before his logout.

Evening November 9, 2266.

Alex stretched as he awoke from his latest session in ED with much to think about as he turned to see Nicole coming out of her own login. Several emotions warred within Alex as he thought about what he had relived not even a day ago to him. He found himself holding her and giving her a passionate kiss with a need similar to a drowning man’s need for air. He could feel Nicole melt into him as she embraced him in his passion with her own. When they finally broke apart, Nicole smiled at him before speaking.

“What brought that on?”

“Let’s just say my current quest just reminded me how lucky I am.”

“Oh, do tell.”

Alex paused for a moment as he thought of what to say.

“Nicole, it had me walk through a path that started with how I met you and everyone in our group. It then had me walk a path where we didn’t start together and I didn’t stand out like I do now. On this path, I am only able to barely earn my way and none of you are able to even reach that level and start to only play casually as you all move on with life. I’ll spare you the details, but on that path, I end up alone in the end and ED is all that matters in my life.”

Nicole looked at Alex with concern as she could see that he was obviously affected by his experience, almost as if he had really lived that life. She felt that he was holding something back but wasn’t quite sure just what it was, but felt that Sam needed to be present if he was going to share whatever it was as she didn’t think he would want to share it twice, so she paused her pursuit.

“We really should join Sam in the living room before Ava and Mia come over in a bit.”

Alex agreed and a minute later they were in the living room where Sam was already pulling up an episode of the web series they were watching for a quick episode before the twins arrived. Nicole told Sam that she felt they all needed to have a talk before the twins arrived, then turned to Alex.

“Alex, I know you don’t want to share it with us as it obviously caused you a fair bit of pain, but please tell us what you went through on your quest.”

Sam looked confused as she looked at Alex and Nicole while Alex looked hesitant before resigning himself and feeling like this might help him get a lot off his chest.

“Alright, but first…”

Alex walked up to Sam and pulled her into a passionate kiss with all of the emotions he felt for her encompassed in it. Sam was confused at first, but quickly returned his passion much like Nicole had once she registered what was going on.

“What was that for?”

“I just wanted to ensure you knew my feelings before I shared my experience.”

“Okay?”

Both Sam and Nicole looked a bit troubled by Alex’s actions as they felt he was compensating for something. Alex meanwhile launched into his quest, from reaching the orc settlement to killing the worm, and finally going to see the seer after meeting with the chief. As he told them about his first life under the guise of it only being a vision the system created for him, he struggled to keep his emotions in check. It was especially difficult when he spoke of his and Nicole’s relationship and how he had ruined it, as well as his friendships with everyone else. When he finished and went on to how it had also shown him this life at the end, Sam and Nicole were sitting next to him comforting him as they took care of his tears that he could not hold in. Both ladies felt there was more to all of this than he was sharing, but also felt he had shared everything that the quest had entailed, including the addition of Bula, at which they had each teased him about. Alex had finally calmed down a bit when there was a knock at the door and Sam told him to go freshen up while Nicole pulled out the ingredients for dinner. Whether they liked it or not, Nicole and Sam knew they needed to wait to explore just what caused that vision to bother Alex so much.

Ava and Mia were happy to be over as the five of them talked about ED and where each of them were at with their progress towards tier 5. Both of the twins were jealous to learn that Sam and Nicole were level 78 and were focusing on improving their skills as they slowly worked to reach level 79 when they would challenge their class quests. Ava and Mia were still only level 63 and had only just started to explore the other countries on their continent, to which Sam and Nicole responded that they still hadn’t done that while looking at Alex. Alex smiled as he explained it had to do with how they were in leadership of a guild that could be considered an arm of another kingdom on the same continent. Most kingdoms shouldn’t care about it, but it was likely that no kingdom that shared a border with Nium would want them roaming about. Ava and Mia were intrigued by Alex’s answer and he ended up spending the rest of the cooking time, as they all worked to prepare dinner, explaining why he thought that would be the case. He tiptoed around the fact that he had watched how it played out in his last life as he gave them his reasoning. Still, both Sam and Nicole gave each other a look as they felt he was once again not lying, but holding something back. After dinner, Ava and Mia said their goodbyes as they left for the evening and Alex joined Sam for the night before returning to ED.

ED year 1, days 348-349.

As Xeal regained consciousness, he found himself tight against Bula’s back on the road towards the town from which they would teleport back to the capital. Bula was quick to notice Xeal stirring and spoke before he completely got his bearings back.

“Welcome back. I trust you had a nice nap. We should be arriving in the next few hours. Narfu has been concerned about us running into a patrol for the last hour and has been bugging me to wake you up in case you are needed to get them to let us pass.”

“He’s not wrong. Good thing I made it back before it was an issue.”

“We would have been fine. Even so, I am glad you are back. When you are not present, your body feels weird, like it is both dead and alive.”

“Interesting, though as I think about it, accurate.”

The pair returned to silence as the trip continued and it was an hour later that they were found by a patrol made up of 20 mounted soldiers, all around level 140, that began charging at the orcs. Narfu saw this and turned to Xeal and shouted.

“You make humans stop.”

Xeal smiled as he had Bula cut himself free as he responded.

“Take your men and fall back. Bula and I will stay.”

Narfu seemed hesitant to leave Bula unprotected, as he watched her and Xeal dismount and hand the reins of their mount to one of the other orcs. Bula had to yell at him to leave for him to listen, and by that time the patrol was under a quarter mile away, and if they gave chase, it would be a close call. Xeal stretched as he walked directly into the path of the patrol as they galloped to close the distance. Xeal frowned when all but a couple of them broke off in a pattern that would take them around Xeal and Bula as they pursued Narfu and his group. Shaking his head, Xeal let out a roar and unleashed a stream of dragon’s breath that hit the ground about 30 feet in front of the main group that had been prepared to chase down Narfu. The results were instant as the horses quickly scattered on their own to avoid the area, forcing the soldiers riding them to get them back under control and ruining the momentum that had built towards the orcs. Xeal looked at them in boredom as finally they decided that the orcs had escaped and turned their attention to Xeal and Bula by riding up and encircling them. Xeal about lost it when they leveled their spears at him and Bula as one of them that Xeal could tell was an actual knight came forward and spoke.

“State your purpose before I have your head for attacking the king’s soldiers.”

Xeal had had enough and decided to go full noble on these idiots.

“On your knees, all of you. I ought to have your heads for raising a weapon at a viscount of the kingdom.”

“Ha, what would a viscount be doing out here with a bunch of orcs? Lie again and I call for the attack.”

“Attack and you will seal your own fate. Perhaps the name of Viscount Bluefire has not reached this far yet, but even as blind as you are you should see the crest that I wear. Now, once more, on your knees or I will have you explaining directly to Prince Victor why you are holding me up when I am here on his orders.”

Xeal could see the cogs turn in the knight’s head as he processed Xeal’s words before responding.

“If you are a knight and viscount of the kingdom, why would you attack us and halt us in our duties? All I see is someone colluding with the orcs and all the proof I need is standing right next to you. Men, prepare to apprehend the preten…der?”

The knight was baffled and the soldiers looked unsure of what to do as Xeal showed the crest that Prince Victor had given him to gain access to the palace when he first met with him and had left in his care since. While it might have looked like a simple crest that was easily faked, Xeal knew that it held magic that made any knight of the kingdom instantly know of its authenticity.

“Men, get on the ground and kneel now!”

Xeal watched as the soldiers quickly dropped their spears and dismounted before falling to their knees, with fear on their faces. The knight had taken it a step further and had his head pressed to the ground as he trembled enough Xeal could hear his armor rattling against itself. After allowing the scene to play out for about ten seconds, Xeal felt his point had been made and addressed the knight.

“Now stand up and everyone but you get back on your horse. You will all be escorting myself and Bula here back to town while your leader walks back as penitence.”

With that Bula climbed onto the knight’s horse as Xeal sat behind her as they rode with the rest of the still-confused and shocked men who were avoiding looking at their leader as he shook in restrained anger. Xeal knew he had made a minor enemy today, but by the same notion he had ensured that others would know that he did not take kindly to having weapons pointed at him. In the end, Xeal had actually been lenient in how he handled the incident as all of the soldiers involved could have been lashed and cut pay for such actions, and most knights would be lucky to avoid the gallows if the noble was particularly cruel. Xeal also understood that he was unlike most nobles in the fact that he wasn’t constantly accompanied by guards. Even a baron would have a few that could easily provide time for them to escape in most cases. Only knights wouldn’t have their own guards. Instead, they had to nurture trust with the men they led as at most they would have a small town of 500 or so that they looked after, if anything.

When Xeal and Bula arrived just outside of town a few hours later, they dismounted and handed the reins of the knight’s horse to one of the soldiers. He took it and turned around to return it to the knight while Xeal and Bula entered the town where the pair drew several looks of hostility as they made their way to the teleportation gate. Standing in front of the gate as normal were a pair of guards whose job it was to ensure that those using the gate were authorized to do so. While the gates were open for use by all players so long as they met the level requirements and had no warrants in the kingdom they were in, NPCs needed to receive permission to do so, regardless of level. This caused the guards to order Xeal and Bula to halt as they drew near. Neither one of them seemed to want to allow Xeal and Bula to pass as they did not want to be the ones responsible for it. Even with the status of viscount, Xeal knew they would not relent. Still, Xeal smiled as he sent a message he had ready, and ten minutes later Princess Enye and her guard arrived, causing a stir as she did so. Enye was quick to turn and look straight at the pair of guards as they could be seen sweating under her gaze.

“You two, hear me now. This is the man I am courting, Viscount Xeal Bluefire. He is also in direct service to my brother, Crown Prince Victor Vidfamne. If he needs to bring someone through a teleportation gate, I don’t care if they’re a dragon, you let them through. Ensure that the word is spread as I do not have time to constantly remind you. Also, make sure that the rest of the guards on the other gates are aware of this as well, as I expect he will be constantly accompanied by others who would normally be turned away.”

Both guards started nodding their heads as they tried to come to terms with a member of the royal family in a small town like this as it made no sense to them. Enye just shook her head before turning and smiling at Xeal while taking his arm as she brought him towards the gate.

“So, who is this, and what relation does she have with the quest my brother sent you on?”

“Ah, this is Bula, the orc chief’s daughter who will be observing me for them.”

“And nothing else?” asked Enye in an almost-accusatory tone with a smile tugging at her lips.

“Nothing like whatever you have on your mind. For now, think of her as my shadow who will be recording my actions and getting others used to seeing orcs.”

“I see. I assume you will share more at our next teatime in a few weeks.”

“Yes, though you should know most of it by then as I will be seeing your brother upon my return to report the results of my expedition to the orc settlement.”

Xeal and Enye continued to chat as they passed through the gate and returned to the capital, followed by Bula and Enye’s guards. As Xeal was headed to the palace already, he simply walked arm in arm with Enye as they made the trip. When they arrived at the palace, having Enye with him saved Xeal from dealing with playing 20 questions about Bula once again. They made their way to Prince Victor’s study where he was already awaiting Xeal as he had been informed when Enye left to retrieve Xeal and Bula. When they arrived, Enye bid Xeal farewell before turning to Bula with a smile and insisting that she accompany her while Xeal met with Prince Victor. Xeal could only smile wryly as Enye took Bula away, clearly to be pumped for information regarding her relationship with Xeal while he spoke with Victor. After taking care of the normal routine of kneeling and showing the respect a vassal must show their lord, Xeal and Victor started talking in privacy as even the normal servants were sent away.

“Now, Xeal, I assume things went well as you returned with another bride.”

“Ha, ha, very funny. If Bula is intended for anyone it would be you. No, she is an oracle in training. Her teacher, who is her aunt and the current seer of the orcs, has assigned her to me until further notice.”

“I see. I must say I am jealous. The orcs have given you a major possible boon and you didn’t even need to join their clan. Now, onto what I care about. Did you find a solution to the issue at hand?”

“Yes, though you will need to close the negotiation yourself as the orc chief wishes to hold a summit between you and him on the ninth day of the new year outside the town of Dalry.”

“I see, and you believe I will be safe meeting with him in such a location?”

“Relatively speaking. I am sure you will be allowed a few guards, though he may look down on your battle prowess, however you are still young enough that he may overlook it, just barely.”

“And just what did you do to get around that?”

Xeal went into the whole story of his time with the orcs and how he had to pass a test that would normally be the final step in reaching tier 5 for them before he was taken seriously. Victor looked thoughtful as Xeal finished before continuing to speak.

“I see, so it is a good thing you will be joining me at the table, as they already respect you. Now, what am I to do to close the deal that you have handed me on a silver platter? Honestly, I was simply hoping for a nonaggression pact with us supplying them around what they would normally secure through raiding.”

“That would have been a mistake as the raids hold importance to them. We simply need to ensure those in the area know that they can drive them off, but to capture and not kill any orcs when they raid. I don’t expect a full integration any time soon, but I can see it happening slowly as they start to branch out to challenge the monsters that plague much of the kingdom.”

“Hmm, interesting. That might be difficult to do. The ranchers will not be willing to just hand over their cattle and let the matter drop. Additionally, we can’t simply pay them for any cattle that is lost as fraud would be rampant.”

“That one is simple. Orcs are always happy to boast about their achievements. You simply need to ask that Chief Xuk declares that all captured cattle are to be paraded before him and the raiders are to declare where they took it from. With that report you should be able to avoid most fraud.”

“And they would do that?”

“Most likely. Things will still slip by and I am sure not all raids are led by the orcs in the settlement, so it won’t be perfect at first, but as trust is built, it will improve.”

Xeal and Prince Victor continued to discuss the various aspects that would need to be addressed for the summit for another hour before they had a satisfactory idea of what was needed and Prince Victor agreed to the meeting and Xeal received a pair of system notifications.

(Quest, convince Prince Victor to attend summit: Complete, calculating completion rate… 98% completion, rank S. Reward: 100 gold, 2,000,000 XP, 100 renown, favor increased with Prince Victor and Chief Xuk.)

(Quest: attend summit between Chief Xuk and Prince Victor. Do you wish to accept this quest? Rewards unknown. Warning, failing quest will have negative repercussions on your account. Yes or No)

Xeal smiled as he looked at the notifications and accepted the next quest before wrapping up the discussion and excusing himself as he left to set things in motion for the summit. Xeal made his way to Enye and asked her if she would be fine taking care of Bula until after his date with Dyllis that evening. After spending another hour at his guild headquarters working on things and checking the status of everything that was currently ongoing, Xeal made his way back to his mansion. Once there, he was greeted by a beautiful Dyllis dressed for their date in a lovely blue dress with a smile on her face. Tonight, Xeal was taking her to one of the capital’s finer restaurants before they would enjoy a short moonlit stroll through the palace gardens, thanks to Victor’s approval. The night with Dyllis went well and Xeal dropped her off with Enye afterwards and Bula left with him with a curious look on her face.

“Is there something on your mind, Bula?”

“Yes, things are very different here. You have four women, yet you are not yet even a true warrior. When your princess first questioned me, she seemed to think I would be joining them at first. Things here are far more complicated than life back home.”

“Ah, yes they are. We don’t hold to the whole ‘must be a true warrior before we can have children’ thing. Most humans never reach a level that could be considered more than a novice in your eyes on the battlefield. Instead, we find a craft, or skill, that we can use to progress in life and create wonders with our works. This is why you see so much variety around here in everything. Your people focus on an individual’s worth in a fight due to the need to survive in the harsh area you live. Bula, I hope to show you what orcs are truly capable of when they are allowed to explore other avenues of advancement.”

Xeal looked at Bula who had stopped and was giving him a hard look.

“Are you saying that we are inferior to humans?”

“Not at all. Different, yes, but inferior, no. I am saying that due to the harsh conditions you have been pushed to live in, strength has ruled, and like how your family puts and emphasis on linguistics, humans put an emphasis on learning many different things, depending on their station in life. I myself train in blacksmithing as well as fighting. Others learn alchemy, architecture, calligraphy and many more skills, a lot of which have no purpose other than enjoyment for them and others. From what I have seen of your tribe, you all focus on the needs of survival as to do otherwise is to embrace death.”

“I see, and you believe that this will change as we interact with humans?”

“Yes and no. The tribe will stay as it is, but those who feel that they have hit their wall may decide to try to make a life for themselves in the kingdom by learning a craft, or skill, that is in demand. It will start as them taking guard positions in some of the calmer areas of the kingdom and trying their hand at it in their down time. Before you know it, many of the weaker members of your tribe will leave the life of a warrior behind as many of my kind flood into the area, replenishing the ranks and upturning much of the established ways.”

“You speak as if you have the gift of sight like myself, only far better developed.”

“No, what I have is much different. As Seer Durz said, it is like I have already walked one of the possible paths of my life. My path has diverged so much from that path that it is only of use in predicting broad trends and a few specific things.”

“I see. Still, I am not sure I like the future you see for my people as I feel it risks us losing who we are.”

“You are right. However, your people are not alone. My kind can be seen as a cataclysm for this world. We bring disorder wherever we go and upset longstanding balances of power, resulting in war across the land. Many of the inhabitants of this world will lose their lives due to us and many more will become refugees as everything they knew disappears overnight. Yet there is nothing that you, I or anyone else can do to stop it. All we can do is protect what we can.”

“If your kind will cause all of that, why is the prince not rounding you all up while you are weak and imprisoning you all now?”

“He needs us to fight our own kind inside the other kingdoms, or when war comes, he will be doomed to lose. The same can be said for the other kingdoms and even your tribe. While we bring disaster, we also bring hope.”

Bula went quiet for the rest of the walk to Xeal’s mansion as she thought over his words. When they arrived, Maxwell greeted them and Xeal introduced Bula and informed Maxwell that Bula needed a room of her own, preferably on the second floor near the dining area. Xeal then introduced Midnight who was following Maxwell around like normal to Bula. She was quite interested in the matagot as it was the first time she had seen such a creature before. After Xeal gave Midnight some attention, he separated from Bula to get some rest in before spending the remainder of his login on smithing while Bula simply observed.

Morning November 10 to Evening November 11, 2266 & ED year 1, days 350-355.

The morning of the 10th was uneventful as everyone enjoyed their last morning of exercise before Abysses End arrived and joined them for their Monday morning aikido lesson. That evening, Alex found himself next to Nicole at dinner at a Korean BBQ restaurant as they shared one side of a booth while cooking the meat together. After dinner, Alex took Nicole to a local ice cream shop and they enjoyed a walk as they worked on their cones.

When Alex, Sam and Nicole awoke expecting a simple relaxing morning on the 11th, they were surprised by a knock on the door. When Alex looked through his door’s peephole, he found himself looking at an elderly man of Chinese descent dressed in a luxury suit. Alex opened the door in confusion as he was unsure as to who this man could be.

“Can I help you?”

“Ah, thank you for answering. I am glad that my information was correct on your normal logout time. Ah, where are my manners. I am Shen Chun and I represent the Jingong workshop here in the United States. If it would be okay with you, I would like to discuss a business opportunity with you.”

Alex took in Mr. Chun’s appearance in more detail. He could tell that the man was doing his best to maintain his composure and not project desperation. However, the fact that he was standing at an apartment at 4:00 in the morning on a Sunday to talk business told Alex all he needed to know.

“Certainly, though I must apologize as I didn’t expect you, so my hospitality may be a bit lacking. Though I believe we should be able to at least get you a refreshment. Nicole, do we have any tea that isn’t the instant stuff?”

“Oh, I do have a bit of matcha, will that do?”

“That would be lovely, young lady. I thank you for your hospitality as I intrude on your home.”

“Very well. Shall we sit and get to business while we wait on tea?”

“Yes.”

Alex gestured to a recliner as Sam joined him on the couch while Nicole went about preparing the tea. Mr. Chun took a moment to organize himself before speaking once more while he maintained a neutral expression.

“First, I would like to thank you and your workshop for taking several of our unsustainable locations off our hands. Yes, we are aware it was you who acquired them, though we did not know that you were behind it until after the sale was final. I must say it surprised us to find out you had such financial resources at such an early point in your organization’s history. As I am sure you are aware, the Jingong workshop has recently hit a difficult situation. I am here to see if you would be interested in attempting to assist us in getting through it. Now, before you ask why you should be willing to do such a thing, let me assure you that we are prepared to make it worth your while. With that said, are you interested?”

Alex took a long moment to think of everything he could regarding Jingong’s situation and what they could offer him. If he did assist them, he could very easily regret it in the future as the vacuum their fall left was what allowed many other guilds to emerge in Alex’s last life, and if they were salvaged, it could lead to many problems down the line. Still, if he used this situation to his advantage, it could help propel FAE to the point where it was fully accepted in the major workshop circles. It was with these thoughts that Alex replied to Mr. Chun.

“Mr. Chun, while I am unsure of what you believe I am able to do, I am not sure that it would be in my best interest to help as it would be far too easy for others to believe that FAE was on the path to becoming one of Jingong’s subordinate powers. There is also the issue of the recent actions taken by your workshop and others against my guild in ED.”

“Ah, I see your concern. Really though, I think you and your guild would be just fine with what we are after. As for the actions we took, we must apologize. At the time, we followed the ramblings of others and we were drawn in without realizing the full consequences of our actions. I hope that you can appreciate our sincerity in being honest with you unlike another workshop who wishes to lull you into a false sense of security before plunging a dagger in your back.”

Alex couldn’t help but smile at the dig on Abysses End Mr. Chun finished with.

“One can only be stabbed in the back if they show their back to someone. I am well aware that trust is something that is dangerous. This is especially true when looking at those who have managed to reach the top and stayed there for decades, as they are often the most ruthless. Now, Mr. Chun, you and I both know you are here due to the very fact that the major players in this industry have no honor and your hope is that a new player like myself is naive enough to think otherwise. Now let’s move past the false platitude and get to what Jingong hopes I will be willing to do and what I will get out of doing so.”

Alex sat and smiled at the difficulty Mr. Chun was having at maintaining his composure as Alex was sure that this man was used to being overbearing towards others. If anything, the fact that Shen was still holding himself together told Alex all he needed to know about just how much they were grasping at straws trying to hold on to a semblance of their position in the world. While Shen was composing himself, Nicole joined them with a tea pot and four tea cups that she gently filled before sitting next to Alex. Shen took a controlled sip of his tea before continuing.

“Thank you for the tea, it really hits the spot. Nice and calming. Now back to business. I can see that you already have a good idea of how the world you are entering operates. That is good as it will serve you well. I will not lie to you and say that we are different. We will stab you in the back the moment we believe it is in our best interest to do so. The same can be said for Abysses End and Fire Oath, whom you already have ongoing interactions with. Now what we would like you to do is negotiate with the Muthia empire to release our members and compensation for the seized assets before the end of the month. We are well aware that you have integrated yourself quite deeply with Nium’s royal family and will soon be ready to take on your tier 5 quest. This makes you a very unique existence in ED right now as I do not know of another who could claim either of those as facts about themselves. Now, do you believe you can accomplish this?”

Alex sat and sipped his tea as he thought it over, what it would require, what it would cost him, if it was a good idea, and much more. He took his time considering every angle. This was not a small thing and if he succeeded, he would earn enemies from those who were circling like sharks to rip Jingong to shreds as they devoured them.

“Mr. Chun, what you are asking of me would have extreme ramifications both inside and outside of ED for me and my workshop. I doubt you and your colleagues would be able, or willing, to meet the price that I require to perform such an action. Additionally, there is no guarantee that I will be successful if I were to attempt to negotiate the release of your members, and failing to succeed would have even more consequences as it would leave me exposed without the support your workshop would provide if I succeed. It would be different if Nium and Muthia were on good terms, but at best they could be called neutral right now.”

“What would you say are your chances to succeed if you try?”

“Around 30% with what I know right now. I may not even be allowed to attempt it if the royal family decides against it as it would require a major commitment from them as well. Even if I do succeed, it may still not save the Jingong workshop if you fail to generate enough revenue while your members play catchup for the next year or so. Which would lead you to asking for my help with leveling of your members and I would be in too deep at that point to refuse as it would hurt me more than doing nothing at that point. By this time next year, I would be almost completely tied to your workshop in the eyes of others. Did I miss any points?”

Alex watched as sweat built on Mr. Chun’s forehead as the man tried to think of a counter to Alex’s words. Alex, however, did not feel like wasting his time that he could have normally been spending with Sam and Nicole by drawing out this meeting, so he continued.

“The point is moot for another ten days or so, as it will be at least that long before I am in a position to help. As for what I would want in return for my aid, it is quite simple. Jingong has lost its home base and will clearly be needing a new area to operate out of. As the only negotiations which would end in a positive manner would involve all of your players immigrating to Nium in the short term, I assume you intended to slowly steal the country away from me. I believe it should be obvious that I would not be okay with this, so I will be having every player who is freed sign a contract in ED. This contract will cover all of the stipulations both Nium and Muthia require, as well as a few that I will require as payment. Key among these is that all those who are freed must leave Nium upon reaching level 80 and can only return with permission granted by my guild, so long as it is active.”

“You would scatter us upon the wind?”

“Not exactly, but yes, your workshop will become completely decentralized and life will be hard for you. Your days as a super workshop are over. You can still remain a major power and perhaps even find a benefit to being spread wide as you will not be at the whims of a single nation.”

“Still, we will lack a true seat of power, making it impossible to develop the needed facilities to truly rise once more.”

“That is the cost of survival. You will also be faced with all of those who wish to settle the score from your past actions. Now, as for my price, as you all leaving Nium is simply a safety I need to have in place, Jingong will hand over all crafting tools, materials, designs, etc. to my guild at 80% market price and we will act as your guild’s exclusive provider of goods. This will include your guild running stores across all of ED to sell our goods at a rate which we will dictate, splitting profits at each of these stores 20/80, with Jingong receiving 20% and FAE getting the remaining 80%.”

“I see. Very well, I will communicate your price to those above me and return with their response.”

“Thank you. I do hope you understand that I am simply ensuring that my workshop and guild doesn’t end up taking a risk that has no reward in it.”

“I understand.”

With that, Alex and Mr. Chun stood. Mr. Chun left with Alex sending him off in a cordial manner before shutting the door and letting out a heavy sigh. Both Nicole and Sam were looking at him in a way that made it obvious another whole conversation was waiting for him in the hour and a half they had before it was time to log back into ED for the day. The next hour and a half was spent discussing various aspects of what working with three of the five recognized super workshops meant. Especially after overcoming each of their efforts to hinder FAE in ED. In the end, nothing concrete was decided and all they could do was play the wait and see game. That evening, Sam’s parents came over for dinner and it was uneventful. That is other than her mother’s obvious struggle to not press for updates on whether the girls knew if they were pregnant every five seconds, all while her father just smiled helplessly. Before Alex turned in, he saw a message from Nantan letting him know that they had arrived safely and they would see them in the morning. Alex replied in the affirmative and made sure that Nantan had the address of the dojo before returning to ED.

(*****)

When Xeal logged back in to ED, he resumed his work to reach tier 5 while also seeing to the prep work for the questline of bringing the orcs into an alliance with Nium. During these logins he was able to secure most of what he believed would be needed for the summit to be successful as he knew that it was the easiest point for everything to fall apart. Xeal had seen players who believed that final pieces like this summit were simply checking a box, only for it to go terribly and fail the quest. Xeal knew there were many ways that things could go very bad at this stage of the negotiation and even after the summit he expected issues to arise that needed his attention. Still, he felt that he had everything moving in the right direction for the moment.

Xeal also was getting used to having his new shadow as Bula followed him everywhere. He found that he needed to supply her with gear and equipment as she would not be left behind as he moved about a level 80 area good for a solo player like himself to level in. Gone were the simple clothes that Bula had been wearing when Xeal met her. In their place was a mix between leather armor and a robe that gave her modest protection. On a pair of belts across her chest were many vials of liquids that she had synthesized herself using her alchemy skills that were already at silver level. At her waist hung several daggers and in her hand was a simple wooden staff. Xeal was relieved that Bula was willing to stay as an observer while he fought, unless he asked for assistance, as he continued to hone the skills he knew he needed to utilize in his quickly approaching tier-up trial. Xeal knew that this test would allow him to select different difficulty levels and the harder he made it, the more rewarding it would be. In his last life it had long been theorized that if you chose easy then tier 5 was guaranteed, but reaching tier 6 was extremely difficult, but possible. Selecting normal would provide a moderate challenge and tier 6 would be doable, but tier 7 was the absolute cap and even reaching it was almost impossible. Hard would make reaching tier 6 almost a sure thing and tier 7 would be easily possible if you did well in your tier 6 quest, but tier 8 was not something you should even think about. If your goal was tier 8, you needed to take on nightmare mode and still get at least an A rank on your tier 5, 6 and 7 quests. It was for this reason that Xeal was working to get his last few levels before taking his tier 5 quest, pushing his abilities to their absolute limit as he worked to bring out everything he had, as in his last life hard mode was all he could ever achieve. Xeal had only ever known around a few dozen players who had admitted to getting through a nightmare mode tier-up quest and succeeding in achieving an A-rank assessment. Frozen Sky had been the only player he knew to achieve an S-rank result and it had been the bonuses he had received from it that had helped him take Twilight Sky from a small upstart guild in ED to a respected regional power in the second year of ED and built it from there. Whenever Xeal thought about his old guild leader a bitter smile would form on his face. At this point Frozen Sky should be in the kingdom of Habia trying to figure out how to deal with the collapse of Jingong as he was one of their newer members who were the first group they cut off when things got difficult. Had he already started to build Twilight Sky, or was he still running around trying to hold onto his position in Jingong? Either way it didn’t matter to Xeal as it would be a long time before their paths should cross.

The only break that Xeal took in the four sessions outside sleep was his second date with Enye as they enjoyed a simple picnic in the royal gardens. Anything else would have required far more preparation than Xeal had time for with all the moving pieces that setting up the summit required. Even so, it was a nice break that allowed them to slow down and enjoy a quiet moment as they chatted idly about their daily lives. After their date, Xeal bid her farewell with a kiss before returning to his grind as he reached level 78, bringing him one step away from the level he needed to be and keeping him on pace for hitting tier 5 before ED day 390.

Morning November 12, 2266.

As Alex, Sam, Nicole, Ava and Mia stepped out of the car in the aikido dojo’s parking lot, they were instantly met by Nantan and the new group of four he had brought with him. All four of them were guys who wore what looked almost like a high school gym uniform. Xeal knew their names from Nantan’s message, but he still needed to put faces to the names and Nantan was quick to oblige.

“Good morning, Alex. It’s good to see you again, and I see that Ava and Mia have joined us as well. Perhaps they are ready to return this time, but I digress. Let me formally introduce you to Harris Kennedy, Charles Barnes, Cody Wilkins and Jack Barrett.”

Nantan indicated to each of the young men as he spoke their name. Harris Kennedy had a good mop of brown hair that matched his brown eyes and stood a bit shorter than Alex. Next to him, Charles Barnes had spiky red hair and freckles dotting his face. Cody Wilkins and Jack Barrett both had short, light brown hair and the easiest way to tell them apart was the shape of their head and height. Cody had an egg-shaped head and stood at a solid six feet while Jack’s head was well rounded and he stood just over five and a half feet tall. Nantan continued his introduction as Alex took each of them in as he tried to place them from his last life, but drew a blank.

“Each of them shows promise and I hope that they can get a good push from you like Larry did. That said, I must congratulate you on your engagement to the princess of Nium. You never cease to amaze me. Is it true that the lovely Sam and Nicole have also become nobles as well, and with them and the princess you have a fourth noble lady you are courting?”

Alex felt a bit uncomfortable with how interested Nantan was with his in-game love life, especially how he was framing it. Yet Alex didn’t feel that he had an easy way to completely avoid the subject so he tactfully responded such that it confirmed his information without adding anything.

“Thanks for the well wishes, but we are not technically engaged yet. As for the rest, yes, Sam and Nicole have managed to become honorary baronesses and I am also courting one of Princess Enye’s ladies in waiting who is a viscount’s daughter.”

“Wonderful. We must talk more on just how you managed to arrange that. However, in the meantime we have an aikido lesson to get to.”

Alex was grateful for the reprieve and walked with Sam and Nicole at his side while Ava and Mia stuck close behind him as they entered the dojo, before separating to get changed. Alex was surprised when Nantan and all four of the young men knew the proper etiquette for the dojo already, but was less so when he remembered that Ava and Mia had to submit reports. Alex figured that Nantan had run all of the potential members for this visit through the basics of etiquette for both aikido and kendo to avoid wasting their time in the mornings. Sensei Kikuchi was pleased to see that he didn’t need to give a remedial lesson and went directly into stretching. As he did so, Sensei Kikuchi assigned one of the students who had been assisting in these morning lessons to each of the members of Abysses End, ensuring that they did the stretches properly before the lesson switched into the sparring, as the normal group that was on the light contact regiment split off for the remainder of the lesson. An hour later they were cleaning the dojo as they prepared to head out for the morning when Harris approached Alex.

“So, you’re the fabled top dog of ED. What’s it like to have the ladies falling all over you?”

“Annoying.”

“What, come on. You have like six girlfriends if you include NPCs. Heck, you have so much game that a frickin princess wants a piece of you. Come on, you have to be loving it. I know I would if I was in your position.”

Alex gave Harris a good look before he responded.

“The mistake you are making is assuming that all I have to do is just say hi and they fall for me and line up for their turn. No, imagine all the work you need to put in to have a normal healthy relationship and multiply that by each extra woman that joins. Then add the issue of balancing how they each fit with one another. All while finding the time to continue putting in the work to stay at the top and you might have an idea of what my life is like. Also, just to be clear, just because it is annoying doesn’t mean I don’t cherish every moment I get with each of them.”

“Dang, still I think you are over complicating it. If they can’t handle you, there has to be another that would love to take their place. I mean, you’re frickin rich, right?”

Alex stopped to take a good look at Harris as he thought over why Nantan would bring what Alex could tell was a young man who didn’t understand the first thing about women to meet him. After giving it some thought, Alex decided to do the women of Abysses End a favor.

“Harris, have you ever had a girlfriend that stuck around for over a month?”

“Nah, none of them could handle me that long, but that’s fine, there are always more fish in the sea. Once I make a name for myself, they will all be wishing they had held on.”

Alex could tell by his posture Harris was covering up his insecurity with bold statements based on a fantasized reality that he didn’t even really believe in.

“Harris, I am not someone you should try and emulate when it comes to dating, especially from the view of it you have. The best thing you can do is learn to not act like more than you are and be honest with yourself and find a woman who enjoys you for you and you enjoy her for who she is. When everything is said and done, all that matters in love is that it makes sense for those who share it.”

Alex could see the fake bravado that Harris projected falter for a moment before he pulled it back together.

“You just don’t think I have what it takes to rise to the top like you. Just watch. I’ll be standing at the peak of ED. Who knows, in a few years you might have to look up at me as I rise above you.”

Before Alex could even respond, Harris had already turned and started to walk away. Alex could only shake his head and hope that his words got through to the young man as Nantan walked up.

“It’s hard, isn’t it? All you’re trying to do is give him some solid advice and he can’t see past his own delusions and realize that what you’re saying is true.”

“True, though at the same time, if you told me that I didn’t have what I needed for long-term success in this industry I would act much the same. Who knows, maybe he will show me that I am wrong as he rises to the top in the future.”

“Indeed, we all have our own delusions that we chase. For a few of us we are able to turn them into reality, but for most they simply lead us to waste the best years of our life.”

Alex couldn’t help the bitter smile that crossed his face as he thought to how his last life had played out just like that. Even so, he was already sure this life was going to be different and quickly recovered.

“Yep, of the millions, if not billions of players trying to become legitimate pro players who earn enough credits to live in comfort off of playing ED, only a small portion will succeed in the end. My path is an anomaly, not the standard. I doubt there will ever be a second me, though several more will make a flash in the pan before they fade just as quick. Had I done what I have done after travel between continents was easy, or in a country with a larger presence from the major guilds, I doubt I would have survived a week, let alone the few months I have so far.”

“Indeed, though from the show you recently put on it has been made it clear that you are not to be simply dismissed once tier 5 is common. I do hope that should you find yourself in need of aid, that you will allow us to assist you in a mutually beneficial way.”

Alex had to keep from rolling his eyes at the way Nantan worded his offer of aid as it was clearly a veiled way of saying that Abysses End would be happy to help FAE slowly merge into them.

“We will see how everything plays out as time unfolds.”

Alex had just finished cleaning and he needed to make it back to the apartment to return to ED if he wanted to accomplish everything he needed to get done before his upcoming deadlines. So, he excused himself from the conversation and made his way to change back into his street clothes. When he walked out of the changing area, he found Ava and Mia in a verbal altercation with Harris. From what Alex could see, the other members of Abysses End were watching with amusement as Harris made rude gestures at them. Alex looked around for Nantan, but from the looks of things he was still changing, or otherwise occupied. Just as Alex was halfway there and going to act, Sam and Nicole came out of the women’s changing area next to the altercation and it was Sam who acted first by stepping between them.

“Ah, look, it’s mister wannabe. Can’t get a lady’s number so he blames her. Honestly, you need to grow up. Middle school ended a long time ago.”

“Ah, it’s another one of Alex’s whores-”

SLAP

Everything was in slow motion for Alex as he watched Sam slap Harris and Harris pull back like he was about to punch Sam. Unfortunately for Harris, Alex was only a few feet from them now and he had failed to notice and the other three guys were simply enjoying the show. As Harris cocked back, Alex shot his hand out and gripped Harris’s wrist and had him on the mats in a submission instantly, surprising everyone present, especially with the look on his face. Alex looked like he was a second away from killing Harris when he growled out his next words.

“Sam, Nicole, Ava, Mia, car now. I’ll be out shortly.”

All four girls were quick to leave after Alex spoke. All four of them felt that they didn’t want to see what happened next. While they left, Harris started screaming at Alex to get off him, to which Alex’s only reply was to twist his arm more as he gave the other three guys looks that said don’t even think about moving. By the time the girls had left, the rest of the group had come out of the changing rooms to see what was going on, all pausing when they saw Alex with Harris on the ground as Alex continued speaking in a growl.

“Now, here is how this is going to work. When I let you up you are going to pack your bag and return to whatever office you work out of and Abysses End can deal with you however they please. If I see you again it will not end well for you. You want to be an idiot, fine, it’s a free country last I checked. You raise your hand at someone I love, you better be ready to cash that check and you definitely are not. Now get your stuff and leave.”

Alex released Harris and turned to leave as the young man stood with tears in his eyes as he looked at Alex’s back and charged in a fit of rage, not even bothering to keep quiet as he went for Alex’s neck. Alex didn’t even turn as Sensei Kikuchi intercepted the young man and put him right back on the mat as Alex walked to the front as Nantan followed him out, stopping him just outside the front of the dojo.

“What was all of that about?”

“Nantan, I don’t know how things work in Abysses End, but I will be clear. These four have not shown me anything good. If you are bringing your troubled recruits around to see if I can push them towards being a good person, then this exercise is doomed to failure. I’ll put this simply. He was about to strike Sam. Yes, she slapped him for being an ass, but I don’t care. If he is at another event my group won’t be.”

Nantan hesitated as he looked at Alex who still had a look that said he wanted to put someone’s head through a wall and he didn’t care whose it was. Nantan froze as his mind kept drawing a blank until he watched Alex walk away, getting into his car and leaving. Sighing, Nantan walked back into the dojo where Harris was still on the mat while Sensei Kikuchi held him there and the rest of the room was split, with Alex’s group on one side and the other three Abysses End members on the other while the dojo’s students looked lost on what they should do. Nantan didn’t waste time and quickly spoke.

“Alright, the show’s over. Charles, Cody, Jack, get in the car. Harris, when we get back you are going straight to the airport.”

Harris started to ramble about how they started it and it wasn’t fair only for Nantan to silence him by saying that he could be cut off right now and find his own way back. Harris looked like his whole world had frozen as he looked at Nantan before shutting his mouth with what looked like an extreme effort. Nantan could already feel the headache he was going to get on this trip growing, especially with how decisive Alex had just been. Still, he had to smile as the incident had at the very least shown that Alex had a weakness. Nantan almost laughed as he thought about how they might use this as he drove away that morning.

ED year 1, day-356.

Xeal awoke in his mansion after logging in. The car ride back from the dojo had been a quiet one as he worked to get his anger under control and now it was time for him to vent. He also figured it was time for Bula and Ceclie to meet as in the next two weeks the two would need to learn to get along with one another as it was time to return to the Vault of Ucnuc and open it back up for his guild. As he left his room, he made his way to the room that Bula had taken over and knocked, hearing her wake up and come to the door as she brushed the sleep from her eyes, and spoke.

“I take it you are about to return to your work to reach tier 5 and truly prove yourself as a warrior.”

“No, it is time for food first. There is someone who you need to learn to work with for this next part. Aalin and Gale will be arriving here soon to introduce you to her.”

“Oh, I thought I had met all of your women already.”

“She is not my woman. She is more of a refugee who is tied to me and acts as a bodyguard when I require it.”

“Refugee, who is a bodyguard. We must be headed somewhere that poses a great threat for you.”

“It does, though the one who needs to worry the most should be you, so I want you to keep this on you at all times.”

Xeal handed Bula the hilt of the shattered sword, whose pieces were scattered in the Vault of Ucnuc, as it should act as a deterrent for any vampires they ran into. Alex was hoping that they could take care of the one that he had run into on his last trip, but suspected that the vampire had retreated deep into the lower levels and he would not see him again until he reached tier 6. As Bula took the hilt, she had a confused look on her face that shifted to surprise, as she felt the aura of the item, and instantly one of her class abilities showed her part of the item’s history.

“This, do you have any idea what you just handed me?”

“Yes, and you will keep it quiet. There are reasons that I handed that to you. Treat it as a pendant to keep the worst at bay. I will ask for it back one day, but in the meantime, you will need it to survive should the worst come.”

“I understand.”

As Xeal and Bula entered the dining room on the second floor, Midnight arrived like he always did. It wasn’t long before the on-duty servant arrived with the food for five that Xeal had requested for his midnight meal before he logged out. After giving Midnight the first bite, he and Bula started in while they waited for the rest to arrive. They didn’t have to wait long as Xeal felt himself be hugged from both sides as Aalin and Gale sandwiched him between them as he turned to each and gave them a kiss as they released him. Ceclie stood at the entrance to the room, her eyes locked with Bula’s as the two stared at one another ready to attack.

“Bula, meet Ceclie. Ceclie, meet Bula. Both of you need to get over whatever you are thinking right now as you two will be working together quite often. And before either of you say anything, realize I know your kind have extremely bad blood between them, worse than most races. Bula, Ceclie is tied by a soul contract to me and can’t break it, and even if she could, she would be hunted down quickly by the kingdom. Ceclie, Bula has been tasked to be my seer by her people. If you wish to have the best chance of achieving your revenge, she will be needed.”

Xeal watched as the pair slowly acknowledged the other as Ceclie took the seat that put her the farthest from Bula without being too far separated from the group.

“Well, that went well. Now what’s the plan?” inquired Gale with a smile as she took a seat.

“The five of us will be entering the Vault of Ucnuc. As you are all aware, we are way over-level for the upper areas, but that is perfect for what I have in mind.”

“Oh, and just what is that?” asked Aalin with a raised eyebrow before continuing. “You have been rather quiet on why you ordered the interior closed off to all and ordered the guild to keep other players from entering. We have had to deal with a fair bit of complaints about that one. Does this mean that we can finally stop stationing groups at the entrance?”

“No, at least not until we have made it down to the level 80 areas and verified a few things. I know I have been vague and still am, but my hands are kind of tied at this point. If Ceclie wasn’t coming with us now that she has mostly recovered and is capable of a longer excursion, we wouldn’t be able to even enter. That is as much as I will be saying on the matter, so please don’t press.”

Xeal could tell that Bula and Ceclie both had something on their minds as he had cut them both off before they could express their thoughts with his statement.

“So, what, are we just going to rush through the top area until we reach the area we are the proper level for and have Ceclie in case we get in over our head?” asked Gale.

“No, you and Aalin are already level 79 and I have a few weeks to reach the same point. We will be clearing each floor completely of enemies and you will be cleansing it as we go.”

“Wait, cleansing it? How am I supposed to do that?”

“Gale, it will be easy. Right now, if my research is right, you should be able to cleanse the first 20 floors of monsters. Then we can have the guild move into the upper areas and treat them like we do Darefret’s forge, only Ceclie will be the guardian of this area.”

“Wait, I thought she was going to keep our guild headquarters safe?”

“Gale, we can’t keep her tied down there. It is better for everyone if she takes up a post there.”

“Xeal is right. I have missed the feeling of being deep within the earth, and from the sound of it, this area will have a fair deal of dark magic inside it. For me that sounds like home.”

“Thank you, Ceclie. Now let’s go over the plan once more.”

Xeal and the group went over everything once more, as he explained that part of the purpose of this dive would be for Aalin and Gale to go one on one with the level 50 to 60 foes as they worked on their combat casting, as it would be key for their tier-up quests, both for tier 5 and beyond. By the time they had gone over everything, they had finished their food and it was time to set out.

Four hours later they were standing at the entrance to the Vault of Ucnuc, ready to step inside after they passed by the current group of guild members guarding the area for FAE’s exclusive use. Several guilds and independent players had been complaining about this area and others like it for a while. Xeal’s reply of making it clear that his guild would not send large groups into other areas and that access could be granted with proof of a quest in most circumstances, had done enough to quiet most of those voices. Now groups of tier 4 members could be seen all around as they worked to level. Xeal had to shake his head as he was about to make this area beyond their skill once they reached the tenth floor and cleansed it. It pained him to not warn them about what was about to happen as it would quickly turn into a bloodbath if they were caught unaware. So, he had told the group stationed at the entrance to the vault that they should pass along to everyone in the area to be extra vigilant over the next few weeks, as he was going to be doing things that might affect things in the area while keeping it vague. Then, just like that, Xeal stepped back into the Vault of Ucnuc for the first time in months, and as he looked at the level 50 monsters, he just smiled as they were not even worth his time anymore.

“Alright. Aalin, you’re up first. That ghoul should be a good first test. I want to see what you can handle. Gale, if a second one shows up, it is all yours. I expect you both to be able to handle an almost 30-level-lower foe without any support.”

Aalin gave Xeal a look that said she wasn’t amused before she stepped forward and engaged the ghoul as she worked on chanting her spell. Xeal could tell that she had been working on the skill like he had advised her before he left for the orc settlement, but she was still barely able to get a passing mark in it. If she wanted to pass the hard mode of her tier-up quest, she would need to do a lot better, not to even mention the nightmare mode she and the rest of his friends had insisted that they needed to at least try to survive. Xeal had tried to talk them out of it as he doubted any of them could succeed, but they all had insisted that they were going to give it a go and Aalin and Gale were the ones who would have it the hardest as both were classes that had no chance at close combat under normal circumstances, and all nightmare modes forced players into close-quarter fighting at some point. Ignis had taken to becoming more of a magus as he watched Casmir and it mixed well with the natural arcane build that he had been working on.

Aalin was struggling when a second ghoul arrived and Gale charged it, using her staff to work to keep distance between them. Xeal continued to stand and watch them, calling out advice as he noticed where they lacked proficiency. Both ladies were having trouble keeping their foe from closing the distance and Xeal could tell that they were already close to their limit one on one and he needed them to be able to handle at least five on one if they wanted to get through nightmare mode with above a D result. Still, he was happy that they were at least able to do this much as if they had failed, he would have had to label them as a lost cause. While nightmare mode was extremely difficult, it was always possible. As backline classes, Xeal knew the enemies that they would need to go toe to toe with would be about the same as a level 60 ghoul in terms of speed and power. Though four or five of them would still easily overwhelm almost all spellcasters below tier 5 as the extra reaction time made a huge difference in how much a player could handle. When more ghouls started to show up, Xeal quickly took care of them as an afterthought as he was far beyond them in every physical category.

Eating stamina recovery items like candy, Aalin and Gale continued their struggle to solo the ghouls as the group moved deeper into the vault. Ceclie used a few barrier spells to separate the pair from the rest, especially when they ran into larger groups of ghouls. Xeal would have avoided these groups when he first entered this area when he was still in his mid-40’s level wise. Now he simply smiled as he worked to take on five to ten ghouls on his own. He was pushing his own abilities by trying to handle them all without taking any hits. He had also tried his dragon’s breath skill out on them a few times and quickly realized that it was far more than they could handle, as while they survived the attack, they were completely charred to the point that they were unable to move effectively. While using this method detracted from his training, Xeal still enjoyed it as a way to vent his frustrations about how the morning had gone, and so he would finish the last few by using the breath attack from time to time. Xeal was happy that as they moved deeper, looting everything along the way, that Aalin and Gale were quickly improving. The items that they looted were mainly materials and other items enchanters would covet, with an occasional enchanted blade or piece of armor that would be a nice item to add to the guild warehouse for exchanging with guild coins. By the time the end of the session was drawing near and they needed to sleep, they had made it to the third floor and were in the middle of clearing it. With time short and feeling exhaustion starting to set in, they made their way to a safe point where they used the advanced return scrolls, calling it a day as they went to rest before logging out.

Evening November 12, 2266.

Alex stood finding himself alone as Sam and Nicole had been picked up by his mom already to make it to Jessica’s therapy session. Tonight was the first night of the Abysses End hosted events for the week and as much as Alex just wanted to skip it, he knew that he couldn’t. Still, after the events of the morning, he was about over the whole visit and it hadn’t even been a full day yet. After Alex had gotten ready and was about to message the twins to see if they were ready to go, Alex heard a knock on his door and opened it to find Ava and Mia waiting for him.

“You all calmed down now, or do we need to worry about you punching out one of the idiots that Nantan brought with him?” asked Ava while smiling.

“Though if you have to, I would suggest Cody next as I know he is a jerk as well,” added Mia.

Alex just smiled before responding.

“It looks like this is going to be a long week. From the looks of things, Nantan has brought the troubled children along this time. Though I suppose you two are far more trouble as I think about it.”

“Ha, ha, very funny. Though in all seriousness, we’re sorry. We should have just walked away when Harris started to insult us.” Ava frowned.

“Yeah, Cody may have always been making passes at us, but he never straight up called us whores like Harris did,” chipped in Mia.

“Harris was trash. If the rest of them are the same, I doubt they will last till the end of the week. I have already decided that I have no time to deal with BS. If Nantan wants to push buttons, I can do the same.”

“You know, when we first showed up, a situation like this would have been when we made our move,” teased Ava.

“Yep, with Sam and Nicole otherwise occupied, we could tempt you with no interference. Ah, but then you had to tell us that they are both expecting. Now even if we do still want in, it would leave a bad taste in our mouth if we did.” Mia pouted.

“I know, and I appreciate you both taking a step back like you have, though I’m still not sure how to handle it when it becomes obvious to Nantan.”

“Oh, Alex, we can handle Nantan. After all, you are pissed at how the morning went and we are still members of Abysses End.”

“Like it or not, we are his problem and we know just how to give him fits about the whole thing. What is he going to do, kick us out of Abysses End?”

Both Ava and Mia were smiling mischievously as they talked about messing with Nantan. Alex felt like they were looking forward to playing a game for the rest of the week with just how far they could push Nantan. Alex just let their statement hang there as they left and made their way to the car for the drive to the local batting cage. Sam and Nicole would be arriving late and when Alex arrived at the building, he was met by Nantan and the three remaining members of Abysses End, plus a new face.

“Ah, Alex, I am glad you came. I must apologize for this morning. Harris was out of line and he will be disciplined for his actions. Now as it was such a sudden departure, I decided to invite one of our members from our Los Angeles branch. This is Tao Saki. I hope she can bring some balance to this group.”

Saki was obviously of Asian descent and from the name, Alex felt like she was likely Japanese. She had hot pink hair with black roots styled in a bob cut. Her smile looked sweet and made most who looked at it feel welcomed. For Alex though that smile felt like a major trap as he had met Tao Saki in his last life when he had attended a joint recruitment event in LA. There had been over 30 workshops that had participated in the event and she had been at Abysses End’s booth using that smile to disarm a bunch of potential recruits. When Alex had talked with her, she had seemed nice enough, but he didn’t meet what they had been looking for. He had failed to secure a single workshop’s interest due to being in Nium. None of the workshops present had a major presence at the time. He had been disappointed, but as time passed, he felt like he had dodged a bullet. This had been clear when he found out about Saki’s in-game persona and how she had turned a fair bit of the players she had recruited into her personal playthings. While the five foot five, 120-pound woman, dressed in what looked like a stereotypical schoolgirl’s uniform lacking any identifying marks looked innocent, Alex knew she was an absolute man eater who lived to make men do everything for her. Now she was here and looking at Alex with her calculating brown eyes as she sized him up and he was ready to run for the hills. It took him all of two seconds to decide that he had to make sure he didn’t give her even an inch. It was time to see if Ava and Mia could keep her at bay, or if he would need to take drastic measures. Saki came up to Alex and extended her hand with the palm facing down like she was inviting him to bring it to his lips for a kiss to the back of it and spoke using all her charm to seem harmless.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I have enjoyed reading about your exploits on the forums. I really must say I am a fan.”

Alex simply ignored the hand as he responded.

“I must say your arrival was unexpected. Excuse me for not being in the best of moods right now. I am still a bit off due to the events of the morning.”

The flash of annoyance that crossed Saki’s face was gone so fast that if Alex had not been looking for it, he would have never caught it as she lowered her hand and shifted to a slightly pouty look.

“I understand. It seems this visit started off on the wrong foot, though I hope you won’t hold one member’s actions against the rest of us.”

“Were it simply a single member’s actions I would be less concerned about it, but the fact that the other three there didn’t step in before things escalated and seemed to simply be enjoying the show gives me further pause. Unfortunately, you have the misfortune of being associated with them as part of my first impression of you.”

“Ah, but you seem fine with Ava and Mia, so there must be hope still.”

“Our group didn’t start off by acting like a bunch of idiots,” cut in Mia.

“Yeah, we actually played nice like we are supposed to and you can drop that sugar sweet act, it’s sickening,” finished Ava.

“My, my, has he actually tamed the temptation twins? He must really be something, and what’s wrong with being sweet? It just says I want to be friendly.”

“You’re barking up the wrong tree. Alex already has his hands full with the girls he has.”

“Yep, if you want to be added to his schedule, he should have an opening the Tuesday after never.”

Ava and Mia had both stepped forward as they each took an arm each and pressed their bodies in tightly to him. Alex hid his annoyance at the twins making this move as he knew that Saki represented a major ripple in their game plan. With Sam and Nicole both absent, he couldn’t complain about Ava and Mia improvising like they were. His fear of Saki’s design outweighed any guilt he would have felt in the situation. Nantan stepped in before the situation could go any further as Amanda, Fred and Dan arrived.

“I believe we should move onto the night’s activity. I hope that you will give us a chance to recover from the earlier issues. I brought Saki here to address these issues as she is one of our more trusted junior members and is close to becoming a core member already. Normally she would have not been brought out to a visit like this, but I felt it was necessary to salvage the situation as much as possible. If she seems to be overly welcoming, just know it is her simply trying to make up for earlier events.”

Alex gave Nantan a searching look as he knew that the man was deflecting for Saki and he wanted to ensure that Nantan knew that Abysses End was on thin ice.

“Nantan, tell me right now, did you bring four troublemakers with you for this visit?”

“Ah, well not exactly. None of them have caused any major issues, but we do have some concerns about their maturity. Our hope is that you will have a positive effect on them as they are still young and resistant to listening to those of us who are older. You, however, are their age and should be able to make a greater impact on them, even if they only get to be around you for a week.”

“You disappoint me, Nantan. These visits are meant to be a chance for your members who show promise to interact with us, not your slightly defective members’ grinding stone. I am unsure if we should continue to have these if this is how you intend to use them.”

Alex could see Nantan sweating as he gave the older man a hard look as he made his point clear. While he did so, he made sure to keep Saki in his peripheral view. He caught her as she looked at Alex like the predator he knew her to be a few times when no one else was looking. Alex decided to put Nantan out of his misery for the moment with his next words.

“All that said, I know you aren’t the one who makes all of these decisions, so I will try and make the best out of this week, but make sure that this gets communicated to those involved. Now, let’s try and enjoy some batting practice.”

Alex watched as Nantan visibly relaxed and Saki restored her mask of kindness instantly as Alex turned and walked into the batting cage’s waiting area. Nantan had reserved four batting cages for the 12 of them as he sat back to observe as they each took turns. This meant that eight of them would be out of the cages at a time and expected to mingle while they waited. Alex didn’t like this with the moves that had already been made and made sure to send a message to Sam and Nicole on the situation as he made sure to emphasize to the rest that they needed to keep their guards up for the night. Alex was relieved that they were only scheduled to be here for around an hour and a half as everyone took six five-minute turns in the cages. Nantan split the group up into four groups of three, with Sam and Nicole in different groups from Alex. Alex found himself with Cody and Jack, Fred was with Charles and Ava, Dan was with Mia and Nicole, and Amanda was with Saki and Sam.

Alex was the first up in his group and so he stepped into his cage and walked up to the settings to control the speed, pitching mix and other settings that were available for him to adjust. Alex felt like venting some steam, but was unsure how well his body would be able to keep up, so for his first round, he decided to take it easy. He selected the pitches to be a mix of curve and fastballs with top speed set for 70 MPH. Alex settled in for what he felt would be a good warm-up as he prepared to see how fast his hand-eye coordination could respond at this point. As the first pitch came towards him, all Alex thought was slow as he swung the bat just a fraction of a second after he needed to for a clean hit of the fast ball. Ten seconds later, another fastball was headed toward him and he was a fraction early. The third pitch was a curveball and it was slightly slower and Alex had to make further adjustments as he continued to hit the balls one after another. Still, he was frustrated when the five minutes ended as he had only synced the swing perfectly twice out of the 30 pitches he had received. Even so, it had felt good to hit something to relieve the tension he felt due to the antics he felt Abysses End was pulling. As Alex handed the bat off to Cody, he noticed the man was looking at him with concern and as he looked around, he noticed that most of the group who hadn’t been in the cage was giving him a look. It was Fred who broke the silence.

“Why is everyone looking at Alex like he has an extra head?”

“Dude, you missed it. Alex hit every pitch and the look on his face while he did was like the balls had killed his dog, or something. It was kind of scary in an awesome sort of way,” replied Dan.

“What, come on. I hit every pitch as well. It’s easy when you know where they are going to be.”

“Nah, you fouled a bunch of them. Alex hit them all and he started out at 70 MPH. You were taking meatballs at 50 MPH. The display above his head gave him 20 home runs and the rest were line drives that would be near the fences as well.”

“No way. Alex has never been that good. The few times we have been out here before he was on par with us.”

“It’s called ED. If you two can’t match what I just did, you two have been slacking. All I did was concentrate on slowing everything down like it feels like in combat in game. Once you get the hang of it, hitting a 70 MPH pitch is easy. That was only a warm-up for me.”

Fred and Dan looked at Alex as he brushed it off like it was nothing and looked at one another before nodding in silent agreement that they needed to try it themselves. Meanwhile, Alex was enjoying the effect of the bloodlust he directed at the balls as it caused even Saki to hesitate to approach him as he let himself slip into a partially meditative state as the second group went, and just before they finished, Sam and Nicole walked in. Quickly Alex pulled them each into a kiss as he had missed the normal ones they enjoyed after each session in ED due to them needing to leave early. Right after the kiss ended, it was time for them both to take their turn and Alex watched as they took meatballs at 30 MPH as they focused on simply getting the timing down while not exerting themselves at all. The way they did so looked funny as their batting stance was an absolute joke, yet they made contact with each pitch. Alex just smiled as he was pleased with their results in the situation.

As Alex went up for his second turn, he instantly increased the speed to 80 MPH and got ready to swing away, once again hitting every pitch while treating them like they were the source of all his issues as he visualized all of his frustrations, honing his timing as he did so. Once he was done, Sam and Nicole were instantly at his side as they told him about how Fred had struggled with the 70 MPH pitches. When their turn came, Ava and Mia took their spots, effectively blocking Saki from any opening. This continued for the rest of their time at the batting cages, with Alex reaching 100 MPH pitches and finding that he was able to make contact with each pitch still, but he was only able to get a clean hit on one out of five. Still, both Dan and Fred had been able to almost get 70 MPH under control, though they still couldn’t replicate Alex’s first at bat. When they bid Nantan and his group farewell for the night, Alex could tell that Nantan wasn’t happy with how this visit was going. Alex couldn’t blame him. After all, the last one had been a success thanks to the fact that other than the trap he pushed forward in the twins, the members that had been selected had at least been genuine. Alex felt like Saki was just trying to figure out how to get her claws in him and the three guys were afraid of him at this point from the way Cody and Jack would flinch when they exchanged their cage’s bat between turns and avoided him when they weren’t at bat. Once Alex had made it to the car and he was alone with the four ladies, it was Sam that broke the silence.

“Well, Saki seems to be nice, and by that, I mean the skank would happily smile while gutting a pig, all while talking about makeup or fashion.”

“Sounds about right. Neither of us know her personally, but she has a reputation of being the standard that we need to live up to that is pushed by Abysses End,” commented Ava.

“Yeah, all while those who are in the same group that she came in with refuse to talk about her, like she would hear if they said anything bad about her,” added Mia.

“What do you mean?” questioned Nicole.

“Look, we only know one guy who transferred from LA to Dallas and he always gets really quiet whenever she gets brought up,” admitted Ava.

“It’s really bad. He looked like a trauma victim the few times she was brought up in the primer events that showcase the other up and comers in the workshop’s achievements,” finished Mia.

“I see. So all we know is that she is bad news, but not exactly how,” pondered Nicole.

“She is a man eater. Don’t ask me why I think that, or for evidence, but when she greeted me, alarms were going off like crazy in my head. If I could prove it, I would have left tonight and called the whole visit off. Ava, Mia, thank you for stepping in tonight. I know that after I pushed you two away you didn’t have to.”

“Alex, if any hussies from Abysses End are going to slip into your bed, it’s going to be Mia and I.”

“Yeah, and besides, we get it, you’re going to be a daddy. You have a lot on your mind and Sam and Nicole need friends right now.”

“Thanks for understanding. Now we need to make sure that we avoid letting her get me alone. We should expect Nantan to work to lower our guard and subtly create an opportunity for her to get me alone at some point this week.”

The five of them spent the rest of the car ride home discussing how to ensure that Alex was never alone at any point during the week. As Alex lay down next to Nicole, he felt like they at least had a good awareness of the trouble this week would bring.

ED year 1, days 357-358.

Xeal, Aalin and Gale returned to their continued honing of their skills as they slowly made their way deeper into the Vault of Ucnuc. Aalin and Gale were both working on dealing with two foes at once while Ceclie kept an eye on them, stepping in the moment either of them started to take hits. Both continued this for several hours as Xeal continued to dance around the rest of the foes present as he treated them like a cat would a mouse that had nowhere to run. Like this they made it down to the seventh floor that Xeal had run into the vampire his last time down here. He still remembered how infuriated he had been when Xeal had taken advantage of the wording of the contract between them to do some looting right in front of him. Now it was time to find out if that vampire made a habit of hanging out on this floor, or if it was a fluke to run into him the last time he was down here.

“Alright, let’s take a break and recover for a minute. This is as deep as I have been and we need to be ready to face the unexpected.”

“This area is still way under our level. We should be fine. Besides, Aalin and I are starting to be able to handle two foes at a time without much issue.”

“Gale, just trust me. ED can play some cruel jokes at times, especially when over-leveled players get relaxed in lower-level areas like we are now.”

“Okay, I’ll trust you.”

“Good. Ceclie, I am trusting you not to hesitate if you feel we are in over our head at any point.”

Ceclie gave Xeal a hard look as she could feel that there was something that he was leaving out through the piece of her soul bound to him by the soul contract. She could also tell it was not out of a desire to keep quiet, but more of a compulsion to do so. This piqued her curiosity as she had seen Xeal stand firm against forces that should have overwhelmed him when he freed her, and yet whatever was down here had something over him. Still, she nodded in the affirmative as they readied themselves for whatever might come.

Xeal checked the time as he knew that this floor would be their last of the day, whether or not they encountered the vampire today. He also knew that their next session would be the one where Gale learned what it meant to seal a floor. With one last review of supplies, Xeal motioned for the break to end and they returned to clearing the floor. At first it seemed like nothing was going to happen until Xeal felt like death was upon him and he found himself flying across the room as he had been pushed violently out of the way. As he stood back up and assessed the massive damage he had just taken, he could only smile as he felt Gale’s healing land on him, instantly making him feel much better. Xeal looked as where he had been before was now occupied by Ceclie who was locked in a staring contest with the same vampire that Xeal had met his last time down here. He also knew that if Ceclie hadn’t knocked him out of the way in time he would have lost his fruit of life just now.

“Ha, so this is what had you so concerned. Cruel joke is right. I must say, I would love to know how you made it out of here last time, master. I know from the way you speak you didn’t die, but I see no way you could have avoided dying.”

“Dark elf, I know not why you just saved that blood sack. Have times changed so much that your kind actually allies yourselves with them now?”

“Ha, that would be the day. No, I am more of an exception to the rule as my hate for my own kind has overshadowed my hate for the humans.”

“Ah, I see. He must have done something to free you from some lasting torment. Still, you are far from as powerful as you should be. You are still recovering from whatever fate your kind left you to, or you would have already killed me. In fact, I would say that the pair of us are relatively even as far as combat potential is right now. Wouldn’t you rather join my side and enjoy ripping these blood sacks apart? All it would take is one bite and you would even be free from the soul contract you made.”

“Ha, and I would trade one master for another. You are a fool if you think I do not know how you would become my sire, making it impossible for me to act against you.”

“Pity. You would have made a superb servant in my quest to rise to the top. Still, I think you may change your mind once I sink my teeth into you.”

It was worrying how closely matched Ceclie and the vampire were as Xeal had expected that she would be able to easily take care of him. Xeal had overestimated how close to being fully recovered Ceclie was and underestimated the combat power of the vampire. Having wrongly assumed that the vampire was a backline fighter like Ceclie, Xeal kicked himself mentally as it was clear that he was built for the front line from the brief exchange that had already happened. Knowing that he might as well be a fly for all the chance he would have against the vampire in a one on one fight, Xeal smiled as it wasn’t one on one. Quickly, Xeal charged over to Gale, giving her a look that told her all she needed to know as she pulled out her blindfold and Aalin prepped to put up her shield that would at best last a single hit when the vampire turned his attention to them. Ceclie blocked the vampire as he tried to get between the group as he had learned not to underestimate Xeal’s ability to escape. He clicked his tongue in annoyance as he watched Xeal reach Gale and lock her into a kiss as she put on a blindfold. With a smile, Xeal turned to face the vampire and spoke to Ceclie.

“Ceclie, shield me as I engage him. I am counting on you for the rest.”

“Hahahahaha…. You’re not running away? Oh, that is good. An ant like yourself thinks it can challenge me. I really must thank you. Without that item’s protection you are helpless before me. I have been hoping to sink my fangs into you ever since last time. With a bit of work, you will grow to be an excellent pawn.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, but things will not be going your way this time.”

Xeal drew in a deep breath as he closed the distance between him and the vampire as he looked at the smug smile on his face as he felt Ceclie’s shield cover him just as he passed her. Just as Xeal was halfway to the vampire, he saw him dash forward and Xeal let out his roar, catching the vampire completely off guard as he took the hit directly to the face, wiping the smile off of it. Still, the attack did little more than cause the vampire to hesitate for a split second. However, that was enough as Xeal went flying back once again from the direct hit from the vampire. When he landed, he watched as Ceclie landed a binding spell that locked the vampire down, spread-eagle face down on the ground and started another chant. The fight was over and the vampire had lost, yet he was laughing like it was the funniest thing that had ever happened.

“Call your she-wolf off. I want to make a deal.”

“No deal. You will betray us the moment you have the opportunity. I’m sorry, but I have no interest in letting you go.”

“Yet you will deal with a dark elf. You are a hypocrite.”

“No, she never tried to kill me. In fact, she begged for death when I met her. You are pleading for life, which is ironic seeing as you died a long time ago.”

“If you kill me, others will come looking before long. Will you be able to survive ten of my kind?”

“I believe we will be just fine as I am sure we have a few weeks at least before they would climb this far in search of you. We will be long gone by then and these floors will be repulsive for your kind.”

“Bastard, I hope you-”

The vampire’s last words were drowned out as Ceclie’s spell enveloped him and then he was no more. Xeal let out a deep breath as he sat on his rear and looked over to Gale who was still doubled over from the hit that she received for him, with a small pool of blood under her mouth as she struggled to breathe. Even with Ceclie shielding him, a tier 4 player had no business receiving a blow from a tier 6 entity, and now he had to relive what Gale felt, only twice as painful. Xeal walked over and pulled her into a hug, and after thanking her and apologizing, he told her to end the soul bond. Instantly Xeal felt like a fist had been shoved straight through his stomach as he howled in agony. Then it felt as if his back was broken. Xeal struggled to retain consciousness as the two blows pushed him harder than he had been with the spider, or the battle with Abysses End’s rejects. Luckily it was over as fast as it had come as he panted for breath while Aalin looked at both of them with a troubled expression.

“Are you both okay?”

“I’ll live, though I would be fine without repeating that. I barely survived those hits. I don’t know how Xeal handled double what I felt.”

“It was close. Honestly, that was far worse than the other times were. I’m sorry for putting you through that.”

“It’s my fault for not being able to keep up physically with our foe. I should be ashamed to have struggled with such an opponent. If I had been able to overwhelm him there would have been no need for you to make such a reckless move.”

“Ceclie, it was my bad. I should have known you were still hindered. It’s just hard for me to judge where you are physically when you are so far beyond me right now.”

“It is fine. I have seen how you have been pushing yourself and what you are capable of. Most of my kind’s newly minted tier 5 combatants would be no match for you. Besides, it felt good to feel the pressure of a worthy foe once more. It helps me remember how it feels to be alive. Here are the spoils for the fight.”

Ceclie handed Xeal a small piece of metal that looked like it had once been part of a sword and he smiled as he pocketed it, along with the other miscellaneous items that had dropped. All of the items dropped by the vampire were top-tier goods and Xeal was happy no level-restricted gear dropped as it would have just sat gathering dust for far too long before it would have been of use. Instead, it was mostly potions and ingredients, including vampire dust, which was an extremely rare material as vampires were not an easy, or common foe. There was a single item that gave Xeal pause as it was a letter that upon reading it, Xeal learned that the vampire hadn’t been lying about others coming to look for him eventually as the bastard was a noble blood. What the hell he was doing up here was beyond Xeal’s understanding, but he knew that this was going to cause issues. Xeal smiled bitterly as he took stock of their situation before deciding that they had reached their limit for this session and directing the group to the nearest safe point. After returning to the capital, Xeal finished out the rest of his login in the royal forging room working to improve his smithing. It was during this session that Xeal finally reached the rank of silver as a smith.

Morning November 13, 2266.

Alex arrived at the dance studio for their morning lesson and found Nantan and the visiting members of Abysses End already present. He did his best to keep his wall up as Nantan and Saki approached him with warm smiles as Nantan greeted him.

“Alex, it is nice to see you this morning. Do you have any suggestions for dance partners this morning?”

“That is quite easy. I will be dancing with Nicole and Sam as I always do. As the five of you are going to be focusing on the basics, the group agreed that Ava, Mia, Officer Chen and Jessica would be the best partners for you, while Samuel takes care of Saki.”

“Samuel is the instructor correct?”

“Yes, he normally dances with Ava and Mia during lessons so they should be the best at giving instruction. I would recommend that you dance with Jessica and the rest should cycle through partners.”

Alex smiled as with Officer Chen around he could feel assured that only an idiot would pull a stunt and he enjoyed the discomfort that crossed Nantan’s face at the reminder of a police officer’s presence. At this point the rest of the group started to arrive and Alex walked into the studio where Samuel was waiting, ready to start the lesson for the day which, to Alex’s delight, was uneventful. After it was over, Nantan thanked Alex for including them and thanked Jessica for a pleasant time dancing, to which she forced a smile and thanked him back. Nantan made sure to remind Alex about the activity that night which was a beach night that started at 4:00 sharp as sunset was at 4:54 and Nantan had reserved a BBQ grill again. Alex nodded and assured Nantan that he and the rest of the group would be there, before heading home for the day. Once they were in the car, they all breathed a sigh of relief as Ava and Mia launched into all the complaints they had about how Charles, Cody and Jack had taken advantage of the situation to have their bodies in contact with them. Though they also laughed at how stiff they had been for Officer Chen. Once they arrived back at the apartment, the twins split off as Alex, Sam and Nicole sat to enjoy a quick breakfast.

“So, I haven’t heard how the therapy session went last night.”

“Oh, it was interesting,” evaded Sam.

“And?”

“Look, it was a bit enlightening for both of us and we kind of feel like we would like to keep it private for a bit while we work through a few decisions on our own. It is nothing to do with the relationship between us, it is more to do with how we are going to handle a few things that became clear to us while we were waiting on Jessica to finish up before we left,” supplied Nicole.

“Alright, got it. Just let me know if you need anything on my end. I am just hoping everything turns out okay. Now let’s get back to work.”

Sam and Nicole smiled as they gave Alex kisses before returning to ED.

ED year 1, day 359.

After returning to the Vault of Ucnuc, Xeal and his group continued their clearing of each floor as they continued to move closer to the tenth floor, which was their first goal. There they would find the first source of corruption that was causing the dead to rise in both the vault and the Ethereal Bog that surrounded it. By sealing this source, it would cause the power of the others to increase as it was like a bucket full of holes, and if you plugged one, the others would increase in strength. To make matters worse, you couldn’t seal a lower one until the ones above it were sealed. The only saving grace was that the extra power fed outside to increase the difficulty of the Ethereal Bog, not the lower floors of the Vault of Ucnuc. On their way down, both Gale and Aalin were able to completely get used to dealing with two enemies and progress to three with Bula’s support, making it more like two and a half, which was far better than Xeal had expected of either of them. Still, the foes were only level 59 at most and the real challenge was still to come.

As Xeal entered the central chamber on the tenth floor he instantly identified the source that needed to be sealed. It looked like a well for water, only it had black mist flowing out of it before dissolving into the air a few feet away from it. Simply approaching this well caused major discomfort and as Xeal reached the edge of where the mist dissolved, he could see his health starting to slowly drain. It was time to fend off the vault as it resisted Gale’s sealing attempt. They had been over the procedure a few times before they arrived and Xeal looked over at her as she placed the crystals in a circle, charging each of them with a little bit of her magic as she did so. Once she had placed three of them down, she pulled out some chalk that was specially ground with crystals in its mix and went about drawing a Norse trinity symbol, placing the well in the center as she did so. As she did this the mist began to shift forms as it coalesced into a large, but mostly translucent demon with large horns coming out of a skull wreathed in black flames, wielding a flanged mace whose head was the size of Xeal’s torso. The pressure in the room skyrocketed as the demon swung its mace, instantly aiming for Gale, as Aalin put up a barrier to block it just in time as Xeal let out his dragon’s breath right in its face. With a roar of pain mixed with anger, Xeal had successfully drawn the demon’s attention as it zeroed in on him. Xeal simply smiled as he moved to keep its back to Gale as she continued the process of setting up the seal. Xeal knew that he couldn’t kill the demon as it was simply a projection of what lay in wait once they reached the bottom floor and cleared the entirety of the vault once and for all. Or, at least, that was the hope. History had shown in his last life that it could be undone with disastrous results. Ceclie and Bula were standing by as Xeal knew that the moment either of them stepped into the room the difficulty would spike to match the highest tier present.

Ten minutes after they had started, Gale finished the drawing and Xeal was a bit worse for wear, but still very much in control, as the blood leaking from his lips was self-inflicted from all the uses of dragon’s breath he had executed to ensure the mist was constantly struggling to hold its form the whole time. With a nod from Gale, Xeal knew it was time to retreat as he did not want to be in the center when the seal took hold. As he escaped the center, he shot one last dragon’s breath at the demon for good measure as Gale started her chant, causing the lines on the floor to radiate light. As the demon restored its form once more and bellowed in rage as the light increased in intensity, it struggled by pounding against the barrier, causing a slight trickle of blood to leak from Gale’s nose. However, it was too late as the seal completed and the demon was forced down into the well while the crystals dissolved into the floor, with the chalk leaving the design behind permanently. Xeal and Gale were both breathing hard as they recovered from the ordeal when Xeal received a message from the group up top acting as guards to the vault, about a sudden quake followed by the sudden arrival of many more powerful monsters. Xeal quickly sent the evacuation order that he had prepared beforehand as he readied himself to report to the guild’s headquarters to deal with the shifting situation caused by placing the seal on this floor.

“Ceclie, this is now your post until we dive deeper. If anyone approaches other than myself, assume that they are not authorized to be here.”

“Does that mean I can kill them?”

“No, capture them, if possible. I want to have a chance to interrogate them before we dispose of them.”

“Very well, I will await your return.”

“Alright. Gale, Aalin, I just got a report. Apparently the strength of the monsters outside just skyrocketed. It is likely that sealing this area caused the sudden change and we need to head to headquarters to deal with it.”

“Does that mean that each time we do this it will cause the same thing to happen?” posed Aalin.

“That is likely. Now let’s go before the situation gets out of hand.”

When Xeal arrived at guild headquarters, he walked in to an emergency meeting that had been called by him and Taya had organized. Present was all of FAE’s vice guild leaders that were currently online, including Friva who was still adjusting to her new role. Casmir was missing as he was currently offline. Still, the situation before them was minor enough that it didn’t even really need all of those present to be involved. Xeal wasted no time as he took the floor.

“Alright, I want to keep this brief. You are all aware that just a short while ago a significant change occurred in the area surrounding the Vault of Ucnuc. This is likely due to the actions of my party as we sealed a source of corruption. Gale should have the quest log to show it as she was the only valid class for the quest as it is a cleric-only quest.”

Gale shared her log with the group, showing the quest info, including the quest to seal the next one that was generated upon completing this one. With that information the group discussed for a bit before Xeal took control back.

“Look, first thing we need to do is compensate any of our members who got killed due to the sudden change. Taya has already dispatched recovery teams to revive as many as can be, but the items we have available right now still leave the players missing a good chunk of their experience. Luckily, most were able to get out of the area and we only have a few dozen members who failed to escape, or sacrificed themselves to let the rest of their team do so.”

“What would you suggest as proper compensation, guild leader?” interrupted Friva in a tone that sounded as if it was a challenge of a sort.

Xeal took a moment to think through things and how he really hadn’t had time to do more than look at reports about how her group was integrating. They had been full of comments of issues with the elite players who had lost a fair bit with the dissolution of Rising Oblivion. He could understand how she was probably feeling as she had to deal with their dissatisfaction directly on a daily basis. Xeal had figured that Friva would be able to handle it without issue, but from the tone she was taking it sounded like that was not the case.

“Friva, all of the players who died will likely get guild coins worth around a gold, depending on circumstances.”

“Is it really the guild’s problem? You did send out a warning that you were doing things that might have an effect on the area. Why should we pay the bill for those who failed to react in time? Once we add in the cost of revival, that is two gold per player.”

“Yes, and most of them were there on guild direction. I understand the frustration as we are talking 50 to 100 gold, which is a significant amount to most. Trust me when I say our guild can take the hit. It would be far worse not to compensate them as the direction did not say proceed at your own risk and we were unsure as to how the area would be affected. Going forward we will need to change out the players in the area before we seal the next level.”

“I still think those funds would be better spent on improving our elite members.”

“Your objection is noted and I understand your reasons, but the best way to ensure that our elite members are invested in is to ensure our regular players are happy. We are not Night Oath. We need the mass of players trading their loot in for basic gear that our crafters can mass produce. While we have deals that could see our supply and customer base grow rapidly, if we ignore our internal source, we will leave ourselves vulnerable to certain tactics. Now let’s get moving on these actions and make sure that we give extra compensation to the players who sacrificed themselves to save the rest of their party.”

With that the meeting came to a close and Taya went into action to set things into motion. Xeal also pulled Friva aside for a quick one on one in a side office.

“Talk to me. I know from the reports that there has been some friction on your end with your core members who followed you and I have been hard to get ahold of.”

“It’s nothing that I can’t handle.”

“Friva, I know you are capable. You just got dealt a crap hand and I am happy to have you join my team. Now let me help you help me as your success is my own success.”

“You’re an idealist, you know that?”

“Ha, I could see how you would think that. No, I am as much of a realist as one can be. I am well aware that we are driving at full speed and there is a wall called tier 5 that, while we will have the first players to reach it, we will also find ourselves at an extreme disadvantage in numbers when the major workshops start to reach tier 5 as well. Your concern is about our members being overwhelmed by numbers as they flood Nium simply to strangle our growth. You know that after what we have displayed with the last assault that they will avoid a direct approach for a good long while, and we can’t win a prolonged indirect conflict.”

“If you know this, then why aren’t you taking steps to ensure that we are not overwhelmed?”

Xeal smiled as he responded.

“Friva, I could turn all of our members into tier 5 players and it wouldn’t change the situation in the slightest. There will be hundreds of guilds that will be coordinating together and in opposition of each other. It will likely be an absolute mess and we will have no hope of winning it if we play on their terms. The Vault of Ucnuc, Kobold mine and other such locations are our guild’s life lines to survive. It is why I will not be sealing the third source of corruption for a good long while, even though Gale and I could likely succeed now at doing so. They are where our members will be able to thrive while the other major powers will only be able to look on in envy. Everything I am doing right now has been to ensure that we secure enough of these locations which provide us with a built-in guardian for our members to grow in. That, plus the battle arena that is almost completed at the fort town, and we should be fine as far as our members’ long-term growth is concerned. Friva, you need to realize that the only way to win against the major workshops when they unite to remove a common threat is to not play the game that they are playing.”

Xeal let out a deep breath as he calmed down after unleashing his rant.

“I apologize. I have been dealing with Abysses End and Jingong in reality the last week and I expect it won’t be long before Fire Oath shows up. The path that I am walking is not fun and I am well aware that it would be so much easier to simply take my money and walk away from it all, but that would leave you, Taya, and several others out to dry as whoever I sold out to did as they pleased with my guild. I get it, you have everything on the line right now and you have to trust that I am going to deliver as those who you have known and should trust more than me whisper doubts in your ear. This is not easy and I won’t promise it will turn out perfectly, but we will survive intact and that is a victory in itself as you can only fight if you are alive and strong enough to do so.”

Friva had a contemplative look on her face, as she responded.

“I see. Thank you for sharing with me. Don’t mistake my challenge of your decisions as questioning your ability to see us through the upcoming trial. I simply don’t see what you do at times. I still can’t believe you are 18 and already dealing with organizations who should eat you alive, and surviving.”

“Thank you, and don’t think that I am upset at you having questions. I would be disappointed if you didn’t. What concerns me is when I feel you might close yourself off from my leadership. You are a vice guild leader. I need you to work with me, not against me.”

“I know. I can just get lost in my own issues and I will do better, but you need to make time for me and your other vice leaders as you can often feel like a dictator with your friends all seeming like your yes men. Honestly, I think it was a mistake to make them all vice guild leaders.”

“Had it not been done at our founding you would be right. Each of them is inadequate in almost every area, yet they continue to grow and are transforming into what I need them to be. It shows our members that anyone can grow if they apply themselves. My hope is that they will grow into their roles as time goes on. As for making time, I can’t make any promises until things have calmed down.”

“Fair. This was a good chat, and I will do my best to calm the issues on my end.”

“Thanks, now it is time for me to get some rest in.”

Evening November 13 to Morning November 14, 2266 & ED year 1, days 360-362.

The evening of the 13th saw Alex and his group at the beach for burgers and beach fun hosted by Nantan. Sam and Nicole stuck with Alex like they were joined at the hip, much to Saki’s annoyance as she tried to spark a conversation multiple times, only for Alex, Sam or Nicole to shut it down. Amanda and the twins hung out while Dan and Fred played interference on Jack, Cody and Charles, as Nantan manned the grill. Alex almost wanted to smirk at how well the setup had played out as he made it through another event without issue.

The following morning, Sensei Sano welcomed everyone for kendo practice. After he made sure all of the members from Abysses End knew the basics of etiquette for the dojo, they went about working on their practice swings and stances. Alex could tell from the way that Saki moved that she was well versed in kendo, a fact that was not missed by Sensei Sano as he pulled her aside for a quick evaluation spar. Alex watched as she struggled, but met Sensei Sano’s standard as he called Alex over after he allowed Saki to catch her breath.

“Alex, I would like you to have a quick match with Saki. She has enough experience that I feel she will be fine being an instructional partner for you while I watch to see what you can do. Perhaps, if you and one more can get enough practice in these next two lessons, we might be able to incorporate sparring before you shift your time.”

Xeal tried to ignore the smile on Saki’s face as she had finally gotten him almost alone as he decided to make her regret her wish.

“I understand, Sensei. I apologize if I go a bit overboard as I haven’t learned to pull my blows in actual sparring yet.”

“Very good. Just try to avoid anything that might do major damage before you get the hang of it. Now, Saki, make sure you don’t go for the win too fast as Alex is going to be focused on learning this match.”

“Understood, Sensei.”

With that Alex put on the sparring armor as he took a stance across from Saki. Sensei Sano took up a position to the side as he signaled for the match to begin and Alex wasted no time as he didn’t even try to hold back, letting out his kiai (spirited shout) and brought his shinai to meet Saki’s shinai. Everyone watched as Saki lost her grip as Alex’s blow sent it spinning off in the distance. It took Sensei Sano a second to recover as he tried to process how quickly that happened as Saki nursed her fingers that Alex had hit without holding back in the slightest.

“I see, perhaps I was a bit hasty in thinking she would make a good partner for you to spar with for a bit. Saki, are you alright?”

“I will be fine. I wasn’t expecting him to move so fluidly as he has had little sparring experience. I will be better prepared for the next clash.”

“Very well. Alex, Saki, to your places.”

The rest of the lesson saw Alex picking apart Saki with everything he had as she refused to call it quits while Sensei Sano gave them both pointers and compliments when they performed well. By the end of it, Sensei Sano was pleased with Alex’s ability, though he felt he would be a poor sparring partner for anyone lacking experience. At best he would be able to play defense as the others attempted to get sparring experience. When Saki took off the sparring gear, Alex could see her wincing as she moved from the number of hits he had landed on her. Still, she would have a few bruises at worse, so he felt he had not gone too overboard on her.

(*****)

Xeal and his party spent the next two logins working to dive deeper into the Vault of Ucnuc as they worked to reach the 20th floor where the next source of corruption was. During their time, both Aalin and Gale had managed to work up to dealing with three foes at a time, though Xeal could tell that they were at their limit by the time they were done with the 19th floor. Even so, the result was beyond what he had hoped for since if they could handle three level 69 enemies, then they should be able to handle five level 55, or under, non-speed-based ones. Still, with the 20th floor in front of them and no further interference by vampires, Xeal was trying to figure out what that one had been doing as high up as he had been and what had happened last time around. Either way, Xeal knew what lay in front of him and he went ahead and called it a day as they located the central chamber where another well was leaking thicker black mist than the last one and returned to the guild headquarters. There they informed Taya that it was time to prepare to switch out the parties in the area for ones who could handle level 70 monsters. She needed to have them ready to go by the time his teatime with Enye and Dyllis at the start of his next session was over.

Evening November 14, 2266.

As Alex pulled up to the bowling alley that Nantan had reserved three lanes at for the evening gathering, he took a moment to calm himself as he stepped into Nantan’s court. He was sure that Saki would be on his lane and Nantan would try to separate him from Sam and Nicole after the night at the beach. It was likely that Ava and Mia would be on another lane as well. Still, with four on two lanes and five on another, Alex was unsure of the exact play. As he entered, Alex found the Abysses End members already split between the three lanes, with Nantan and Saki on the center one and Cody and Jack on the left, with Charles on the right one. They were waiting for Alex and company and had already added their names to the lanes. Ava and Mia had been added to Charles’s lane with Amanda, and Dan and Fred were with Cody and Jack. To Alex’s surprise, both Sam and Nicole were with him on the lane that Saki and Nantan were on. Before Alex could fully process the reasoning why Nantan would move forward with that strategy, Nantan was already greeting him.

“Alex, good evening. I hope you don’t mind that I went ahead and assigned lanes already. Just let the front desk know you are with me and they will get you shoes.”

“It’s fine, though Fred and Amanda might like to be on the same lane.”

“Ah, I will switch Dan and her then. If that is all, then we can get started.”

As Nantan finished talking, he retreated before Alex could make any other suggestions as Dan, Fred and Amanda walked in. Alex was still figuring out the strategy when he got to the lane and found that he was first up in the order and quickly picked up a house ball. He was using a 14-pound ball as he walked up to the back line and took a moment to go through his motions before walking to the foul line. Alex lofted the ball down the lane, knocking over all but the six and ten pin. As Alex took a breath and went to the ball return to get a second ball, he took note of how Saki was attempting to start up a conversation with Sam and Nicole while Nantan paid attention to Alex as he was next in the order. Alex would have been concerned if Sam and Nicole hadn’t been warned about Saki already as the strategy that Nantan was going for clicked into place. He was hoping that Saki could do the same as Mia and Ava and use Sam and Nicole as an entrance route. Smiling, Alex went up to the lane and lofted the ball, picking up his spare and returning as Nantan picked up a ball and readied himself for his turn as Sam, Nicole and Saki continued their awkward conversation, until Alex sat down between Sam and Nicole.

“Ah, Alex, nice spare. So how are you doing this evening?”

“I am doing good. I hope that you are feeling alright after our sparring this morning. I must apologize. I have been dealing with several frustrations recently and I may have let a few of them out on you without thinking.”

“Oh, I am fine. These are nothing compared to what I went through as a child. My grandfather was big on kendo and he put all of his grandkids through their paces. Honestly, it was bittersweet as he was great to be around but he didn’t believe in a gentle approach to life and believed that pain was necessary to become strong enough to succeed in life.”

“You talk as if he has passed.”

“Oh, yes, he died when I was 16. It was unfortunate, but also a good thing as he was over 100 at the time. He didn’t start a family until late in his life and I am the youngest of my cousins. He lived a full life and it was just his time. Now let’s move to happier topics. I was thinking that I should spar with either Sam or Nicole next time as while your technique is still raw, it is clear that I am not a good match for you.”

Just then Nantan returned and it was Sam’s turn and she excused herself as Nicole responded to Saki’s suggestion.

“Sam and I are not looking to start sparring yet. We both prefer to go through the motions while avoiding the physical conflicts.”

“Why are you doing kendo if you don’t intend to spar? Aikido makes sense as it is good as a passive defense technique, if you want to use it as such.”

“Sam and Nicole are working on control, including an increase in focus. Our training has two purposes. The first is to keep our bodies healthy, and the second is to reinforce our skills in ED. For Sam and Nicole this means that, as casters, the mental side of it and focusing on technique as they go through the motions is key.”

“I see. Oh, it looks like it is my turn.”

Saki was quick to take her turn and Sam returned after knocking eight pins down and quickly caught up on what she had missed. The rest of the night continued like this as Saki continued to probe Nicole and Sam for openings as she kept a casual conversation between turns the whole time. Alex once again had the best score with a 156, but Saki wasn’t far behind with a 152, and if she had not had a seven-ten split on the last frame of her second game she would have likely taken the best score of the night. The car ride to the apartment was spent discussing the night as Sam and Nicole vented at having to act like they couldn’t tell that Saki was trying to befriend them so she could get to Alex. They even thanked Ava and Mia for being honest with them from the start as the pair joined in on the Saki bashing while Alex just smiled as he listened.

ED year 1, days 363-364.

As Xeal welcomed Enye and Dyllis to his gardens for tea, he smiled at the smiles they gave him while wearing his gifts to them with joy. Once the formalities were taken care of and the royal guards had stepped back to a suitable distance, they all took their seats as Enye and Dyllis claimed Xeal’s right and left side. Aalin and Gale took the other two seats as the five of them relaxed and enjoyed some tea and snacks for a moment before going into the serious topics of the day.

“Ah, Xeal, it is always nice to find time to spend with you. I can’t wait for you to become truly ours,” opened Enye.

“Yes, and while I wish you had more time for us, we know that you are focused on important matters. Speaking of which, is it true that you are working to purge the corruption that has permeated the Ethereal Bog as it seeps out of that horrid vault that the undead call home?” inquired Dyllis.

“Yes, though it should be years before it will be complete and it will likely cause the situation in the Ethereal Bog to become disastrous before we succeed.”

“Ah, yes, my father did mention that concern in his letter. He asked me to warn you that you shouldn’t seal it too much before you were ready to seal it completely as he doesn’t believe his current guards could handle it if things get too out of control in the area.”

“Dyllis, let your father know he can rest assured that we will only seal an area that my guild can handle the overflow that is caused on the surface easily. As things stand right now, we intend to seal one more section before stopping while our members work to reach tier 5.”

“Wonderful. He will be happy to hear that. Now, onto what your plans are for the new year as it will be upon us soon and we are currently scheduled to have our next date on the first day of the new year.”

Xeal smiled as the calendar of Eternal Dominion was based on the arrival of adventurers to their world. The back story as to why it was like that was simply that every country had decided that it was a significant enough of an event to mark the start of a new age and had decreed it as the new start of the year. All of this had been baked into the world on launch, and as such, most players didn’t even know that to NPCs this had involved the shifting of days of the month and everything else for their calendar to match things up.

“It really has almost been a year since we arrived in this world. I must say, it has felt like a blur as time has just slipped away,” reminisced Xeal.

“Ha, you have never had time to slow down. Honestly, Xeal, it has been nonstop for you since the beginning. While most players were still learning how to fight, you were saving people and working to become a knight and guild leader,” commented Gale.

“Indeed, you have yet to slow down. If we didn’t force you to take the time for these teatimes and our dates, you would likely never leave your grinding and questing except to get the sleep you need,” added Aalin.

“I have too much to do and so little time.”

“Honestly, Xeal, Aalin and Gale are right. Even now I can tell you are thinking about the future. Luckily for you it is the future of us and not what your next quest is, or I would be mad,” quipped Enye.

“That might be scarier than the worm I had to fight to impress the orcs. I know that I have been moving forward at a bit of an accelerated pace, but it won’t be like this forever as once I can ensure the stability of FAE and Nium, I will be able to relax.”

“So, never. Honestly, you act as if the world will just stop turning because you think everything is good. A kingdom must always be on guard and your guild will be no different,” rebutted Dyllis.

“I see your point. My wording was poor. What I meant to say, once my own strength is sufficient and I have others who can handle most of the needed work, I will be able to take a step back. That said, all I will promise you all is that around 20 years from now I will be able to slow down.”

All four ladies were giving Xeal a look that said he was crazy for a moment before Enye responded.

“So, once our children are grown and ready, or about ready to marry, you will finally slow down to enjoy our grandchildren.”

“Enye, 20 years may seem like an eternity right now and I am aware that it is longer than any of us have lived to this point, but it won’t be that long. Heck, most nobles never get to slow down before they retire from court completely.”

“Nope, as my husband you will take breaks when I deem it prudent. You will not be a complete ghost to our children. I know that I can’t expect you to stand still for me, but you will slow down on occasion, if not for your sake, for our children’s sake.”

Enye’s posture told Xeal he was not going to win this fight and the other three ladies had similar looks on their faces. Even Aalin and Gale looked ready to pile on.

“Look, I will agree that I need to spend time with all of you and our children and I will. That said, when war comes, I will be on the front lines to ensure their future as well as ours, even if it means I am a ghost.”

“That is how it should be. None of us are saying that you should hide here when our prosperity is in danger, we just want you to be here to enjoy life from time to time,” responded Enye.

Xeal acquiesced with that and the remainder of the teatime’s conversation shifted to the situation with the orcs and plans for Xeal, Gale and Aalin to join the royal family for the celebration of the new year. After working out some of the details, everything was set and Xeal had another banquet to attend, though it was set to be a smaller one.

(*****)

A few hours after the teatime was over, Xeal and his party were standing outside of the central chamber of the 20th floor of the Vault of Ucnuc, ready to handle the next source of corruption. Xeal had received confirmation that all of the members who were acting as guards above had been replaced with level 68 and up players who could handle level 70 opponents, including the occasional incorporeal ones that had begun to show up on this floor. Xeal was happy that he had taken the time to pick up a few spare swords that, while their stats were inferior to the ones he normally used, could deal damage to incorporeal foes, in anticipation of the need. With that said, Xeal and Gale initiated the process of getting the seal in place while Aalin acted as backup in case anything went wrong, or either of them needed a quick force shield. Much to Xeal’s relief, the fight went much like the last one, with the exception of how much damage he took from his proximity to the mist. He had lost half of his health while Gale completed the seal and he knew it was due to a mix of his own low constitution stat and the increased potency of the mist. If he was going to try and seal the source of corruption on the 30th floor, he would need to either raise his health significantly, or have someone who he could switch out with present.

With all of that in mind, Xeal checked with the members who were topside on the situation up there, and once he confirmed that everything was within expectations, he turned to continue his descent into the lower levels as he honed his skills while slowly leveling due to the under-leveled enemies. Still, it was a great exercise to partake in with what he was expecting to come next for him.

Morning November 15 to Evening November 17, 2266 & ED year 1, day 365 to year 2 day 8.

The next three days for Alex were stressful as he continued to deal with Abysses End’s members, especially as it seemed Nantan was content to let Alex ignore the three guys, but made sure Saki had plenty of time near him, Sam and Nicole. At aikido on the morning of the 15th, Alex had enjoyed that he had been able to avoid Saki almost completely, but Sam and Nicole were not as lucky as Saki had joined their light duty group. That evening had been laser tag and Saki seemed determined to stick with Alex, but he had decided to give her a full workout if she was going to play that game. Alex made sure to stay constantly on the move the entire time, giving himself a decent workout and causing Saki to be too worn out for much talking. The morning of the 16th saw them back at the dance studio for swing dance and Nantan had insisted that they mix up the dancing partners to help facilitate good relations. After a bit of back and forth where Alex had put his foot down on any of the guys dancing with Sam and Nicole due to the issues he heard about last time, Nantan had relented so long as Alex danced with Saki for the lesson. As Alex found himself with Saki, he decided that he was going to give her a full workout again. Still, she managed to try and strike up a conversation during each of the breaks as Alex tried to give short answers built to cut off the conversation each time. Finally, at the end, Saki went for the direct approach.

“Alex, have I done something to make you dislike me? It seems like you are doing everything you can to get rid of me at all of these events.”

“Saki, do you see Ava and Mia?”

“Yes.”

“The last time I didn’t shut down a lady from Abysses End, they didn’t leave. The last thing I wish for is for that to become a pattern. If you don’t think the other major players are watching my every move and habit right now, planning their own approaches, you are far more naive than I believe you to be.”

“I simply am trying to be friendly.”

“I really don’t care what your intentions are, my life is complex enough as it is. The last thing I need is a horde of women trying to become friendly with me.”

Saki looked thoughtful at Alex’s words and she just let his statement stand as the dance lesson ended and the groups went their own ways for the morning. That evening, Saki was back to working on Sam and Nicole, as well as Ava and Mia, while Nantan had brought them to a local tabletop gaming store that had let him rent out a few tables until 6:00 as they had other events starting then. Nantan had produced a couple party games for the group to play together that involved responding to prompt cards with the cards you were dealt. Alex had to admit it had been fun and enjoyable, especially when a particularly good combination was played. When the night ended, Alex started to feel like everything was going to work out as there were only two days left before Abysses End left and he wouldn’t have to deal with this again until the 17th of December.

Saturday the 17th of November saw the group back at the kendo dojo and Saki found herself sparring with Ava and Mia, while Dan and Fred took turns trying to break through Alex’s defense. As a whole, Sensei Sano was pleased with the results and figured that light sparring could start to be worked in, but he still felt that they needed to attend a lesson in the afternoon to learn from more sparring partners. That evening, Nantan took them all out for dinner at a nicer restaurant as he thanked Alex for hosting once again and apologizing for the rocky start to the week. Once dinner was done, Alex breathed out a sigh as he drove back to the apartment as he only had one day left and he could return to normality.

(*****)

Xeal spent his time during each of his logins working to move deeper in the Vault of Ucnuc as he continued to hone his skills by taking on larger and larger groups of foes. He was doing this without relying on the stat boost from his Behemoth Slayer title as it would not be useable during his tier-up challenge this time. With Ceclie acting as backup, Xeal was able to advance smoothly as Gale and Aalin left to do further prep for their tier-up quest that required them to separate ahead of it. The only real breaks from this for Xeal, other than rest during these logins, were his dates with Dyllis, Aalin, Enye and the new year’s gathering in the palace.

Xeal had dressed in his nicest formal wear as he walked with Aalin and Gale to the palace that night around 8:00. The event was set to last until 1:00 in the morning as they welcomed the future and what it held. When they arrived, they quickly found that it was a very small event as only the royal family and a few of their family members were present. As Xeal looked around, he could see several of the auxiliary princes and princesses walking around. Most of them didn’t have much of a public presence due to being King Vincent’s second through sixth wives’ children. Most had also been married off into influential noble families, both within the kingdom and abroad, making this a bit of a family reunion with how many had made the trip. Xeal recognized a few from his last life as they had played various roles during the wars, from generals, diplomats and many more. Several of them would lose their lives during the conflicts that were to come, including Queen Eleanor’s only other son besides Victor. Valentine Vidfamne was Victor’s younger brother and the kingdom’s second prince, who was serving in the kingdom’s military. As such he was rarely around and it was intended for him to be married off to another kingdom once Victor produced an heir. Before Xeal could finish taking in the room, Enye and Dyllis arrived in front of him, wearing simple yet elegant gowns, with radiant smiles as Enye welcomed them.

“It is good that you could make it. As you can see, it is only family here tonight. As such, no titles are necessary. Under normal circumstances you all would not be included as our engagement is still tentative, but I insisted as it will be the only chance you have to meet many of my siblings before we would be wed. Also, it wasn’t hard to convince Father as Victor has shown full confidence in you and Mother has made her will be known in your favor as well.”

“That explains why Xeal has been included, but why Dyllis, Aalin and I?”

“Gale, the three of you intend to marry Xeal as well, so you are considered extended family as well as my personal support. Once we are all married to him, I will be seen as the face for his wives and you will be seen as my direct agents in many things. To exclude you would be the same as excluding my father’s wives who are not my mother.”

Xeal could feel sweat form on his head as he realized that in the whirlwind of events that he called a life, he had failed to actually discuss Gale and Aalin marrying him in ED. He knew that the situation in reality would make it difficult for them to be legally married, but he knew that they could have that here. He knew he needed to act fast as both Aalin and Gale were giving him a look.

“Ah, about that. While it is fair to assume that things are heading that direction, I have neglected to actually sit down and discuss it with either of them.”

Enye looked shocked at Xeal’s confession as Xeal quickly continued to talk, hoping to salvage the situation.

“I feel like right now is not the best time for the conversation, but I promise that before our next teatime I will have cleared the situation up and we will know where everything stands.”

“Xeal, you can really be a fool at times, but I do love that about you. Gale, Aalin, you do intend to marry Xeal, correct?”

Both Aalin and Gale smiled mischievously at the question before Gale responded.

“I don’t know, he has failed to ask me so far.”

“I know, he can be so dense at times, but I think he is a keeper so as long as he is willing to show me just how much he wants to have me. I will gladly accept his proposal when he gives it.”

“Aalin, you are letting him off too easy. I think he is going to have to sweep me off my feet for a second time before I will say yes for sure.”

Xeal smiled as he turned and swept Gale into his arms and spoke so only the four ladies near him could hear.

“Samantha Carter, will you become mine in both body and soul, to be loved and love, for as long as we both shall live?”

Gale was blushing brightly as she looked into Xeal’s eyes as she struggled to get her breath under control, but she managed a single word.

“Yes.”

Xeal gave her a deep kiss and as he set her down. He could see that they had gathered a bit of an audience. Even so, he simply smiled as Gale acted like she was both embarrassed and extremely happy as she held onto Xeal’s arm. After a moment the crowd decided to give them a bit of space as Xeal turned to Aalin who had a conflicted look on her face. Xeal stepped forward to speak in her ear so only she could hear as Gale let them have a moment.

“Nicole, I do intend to marry you as well and will be asking you the same question soon, but doing so right now would be wrong. Both you and Sam deserve your own moment, and for Sam now felt right. I love you more than should be possible. Just know that I am not ignoring you and I see you.”

“I love you too, Alex, and thank you for knowing me well enough to know what I need.”

Xeal and Aalin enjoyed a chaste kiss before separating and turning back to Enye and Dyllis.

“Honestly, I was simply looking for an affirmative on the matter, yet you just went ahead and made it official in such a dramatic fashion. I must say that I hope the moment you ask me you can make sure it lives up to that.”

Xeal simply smiled at Enye and responded.

“Enye, I will do what I feel is right when it comes time to ask you and Dyllis to officially be my wives. I make no promises on the how or when, other than that.”

“Very well. Now let’s enjoy the gathering.”

Enye took Xeal’s right arm as Dyllis, Aalin, and a blushing Gale fell in behind them as Enye guided them around to meet several of her siblings. Unlike Enye, Victor and Valentine, all of the other siblings present held their mothers’ house names as they didn’t have inheritance rights to the throne. It was still possible that if something happened to Victor and Valentine before an heir was produced by either, that one of them could be given the Vidfamne name and become the crown prince, but it was unlikely. As Xeal was being introduced to Enye’s older sister Rosalind, who had been married off to another kingdom, Prince Valentine approached them on his own.

“Ah, little sister, I take it this is Xeal. It is a pleasure to meet a man of action such as you.”

Xeal took a second to take in Prince Valentine who had the same green eyes of his brother and could pass as his twin, if not for the black hair that matched Enye’s. As Xeal measured up Prince Valentine, Enye responded

“Ah, brother, you startled me. Yes, this is Xeal.”

“Prince Valentine, it is good to make your acquaintance.”

“Ah, you know my name. Very good. Now I take it the rest of these lovely ladies are the reason that my little sister will have to share your affection.”

“Ah, yes, this is Dyllis, Gale and Aalin. We are all good friends.”

Xeal could tell that Enye was flustered and worried about something. Prince Valentine had died in an early conflict with the kingdom of Habia in Xeal’s last life, and other than his wake, Xeal could not remember anything about him. The read Xeal was getting right now was of an older brother who was coming over to intimidate his sister’s boyfriend, but with how Enye was acting, Xeal felt there was more. Before he could complete his read of Prince Valentine, Victor arrived.

“Ah, Xeal, it is good to see you and these lovely ladies, though I should be careful, or Mother will try and convince me to settle down.”

“Brother, how nice of you to join us. Now all of us are together. So please tell me why you found Xeal here worthy of our little sister, again.”

“Valentine, honestly, do you even read the updates I know Mother has sent you? Xeal here represents the future of our kingdom. Honestly, I would have thought the fact that Mother approves of him to the point that she will force his promotion to earl, regardless of whether he earns it or not, simply to ensure their union, would be enough.”

“Mother can be a bit soft when it comes to her little girl, and I know that he has performed some impressive feats, though when you have no fear of death, they become far less impressive in my mind.”

“Have I died once yet? To say I have no reservations about dying would misrepresent me greatly. Yes, I will rise again, but it will come at a great cost, the details of which Prince Victor is aware of I am sure, but if he has not shared them yet, I assume he intends not to. As to my worth, my actions will do all my talking as words are worthless without results.”

Xeal had been quickly getting annoyed as his worth was being questioned openly in front of him.

“Oh, and what do your actions say?” prodded Valentine.

“If I have to explain them, there is no point. Victor, it is good to see you as well, and Valentine, it is good to meet my future brother as well.”

Xeal held back a smile at the obvious displeasure that Prince Valentine showed as Xeal addressed him casually as his future brother. Victor smiled at Xeal, and gave Enye a reassuring look as she looked worried about how things would progress.

“Xeal, do not misunderstand, I have no intention of accepting you as Enye’s husband until I believe you are worthy of her. That said, I do need to thank you for taking care of that Mercer brat. He had been a thorn in our family’s side for far too long. So, for the time being, I am just going to watch you, though if you think the royal court is ready to accept you, you are a fool.”

“Valentine, I am well aware that at least half of the royal court stands in opposition to our union. I am also aware that I have 330 days to change that. By the time Enye and I are joined, I will make it clear that I am worthy beyond a doubt.”

Prince Valentine just gave Xeal a look before bidding the group farewell as Enye let out a breath that she had been holding and Victor chuckled.

“I must say, you don’t back down when challenged. I do apologize for my brother’s brashness. He spends his time with the military and as such has lost a bit of his decorum.”

“It is fine, Victor. I can respect a brother’s desire to make sure that their little sister isn’t being taken advantage of.”

“Ha, taking advantage of Enye, ha, that is a good one. The only one being taken advantage of in your relationship is you, my friend. Believe me, if she didn’t see all of your other ladies as friends, she would have run the moment Hugo was taken care of. Isn’t that right, beloved sister?”

“Honestly, Victor, you must think of me as a cold-hearted monster. Valentine is just as bad, just in a different way. Dyllis, Aalin and Gale all snagged Xeal before I did, so it was only right I give them a chance. Besides, I know full well that as much as Xeal may develop feelings for me, Gale and Aalin had his heart before I even laid eyes on him. If you must know why I am so sure about having Xeal as my husband, it was the fact that he would have walked away from everything that marrying me would bring him. He has no lust for the power, or status, if it costs him what he holds dear and he sees me as a woman, not a tool.”

Victor simply laughed at that as he left to mingle with the others. The rest of the evening passed peacefully as Enye finished introducing Xeal, Dyllis, Aalin and Gale to the remaining members of her family. By the time she had finished, it was already after 11:00 when Xeal found himself alone with Queen Eleanor after she had asked Enye for some time with Xeal.

“So, Xeal, what do you think of the family that you will be marrying into?”

“It is definitely a large one, though I could do without the power struggles that are simmering below the surface. On that note, I am unsure how to address you as everyone else refers to you as Mother, or stepmother.”

“Ah, yes, and that is one of the things I love about you, you have no desire for the things normal nobles would fight over. If given the option between a lush field or a crypt full of monsters to rule over, you will take the crypt every time. Also, Mother is fine for you and those you are currently courting. I already see you all as my children. It is just a few technicalities that need to be taken care of.”

“I see. Now, Mother, was there anything in particular you were after, or did you simply wish to see how I was doing?”

Xeal watched as Queen Eleanor smiled brightly at him calling her mother and couldn’t help but smile himself.

“You never do miss the point of things. Also a reason I feel safe in entrusting my daughter to you. Xeal, are you ready for what this next year will thrust you into?”

“If you are referring to the entirety of the kingdom’s nobles looking for an opening to gain a hold over myself or Victor as we become the center of the kingdom’s power, then yes.”

“Good. Now I’ll let you enjoy the rest of the party as I am sure my daughter is missing you already.”

Xeal bid Queen Eleanor farewell as he stood and found Enye and the others as they enjoyed some of the refreshments as they awaited the signal that the new year was here. Xeal rejoined them as they chatted with the occasional sibling or in-law that wandered over until the new year hit, and much like it would be in reality, Enye made sure to enjoy a kiss just after the new year arrived, before allowing the others to do the same. An hour later, Xeal was in his own bed as he lay down to get a bit of rest before the system forced his logout at 6:00 in the morning ED time.

When Xeal returned to ED at noon on the first day of the new year, he met up with Dyllis for a simple picnic date in his gardens. It was a nice relaxing date and when they finished their meals, Dyllis sang for him as they enjoyed the moment for a bit before Xeal had to return to his grind.

“I really need to take the time to help you become stronger soon.”

“Xeal, I am fine being as I am. I have long accepted that my role is to be a wife, not a warrior. I will likely reach level 79 and remain there for the rest of my life as the risk of death to go beyond that is not worth it.”

“Dyllis, I know that you and most noble ladies normally would do just that, but with what is to come in a few years, you and Enye both need to step into tier 6 at the very least.”

“Do you really believe that our lives will be in greater danger than what the two trials will put us through?”

“Yes, as I will be ensuring that you both are more than ready to easily succeed in both of those trials. Dyllis, you and Enye are not like normal noble ladies whose entire value is the children they bear. While many nobles have yet to realize it, you and Enye are my greatest weaknesses, as if you are to die, I will lose you. If you don’t think that I am going to do whatever I can to mitigate that, you are mistaken.”

“So, you wish us to become warriors instead of gentle ladies?”

“No, I want you to be able to take care of yourselves and our children when I am unable to be here and others come to cause problems.”

“Isn’t that the purpose of guards?”

Xeal gave Dyllis a hard look conveying how serious he was with his next words.

“Dyllis, guards are motivated by money and power like most others. In times of peace it is fine to rely on them, for the most part. However, when chaos reigns they can be no better than bandits.”

“The royal guards would never betray the royal family. To say otherwise is almost treason.”

“Dyllis, what happens if Victor dies in battle? What happens if an assassin is successful in removing the line of succession and an unknown force takes the throne? When a full-out war rages, anything can happen. You and Enye will be tied to myself and if another power wishes to get me to act as they wish, holding the two of you hostage would be the easiest way to do so.”

“As you say, hostage, not kill. We will be just fine.”

Xeal was starting to grow frustrated at how unwilling Dyllis was to see what he was saying.

“Alright, they hold you and Enye along with any kids we have hostage and I fail to do something that they want. They don’t believe that I did my best and decide I need more motivation, so they decided to show me that they are serious. How will they do that?”

“Can we please drop this subject?”

“Dyllis, love is the best and worst thing in the world. The strongest warrior can find themselves as helpless as a newborn before it. Know that I will never place your life at risk, but I will push you and Enye in ways that may even cause Queen Eleanor to be displeased with me.”

“Xeal, I am a bard. Even if I reach tier 7, what could I do against an assailant that was able to get past our guards?”

Xeal gave Dyllis a beautiful smile as he responded to her doubt, knowing full well what a tier 7 bard was capable of.

“Dyllis, if you reach tier 7, I promise you that you will be able to achieve much more than you believe possible. Have you ever met a tier 6 or higher bard?”

“No, most that reach tier 5 simply act as support and stay at level 129 as the risk of reaching tier 6 for a non-combat class is extremely high.”

“There is a reason for that, and I promise you that when you can cross that threshold, you will understand.”

“Very well, you win, as long as you can ensure that my life will be intact should I fail.”

Xeal smiled at Dyllis as she finally relented, enjoying the rest of their date before spending the rest of his next several logins grinding his skills as he reached level 79 on day 4 of the new year, and on day 7 he had a similar conversation with Enye, but it went much better as Dyllis had given her forewarning of it beforehand. She had accepted it with a smile and Xeal realized he didn’t actually know her class and was surprised to learn that she walked the path of a rogue. With that information, Xeal began to build his plan for both of them to train once he reached tier 5.

Morning November 18, 2266.

Alex stretched as he got out of bed. It was Sunday and under normal circumstances he would spend the morning doing a bit of light stretching before simply relaxing with Sam and Nicole. However, as it was the last day of Abysses End’s visit, they had a group run in the hills ending later than normal as they would wait to enjoy the sun rise around 6:33 before leaving. This meant that the run would start around 5:50 with a 5:40 meetup time, so Alex still had an hour to kill and was thinking about how he was going to spend it when he heard a knock on his door. When he opened it he found Mr. Chun from Jingong standing there with a smile.

“Good morning, Alex. I do hope you don’t mind my intrusion.”

“Mr. Chun, I take it Jingong has reached a decision.”

“Ah, straight to the point. May I come in and sit?”

“Give me a moment. We are just waking up and need a bit.”

“Very well, I did come without warning after all.”

Alex closed the door before letting out a sigh. He had hoped that Jingong would be unwilling to pay his price, but it seemed that they were just that desperate to salvage whatever they could. After ensuring that both Sam and Nicole knew that they had company, Alex went back to the door as Nicole put on some tea.

“Alright, we are good. Now please come in and have a seat.”

Mr. Chun smiled as he entered the apartment and took a seat.

“I must say, it is rather refreshing to meet with you. It reminds me of what it was like to be young and just starting out.”

“Indeed, life tends to slip away before we even realize it was here.”

“You speak a truth that most your age have no appreciation for. Now on to the matter of the day as I know you need to be somewhere else this morning.”

“So, has Jingong accepted my terms?”

“Not exactly. We appreciate the thought behind your proposal, but we feel it leans too much in your favor. If possible, we would like you to consider an alternative proposal that we believe is fair.”

Mr. Chun handed Alex a few pieces of paper that had bullet points of what Alex knew would be turned into a legal contract that he would need a lawyer to read over and ensure he wasn’t being taken for a ride if he agreed. As he read them over, he wanted to roll his eyes. Jingong was clearly treating him like he was a simple teenager that didn’t know how to see a trap when it was before him. One of the bullets lost in the middle could be twisted to turn him into their bank account should they be unable to make payroll. Alex didn’t even bother finishing the rest of it at that point as Nicole arrived with the tea. Alex took a sip to help calm his nerves before responding.

“Mr. Chun, this document is an insult to my intelligence. It is clear to me that Jingong is not sincere in their motives. I apologize, but I believe that we are at an impasse too large for negotiations to bridge.”

Alex watched as Mr. Chun tensed up and was about to speak before Alex stopped him.

“Mr. Chun, I do not believe that you are the main architect of the offer before me, nor do I believe you have the power to actually negotiate on behalf of the main office. I do not wish to waste my breath explaining things again. Tell those who have made this plan that I refuse to work with Jingong moving forward.”

Alex could see Mr. Chun holding back his temper as he responded through clenched teeth.

“You don’t understand the opportunity that you are throwing away here.”

“No, I understand the trap that I am avoiding completely. It is clear that the end result of any cooperation with Jingong will see my workshop be consumed completely.”

“Please reconsider.”

“Mr. Chun, the only reason I even entertained it at all was to hinder the growth of the other major players who will profit from the fire sale that your workshop is about to go through simply to ensure that your executives get their golden parachute exits. Now I do apologize, but as you know, I have somewhere to be soon.”

With clenched fists Mr. Chun bid Alex, Sam and Nicole farewell before leaving. Once he was gone, Alex picked up the papers that had been left behind and took some quick pictures of them before sending them over to Background Inc., with a message expressing his displeasure that he had already been outed as the client in all of the recent acquisitions.

“Alex, are you alright? You seem upset about what just happened,” checked Nicole.

“Nicole, read this and tell me what you think.”

Nicole took a moment to look through it before looking at Alex in confusion.

“I don’t understand what the major issue is. It seems like an outline for mutual cooperation that gives you most of what you asked for. Sure, they are trying to increase their profits slightly, but I fail to see what the major issue was.”

Alex took it and pointed to the lines that he had problems with and explained why on each of them, stopping at the one that had shut down any negotiations.

“This line says that FAE will assist Jingong in establishing itself outside of Nium once their members begin to reach tier 5. The issue is it fails to say to what extent, and in all likelihood once this was turned into a legal document several hundred pages long, it would include financial assistance without limit. Then they would hand us the contract to sign with only days to look over it and hope that we missed it amongst all the legal jargon.”

“I see, though are you sure you are not simply projecting?”

“Nicole, Jingong, Fire Oath, and Abysses End are all the same. They all claim to be the only one that is just and fair of the super workshops, but they all would sell their mother if it gave them a leg up.”

“Alright, we should get ready to go.”

As Alex drove to the designated area that was around a half hour away, he worked to calm himself down as he prepared to face the second-to-last event of the visit. As he arrived, he found the rest of the group already present and they all spent some time stretching out and getting ready for the run. As they ran, Alex could feel his body complain from the fact that it had been about a month since he had been on a good run. He didn’t feel like it was too bad thanks to the cardio that swing dancing provided, but he could tell that he was not in the same form he was the last time he made this run. Alex was happy when the run ended without any moves by Saki or Nantan, though that just made him worry for what their plan was for the evening bonfire. When Alex logged in at 8:00, he smiled as it was going to become the new normal and he had already communicated the shift in time with Samuel, Sensei Sano and Sensei Kikuchi, all of whom were pleased with the shift as 6:20 was a much easier start time for them.

ED year 2 days 9-10.

Xeal stepped out of bed and stretched early on the day of the summit between Prince Victor and Chief Xuk, which would determine the future of relations between Nium and the orcs. Xeal knew that it wouldn’t be as simple as showing up and signing some papers. No, the orcs valued strength far too much, which put Prince Victor at a major disadvantage as he was only at tier 6, which for a human was impressive, but to an orc he would be seen as too weak to rule. Even if the king attended it wouldn’t help as he was just barely tier 7, and as old as he was, they would see him as lazy for not growing further. No, the negotiation must be predicated on potential, not the current situation. Xeal reviewed his plan and made sure everything was in place as he enjoyed breakfast while Bula watched him as she always did. When 8:00 rolled around, it was time to see how things played out as there was no longer time to worry about what could be done. He just had to do what he was going to do as he stepped out of his home.

As Xeal entered the teleportation hall, Aalin, Gale, Dyllis and Enye all met up with him, dressed as if they were going to a nice dinner with their courtship gifts on. Xeal had to smile at them as he gave each a kiss as Enye’s guards took up positions around the group. With a smile and a nod, the five of them stepped through the gate, arriving in the frontier town where the summit would be held just outside its wall. The group left the town and made their way the half mile away where the venue for the summit had been assembled. The setup was simple, with a simple circular three-foot-high perimeter wall made of spikes that pointed outward with a radius of 100 feet. Inside the wall were a few areas that were set up for guards from both sides to take up position at. In the center was a tent that currently had all four sides rolled up so it looked more like a canopy in its current state, with a table that would allow only Prince Victor and Chief Xuk to sit. Members of FAE were still moving about to make sure everything was in place according to Xeal’s directions. Takeshi had been placed in charge of it and Xeal was happy to see that everything was coming together seamlessly.

“Xeal-san, it is good to see you. I take it everything is to your liking?”

“Takeshi-san, everything is perfect. Now let’s just hope the rest of the plan goes well.”

“I understand. I will take my team and stand by in the town until called for.”

“Thank you and make sure you meet up with Amser and the others. We may need all hands on deck for this one.”

“Understood. I wish you well, Xeal-san.”

“Same to you, Takeshi-san. Let’s get through the day so we can plunge into our tier 5 trials without worry.”

As Takeshi and the other members of FAE withdrew, Xeal could see the two processions that belonged to Prince Victor and Chief Xuk come into view. Prince Victor was joined by several nobles, with the most prominent being Marquess Bexley and his daughter Nora. They were surrounded by some of the kingdom’s most elite troops as guards, the lowest of which were at level 240. These were the cream of the crop when it came to military might in the kingdom outside the royal guard, of which a few had made the trip as well. On Chief Xuk’s side there were around 100 orcs riding on their tamed boar monsters, half of which were tier 7. Additionally, all of Chief Xuk’s 25 wives had made the trip as well. It was just as Xeal had expected. Between the two parties there was enough power to easily capture any city other than the capital in Nium, with a few exceptions. Xeal smiled as so far everything was going according to plan. Now he just needed to bring everything together.

As both groups reached around 100 feet from the wall, all but the core of each party and a half dozen guards on both sides stopped and took a readied position. For Prince Victor this meant Marquess Bexley and his daughter Nora were the only ones of the nobles to step forward. On Chief Xuk’s side he strode forward accompanied by two of his wives, one of which Xeal recognized as Bula’s mother Bulfim, and the other seemed to be the eldest of his wives. As they approached, Aalin, Gale, Dyllis and Enye each took position at the four corners of the tent, while Bula and Xeal stood next to the table that Prince Victor and Chief Xuk would sit at. Xeal could feel the tension as the two groups stepped inside the wall and their guards halted as they took up their positions along the perimeter. 20 feet from the center all weapons were dropped as a show of trust between the two parties. Finally, both parties stood just outside the tent as they faced off with one another. Marquess Bexley was by far the strongest of the nobles combat wise in all of Nium at level 250, but he was out matched by Chief Xuk at level 270, with both his wives being at level 199. With Prince Victor at level 150 and Nora at 50, it was obvious that if a fight broke out, escape would be the only hope on the prince’s side. Still, Prince Victor stared at Chief Xuk with no fear in his eyes. It was time for Xeal to play his role of host of the summit.

“Prince Victor and Chief Xuk, if you would both please vow to meet in good faith and step into the tent.”

“I, Crown Prince Victor, future ruler of the kingdom of Nium, do swear that I am here in good faith to find common ground with Chief Xuk.”

“I, Chief Xuk, leader of the proud and ferocious orcs of Ozzugh, do swear that I meet with the future ruler of Nium Prince Victor in good faith.”

As the two spoke, the first of Xeal’s preparations took hold and they both felt their oaths become binding.

“Very good. As you both just felt, your oaths are binding, as they have formed a contract with me at the center of it. The moment either of you leave the tent, the oath will be over and no lingering effects will be felt.”

Both Prince Victor and Chief Xuk nodded before taking their seats as Aalin, Gale, Dyllis, and Enye each dropped a side of the tent, leaving the four of them alone inside the tent.

“Now, as agreed upon, I will act as arbitrator for these talks. As such, I will remain neutral in all areas, but one. I will pursue the goal of uniting Nium and Ozzugh as one land under two rulers, strengthening both as I do so.”

“Very good. Now, before we begin, I wish to ask my daughter a question. Bula, what has been your impression of Nium and the humans?”

Bula took a second to gather her thoughts before speaking.

“Father, I have been in Xeal’s, or one of his women’s presence the entire time outside of his residence, so my impression is not complete as it would be had I walked the kingdom alone. Now with that being a given, the humans’ and our life philosophies are entirely different. Where we believe only the strong have worth and the right to survive and continue their line, humans believe that all have a place if they have a skill that can be of use in some way. As for the treatment I received, most of the natives of our world look at me with either fear or hatred, while those who hail from the same world as Xeal look at me with indifference or curiosity. I should also add that simply by being next to Xeal, no human has even dared to lash out at me, and still others are willing to serve me happily. Those close to him place great faith in his words and will. Aunt Durz was right in her evaluation from what I can see.”

“Thank you, daughter. Now, Prince Victor, what is it you hope for by adding my lands to those you will rule, albeit indirectly, and what are you offering to us in return?”

“Thank you, Chief Xuk and Bula for your words. Now, as to what my purpose here today is, it is simple. With the arrival of Xeal’s kind, the world has shifted out of balance. War is coming, slow as it may be. However, this war will not be one in which we can hope to survive without adventurers like Xeal in our ranks, as without them our armies will be little more than a delay tactic in the grand scheme of things. I will not mince words with you, Chief Xuk. Before that war I must deal with you and your people as if left alone, I would have the fear of an attack in the rear as I fight to hold the front. My hope is to fight side by side for survival with you and your brethren, and what I offer is the right to move freely for the most part within the kingdom.”

“Interesting, yet if we were to move about now, we would likely be chased out by the locals. How will you address this?”

“All changes take time. There will be friction and incidents on both sides. All we can do is work to mitigate things as much as possible…”

Prince Victor and Chief Xuk continued to discuss exactly what cooperation and a joining of the two would mean for several hours before the next of Xeal’s preparations came into play.

“Prince Victor, I believe we have come to something that should be agreeable for both sides. However, there remains a single issue. You are simply too weak for me to allow you to rule us, even indirectly, as things are set.”

“Chief Xuk, if I may step in for a moment, Prince Victor may not be able to defeat you in combat, but if I may be so bold as to say he has a force that is growing at this moment that in a matter of years would be able to push your lands to ruin with ease as they are now.”

“Oh, and where is this force?”

Xeal smiled before responding.

“The core of them can be here in a matter of minutes if you like as I am their leader. It is a force made up of adventurers like myself who never stay dead. You could say that like you I am a leader who has given Prince Victor power over me, should you agree to terms.”

“I know your strength. I also know you are an anomaly of your kind from what Durz has told me. Even if you will stand atop the world one day, that day is not today.”

“Chief Xuk, did you bring the ten newly minted warriors that I asked for you to in my letter?”

“Yes, I brought the most promising of them just as you asked.”

“Very good. Now I would like to perform a demonstration of the future that you are bowing to once you accept terms. I will have your ten warriors face off against ten of my guild members in a friendly bout. All of my members have yet to reach tier 5 and should be at a significant disadvantage, yet I promise you that we will win more of the matches than your warriors will.”

“And if they fail?”

“If they fail, I will step down as their leader, as I will have failed in nurturing them correctly.”

As Xeal smiled, Prince Victor looked concerned as he hadn’t known about this move ahead of time. If the FAE members lost and Xeal stepped down as guild leader of FAE, it would deal a major blow to his plans.

“Accepted. I take it that the contest will be held where we are now seated.”

“Yes, and to be clear, it will only be ‘til first blood.”

“That is acceptable.”

With that Xeal messaged Takeshi to have himself and the others come to the summit. Quickly the tent was removed as both parties retreated to their respective sides of the area as the ten young orc warriors came forth, followed by the ten members of FAE. This group consisted of Takeshi, Amser, Amet, Clara, Casmir, Leaena Asellio, Ryū Kenshi, Vita Xantara, Saima Mahal and Friva. All of them were at level 79 and would, like Xeal, be challenging the nightmare version of their tier 5 trial as long as they won their match today. As Xeal inspected each of them, he simply smiled as he hadn’t seen several of them for months in ED time, yet he had been impressed by what were in the reports concerning them. It was time to see if it was truth, or just an inflated account of events that had landed them here.

The first match was between Leaena and a level 81 orc who looked insulted by his opponent being beneath him. Still, he did not look like he was going to take it easy on the brown-haired woman as he returned Leaena’s gaze with equal intensity. Xeal stood to the side in between the pair as he signaled the match to begin. Xeal watched Leaena’s green eyes as she looked one way like she was telegraphing her move, only for her to go the opposite direction at the last moment. The orc warrior was caught off guard, but adapted quick enough to recover, only Leaena didn’t relent as she continued her assault while the orc was still on his back foot.

“Match, Leaena!”

The orc warrior looked ready to kill Xeal as he called the match after such a minor cut, yet he held it in as blood trickled down his arm from a cut the size of a push pin on his shoulder. As Leaena and the orc stepped away, Vita stepped forward to face her match against the next orc warrior. Vita’s teal hair waved in the wind as she locked her golden brown eyes onto her opponent, who looked to be taking her seriously after Leaena’s display. As Xeal initiated the fight, he instantly saw Vita use a quick cast spell that most champions took to get the first hit in when tanking for a group. This caught the orc off guard as he had been expecting a straightforward fight.

“Match, Vita!”

Vita had wasted no time as she closed the distance before the orc could recover, pushing the tip of her blade at his throat. At first the orc had been about to protest as he looked to Chief Xuk, but quickly decided against it upon seeing the look in the chief’s eyes and retreated, making room for the next match. As Ryū stepped forward, a level 82 orc warrior that looked like someone had pissed on his grave stepped up to meet him. Ryū had his green hair done in a ponytail and let a smile play across his face as he sized up the orc.

“You not smile soon, human. Me not lose like others.”

“Yeah, yeah we will see.”

With that Xeal started the match and Ryū charged forward, armed with a lance, as the orc took up a defensive stance poised to sweep the lance to the side and strike. However, just as the orc went to sweep the lance, Ryū quickly raised the tip, causing the orc’s blade to miss completely as Ryū brought down the lance, drawing blood from the orc’s shoulder.

“Match, Ryū!”

One after another the orc warriors lost, as Saima used a throwing dagger to win, Friva completely overpowered her opponent, Amet caught his opponent’s blade with one axe, putting them off balance before drawing blood with the other, Casmir outmaneuvered his opponent until he was in his blind spot to win, Clara used the same strategy as Vita, but she waited until the last second to use the blinding light attack. As Amser approached the center for her match, Chief Xuk was irate and yelling at the next orc to end this disgraceful display and win one. All Xeal could do was send Chief Xuk an apologetic look as with Amser and Takeshi remaining, a sweep was the only result that Xeal could see coming. Sure enough, the orc had no idea how to handle Amser and her ring blade and had lost in under ten seconds, and as a whole, none of the orcs had lasted longer than 30 seconds. The entire procession of orcs looked mortified at the results before them as the last orc warrior stepped forward with a solemn look on his face as he stood across from Takeshi.

“I must apologize for the disgrace that you all have suffered here today. However, I will not go easy as doing so would only insult your resolve. Take the pain from today and use it to grow.”

The orc just nodded to Takeshi’s words and Xeal started the match that ended almost immediately as the orc had no chance against Takeshi’s skill. Just like that, the bouts ended and all those present, other than the FAE members, were stunned into silence as they took in the scene that had just occurred.

“Takeshi-san, please restore the tent to the center so our talks can conclude.”

“Understood, Xeal-san.”

Xeal’s words shook those around out of their stupor as they started to discuss what they just witnessed. It was not unheard of for one such feat to occur. Even two would have been acceptable, but ten times in a row a lower-tier fighter overwhelmed their foe completely like it was normal. Even the tier 7 NPCs looked at the members of FAE like they were looking at baby monsters as they questioned how to handle what they just witnessed. Finally, Prince Victor found his voice as he approached Xeal.

“Xeal, what did I just witness?”

“Prince Victor, all you witnessed was what the standard is for FAE’s top elite members. Each and every one of those you just witnessed has been preparing to face the nightmare version of their tier 5 trial.”

“Ha, you are all insane. You know that only one in ten survive a nightmare-level trial and that is just at the tier 5 level. Don’t tell me you intend to take the same path?”

“Of course, as will your sister and Lady Dyllis once I have put them through what is needed to succeed 99 out of 100 times and secure them a lifesaving treasure just in case.”

“Are you trying to take over the kingdom?”

“No, I am ensuring those I love will survive no matter what happens in war.”

“You wouldn’t be willing to add one more lady to your training program, would you?”

“It’s good to see you being honest with yourself. If you can acquire a lifesaving treasure that can be passed from one to the other, I will be fine with it and I will let your betrothed go first.”

“Who said anything about a betrothed?”

“I did. If you are going to add one to my training, she must be your intended queen.”

“That’s-”

“We can speak of this more once things are settled here. Besides, it will still be a while before I begin your sister and Dyllis down their paths. Until Gale is tier 5 and can bring them back from death, I dare not even begin their path.”

“I understand.”

Xeal would rather wait until Gale was tier 6 as the tier 5 version of resurrection had a five-minute limit for NPCs, compared with the tier 6 version that had an hour limit. It was the same reason why the items that players could get for around one gold was almost useless for NPCs as it needed to be used within one minute for them, where players had up to a full 12 hours, depending on if their auto logoff kicked in before that. It was with these thoughts on his mind that Xeal walked into the tent to conclude the summit, once both Prince Victor and Chief Xuk had renewed their oaths.

“Xeal, before we resume, are all adventurers that powerful?”

“No, you just saw what the top one percent are capable of. That said, the top ten percent should still win the matches as they were set up most of the time. I exploited one of the major flaws of the residents of this world. Most, not all of you, lack flexibility, while we must always adapt to grow. We regularly take on risks that you would only take on when attempting to break through to the next tier.”

“I see, thank you. Prince Victor, the orcs of Ozzugh will follow your banner in war so long as Xeal and FAE do so.”

“Ha, so you are actually putting yourselves under him, not the kingdom. Xeal, you are a madman, you know that. Most others would see you as their greatest threat. With the pace you keep you could easily take the throne for yourself in a few years if left to grow.”

“Prince Victor, the only way I would do so would be if something happened to you and a coup was necessary for mine and Enye’s survival. Even then I would place her on the throne until another suitable ruler from the royal family could be installed.”

“I see, so there is a version of the future where you are king.”

“Prince Victor, there is a version of the future where everyone here dies and FAE is left in shambles as Habia or Paidhia conquer us and take possession of your lands. War is coming and I am well aware of the need we will have of you to survive it. Now, let us complete today’s affairs and celebrate a bright future for the kingdom.”

(Quest, attend summit between Chief Xuk and Prince Victor: Complete, calculating completion rate… 105% completion, rank S, awarding 1.5x of XP. Rewards: 1000 gold, 15,000,000 XP, 10,000 renown, favor increased with Prince Victor, Chief Xuk, orc race and improved acceptance by kingdom of Nium nobility…current acceptance rate 60%)

Xeal smiled at his notification, and with both Prince Victor and Chief Xuk in agreement, the rest of the summit passed quickly. After they signed the agreement it transformed into a celebration, although a reserved one as orcs tended to go a bit overboard when celebrating. It didn’t help that they were still sore from the way FAE had humbled them today. Once the party ended, Xeal and his group made their way back to the capital where Enye asked for a moment alone with Xeal.

“Xeal, did you mean it when you said if something happened to Victor you would install me on the throne if you felt it was necessary?”

“Yes, I certainly would be a terrible king.”

“You do know that Nium has never had a sovereign queen before, right?”

“So, any scenario that it would play out in would mean that things had already gone extremely wrong and a little thing like that would be nothing in the grand scheme of things. Besides, you would be more of a stop gap as I would rather have my wife next to me than on a throne.”

Enye looked at Xeal’s smiling face for a long moment before smiling herself and pulling him into a kiss.

“Thank you. I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”

“Ha, you simply refused to let your brother take his joke back, and now you’re stuck with me.”

“Indeed, I wouldn’t be surprised if you are an earl within the month with how you act. Now, it is time for us to part ways for the day, my knight.”

“Ah, I must apologize now as I will be starting my trial soon and it may be weeks before we next see each other, my princess.”

“Then one more kiss to tide me over.”

Xeal and Enye took another minute before returning to the rest, where he pulled Dyllis aside to let her know the same thing and apologize for likely missing their next date, as he embraced her and left her with a lingering kiss. As Xeal left his ladies, he made his way to his bed to get some rest in, after which he spent the next morning before he logged out going over the state of the guild. He needed to ensure it would be fine without him and several of its leaders as they began to challenge their tier 5 trials. Both Aalin and Gale would be taking the helm as they and Taya were the only vice guild leaders not attempting their challenges at the same time as Xeal. Both had agreed to wait to ensure the guild wasn’t left leaderless for an extended amount of time.

Evening November 18, 2266.

As Alex awoke at 5:00 which was just after sunset, he got ready for the bonfire on the beach to close out the visit from Abysses End. Alex was happy he just needed to make it to 7:45 and he would be free from them for four more weeks. As he got in the car with Sam, Nicole, Ava and Mia, they chatted about things going on in ED as both Ava and Mia had just reached level 66, which was on pace with most pro players, and were talking about how they were both progressing nicely. They also thanked Alex for a hint that he had given them a few weeks back that they had tried and it was starting to show results for them. In all, the mood as they drove to the beach was upbeat. When they arrived, they all gave each other a look that said it was game time as they were not going to trip at the finish line this time around.

Nantan already had the bonfire going when Alex and his group walked up as the other Abysses End members sat back and enjoyed some cool sodas, as well as the other refreshments. Saki was the first to greet them as she tried to strike up conversation with everyone but Alex. This had been her strategy ever since Alex had made it clear that he wasn’t going to play ball with her. Shortly after Alex arrived, Fred, Dan and Amanda did as well and the gathering went on without incident until around 7:30, when Nantan asked to speak with Ava and Mia in private, claiming it was guild business and confidential. The twins gave each other troubled looks as they walked off to the side where they were still visible, but couldn’t be heard over the crash of the waves. As Ava and Mia were occupied, Saki came up to Alex, Nicole and Sam and started talking.

“Alex, Sam, Nicole, I must say that I wish we had gotten off to a better start, but I understand that the week didn’t start off well. I will be heading back to LA in the morning and I just wanted to say that I enjoyed this week, even if you didn’t want to let me in. If you guys ever feel like seeing what a major Abysses End office looks like, give me a call and I will see about giving you a tour some time.”

Saki pulled out a card and handed it to Alex before walking off without even waiting to hear their reply. As the three looked at one another they just shrugged as Alex pocketed the card without even looking at it. It was then that Ava and Mia came back over, clearly upset about something.

“Alex, can we leave now, please?” implored Ava.

“Yes, please. We really don’t want to be here right now,” added Mia while trying to hold back her emotions.

“Sure, it’s almost time to go anyways. Go ahead and head for the car. I’m just going to let Fred, Dan and Amanda know.”

Five minutes later they were all in the car as Alex pulled out of the parking lot to return to the apartment. He could tell that both Ava and Mia were upset about something and felt like it was best for them to just let it out.

“Ava, Mia, what’s wrong?”

“Alex, can you just leave it be? We really don’t want to go into it.”

“Ava, Alex just wants to help. We should tell him.”

“Mia, it’s not his problem.”

“Ava, Mia, you’re our friends, at least that is what I like to tell myself. Please let us help.”

“Ha, you feel like falling to our seduction and joining Abysses End?”

“Ava! Alex, Nantan just gave us an ultimatum. We have until the end of the next visit to secure you or return to Dallas. If we refuse to do so, Abysses End will terminate our contracts with cause, meaning that we will have to pay back 50% of all pay we have received and delete our characters or face a legal battle.”

“He is blaming us for you shutting down Saki like you did and he wants us out of the way as he feels we are not being aggressive enough.”

“I see and I take it that if you were to quit now, they could still force the deletion of your characters as well as force a higher payback?”

“Yep, so we’re screwed. We basically have to return to Dallas by Christmas Eve.”

Alex thought over his next words as he knew they would have lasting consequences. As he did so, he settled on his response.

“Ava, Mia, go scorched earth and I will take care of the financial side of it. Just wait until I reach tier 5 in the next week and I will collect your gear in game. Then you both can start over in Nium and I even know of a hidden class that might be a perfect fit for both of you. Just make sure you both start over in Geminate Cove.”

“Wait, what?”

“Ava, I am offering you both slots in Free Art Expo. I will make sure you don’t end up on the street, but beyond that, what you earn will be performance-based. That said, if you two are really as good together as you claim to be, then starting over as the class that I have in mind will be for the best as it will only make you stronger in the long run.”

“But we would lose all of our progress and fall behind the mainstream pro players. How would we ever catch up?”

“Mia, by the time most of the pro players will be reaching tier 5 you will be just behind them. I won’t be holding you back to ensure you have acclimated to the pace of the game at the lower levels, I will be pushing you to tier 5 as fast as possible.”

Ava and Mia exchanged looks that Alex knew meant that they were having a silent conversation, before Ava spoke next.

“Alex, what class are you going to have us take?”

“That is a surprise as I don’t want to leak its details before I have made use of it. All I will say is it is perfect for you two if my impression is right.”

“Ava, let’s just do it. At least we have Alex’s word that he will make sure we have a place to eat and sleep.”

“Fine, you have a deal, but you have to promise us that you’re not going to toss us aside.”

“Ava, Mia, so long as you do not give me a reason beyond a doubt to do otherwise, I will not abandon you, and before you even say it, Abysses End pressuring me to do so will not be a reason ever.”

“Okay, we have a deal. Now we just need to do prep work for the next little bit as gold will likely be of more use than most of our gear. Ava, we are really doing this, right?”

“Yes, Mia, it’s time to flip sides completely. Oh, Alex, Nantan is absolute scum, as is most of the upper echelon of Abysses End. You should really just cut ties now as I doubt they will take this well.”

“Thank you, Ava, and yah, I know. Don’t worry, the next visit will likely be the last if this one is an indication of things to come. For now, just focus on getting ready.”

Ava and Mia smiled as Alex drove the last bit back to the apartment and by 8:00 they were all back in ED for another session.

Morning November 19 to Morning November 22, 2266 & ED year 2 days 10-22.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were uneventful, other than the shift in the time of the morning training regimen. Kent and five others of the aikido senpai took Alex’s offer and planned to start just after Thanksgiving. Sam and Nicole had to accept for him as Alex was spending all of his time outside of ED simply recovering and napping from the continued exertion he was putting himself through in ED. This included the morning of the 22nd that was only different in that it was Thanksgiving and there was no morning aikido lesson. Sam and Nicole spent it getting things ready for that night. Nicole was nervous about how she was going to deal with her family, but she knew that she needed to do so or it would only get worse.

(*****)

As Xeal returned to ED after seeing Abysses End off, he wasted no time and informed Maxwell and Bula that he would likely be gone for up to two weeks. That had been the norm when attempting to complete a tier 5 nightmare advancement trial in his last life. Xeal hoped to be done a bit before that, but knew he couldn’t count on it. He also knew that the only rest he would be getting until he was done would be in reality and he could only take a three-hour break after each session at most. It was such a large issue that the system made players acknowledge it written in bold red letters before they could start the trial. This also meant it was critical to have someone on hand to ensure you woke up and logged back in when your allotted break was up and you needed to return to ED during the challenge. For Alex, Sam and Nicole were taking this role while Dan, Fred and Amanda all had their parents helping them. Alex had gone as far as to pay a few members of his guild extra to act as safety for some of the 100 players who were attempting to reach tier 5 with him on nightmare difficulty.

Xeal made his way to the royal knights’ headquarters in the capital where all of the NPC knights that served directly under the crown were housed, where they would set up his trial gate. They were also the knights that the royal guard was selected from. He took his time to go over what he remembered from his last life regarding nightmare difficulty trials. The lack of significant breaks and extended length to the trial were the main things that stood out as common for all classes. However, you also had an increase in the difficulty of foes and the challenges that you would face in the trial. Xeal looked over the gear he had purchased for his trial and how it, with the elder dragon mark, raised his stats such that he had a base of 104 constitution, 128 strength, 186 dexterity, 124 magic points, 130 skill points, and 124 charisma. His elder dragon mark was responsible for 128 of those points, giving him about the same amount of ability points as a level 100 player before gear was taken into account. However, with 60 points more than he had originally intended in charisma and another 88 of them forced into magic points, he was a bit behind in terms of speed and strength compared to where he would prefer to be. Still, it was only slightly and he had compensated for it with the gear he was wearing. His constitution translated to 16,353 health, his magic points gave him a magic point pool of 9,796 points and his skill points pool had 10,231 points in it. He would need to manage these closely during the trial as they would only refresh every time he logged back in. Going 30 hours with no rest and on a single use of his magic and skill point pools was the true challenge of nightmare mode as even in hard mode players would get at least one one-hour break and one six-hour rest every 30-hour login. With all that going through Xeal’s mind, he arrived at the royal knights’ headquarters and stepped forward to the pair of guards and presented himself.

“Sir Xeal Bluefire, knight and viscount of the kingdom serving under Crown Prince Victor, has come to undertake my tier 5 trial and earn the next layer of my crest.”

“Sir Xeal Bluefire, your request has been received and I, Sir Tristan Lennon, will act as your guide in your endeavor.”

“Thank you, Sir Tristan Lennon. I am in your care.”

Sir Tristan Lennon gave Xeal a nod before motioning for him to follow him as he led him to the basement, going past several other royal knights along the way. When they stopped, they were before a circular room with a complex array carved into its floor that Xeal knew would transport him to and from a pocket realm that would be created for his test.

“Sir Xeal, simply step forward and place your hand in the center of the circle and you will be transported to your trial.”

“Thank you, Sir Tristan.”

“You’re welcome and good luck to you.”

Xeal strode forward and without hesitation placed his hand in the center as a system notification popped up asking him to select his difficulty. Once he selected nightmare, he received a warning about the lack of rest during the challenge and after confirming he was still fine with it, a purple light enveloped him and he was transported to his trial. A shocked look crossed Sir Tristan’s face at the color of the light as he hurried to inform his superior of it.

As Xeal’s eyes recovered from the sudden change in scenery, he found himself in a dark world that, had his senses not been enhanced by the elder dragon mark, he would have not been able to see but a few feet in front of him. With it he was able to see six feet instead. While it may not seem like that much of a difference in this realm where only the armor and accessories that were equipped could be used, it was the difference of being able to see the ground a few feet at a time instead of only being able to see where his feet stood. And before him was a path that he had to walk without fail, as if he were to step off of it and become disorientated, he may never find it again. With a deep breath, Xeal took his first step forward and officially started his journey.

Two hours later he had yet to be confronted by anything as the trial worked to lure him into dropping his guard. These trials would mess with players’ heads by waiting for them to grow comfortable from a lack of danger, or minor danger, before catching them off guard. It might wait until he relaxed and send a few foes he could easily deal with, boosting his confidence, then repeat this until he got close to the end of his login and then overload him with enough enemies that he would be easily overwhelmed. Very few players would be able to handle this without coaching that he had given every one of his members that were facing a similar situation. It was while having these thoughts that the first enemy appeared. It didn’t have a level, like every foe inside this area, and it looked like a shadowy human wielding a spear. A popular theory at the start of Xeal’s last life had been that these types of enemies were trapped spirits of NPCs who failed to advance to the next tier and died. This had been proven true once a player managed to completely destroy one of these specters and received a notification thanking him for freeing the soul and a free class skill point. Xeal would love to pick up a few of the free class skill points as with only 10 available to him right now, he needed several more before he could afford anything worthwhile. This type of foe this early was a true gift that Xeal would not waste.

Quickly the shadowy human charged at Xeal, his spear ready to impale him. Xeal responded by bringing his sword in his left hand up at the last moment, using it to control the shaft as Xeal closed the distance. Once he was inside the guard it was a one-sided slaughter as Xeal waited for the right moment before unleashing his dragon’s breath to finish it off, and he received the notification he had been waiting for, but was disappointed at the same time.

(You have liberated a trapped soul from this trial. As thanks, the soul has given you a single class skill point that will become available for use once you clear this trial. Warning, liberating a soul draws other trapped souls to you as they seek the same release. The more souls you liberate, the more that will be drawn to you.)

Xeal wanted to puke blood at what he was reading. Not only would he be unable to use the skill points he earned from killing them until the end, but more would also be drawn to him, likely drastically, increasing the difficulty of the trial. As he paused for a moment to consider this, the trial decided it was time to bare its fangs as five clay dolls that were shaped as humans wielding various weapons rose out of the ground. Xeal could only smile as five opponents for his first group of enemies showed the trial was not going to be easy on him, and for the rest of that session Xeal was constantly fighting while moving forward as he strove for his goal with each step. By the time he was at his logout, half of his skill and magic point pools still remained and he had not seen another trapped soul yet, which was the norm as a typical trial would only have five to seven appear in the ten or so logins.

When a mildly refreshed Xeal returned from his forced break, he quickly found himself swarmed by the clay puppets once again. Xeal felt like this was going to be a very long trial as he continued to fight while advancing without pause. It was about an hour after his return when Xeal saw them. Two more shadowy figures approached, both wielding a sword and a shield. All Xeal wanted to do was groan as he was torn on how he should deal with them as he knew that things were about to get difficult as they charged at him, forcing him to face off with seven foes at once. For the first time Xeal had to retreat a few steps to deal with the situation. As he did so, he watched as his health dropped below 95% for the first time. Still, after 20 minutes, he had dealt with them both, freeing them and adding two more class skill points to his bank once he completed the challenge. The only issue that Xeal worried about was just how many he would face before it was over. Still, the rest of the session went well as Xeal was able to keep all of his pools above 40%.

The next session continued just as the ones before it had, except Xeal had to deal with three of the shadowy figures and he was feeling the drain on his concentration slightly from the lack of decent sleep. By the end of the session, both his magic and skill pools were around 35%. This continued for his next three sessions as well, with him facing four, then five, and finally six of them, forcing him to overuse his dragon’s breath attack and other skills, leaving him close to the 10% mark left in both his skill and magic point pools after his sixth login.

When Xeal returned for his seventh straight login, he was beyond exhausted as he was barely sleeping for an hour whenever he logged out, due to his body being full of energy even though his mind was at its limit. The session continued like all of the others, only Xeal wasn’t even trying to fight as he made his way closer to the end of the trial. He had transitioned to full dodge and run mode as he knew he needed to save his skill and magic points he would have normally used to fight, for the final hurdle of the trial. He felt it would come either this session, or the next. The extra health he was losing meant nothing compared to what a lack of magic and skill points in his pools would mean at the final hurdle. When he was faced with seven trapped souls was the only exception he made. Xeal had long since decided that he was going to harvest as many class skill points as possible. However, taking on 12 opponents at once was a tall order for Xeal, even when he was at his full mental capacity. Knowing this, Xeal didn’t even hesitate as he let out one dragon’s breath after another, only pausing for the necessary cooldown as he secured his 28th extra class skill point of the trial at the cost of a bloody mouth and throat. Xeal continued to run for the rest of the session without reaching the end of the trial, though he felt like it had to be close.

As Xeal returned to the trial for the eighth time, he could instantly feel something was off as eight trapped souls were waiting for him, and five puppets rose before he even had time to fully adjust to being back. Xeal instantly found himself being pushed back as he struggled to clear out the foes. For the first time he didn’t even focus on the complete destruction of the trapped souls. He just did whatever he had to get through the fight, which lasted a full two hours. Xeal had maneuvered constantly, trying to move forward and create separation between the puppets and trapped souls to lower the number of foes he had to face at once. By the time Xeal had finally survived the ordeal, he had attacked using 57 of his possible 97 dragon’s breaths for the session and his skill point pool was already under 30%. Luckily, he had been able to space out the dragon’s breaths enough to avoid major damage to his throat. However, in the process, he only secured two of the eight trapped souls’ class skill points, bringing his total to 30. Xeal was beyond the point that he had expected be pushed to as he turned to find that he had almost reached the end of the trial. He could see the transportation point he needed to reach as the darkness that had been all around him since he entered the trial finally cleared. It was on the other side of a narrow bridge that was only three feet wide and, in the center, stood himself, only it was the version of himself that he remembered from his last life.

While it was slow, players did age in ED to a certain extent, even if the outward appearance didn’t usually affect any abilities. So, in the 60 years in ED, Xeal had gone from looking like the teenager he did now, to looking like he was in his mid-thirties. Gone was the baby face he sported now and in its place was a fair bit of stubble, like he hadn’t shaved in a few days. As Xeal approached his older self, he wondered just what this final test would entail. He knew it wouldn’t be as simple as fighting himself. When he reached around ten feet from himself, his older self spoke.

“Look who it is, me. Ha, only me that had everything handed to them on a plate and decided to destroy the life of everyone around them.”

Xeal just stayed quiet.

“What, nothing to say? Of course, you don’t. You know that Nicole would have been better off if you had just let her walk away like last time, but no, not only did you still embrace her, you dragged Sam in as well. You know as well as I do that you have ruined their lives and they would be better off if you simply handed them a boatload of credits and disappeared.”

“Is that all you’re going to do, tell me that everything I am doing is wrong and make me feel bad?”

“Oh, so you can talk. Good. No, I’m going to kill you and take your place because I am you, at least the one that knows that all you are doing is dooming everyone close to you. Even here in Eternal Dominion, as when the war starts you know as well as I do every major guild is going to see it as an opportunity to join the other sides to ensure Nium falls and your guild with it. Enye, Dyllis, Victor and even Darefret’s fates have been sealed, along with many others by your actions. All because you couldn’t simply empower yourself and stay in the background. You had to make waves and now everything is different. You think the system hasn’t been watching you with plans to destroy you when it gets the chance? Ha, just wait, it will destroy you and everything you built.”

Xeal wanted to deny the words of his older self, but in his current state he found himself agreeing with the logic as it was his own logic. These were things that he had kept to himself as he moved forward as if nothing bothered him. Now it was his own voice saying everything he feared as fact right to his face and he couldn’t think of anything to rebuff it.

“Gone silent again. Good. Do everyone a favor and just lie down and die. Once I’m in control I’ll be sure to disappear and make everyone’s life better.”

Xeal was at his limit as he thought of everyone’s lives from his last life and how he had taken that from them. He thought of where they had all ended up as he watched from the sidelines. He had selfishly uprooted all of that for his own happiness and it wasn’t long before he started to have doubts. His older self stepped closer, continuing to rant about everything Xeal ignored, but feared. It was then that Xeal’s thoughts turned to Sam and Nicole who had just kissed him in reality before he logged in and wished him well, as he struggled to think. The only thing he could think of were the two lives growing inside of them and he refused to disappear from their lives before they even got a chance. He was going to be a father. What did a future that was already lost matter when he was important in this one in a way he never was in his last one. With every bit of willpower Xeal had left, he pulled himself together and let out a dragon’s breath at his older self with a roar of absolute fury. Xeal’s older self stepped back as he weathered the attack as Xeal coughed out blood at the end of the attack.

“You say I should just disappear, that that will make everyone else happy. You say that I am just being selfish and harming everyone else. Well screw you. The world can crumble around me and I would still stand next to Nicole and Sam. The future that was is already gone. All that leaving now would do is destroy them. I will stand next to them as we raise our children. Everything else can fuck off for all I care!”

“So you will let Frozen Sky and Abysses End off. I thought making sure both of them failed was your whole purpose. You’re weak. A couple of pretty girls bat their eyes at you and you just follow along like a lost puppy.”

“You’re right, two of the women who we missed more than anything in the world pulled us into their embrace and we couldn’t say no. You are me, only you are the me who was bitter at the world as we drank ourselves to near death all alone. An occasional call from Mom and Dad the only love that we ever felt in life and now we are drowning in it. We were broken. We pulled all of our friends into our plan in an attempt to not lose them this time around. We upended their lives that would have been, for our own happiness, and along with them we have pulled several others along for the ride as well. At this point we have likely affected major events across the globe and will continue to do so. I say, so what? Get over it and move on.”

As Xeal finished talking he let out a roar unleashing another breath attack, pushing his older self back once more as he continued to step forward, and the back and forth continued, only now he was rebutting everything with his fury, one roar after another, ignoring the blood that was flowing down his chin in larger amounts with each attack. Xeal didn’t even care that his health was slowly dropping faster each time he attacked. He was almost there. He could see the edge of the bridge; one more attack and it would be over.

“You are who I was, not who I am, or will be. I am not reliving my life. I am living a new one and I will decide who and what I will be!”

With one final breath attack, Xeal watched his older self step off the bridge as a smile crossed his face before vanishing. Xeal spewed blood as he fell to his knees and noticed his health was slowly dropping at a speed that gave him only a few minutes to live. Tired and disorientated from pain and the adrenaline crash from the experience, Xeal pulled everything he had left to make it to the transportation point one step at a time as he knew he would be completely healed once he left this realm. He watched his health drop 5%....4%.....3%......2%.........1%........0.5% and his hand landed in the center of the array and a white light surrounded him. The light was healing him and restoring him to peak condition as the next thing he knew, he was standing back in the royal knights’ headquarters on the same array he had used to start his trial. Before Xeal could even fully take in his surroundings, he received a series of system notifications.

(Tier 5 nightmare-level trial complete. Calculating completion rate… 115% completion, rank SS. Rewards: 60 class skill points, level automatically raised to 80, 1,000 renown, 100 gold.)

(Congratulations, you are the first tier 5 player. Rewarding a bonus 10,000 renown and 20 class skill points.)

(Congratulations, you are the first player to complete a nightmare trial. Rewarding title: pioneer of the nightmare, 15,000 renown and 30 class skill points.)

(Congratulations, you freed 30 trapped souls of the fallen. Rewarding title: savior of souls, 3,000 renown and 30 class skill points.)

(Congratulations, you completed your trial seconds from death. Rewarding title: skin of your teeth, 100 renown and 5 class skill points.)

(Caution, the elder dragon mark is ready to break its second seal. Please find a secluded location within the next hour or the seal will break on its own.)

Xeal was too oblivious to notice Sir Tristan looking at Xeal with a dumbfounded expression as he looked into what his new titles offered in bonuses.

Title: pioneer of the nightmare, fear has no hold on you. Immune from mind-altering effects at or below your current tier, max tier 7.

Title: savior of souls, you have freed many of those without hope. Whenever you slay a unique undead you have a chance to purify their soul and get a bonus skill point.

Title: skin of your teeth, your will to survive is undeniable, health cannot drop below 1% from status effects.

Xeal took in his harvest from his trial and wanted to shout out in joy, but he refrained as he knew he needed to focus on the elder dragon mark breaking its seal. It was when Xeal made to leave that he noticed Sir Tristan just staring at him.

“Um, Sir Tristan, are you alright?”

“Ah, yes, Sir Xeal, the captain wishes to speak with you.”

“I understand, Sir Tristan, however, right now is not good. I may be healed from the trial, but I haven’t had any real sleep in over 10 days now. I need to recover before I am ready to speak with anyone. Let him know I will return within the next three days.”

“I understand. Um, is that the crest layer for completing a nightmare trial?”

Xeal looked at his crest that now had a wreath of fire behind the swords, and smiled.

“Yes, it is. Now I need to retire to my residence.”

Sir Tristan just nodded as Xeal made his way out of the royal knights’ headquarters and back to his mansion, where he informed Maxwell that he needed to recover. He agreed with him that he should inform Enye and Dyllis of his return, but until he awoke, he wished to be left alone. As he locked his door to his bedroom and lay on his bed, he selected to break the elder dragon mark’s seal and instantly he was assaulted by pain radiating from the mark as he watched his skin turn red from heat. It felt like his body was being remade from the inside as he was blinded from the light being emitted from the mark. Xeal felt like steam was coming off his skin and 20 seconds later it was all over as he just lay in his bed utterly spent. His sheets were drenched in his sweat as his consciousness faded before he could even register the changes that had occurred.

Evening November 22, 2266.

Alex awoke as his forced logout arrived, and as he opened his eyes, he found both Sam and Nicole sitting next to him watching him. He could tell that both of them had been worried about him the past few days as he went through his trial, and after what he had just gone through, they were the best sight he could have asked to wake up to. Smiling, he just enjoyed the moment before pulling them both into a hug while giving them kisses.

“Alex, it’s good to see you’re back to being human again, but we need to get going or we will be late.”

“Nicole, I love you. You as well, Sam. Just know that no matter how tonight goes, you two and our children are my world.”

“Alex, did ED put you through another vision?”

“Sam, not exactly, more of made me face my doubts. We can go over it more later. Just know that I mean it when I say I love both of you.”

Sam and Nicole gave each other a glance before they nodded and let the topic drop for the moment. Tonight was not the time to push deeper in whatever they felt Alex was holding back about. Tonight was about family and it was set to be an important night for them. Alex’s mom had reserved a small banquet room with an attached professional kitchen normally used for small events of around 30 to 40 people. It had cost a fair bit as did the food that he was sure his mom was currently cooking, or directing the other parents in cooking. Alex had been a bit apprehensive about inviting the Juns as they could easily cause a major scene like the last few times, but his mom had assured him that she would make sure they were in the right mindset if they made it through the day of cooking. After the past four days of just eating ready-to-eat meals that were quick as he attempted to get as much sleep as possible, Alex was really looking forward to the feast he knew would be waiting. All together they were expecting around 35 people, depending on who was able to make it from the extended families, as well as Ava, Mia and Jessica. Alex expected a few pairs of grandparents and an aunt or uncle or two, but was unsure as he had left the details to his parents and they had kept quiet about it.

As they arrived at the venue that was built overlooking the ocean to one side and had several gardens that were illuminated strategically to create picturesque scenes, Alex smiled. It had multiple banquet rooms with several kitchens of various sizes designed for holding several events at the same time. From business meetings to weddings, it was set up for it all. Alex noticed that the parking lot was half full and he thought others were doing the same thing as he was in having their Thanksgiving feast here due to the size of their groups. It wasn’t until he followed the signs pointing to the banquet room his mom had sent him did he realize that there were a bit more than 30-40 people here. His mom must have upgraded the room without telling him as he was looking at a crowd of over 70 as he stepped into the room. From what he could tell, it looked like all his aunts, uncles and cousins were there, as well as several others he assumed were Sam’s and Nicole’s relatives. He was starting to wonder if he had made a mistake telling his mom that if she took care of the details he would pay for the flights and hotels of any family that wanted to make the trip. Clearly she had been more than happy to invite everyone that could come from all three families.

Before Alex could even process what was going on, he found himself being hugged by his maternal grandmother and he was quickly engulfed in a torrent of family as they talked and congratulated him on his success in ED, even if they didn’t understand how it worked. Sam and Nicole likewise found themselves pulled in different directions as their grandparents led the different groups. Alex caught a look at Nicole as her grandmother was talking to her with a stern look on her face. Nicole just smiled and responded. Alex was happy to see Nicole holding her own as he was sure that her family was going to be less than enthusiastic about the whole situation. When he caught sight of Sam, she was hugging her grandparents with a giant smile on her face and Alex instantly felt better about the money his mom had likely spent. This was definitely a great surprise for the three of them, especially considering what they planned to announce, though he wanted to let the parents know first. So he extracted himself from the crowd and quickly rescued Nicole, followed by Sam, and followed his nose to the kitchen where his mom was directing his dad and both Sam’s and Nicole’s parents. He quickly made his way to her and whispered in her ear.

“Mom, can I have everyone’s attention for a moment?”

“Oh! Alex, you scared me. Sure, but make it quick. We are in the final minutes before everything is ready to be brought out to the banquet hall.”

“Thanks. Everyone, if I can have your attention for a moment.”

Alex waited as his dad turned around from washing dishes, Mr. & Mrs. Jun looked over from what looked to be the stuffing and turkeys that had just been carved, and the Carters smiled next to the sides that they were transferring to plates.

“Everyone, thank you for all your work today. It really means a lot to see you all working together. I know that it has been an interesting few months, or year if we are using ED time. With that, Sam, Nicole and I have something we think you all should know.”

Alex stepped back as Sam and Nicole, who both looked nervous, moved in front of him as he put his arms around each of their shoulders. After one more look at each other for courage, Sam and Nicole spoke together. It was clearly a practiced speech that they had done together while Alex had been out of it the last few days.

“Moms, Dads, we are both extremely happy with our lives with Alex and we know that it is not normal, or that you necessarily agree. That said, we ask that you accept it and give us your support as we are both pregnant!”

As they finished, Mrs. Carter let out a squeal of joy as the rest just were quiet. Alex could see the Juns processing what they just heard as his dad just wore a shocked expression, while his mom had a hand over her mouth. Deciding that his mom would be the best one to break the silence, Alex turned to her.

“Mom, are you okay with this?”

“Oh, um yes, it’s just that, so am I.”

Thanks!

Thank you to all of my patrons on Patreon, especially my knight-tier patrons: Ottojanius, Jim Hall, Benjamin Griner, Rowan, Carl Benge, Clayton Flores, Nathan Ross, Matthew Nichols, Timelesschief, Christof Köberlein, Benjamin Grey, Casey, Daniel Sifrit, Fiedems, Michael Jackson, Tim Bartlett, Jason Bryant, Jeffrey Iverson, Jacob Shaw, David Peers, Kyle J Smith, Roman Smith, Derek Morgan, Rick White, Ryan Harrington, Lokii, Andrew Stueve, Michael Mitchell, Strange Loop Sleuth, and Rtewan, Stefan Zimmermann, Grantland Case and Cogumush.

Preview

ED year 2 days 22-23.

The first thing that Xeal noticed as he opened his eyes was how much more detail he could pick up in his room. The only light source was from the moon streaming in from the window, yet he could see more than he had been able to when the room was illuminated before. The next moment Xeal registered the scents of the house were far more pronounced as well. As he lay there processing the changes he was experiencing, he found all of his senses had become drastically sharper. Xeal smiled a complicated smile as at the rate things were going, they could be both a blessing and a curse if he couldn’t find a way to modulate them when he needed to. As Xeal looked at the changes breaking the seal on the elder dragon mark had brought about he smiled, as while there were some negatives, overall, they would help him maintain his advantage in Eternal Dominion.

(Elder dragon mark: you have been marked by an elder dragon and your body has begun to integrate with the mark increasing its sturdiness. Natural armor trait gained: it takes more to wound you now. You still take damage as normal, but debuffs from injury are reduced by 25%. 5% boost to all stats and heightened senses. 2 extra attribute points in MP and 1 extra free attribute point per level. Access to dragonoid skills through class skill points. All levels take 1.5 XP to reach. Lost upon death. Cannot safely log out while marked. As you increase your tiers, you will unlock more benefits. Two seals broken.)

Xeal didn’t like that he had lost half the boost to his attributes, but as he did the math, he found that it was better in the long run. He would be a bit stronger this way when he went for his tier 6 trial, with the extra attribute point he was gaining over having the extra five percent to all his attributes. That was to say nothing about past that point where it would hold the clear advantage in increasing his combat power. The fact that it was a free point was a major boost as it let him tailor his build and possibly even catch up to where he wanted to be. With it he would only be losing one of his normal points each level to charisma to keep it matched to his MP stat. The next thing Xeal did was use 150 of his available 157 class skill points to upgrade dual wielding, elemental blades, double upward and downward slashes, all to level 3 skills. Xeal also picked up a new skill that had only just appeared called dragon guidance that cost 50 class skill points and 2000 MP to activate, but allowed him to ask a simple question and receive a short answer from the dragon who marked him. The skill warned him that the dragon could refuse to respond, but with Durz’s comment about the dragon having a vested interest in Xeal and the time in the mist he felt it would be worth the loss of points to gain it. The fact that the dragon could reach out to him for half the MP cost was also a major plus. Once Xeal finished allocating his free attribute points he decided to try the skill out.

To activate the skill Xeal had to think of the skill and then ask his question in his mind. If the dragon chose to respond it would do so directly into his mind as well.

“What should I call you?”

Xeal waited for a moment and just as he thought it had failed, he received his answer.

“My name is best left forgotten. You may refer to me as Father if you wish as in this world, I am the closest thing your current form has to one.”

Xeal felt conflicted over an entity that he had barely interacted with telling him to refer to it as father. Xeal could see where it was coming from, but it still felt wrong.

“How about I call you Watcher. Father feels a bit too familiar as we currently are. Perhaps one day, but not now.”

“I see. Very well, I will allow it, young Xeal.”

Xeal exhaled as Watcher accepted his request, as he thought over what two more questions he would ask before he had to let his MP recover.

“Watcher, are you always watching?”

“No, I am always aware of you and can tell when you are in peril, but I am usually only looking in on you a few minutes a day.”

“Watcher, why me?”

At first all Xeal got in response was deep laughter but then Xeal saw another 1000 MP disappear leaving him with less than 1,000 left and he received his response.

“Xeal, fate brought you to me. I simply chose to empower you as my vessel in that world. As you grow my ability to see through you increases. Perhaps one day you will be able to free me to roam the skies once more.”

With that the conversation was over and Xeal had much to think about. Watcher had referred to him as a vessel which made Xeal think that a part of Watcher was within him. As he looked at the Elder dragon mark on his chest he noticed that it had changed. It now looked like a dragon’s arm and claw that went from just below his sternum to over his heart. The silvery scales that made up the mark felt smooth and cool to his touch and Xeal wondered just what further changes would occur to it over time. After spending a few minutes looking over the mark Xeal knew he need to get going and take care of several things before he met with Prince Victor in the morning. First on that list was to check in at guild headquarters and see how everything had been going.

On Xeal’s way out Maxwell informed him that Princess Enye and Lady Dyllis would be by for breakfast in the morning to check up on him as they had been worried. He also reminded Xeal that the captain of the royal knights wished to meet with him as he handed Xeal a boxed meal and Xeal noticed Midnight and Bula. Smiling, Xeal knelt and offered Midnight some affection as a system notification popped up.

(Do you wish to bind Midnight the matagot as your companion? Warning, once bound, matagots will only allow you to unbind them once you are close to your natural death. For better or worse you will be stuck with them as they cannot die. You have only one chance to bind Midnight to you. If declined it will be lost forever. Yes or No?)

Xeal took a second to think over the choice he had just been given. He had intended to do a bit more research before binding Midnight to him, but Midnight had decided otherwise. It didn’t take long for Xeal to select yes as Midnight jumped onto his shoulders like they were his new perch. Both Maxwell and Bula gave him a surprised look as he stood back up.

Afterword

I hope you all enjoyed book 6 and will be back for book 7, “Ententes” when it comes out next month. As you read this, know that I am officially writing full time as I work to make sure books 7 and beyond make it out on time. If you ask how I am feeling about being self-employed, all I can really say is thank you to all of you who have read my story on Amazon as you have made this possible. I really don’t know how I feel other than taxes are annoying, as I haven’t had time to really register it yet. I hope to continue to share my stories with you all for many years to come.

In other news, I have added a copy editor to my process, thanks to all of the support I have gotten. This is the first book I have published after they edited it first, while books 1 to 5 have all had new versions uploaded with the corrections and clarifications. Nothing that would change the story, just a few minor changes to make things clearer for everyone. Everything is a process as I grow as a writer and my goal is to always improve as I hone my craft while still staying true to me and hold to my motto, “Write for yourself. Not for someone else. Or you'll never love what you write.” Part of what ensures that I get these to all of you consistently is the joy simply writing them brings me. When I see others who enjoy them as much as I do, it just makes it better. As for those who find that my story is not to their taste, I thank them for giving it a chance as that is all I ever hope for. I know I have said it before, but I really feel like I can’t say it enough, so one more time, thank you for reading my story.

As always, if you feel I have forgotten something feel free to reach out to me on Facebook through my page or join my group. I am only one person and sending a message to my Facebook author page is the fastest way to get me to see it as I don’t get alerts on my personal page when non-friends message me for the first time. That said I will not answer personal questions like where I live even in a general fashion, please keep it to my story. If you would like a weekly extra that is not plot necessary but is canon, I publish shorts on my Patreon, the first three of which are currently available to my $1 patrons who will get another one every four weeks while my $5 patrons get one each week.

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Thank you again for reading my story and I hope you return for the next instalment of Alex’s tale. If you enjoy LitRPG and GameLit books check out the following Facebook groups. Both are great and have helped me get my stories out to you!

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